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Biblical significance of fire and water


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Fire and water seem to be opposing forces in nature but they are both symbols used in the Bible relating to the holy spirit.

Any thoughts?

Was water the old testament spirit and fire the new testament spirit?

Where water is an outside cleansing and fire is an inner purification?

Acts 2:3

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Matthew 3:11

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:

Edited by DrWearWord
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God first

Beloved DrWearWord

God loves you my dear friend

water was used if a person touch a dead body

before the priest could clean they had to wash with water under the law

Water was and is to prepare us for Christ coming into our inner self our heart

today we are wash by John's preparing our heart for Christ to inner

the earth was washed with water getting it ready to be cleaned by fire

farmers burn of flelds so the new growth will be better

I hope I have answer part of your question

so by fire maybe Christ can bring the new growth

old of flesh

new of spiritual

thank you

with love and a holy kiss blowing your way Roy

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There was also a spring of water at the top of mount Sinai in Moses' day.

To me this spring of water signified the holy spirit occupying the mountain.

Does that sound possible?

Malachi 3:10

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Edited by DrWearWord
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DrWearWord, you may want to check out the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, General Editors: Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III, InterVarsity Press, 1998. I find it useful being different from a concordance that is verbally based – in that it obviously organizes biblical references by images, symbols, motifs, metaphors, etc.

For example the Dictionary devotes pages 286 to 288 to FIRE – and covers quite a bit of ground – not going to repeat it all here – but the article does try to be comprehensive and so among other things refers to fire as being an instrument of warfare:

"…the victors…burning down the city of the losers [e.g., Josh 6:24; 8:8; 11:11; Judg 1:8; I Kings 9:16; cf. Mt. 22:7]. This is why war itself or its fury can be likened to, or spoken of, as fire [Num 21:28; Is 10:16; Zech 12:6]. Fire can be the instrument of execution for criminals [Gen 38:24; Lev 20:14; 21:9; Josh7:15; cremation is otherwise not practiced in the Bible; see Crime and Punishment]...

…sacrifices – not just 'burnt offerings' – are typically burned [cf. Lev 2:2, etc.]. Perhaps we should find here a symbol: the fire represents God's desire to destroy sin and to purify his people [cf. Is 6:6-7]…

…In Genesis 15:17 the presence of God appears as a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, and in Exodus 3:2 God makes himself known to Moses 'in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush [RSV; see Burning Bush]…

…That God should appear as fire is appropriate for many reasons. Just as all physical life depends on the fire that is the sun [cf. Rev 16:8], so does all spiritual life depend on God…"

[Page 287]

WATER is covered on pages 929 to 932:

"…Because water is an element essential to life, its meaning and evocativeness are universal. Yet the significance of water was heightened for biblical writers, who lived in a region where water was scarce and drought [see Dry, Drought] a constant threat to life. Water figures in the Bible in three ways – as a cosmic force that only God can control and govern, as a source of life, and as a cleansing agent. We can also detect a polarity at work in the six hundred biblical references to water: water can mean both life and death, blessing and affliction, order and chaos…

…the waters of chaos suggested in Genesis 1:2 by the term deep…" [Page 929]

End of excerpts

My point in posting these excerpts was just to give you an idea of this interesting dictionary – I find it helpful to explore more aspects of a topic. You've started another interesting thread – I may contribute more later but for now I'm reviewing fire and water in this dictionary.

Edited by T-Bone
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Thank you for your input so far.

You have both enlightened my perspective.

It gives me much to think about.

We might consider that fire and water are a means in which God's angels have appeared.

Thus Christ Jesus would have obtained that ability to appear in these forms.

2Corinthians 10:5

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Comment: Scientifically fire is electricity and the human body is mostly made of water. Yet it is the small amount of fire that controls the nerve impulses of the body which enable us to have muscular response, think and reason.

The synapse in the mind where a single chemical in the brain can regulate in an instant a cell in the fingernail. This is fire, this is electricity. Fire and water.

How does this relate to the Bible?

It is a scientific comparison to fire and water and how they combine to make life.

Fire and water are part of the creation, these are angels and Christ is the head of the creation.

The angels may actually embody these elements or they inhabit them but they have Biblically co-mingled with them to convey God's wonderful purpose.

Edited by DrWearWord
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There was also a spring of water at the top of mount Sinai in Moses' day.

To me this spring of water signified the holy spirit occupying the mountain.

Does that sound possible?

Malachi 3:10

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

May I inquire into the relevance of Malachi to this post?

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