Topical Bible: Fire: Can be Increased in Intensity

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In the biblical context, fire is a multifaceted symbol representing God's presence, judgment, purification, and the Holy Spirit. The intensity of fire, both literal and metaphorical, is a recurring theme throughout Scripture, illustrating the varying degrees of divine action and human response.

Divine Judgment and Wrath

Fire often symbolizes God's judgment and wrath, which can be intensified according to the severity of human sinfulness. In the account of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord rained down burning sulfur, a fire of great intensity, as a judgment against the cities' grave sins (Genesis 19:24-25). This event underscores the concept that divine retribution can be severe and consuming.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of God's anger as a fire that can be kindled and increased. Isaiah 30:27-30 describes the Lord's anger as "a consuming fire" and His tongue as "a devouring flame," indicating that the intensity of divine judgment can escalate in response to persistent rebellion.

Purification and Refinement

Fire is also a symbol of purification and refinement, processes that can vary in intensity. Malachi 3:2-3 portrays the Lord as a refiner's fire, purifying the sons of Levi and refining them like gold and silver. This imagery suggests that the intensity of the refining fire is necessary to remove impurities and achieve holiness.

The apostle Peter echoes this theme in 1 Peter 1:7 , where he compares the trials of faith to the refining of gold by fire. The intensity of these trials serves to purify and strengthen believers' faith, demonstrating that increased intensity in spiritual refinement leads to greater spiritual maturity.

The Holy Spirit and Zeal

In the New Testament, fire is associated with the Holy Spirit and the fervor of believers. On the day of Pentecost, tongues of fire appeared and rested on the apostles, signifying the powerful and transformative presence of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3-4). This event illustrates how the intensity of spiritual fire can be increased to empower and embolden believers for ministry.

The apostle Paul encourages believers to maintain their spiritual fervor, using the metaphor of fire to describe zeal for the Lord. In Romans 12:11 , he exhorts, "Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." This suggests that the intensity of one's spiritual fire can and should be nurtured and increased through devotion and service.

Eternal Consequences

The Bible also speaks of an eternal fire, the ultimate expression of divine judgment. In Matthew 25:41 , Jesus warns of the "eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels," a fire of unending intensity reserved for those who reject God. This serves as a sobering reminder of the ultimate consequences of sin and the unquenchable nature of divine justice.

Throughout Scripture, the concept of fire and its varying intensity serves as a powerful metaphor for God's actions and human responses. Whether as a tool of judgment, purification, or empowerment, the intensity of fire reflects the seriousness of divine purposes and the depth of spiritual transformation.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Daniel 3:19,22
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Necessity of Increased Faith
... shall not overflow thee; when thou passest through the fire, thou shalt ... my dear friends,
that you want faith to be increased in its ... Whose word can never fail?". ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the necessity of increased faith.htm

Prayer and Desire
... the Laodicean Christians, of whom the awful condemnation is written that they were
"rich, and increased in goods ... It feeds on fire; it can withstand anything ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/the necessity of prayer/iv prayer and desire.htm

2 Cor. xi. 21
... What can be the reason that he here strongly confirms ... every form of fight, and breathed
out fire, and was ... the same; yea, rather he even increased the intensity ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily xxv 2 cor xi.htm

Prayer and Importunity
... only way in which the soul of man can enter into ... Fire is the life of prayer, and
heaven is reached ... and serve only to lend intensity and increased boldness to ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/vi prayer and importunity.htm

Whether Suffrages Profit those who are in Hell?
... consequently some suffer more, some less, from the same fire. ... punishment cannot be
diminished as neither can the glory of the saints be increased as to ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether suffrages profit those who.htm

Treats of How God Inspires the Soul with Such Vehement and ...
... supernatural so burns the frame that were it increased ever so ... enough to burn us
if we were thrown into a fire. ... as He did to the sons of Zebedee: Can you drink ...
/.../teresa/the interior castle or the mansions/chapter xi treats of how.htm

The Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth (Preached at the Chapel ...
... reverence; increased fear of rash assertions, increased awe of ... it is therefore written,
Our God is a consuming fire.'. ... Can these dark dogmas be true of a Father ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon vi the shaking of.htm

Whether Evil Corrupts the Whole Good?
... of matter to the form of fire is diminished ... Likewise, addition in sin can be made
to infinitude ... as the contrary dispositions are also increased infinitely, as ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether evil corrupts the whole.htm

The Twofold Testimony of John - the First Sabbath of Jesus's ...
... him, like the tempered wind that fans the fire into flame ... part of the Baptist, so
we also mark increased intensity and directness ... 1671] But we can understand how ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iii the twofold testimony.htm

'Time for Thee to Work'
... forthputting of the divine energy; an increased intensity of cleaving ... of the heaviest
artillery that can be brought ... shook off the beast into the fire, and felt ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/time for thee to work.htm