Doctrine of the Baptism of Fire
(1) - A general understanding of the seven baptisms in the Scripture is a necessity.
The Greek word BAPTIZO, meaning, "to take someone or something and identify it
with something else." Our English word "identification" is probably one of the best
words to explain the meaning of the Greek word "baptism."
There are seven different baptisms mentioned in the Bible. Four of them are dry, and
three of them are wet. All seven baptisms refer to something being identified with
something else.
(A) - The Baptism of Moses found in I Corinthians 12:2, "They were all baptized
into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." Moses was identified with the path through
the sea. He was actually identified with the cloud (Christ) going through the path in
the sea. Moses did not get wet, yet this is still called a baptism. The only people who
were immersed were the Egyptians, and they all died. This is called a dry baptism.
(B) - The Baptism of the Cross. Matthew 20:22, ".....can you drink from the cup
that I shall drink from, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized
with?...." There was no water at the cross. Jesus Christ was identified with all of the
sins of the world as He hung on the cross. This is also known as a dry baptism.
(C) - The Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5, "For John baptized with water, but
in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." I Corinthians 12:13, "For
we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave
or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." At the point of salvation
every believer in Jesus Christ is identified with Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit places us
in union with Christ. This is what we call positional truth. This is our position. We are
in Christ, and this act was carried out by the Holy Spirit. This is also called a dry
baptism.
(D) - The Baptism of Fire. Matthew 3:11-12, "I baptize you with water because of
repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, (the Church
Age) and with fire. (the second advent) His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he
will clear his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into his barn and burning up
the chaff with unquenchable fire." See also Luke 3:16-17. Unbelievers are
identified with fire. At the second advent of Jesus Christ, all unbelievers will be
removed from the earth and thrown into the fires of hell, then the Millennium will
begin with believers only. The Baptism of Fire is also known as a dry baptism.
(E) - The first water baptism is that John the Baptist. In his baptism the water
represented the kingdom of God, and each believer was baptized into the kingdom. If
you recall, John's message was that of the coming kingdom.
(F) - The water baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. In Jesus' case, the water
represented the plan of God the Father, and Jesus went down into the water
identifying Himself to the plan of God. Matt 3:13-17.
No one can ever be baptized as Jesus was. Why?
(a) - He was a sinless human being with no need to repent.
(b) - He was associating Himself with the plan of God the Father in which He would
die for the sins of the world.
(c) - Anyone who says that they are following the Lord in believer's baptism, or that
they were baptized as Jesus was are guilty of blasphemy.
(G) - The believer's baptism at the beginning of the Church Age. The water
represented the body of Jesus Christ, and each believer was baptized into the body of
Christ.
(3) - Baptism actually begins two dispensations:
(A) - The Baptism of the Holy Spirit began the Church Age.
(B) - The Baptism of Fire will begin the Millennial Kingdom.
(4) - Biblical parables that teach the Baptism of Fire:
(A) - The parable of the wheat and the tares. Matthew 13:24-30, and Matthew 13:36-
43. The wheat represents the believers who remain on the earth and go into the
Millennial Kingdom, while the tares represent the unbelievers who are taken off of the
earth and thrown into the fire.
(B) - The parable of the good and the bad fish. Matthew 13:47-50. The good fish
represents the believers going into the Millennial Kingdom, and the bad fish
represents the unbelievers going into the fires of hell.
(C) - The parable of the ten virgins. Matthew 25:1-13. Five of them had oil, and they
represent the believers left on the earth to go into the Millennial Kingdom. The other
five had no oil and they represent the unbelievers who were cast out.
(5) - The Baptism of Fire for the Gentiles is described in Matthew 25:32-38; Isaiah
42:1; Joel 3:11-12.
(6) - The Baptism of Fire for the Jews is described in Ezekiel 20:32-38; Isaiah 1:25-
26; Malachi 3:1-6.
(7) - Biblical analogy to the Baptism of Fire: Matthew 24:36-42. "But of that day
and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But
as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in
the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not
until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other
left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the
other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth
come." Many people mistake this passage of Scripture for the Rapture, but it actually
represents the Baptism of Fire. According to the I Thess 4:16-18, at the Rapture all
born again believers of the Church Age (dead and alive) will receive their glorified
resurrection bodies and leave the earth and meet the Lord in the air. The Tribulation
period will then begin with unbelievers only. Then at the end of the Tribulation
period, and just before the Millennial Kingdom begins, all unbelievers will be
removed from the earth and thrown into the fires of hell, and the Millennial Kingdom
will begin with believers only. The taking away of all unbelievers from the earth and
throwing them into the fires of hell at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ is called
"The Baptism of Fire."