Fire From God Out of Heaven

“And they went up on the beadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the belived city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”
(Revelation 20:9)

---

There are many passages where God is the great Avenger of His people.
God says in 2nd Thessalonians 1:8, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

God says in Psalm 97:3: “A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about”.

And God says in Psalm 106:18: “And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked”.

In Isaiah 10 God speaks of using the kingdom of Assyria to punish the nation of Israel for their gross idolatry and their wickedness. Notice the sovereignty of God in the destiny of the saints as well as in the destiny of the heathen nations. After Assyria has done its job of bringing destruction upon the nation of Israel, the northern kingdom, God then punishes the nation of Assyria for their pride and their self-righteousness.

Isaiah 10:5
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

Isaiah 10:6
I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

Isaiah 10:7
Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

Isaiah 10:8
For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

Isaiah 10:9
Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

Isaiah 10:10
As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

Isaiah 10:11
Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?

Isaiah 10:12
Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.

Isaiah 10:13
For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man:

Isaiah 10:14
And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.

Isaiah 10:15
Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

Isaiah 10:16
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

In verse 5 God speaks of Assyria being the rod of His anger upon the nation of Israel. God sends them to Israel to destroy them. God does that. Calamities and disasters and wars and pestilences are not brought on by Satan, but by God. God has His reasons for doing this, and through it all God remains perfectly righteous. But consider now the sovereignty of God in all this. The heathen nation Assyria does not know who Jehovah God really is, and thus they fail to glorify Him for all their battle victories. Moreover, the king of Assyria continues his aspirations and tries to take Jerusalem also. But then God punishes the nation of Assyria for failing to glorify Him, for the king of Assyria says in verse 13, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom”.

Then God says in verse 15 to the king of Assyria, “Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith?”

‘Shall you Assyria boast in your strength, and come against my beloved city? Therefore shall the Lord kindle a burning like the burning of a fire, and Assyria shall know that this was fire out of heaven from the God of Israel.’

Like Assyria experienced the burning of God’s wrath, so Satan and all those he has deceived shall experience the burning of the wrath of God at the time Christ comes as the Judge.

Behold, He Cometh!

Revelation 20:10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

In this verse God uses the expression “day and night” to indicate the continuous nature of eternal damnation.

Does this verse indicate also the chronology that the beast and the false prophet will first be cast into the lake of fire, and afterward Satan?

Not at all!

We cannot separate the beast and the false prophet from Satan, because the beast and the false prophet are representing the activities of Satan in this world. Satan is God’s busiest servant; the beast and the false prophet are Satan’s busiest servants.

All these things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. And we must trust that God’s plans are the best plans that could ever have been designed, for God does everything perfectly. That Satan and all those of mankind that are on the side of Satan shall be tormented forever and ever cannot be understood from man’s perspective. It can only be understood from God’s perspective, in the light of the terrible nature of sin as committed against the infinite majesty of the ever blessed and glorious God.

Behold, He cometh, and man shall have to give account of every sin, even every idle word that they have uttered. Therefore let us examine ourselves and let us be sure where we stand. Be prepared.

Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Those who are saved are called blessed and holy.
On them the second death has no power, for God says in Romans 8:1-2,

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The law of the spirit of life in Christ has given me a desire to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Therefore I like to be a faithful servant of the LORD and I like to spread around what wondrous things He has done for me. And thus I am reminded of the words the Lord Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:45-47, where He said,

Matthew 24:45
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Matthew 24:46
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Matthew 24:47
Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

That is a glorious promise. And when I am made ruler over all His goods I can truly say that I have been blessed by God. AMEN.

---

Alfred J. Chompff