TIM LAUGHLIN: Who saw this temple in its former glory? (part 8)

“I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” – Luke 3:16

Up until now the Holy Spirit resided in the holy of hollies in the temple, visited only by the High Priest, but now given freely to those who would repent and follow Jesus! A new and living way was about to begin as Jesus built His church, gathering living stones, washing them with the water of the word and baptizing them in Holy Spirit fire!

Elijah, a type and shadow of Jesus in the Old Testament was a prophetic overview of His church to come in the last days. Confronted by the false prophets of Jezebel, Elijah challenged them to a duel of sorts by telling them to build and altar and each will call upon their god and the one who answers by fire is God! The prophets of Baal and Asherah built their altar and placed their sacrifice on it and cried out to their god who never answered and Elijah built his.

Elijah ordered 12 water pots be poured over his sacrifice, the twelve stones of the altar and the wood until it was drenched, signifying the washing of the word and baptism of the twelve apostles of the Lamb to come in the future. Then Elijah called upon the Most High and the fire fell from Heaven and consumed the sacrifice, a type of Christ, and the wood and licked up the water a type of baptism in the Holy Spirit!

“His winnowing fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, (a type of His church) and gather the wheat (saints) into His barn; (Heaven) but the chaff (the lost) He will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Hell) – Luke 3:17