Page 38 - Holyland Magazine - 2020 Edition

Mount Carmel and the sea. Photo: Itamar Grinberg

God had sent fire from heaven a few times directly onto the altar, ignited at just the right Whatever fuel source God used on that day
before in Israel’s history to confirm and time, and burned in a streaming column that on Mount Carmel, a tremendous amount of
emphasize exceptional moments and events. targeted an area no larger than 10 square energy was suddenly and surgically released
Fire fell on Mount Sinai at the receiving of the meters (100 square feet). However, there are from heaven to perform this miracle on earth
Law; during the dedication of the altar of the serious challenges producing a stable flame and shake the nation as it did. A laser beam
Tabernacle in the wilderness; upon David’s in this case since the vaporized liquid fuel of holy energy descended from heaven in
altar built at the threshing floor of Ornan the would be too light to fall to the earth on such response to Elijah’s prayer, powerful enough
Jebusite; during the dedication of Solomon’s a small target area, and the fire would have to vaporize two tons of limestone rock, a
Temple; and NOW it fell on Elijah’s altar on been uncontrollable. Of course, God could slaughtered mature bull, wet wood, muddy
Mount Carmel. have used solid fuel, such as bitumen, which soil and lots of water. A scientific assessment
is much heavier than air. However, this is less of the amount of energy required to vaporize all
likely since solid fuels are difficult to ignite and these items has been estimated at 500 Mega
What kind of fire was this? would lack the visual affects alluded to in the Watts, the output of a typical modern-day
For fire to come down from the sky, the fuel text. power plant!
would have to be heavier than air, which would So, the next time you visit Israel, be sure to visit
disqualify natural gas or hydrogen, both of Whatever the fuel for the heavenly fire was, Mount Carmel and the traditional spot where
which are lighter than air and will rise rather the combustion process itself was efficient this fire fell. There the nation was required to
than fall. If the divine fuel was gas at all, it enough to produce no smoke at all (there is make a choice between Jehovah and Baal,
would probably have had to be propane or no mention of smoke in the narrative while and there hundreds of cult priests who led the
butane which are both heavier than air and smoke is mentioned in most other cases when people astray were put to death.
would have burned with great luminosity. fire came down from heaven). Secondly, this
combustion was intense enough to melt rock. Lives are still in the balance today; God is still
Only oxygen-enhanced combustion produces urging His people to make a choice; and a
On the other hand, the fuel for God’s miraculous temperatures high enough to melt sand during visit to Mt. Carmel is a powerful opportunity
fire could have been liquid, like oil, which would glass production, pointing to the possibility of for every person of faith to recall that there
naturally descend but would be very hard to pure oxygen being used to combust the fuel is nothing new under the sun other than
control once it hits the target. God certainly raining down from heaven, thus producing a God’s love and mercy. As the Scripture says:
could have used other liquid fuels such as flame hot enough to vaporize rock. “Through the LORD’s mercies we are not
gasoline or diesel, which, of course, did not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
exist at that time since they are mechanically They are new every morning; great is Your
processed from complex crude oil. Some say it could have been a lightning strike, faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
which while it negates the implied weather
If liquid fuel was used to perform this miracle, conditions (an extended regional draught), is The writer is Director of Ministry Relations, SAR-EL
it needed to have been “shot” from the sky certainly within God’s power to accomplish. TOURS

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