Crystallization-Study of Leviticus (2)
Message Two
The Basis Of All Our Priestly Service—
The Fire From The Altar Of Burnt Offering
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Then fire came forth from before Jehovah and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they gave a ringing shout and fell on their faces.-Lev. 9:24.
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.-Lev. 6:13.
I have come to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled!-Luke 12:49.
Word of Appetizer
Why must every service to God be based on the fire from the altar of burnt offering?
God wanted the service of the children of Israel to be based on this fire; the burning of incense was their service to God, but the fire used for burning incense had to be taken from the altar. Fire is a source of energy; in order for our service to be full of energy, our service must pass through the fire from the altar；The energy and the motivating power for the New Testament service began
with fire from heaven; the fire that descended upon the Galilean fishermen became the energy and the motivating power within them；If we offer ourselves to God sincerely, fire will descend from heaven and burn us; this burning will become the energy that moves us, and the issue of this burning will be our service.
Spiritual Burden
Those who have a desire to serve God must know that God is a consuming
fire that burns and energizes; this fire should be the energy, the driving force, the impulse, within us, the fire from the altar is the genuine motivating power of service.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
God is a consuming fire.
Every priestly service to God must be based on the fire from the altar of burnt offering, and our service must be the issue of the burning of this fire.
We must serve God not with strange fire but with the fire from the altar.
The fire on the altar of burnt offering should be kept burning continually; it must not go out, and it shall not go out.
The Experience of Life
When God comes to the earth, fire comes to the earth, and when God enters into man, fire enters into man and burns in him.
The word of God is a fire that burns us and many of the things in which we have confidence.
If we offer ourselves to God sincerely, fire will descend from heaven and burn us; this burning will become the energy that moves us, and the issue of this burning will be our service.
Practice and Application
We must serve God not with strange fire but with the fire from the altar; in touching the divine things, we need to apply the cross to our natural life; otherwise, we will suffer spiritual death.
we need to offer ourselves in Christ to God as a continual burnt offering to be burned by Him so that we may burn others; The Spirit causes our spirit to be burning and our gifts to be flaming; we should not quench Him; We must allow the Lord to burn us and to keep us burning continually by
fanning our God-given spirit into flame.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
For our God is also a consuming fire.-Heb.12:29.
I watched Until thrones were set, And the Ancient of Days sat down.……His throne was flames of fire, Its wheels, burning fire. A stream of fire issued forth And came out from before Him.…… -Dan. 7:9-10.
I have come to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled!-Luke.12:49.
- God is a consuming fire
. As the burning One, God is holy; holiness is His nature, and whatever does not correspond with His holy nature, He, as the consuming fire, will consume.
. In Daniel 7:9-10 God’s throne was flames of fire, its wheels were a burning fire, and a stream of fire issued forth and came out from before Him; the fire here indicates that God is absolutely righteous and altogether holy.
. Through His death the Lord released Himself into man as the fire of life to burn on the earth.
. The fire burning out of the midst of the thorn bush was the Triune God, the God of resurrection
. The word of God is a fire that burns us and many of the things in which we have confidence
. Those who have a desire to serve God must know that God is a consuming fire that burns and energizes.
Key Verses (2)
Then fire came forth from before Jehovah and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar……-Lev.9:24.
And the Angel of Jehovah appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a thornbush. And when he looked, there was the thornbush, burning with fire; but the thornbush was not consumed.Exo.3:2.
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.-Lev.6:13.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which were distributed; and it sat on each one of them.-Act.2:3.
But if anyone builds upon the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, stubble, The work of each will become manifest; for the day will declare it, because it is revealed by fire, and the fire itself will prove each one’s work, of what sort it is.-1Cor.3:12-13.
- Every priestly service to God must be based on the fire from the altar of burnt offering, and our service must be the issue of the burning of this fire.
. God wanted the service of the children of Israel to be based on this fire; the burning of incense was their service to God, but the fire used for burning incense had to be taken from the altar.
. Our service must come out of the burning of God’s fire.
.Fire is a source of energy; in order for our service to be full of energy, our service must pass through the fire from the altar.
. The fire from the altar is the genuine motivating power of service.
. The fire from the altar produces a powerful service.
. Those who experience the fire from the altar build with gold, silver, and precious stones.
Key Verses (3)
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in them and laid incense on it, and they presented strange fire before Jehovah, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from before Jehovah and consumed them, and they died before Jehovah.-Lev10:1-2.
Do not be slothful in zeal, but be burning in spirit, serving the Lord.-Rom.12:11.
For which cause I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. – 2 Tim.1:6
Do not quench the Spirit. -1Thes.5:19.
III. We must serve God not with strange fire but with the fire from the altar
IV. The fire on the altar of burnt offering should be kept burning continually; it must not go out, and it shall not go out
. According to typology, strange fire is any fire other than that which burns on the altar.
. The failure of Nadab and Abihu lay in their failure to use the fire from the
altar; what they used was common fire, not holy fire.
. Strange fire signifies man’s natural enthusiasm, natural affection, natural strength, and natural ability offered to God; Strange fire is fire of the self; it is fire that issues from the soulish life, the fleshly life, and the natural life
. In touching the divine things, we need to apply the cross to our natural life; otherwise, we will suffer spiritual death.
. We need to offer ourselves in Christ to God as a continual burnt offering to be burned by Him so that we may burn others.
. The Spirit causes our spirit to be burning and our gifts to be flaming; hence, we should not quench Him.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 God is a consuming fire（Heb. 12:29）
（Illustrate the significance of God as the consuming fire according to Heb.12:29;Dan.7:9-10;Luke.12:49-50.）
T2 God is a consuming fire（Heb12:29，Lev9:24，Act7:55~59）
（Illustrate that the same fire, may either be a consuming fire for God’s acceptance or a judging fire according to the Bible.）
D2
T1The fire that burned on the altar of the burnt offering came down from the heavens (Lev. 9:24; Rom12:11; Act15:26.)
（Illustrate the divine fire, the burning Triune God, enables us to serve and even to sacrifice our lives.）
T2God wanted the service of the children of Israel to be based on this fire（Lev9:24，16:12~13）
（Illustrate our service must come out of the burning of God’s fire.）
D3
T1 This fire should be the energy, the driving force, the impulse, within us (Luke12:49.)
（Illustrate if we have this fire, our service will be out of God, not out of ourselves.）
T2 This fire was the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:13-15; 2:1-4)
（At the time of Pentecost…the fire descended only on the hundred and twenty）
D4
T1 The fire from the altar produces a powerful service（Luke12:49a，Rom12:11.）
（Illustrate if we offer ourselves to God sincerely, fire will descend from heaven and burn us.）
T2 The altar of burnt offering is the cross of the Lord Jesus, and the fire is the Spirit (Gal. 2:20; Acts 2:3-4; 1Cor3:12.)
（Illustrate that only the work that is produced through burning is of gold, silver, and
precious stones with experience.）
D5
T1 serve God not with strange fire（Lev10:1~2）
（Illustrate what is the strange fire.）（Refer the outline III. A,B,C and D points also.）
T2 our zeal must come from the altar（Lev6:13）
（Illustrate God pays attention not only to whether there is fire but also to the source and nature of the fire.）
D6
T1 Everyone will be burned（Lev9:24; 1Cor3:15; Rev2:15）
（Illustrate which are the 3 kinds of burning.）
T2 The fire on the altar of burnt offering should be kept burning continually; it must not go out, and it shall not go out（Lev6:12~13，1 Thes. 5:19）
（What should we practice to cause our spirit to be burning and our gifts to be flaming？）
