Is “Holy Ghost FIRE!” Biblical?

When a charismatic leader yells FIRE, what is supposed to happen?

Often, what we see happening is some sort of convulsion, some ecstatic, uncontrolled behavior, even men attempting to impregnate the floor.

And to say that modern evangelical music is oversaturated with fire analogies would be an understatement.

Where does this idea of the fire of the Holy Spirit come from? Well, we might point to the tongues of fire that appeared over the disciples in the upper room at Pentecost.

But more often than not, the charismatic fire theology comes from texts like Luke 3 .16.

John the Baptist says that the one coming after him, that is Jesus, will baptize you with the

Holy Spirit and with fire. What many fail to understand is that in scripture, fire symbolizes judgment.

Yes, even the tongues of fire over the disciples at Pentecost symbolize judgment against unbelieving

Israel that now the gospel of salvation is going to be heard and believed by the heathen nations right there in Jerusalem.

Now many people read Luke 3 .16 and take that to mean that the terms Holy Spirit and fire are synonymous.

And so, of course, before one imparts the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, as we suppose is happening in clips like this, he should shout fire.

Well, the terms aren't exactly synonymous, but they are talking about the same thing, eschatological or end -time judgment.

It is John's expectation that the Messiah will blow the wicked away by the wind of the Spirit into the judgment of fire.

Verse 17 illustrates John's meaning. His winnowing fork is in his hand to thoroughly clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

So how does one use a winnowing fork to separate the wheat from the chaff? He tosses it into the air.

The wheat falls back to the ground, but the chaff is blown away by the wind. And once it is separated, it is burned.

So when Christians or pastors shout fire of the Holy Ghost, when they lay their hands on someone, it's unbiblical tradition.

There's no biblical credence for that practice. And when Christians sing songs like fire fall down on us,

See the fire fall down, the fire fall down, on us we pray.

Not to be a buzzkill, though many of you will think I'm being one, but biblically speaking, they're calling down judgment on themselves.

Nope. Mm -mm. I feel like I'm losing my mind. Is everybody in the world blind?