baptism of fire

I have always loved the types and shadows hidden in the Word of God. And how precious it is to have a veil lifted and to see another one hiding in plain sight all the time! During the instructions for consecration and ordination of the priesthood in Exodus 29, there is a veiled picture of the wave offering of the Bride and her complete union with the Bridegroom. In the last months, I have written extensively on the barley firstfruits company. Now in this type, God speaks of wheat. This, however, does not preclude those relating to the barley firstfruits company. Jesus Himself used different types and pictures to represent Himself; all referring to different aspects of His character. On occasion, He was ‘the Door or ‘the Good Shepherd’. At other times He referred to Himself as ‘the Bread of Life’. In the same way, this picture and type concerning ‘wheat bread’ can also apply to the same company as those termed ‘barley firstfruits’. In this type and shadow, the baptism of fire is depicted.

First one ram is prepared and offered as a burnt offering. We know the ram is a picture of Jesus because the ram was provided as an alternative to sacrificing Isaac. The Bridegroom Ram is waiting for us in the midst of the flames of fire, consumed with love for His Bride. Then instruction is given concerning the grain part of the wave offerings:

Exo 29:2  And unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil; of fine flour shall you make them. Exo 29:3  You shall put them in one basket and bring them in [it], and bring also the bull and the two rams;

No leaven is contained in this wave offering; all are made from FINE flour and 2 of the 3 portions have oil - one has oil in the dough and the other, a wafer, is anointed on top. The oil symbolizes the involvement of the Holy Spirit in this ordination. The bread with oil inside represents the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is the earnest or down-payment of our inheritance. The wafer is baked without oil, but the oil is applied just before the ordination process.  It is the oil of consecration. All are to be made with wheat, a connection to Pentecost or Shavuot and the wheat harvest when the offerings of grain are to be in the prepared state – it is not enough to grow to maturity; grinding, sifting, absorption of the water of the Word and time in the fire are all imperative before consecration and ordination to appointed position can occur.

Let me digress a little... last night I had the strangest dream. I was looking in on a very festive gathering in a darkened room, where a large sheep and goat were in the middle of the partying crowd. They had been dressed in royal robes and the people were putting crowns on their heads. I was shocked in the dream that the people could see no difference between a sheep and a goat and were indiscriminately bestowing both with ruling powers. The church has become so worldly that there is a lack of discernment as to who are really sheep or goats; who are wheat and who are tares. However, the One Who sits on the throne has no such problem. I believe that this reference to wheat in the ordination of the priests is a reference to true believers, no messengers of satan masquerading as angels of light. Remember also that Baphomet is depicted as having the head of a goat and Jesus is represented by the Ram, or leader of the flock of the Father’s sheep. The thought that this is occurring in the church is very disturbing...Anyway, back to the ordination in Exodus 29...

The omission of leaven in this bread of ordination is a reference to purity and a lack of sin or hypocrisy (the leaven of the Pharisees).  I see in the description of the basket of bread a shadow of all the virgins in the book of Esther, who have gone through the preparation and purifying processes to become a candidate for the choice of queen. They are placed together in one basket before the Lord and then one of each kind is chosen and taken out and waved or lifted up together before the Lord.

Exo 29:23  Take also one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord.

The whole basket of bread is not waved, just 3 selected portions. In other words, out of the whole basket of prepared, unleavened bread, only a small number, a 3-in-1 company are selected to be waved and then go on to be an offering made by fire. Many are called but few are chosen.

Exo 29:24  And put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and they shall wave them for a wave offering before the Lord. Exo 29:25  Then you shall take them from their hands, add them to the burnt offering, and burn them on the altar for a sweet and satisfying fragrance before the Lord; it is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Leviticus describes the consecration of the priests in more detail:

Lev 8:26  And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the Lord, he took one unleavened cake, a cake of oiled bread, and one wafer and put them on the fat and on the right thigh (shoulder); Lev 8:27  And he put all these in Aaron's hands and his sons' hands and waved them for a wave offering before the Lord. Lev 8:28  Then Moses took these things from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering as an ordination offering, for a sweet and satisfying fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

We see it is Moses (representing the Law or the Heavenly Court) who selects one of each of the 3 types of bread offerings. There is a legal transaction going on here during and after selection. Examination as to quality precedes selection. Those chosen and favored are part of the Bridal company (remember Esther found favor with the king more than all the other women and he placed the royal crown upon her head). Then Moses places the 3-in-1 company on top of all the fat from the ram, which represents connecting them to the anointing of the Ram, ie. the seven spirits of God, which Jesus, the Ram of God walked in. Moses then placed the fat and the bread on the right thigh (or shoulder, as the Hebrew indicates). The shoulder of the Ram indicates His authority, so those selected from the basket of unleavened portions are connected to the same delegated power and authority as the Bridegroom, to operate in the seven spirits of God. Note also that it is the right shoulder, associated with the strong right arm of the Lord and the sons of the right hand, who are deemed fit to take over their father’s business. The bread, fat and shoulder are then handed to the Aaronic priests to wave before the Lord.

Then they are again taken by Moses out of the hands of the Aaronic priesthood and lowered into the flames. In other words, this bridal wave company complete with authority and anointing are acknowledged and lifted above those present, surrendered to the Lord and then 'taken out of their hands or 'separated from the religious system and the influence of the priests and put into the fiery flames to become one with the bridegroom. It is not the Aaronic priests who give this woman to this Man to be wed. It is Moses, the one who led God’s people out of a system of slavery; the one who talked with God face to face and brought the sapphire tablets with the engraved marriage covenant down from Mount Sinai; the one who led the people of God to the edge of the Promised Land before stepping aside - like the father of the bride who leads his daughter to her face to face appointment with the waiting groom at the altar. Bride of Christ, do not look to men in ministry to bring about this union and consummation of marriage covenant with your Bridegroom. Do not look to a priesthood after the order of Aaron to complete the spiritual transaction you long for. You need a higher authority to hand you over to your Groom; you are a priestly Bride after the order of Melchizedek and are destined to become perfect in one with your High Priest after the order of Melchizedek.

The Hebrew word for ‘offering made by fire’ (ishshah Strongs 801) means ‘sacrifice or burnt offering’ and is written exactly the same as the word used for ‘woman’ in Genesis 2 when God made a woman for Adam. So this offering made by fire also depicts the woman God has shaped for His Son. Ishshah comes from the word Esh-shah (Strongs H800), which is a feminine form of the word for ‘fire’. God is definitely emphasizing the feminine aspect of this ordination offering. So this offering made by fire, this Bridal wave offering is a corporate company of messengers who are flames of fire. Not only this, but they have become fully one with their Bridegroom; the One Who has eyes of fire and they can now dwell with the everlasting burnings.

‘...Then Moses took these things from their hands and burned them on the altar with the burnt offering as an ordination offering, for a sweet and satisfying fragrance, an offering made by fire to the Lord’... The word translated ‘ordination offering’ in Hebrew also means ‘a setting of gems’. Beloved, this baptism of fire, this consummation is also the process of your being set in place as one of His jewels.

‘...one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer...’ This 3-fold offering is 3 different representations of harvested grain that has been prepared for this occasion of consecration and ordination. The word translated ‘loaf’ in Hebrew also means ‘to dance or whirl, round, a tract of land especially the Jordan Valley, a talent’. So the first round loaf mentioned connects us to the Jordan valley, to the completion of the circle of the wilderness journey and the subsequent crossing of the Jordan into the land of Promise. The second oiled ‘cake’ (which is also round and pierced) connects us to the anointing contained within the vessel which is intended for the outpouring to the benefit of others. The piercing represents the fellowshipping in His sufferings in order to be made into His likeness. Then the wafer with oil spread on top is indicative of consecration and anointing into office or appointed position. So this 3-in-1 wave offering represents the Bride who is crossing the Jordan, having completed the full circle of the wilderness preparation and is now entering the Promised land of her inheritance, endued with the seven spirits of God and functioning in her delegated kingdom authority. She is prepared to be seated at the right hand, ruling and reigning from the fiery throne. She has made herself ready and after being presented as a wave offering, is transformed into an offering made by fire; coals of fire consumed with zeal for His house and ready to be released as messengers of fire into the earth.

The Bride does not fear being immersed in the fiery flames on the altar because she has already been through the process of the refiner's fire during her preparation season. This fire is different. This is Holy Fire and the adding of the wave offering to the burning ram causes the two to become one; a fusing together with bonds that cannot be broken, and this union releases a sweet and satisfying fragrance to the Father. Bear in mind that 'to be consumed' or to partake in 'consummation' means 'to be utterly given to, to perfect, to complete', even as a bride and her groom become one physically and the union is consummated. Involved in this fusion of two into one is a release of seed, the DNA of the Bridegroom containing the blueprints and instruction which produce great fruitfulness.

May the Lord add understanding to this beautiful picture in His Word.

Blessings

Christine

(part 2 to follow)