And he [the land beast] does great signs, so much so that he causes fire to come down out of heaven to earth in the presence of men. Rev. 13:13.
At one time one could experience something similar to this in the Yosemite Valley of central California. Every summer evening national park personnel staged a "fire fall" from Glacier Point, which is more than 3,000 feet above the valley floor. People gathered before sunset for a short nature program at a campground near the base of the mountain. While this was going on, rangers tended a raging bonfire up at Glacier Point.
After the program below ended, someone would shout up the vertical granite wall: "Let the fire fall!" After a moment, there would come a response from the rangers high up at Glacier Point, "Let the fire fall!" They would then begin pouring hot coals over the side of the mountain to form an awesome glowing waterfall that disappeared several thousand feet into the darkness. It was truly a spectacular sight. Some people traveled thousands of miles for the chance to see the spectacle.
Bringing fire from heaven to earth reminds the reader of Acts 2:2-4. It tells of "a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven....They saw...tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit" (NIV).
The text of Revelation 13 warns us not to trust totally what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears. One day the fire of Pentecost will seem to be falling all around us, but it will not be the real deal. A great end-time agent of Satan will counterfeit the working of the Spirit and call people to give their allegiance to a counterfeit trinity.
But the best way to detect a counterfeit is to know the genuine. Those filled with God's Spirit will know when the counterfeit appears. And the true Spirit of God goes to those who seek God with all their hearts (Jer. 29:13) and are willing to do whatever He asks (Acts 5:31). God ministers His Spirit to us through His Word (John 6:63). As we treasure God's Word through faith in Jesus, we will be filled with the genuine Spirit. But this will not occur by means of occasional or casual attention to the Word.
Visitors to Yosemite Valley today will not see the fire fall. Years ago the valley was uncrowded and free from the masses that visit the place today. Nowadays, because of the popularity of the valley, the fire no longer falls. There are just too many people and too little space. Sometimes our lives can get too crowded to hear the voice of the true Spirit. Don't allow the press of people and things to keep the fire of the Spirit from spilling into you life.
Lord, clear some space for You in the events of this day. Tired and overwhelmed right now, I need Your Spirit as never before.
At one time one could experience something similar to this in the Yosemite Valley of central California. Every summer evening national park personnel staged a "fire fall" from Glacier Point, which is more than 3,000 feet above the valley floor. People gathered before sunset for a short nature program at a campground near the base of the mountain. While this was going on, rangers tended a raging bonfire up at Glacier Point.
After the program below ended, someone would shout up the vertical granite wall: "Let the fire fall!" After a moment, there would come a response from the rangers high up at Glacier Point, "Let the fire fall!" They would then begin pouring hot coals over the side of the mountain to form an awesome glowing waterfall that disappeared several thousand feet into the darkness. It was truly a spectacular sight. Some people traveled thousands of miles for the chance to see the spectacle.
Bringing fire from heaven to earth reminds the reader of Acts 2:2-4. It tells of "a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven....They saw...tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit" (NIV).
The text of Revelation 13 warns us not to trust totally what we see with our eyes and hear with our ears. One day the fire of Pentecost will seem to be falling all around us, but it will not be the real deal. A great end-time agent of Satan will counterfeit the working of the Spirit and call people to give their allegiance to a counterfeit trinity.
But the best way to detect a counterfeit is to know the genuine. Those filled with God's Spirit will know when the counterfeit appears. And the true Spirit of God goes to those who seek God with all their hearts (Jer. 29:13) and are willing to do whatever He asks (Acts 5:31). God ministers His Spirit to us through His Word (John 6:63). As we treasure God's Word through faith in Jesus, we will be filled with the genuine Spirit. But this will not occur by means of occasional or casual attention to the Word.
Visitors to Yosemite Valley today will not see the fire fall. Years ago the valley was uncrowded and free from the masses that visit the place today. Nowadays, because of the popularity of the valley, the fire no longer falls. There are just too many people and too little space. Sometimes our lives can get too crowded to hear the voice of the true Spirit. Don't allow the press of people and things to keep the fire of the Spirit from spilling into you life.
Lord, clear some space for You in the events of this day. Tired and overwhelmed right now, I need Your Spirit as never before.
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