Our Spiritual Awakening: Post #7 (Post #6 of Our Spiritual Awakening can be found here.) “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a NEW NAME written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”  —Revelation 2:17 As I've been explaining in this series, Jesus has returned. But he hasn't literally returned in the manner that most Christians imagine his return. Rather, he has come in the same way that Elijah returned as John the Baptist. In other words, it's the same mission but it's being fulfilled through a different person. As Luke 1:17 explains it, John the Baptist was born "in the spirit and power" of Elijah: “And he will go on before the Lord, in the SPIRIT AND POWER of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”  And this new Messiah brings a new truth that explains God and the bible in “plain” English; ie., without the use of metaphors, idioms or figures of speech. For instance, Jesus said: “I have come to bring FIRE on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!”  —Luke 12:49 Likewise, 2 Peter 3:12 says that in the End Times the heavens will be destroyed by fire: “....as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by FIRE, and the elements will melt in the heat.”  Since we know that both Jesus or the new Messiah haven't brought about the literally destruction of heaven or earth with fire, then these bible verses must have a figurative or symbolic meaning.  In Jeremiah 23::29 we find a clue as to the real meaning of these verses: “Is not my WORD LIKE FIRE,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” More clues are found in the following verses: "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the BREATH OF HIS MOUTH and destroy by the splendor of his coming.”  —2 Thess 2:8 “He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the BREATH OF HIS LIPS he will slay the wicked.”   —Isaiah 11:4 Finally, these two verses bring everything into focus: “For judgment I have come into this world ”  —John 9:39 “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my WORDS; the very words have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”  —John 12:48 From these bible passages, we can deduce that "fire" represents judgment by the Word of God.  The information just revealed to you is from the “eternal gospel” of the new Messiah. As Jesus promised in John 16:25, he would provide new truth that can clearly explain all the mysteries of the bible in plain language. I pray that I am doing justice to his new WORD. “But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the MYSTERY OF GOD will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”   —Revelation 10:7 (To be continued.)