MANIFEST PRESENCE

EXODUS 19-40
ʾēšh = fire, har = mountain
PRIOR TO EXODUS
  • God's Manifest Presence in Eden: "Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made." (Genesis 2:8)
  • After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24)
  • Garden of Eden as Mountain of God: "A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers." (Genesis 2:10). Also see (Ezekiel 28:13-14).
  • Sacrificial Fire on Altars up Mountains: “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and there he sacrificed as burnt offerings.…” (Genesis 2:10), “God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son…” (Abraham & Isaac, Genesis 8:20)
  • Covenantal Fire: "When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals." (Genesis 15:17, NET)

EXODUS
  • There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. (Exodus 3:2)
  • For the Lord your God is a consuming fire… (Deuteronomy 4:24a, NET)
  • God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel:
 I Am has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. 
This is my eternal name, 
my name to remember for all generations. (Exodus 3:14-15)
  • On the morning of the third day, thunder roared and lightning flashed, and a dense cloud came down on the mountain. There was a long, loud blast from a ram’s horn, and all the people trembled. 17 Moses led them out from the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai was covered with smoke because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. The smoke billowed into the sky like smoke from a brick kiln, and the whole mountain shook violently. 19 As the blast of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God thundered his reply. 20 The Lord came down on the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses climbed the mountain. (Exodus 19:16-20)
  • The 10 Words of Re-Creation / 10 Commandments (Exodus 20)
  • The Heart of God: “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6

JESUS, THE SPIRIT & THE CHURCH
  • So the Word became human and made his home among us [tabernacled]. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. (John 1:14)
  • On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit… (Acts 2:1-4a)
  • Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. (Ephesians 5:18-19)
  • No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. (1 John 4:12)
  • Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. (Revelation 19:11-12)
  • The end of Death & Hades: "Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14)