The Apostle Paul penned to the Corinthians: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you…”(1 Corinthians 11:23 ESV). And that is our charge as well. As the body of Christ, we must hear His Voice, the Voice of revelation, and then be a voice of disclosure to this world.
As a people of revelation, that must be our joy: His Voice and sharing what was heard, the foundation of His body is disclosure; the rock of His church is revelation (Matthew 16:16-18).
Notice the revelation in the Lord’s conversation with Simon Peter:
And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed (emphasis mine) it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17). (Reveal—to take off the cover; that is, to disclose).[1] “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
One translation reads the “gates of hell” as “the powers of the infernal region”[2] meaning that the rock—the revelation (method and person) of Jesus Christ—can withstand all the forces of the fiery region and not be defeated. The rock (revelation) will prevail because of the Rock (Jesus Christ).
We read of three types of fire in the Scripture: The fire of God, which is a consuming fire (cf. Hebrews 12:29); hell fire (Revelation 20:10) and strange fire (cf. Leviticus 10:1). Fire was one way that God chose to reveal Himself to Israel; we all understand (somewhat) of hell fire—where the worm dieth not and fire not quenched (cf. Mark 9:44); but what of strange fire?
“And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1-2 KJV).
Trustworthy service is initiated by revelation from God and under His authority. When we serve under God’s authority we are accepted. “Strange fire originates from man” (Watchman Nee). It does not require a revelation from God; rather, it is done from man’s zeal and desire and ends in death. If our service and work become increasingly dead we must question whether or not we are operating with strange fire (our desires) versus God’s consuming fire.
Thus, as a people of revelation, we have the rock that is both the principle of revelation and the Rock (Christ Jesus), who is the revelation. The fires of hell cannot overcome the rock/Rock; strange fire brings death to those who offer flames not of God near the rock; and God’s fire can consume rocks (remember Elijah’s altar) but won’t—which is why we fear Him, through our revelation, who can kill both body and soul (cf. Matthew 10:28).
