Accepted by Fire: Scriptural Confirmations Point to Christ's Sacrifice

Elijah's water-soaked altar fire on Mount Hermon in some ways prefigured the events at the Day of Pentecost. On that latter day God also answered by fire on the basis of the Son's acceptable death for our sins, signified by individual tongues of fire on the heads of redeemed saints.

There are other divinely validated fires in the Bible: Aaron's first sacrifice Lev. 9:24, Solomon's dedication of the temple 2 Chron. 7:1ff. In each of these events we see the response of the people.

There are three Old Testament and one New Testament passage that show fire coming down from the Father, showing God's confirmation. Examining these we can prove something very important about Christ's accomplishment at Calvary. And we can also prove something against what a certain group of Preterists (thankfully not all of them) teach against the bloody death of Christ on the Cross.

Here are the passages. Notice the points in common:

Aaron's first sacrifice as High Priest, Lev. 9:24.

Elijah's confrontation with the priests of Baal on Mt. Hermon, 1 Kings 18:20-40.

Solomon's dedication of the temple, 2 Chron. 7:1-3.

And then we have this in Acts 2:1-3:

"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them."

The rest of the passage shows the astonished response of the witnesses of this miracle.

In each of these passages we have a sacrifice made and God's clear proof of acceptance by bringing down fire. And in each of these events we have astonished witnesses to the event:

"When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.", Lev. 9:24

"Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!”", 1 King 18:39

"When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying:

“For He is good,

For His mercy endures forever.”" 2 Chron. 7:3

"Then they were all amazed and marveled..." Acts 2:3.

This was in response to what they saw as well as heard.

Where is the fire in Acts 2? It is in the individual tongues of fire on the heads of redeemed saints on that Day of Pentecost. The acceptable sacrifice here, of course, was that of Christ. This was God's visible confirmation of His acceptance of it. John Owens has a good comment along these same lines in his commentary on Hebrews 9:8.

The main point of this study is to show that Christ's bloody death on the cross was the perfect and totally acceptable sacrifice that fully satisfied the justice of God in remedying our guilt before Him. It also released us, Jew or Gentile, from any condemnation from the law. These were all nailed on the cross.

This is proof against any imagined future temple where sacrifices and rites would be re instituted. No, Christ died in order to put all of this away forever.

This is also proof against the notion of some Preterists that the law somehow was still in force until AD 70. Even though they often maintain that the law was still in force over Jews this is not at all possible. It was to many gathered Jews and proselytes that Peter preached after the miracle of Pentecost. And he made no mention of the Law as being still binding. Neither did Paul, or any of the other inspired writers.