THE ASSIMILATING POWER OF FIRE

Isa.6:1-3 – In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

The whole earth is full of His glory!”

Have you ever wondered what it might be like in the immediate presence of God on His throne in heaven? It is really quite impossible to comprehend and for me is quite terrifying to even consider it. This passage always makes me think of the life these seraphim have experienced from the day they were created. First of all how long ago were they created? I guess it doesn’t really matter but was it billions of years ago as we number years? What is it like there so close to His holiness, power, mercy, and goodness? Their names give us a clue, they are seraphim or the burning ones. Their nearness to the Lord has caused them to be enflamed with God’s nature, Moses said He was a consuming fire. Here is something F.E. Marsh said about this.

“The living creatures in the book of Ezekiel are said to be in “ their appearance like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning”. They were what they were because of the Spirit that was in them, for He is the “It” which went up and down among them. Matthew Henry says, “Fire makes all it seizes like itself”. The Spirit takes hold of what we are and makes us what He is…. The same principle holds good in this holy life to which we are called, “Like as He Who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, you shall be holy because I am holy”.”

So that makes me think about us and what happens in our lives when we draw close to God. On the Day of Pentecost the tongues of fire on the heads of all the believers tells us that the fire of God actually comes upon us as well. If the seraphim have taken on the nature of the Lord, what about us? I believe we are being changed into His image by His fiery presence. So this is what the prophet John was talking about when he said, “I baptize you with water but there is One coming after me who will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”. This is who we are, God’s fiery ones.