In processes as well as in daily focus on walking in the Spirit, we as disciples and members of the Body of Christ may mature in the knowledge of the nature of God in order to be assured of His presence.

In order to enter into the presence of God, the fire of God has an important meaning, because God’s being is a consuming fire (cf. Deuteronomy 4:24 i.c.w. Hebrews 12:28-29).

 

24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

 

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

 

The closer we come to the Lord, the more we come into contact with different qualities of God’s fire. It is no coincidence that Abraham, for example, as God made a covenant with him, did not come before him empty-handed, resulting in God appearing to him in the presence of the fiery furnace and the burning torch. This apparition reveals, among other things, the fatherhood and sonship of God as consuming fire (cf. Genesis 15:12.17-21).

 

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. …

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates – 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

 

If one studies the consuming fire of God in the apparition as a fiery oven/altar of burnt offering, as described in Ezekiel 43:15-16, one comes to the conclusion that it is closely connected with the presence of the Lion of God (note: Lion of Judah). The reason for this is that the Hebrew word for ‘altar hearth – 'ărî’ēl' also means ‘war hero’ or ‘lion of God’. The word is still used as a poetic name for Jerusalem (cf. Isaiah 29:1.7). (note: The explanation of the Hebrew word ‘altar hearth – `ărî’ēl’ with the word key number 759*, 760*, 761* is taken from the Elberfelder Study Bible.)

 

This makes it clear that when one approaches the fire of God as a believer in Christ, one comes into contact with His royal standard of government.

 

Also Jesus Christ, who was on the cross in the ‘furnace of God’s fire’, carried as an indication the sign of His governing mandate on the cross in three linguistic versions above His head, namely King of the Jews (cf. John 19:19-20).

 

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.

 

James wrote to the messianic church in the nations and the scattered tribes of Israel (cf. James 1:1), when he describes in his letter in James 4:8 that believers, who consciously moves in a sinful pattern, are considered sinners in the eyes of God, because in a spiritual context it is a lukewarm state (note: contradictory, living in compromise, inconsistent), which results in being outside of Jesus Christ (cf. Revelation 3:16).

 

16 So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

 

From this we can see, that only a repentant heart before God enables getting close to God again with the content of standing in His presence of government and acting honorably in it. This is not referring to the realm of the throne of grace, to which we can confidently approach (cf. Hebrews 4:16), but the realm of God's governmental presence, which consists of 26 thrones (note: throne of God, throne of the Lamb, thrones of the 24 elders; cf. Revelation 4:2; Revelation 7:17 i.c.w. Mark 16:19; Revelation 4:4).

 

2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

 

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

 

19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

 

4 Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.

 

The 26 thrones together bear the numerical value of the God of Israel (note: יְהֹוָה – ‘JHWH’, YAHWEH => Jod (10), He (5), Waw (6), He (5) which is ‘26’ in total).

 

God, the Heavenly Father, has identified Himself completely with His Son and His people, which is why, through Jesus Christ in His royal priesthood, it is also our task to reflect the Heavenly Father. This is the reason why Jesus said to Philip that whoever sees Him sees the Father (cf. John 14:9).

 

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

 

 

Mature saints who are moving forward in the awakened structure of the body of Christ (note: like a lightning bolt extending from east to west) are called to introduce believers who have distanced themselves from God through a sinful lifestyle to the fire of God in the various spiritual realms.

 

This involves:

 

• the fire of the altar of the burnt offering,
• the seven fold fire of the Menorah, and
• the fire of the altar of incense.

 

The fire of the altar of burnt offering requires us to confess sin before God, which means that we have become guilty before God. This area cannot be ‘skipped’, replaced, or bypassed in order to come deeper into God’s presence.

This area is the area of the cross and ‘birth’ because it is related to the elements of blood and water (cf. John 19:34). It is the place where the animals were sacrificed as sin offerings by the priests.

 

34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.

 

Having passed through this area in the courtyard, it is important to reflect our acts in faith in the revelatory truth of the Word of God and to purify ourselves in our inner being from unrighteous acts, which is represented by the water of the bronze basin or the ‘brazen sea’ (cf. James 4:8 i.c.w. Exodus 30:17-21; Exodus 38:8).

 

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 

17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

 

8 They made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women (note: mirror => faith; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

 

This cleansing only makes us reflect ourselves in the truth of the Word of God, which results in a spiritual movement that brings change.

 

We should be aware that every ‘heaven’ is associated with a body of water, since there is also a crystal sea before the throne of God (cf. Revelation 4:6a).

 

6a Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. …

 

When we sincerely approach the consuming fire of God, it is necessary not to appear before God empty-handed. Accordingly, we need an attitude and mindset of submission and devotion to God’s holy (note: perfect, pure) standards in order to sincerely honor Him.

 

Every ‘type’ of God’s consuming fire is associated with His royal dominion (note: altar hearth/the lion of God – ‘ărî’ēl), therefore we should stand in awe of God (cf. Hebrews 12:28-29).

 

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

 

Having passed through the spirit realm of the altar of the burnt offering and the brazen ‘sea’ in the personal process of holiness, we enter from an open heaven (note: courtyard) into a narrower realm of the presence of the fire of God, which is in secret (note: in the sanctuary – Holy Place).

 

This fire of the Menorah, is the fire of the seven fold Spirit of God, shining forward and shining upon the bread of His presence, the twelve shew breads (cf. Exodus 25:31-33; Exodus 26:35; Numbers 8:2-3 i.c.w. Isaiah 11:2).

 

31 “Make a lampstand of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them.

32 Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand – three on one side and three on the other.

33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand.

 

35 Place the table (note: shew bread table) outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstand opposite it on the south side.

 

2 “Speak to Aaron and say to him, ‘When you set up the lamps, see that all seven light up the area in front of the lampstand.’”(note: in this case the light was shining towards the north)

3 Aaron did so; he set up the lamps so that they faced forward on the lampstand, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

 

2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord – …

 

The Menorah, the lampstand with the seven lamps, is about the guidance of the Holy Spirit as counselor and comforter, who guides us in order to internalize the Word of God and its standard and order. He helps us to the indispensable renewing of the mind, which implies that He leads into all truth and reveals future connected with real freedom (cf. John 16:8-11.13 i.c.w. John 8:32).

 

8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. …

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

 

‘… 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’

 

Having passed through the spirit realm of the Menorah, we arrive at the presence of the consuming fire of God on the altar of incense, which requires to give incense to the Lord, corresponding to true worship in spirit and truth towards the Heavenly Father.

 

This worship is by no means dependent on external circumstances as well as the short-lived ‘mood’ of a saint (cf. Exodus 30:1-8 i.c.w. John 4:23-24).

 

1 “Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high – its horns of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it. 4 Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding – two on each of the opposite sides – to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law – before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law – where I will meet with you. 7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.

 

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

 

The consuming fire of true worship (note: spiritual-soul acknowledgment of the perfection of God’s character) is closely related to the consuming fire of the Menorah, but also to the cherubic presence associated with lightning (note: ‘Cherubim’ means ‘glancing appearance, flashes of lightning’).

 

True worship results in the formation of white smoke in the covering atmosphere of the Spirit, which is flooded by the forward shining light of the Menorah and energized by the cherubic presence of God associated with the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord (cf. Exodus 26:31.33).

 

31 “Make a curtain of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubim woven into it by a skilled worker. …

33 Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

 

This means that worship is mixed with the presence of the Spirit of Truth, so that the white smoke turns into a golden presence in the spiritual sphere infused with the power of God.

 

While in this realm of the Spirit, it is essential to interact with God’s most important ‘moment’, who is Jesus Christ as the Alpha and Omega, who is our ‘Yom Kippur – the Great Day of Atonement’.

 

This means being or rather becoming completely one with Jesus Christ in order to stand in the ‘dark chamber’ of the Holy of Holies, where God the Heavenly Father shines (cf. John 17:20-26).

 

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – 23 I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

 

In a time of upheavals, crises and storms of life, the fire of God sustains us in the spirit first. His fire enables us to live supernaturally in the Father’s love as we keep away from all that resists God’s holy love and truth in order to bring glory to Christ as King.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel and Tina Glimm