“A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him …” (Dan 7:10, NKJV)
When Heb. 12:29 then clearly states, “our God is a consuming fire”, we need to understand that He is obviously more than fire, and that He is also not literal fire, although He does at times transcendentally transmutate in fire. Typologically this insight is of the greatest importance, as the entire future of man on earth is explained on the basis of the working of this Godly fire. 1 Cor. 3:13 hints at this amazing truth: “… it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is”. In Greek the word ‘reveal’ is apokalupto, “taking off the cover”, revealing what is unreality and what is truth/reality.
In his study Jung and the Lost Gospels, a depth-psychological reading of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Stephan A. Hoeller makes the following remark about the birth of Jesus: “the sacred fire of transpersonal energy descends into manifestation”, and about his baptism, “the future Savior receives his authentic vocation by way of an overshadowing or descent of a supernatural principle”. This clothing over which needs to traverse the spiritual reality to reach our world’s unreality, is beautifully spelled out in 2 Cor. 5:1-3: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.”
Take note: we are clothed here on earth with our home in heaven. In the original language this clothing means “the superimposition and investation of a garment”, or “sinking into a garment”. This garment is however not a physical article of clothing, but instead a metaphor for the garment of fire.
Before we can discuss this further, we need to firstly look at some of the manifestations that are document in the Word, of Theophany (Godly appearances), in and through fire:
- In Gen. 15:17 Abraham and Yahweh make a covenant, and God confirms his acceptance of the sacrifice through fire: “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces.”
- Moses’ experience in Ex 3:2 is also recounted: “And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.” Remember, the “Angel of the Lord” is Jesus’ most well-known pre-incarnation state.
- In Ex 13:21 – “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night”. This Theophany filled the other nations with absolute fear (Num 14:14).
- In Ex. 19:18 we read: “Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire.” It is interesting that when this event is recounted from the perspective of the Israelites, it is presented metaphorically: “And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” (Ex. 24:27). Yet a text such as Deut. 4:11 translates it as “the mountain burned with fire to the midst of heaven”. In Deut. 5:4 Moses uses it as one of the most important arguments about God in the midst of the Israelites: “The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.”
- 40:38 also states that God was also the fire “on the tabernacle” (and by day the cloud of the Lord protecting them).
- 5:22 documents the fact that the ten commandments (“words) of Yahweh was spoken by a voice of fire: “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly, in the mountain from the midst of the fire, the cloud, and the thick darkness, with a loud voice; and He added no more.” Therefore Ps. 29:7 for instance declares in support – “The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire.”
- The story of Samson’s parents which is told in Judges 13:19-20, is a clear example of Theophany through fire: “So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to the LORD. And He did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on— it happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar—the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground.” Note that the Angel of the Lord (= the pre-incarnation state of Jesus) does not descend into the flame, but ascends in it!
- In Ezekiel’s epic vision, “when the heavens were opened” (1:1), with “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD”, the following Theophany is documented: “Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.” In verse 13 this is qualified further: “As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning.” In verse 27 the Godly Being (most probably again the pre-incarnated Jesus) is described as follows: “Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around.”
- Although he could have intended it metaphorically, David states in a song (quite non-metaphoric in comparison with, for instance, Isa. 30:27): “Smoke went up from His nostrils,and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it … From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled.” (2 Sam 22:9 & 13). Asaph too, in Ps. 50:3 makes it undeniably clear: “ … a fire shall devour before Him … ”
There are various other actions of God that are characterised by fire, but this is consistently especially with regards to Godly judgment: Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24), the death of Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 10:1-2), the destruction of Korah and his family (Num. 16:35), the vindication of Elijah towards the Baal prophets (2 Kings 1), and others. All things considered, Daniel 7:9-10’s characterisation of the Ancient of days (Yeshua) as a consuming fire is the most descriptive: “His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him.”
In the next teaching we will examine the amazing implications of this.
- Selah: Why would Yahweh specifically choose fire as a form of manifestation?
- Read: Ecc 4-5 and Ezek 1-4
- Examine how this has been fulfilled: Ezek 1:28 (Tip: Rev 10:1)
