Part 1-1: The Fire Before the Tabernacle

Bible reading:

Luke 12:49 — “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!"

Leviticus 9:22–24 — Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people, and fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

INTRODUCTION

The Whole Earth Needs Revival from the Holy Spirit

The main topic for the message in this special conference is: “The Fire of Revival.”

Today, churches across the globe share a common longing for revival. Whether in the life of an individual believer, a family, or a congregation, there is an urgent desire for spiritual renewal. Yet revival is not something that can be orchestrated by human hands. It is entirely under the sovereign power of God. It cannot be promoted or encouraged by man—it must be initiated, propelled, and completed by God Himself. When God stretches out His mighty hand, revival comes. Therefore, we can only look to Him to send down the fire of revival to awaken His people. In Luke 12:49, the Lord Jesus Himself said, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled." This fire was poured out at Pentecost—it is the fire of revival, the fire that burns, bringing renewal to believers, families, churches, and even the whole earth. Scripture records many instances where God sent fire to revive His people. In this series, we will examine six Old Testament types, each with its own background and perspective, to see how the Lord uses revival fire to lead His people into revival. We will also look at the true essence of revival as revealed in the New Testament at Pentecost.

Chapter One: The Fire Before the Tabernacle

This is the first Old Testament type of revival fire recorded in Scripture. Though familiar to many of God’s people, it is foundational and cannot be overlooked. For the sake of brevity and clarity, we will touch on it concisely.

The People Complained

When the Israelites left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, they sang and rejoiced because of the great deliverance the Lord had worked for them. This foreshadows how Christians, after believing in Jesus and being baptized into His name, experience the joy and peace of salvation and respond with praise. However, after journeying three days into the wilderness, the Israelites became thirsty and found only bitter water. They began to complain. This illustrates how Christians, soon after beginning their spiritual journey, may encounter hardship and begin to murmur against God.

In the second month after leaving Egypt, they arrived at the Wilderness of Sin and complained again due to hunger. They said, “In Egypt, we sat by the meat pots and ate our fill. Now we’re in this wilderness, and the whole assembly is starving!” Likewise, many Christians, after believing in Jesus, find they can no longer enjoy worldly pleasures—movies, gambling, dancing—and begin to resist moving forward, even grumbling. Soon they faced thirst again, again they argued, and complained, and then they had to fight the Amalekites. Yes, brothers and sisters, this path is full of trials. It strips away earthly pleasures and carnal comforts, leading to frequent complaints. Later, at Mount Sinai, Moses went up for forty days and nights. When he delayed in returning, the people assumed something had happened to him and asked Aaron to make a golden calf to worship—greatly offending the Lord. Similarly, many Christians, after following the Lord for a time, begin to drift, setting up idols of career, status, and wealth, losing their single-hearted trust in God. This provokes the Lord’s anger and brings His discipline.

The People Rejoiced

At Mount Sinai, Moses led the people to build the tabernacle according to the Lord’s command. When it was completed, the people gathered before the Lord. The Bible said Aaron offered the sin offering, burnt offering, and peace offering, and "the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. When all the people saw it, they shouted and fell facedown." (Leviticus 9:22–24)

The Fire Before the Tabernacle — Bringing Joy, Encouragement, and Revival to the Israelites

Ever since the Israelites left Egypt, apart from the joyful singing on the far side of the Red Sea, their songs had ceased. From that moment until they reached Mount Sinai, their joy had vanished, and their hope had disappeared. Walking the wilderness path was not a choice—it was a necessity. There was no other way forward. So they walked the road chosen by the Lord reluctantly with long faces, stiff necks, heavy steps, and burdened hearts.

But this time, when fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat, the people saw it and rejoiced. Because of God’s presence, they fell facedown in worship. Their former complaints turned into shouts of joy. Their inner state was completely transformed, and their attitude underwent a 180-degree shift. Where once they were full of their own opinions, preferences, and decisions, now they bowed low before the Lord. Brothers and sisters, this is the blessed state of the people touched by grace, this is the revival brought by the fire from heaven. This fire of revival lifted the people out of hardship, suffering, discouragement, coldness, retreat, stagnation, and unbelief. It gave them hope, encouragement, courage, faith, and strength to rise again, renew their strength and walk the path ahead.

The Start of Revival

Now let us see how God brings down the fire of revival. Leviticus 9:22–23 shows us that this fire of revival was brought forth through three offerings. The first was the sin offering; the second was the burnt offering; and the third was the peace offering.

1. Sin Offering

   How does God grant us revival? The first step is leading us to offer the sin offering. Jesus became the Lamb of atonement, bearing our sins. His blood cleanses us from all sin—this is the experience of the sin offering.

   In Old Testament times, when God's people sinned, they had to bring a bull, sheep, or dove to the altar and lay their hands on the animal’s head before offering it. This signified that the person was a sinner, and that their sin was transferred to the animal, which would then bear their guilt. As the animal’s blood was shed, the sin was covered, and God would no longer judge the person. This was known as presenting a sin offering. Yet the true sin offering is what Jesus Christ accomplished. So when the Lord Jesus came to earth, John the Baptist testified of Him, saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus Christ came as the Lamb for atonement, offering Himself on the cross and shedding His blood to redeem us. Hebrews 9:12 says, “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." Praise the Lord Jesus Christ—He became our sin offering and bore our sins. This is the starting point of experiencing revival.

   1. Thorough Confession

      1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This word is spoken to all Christians, whether newly saved or those who have been saved for many years, we all have sin—so the issue of sin must first be resolved. If sin is not dealt with or thoroughly acknowledged, revival cannot happen. Praise the Lord! If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

      Revival begins with confession, so it must start from the sin offering. Many brothers and sisters have grown up through Sunday school or children’s ministry, yet have never truly encountered the Lord. I was one of them. I had heard all the stories—how Moses led Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the wilderness and into Canaan; how Jesus multiplied bread, healed the sick, cast out demons, and performed many signs. I even recounted these stories to others. Yet I had not been revived by the Lord—still loving the world and still seeking sinful pleasures. Then one day, the Holy Spirit moved me to kneel before the Lord and confess my sins from the heart. Under the illumination of His light, I saw my sins. The wrongs I had committed since childhood came flooding back—anger, fighting, stealing, lying, deceit, unrighteousness—sin upon sin playing before me like scenes from a film.

      The Spirit of sorrow worked deeply in me, stirring a heart of repentance. I couldn't help but weep bitterly, confessing each sin before Him. I don’t even know where the tears came from—they flowed endlessly like a stream. From that moment onward, I experienced tremendous revival. I was completely transformed. Walking felt like flying—every burden of guilt had fallen away, and my soul was instantly filled with peace, joy, lightness, and transcendence. Like a bird soaring above the clouds, or a fish swimming freely in the ocean—truly, I felt liberated and free. Not only was my spirit joyful, but even the environment around me seemed renewed. Everything appeared especially bright and lovely—as if the whole earth and everything in it was harmonious and kind. Brothers and sisters seemed even dearer and more lovable. So, dear brothers and sisters, now that the Lord has led us to Baguio, let us, under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, thoroughly confess our sins, ask the Lord for forgiveness, and sincerely offer the sin offering—so that heaven's fire may descend and bring revival among us.

   2. Meeting the Lord

      Today, many people are unwilling to fully confess their sins because they have not truly met the Lord. Whether you’ve been baptized, attended worship services, or regularly pray and read the Bible... the issue does not lie in these religious practices. The real question is: Have you ever truly met the Lord once?

      The clearest sign of someone who has met the Lord is surrendering to Him. When Saul encountered the Lord on the road to Damascus, he fell to the ground. Likewise, if you encounter the Lord, you will see yourself as a sinner—and that realization will cause you to fall before Him (not the outward being, but inner being). You’ll be compelled to confess your sins before God, just like Saul. If you have experienced this, then it proves that you have received grace. Otherwise, you have not yet met the Lord, I am concerned for you—because the wrath of God still remains upon you.

   3. Continued Confession of Sin

      Dear brothers and sisters, why does God require us to confess our sins? Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.“ Isaiah 59:1-2 also says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you,s o that He will not hear." Romans 6:23 further declares, “For the wages of sin is death.” These verses clearly reveal that once a person sin, if it is covered up rather than confessed and forsaken, he will not prosperity. Sin separates us from God and causes Him to hide His face, refusing to hear our prayers. In such a state, spiritual revival is impossible—what remains is spiritual deadness, because the consequence of sin is death. When the Lord Jesus was on the cross, He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). This profound moment reveals that when Jesus took upon Himself the sins of all humanity, the holy God saw the burden of sin upon His beloved Son and had no choice but to forsake Him. What a solemn truth this is!

      Therefore, whenever sin enters our lives, God immediately becomes separated from us—He sets us aside. Only through continued confession, relying on the blood of Jesus, can all barriers between us and God be removed. Brothers and sisters, we must welcome the light, sternly judge sin, confess it, and forsake it, so that the precious blood of Jesus may continually cleanse us. For “if we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

2. Burnt Offering

   The second offering that brought down the fire of the tabernacle was the burnt offering. Burnt offering symbolized Jesus Christ offering Himself on the cross to God as a sacrifice pleasing to Him. Ephesians 5:2 says, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." However, from our experiential standpoint, the burnt offering speaks of us offering ourselves to God in Christ, in a way that is pleasing and acceptable to Him. Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." Brothers and sisters, each one of us must offer ourselves to the Lord—because this is what delights His heart.

   When Aaron offered the burnt offering before the tabernacle, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat on the altar. The burnt offering symbolizes our consecration, while the fat points to glory. The fire coming out and consuming the burnt offering and fat illustrates that God accepted the offering, and that all glory belongs to Him. No wonder 1 Corinthians 6:20 declares, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s." How we long to be moved by Christ’s love—because He redeemed us at great price, may we willingly and joyfully offer our bodies as a living sacrifice unto Him. Then the fire of revival will come down, bringing in revival within the Church.

3. Peace Offering

   The third offering that brought down the fire before the tabernacle was the peace offering. This refers to Jesus Christ offering Himself, so that through Him we might be reconciled to God. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Brothers and sisters, through the cleansing power of the precious blood and our self-offering in Christ, and by being reconciled to God through Jesus, we draw ever closer to Him. The deeper our union with God, the stronger the fire of revival that descends from heaven. It burns with increasing intensity—growing stronger, brighter, and spreading wider.

The Fire of Revival

During the Welsh revival, a servant of God greatly used by Him—Brother Roberts—was a man drawn by the Lord into a life of prayer. He prayed for several hours each day, experiencing the full cleansing of the precious blood and offering himself wholly to God. Through such prayer, he entered deeper union with the Lord. As a result, the fire of revival was brought down and spread across every corner of Wales, eventually igniting an unprecedented revival throughout the region.

A few years ago, the Lord led a few of us to begin gathering for meetings. We started in a humble wooden hut under very limited circumstances. Outwardly, it was discouraging—especially when compared to another group we had been part of, where the gatherings were much larger. The contrast was stark. Yet once we truly obeyed and followed the Lord in gathering, He quickly led us into a life of prayer. We were often illuminated by the Spirit, confessing sins and offering the sin offering. We were stirred by His love to offer ourselves in burnt offering, and thus entered deeper communion with God through the peace offering. We prayed in the morning, prayed in the afternoon, and even prayed at night—spending several hours in prayer daily. We truly experienced the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering. Then the fire from heaven came down! The Holy Spirit was richly poured upon us, accompanied by signs and wonders, greatly encouraging us. Though we often placed limitations upon the Lord, His mercy prevailed. Several hundred people have already been baptized. God did not regard our weakness and failure, but remembered the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering offered through His Son—and He sent down the fire of revival. May this gathering on the mountain once again stir the Lord to rain down His revival fire!

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