By: Gen. Jim – 5/16/26
Fire? Fire, according to Scripture, will refine/purify or consume. When “the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him,” John called them “you very nice obedient people of God.” Oops!, let me restate this, he called them a “brood (lit. offspring) of vipers!” (Lk. 3:7). Wow! That’s not very loving Mr. Baptist! John went on to ask, “who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” vs. 7. WRATH! WRATH to come? Just how & when will this “WRATH” come? Just how & when will this “WRATH” come? John did not leave the multitudes wondering. In vs. 16 the Baptist gave them what they “all reasoned in their hearts” (vs. 15): Was it John (the Christ) or was it someone else?; “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit & fire,” vs. 16.
Can we connect the dots? “Wrath” (vs. 7) & “fire”, vs. 16.
Why would the “One coming” come with wrath? We know John was speaking of Jesus the Christ. (read John 7:37-39 where the Holy Spirit was to be given to them who believed).
Malachi spoke of the “Messenger” who would prepare the way, & the Lord, the Messenger of the covenant (Mal. 3:1).
Take note of what Malachi says now: “But who may abide the day of His coming? … for He is like a refiner’s FIRE…” (vs. 2). But, but, didn’t Jesus/Holy Spirit come to BLESS us, to PROSPER us $$, to love us while we indulge in the sins of the world, to keep loving us no matter how in the HELL we live??? Oh, that Jesus. Yeah, we have Him in too many churches today. The “Candy Store” Jesus who passes out sweet-treats, not words of FIRE that would burn the HELL out of us! Oh, no, the Candy Store Jesus would never, ever correct His erring people – that is not love!
Malachi does not stop with “who may abide the day of His coming,” he explains “… He shall sit as a refiner & purifier… He shall PURIFY the sons of Levi, & PURGE them…”
What? PURIFY, PURGE?
You see, the ministry of Jesus was prefaced by that of the Baptist – a preparation for the ministry of Jesus.
How many “ministers of God” are literally, spiritually preparing the believers for the hereafter? I mean allowing the SWORD that CUTS (His Word) & the FIRE that BURNS (Holy Spirit) to do what needs to be done – refine & purge. You see, at salvation our sins are forgiven. But from that point on, God allows the Spirit to work in us to perfect us (bring us into spiritual maturity/fruit-bearing).
Jesus’ mission was to PURIFY the temple cult/priesthood, who were, as Jesus said, hypocrites, blind guides, fools, serpents/vipers (see Mt. 23). If He were here today, in America, what do you think He would say about the priesthood? Jesus’ other mission was to prepare the N.T. Ekklesia for fruit-bearing, pruning, cutting off etc. John was the messenger that introduced the divine Messenger, Jesus Christ. His water baptism was to prepare the believers for the Spirit’s work in them – BURN with fire all that needed burning: CUT OUT all that hinders growth.
Fire
Fire: Gk, “pur”, a prim. word; fire (lit. or fig.) Luke 3:16 & 17 mentions Holy Ghost Fire & unquenchable fire. John describes Jesus’s work as one who separates the wheat from the chaff; the wheat is gathered but the chaff “will BURN with fire unquenchable.” In the Big picture (end day Judgment) God will separate the sinners from the saved. But in real time the Holy Spirit will (if we allow Him) burn out all that needs burning in order to present us to God – fruitful.
The “wrath” of God works in the earth today, in a limited sense; but when the END comes, the separation will be universal – either we will be gathered as wheat or cast out as chaff.
Because of rebellion in Jesus’ day, Jesus exhibited wrath toward the Jewish religion: they were “religious” but not “righteous”. In short, they were flakes, fakes, and snakes. And because of their false relationship with God, God’s true messengers were sent to the Gentiles.
Q. will the Kingdom of God’s grace be realized upon this earth in fullness? By now, today, the prevailing character of “Christianity” is “Churchianity”, part Christian, part pagan. And we are continually criticized for saying this. Today’s Church (with exceptions) has adapted to the world’s values, the antithesis of the Spirit of Christ.
Some think the Kingdom will be achieved by some catastrophic act of God. Well, I’ve got BAD NEWS for you: The Kingdom will be realized by cutting & burning! We, wanting to bypass the Sword & Fire, get these hasty hopes that God will accept us no matter how in the HELL we live. We think we can produce false-fruit & He will not notice. HA! The Bible says that Jesus’ eyes were/are like a FLAME of FIRE! (Rev. 1:14)
Others think the Kingdom will come in like that of some whirlwind of reform in political condition (Trump?): throw out the radicals, the Left, defeat the Christ-haters, the evildoers. This would be nice BUT do we honestly believe those on the Right will be right? Some, yes. All, No! The EVIL in this land called the “United Snakes of America”, the “Divided States of America”, will not just be voted out. We must ALL get a single eye & heart/head where Jesus is our King! Make Jesus Great Again (MJGA).
The process of full redemption will only come when we allow the Sword & Fire into our daily lives. This fight between the Left & the Right shows us just how divided we are.
Matthew 3:11 also speaks about the Holy Ghost Fire. God’s Holy Fire is meant to BURN out all that is false. Outward precepts, however well will not produce inward spirituality. We all can FAKE Christianity. The fire will not only burn but illuminate & invigorate – desire the fire! The light from the fire will show our motives – good or bad.
Some Say
As per the “Fire”, some scholars say it means the tribulations, crosses, & afflictions, which believers in Christ are called to pass through. Some believe there are 3 sorts of baptism: 1) water; 2) Holy Ghost; 3) tribulations etc. Chrysostom says; it means the super abundant graces of the Spirit. Basil & Theophilus explains it as the “fire of hell”. Cyril, Jerome, & others, understand by the descent of the Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost. Hilary thinks it means a fire that the righteous must pass through in the day of judgment, to PURIFY them here. Ambrose believers this “fire baptism” will be administered at the gate of paradise, by the Baptist; & he thinks that this is what is meant by the “flaming sword” (Gen. 3:24). Origen & Lactantius believe it to be a river of “FIRE”, flames of divine. Some quote Paul’s 1 Cor. 3:13-15 statement. Who is right?
Mark 1:8 mentions the Holy Ghost but not the fire.
So, we see, the announcement of John’s baptism – water/fire – has been subject to diverse interpretations. The majority view is that John the Baptist announced only a baptism of fire. He proclaimed an imminent judgment of “purging fire”. The idea of baptism with the Spirit is seen as a Christian addition. I believe that the Holy Fire of God is meant to BURN the HELL out of us… to prepare us for eternity. If “once saved always saved” is a true Bible doctrine, why do we find the “if” – “then” clause so often in the Bible? (See my teachings on this “uttermost” WARNINGS against sin, against “falling away”.)
Punishing the wicked (be they the “saved”, “unsaved”) is found all through the Bible. People hate us for pointing this out so often – and we do! – but to deny the “purging” & “refining” is to hold back the truth – even when it hurts! The “Fire” baptism & “water” baptism are Scriptural. If the believer is already perfected at salvation, the N.T. authors wasted alot of time writing about what things damn a soul – even a “Christian” soul.
Tertullian (160-230 A.D.), after quoting Luke 3:16, wrote: “True & stable faith is baptized with water, unto salvation. Pretended & weak faith is baptized with fire, unto judgment.” (198 A.D., 3:674).
Treatise on Re-Baptism (275 A.D., 5:676, 677) states: “John said we must be baptized in the Holy Spirit & in fire. Because he said ‘and fire’,… very crafty men seek a way to thereby corrupt & violate – & even neutralize – the baptism of holiness… this (“fire baptism”) was similar to the fire that burned in the bush, but did not consume the bush.”
I believe that the Holy Ghost fire cleanses & blesses us after salvation. I believe the modern Church (with exceptions) has denied the Holy Spirit from burning out all impurities, human motives/lusts etc. What we have is a “Spiritless” Church playing Church. Holy Fire will bring Holy Desire!