BOG: The Baptism of Fire

​Thoughts on Davidic Kingship

Last week we considered an overview of being Born of God.  This week we’ll review in more detail the concept of Baptism by Fire.  Once a person has committed to living God’s Law and received a confirmation of the truth and expanded their knowledge of Him through the Spirit, God orchestrates a test of loyalty/a trial of faith.  This test of loyalty measures a person's core convictions.   The Baptism by Fire is a specific test that results in God raising a person to a higher level of blessedness - at this juncture - Zion, God’s Covenant People.​

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The Process of Perfection
Our Process of Perfection looks like this:

                                                                     Individual Salvation
                                                                             Born Again
​                                                       (Redemption / Sanctification)
          Born of the Blood / Born of the Water > Keeps the Commandments > Born of God/Spirit

                                                                       Married Exaltation
                                                                     Going Onto Perfection
                           Becoming Perfect > Reaches the Full Stature of Messiah > Sees God the Son

Trying One’s Faith as Fire
In the scriptures, we see this concept of being tried as a recurring theme.

                                God tried Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac.
              God tried the children of Israel asking them to take the Promised Land.
                       God tried Job through the loss of his health, wealth and family.

We see this concept of being tested taught in the New Testament as well  by Peter, James, John and Paul.  Peter here uses the metaphor of going through “fire” when he describes this test or trial of faith, he writes,

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
​1 Peter 1:7​

Isaiah’s Descent and Ascent
Dr. Gileadi’s analysis of the Book of Isaiah suggests that this time of testing is designed to prove our loyalty to God and then to raise our level of blessedness.  He calls this the descent before the ascent. Once we have proven ourselves, God converts our covenants with Him from temporary and conditional to permanent and unconditional and raises us to a higher spiritual level of blessedness.  Graphically, this process looks like this.

Levels of Ascent
An additional concept that we see in the scriptures, is that these tests of loyalty become more difficult as we ascend to be like God.  Those of Jacob/Israel who endure the Endtime trials, God raises to be Zion/Jerusalem.  Isaiah uses the  metaphor of silver to describe those who pass this level of testing - Isaiah 48 (v.10)  Moreover, we see Job’s trials raise him to the Elect/Son level and uses the metaphor of gold. Job 23:10.  Commenting on this concept of increasing difficult tests Dr. Gileadi writes.​

"According to Isaiah’s theology—which he develops systematically in his seven-part literary structure—every ascent to a higher spiritual level is preceded by a temporary descent. That descent phase consists of God’s trial of a person’s faith equal to the level of that person’s ascent. In other words, the higher one ascends, the greater the temporary descent that precedes it. Ruin may occur cyclically before rebirth to a higher spiritual level, as may suffering before salvation, humiliation before exaltation, and so forth—intensifying each time a person ascends. Even Messiah descends below all before he is exalted above all to sit on his Father’s throne."

So now our graphic looks like this.

Silver

Gold

Endtime Tests
The prophet Isaiah sets out three Endtime tests that provides the opportunity to ascend and pass into the Millennial Era.

                       1. Overcoming Modern Idolatry (the trappings of Babylon)
                 2. Rejecting an Endtime Tyrannical Kingdom (mark of the beast)
           3. Being ostracized by those in Authority (by taking an unconventional path)