The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Divine Fire, #8

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:5)

To those who look for Him, Christ shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation. The cross of Calvary removed the guilt of our sin. Now the Lord is appearing to His people as the One who takes away the power, the presence of sin.

The purification of the Lord's people by Divine fire, by the fire of judgment, was announced by the Prophets.

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood [blood-guiltiness; bloodshed] of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. (Isaiah 4:4)

The Lord has promised to purge the filth and blood-guiltiness from the daughters of Zion by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. The spirit of judgment and burning are the baptism with fire announced by John the Baptist:

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:11,12)

The Lord Jesus will purge His threshing floor by baptizing His people with the fire of Divine judgment. This process has begun among those who are living close to the Lord.

Again, in the Book of Zechariah.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:9)

The "silver" and "gold" of God's people will be purified by fire.

The way of the Lord will be prepared by means of a purifying of the royal priesthood.

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:1-3)

To be continued.