Prophetic Fire Confronts what Is Fruitless

David W. Palmer

God’s Holy Spirit drew a crowd of submissive listeners to John the Baptist. However, other people with wrong motives came too. How did the Holy Spirit in John respond to them?

(Matthew 3:7–12 DKJV) When he (John) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “[You] offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? {8} Therefore, bear fruit appropriate for repentance. {9} And do not [even] think to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I say to you, that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. {10} And even now, the axe is laid on the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down, and thrown into the fire. {11} I indeed baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is mightier than I [am], whose shoes I am not [even] worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire. {12} His winnowing fork is [already] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat to the granary (barn, silo); but the chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire.”

Here we see another aspect of the spirit and power of Elijah. When the Pharisees and Sadducees arrived, the Holy Spirit empowered John into a prophetic mode; he authoritatively confronted them with the stark reality of their destiny if they did not join others who were repenting.

First, he challenged them to repent and produce the fruit that only a contrite, humble, submissive heart can. Then he stepped into the central focus of the Elijah task; he started preparing them for the coming of the Lord. (In John’s case, this was for Jesus’s first manifestation on earth. In our case, the Holy Spirit will use us to prepare people for his glorious manifestation in revival, awakening, outpouring, and his second coming.)

John warned them that the “coming” One would baptize them in the “Holy Spirit and fire.” The Holy Spirit produces holiness in those open, surrendered people who receive his word into the soil of their hearts and grow it to harvest. So when these people come under the power of the Holy Spirit and fire, and when they submitted to John’s ministry of baptism, they have holy passion and gifts stirred up:

(2 Timothy 1:6 NLT) This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.

For those who do not respond to God in this positive way, the “fire” has a different affect. In this context, John said that the baptism of fire would be applied to every tree that doesn’t produce fruit—that is, the “fruit appropriate for repentance.” Obviously, the fruitless trees burn in this fire.

John also mentioned an “axe”—the tool used for cutting down fruitless trees. The fact that it was already “laid on the root” implied that in their current state judgment was assured. They would have to repent fully, humbly, and wholeheartedly to avoid it.

In his message through John to the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Holy Spirit said that Jesus would burn both fruitless trees and “chaff.” Chaff or straw is necessary for growing and multiplying grain seed, but it is not a reproduction of the seed. It is necessary for a season, but when its season is complete—when the incorruptible word has multiplied—the chaff is burned.

John was implying that even if the Scribes and Pharisees had a significant role in bringing God’s word to their generation—through teaching, etc.—if it didn’t reproduce in them, they would burn.

Like any father, God is looking for a reproduction of himself. The primary step in this is the new birth that Jesus introduced. God hoped the Pharisees would accept Jesus, adjust to his new covenant, receive his new birth, and walk in the works he had prepared for them. Their first step towards this would be to believe John and submit to his baptism and ministry.

This is also a prophetic word for our time. Programs, organizations, institutions, and structures that have grown up from the word and helped to reproduce the word, may have to go once the word has reproduced. They are not divine; they simply facilitate and support the multiplication of God’s word into a new generation. After the word has multiplied, the “chaff” aspects of ministry can be burned, making the soil ready for new “chaff” for a new season.

I cannot predict how long those seasons are. However, by staying close to Jesus, we can receive updated revelation from him about his strategy, structure, style and system for each season.

Jesus said he would build his church. He said this in the context of explaining revelation:

(Matthew 16:16–19 DKJV) Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” {17} Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed [happy and well-off now] are you, Simon son of Jonah; for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. {18} I also say to you, that you are Peter (rock), and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overpower it. {19} And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you will bind (forbid) on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you will loose (permit) on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”

Jesus was very pleased that Peter had received information about Him and God’s kingdom by revelation. Jesus immediately spoke of building his church. This context shows that he is talking about receiving revelation directly from God when he says, “On this rock I will build my church.” Each church-builder can and should hear from Jesus about what He wants them to do in their situation.

When Jesus says, “I will give … you the keys,” he is implying ongoing revelation of what you need when you need it. If you keep your ear close to his heartbeat, you will know what to do, for how long to do it, and when to change it. Thus the “chaff” and “trees” grow up under his direction providing structure and support for each crop of kingdom seed and supply of copious fruit.

We often think of the “fire” in Jesus’s ministry as being his passionate urgency to kindle holy living—and it is; but we have seen that there is another side to it. Yes, Paul told Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6 LITV). However, he also said that every man’s work would be tested by fire. This fire of testing is clearly part of Jesus’s ministry. Let’s have one more look at what Paul said as a stark reminder of this serious aspect of our Lord’s love:

(1 Corinthians 3:12–15 EMTV) Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, {13} each one’s work shall be made manifest; for the Day shall reveal it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall test each one’s work, as to what sort it is. {14} If anyone’s work which he has built remains, he shall receive a reward. {15} If anyone’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.

John the Baptist was the first in the New Testament to mention the “fire” aspect of Jesus’s ministry: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire.” Although this can imply that Jesus will baptize us in holy fire and passionate zeal for his house and bride, this statement has context. It is sandwiched between two sentences that speak of burning what is unfruitful: “Every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire”; “The chaff he will burn with inextinguishable fire.” John’s mention of this fire is clearly in the context of removing unfruitful structures, strategies, and weeds. After the consuming fire has purified, then the passionate zeal for God and his kingdom emerges.

Today, I encourage you to welcome his fire. Let go completely of what is inflammable, distinguish what is eternal—the gold, silver, and precious stones—and hold tightly to it. This burning and pruning may be uncomfortable, but it will lead to increased and eternal fruit.

(John 15:1–2, 6, 8 NKJV) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. {2} Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ... {6} "f anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ... {8} By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”