David Alsobrook - Have you ever heard of heavenfire?

Have You Ever Heard of... HEAVENFIRE?

David Alsobrook

Table of Contents

I The Fire of God
II Jesus Came to Bring Fire
III Tongues of Fire
IV God Answers By Fire
V A Canopy of Fire
VI Experiences With the Fire

CHAPTER I

The Fire of God

"And I saw another sign in heaven ... And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire ..." (Revelation 15:1-2).

SURPRISE! Heaven is full of fire. Many people do not realize the Bible has a great deal to teach about the existence of fire in heaven. Most Christians are taught that through salvation they will miss fire; however, while it is true that salvation saves from the "lake of fire" the believer's destination is a "city of fire" (Revelation 20:9).

Several years ago I made a study in the Bible on the subject of fire. Quite true there are many references to "hell fire" i.e., a fire of punishment. In fact, it was our Saviour who coined the term "hell fire" (Mark 9:43-48). Most clearly we see the fire of punishment in Genesis 19 when the Lord rained down fire and brimstone from heaven, as well as Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." We observe the plague of hail mingled with fire rained upon Egypt (Exodus 9:24). As Scripture teaches, the fire of punishment is quite true.

Our Lord Jesus will return "... from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord ..." (II Thessalonians 1:7-9). Definitely, the "fire of judgment" is a valid Bible teaching and is the "much sorer punishment"

awaiting those who have done "despite to the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29).

In my study I was amazed to find a very positive teaching in the Word of God on fire. In fact, just as there is "hell fire" there is also "heaven fire." Even as hell and heaven are quite opposite so differs the fire of both places. That is, there is a "fire of blessing"presence, protection, and purificationas surely as there is a "fire of judgment." "Heaven fire" is to be sought as surely as "hell fire" is to be shunned. Most Christians have been taught only of "hell fire" (fire of pain). Little do they know of a "heaven fire" which radiates God's presence, protection, and purification.

THERE'S FIRE IN HEAVEN TOO

There's fire in heaven according to the following Scriptures: In the floor (Revelation 15:2), surrounding the throne (Hebrews 1:7, Matthew 18:10, and Psalm 29:7), before the throne (Isaiah 6:1-8), and even on the throne (Hebrews 12:29 and Deuteronomy 4:24).

IN THE FLOOR: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire ..." (Revelation 15:2). The sea of glass referred to in Revelation 15:2 appears to be the floor (those who had been victorious over the beast stood upon it) and it is mingled with fire.

SURROUNDING THE THRONE: "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire" (Hebrews 1:7). Angels and fire go hand in hand.

"That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:10). "The voice of the LORD divideth [Hebrew: "sets into companies"] the flames of fire" (Psalm 29:7).

These Scriptures make it obvious that the angels stand before the Father, hear His voice, and that He sometimes makes them into flames of fire. When this occurs, there is fire surrounding the throne of God.

BEFORE THE THRONE: "In the year that King Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it (the throne) stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said, I, Woe, is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD

of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live (burning) coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me" (Isaiah 6:1-8).

Notice the seraphims had been flying around about the throne of God in verses 1 and 2. One of them then flew down, evidently close to the throne, most likely in front of the throne, where there was this altar full of burning coals. It was also from this altar that the house was filled with smoke (verse 4). In verse 6, one of the seraphims flew to Isaiah with a burning coal that he had taken from the altar.

One may ask, "How are these coals on the altar ignited?"

David tells us the coals are ignited due to the brightness of God!

"Out of the brightness before Him coals of fire flamed forth" (II Samuel 22:13 Amplified).

EVEN ON THE THRONE! "For our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29). "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God" (Deuteronomy 4:24).

The God of Israel revealed Himself in fire when He descended on Mt. Sinai to meet with Moses and give him the Law. "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because n the LORD descended upon it in fire ..." (Exodus 19:18).

Concerning Jesus we read: ''His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a

flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace ..." (Revelation 1:14-15). "These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire ... " (Revelation 2:18; 19:12). Nothing impure in the Asia churches missed His piercing, holy gaze! Malachi prophesied, "... for he shall be like a refiner's fire ..." (Malachi 3:2).

Perhaps it was He who appeared unto Moses as "... the angel of the LORD ... in a flame of fire ... " (Exodus 3:2).

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRE

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matthew 3:11).

"John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Luke 3:16).

The Holy Spirit was referred to prophetically as "the spirit of burning" (Isaiah 4:4).

So we have seen thus far there is indeed an abundance of Scripture teaching that heaven is a place of fire; not a fire of pain or judgment, but an inviting, welcoming warmth of God's presence and even of God Himself.

CHAPTER II

Jesus Came to Bring Fire

"I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!" (Luke 12:49-50). Ferrar Fenton in his translation says, "I came to throw fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" The Lamsa translation reads, "I came to set the earth on fire ..." These are indeed strange words from the mouth of Jesus, especially because He had rebuked two of His disciples when He was not well received at Capernaum, and they offered to call down a "fire of judgment' as Elijah had done. It seems paradoxical that Jesus would rebuke His disciples for desiring to call fire down on one hand while on the other He Himself states that He came to send fire on the earth. There is no contradiction whatsoever because the fire that He came to send was a fire of blessing and not a fire of judgment. He said these words about desiring to send fire during His first coming. Two thousand years ago He came expressly "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). At the first coming He came as our Saviour, not our Judge, but even in that we find a reference of fire prophetically in His first coming: "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a REFINER'S FIRE, and like fullers' soap" (Malachi 3:2). When we look in Malachi 3:1, we can tell that the context is clearly speaking to us of the first coming of our Lord to inaugurate the New Covenant.