8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.
As my friend Kemper recently stated: there are two types of people, those who run to FATHER and those who run from FATHER. This fourth bowl of wrath is specifically poured out on the hardhearted. Back in the eighth chapter of the Book of Revelation we recall that “another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand”.
The fervent, effectual prayers of the saints (incense) are responded to by Our Heavenly Father. Where there’s smoke, there is fire. Hebrews chapter 12 refers to this fire:
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
The very elect are those who communicate with FATHER and HIS life flows through them- inward to the outward on a horizontal plane to mankind. Once endued with power from On HIGH, they will be called forth as a Standard of Truth to confront the perversion and lawlessness. Some of those whom they confront will attempt to defy them and they will be scorched from being in their presence. These contrary individuals will require “greater” heat than those who immediately repent. They will be designated for the lake of fire which will remove all the dross that has built up in their lives. This lake of fire comes forth out of the Divine Intent of Love because none will be lost in the end. Extreme depravity requires extreme Love. Blaspheming their CREATOR is their last great act of defiance. Their flesh will surely be “scorched” and this scorching is referenced by Jesus in the parable of the sower (Mathew 13):
5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
Jesus explained who this group of people represented:
20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
Those who received the WORD but had no root in the WORD got scorched. Their flesh is burned to some degree but they continue on their selfish path. In Revelation chapter 3, they represented the dead church and their name has been blotted out of the Book of Life. They are now defiant. If GOD is Love and HE is an all consuming fire, Love is a consuming fire and will burn away all flesh that would keep Love from its destination in man’s heart. Yes, some will need a little more fire and they will have the restlessness and turmoil of the carnal mind and the flesh burned out of them.
The fire of the presence of FATHER has many different administrations. The a sea of glass mingled with fire in Revelation 15:12 resulted in a multitude of people who have become within themselves an untroubled sea of tranquility, peace, and transparency. They came to this state by the fire of FATHER. All the restlessness and turmoil arising out of their carnal mind and their flesh have been burned out of them. In Revelation 8:7, There is fire that is cast upon the earth and burns up the trees that grow out of the earth. These trees represent carnal works of the ego, the fleshly nature of man. In Revelation 18:8, there is a fire that destroys the world system of Mystery Babylon that has been enslaving mankind.
Think not that when mankind is presented with the Presence of FATHER in HIS very elect that there won’t be some who will immediately reject HIS Love. We will see both repentance and defiance. The different administrations of Love are designed to handle both situations. HIS Wisdom will prevail in each unique situation. Ultimately, HIS Love is irresistible!