Did you ever wonder where that saying came from? The heat of the sun is beating on us…… Hmmm. It does feel that way in the middle of summer depending on where you live….That intense heat of the closeness of the sun, doing what is does best- shine it’s light on all, but it also brings the heat of it’s neverending fire…..Nothing is hidden from the heat of that bright sun…..Even when the clouds are out we still receive the light we need to see in the day…… So…….
Now let us look at Daniel 12:3, Those who are wise shall shine, like the brightness of the firmament. And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
Do you wonder why the scripture did not say the sun?..…. References as His people shining as Jesus even mentioned mostly referred to the sun as in Matthew 13:43, Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
In Strong’s Concordance, the word firmament says an expanse. However in digging deeper, the word firmament’s root comes from Hebrew word- raqa. Raqa means to pound the earth as a sign of passion and to expand by hammering, to beat, to make broad.
So the Lord’s people shine as the brightness of the firmament- so what do you think the Holy Spirit meant by this specific word firmament….. The word of God written in Jeremiah 23:29, Is not My Word like a fire?, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in rock in pieces?
So what is His purpose for us, His body, His testifiers in this world?
His people are as He is in the world, is not what is written? So the light of Israel will be for a fire, and His Holy One a flame, it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day, ( Isaiah 10:17).
So if we are to be as fire in the world like the firmament, and we are as He is- How can we come to understand the Lord’s purpose for His people in these days?
I watched till thrones were put in place. The Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire; A fiery stream issue and came forth from before Him, a thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousands times ten thousands stood before Him, the court was seated, and the books were opened, ( Daniel 7:9-10).
This description of the Almighty also resembles the description of the Son of God, Jesus Christ….. as written in Revelation 1:13-16, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hands seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
Can we get near the Son of God and not get burned? What about the Ancient of Days?
The prophet Isaiah speaks for the Lord on that question, Isaiah 33:14-17, The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness has seized the hypocrites; who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes,who stops from hearing bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from seeing evil; He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of the rocks; bread will be given him, his water will be sure. Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they will see the land that is very far off.
We know in ourselves, we would be burnt to crisp before our God, but for the blood of Jesus Christ. We in ourselves have no righteousness, for we are no different then dirty rags- You and I know rags in a fire are a fuel to ignite a bigger flame. So….. this is not news to the Holy One. He prepares the way of the Lord consistently and constantly…..before man’s eyes and ears.
So can we get near the Son and not get burned? Malachi 3:1-7:
Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.
But who can endure the day of His coming?And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord, and offering in righteousness.
Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years.
And I will come near you in judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans and against those who turn away an alien because they do not fear Me, says the Lord of hosts. For I Am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob, yet from the days of your fathers, you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you said, in what way shall we return?
I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him before Him, Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. And His kingdom the which shall not be destroyed, ( Daniel 7:13-14).
In Revelation, it is written, the Lord has eyes of fire and in 4:5, and from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the Seven Spirits of God.
The throne of the Almighty, Ancient of Days is of fire. The Son of God has eyes of fire. The Holy Spirit is represented as Seven Spirits of God….as seven burning lamps of fire.
So how do we get near this Great and Awesome and Magnificent God…..Though He is so awesome, He draws us close by His never ending burning love towards us…..
Are we ready? We might study lions. We may know everything there is to know about lions, at least, we think we do until we walk into the presence of a lion in the wild, in his turf…. The knowledge of the lions will not put the breath back in our lungs as the lion comes near….. How much more the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? Are we really ready? I do not know if we will ever be “ready” to meet the Uncreated One—-but we remain steadfast and keep watching for His return…. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come says the Spirit and the bride.
In His great fire of love for His bride, He has given her the time here to prepare for His ever approaching return…..His fiery furnace of His Spirit, the refiner’s fire, to be with and in us.
As written in Isaiah 43:2, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame shall not scorch you.
Then He continues His purpose of our transformation in verses 7-13 of chapter 43 of Isaiah, Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have formed him.
Bring out the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this, and show us former things? Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear and say, it is truth.
You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I AM He. Before Me there was no God formed, nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no Savior. I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, and there was no foreign god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord, that I Am God. Indeed before the day was, I am He; and there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction, ( Proverbs 1:7).
When the Son of God, the High King of Heaven, returns. There will be a fiery judgment for His enemies for they refused to return….. to their Creator. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?,( Amos 3:8).
His judgments come to us at any time as He sits enthroned today, tomorrow and forever….. His judgments come and He is manifested but we do not know when He will be fully manifested before our eyes as He is….. His judgments manifest Him as well as His work in creation…… So watch for His appearing…. We do not know- let us prepare our hearts and be filled with His fiery love!
So, beloved, who call on the name of the Lord, we are growing or being transformed into His fiery image from glory to glory by the Spirit of fire, Himself! So though we are near the Lord Jesus today, as close as within! He will not scorch the person He creates in Christ Jesus….. Yes, our chaff, our carnal nature is burning away minute by minute….. but, we are His as His hands are creating His good purpose through and in us. Is that not why Paul wrote- I die daily in 1 Corinthians 15:31?
We are His sea of glass mingled with fire in chapter 15:2-3,in Revelation as written: And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image, and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God,, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy, for all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested.
So we can conclude if we are with the Son today, we will not get burned for we will be as His fire on this earth hammering the Light into the darkness……We will be speaking Light Be and know as written in 1 John 3:1-3:
Behold, what manner of love, the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God: and it has not been revealed what we shall be but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.
Can we get near the Son? Absolutely! Will we get burned- absolutely ! The new creation is being made complete in Christ Jesus. Only our carnality will burn as the chaff…… What about the ones that choose not to go near the Son? They shall experience His fire for all of eternity, which is known as the eternal burnings of hell or lake of fire.
However, as written in Daniel 12:3: Those who are wise shall shine, like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.
And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God, (Revelation 15:2).
Let us bow to the workings of the Holy Spirit to rid us any mark of the beast or his image and the number of his name, which is complete corruption from within out. The spirit, soul and flesh are completely corrupted with out the blood of the Lamb and His Spirit in man. …… Let us allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to His fiery image, our Savior!
Are we ready for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah on His turf? Can we anticipate to breath His fiery air today so we can live in His flame of Love tomorrow?
Remember Christ will be all and in all…….Let us be found as He is in this world and His, when He watches us today and tomorrow! Always being transformed from glory to glory into His image being a hammer in the earth!
Instead of praying for revival and reformation, maybe we should pray for the humility to be transformed into His image…….For it is written in Ephesians 4:10, He who descended is also One who ascended far above the heavens, that He might fill all things.
For as it is written: Mark 9:49, For everyone will be seasoned with fire and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt, ( salt purifies!). So what do we need to throw in the fire as our own sacrifice to be close to the King of glory?
Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, ( Daniel 12:10).
Let us then in humility bow before the King today while we do not see Him as He is but believe He is an awesome Consuming Fire…. and live in appreciation of what great God He is. Let us be formed or beaten in His image by the Spirit of Fire and grace…. while we have grace.
We will be burned by the Son, now by His mercy and grace or later without any mercy…….. No brainer to me!
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are those that put their trust in Him, ( Psalm 2:1).
What shall we offer in the fire confirming our steadfastness in our faithfulness to the King? What can we show Him now, this minute, this next hour, this next week? A sacrifice something that builds His character within and makes us give Him our time and devotion that He is worthy. Do we mean business in repentance and turning to Him bringing America into His vision one heart at a time?
He made His sacrifice to gain us, what sacrifice will we make to gain Christ?
Selah!
