The Refiner’s Fire: How God will purify the Earth at his Return

What is the refiner’s fire in Scripture? It’s the means God will use to test the true metal of a person at the Return of Jesus Christ. The refinement process is one in which a piece of metal is placed in a crucible and heated to it’s melting point. At such a temperature, the impurities and dross present in the metal rise to the surface where they can be skimmed away. Metal workers will always melt down a metal to purify it. The firing process continues until the mirror finish of the metal reflects the image of the iron worker himself. In a very literal sense, God will purge the world of it’s impurities through fire in similar fashion in the time of the end.

Our God is a consuming Fire and will bring Fire upon the Earth at his Return 

Our God is a consuming Fire (Heb 12:29). His whole countenance is the like the sun in it’s strength (Rev 1:16). His eyes are like flames of fire (Rev 1:14, Rev 19:12, Dan 10:6). Smoke exudes from his nostrils and a devouring fire comes from his mouth (Ps 18:8-13). From his waist up He is the color of Amber with the appearance of fire all around within it (Ezk 1:27); His upper Body being like Beryl (Dan 10:6). From the waist downward, He is the appearance of Fire with brightness all around it (Ezk 1:27). His arms and feet like burnished bronze in color (Dan 10:6). Feet made of Fine Brass as if refined in a furnace (Rev 1:15). At times, His Feet will be like pillars of fire (Rev 10:3). The mountains will melt like wax at the presence of the Lord (Ps 97:5). Jesus will come again with consuming fire; He will render his anger and fury with flames of fire (Isa 66:15-16). He will come again to bring fire upon the earth (Lk 12:49). The Lord will utter hailstones, and coals of fire (Ps 18:8-13). The Breath of the Lord like streams of burning sulfur will kindle this fire (Isa 30:33). The day of the Lord will burn like a furnace and will set them on fire (Mal 4:1-3); it will burn and devour all that is impure in one day (Isa 10:16-18). His fire and furnace will be in Jerusalem (Isa 31:9). It will spread to the nations whose streams will be turned to burning pitch and brimstone that will not be quenched night or day(Isa 34:9-10). All the present Heavens and earth are reserved for this fire (II Peter 3:7). Even the Heavens will be destroyed by this fire melting all the elements in it’s fervent heat (II Peter 3:12).

Jesus will sit as a refiner and purifier of people baptizing everything with Fire. 

The Lord will make men see His consuming fire (Isa 30:30). Everyone will be salted with fire (Mrk 9:49). They will be set on fire all around (Isa 43:25). The God of Justice will be impartial and make everyone undergo a baptism of fire (Mt 3:11-12). For by fire and by his sword the Lord will judge all flesh (Isa 66:16). The people shall be as fuel for the fire (Isa 9:19). For we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive their due whether good or bad (II Cor 5:8-11). Men will be surprised and suffer when they go through this purging. Every hand will hang limp, every man’s heart will melt, and be afraid. They will be amazed; their faces will be like flames (Isa 13:6-8). Even Believers will be subjected to this purification. God will sit as a refiner and purifier of his People and refine them like gold or silver (Mal 2:17-3:3). Believers who walk through this fire themselves will not be burned and will not be set ablaze (Isa 43:1-3). They will survive like the burning bush Moses saw was unharmed by the flame. They will be safe like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because God will be with them. He will bring them into the fire and refine and test them like gold (Zech 13:8-9). The quality of every man’s work will be shown for what it is by this fire (I Cor 3:13). A believer’s works that withstands the fire will receive a reward (I Cor 3:14). A believer’s work that burns will suffer loss and be saved only as one escaping through the flames (I Cor 3:15). Those who think they are holier than thou will burn all the day (Isa 65:5). God will burn up all their chaff with unquenchable fire (Mt 3:12, Isa 33:10-12). A Spirit of burning will wash away the filth from God’s chosen people (Isa 4:3-5). After this, they will become a firepot; a flaming torch among sheaves. They will consume right and left the surrounding people (Zec 12:6, Ob 1:18). They will trample the wicked making them ashes under the soles of their feet (Mal 4:1-3).

The wicked will be burned up with the unquenchable fire of burning sulfur. 

The wicked will not make it through this fire. Sinners will be afraid and say who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (Isa 33:14) God will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur on the wicked like Sodom and Gomorrah (Ps 11:6). His fire will be known among his adversaries (Isa 64:2). God will find all his enemies and make them a fiery oven and this fire shall devour them (Ps 21:8-9). The mighty man will become tinder and his work a spark; they will burn together with no one to quench it (Isa 1:31). The fire will burn up his enemies round about (Ps 97:3-5). We are told the breath of the Lord is like burning sulfur. When Sulfur burns, it oxidizes with the air to form Sulfur Trioxide gas. Sulfur Trioxide gas will then react exothermically with water to form sulfuric acid. The amount of heat generated in this reaction is tremendous having an adiabatic flame temperature of 313 C. Present day manufacturers of sulfuric acid who use this material must thermally manage the quantities of SO3 gas they react with water to keep the reaction from exploding on them. This is typically done by diluting the available water for reaction to a 2% solution in a sulfuric acid bath. The excess sulfuric acid provides a thermal buffer to absorb the energy from the reaction.   Sulfur trioxide will also react with the humidity in the air making many submicron particles of sulfuric acid mist that cannot be easily seen through. Sulfuric Acid is one of the strongest acids around. Exposure to this material will result in immediate thermal and chemical burns. The concentrated form of this acid is very hydroscopic (absorb water) and the acid will evolve smaller degree of heat simply from mixing with water. Industries use this acid to strip the air and other solvents of it’s water content. This would explain the extreme thirst and heat people described in Scripture (Luke 16:24). Acid mists would also be difficult to see through and breathe in being corrosive to the eyes, lungs, and skin. Prolonged Exposure to the eyes would result in severe retinal burns causing blindness; the victim would see darkness and yet feel the sensation of burning. Prolonged Inhalation of these acid mists would result in pulmonary edema; an inflammatory response that entails filling the lungs with mucous. The condition renders the victim with the sensation of drowning in their own fluid. None of these experiences are a walk in the park. Their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched (Isa 66:24). The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever (Rev 14:11).

Believers need to learn to cut their losses. 

Jesus taught it is better to lose on part of your body than to not escape these flames (Mt 5:29, 18:8-9; Mk 9:43-45, 47-48). Believers need to learn to cut their losses. Our main job as believers is to minimize our losses by getting out of activities and behaviors early on that would bring us down. Save yourself further incurred loss by learning from God and being willing to change. Too often people compound their losses instead of avoiding them simply because they hesitate to change. By trying to preserve their life people often find they lose it. What is more important- being right or being blessed? No logical reason exists to persevere in bad behavior. Repentance is the most overlooked and important tool the believer has. Changes should be made immediately upon perception that sin exists in your life. Sin will only keep you from having a fulfilled life. The decision to change something should boil down to one thing- whether the present course of action will bring life or not. The fact that one’s life is moving in the wrong direction should be proof enough to reverse a position. Do yourself a favor by doing what needs to be done. Learn to be flexible and reverse a bad position. Make yourself ready for the return of Christ.