Metallurgy - Purified by Fire
Hi Everyone,
Today I am sharing a vision that concerns God’s testing of our hearts and testing of our faith. He loves us just as we are, but he does not want us to remain as we are. We are to grow and mature and to become more like him, for God is perfect.
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
We are human and we sin, but God has provided Jesus as the spotless and perfect lamb to cleanse us of all sin and unrighteousness. We are made perfect by his precious blood shed on the cross at Calvary.
The Vision
“Metallurgy”
As I was praying I heard the word, “metallurgy,” and then I saw the numbers 5, 4, 1, 1 and a single dice.
For the last two days, my prayer time as been interrupted by a few time consuming projects. So I asked the Lord which of the visions I was to write about today. I opened my Bible to a portion of scripture in the book of Jeremiah, which confirmed the one he wanted me to share:
“I have made you a tester of metals among my people, that you may know and test their ways. They are all stubbornly rebellious, going about with slanders; they are bronze and iron; all of them act corruptly. The bellows blow fiercely; the lead is consumed by the fire; in vain the refining goes on, for the wicked are not removed. Rejected silver they are called, for the Lord has rejected them.” Jeremiah 6: 27-30
The Lord’s conclusion to this testing and refining to which he had subjected the Israelites, was not enough to remove the wickedness from their hearts, for there had been no change whatsoever. Their hearts were stubborn and hardened, so he chose to reject them. The Lord called them “rejected silver.” This remark should catch our attention, for none of us should want God to test our hearts and find that we have failed to make changes so as to move closer to conforming to his image. Everyone of us sins, and tests God’s patience. But let us repent and make every effort to learn from him so as to not be “rejected silver.”
So this is the vision that the Lord has directed me to write about. I heard the word “Metallurgy” as the vision opened. What is metallurgy? It is the field of science and engineering that pertains to the physical and chemical properties and behaviors of metals and their compounds and mixtures.
The Lord tests us as metal and refines us to remove the impurities so that we can be the people he calls us to be.
“This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The LORD is our God.’” Zechariah 13:9
We are all called to be a holy people, a holy nation.
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
As believers in Christ Jesus, we are members of his body, and he is the head. We are to be aligned with him, and to be one with each other. We are all born of one Spirit, the Holy Spirit who dwells within each of us!
Throughout history, God’s people in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, were tested in the fire. The story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego is familiar to most Christians. These three men were Hebrew friends of Daniel, exiled in Babylon and in service to the king, for they were found to be wiser than all the scholars in Babylon. When they refused to bow down and worship the idol that was set up to glorify the king, they were immediately ushered into the king’s presence and given the chance to change their minds to avoid certain death by the flames of the furnace. But they would not deny the Lord God whom they served. So they were cast into the fiery furnace.
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury….He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army… to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men…fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste….“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire? But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!”
Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.
Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3:16-30
These three young men were tested in the fire, and because they trusted in God, the Lord came into the flames with them. He protected them personally, just as he stands as our advocate before the Father. The Lord is faithful and wants us to be willing to lay our own lives down for him, as he did for us.
Because of their unyielding faith in him, the Lord moved upon Nebuchadnezzar’s heart to give glory to God and to promote them to great power in the Babylonian government. Their faith stood as a sign that the God they served was and is to this day omnipotent. Nebuchadnezzar was blessed to see such a great miracle.
When a man’s ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7
Throughout the Old Testament, we see men’s hearts were divided. Sometimes they would follow the Lord, but rarely wholeheartedly. Their devotion was sporadic, they were not faithful. Many times God would warn Israel to repent, and when they would not, he would discipline them through the trials of affliction.
For the sake of My name I will delay My wrath; for the sake of My praise I will restrain it, so that you will not be cut off. See, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, My very own sake, I will act; for how can I let Myself be defamed? I will not yield My glory to another. Isaiah 48:9-11
Jesus told his followers that they would be tested.
For everyone will be salted with fire. Mark 9:49
Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and deceive many. Matthew 24:9-11
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 1 Peter 4:12-14
The Numbers
Let’s return to the vision. There were several numbers displayed: 5, 4, 1, 1. As I have said before, numbers in Hebrew have meanings.
The Number 5
According to biblestudy.com:
The number 5 many times symbolizes God's grace, goodness and favor toward mankind. Since five represents grace, when it is multiplied by itself, it produces 25 which means "grace upon grace."
The first 5 books of the Bible which Moses wrote were called the Pentateuch.
The Ten Commandments contain two sets of 5 commandments. The first five commandments concern our relationship to God and the last five concern our relationship with others.
There were 5 primary types of offerings: the burnt offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering, the grain offering, and the peace offering.
The tabernacle was the place where God placed his presence. Behind the curtain, in the Most Holy Place was the Ark of the Covenant and its mercy seat where God’s presence dwelled. God gave grace to his people by making his presence available to the high priest once per year to atone for their sins. He entered with the blood of an animal which he sprinkled upon the mercy seat. The forgiveness of sins was God’s expression of love, grace, and mercy to his people.
The number 5 is seen in the dimensions of the tabernacle and its furnishings. It had five of each of the following: curtains, bars, pillars and sockets. The altar was made of wood and was five cubits long and five cubits wide. And the court within the tabernacle was five cubits in height.
The Number 4
The number 4 symbolizes God’s creation, his order, and wisdom.
God created the sun, the moon and the stars on the fourth day to govern or give order to his creation.
There are four seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall and winter; there are the four corners of the earth and there are four directions: north, south east and west.
There are four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John giving witness of Jesus. He was the Son of God, having come in the flesh, to destroy death, and to offer forgiveness of sins and eternal life to those who would believe in his name.
God's name in the Old Testament was written without vowels: YHVH. We call this a tetragrammaton, because there are only four letters. (tetra means 4)
So, the 4 represents God’s divine order in creation and God himself: YHVH. We have to know God and his order, so we do not put ourselves or our interests first. No, God is first.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. Isaiah 55:8-11
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
The Number 1
biblestudy.com explains the meaning of the number 1
Its meaning in the Bible centers on the unity and primacy of the God family being one. What is known as the Shema, which is taken from Deuteronomy 6:4, attests to this fact. This verse, twice, contains the tetragrammaton which is the four consonants used to designate God's name in the Old Testament.
Hear, O Israel. Our one God is the Lord (YHVH / YHVH) Deuteronomy 6:4
The Old and New Testaments have an incredible unity of one (1) between them. More than a third of the New Testament is composed of Old Testament quotes. Many writings from the prophets and Psalms could not be understood without the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament.
The first 1 in the sequence of numbers represents the unity of the God-head: God the father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:
“I and the Father are one.” John 10:30
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves. John 14:10-11
The second 1 represents the unity that the Lord desires to have with us, and that we should have with each other as believers.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:20-23
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. Colossians 3:14
We can see the unity of spirit that the Lord desires for us. When we have unity with him, and unity with each other in prayer, he promises to answer our prayers. By this, his power is displayed which brings glory to God. This is how the kingdom of God works through unity. Jesus made it clear that apart from him we can do nothing! Being united with Christ and in unity with the Holy Spirit, we bring glory to God.
Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples. John 15:4-8
The Dice
The last part of this vision was a dice that had no black dots representing numbers. Yet, it was definitely a dice, a perfect cube. It was white, which stands for purity, righteousness and holiness. In the Bible there are two perfect cubes. The Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) where the Ark of the Covenant resided was a perfect cube. The other perfect cube is seen in the book of Revelation. It is the New Jerusalem which represents the Bride of Christ, for it is where God dwells in the New Covenant. God dwells within the believer, for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Both of these perfect cubes illustrate the place where God dwells. Before, in the Old Covenant, God’s dwelling was in the tabernacle or in the temple, which had very limited accessibility. But now that the Lord came to destroy the temple and put an end to the sacrificial system, we are now in the New Covenant with God’s dwelling inside each believer. We are the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, for we are the Church, God’ people.
“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Revelation 2:19-22
The New Jerusalem is not a future satellite city. It is the Church, now very present on earth. The New Jerusalem is by far different from the old Jerusalem which represented the Old Covenant that God had made with the Israelites. For the New Jerusalem is a city without walls. Jesus referred to the Church as a city on a hill which could not be hidden.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-116
We are to allow God’s light to shine through us, bringing the testimony and gospel to the world so as to reconcile all people to God. So the Lord is asking us to test ourselves. Are we in the faith as we should be? The Lord wants us to test our “metal.” What are we made of? Are we a mixture, a compound, an alloy? What is our composition of character traits, our values and our beliefs?
Are our thoughts and behaviors towards others pure? Or are they corrupted by slander, gossip or prejudice?
Is our doctrine mixed with the traditions of men, or mixed with the world’s values and not based on the word of God?
Have we made unholy alliances or agreements with unbelievers whereby our faith is being compromised?
Have we become ensnared by our own egos, pride, or the love of money?
Are we bound by the fear of man, and of what men say about us, rather than fear God?
How do we value others? Is it performance based? Is it based on IQ, education, wealth or social status?
How do we make decisions? Do we consult with others first, or do we seek the counsel of God?
Do we live to please ourselves? Or God?
Do we indulge ourselves, or do we share what we have with others?
These are all questions that we need to ask ourselves, to know if we are aligned with God and living for him, or just doing whatever we choose for ourselves.
How do we measure success? To whom do we compare ourselves? Jesus is our standard. As was stated in the beginning:
Be perfect, for your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48
As believers, we will all undergo the testing of our faith. It may not be in a fiery trial like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but it may occur as a test of faith as we encounter the world and its views which are hostile to God. Will we go with the flow and the easy path of compromise, or will be stand with God and be willing to suffer for his name? It is about faith and trust in him that opens the door for salvation and eternal life with him. If we are ashamed of him, he will turn his back on us.
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33
God’s ways are holy and true. He has given us tremendous grace by the New Covenant in his blood. We should consider this: that the Law was nearly impossible for anyone to keep. A scribe asked Jesus which of the commandments of God was most important. Jesus answered him by simplifying the Law, summarizing them into two commandments.
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. Mark 12:28-34
And the last element in the vision was the dice which was pure white and a perfect cube, representing the dwelling place of God. So let us enter into his presence, and abide with him, that we become one with him and one with each other.
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18
Thank you for reading. Please share this with others, for we all want to please the Lord and live with each other in complete unity. Be blessed!
