Isa 30:26-33 - The Lord's Voice is Heard With The Flame of a Devouring Fire - Discussion

1 file(s) 12.95 MB

Download

Isa 30:26-33 - The Lord's Voice Is Heard With The Flame of A Devouring Fire

Isa 30:26  Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
Isa 30:27  Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
Isa 30:28  And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
Isa 30:29  Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.
Isa 30:30  And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
Isa 30:31  For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
Isa 30:32  And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
Isa 30:33  For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

Our study today is on the last seven verses of Isaiah 30. The theme of this chapter is best demonstrated in this one verse:

Isa 30:25  And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

The first part of this verse sounds so positive, and the last part sounds so negative, but this is the gospel of Jesus Christ which teaches us that "it is through much tribulation" that we enter into the kingdom of God. That is the same as saying, "If we suffer with Him we shall also be glorified together with Him." Both of those verses are simply telling us, "You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endures to the end shall be saved."

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

All of those verses are just some of the details of what must happen for "He [our new man] must increase but I [our old man] must decrease" to come to pass in our lives.

Joh 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease.

To introduce the message of these verses we need to remember, as with all scripture, the 'is' and the 'was' and the 'will be' character to the Word of God. In other words, all the prophecies of scripture are being fulfilled, were being fulfilled and will be fulfilled.

For example, the seed of the serpent, our old man, has been seeking to destroy the seed of the woman from "the foundation of the world", and he will continue to do so until the end of the ages.

Gen 3:13  And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Gen 3:14  And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

These words have been true in every generation of men from 'the first man Adam' until today. Cain killed Abel, and Christ now makes this statement to all who are given to read and understand:

Luk 11:47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

In Matthew 24 the Lord continues to reveal to us that His words do not pass away and that they apply in principle in each and every generation.  Verse 15 is part of the same prophecy as the rest of the chapter. In other words, it is all addressed to "whoso readeth, let him understand":

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mat 24:30  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Mat 24:31  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

These words come directly from the mouth of our Lord Himself, and so do the words of our study of Isaiah 30. They are all spiritual words which have an outward 'was' and 'will be' application to them. We can read of the physical details of the 'was' application, but we are specifically told that the Lord alone knows what the morrow holds:

Jas 4:13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Jas 4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Jas 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
Jas 4:16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.

So while we never deny the past or future application, it is not our primary focus. Our focus is always primarily on the present daily 'is' application of the spiritual words of scripture.

For the purpose of driving this point home, the Lord gives us these words about the fig tree:

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

"So likewise you" are words addressed to "whoso reads" these words in every generation of mankind. "Know it is near" is speaking primarily of the spiritual coming of Christ to destroy the man of sin, our old man, the seed of the serpent who sits on the throne of God within each of us in our own time.

Mat 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Mat 24:37  But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:38  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39  And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Mat 24:40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41  Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 24:43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Mat 24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

We are made to know that "no man knows" that day and hour, but we are also told, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." The only person who can "be ready" is the person to whom He has already come as a thief in the night, and whose old man has been dethroned and who is now living every physical day as if it were his last day on this physical earth. We can only do this if we 'reckon ourselves already dead' with Christ and already resurrected with Christ.

But is that really what the scriptures teach? Let's all read it with our own eyes:

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [All three verbs in this verse are in the aorist tense.]
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ["have been" is second perfect and "shall be" is future tense]
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ['Knowing' is present tense, 'crucified with Him' is 'aorist tense, 'the body of sin destroyed' is aorist, but 'not serve sin' is present tense, because "sin shall not have dominion over us - vs 14.]"
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: [being dead with Christ is aorist tense, but believing we shall live with Him is present tense]
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. [all three verbs, 'reckon', 'to be dead', and 'alive' are all in the present tense in this verse, because that is how we are to presently reckon, and see ourselves in Christ]

Rom 6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. ["Sin shall not" is future tense, but the reason for which "sin shall not have dominion over you" is present tense.]

We are to consider ourselves presently, at this very moment, to be dead to sin (vs 14). If we do not think of ourselves in that way, then we are not yet "dead to sin", and if sin is still reigning in our lives, then we will not have a part in that blessed and holy first resurrection. This is all aorist tense and present tense because we are already redeemed in earnest, and we can say "now are we the sons of God":

Psa 107:2  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; [dying and death - 1Co 15:26]

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession [first resurrection], unto the praise of his glory.

This has been a long introduction, but with this 'is, was and will be' character of the Word of God firmly in mind, let's apply this principle to these words of God, and appreciate just how much the Lord is doing within us as He is preparing us to become "saviors upon Zion to judge the mount of Esau":

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S.

This is what the Lord is doing to make us present day saviors:

Isa 30:26  Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

Who is all of this light which begins to shine down upon us?

Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.

Joh 12:46  I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

If Christ is living His life within us, then this is also true:

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Eph 5:8  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

1Th 5:5  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

In the day that all of this light comes into our lives that is the day when Christ binds up the breach of us, His people and heals the stroke of [our] wound. This is what Christ tells us of His coming into our lives:

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Here is the description of what happens within us when all this light begins birthing our new man even as he, our old man, begins to be destroyed by that very same light:

2Th 2:4  Who [our old man within us] opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5  Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth [Greek: katechō, restrains] that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

It is our old man who restrains the coming of Christ until the appointed day when he is exposed and is seen to be sitting where he ought not. Then, at that very point, notice what the Lord does to the beast, the man of sin within us. It is not instantaneous, but the scriptures call it "a short work":

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Which simply fulfills this prophecy of many years earlier:

Isa 30:27  Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

We are "afar" from God when this process begins. Here is just how far we are:

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved);

We speak with our tongues. "His tongue" is His words, and where do the scriptures tell us the Lord's words are to be found? This is where we will find the Lord's "burning anger... indignation, and His tongue as a devouring fire":

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

The apostle John tells  us the exact same thing:

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Isaiah tells us why we are so incredibly stubborn and rebellious, and exactly why the Lord's anger is so fierce upon the kingdom of our proud rebellious old man:

Isa 30:28  And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

And who does Isaiah tell us puts this "bridle in the jaws" of His own people? Isaiah knows who is in charge, and he knows who made His people to err from His ways. This is the only one who can make the Lord's own people to err from His ways, and this is who that one person is. This is a bombshell to the kingdom of our old man, which thinks that he is the captain of His own destiny:

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

There it is! This is, "the light of the moon... as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun... sevenfold, as the light of seven days." This is, "the brightness of His coming" which "destroys the man of sin sitting in the temple of God."

This is all great cause for rejoicing in in all these trials which serve to destroy the kingdom of our old man within us:

Isa 30:29  Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel.

This solemn rejoicing takes place even as we are witnessing the destruction of the kingdom of our old man within us:

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Peter is not denying that we are already partakers of the joy of the Lord even as we suffer with Him. He just admonished us to do so. We have so much more we are promised as the "inheritance of the purchased possession" which we are yet hoping for even though we do not see it at this very moment.

Listen to what "the redemption of the purchased possession" is. It is also called the "mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ":

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Earlier in this same eighth chapter of Romans we were told that "the whole creation is waiting for... the redemption of our bodies", and that blessed and holy event is nothing less than "the manifestation of the sons of God" who will be the prophesied "saviors upon Mount Zion, to judge the Mount of Esau":

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

As I said at the beginning of this study, the inward 'is' application is our primary focus of the words of God. However, make no mistake, this down payment we have now is not "the redemption of the purchased possession" for which we now "hope" and "wait". The best by far is yet to come!

The present 'is' character of the Lord's words are primary to our daily lives. So is the future 'will be' component of the Word of God because we are told that "we are saved by hope" for that which we have not yet seen, and we are told that for that reason we must patiently "wait for" it.

We are even told that "if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable":

1Co 15:16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
1Co 15:17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

But we are not miserable because we know that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us".

It was given to Paul to give us a glimpse into what "the redemption of the purchased possession" is, for which there is so little appreciation from 'Esau' within us, who saw no value in looking to the future and being grateful for the promises of his birthright. This is what the holy spirit inspired the apostle Paul to relate to us to never give up our hope in Christ, and to inspire us to know that all of our suffering has a much greater recompense of reward if we are granted to "endure to the end" of the "much tribulation [through which] we must inherit the kingdom of God":

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ["Blessed us with all spiritual blessings" is aorist tense, but: "that we should be holy and without blame before Him" is present tense.]
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; ["Have redemption is in the present tense because the down payment makes it so]
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Eph 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. ["Which is the earnest of our inheritance" is in the present tense.]

Paul is inspired to give thanks to God that He has seen fit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding to know just what it is for which we are hoping and waiting:

Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Christ's inheritance is "in the saints", and the inheritance of the saints is in Christ. So it is a very symbiotic relationship we have with our Lord and our heavenly Father:

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

We are never to think that our calling gives us any occasion to sit back and rest on our laurels or to ever say "let us eat drink and be merry" in the material things of this age.

Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

This is the attitude which the knowledge we have been given should produce within us if we are truly humbled by our calling:

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

If we are "thus minded", then we will recognize the Lord's voice coming to us through our brothers and sisters, and our trials and tribulations which are designed to destroy the proud kingdom of the man of sin within us:

Isa 30:30  And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

Isaiah himself tells us what these "hailstones" are. Strange as it may seem, the hailstones are the same thing as "the flame of a devouring fire".

Isa 28:15  Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
Isa 28:16  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
Isa 28:18  And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

There it is! The function of the hail and the waters is the same as the indignation of His anger... with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones". In other words, it is all symbolic of the fiery words of God which destroy and devastate all the lies we have been told. It is all nothing less than "the voice of the Lord [and] the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone" devouring everything that can be devoured by the fires of His fiery words:

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13  Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

We all are guilty of defiling the Lord's temple and suffering "loss". Yet, "he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Isa 30:31  For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
Isa 30:32  And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
Isa 30:33  For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

"Tophet" is what Christ called "Gehenna", and both typify the lake of fire. It is "ordained of old" for the old man in all who are cast therein, but notice what it is that kindles it. "The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, does kindle it." The breath of the Lord is the words of the Lord. It certainly is not literal, physical flames.

Next week, if the Lord wills, we will look into the revelation the Lord's fiery words are within His own people, who He tells us dwell in Zion and in Jerusalem:

Isa 31:1  Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
Isa 31:2  Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.
Isa 31:3  Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
Isa 31:4  For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.
Isa 31:5  As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it.
Isa 31:6  Turn ye unto him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.
Isa 31:7  For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.
Isa 31:8  Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
Isa 31:9  And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.