Philip Dampier's Blog

Elements

In the ancient Hebrew and Greek languages, the word for wind and the word for Spirit are the same. Let’s read John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Now, we read Acts 2:2-4, “And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

We see it in action in Ezekiel chapter 37. Look at verse 9 for instance. “Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath (Spirit); prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”

And of course, God is referred to as a consuming fire in Hebrews 12:29. Fire is connected to God at least ninety times in the Bible. Check out Moses and the burning bush. God’s voice is compared to thunder (Psalm 18:13).

Speaking of fires, who is the fourth man in the furnace in Daniel. Real? Symbolic? Why does he look like a son of the divine? Four men were in the furnace but only three came out. Why?

Task for Today: Read the first 15 verses of Psalm 18. See how the elements are used to describe God and His behavior. The Bible is full of symbolism as it relates to God’s interaction with mankind. Yes, there are literal verses as well but the prophets loved symbolism. You cannot understand the Bible’s authors’ words about the end times without understanding their use of symbols.