Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of wicked men.
2 Peter 3:6-7
Malachi 3:1-6 Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord whom you are seeking shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says YHWH of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them like gold and like silver, that they may be offerers of a food offering in righteousness to YHWH. Then the food offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to YHWH, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those swearing to a lie; and against those who extort from the hired laborer’s pay; and turning away the widow, and the fatherless, and the alien, and not fearing Me. Says YHWH of hosts. For I am YHWH, I change not. Because of this you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.
What does mainstream Christianity say about the refiner’s fire? Let’s look at a couple of website explanations to see.
From biblestudytools.com:
What the prophet Malachi delivered by comparing God’s influence to a refiner’s fire was a powerful picture of what happens when God’s people encounter his transformative power. We learn from this passage and other Scriptures that part of God’s role in our lives is to refine us, just as a refiner would refine precious metals like gold or silver.
God knows our sins and our need for cleansing. We are precious to the Lord and for those of us who surrender to him, he will purify us.
From christianity.com:
However, despite His deep and abiding love for us, God is a holy divine being, who cannot stand to be in the presence of sin. Therefore, just as gold and other precious metals are refined through fire, so too does God cleanse us from our spiritual impurities with spiritual fire.
This fire comes in the forms of tests, challenges, and adversity: By enduring the heightened temperatures we undergo a process of purification that reveals our true spiritual identity in Christ.
As a result, we mature in faith, grow righteous in spirit, and develop a heart that is desirous to serve as a living sacrifice for the glory of God.
Then we have the song sung at many Protestant church services on Sundays, called Refiner’s Fire by Brian Robert Doerksen:
Purify my heart, let me be as gold
And precious silver
Purify my heart, let me be as gold
Pure gold
Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for you Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You my Master
Ready to do Your will
Purify my heart, cleanse me from within
And make me holy
Purify my heart, cleanse me from my sin
Deep within
Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for you Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You my Master
Ready to do Your will
Refiner’s fire, my heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for you Lord
I choose to be holy
Set apart for You my Master
Ready to do Your will
Ready to worship
Ready to follow
Ready to do Your will
—Refiner’s Fire lyrics © Mercy Vineyard Publishing, Vineyard Songs Canada, Mercy/vineyard Publishing, Vineyard Songs
Mainstream Christianity says that the refiner’s fire is the trials and tribulations we go through in our individual lives as God transforms us and that as a result of this purification process we become more mature in our faith and desire to serve Him. This begs the question, why do some people have more adversity in their lives than others? Which is a fair question if mainstream is correct. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. It is true that we all endure hardships due to the presence of sin in our lives, and that YHWH disciplines His children, however, this is not the refiner’s fire!
Romans 3:23 for all sinned and come short of the glory of God.
1 Kings 8:46a When they sin against you—for there is no man who does not sin—and You be angry with them…
Ecclesiastes 7:19-20 Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten rulers who are in the city. For there is not a just man on the earth who does good and does not sin.
Rather than look to man’s flawed and limited understanding to interpret Malachi, let’s let YHWH’s Word interpret His Word. Malachi was written in the mid-fifth century BC, after Nehemiah returned to Babylon from Jerusalem and the Israelites began backsliding in their obedience to Torah (which Malachi calls the Law of Moses). Therefore, the context of the book is correction from disobedience (sin) and warning of the impending judgment on the Day of YHWH (the refiner’s fire).
Malachi 3:2 But who can endure the day of His comingh935? And who will stand when He appearsh7200? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’sh3526 soap. YHWH is warning of the day when Yeshua returns and takes His bride to safety, and the rest of the world goes through the great tribulation which is the refiner’s fire.
The Hebrew word translated “fuller’s” is Strong’s h3526 כָּבַס, kāḇas: a primitive root; to trample; hence, to wash (properly, by stamping with the feet), whether literal (including the fulling process) or figurative:—fuller, wash(-ing). And from the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon:
Yeshua is like the soap (lye) that the laundry person uses to wash clothing clean. Isaiah 1:25 And I will return My hand on you, and refine your dross, as with lye, and take away all your alloy. The fuller’s soap is washing the sin stains out of their garments so that they may accept the gift of eternal life at the second resurrection.
Daniel 11:35 And many of those who understand shall stumble, to refine and to purge them, and to make white, to the time of the end for it is yet for the appointed time.
Daniel 12:10 Many shall be purified and made white and tested. But the wicked shall do wrong. And not one of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
In these verses in Malachi, where the refiner’s fire is mentioned, we also see that the Lord whom you are seeking shall suddenly come to His temple. Also, it says, who can endure the day of His coming? And who will stand when He appears? We see these two words—coming and appearing—also in the New Testament prophecies of the end-times. But, in the New Testament, as in the Greek Septuagint Old Testament, the words are in Greek instead of Hebrew. To give us a better idea of the context of this passage in Malachi, and what he is prophesying, we are going to reference other times when the Lord coming or appearing is mentioned in prophecy. This will then help us to understand what the refiner’s fire is and when it is going to happen.
The Hebrew word translated “coming” in this passage is Strong’s h935 בּוֹא, bô: a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, × certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, × doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.
The Hebrew word translated “appears” in this passage is Strong’s h7200 רָאָה, rā’â: a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):—advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.
There are two Greek words often translated “coming” these are:
- Strong’s g3952 παρουσία, parousia: from the present participle of G3918; a being near, i.e. advent (often, return; specially, of Christ to punish Jerusalem, or finally the wicked); (by implication) physically, aspect:—coming, presence.
- Strong’s g2064 ἔρχομαι, erchomai: middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present and imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred (middle voice) ἐλεύθομαι eleúthomai el-yoo’-thom-ahee, or (active) ἔλθω élthō el’-tho, which do not otherwise occur); to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively):—accompany, appear, bring, come, enter, fall out, go, grow, × light, × next, pass, resort, be set.
The Greek word parousia is often translated as “coming” or “presence”; and erchomai is often translated as “coming” or “appearing”.
Let’s look at a few examples from scripture of erchomaig2064 and parousiag3952:
Erchomai
Matthew 24:30-31 And then, the sign of the Son of man will appear in the heavens. And then all of the tribes of the land will wail. And they will see the Son of man comingg2064 on the clouds of heaven with power and much glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather His elect from the four winds; from the ends of the heavens to their ends.
Matthew 24:40-44 At that time two will be out in the field; the one is taken away, and the one is left; two grinding at the mill; one is taken, and one is left. Watch, then, for you do not know in what hour your Lord comesg2064. But know this, that if the housemaster had known in what watch the thief comesg2064, he would have watched, and not have allowed his house to be dug through. Because of this, you also be ready, for in that hour you think not, the Son of man comesg2064.
Matthew 25:6 And at midnight a cry occurred: Behold the Bridegroom comesg2064! Go out to meet Him. Then all those virgins rose up and prepared their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there not be enough for us and you. But rather go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. But they going away to buy, the Bridegroom cameg2064. And those ready went in with Him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. And afterwards the rest of the virgins also came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But answering He said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. Therefore, watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of man comesg2064.
Parousia
Matthew 24:3 And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And, what is the sign of Your presenceg3952 and of the end of the age?
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also will be the comingg3952 of the Son of man.
Matthew 24:36-39 But as to that day and that hour, no one knows, neither the angels of Heaven, except My Father only. But as the days of Noah, so also will be the comingg3952 of the Son of man. For as they were in the days before the flood: eating, and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah went into the ark—and they did not know until the flood came and took all way—so also will be the comingg3952 of the Son of man.
We see from scripture that Yeshua’s “coming” and “appearing” that is referenced in Malachi 3:2 is when He returns to earth to collect His bride, destroy the kingdoms of the nations, and bind Satan in the bottomless pit; and this is when the refiner’s fire will purify the hearts of those who refuse to obey the Torah. The refiner’s fire is NOT the struggles that we experience in our day-to-day lives because of our sin.
Zechariah 13:8-9 And it shall be in all the land, says YHWH, two parts in it shall be cut off and perish, but the third shall be left in it. And I will bring the third part through the fires, and will refine them as silver is refined. And I will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, It is My people, and they shall say, YHWH is my God.
Ezekiel 22:18-22 Son of man the house of Israel has become dross to Me. All of them are copper and tin, and iron and lead, in the middle of the furnace; they are the dross of silver. So the Lord YHWH says this: Because all of you have become for dross, therefore, behold I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. As they gather silver, and copper, and iron, and lead, and tin, into the middle of the furnace, to blow the fire on it to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury; and I will leave you there, and melt you. And I will collect you and blow on you in the fire of My wrath; and you shall be melted in its midst. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace so you shall be melted in its midst. And you shall know that I, YHWH, have poured out My fury on you.
Malachi 3:3-4 And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them like gold and like silver, that they may be offerers of a food offering in righteousness to YHWH. Then the food offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to YHWH, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
Malachi is speaking to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had returned from Babylon and had begun disobeying YHWH again. The Levitical priests were making poor sacrifices, corners were being cut, people were backsliding, and YHWH had sent Malachi to correct them and warn them of the Day of Judgment. YHWH warned them that they needed to be refined and purified because they were not following His Torah properly. Only after the refiner’s fire will the Levites’ offerings be pleasing to Him again.
Jeremiah 6:26-30 Oh daughter of My people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes. Make mourning for yourself, as for an only son, most bitter mourning—for the ravager shall suddenly come on us. I have sat you up as assayer, an examiner among My people, that you may know, and examine their way. They are all rebellious revolters, goers of slander. All of them are as copper and iron; they are corrupters. The bellows blow; the lead is consumed from the fire; the refiner refines in vain; for the evil is not separated. Men will call them reprobate silver, for YHWH has rejected them.
Malachi 3:5-6 And I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those swearing to a lie; and against those who extort from the hired laborer’s pay; and turning away the widow, and the fatherless, and the alien, and not fearing Me. Says YHWH of hosts. For I am YHWH, I change not. Because of this you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.
In this passage Malachi is saying that Yeshua will draw near to the people of the earth, returning to pass judgment on them. And what is it that they are being judged for? Disobedience to Torah. How do we know this? Because the remainder of verse five is a list of sins straight out of Torah: sorcerers, adulterers, swearing to a lie, not paying a hireling their fair wage, turning away those in need, not fearing YHWH Elohim. YHWH is making it blatantly obvious that the refiner’s fire is coming because His people are not obeying His commandments.
In case you were thinking that YHWH changed His mind and no longer requires us to fully obey His Torah, He ends off the passage by saying that He never changes. The final sentence is to remind us that we are fortunate that He does not change His mind, otherwise He would have given up on us many millennia ago!
The refiner’s fire described in Malachi chapter 3 is NOT the trials and tribulations we go through in our individual lives as God transforms and purifies us so we become more mature in our faith and desire to serve Him.
The refiner’s fire is the great tribulation event that will occur after Yeshua returns for His bride. It is the refining and purifying that will happen to those believer’s in Yeshua who refuse to be obedient to the Torah and the fire of destruction for those who do not believe or repent.
2 Peter 3:6-7 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of wicked men.
May you be blessed by this study. Shalom.