The third great gathering of Israel was the convocation of Tabernacles. Included in the convocation of Tabernacles were the feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and finally the feast of Tabernacles itself. The dwelling of God in Christ in us is the spiritual fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles itself—the climax of the feasts of the Lord.

The fervent disciple who is experiencing "Trumpets," to whom the King, Christ, has come in order to establish total dominion over his personality, may find he has a strong desire for more of God. The Spirit is encouraging him to press vigorously toward a fuller apprehension of the rest of God, that is, a fuller realization of Christ abiding in him.

Now we come to the subject of this paper, which is reconciliation by fire. In between "Trumpets" and "Tabernacles" is the "Day of Atonement." The spiritual fulfillment of the Day of Atonement in our lives is the baptism with fire of which John the Baptist spoke.

The term atonement has several shades of meaning. The definition that seems to best sum up the various shades of meaning is reconciliation. Therefore we will refer to the Day of Atonement as the Day of Reconciliation.

Why is it necessary for the Spirit-filled Christian to be reconciled to God? It is necessary because we are being made the eternal habitation of God. We who are filled with the Spirit are filled also with sin and self-will. The wisdom of God has placed the Day of Reconciliation as the final step before our being filled "with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).

The Day of Reconciliation indeed is a reconciliation by fire. It is Divine judgment on us. It is a "slaying" of us so we can walk with God. It is a wounding, a tearing down so the Lord can heal us and construct that which He desires in us. After we are baptized with the Holy Spirit we must be baptized with the fire of Divine judgment—the fire that eventually will reconcile us to the Consuming Fire.

There is no other pathway to the rest of God. It is "eternal judgment," a fire that cannot be extinguished until every particle that cannot exist in the Divine Fire has been burned out of us.

The fourth chapter of First Peter provides a study of the baptism with fire, which is the spiritual fulfillment of the Levitical Day of Reconciliation.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: (I Peter 4:12)

Every true member of the Body of Christ will experience this chastening of the Lord. The "believer" who does not experience the chastening hand of God is an illegitimate child. His mother is the church but his Father is not God.

It is true, unfortunately, that while there are millions of members of the Christian religion there appears to be but a handful who are genuine disciples of the Lord.

To be continued.