2 Chronicles 7:1-3 - Fire from Heaven 1 As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

In this passage from 2 Chronicles, we read about a miraculous event that occurred when Solomon finished praying at the dedication of the newly built temple in Jerusalem. As soon as he ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices on the altar. This fire was a visible sign of God's glory and approval of the temple. The fire and the glory of the Lord were so intense that the priests could not even enter the temple building. When the people saw this, they all bowed down in awe, worship, and thanks to God. They praised His goodness and enduring love. This reminds us of a few other instances in Scripture when God sent fire from heaven. For example, when Aaron first began making sacrifices as high priest, God sent fire to ignite the altar as a sign of His presence (Leviticus 9:24). And when Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, God sent fire to burn up Elijah's soaked sacrifice to prove He was the true God (1 Kings 18:38). So in this passage, God once again sends fire from heaven, showing His glory, splendor, and approval of the new temple. It is a dramatic visible display that God's presence now dwells in this temple in Jerusalem.

This remarkable passage gives us a glimpse of the awe-inspiring glory and power of God. He literally sends fire down from heaven to ignite the sacrifices! This would have been an utterly astonishing sight. We don't see visible displays like this today, but God is no less glorious and powerful now than He was then. As magnificent as this temple was that Solomon built, the Scriptures tell us that one day, we who believe in Jesus will see the glory of God face to face in heaven - and that will infinitely surpass anything we can experience here on earth (1 Corinthians 13:12). When they witnessed the fire falling from heaven, the people immediately responded by bowing down and worshiping God with their faces to the ground. Does witnessing God's glory produce that kind of awe and reverence in our hearts today? It should! God's goodness and love are so unfathomably great. He didn't have to bless us by sending Jesus to rescue us from sin. But He did it because of His great love. As we go through our days, let's maintain an awe and wonder over how glorious our God is. Let's thank Him for His endless love and mercy that we don't deserve. And let's live in a way that brings glory and honor to Him.

Father God, we stand amazed at Your glory and power displayed in this passage and throughout Scripture. Just as You sent fire from heaven to show Your presence and approval of the temple, You have shown Your presence and grace to us through Jesus. Thank You for making a way for us unworthy sinners to be reconciled to You through Christ's sacrifice. Give us eyes to see Your glory and hearts full of praise for Your love and mercy that endures forever. May everything we do bring honor to Your great name. In Jesus' name, amen.