Tom,

Fire is an attribute of God. It is also literal, and has been witnessed visibly by countless people (millions, at least).

Abraham - smoking presence
Sodom & Gomorrah - Burned by the Eternal Fire
Moses - burning bush
Israelites - pillar of fire
Levites - Shekina glory (fire always emits light as well)
Nadab & Abihu - slain by the Fire
Elijah - Fire on Mt. Sinai (not to mention other examples of fire in Elijah's time, such as Mt. Carmel, since it may be argued that was just "lightning" and not God)
Apostles at Pentecost - Tongues of Fire
John the Revelator:

"...and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace..." Revelation 1:14-15

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass." Revelation 2:18

"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." Revelation 4:5

"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed." Revelation 11:4-5

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." Revelation 14:10

Note to Mike: There's more than light involved in the punishment of the wicked. If the Bible tells us plainly it is fire, why should we choose to believe otherwise, as if God will not do what He has said? Have any of the Bible prophecies ever failed?


"As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God." Psalm 68:2

The fire is as literal as the love and the light.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

True. The Bible describes literal fire, in addition to God's firelight, being a part of the punishment and destruction of the wicked.

This is Webster's primary definition of fire. Your idea is that this is an attribute of God? That He is self-combustible?

When it says that Christ's eyes were as a flame of fire, you don't think this might be communicating that He searches our thoughts, and communicates the experience of the person's conscience and recognition of being "read" by God.

Also, we know what fire is, but we don't necessarily know everything that is in heaven, or pertains to God. So there are two possibilities. One is that God uses language to communicate to us what He's like. So He describes Himself as "water," as "bread," as "light," as "fire," to name a few things. If you're going to argue that an attribute of God is "fire," then why not "water"? Or "bread"?

? Literal fire and firelight both? The word "firelight" doesn't even exist in Scripture.

Tom, the way I read my Bible, the "light, flame, and heat" parts may all be applicable, whereas the "combustion" part is not. Remember, the burning bush did not combust. It was sinless, I suppose. Sinners will combust, if passed through the flame of God's presence, whereas the righteous are unharmed...so God's "combustion" is not the ordinary form.

Do you think the streets will be paved with literal gold? Maybe it's just figurative, since it will be clear as glass, right? In fact, maybe "love" is just figurative too, since it is not a concrete object.

To be the more clear, whereas love is not a visible object, fire and light are both visible--which of these is more "figurative"? To me, they are all three literal. The Bible spells out clearly with "God IS..." format that God is each of these four things:

1) Light
2) Love
3) Consuming Fire
4) One

Just as the three "persons" of the Godhead are literally one God (or do you think this is just "figurative" and that they aren't really one?), so is God literally Light, Love, and Fire.

The New Earth will have no need of the sun, for the Lord will be its Light. He is brighter, we're told, than the sun. Is it just "figurative"? Will we really be walking around in total darkness there, with the "truth" (the symbolic equivalent of light) somehow making our eyes to distinguish the world around us? I do not believe you would think your eyes could see truth in a literal format any more than your eyes are interpreting the signals of love, and converting them into mental images for your brain to "see." Love is less literal, if we are to speak of figurative vs. literal for these attributes of God, than are light and fire.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

You ever heard of a dark fire?

Where there's fire, there's light.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

I'm glad you believe we cannot know everything about God and heaven. Yes, the Bible often uses poetic and figurative speech to describe God. In some cases it would be absurd to take it literally. But as it applies to God glowing it seems entirely logical to take it literally. A&E were robed in light and glowed like God. Moses glowed when he returned from the mount. Divinity occasionally flashed through Jesus' garb of humanity. You're unwillingness to believe God literally glows baffles me. Why don't you believe God literally glows?

This statement reminds me of in the Garden of Eden where Satan says you won't surly die because of eating the fruit. Implying if anyone does die, it's because God is going to kill you.

I want to burn now.

I want to burn now to prepare for burning at the end.

The only creatures who survived the flood outside the ark were the water creatures.

Who's going to survive the fire of the Lord?
Who is able to stand?

Fire creatures!