1 Kings 18:39 — Calling down fire from Heaven

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Fire fell from Heaven and destroyed Job’s flocks in Job 1:16:

While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”

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And then there was Elijah the prophet, who called down fire from Heaven not once, not twice, but three times. My column from last month told the story of the first instance, wherein Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to prepare a sacrifice on Mount Carmel, and whichever sacrifice was consumed by fire would prove who was the real God of Israel.

This was recorded in 1 Kings chapter 18, verse 38:

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.

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King David offered a sacrifice on the threshing floor in 1 Chronicles 21:26:

David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.

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King Solomon offered a massive sacrifice at the dedication of the temple in 2 Chronicles 7:1:

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

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There are two more recorded instances of fire from Heaven which have not happened yet. In the end-times tribulation, the false prophet will cause fire to come down from Heaven as a means of deceiving people into worshiping the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:13:

And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.

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Before Christ returns this prophecy will be fulfilled. Don’t take my word for it. This one is particularly alarming, as Jesus warns in Matthew 24:24:

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Now, there are prophecies and then there is the Word of God, spoken by the Messiah Himself. If ever there is a time to pay attention to a warning, this is it. It is the next time we see fire from Heaven that we cannot afford to be deceived.

Know what the Bible says about the end times, be prayed up and alert, for the time is near. We see the signs of the end of the age.

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And finally, at the end of the millennium, God promises that He will destroy the armies of Gog and Magog with—you guessed it—fire from Heaven.

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This content is sponsored by Lyle Celebration Center, www.lylecelebrationcenter.org.