BURNING COALS

Intelligence Brief

Fire in theophany is never merely decorative. It is the visible form of God's holiness — purifying what can be purified, consuming what cannot. Isaiah's lips were cleansed by a coal from the altar (Isaiah 6:6-7). The sacrifices were consumed by fire. Here the fire moves among the living creatures like a living thing itself, flashing with lightning. This is the same fire that will later scatter over Jerusalem in judgment (Ezekiel 10:2). Holy fire can save or destroy depending on what it touches.

Scripture References