The book of Hebrews was written to encourage and exhort Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and were tempted to revert back to Judaism. The author opens the book by extolling the supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of Old Testament hopes.
In Hebrews 1:7, the author quotes from Psalm 104:4 which says “He makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.” This poetic verse is referring to angels who are described as swift messengers and ministers who serve God’s purposes. The author of Hebrews applies this verse to Jesus to demonstrate His superiority over the angels.
So what does it mean that Jesus makes his ministers a flame of fire? Here are a few key points:
1. Ministers are empowered by the Holy Spirit
Fire is often used in the Bible as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11). At Pentecost, tongues of fire rested on the disciples as they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). Therefore, ministers being a “flame of fire” represents how they are empowered and equipped by the Holy Spirit to carry out their ministry.
The Holy Spirit provides gifts and talents, boldness, wisdom, discernment, and spiritual power needed for ministry. Jesus sends out His ministers to preach, teach, heal, and minister in His name by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, ministers can do nothing (John 15:5).
2. Ministers bring light, warmth, and purification
Fire brings light and warmth. In the same way, faithful ministers bring the light of the Gospel that shines in the darkness and provides spiritual truth, illumination, and understanding. They also provide the warmth of God’s love, care, comfort, and presence.
In addition, fire purifies and refines what it burns. Ministers help purify and refine God’s people through presenting the truth in love, rebuking sin, encouraging obedience and Christlikeness. Like fire, they help remove impurities from the church and from people’s lives as they point them to Jesus.
3. Ministers display power, zeal, and passion
Flames are powerful and consume what they burn. Likewise, ministers empowered by the Spirit have spiritual power and zeal. They are set ablaze for God and consumed with carrying out His work with passion, conviction, and intensity.
The flame of fire represents the fervency of their ministry. Just as flames spread, the Gospel message preached by Spirit-filled ministers will spread in people’s hearts and lives with power. This enables ministers to carry out their calling from Christ with energy and dynamism.
4. Ministers bring judgment and purification
Fire is used in the Bible to represent God’s judgment and wrath against sin (Isaiah 66:15, Hebrews 10:27). Fire destroys what is corrupt. In a similar way, faithful ministers often proclaim God’s judgment and call people to repentance. Through the preaching of God’s Word, they bring purification by exposing and burning away sin in people’s lives. Like fire, the message they proclaim separates what is precious from what is worthless.
5. Ministers are set apart for God’s service
In the Old Testament, God set apart the Levites for service by having them pass through fire (Numbers 31:23). The flame separated them and consecrated them as holy for ministry. Likewise, ministers today are set apart for service through the purifying flame of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. They have been consecrated and equipped for ministry by the Spirit’s empowering fire.
6. Ministers demonstrate the splendor, majesty and holiness of God
In Hebrews 1:7, the verse speaks of God making his ministers a flame of fire. This demonstrates they reflect God’s own splendor, majesty, and holiness as His representatives.
Fire is an awe-inspiring, fearful, and magnificent display of energy. The radiant flame points to the awesome holiness, power, and splendor of God. So ministers manifest God’s glory as servants empowered by His Spirit to carry out His purposes. They display and reflect His majesty and holiness.
7. Ministers face trials and persecution
Flames suggest intensity, testing, and sacrifice. Faithful ministers often face fiery trials as they serve God in a fallen world (1 Peter 1:7). They are persecuted and suffer for the Gospel. Their faith and character is tested and refined like gold in a fire.
They may be burned or scarred in the line of duty. But they continue serving despite personal cost. They endure the flames of opposition and hardship for the sake of carrying out their calling. Their steadfast spirit through trials displays the power and presence of God upholding them.
8. Ministers spread the fire of God’s Word
The flaming fire represents the spread of God’s Word through preaching. Ministers take the flame of Gospel truth and spread it from person to person and place to place through their ministry. They are like torch bearers passing on the light and fire of Biblical truth to the world.
The imagery of flame illustrates how the message of God’s Word under the Spirit’s power spreads with intensity. As ministers faithfully teach and preach God’s Word, the fire ignites hearts and lives with the truth, passion, and zeal. Under the Spirit’s anointing, the flaming fire of God’s Word powerfully advances.
9. Ministers point people to eternal realities
Fire is used in Scripture to point to coming judgment or reward (Malachi 3:2-3, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15). The flaming fire reminds ministers to keep an eternal perspective and point people to eternal realities. This includes warning of the fires of hell that await the unrepentant. But it also includes encouraging believers with the promised hope of experiencing God’s glory in the age to come. This eternal focus empowers their service with urgency and soberness.
10. Jesus identifies with ministers who suffer
Part of the larger context of Hebrews 1 is that Jesus was temporarily made lower than the angels during His earthly ministry (Hebrews 2:9). So there is a sense that by describing ministers as a flame of fire, it is a picture that Jesus identifies with the sufferings, trials, and sacrifices of His faithful ministers.
Jesus experienced the fire of persecution and death on the cross. He understands firsthand the fiery trials ministers face as they serve Him. And He stands with them in the midst of the flames of adversity as the Suffering Servant who was tried in the fire for them.
Conclusion
In summary, Jesus making His ministers a flame of fire speaks to how He empowers, purifies, equips, and upholds them by His Spirit to carry out His work. Like flaming fire, ministers display God’s majesty and holiness, shine the light of truth, spread the fire of the Gospel, and call people to repentance in light of coming judgment and eternity. They are set apart and consecrated for service through the fire of the Spirit on their lives. And Jesus intimately identifies with them in their sufferings for His sake.
The fire represents the intensity, power, sacrifice, testing, and trials ministers face as they serve God’s purposes. But this verse is ultimately meant to exalt the greatness of Jesus Christ. He is the One who sovereignly distributes the fire of the Spirit on His ministers according to His will and design. And He stands with them in the midst of the fires of affliction and suffering. All glory is due to Christ who is exalted far above the angels as the supreme Lord of all.