Hot to Handle
"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24). Images of fire are used throughout the Bible, often to represent God's presence or his judgment against sin. Can you match these fiery answers with the appropriate occasion?

Answers
(more are listed than needed):

Eyes of flame
A pillar of fire
Chariots of fire
A flaming sword
Tongues of fire
The fiery furnace
The fire of the Lord
A blazing torch
A refiner's fire
A lake of fire
Fire in the heart
A burning bush

1. The Lord led the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land guiding them at night with _____________ (Exod. 13:21).

2. Jesus said, "At the end of the age �?everything that causes sin and all who do evil" will be thrown into ______________ (Matt. 13:40-42).

3. The Old Testament prophets asked, "Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears?" For his judgment will be like _______________ (Mal. 3:2).

4. Elijah prayed on Mt. Carmel, "Answer me, O Lord, so these people will know that you are God." In response, God sent ______________ to burn up the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:37).

5. The prophet Jeremiah suffered persecution for preaching God's word, but when he was silent, God's word was like __________________ (Jer. 20:9).

6. The prophet Daniel and the apostle John both saw a vision of Christ having feet like bronze, a face like the sun, a belt of gold, and _________________ (Dan. 10:6, Rev. 1:14).

7. Joel prophesied that in the last days, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people" (Joel 2:28). On Pentecost, ________________ symbolized God's promised Comforter (Acts 2:3).

Answers to Build Your Bible Power
1. A pillar of fire. This visible sign of God's presence assured the Israelites he was with them, offering guidance on their journey. Jesus also said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

2. The fiery furnace. This place of final judgment is also called the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14-15)—the final resting place of Satan (20:10). One of the earliest pictures of Gehenna (or hell) was the pagan shrine in the Valley of Ben Hinnom where children were sacrificed in the fire to idols.

3. A refiner's fire. Fire is used to remove impurities from metals; likewise, God used "the furnace of affliction" to test his people (see Job 23:10). Paul warns that on the day of judgment, "fire will test the quality of each man's work" (1 Cor. 3:13).

4. The fire of the Lord. In challenging the prophets of Baal, Elijah declared that "the god who answers by fire—he is God" (1 Kings 18:24). When Jesus' disciples wanted him to call down fire to destroy the unbelieving Samaritans, he refused (Luke 9:51-56).

5. Fire in the heart. Those who have encountered and been changed by Jesus Christ can echo the two disciples on the Emmaus Road who reflected, "Were not our hearts burning within us while [Jesus] talked with us �?and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32).

6. Eyes of flame. Jesus could see the future as well as the condition of a person's soul (Mark 10:21). Ultimately, Jesus' insight will be used on Judgment Day when he "will judge the living and the dead" (2 Tim. 4:1).

7. Tongues of fire. Heavenly fire came down when Moses dedicated God's Tabernacle (Lev. 9:24) and Solomon dedicated God's Temple (2 Chr. 7:1). Fire appeared over each believer on Pentecost to signify they were also the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).

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January/February 1998, Vol. 36, No. 1, Page 61