One symbol or type may represent more than one thing. For instance, the lion is a metaphor of Jesus and of the devil.
Jesus is the Lion.
Revelation 5:4-5 (KJV)
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The devil is also seen as a lion.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
There are lessons that the lion can teach us that illustrate the greatness of God. Yet, there are also lessons in the lion that illustrate the prowling, vicious nature of a hungry lion. The lion can illustrate many truths, applicable to a number of situations.
There is much talk about fire in these days, and I believe it is the Lord bringing the subject up in several quarters. Soon, a book about strange fire will come out from one minister. The author did not invent the term, it is a Biblical term that is discussed in the Word of God. The Lord wanted worship in the tabernacle to be ignited by the real fire of God, not by some strange fire of human origin.
Fire is a symbol, that can illustrate many truths.
Fire enlightens, it warms, it destroys, it purifies, it judges. Therefore, fire can teach multiple truths from its natures. God chooses to teach us much by typology.
God, Who in His foreknowledge, has always known the plan and revelation of the new covenant with all its details. So, in the Old Testament, He shows in picture form, in types and figures, what would soon come to pass in reality.
Just as a picture of an absent loved one, is treasured and often viewed, while awaiting that ones return, so a type in the Old Testament, showed the image of what was to someday come in reality. The reality is valuable and revealing of many truths, as a lamb on the altar of burnt offering showed in type the sacrificial nature of Jesus.
When Jesus came, the lamb, though a beautiful picture, is not preferred to the reality of Jesus. Yet, the picture of the lamb, is a beautiful way to teach the reality of Jesus nature and work for us. We can view in clearness, His way and manner of approaching the sacrifice He gave for us. Typology should not replace the reality, but should make the reality more clear, more understood.
The symbol of fire therefore can teach us much. God offers fire to many in the Bible.
Gods Priesthood are to offer worship to God. This worship is often illustrated by fire. Our job now, as the priesthood of believers, should make us concerned that we not offer strange fire, but offer the real fire of God.
I Peter 1:9
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness unto His marvelous light."
The Jews never fully accepted the calling to be this "priesthood" to the world. Most of them missed that calling.
Most Christians have missed the true nature of their calling also. The study of what Gods priesthood are to be to the world is one of the most neglected, and ignored, subjects in Christianity.
The Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament was only a shadow of the substance of the priesthood that God intended to make of all believers. A "shadow" is only an indication of the proximity of the substance, and not the substance itself.
Therefore, the priesthood of believers completes and supersedes the Levitical priesthood, just as Jesus completed and superseded Aaron as the High Priest. The altar of burnt offering foreshadowed the cross, and in the same way, the priesthood of the Old Testament was a shadow and type of what God was going to make of the real priesthood.
All believers, of all ages since Adam, are a part of the priesthood of believers.
Exodus 19:6
"And ye shall be unto Me, a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."
I Peter 2:5-9
"Ye also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
Revelation 20:6
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
This priesthood in the Old Testament were to take fire only from the burnt altar.
That fire was started by God, and consumed the lambs that were offered there representing the sacrifice of Jesus as our Lamb, taking our punishment, providing our redemption.
This fire of the Lord, originated by Him in that original sacrifice time, was to be the only fire used in the sacraments of worship in the tabernacle.
THE WARNING AGAINST STRANGE FIRE WORSHIP
Leviticus 10:1-2 (KJV)
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
 
Numbers 3:4 (KJV)
4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.
The priesthood, starting with Aaron, was to lead the worship of the people of God in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we are the priesthood, and are also to lead the worship of God, seek others to receive Jesus, and worship then with us.
Aarons two sons, Nadab and Abihu, failed by offering strange fire in their worship in the tabernacle.
The result was the fire of God fell, and killed both of them, as they did this.
There was no honor given them by the people, there was not even a funeral service provided. When Nadab and Abihu died at the door of the tabernacle with strange fire in their censers, there was no weeping. There was an awesome, reverent horror when the curse of God fell.
Nadab and Abihu had offered strange fire before the Lord; and their destruction is an eternal warning to all who would imitate that unwise idea of worship.
Worship is to be sacred. It is not to be generated by simple emotion, not to be manipulated to appeal to the unsaved, not to be polluted by sin, but to be real, in spirit, in truth, based from a loving, appreciative, righteous soul of one saved by the Lamb Who died for us.
The fire from the brazen altar where lambs were offered, and the fire of God had fallen to accept that offering, was to be the only motivator to real worship. All other worship is strange fire.
Jesus is the Lion.
Revelation 5:4-5 (KJV)
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
The devil is also seen as a lion.
1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
There are lessons that the lion can teach us that illustrate the greatness of God. Yet, there are also lessons in the lion that illustrate the prowling, vicious nature of a hungry lion. The lion can illustrate many truths, applicable to a number of situations.
There is much talk about fire in these days, and I believe it is the Lord bringing the subject up in several quarters. Soon, a book about strange fire will come out from one minister. The author did not invent the term, it is a Biblical term that is discussed in the Word of God. The Lord wanted worship in the tabernacle to be ignited by the real fire of God, not by some strange fire of human origin.
Fire is a symbol, that can illustrate many truths.
Fire enlightens, it warms, it destroys, it purifies, it judges. Therefore, fire can teach multiple truths from its natures. God chooses to teach us much by typology.
God, Who in His foreknowledge, has always known the plan and revelation of the new covenant with all its details. So, in the Old Testament, He shows in picture form, in types and figures, what would soon come to pass in reality.
Just as a picture of an absent loved one, is treasured and often viewed, while awaiting that ones return, so a type in the Old Testament, showed the image of what was to someday come in reality. The reality is valuable and revealing of many truths, as a lamb on the altar of burnt offering showed in type the sacrificial nature of Jesus.
When Jesus came, the lamb, though a beautiful picture, is not preferred to the reality of Jesus. Yet, the picture of the lamb, is a beautiful way to teach the reality of Jesus nature and work for us. We can view in clearness, His way and manner of approaching the sacrifice He gave for us. Typology should not replace the reality, but should make the reality more clear, more understood.
The symbol of fire therefore can teach us much. God offers fire to many in the Bible.
Gods Priesthood are to offer worship to God. This worship is often illustrated by fire. Our job now, as the priesthood of believers, should make us concerned that we not offer strange fire, but offer the real fire of God.
I Peter 1:9
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness unto His marvelous light."
The Jews never fully accepted the calling to be this "priesthood" to the world. Most of them missed that calling.
Most Christians have missed the true nature of their calling also. The study of what Gods priesthood are to be to the world is one of the most neglected, and ignored, subjects in Christianity.
The Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament was only a shadow of the substance of the priesthood that God intended to make of all believers. A "shadow" is only an indication of the proximity of the substance, and not the substance itself.
Therefore, the priesthood of believers completes and supersedes the Levitical priesthood, just as Jesus completed and superseded Aaron as the High Priest. The altar of burnt offering foreshadowed the cross, and in the same way, the priesthood of the Old Testament was a shadow and type of what God was going to make of the real priesthood.
All believers, of all ages since Adam, are a part of the priesthood of believers.
Exodus 19:6
"And ye shall be unto Me, a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."
I Peter 2:5-9
"Ye also as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
Revelation 20:6
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."
This priesthood in the Old Testament were to take fire only from the burnt altar.
That fire was started by God, and consumed the lambs that were offered there representing the sacrifice of Jesus as our Lamb, taking our punishment, providing our redemption.
This fire of the Lord, originated by Him in that original sacrifice time, was to be the only fire used in the sacraments of worship in the tabernacle.
THE WARNING AGAINST STRANGE FIRE WORSHIP
Leviticus 10:1-2 (KJV)
1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
 
Numbers 3:4 (KJV)
4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children: and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.
The priesthood, starting with Aaron, was to lead the worship of the people of God in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, we are the priesthood, and are also to lead the worship of God, seek others to receive Jesus, and worship then with us.
Aarons two sons, Nadab and Abihu, failed by offering strange fire in their worship in the tabernacle.
The result was the fire of God fell, and killed both of them, as they did this.
There was no honor given them by the people, there was not even a funeral service provided. When Nadab and Abihu died at the door of the tabernacle with strange fire in their censers, there was no weeping. There was an awesome, reverent horror when the curse of God fell.
Nadab and Abihu had offered strange fire before the Lord; and their destruction is an eternal warning to all who would imitate that unwise idea of worship.
Worship is to be sacred. It is not to be generated by simple emotion, not to be manipulated to appeal to the unsaved, not to be polluted by sin, but to be real, in spirit, in truth, based from a loving, appreciative, righteous soul of one saved by the Lamb Who died for us.
The fire from the brazen altar where lambs were offered, and the fire of God had fallen to accept that offering, was to be the only motivator to real worship. All other worship is strange fire.