The doctrine of the baptism of fire

1. Definition. The baptism of fire is the judgement of the Tribulational unbelievers at the second advent of Christ. It is introduced as an illustration at this point for a very strange reason. The Jews in Jerusalem know more about the past, their spiritual heritage in Israel, and eschatology, than they do about the time in which they live. Therefore the writer illustrates what is about to happen to them by going from Esau, Mount Sinai versus Mount Zion, to the second advent and the baptism of fire. The Tribulational unbelievers at the second advent are removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the last judgement or the great white throne. Both the Tribulational unbelievers, Jew and Gentile, are involved in this second advent judgement which results in beginning the Millennium with believers only. The Jew of Jerusalem in AD 67 are about to lose their pseudo prosperity in 70 AD, and they will lose everything else — their national identity, their lives, they will enter into slavery — and there is some way in which this must be illustrated. So we have an eschatological intrusion to show them that you cannot depend upon pseudo prosperity.

2. The concept of orientation. The baptism of fire is one of seven baptisms found in the scripture which are divided into two categories. The first category is what is called a real baptism and the second category is known as a ritual baptism. A ritual baptism is easily distinguished because it always deals with water and a ceremony related to water in which the candidate, and in some cases the victim, is identified with water. Real baptisms bring out the true meaning of the word baptism. Baptism means identifying something with something else. For example, in the first baptism in the scriptures, the baptism of Moses, the Jews were identified with Moses as the Red Sea was parted and they went through on his identification — 1 Corinthians 10:2. At the time of the Red Sea incident God was only pleased with one person in Israel. The rest of them were falling apart. As the Red Sea was parted they saw for the first time their deliverance. They went through because they were identified with Moses who shouted to them, “Stand still and watch the deliverance of the Lord.” So God took the erroneous hysterical majority and identified them with one person, the minority, and delivered them all.

The second great baptism is the greatest of all. It is the baptism of the cross. In this case we have identification portrayed in the most wonderful way possible. All of our sins, past, present, and future, were poured out upon the Lord Jesus Christ and judged.

Then there is the baptism of the Spirit whereby we, members of the body of Christ, those who are believers in the Church age, are members of the royal family forever. God the Holy Spirit enters us into union with Christ seated at the right hand of the Father, making us permanent royalty.

The baptism of fire is the fourth and final real baptism. There is the baptism of the Spirit for the Church Age, the baptism of fire is for the end of the Jewish Age. The Jewish Age, like most ages, ends in great judgement.

There are also three ritual baptisms. There is the baptism of John which was a ritual whereby the water portrayed the kingdom, and those who entered into the water were those who were believers and were a part of the kingdom of God. The baptism of Jesus in which the water represented the will of God, going to the cross, and Jesus acquiesced to the will of God by entering into the water. Then there is water baptism for believers in this age, and this time it represented the baptism of the Spirit or being members of the royal family of God forever, and we are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.

These are the seven baptisms which are found in the scripture.

3. The time of the baptism of fire is very clearly delineated as the second advent of Christ. This is very true for many passages but especially 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.

4. The announcement of the baptism of fire was given to John the baptist. John the baptist was raised up of God to have a very critical ministry of religion. No one ever criticised religion the way that John the baptist did. To criticise religion he had to move out into a place where there was no religion, the desert. Religion was concentrated in the temple in Jerusalem, and to criticise religion and to take a stand against religion John had to be separated. His ministry was one of judgement and identification. He identified Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He judged the religious generation in which he found himself. Matthew 3:11,12 — John is the one who foretold the two coming baptisms. The first of these baptisms has to do with the formation of the royal family of God. The baptism of the Spirit never occurred in Old Testament times. But even greater is the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to baptise in fire, i.e. to remove from the earth all unbelievers as a part of operation footstool. The baptism of fire takes care of the unbeliever on the earth during the Tribulation just as operation footstool takes care of the fallen angels.

5. An analogy to the baptism of fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. An analogy goes back to the historical flood. Most analogies of this type are based upon something well established in the scripture historically.

6. There are some parables which also teach the baptism of fire. The parable of the wheat and tares — Matthew 13, the good and bad fish in Matthew 13, and the ten virgins of Matthew 25. None of the parables apply to the Church Age, except one, the pearl.

7. We have the Jewish baptism of fire mentioned in Ezekiel 20:34-38.

8. The Gentile baptism of fire is in Matthew 25:31-46. The baptism of fire used to evangelise Jews in the Church Age is found in Hebrews 12:27.