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You can download a PDF of this study: The Torch and the Oven.
“And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking OVEN and a burning TORCH that passed between those pieces. On the same day the Lord made a COVENANT with Abram, saying: “To your descendants [Seed] I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates—” Genesis 15:17-18.
These simple verses were taken from one of the most unassuming chapter of the bible. Which we read through mainly on the surface level as how God decreed the land of a Canaan to be an everlasting inheritance for the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yet, this chapter is a chapter of great significance, in that it is the very foundation of the Christian Faith. The depth of which can only be understood when we consider the Covenant God entered into with Abraham is the VERY foundation on which ETERNITY is based. Which means we have to look at every aspect of the symbolism that is portrayed in this chapter as having significance in relaying the depth of the everlasting covenant. So, in this brief study we are going to examine the significance the smoking Oven and the burning Torch represent.
This is the chapter where God first introduced righteousness of faith, when Abraham believed the promises of God that his descendants were going to be as innumerable as the stars in heaven, saying, “And he [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6. Which Paul later laboured in Romans chapter 4 to illustrate to us, that we also by the same faith are also counted righteous saying, “Now it was not written on account of him [Abraham] alone that “it was credited to him,” but also on account of us, to whom it [Righteousness] is about to be credited, to those believing on the One having raised Jesus our Lord out from the dead, who was delivered over for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.” Romans 4:23-25.
Meaning, the Covenant of Righteousness by Faith which God entered into with Abraham must contain within it an illustration of all that is necessary to establish the blessing of the covenant as well as the consequences for breaking it. And Paul writing of this very moment said, “Brothers, I am speaking according to man. No one sets aside or adds thereto a COVENANT even of man, having been ratified. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. It does not say “and to seeds” as of many but “and to your seed” as of One, who is Christ. Now I say this: The Law, having come four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul the COVENANT having been CONFIRMED beforehand by God, so as to nullify the promise.” Galatians 3:15-17. The first and main point Paul makes is that, this covenant that is ratified between God and Abraham and his Seed CANNOT be canceled or amended. For us, this means God at this VERY point has declared ALL that is required be it for LIFE or DEATH, since NO AMENDMENT to the Covenant can be had after.
Even when we consider the Covenant of the Law that was established through Moses, it came with both the benefits for those who keep it and penalty for those who break it, for which Deuteronomy 28 is an example. And Paul summarised the penalty in these simple terms, “Anyone having set aside the Law of Moses DIES without mercies on the basis of two or three witnesses.” Hebrews 10:28. Meaning, the one who breaks the Covenant of the Law is subject to its punishment which is DEATH. And it is on this grounds that we must also look at the Covenant God made with Abraham. As we have said in previous studies, the covenant of the first death must first be annulled in order for the covenant of the Second death to be established. Meaning the punishment for the Sin Of Adam was Death as it was also illustrated in the Law. However the punishment for failing the covenant righteousness of faith, which God established between Himself and Abraham is everlasting fire which is the Second Death. And Paul illustrates this in Hebrews saying, “How much worse punishment do you think will he deserve, the one having trampled upon the Son of God, and having esteemed ordinary the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and having insulted the Spirit of grace?” Hebrews 10:29. Meaning a worse PUNISHMENT than death awaits the one who rejects the righteousness that came through the Seed of Abraham.
Now, the answer to unlocking the meaning of the symbolism of the Smoking Oven and the Burning Torch is found in the writing of Malachi, “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an Oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” Malachi 4:1-2. This is the famous chapter where Malachi foretold of the coming of Elijah in the form of John the Baptists, who was to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. Malachi illustrates to us this awesome day in two aspects, first he describes this day as a burning Oven, as an illustration of the punishment of the wicked that will burn them up as stubble. Second, he describes the same day as the rising of the SUN of Righteousness, that is he describes the coming of the Christ as a SUN, meaning as Light by which mankind is able to see. So in this statement we can see both the Smoking Oven and the Burning Torch represented.
And John testifying of both John the Baptist and the Lord in the same merit as Malachi said, “He [John the Baptist] came as a witness, that he might testify concerning the Light, that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but came that he might witness concerning the Light. The true Light who enlightens every man was coming into the world.” John 1:7-9. So we have both Elijah and the Sun of righteousness described in this statement. And the Lord said of Himself, “I am the light of the world. The one following Me shall not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12. So when God, symbolised as a burning Torch, passed through the pieces of the animals cut in two, He was declaring to us He was going to be the Light by which those of the righteousness of faith are meant to walk in. As Isaiah says, “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God.” Isaiah 50:10. Meaning the Torch symbolises the bases on which all the blessings of God are represented as, God said to Abraham, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” Genesis 15:1. Meaning, God HIMSELF, is our promise and reward.
Now, by the same measure the Smoking Oven, is an illustration of the everlasting punishment that is to come upon the proud, which Isaiah described as, “Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled— This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment.” Isaiah 50:11. Which John described in the Book of Revelation as saying, “he also will drink of the wine of the anger of God, having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath; and he will be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. And the SMOKE of their torment goes up to ages of ages;” Revelation 14:10-11. So the Smoking Oven is a representation of the Everlasting fire and it is an ASPECT of God as much as the Burning Torch. We can see this if we consider that DEATH was a representation of being captive slaves of the Devil on the account of Sin, but the everlasting fire is an aspect of the Wrath of God, as the Lord said, “Indeed rather you should fear the One being able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Matthew 10:28.
The last part we will touch on in this study is the aspect of the animals that were cut in two, through which the Smoking Oven and the Burning Torch passed through. The consideration of which is that, it is to represent a passing through death as to have annulled the First Death that came on the account of Adam. As Isaiah said, “Your covenant with DEATH will be ANNULLED, and your agreement with SHEOL will NOT STAND.” Isaiah 28:18. Please Note: it was not Abraham that passed through the animals that were cut in two, but God Himself, as a depiction of the Sun of Righteousness who was going to bear the sin of the World, in order to annul our covenant with Death and establish a New Covenant by His Blood. This is significant when we consider God had entered into an everlasting Covenant with Noah without having passed through animals that were cut in two. So the significance here is that, to illustrate the First Death was being annulled, in order for the Second Death to be Established, which was symbolised in the Smoking Oven.
So, the main text of our study is the VERY FOUNDATION of a COVENANT that establishes both Everlasting Life and Everlasting Condemnations, and this is symbolised in the Smoking Oven and the Burning Torch.
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