You will place them in a fiery furnace at the time of Your appearing. In His wrath the LORD will engulf them, and the fire will consume them. You will place them in a fiery furnace at the time of Your appearing.This phrase evokes imagery of divine judgment and purification. The "fiery furnace" is reminiscent of the furnace in Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown but not consumed, symbolizing God's protection over the faithful and His power over judgment. The "time of Your appearing" suggests an eschatological event, pointing to the Day of the Lord, a time of reckoning and fulfillment of divine justice. This aligns with New Testament themes in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, where Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire, dealing out retribution. The furnace symbolizes both judgment and purification, a common biblical motif where fire refines and purifies ( Malachi 3:2-3). In His wrath the LORD will engulf them,
The wrath of the LORD is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, representing His righteous anger against sin and injustice. This phrase underscores the seriousness of divine judgment. The engulfing nature of God's wrath can be seen in historical events such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) and the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7-12), where God's power and judgment were visibly demonstrated. Theologically, this reflects God's holiness and justice, which cannot tolerate sin. It also serves as a warning to the unrepentant, emphasizing the need for repentance and faithfulness. and the fire will consume them.
Fire as a consuming force is a powerful biblical image of judgment. In the Old Testament, fire often signifies God's presence and judgment, as seen in the burning bush (Exodus 3) and Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18). The consuming fire represents total destruction of the wicked, as seen in Isaiah 66:15-16, where the LORD comes with fire to execute judgment. This phrase also connects to the New Testament, where eternal fire is a metaphor for final judgment (Matthew 25:41). The consuming nature of fire highlights the completeness of God's judgment, leaving nothing unaddressed. It serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of rejecting God's authority and grace. Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORDThe central figure in this verse, representing God's power and justice. The LORD is depicted as a righteous judge who will execute judgment on His enemies. 2. Enemies of GodThose who oppose God and His anointed king. They are the recipients of God's wrath and judgment. 3. Fiery FurnaceA metaphorical place of judgment and destruction, symbolizing the intensity and completeness of God's wrath against His enemies. 4. Time of Your AppearingRefers to a future time when God will manifest His presence and execute judgment, often associated with eschatological events. 5. King DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of this Psalm, he speaks of God's deliverance and judgment, reflecting on God's protection over him as the anointed king. Teaching Points God's Righteous JudgmentGod's judgment is just and righteous. He will ultimately deal with all evil and opposition to His kingdom. Believers can trust in God's perfect justice. The Reality of Divine WrathThe wrath of God is a real and serious aspect of His character. It serves as a warning to those who oppose Him and a comfort to those who are oppressed by evil. The Assurance of God's ProtectionFor those who are in Christ, there is assurance of protection from God's wrath. Believers are called to live in the light of this truth, seeking refuge in Him. Eschatological HopeThe "time of Your appearing" points to the hope of Christ's return. Believers are encouraged to live with an eternal perspective, anticipating the fulfillment of God's promises. Call to RepentanceThe imagery of the fiery furnace serves as a call to repentance for those who are far from God. It is a reminder of the urgency to turn to God and seek His mercy. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the imagery of a "fiery furnace" in Psalm 21:9 help us understand the seriousness of God's judgment? 2. In what ways does the assurance of God's righteous judgment provide comfort to believers today? 3. How can the concept of God's wrath motivate us to share the gospel with those who do not know Christ? 4. What parallels can you draw between the "time of Your appearing" in Psalm 21:9 and the return of Christ as described in the New Testament? 5. How does understanding God's protection from His wrath influence the way you live your daily life? Connections to Other Scriptures Daniel 3The fiery furnace in Daniel 3, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown, serves as a literal example of God's deliverance from such a place of judgment, contrasting with the fate of God's enemies in Psalm 21:9. Malachi 4:1This verse speaks of a day coming that will burn like a furnace, connecting to the theme of divine judgment and the consuming fire of God's wrath. Revelation 20:9-10Describes the final judgment and the lake of fire, paralleling the imagery of consuming fire as a form of divine retribution. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Anger, Appear, Blazing, Burned, Consume, Devour, Fiery, Fire, Flaming, Furnace, Makest, Oven, Presence, Swallow, Wilt, WrathDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 21:9 5321 furnace Library Epistle Lviii. To all the Bishops Throughout Helladia .
To all the Bishops throughout Helladia [1626] . Gregory to all bishops constituted in the province of Helladia. I return thanks with you, dearest brethren, to Almighty God, who has caused the hidden sore which the ancient enemy had introduced to come to the knowledge of all, and has cut it away by a wholesome incision from the body of His Church. Herein we have cause both to rejoice and to mourn; to rejoice, that is, for the correction of a crime, but to mourn for the fall of a brother. But, since …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatMy Brethren.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ calls those for whom He died and who have believed on Him "My Brethren." What a word it is! The Brethren of the Man in Glory! Brethren of Him who is at the right hand of God, the upholder and heir of all things! Pause for a moment, dear reader. Let your heart lay hold anew of this wonderful message of God's Grace; Brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ! What depths of love and grace these words contain! What heights of glory they promise to us, who were bought by His own precious …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Fourteenth Day for the Church of the Future
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future "That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."--PS. lxxviii. 8. "I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."--ISA. xliv. 3. Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in association and societies …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Of Deeper Matters, and God's Hidden Judgments which are not to be Inquired Into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of Olives: Discoures to the Disciples Concerning the Last Things.
THE last and most solemn denunciation of Jerusalem had been uttered, the last and most terrible prediction of judgment upon the Temple spoken, and Jesus was suiting the action to the word. It was as if He had cast the dust of His Shoes against the House' that was to be left desolate.' And so He quitted for ever the Temple and them that held office in it. They had left the Sanctuary and the City, had crossed black Kidron, and were slowly climbing the Mount of Olives. A sudden turn in the road, and …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 21:9 NIVPsalm 21:9 NLTPsalm 21:9 ESVPsalm 21:9 NASBPsalm 21:9 KJV
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