When God's Firestorm Falls
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorizedFollowing the news reports during and after the destructive wildfires in southern California, I was struck by three intriguing parallels between the southern California fires and another firestorm prophesied by the inspired writer Peter:
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).
1) God’s firestorm will happen unexpectedly — As the southern California wildfire disaster struck without warning, so will God’s great firestorm arrive: “as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Paul describes the end of the world coming “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). Therefore, the time for us to prepare is before the firestorm starts — not in the midst of it (cf. Luke 12:47; Acts 17:29-31).
2) Human action will spawn the destruction — In the California wildfires, officials believe that several of the blazes were caused by arson. One fire was touched off by a man who fired a flare into the woods when he became lost during a hunting expedition.
Although the last firestorm will be delivered at the hand of God and not of men, those who suffer its consequences will do so as a result of their own actions. On the day of that firestorm, all humanity will be “judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (Revelation 20:12; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10). John correctly observed: “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).
3) A good cleanup is required to avert tragedy — Wildfires are primarily fueled by dead trees and the dense accumulation of dry vegetable matter such as leaves and fallen branches on the forest floor. Firefighters tell us that eradicating the dead trees and debris on a periodic basis can help minimize the risk of a fast-spreading blaze.
The same will be true in the day of the last great fire. Those who failed to purge the debris in their lives will suffer loss as a result:
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
However, those folks who “clean up their forests” will be justified, not having to face God’s destructive wrath (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 2:7; Romans 8:1; Matthew 25:46).
The apostle Paul tells us that the day of the Lord’s firestorm is coming:
“when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).
The question is: Where will we stand when God’s firestorm falls?