For the messianic people to escape the destructive aspect of the messiah’s own baptism of holy spirit and fire, for them to be saved from fire, (even for there to be a messianic people), eschatological judgment, for this to happen, there needs to be a messiah that must go through eschatological judgment that the sins his people deserves. Because of that he emerges triumphant from this baptism ordeal as that happens. He must be baptized with condemnation and curse. When the messianic baptizer comes to baptize his people, just as he promised he would, when that happens, fire must happens.

Tongues as of fire that rests on each one. How are we to understand that sign? Very frequently the fire-tongue as symbolizing the refining or purifying aspect of the spirit’s work. Also the empowering of the spirit. The fire of destruction has been exhausted, abated. The fire is there but does not destroy or harm. The fire has been domesticated. Spirit and fire had both connotations…

In as much as the outpouring of the spirit has clear affinities with the messianic ordeal, the death and resurrection of Christ. Cross and resurrection belongs together. Pentecost has the efficacious empowering of the church for service, but also the effective demonstration that the church is subject to God’s wrath. What takes place during Pentecost, with background of who Jesus is, both baptizer and baptized, the church is no longer under condemnation, the church is the justified people of God.

The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre of pyre—
To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.

- TS Elliot, Little Giddling

Related posts:

1. Biblical Theology (cont’d)
2. Reformed view on baptism
3. Unity between the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of believers