A eureka moment? Lets find out shall we?
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
Now, the word “baptize” is an interesting word. Notably because it has been argued over for eons between Sprinklers, and Immersers, but sufficed to say; “immersion” holds the best case. But I’m not here to argue that particular point, what I’m here to do is point out a little interpretation of this prophecy - for a prophecy it is indeed.
Lets look at the Greek real quick;
Apekrinato ho Ioannes apasin legon ego men hudati baptizo humas erchetai de ho ischuroteros mou hou ouk eimi hikanos lusai ton himanta ton hupodematon autou autos humas baptisei en pneumati hagio kai puri
John answers saying to all; “I indeed in water am baptizing you, yet coming is one stronger than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not competent to loose. He will be baptizing you in holy spirit and fire” -CLV
And for my translation of the relevant part;
“He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire”
Now John “immerses” people with water. But Jesus will “immerse” people in The Holy Ghost, and also in Fire. But for what purpose will Jesus do this? Obviously the next verse would be quoted by our ETC proponents;
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Luke 3:17 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.*
Pointing out with deft accuracy “the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable”. But what is being burned? The chaff of course. What is the chaff? Part of the plant, the same plant whence the grains of wheat are also a part. Wheat and Chaff are of the same plant, what is worthy in each individual plant will be gathered, what is worthless will be burned away as dross from silver in the refiner’s unquenchable fire. But even this fact is not quite my point that I want to express, what I want to show is rather…this.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
What is it that they are being thrown into? What is happening to these sinners? Why, first of all…a lake. Now, not just any lake, but a lake of fire. What happens when you are tossed into a lake? You become “immersed”… What is happening here is a mass case of prophetic fulfillment that went all the way back to John the Baptist. “He will immerse you in fire!” Here we find the chaff of every sinner being burned away, so the wheat may be gathered.
1 Corinthians 15:36-37 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die: And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
After the Resurrection are these sinners, these plants which were sown and now grown up and quickened after their first death, thrown into the Lake of Fire; these are in bodies those in the Lake of Fire, who have been immersed in fire, and their wheat gathered as the chaff burned away.
And they’ve been given a body;
1 Corinthians 15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
And they are seeds, even the sinners, since the unjust are resurrected too. And so it follows that those who yet remain sinners in the Resurrection must, having died a first death which was required for their quickening; “except it die”, must die a second death in the prophesied fire that will burn away the chaff! And all shall have their chaff burned away.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
And what to those who would say; “But they shall be fully consumed then, and cease!”
Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Psalm 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Dying to Sin is also an important factor in these verses, and the Second Death fulfills the process.
Romans 6:9-10 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
If one did not die to sin in “this life” then it stands to reason he must die to sin in the next, The Second Death which burns away the chaff. In dying to sin, we live unto God.
And last but not least, is that He will immerse not only in fire, but in The Holy Spirit.
“He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire”
Shall The Lord immerse all in both? Is that not what it says? Will The Holy Spirit do his work on those whom are immersed in the Lake of Fire?
There is so much more I could say! But lets expand on this together. Expand away!