fire is a description of God’s anger
'Metaphor', actually:
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from
the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:
9 and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10 And
even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and
cast into the fire.
11 I indeed baptize you in 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 in the Holy Spirit and
in fire:
12 whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but
the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. Mt 3
49 I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?
50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
51 Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather
division:
52 for there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law. Lu 12
4 but
I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, and it shall devour the palaces of Ben-hadad.
7 but
I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
10 but
I will send a fire on the wall of Tyre, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.
11 Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Edom, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and
his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept
his wrath for ever:
12 but
I will send a fire upon Teman, and it shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.
14 But
I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; Am 1
21 Yea, I will gather you, and blow upon you with
the fire of my wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. Ezek 22
9 Thou wilt make them
as a fiery furnace in the time of thine anger: Jehovah will swallow them up in
his wrath, And the fire shall devour them. Ps 21
4 Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest
my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Jer 4
12 O house of David, thus saith Jehovah, Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest
my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. Jer 21
4 He hath bent his bow like an enemy, he hath stood with his right hand as an adversary, And hath slain all that were pleasant to the eye: In the tent of the daughter of Zion
he hath poured out his wrath like fire. Lam 2
31 And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee; I will blow upon thee with
the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy. Ezek 21
19 For in my jealousy and in
the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; Ezek 38
6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger?
his wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken asunder by him. Na 1
...to cite just a few...
