Is It Biblical To Ask For The Fire Of God To Fall On You? – Part 2

For our God is a consuming fire.
Hebrews 12:29

In Part 1, we examined several Scriptures about God’s fire and focused on what others thought about asking it to fall on them. Some were for it, and others against it.

I shared my limited experience singing the songs that asked for the fire to fall and how I came to a place where I no longer wanted to sing those songs. I also concluded that I didn’t see how asking for God’s fire to fall on you was biblical.

I understand God’s fire today is largely symbolic and represents His presence, judgment, or purification.

However, the question is whether it’s biblical to ask for it to fall on you.

Let’s look briefly at ten instances in Scripture:

• Seven, where God’s fire fell from heaven
• Once, when two of Jesus’ disciples wanted to call fire down from heaven  
• A future time when the false prophet will cause fire to fall from heaven
• One final future time when God sends His fire down to consume Satan and his army

Then, we can better determine if asking for it to fall on us today is biblical.

1) Sodom and Gomorrah

Then out of the sky the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulfur from the Lord. Gen 19:24

The Lord came to Abraham and told him He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their great sin. Abraham’s nephew Lot lived in Sodom.

Abraham interceded for Sodom, first asking the Lord to spare the city if fifty righteous people lived there. When fifty weren’t found, he asked God to spare the city for forty-five, then forty, thirty, twenty, and finally ten.

When not even ten righteous people could be found in Sodom, it was destroyed. However, two angels got Lot, his wife, and two daughters out before the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur on the two cities.

God is omniscient and just in destroying the wicked. The falling fire and burning sulfur were His judgment.

2) Elijah’s Sacrifice at Mount Carmel

Then the Lord‘s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. 1 Kings 18:38

After King Ahab summoned all the people of Israel and the prophets of Baal to Mount Carmel, Elijah asked the people how long they would waver between two opinions. If the Lord was God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.

Elijah then told the people that he and the prophets would each prepare a sacrifice, and the prophets would call on the name of Baal first, and after, he would call on the name of the Lord. And whichever God answered by fire, He is God. All the people agreed.

The prophets called to Baal from morning until the time of the evening sacrifice but to no avail. However, when Elijah prayed to the Lord, He answered by sending fire from heaven to consume the offering.

The Lord wanted everyone to know that He was the only true God and did it by sending fire.

RELATED > > > > > Elijah Part 5 – How Were the Prophets of Baal Defeated at Mount Carmel?

3) King Ahaziah’s Soldiers

Elijah responded to the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. 2 Kings 1:10

After King Ahaziah fell and severely injured himself, he sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron.

God was displeased, so He sent Elijah to the messengers, who in turn went back to the king with Elijah’s message. The king was angry and sent soldiers to arrest Elijah.

The commander called Elijah a man of God and demanded he come with them. Elijah responded, and the Lord sent fire from heaven to consume them (v 10). The king sent another commander and fifty soldiers, and the same thing happened (v 12).

God sent fire from heaven as a judgment on the soldiers sent by wicked King Ahaziah.

RELATED > > > > > Elijah Part 11 – Why Does Elijah Confront Ahaziah, Israel’s New King?

4) Nadab and Abihu

The fire came down from the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Leviticus 10:2

Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu were priests. Moses told Aaron to come to the altar and sacrifice the sin offering for purification and then the people’s offerings to purify them.

Nadab and Abihu assisted by bringing him the blood. When all the offerings were presented, they stepped down from the altar. Moses and Aaron blessed the people and the glory of the Lord appeared to the whole community.

Fire blazed forth from the Lord‘s presence and consumed the offerings. The people shouted for joy and fell face down on the ground.

Then Nadab and Abihu each took their firepan and added fire coals (apparently not approved by God), placed incense over them, and presented the unauthorized fire before the Lord. So, fire blazed forth from the Lord‘s presence and burned them up.

In both instances, the fire represented God’s presence. God accepted Aaron’s sacrifice but judged Nadab and Abihu for disobeying the Lord and offering the wrong kind of fire on the altar.

5) Satan’s Attack on Job

He was still speaking when another messenger came and reported, “God’s fire fell from heaven. It burned the sheep and the servants and devoured them, and I alone escaped to tell you. Job 1:16

Satan was given permission from God to do whatever he wanted with Job, but he couldn’t touch Job himself.

In rapid succession, Satan destroyed Job’s family and possessions.

The fire was only a small part of the test. And it wasn’t directly sent by God. Apparently, Satan has control of the elements if God allows it.

In this case, fire fell from heaven and consumed the sheep and servants, except for the servant who escaped to tell Job.

God and Satan agreed to this test, eventually proving Job’s faithfulness and integrity.

6) David’s Sacrifice

He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and he answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 1 Chronicles 21:26

David sinned when he called for a census of the people of Israel. As a result, God sent a plague, and 70,000 people died. David repented and asked for God’s anger to fall on him and his family instead.

So, the angel of the Lord told Gad to instruct David to build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

So, David asked Araunah to let him buy the threshing floor at full price so he could build an altar and the Lord would stop the plague.

After building the altar and sacrificing burnt and peace offerings, David prayed, and the Lord answered him by sending fire from heaven to consume the offerings. God also ended the plague.

God showed His holiness and compassion by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.

7) Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

When Solomon finished praying, fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 Chronicles 7:1

Chapter 6 is Solomon’s prayer of praise and dedication of the temple that he had built for the Lord, a place for the Lord to dwell forever.

Solomon’s father, David, had wanted to build it when he was king, but God had said it would be his son. Solomon built the Lord a magnificent dwelling place.

When Solomon finished his prayer of dedication, fire from heaven consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple.

The priests couldn’t even enter to perform their duties while the Lord‘s glory remained there.

And when the people saw the fire come down and the Lord‘s presence filling the temple, they fell face down on the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, “For He is good, and His faithful love endures forever.”

The fire coming down from heaven was God’s presence, accepting the sacrifices.

8) James and John Want to Call Down Fire

When the disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” Luke 9:54

Jesus had decided to go to Jerusalem before He ascended to heaven and sent some of His disciples ahead to a village in Samaria. They entered the town to make preparations for His arrival.

However, the people were unwelcoming because Jesus was headed to Jerusalem.

So, when Jesus arrived, two of His disciples, James and John, asked if they should call down fire from heaven to burn them up.

Jesus rebuked them and they went on to another village. Some Bible translations add, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them,” after He rebuked James and John.

In other words, Jesus told these disciples that those who reject Him are not the enemy, but the mission field. This is a good lesson for us too.

9) The False Prophet Causes Fire to Fall From Heaven

It also performs great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in front of people. Revelation 13:13

“It” refers to the second beast, aka the false prophet. When he causes fire to come down from heaven, it is for show and designed to get people to worship the first beast (the Antichrist).

He will also do many other miracles in the presence of people to impress and incite them to follow the Antichrist, who deceives and imitates Christ .

The false prophet derives his power from the Antichrist, who gets his from Satan. Satan doesn’t have the same power as God, but he does have limited powers. During this time, he can perform what appears to be supernatural miracles.

Furthermore, the fire falling from heaven is not fire sent by God and doesn’t consume anyone or anything. But it does appear to come from God since that’s who both beasts claim to worship. However, their god is Satan.

10) The Final Battle

They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. The fire fell down from heaven and consumed them. Revelation 20:9

At the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, Satan is unloosed for a short period to deceive the nations.

Even though Christ has been ruling the whole time, and Satan has been bound, sin is still present in people’s hearts. So, Satan will be able to deceive and form a large army to fight against God.

Satan gathers his army – “as numberless as sand along a seashore” – for a final battle. But before the battle eve begins, God sends fire down from heaven and consumes them all.

Satan is then cast into the lake of fie where both beasts already are, and they will be tormented there for eternity.

Is It Biblical to Ask for the Fire of God to Fall on You?

Every time fire fell from heaven, it consumed someone or something. It was a sign of His presence, either accepting a sacrifice or judging a people.

Except with Job, because the fire was sent by Satan as part of a test God had agreed to and allowed. And with the false prophet because the fire was not sent by God.

The consuming fire reminds us of the verses that tell us our God is a consuming fire.

• The appearance of the Lord‘s glory to the Israelites was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop (Ex 24:17)
• For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God (Deut 4:24)
• …the Lord your God will cross over ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will devastate and subdue them before you (Deut 9:3).
• His words consume like fire…and sifts out the proud nations for destruction (Is 30:27-28)
• The sinners in Zion are terrified…who can survive this all-consuming fire? (Is 33:14)
• For our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29)

But God’s fire falling from heaven was never to purify or cast out fear. At no time was it for revival or to feel His burning love.

Can you imagine James and John or any of the disciples/apostles asking for fire to fall on them and cast out their fear? Or bring revival?

Every time fire fell in the Bible, it was literal fire to consume either an acceptable offering or humans that were being judged. And every time it fell on people, it consumed them.

So why would Christians today think it is good to metaphorically ask for God’s fire to fall on them? It isn’t biblical, and I doubt it pleases God.

However, you are free to disagree with me and tell me why you think it is biblical or does please God.

Final Thoughts

We looked at nine examples in Scripture of either God’s or Satan’s fire falling from heaven. And one example of two disciples asking Jesus if they should call for fire to fall.

There are no examples of God’s fire falling in the New Testament until the very end when God consumes the army set to fight against Him.

According to the Bible, God only sent fire down from heaven during Old Testament times to demonstrate His presence, either by accepting a sacrifice or judging and consuming people who were proud and disobedient.

Therefore, based on what the Bible says about God’s fire falling, I do not think it’s biblical to ask for it to fall on us today.

What are your thoughts after reading about the times fire fell in the Bible?

Source: How Many Times Did God Send Fire From Heaven?