Topical Bible: The Earth: Burning at God Presence

◄ The Earth: Burning at God Presence ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

The theme of the earth burning at the presence of God is a vivid and powerful image found throughout the Scriptures, symbolizing God's holiness, judgment, and transformative power. This imagery serves to remind believers of God's supreme authority and the awe-inspiring nature of His presence.

Biblical References

1. Psalm 97:3-5 : "Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side. His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth." This passage portrays the earth's response to God's majestic presence, emphasizing His power to consume and transform.

2. Nahum 1:5-6 : "The mountains quake before Him, and the hills melt away; the earth trembles at His presence—the world and all its dwellers. Who can withstand His indignation? Who can endure His burning anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are shattered before Him." Here, the prophet Nahum describes the earth's reaction to God's righteous anger, illustrating the overwhelming nature of His judgment.

3. Isaiah 64:1-2 : "If only You would rend the heavens and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence, as fire kindles the brushwood and causes the water to boil, to make Your name known to Your enemies, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!" Isaiah's plea for God to reveal Himself in power underscores the transformative effect of His presence, likened to fire that purifies and refines.

4. 2 Peter 3:10 : "But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare." This New Testament reference speaks to the ultimate purification and renewal of creation at the end of the age, when God's presence will bring about a new heaven and a new earth.

Theological Significance

The imagery of the earth burning at God's presence serves multiple theological purposes. It underscores God's holiness and the inherent sinfulness of creation, which cannot withstand His pure and righteous presence. The burning signifies both judgment against sin and the purifying process necessary for renewal.

In the context of judgment, the burning earth is a reminder of God's justice and the ultimate accountability of all creation before Him. It serves as a warning to the unrepentant and a call to righteousness for believers, emphasizing the need for holiness in anticipation of God's coming.

Conversely, the burning also symbolizes purification and transformation. Just as fire refines precious metals, God's presence purifies His people and creation, preparing them for His eternal kingdom. This dual aspect of judgment and renewal reflects the comprehensive nature of God's redemptive plan.

Historical and Eschatological Context

Historically, the imagery of fire and burning at God's presence has been associated with significant theophanies, such as God's appearance on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:18) and the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). These events highlight the sacredness and otherness of God, who reveals Himself in ways that both inspire awe and demand reverence.

Eschatologically, the burning of the earth is linked to the Day of the Lord, a future time when God will decisively intervene in human history to judge the wicked and establish His eternal kingdom. This expectation is a central theme in both Old and New Testament prophecies, providing hope for believers who anticipate the fulfillment of God's promises.

In summary, the concept of the earth burning at God's presence is a profound biblical motif that encapsulates the themes of divine holiness, judgment, and renewal. It calls believers to live in reverence and readiness, acknowledging the transformative power of God's presence in both the present and the future.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, yes, the world, and all that dwell therein.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

God with Us, and we with God
... of the empty places with perpetually burning stars, are ... and the mind must be detached
from earth, and glued to ... hereafter will be our presence with God, to make ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/god with us and we.htm

Fourth Day. Holiness and Revelation.
... that I too may be its witness and its messenger on earth. ... 'The bush burning but not ...
of persecution; it is the watchword of every soul in God's sanctifying work ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/fourth day holiness and revelation.htm

The Presence of God.
... his dream of the ladder set up on earth and reaching ... When Moses saw the vision of
the burning bush, and ... life which comes with it"this is God's personal gift ...
//christianbookshelf.org/percival/sermons at rugby/x the presence of god.htm

God.
... which he apprehended a ladder set upon the earth, whose top ... of the sparks of the
justice of God against sin ... his drowning the old world, by his burning of Sodom ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bunyan/the riches of bunyan/i god.htm

John's Salutation to the Churches.
... were to pass, were divided, the presence of God was symbolized by "a burning lamp
that ... Lord which run to and fro, through the whole earth," (Zech.4 ...
/.../bliss/a brief commentary on the apocalypse/johns salutation to the churches.htm

Man's Greatness and God's Greatness.
... Our God selected the society of the outcasts of earth, those whom none else would
speak ... Let us speak God's word to our own unquiet, swelling, burning hearts ...
/.../robertson/sermons preached at brighton/xviii mans greatness and gods.htm

The Consuming Fire.
... He will shake heaven and earth, that only the ... we worship thus; yea, will go on burning
within us ... but as the highest consciousness of life, the presence of God. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/macdonald/unspoken sermons/the consuming fire.htm

The Preaching of Nature.
... to yourselves"I cannot do any great work for God or my ... When the earth is wrapped
in snow, and the skies are ... the clouds, and in a dry and burning waste, there ...
/.../the life of duty a years plain sermons v 2/sermon l the preaching of.htm

The Heavenly Pathway and the Earthly Heart
... into the violet sky so far above him, burning with all ... He had been grovelling on
earth, with no thoughts ... to his then wants, are given,"God's presence in his ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the heavenly pathway and the.htm

A Personal Experience.
... The earth, and all its works, is burning up ... The cause of alarm proved to be a burning
building over a ... hills to fall upon them to hide them from God's presence. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/orr/the gospel day /a personal experience.htm