It Only Takes A Spark Trivia Quiz

Answer: As a caution against fake news

James is pointing out how the smallest of things can create great change or cause greater damage. He provides the examples of a small bit being placed into a horse's mouth, allowing man to have better control over a great beast. He tells of the mighty ship being steered by a tiny tiller. Likewise the tongue, such a tiny portion of our bodies has the power to speak the name of God in reverence and sing His praise, but it also has the power to spread rumours and curse our fellow man. As such, James denounces it is a "restless evil."

This question was sparked by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: David

Psalm 18 is first found in II Samuel 22 and records David's thanksgiving for the many times God saved him from the hands of his enemies. The poetic imagery is very reminiscent of a dragon but is clearly not referring to God as a dragon.

Psalm 18:8-12
"Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire." (NASB)

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member tazman6619.

Answer: God's wrath

In the King James Bible, where the phrase originated, there are 14 instances of "fire and brimstone", though in Job 18:15, the reference only mentions "brimstone" ("It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation."). Perhaps as expected, six of the 14 quotes appear in the last book, Revelation.

Brimstone is an archaic word for sulfur. The smell that can be detected after a lightning strike is sulfur dioxide. Lightning was a divine punishment by many older religions. In the Bible, it mainly appears as a reference to the fate of the unfaithful. The imagery of the saying is meant to evoke a volcano spewing fire and smoke.

This question was sniffed out by Phoenix Rising member 1nn1.

Answer: Exodus

Exodus tells us about Moses leading his people out of Egypt and starting their trek toward the "Promised Land". And the Lord becomes (for want of a better phrase) their GPS on this journey... "By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." (Exodus 13:21-22). Then, as the Egyptians pursued them with their forces that same cloud and pillar of fire would provide the Israelites with protection by throwing the Egyptian army "into confusion" so that the two sides would never meet (Exodus 14:24).

These were not the only occasions that we see the Lord spoken of as this pillar of fire. Aside from further mentions in Exodus and Nehemiah, examples can be found in Numbers 14:14 and Deuteronomy 1:33.

This question was bought to light by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Live coal

God showed Isaiah that his words were purified by the application of the live coal to his lips. Fire is frequently used in the Bible as a symbol of the destruction of evil and the purifying (refining) of good. While it purges sin, there is also an element of hope.

The task Isaiah was sent on was to warn God's people of their impending ruin. They would hear and see, but not understand, the message. As with many writings of the prophets, there was an immediate fulfilment, but there was also a long-term aspect. In this case, the year that King Uzziah died (mentioned at the start of chapter 6) was 740 BC, the time when the Israelites were taken into captivity by the Assyrians. The long-term aspect is the one of spiritual blindness, when people would fail to understand God's message in the person of Jesus.

This question was kindled by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: Elijah

God's fire holds a strong presence throughout the story of Elijah. Elijah confronts Ahab, the seventh king of Israel and challenges his belief in the false god Baal. This forces him to flee Israel and he goes into hiding in Chorath, a brook east of Jordan. Here, food is delivered to him by ravens before he moves on to the town of Zarephath, where he is tended to by a widow.

After three years in which the country has been devastated by drought and famine (Baal was supposed to be the god of rain and dew) Elijah returns to once again confront Ahab about his false god. He proposes a test where 450 prophets of Baal pray, at the start of the day, before an altar of stone, laden with sticks for Baal to ignite. By day's end they have failed. Elijah orders water to be poured upon the sticks on his altar, prays to God, and the Lord sends down fire that not only ignites the sticks but the water and the stone of the altar.

In later verses the Lord will speak to Elijah as a fire that passes through a mountain and he destroys two groups of soldiers, sent to arrest Elijah. In Kings 2:11 (KJV) Elijah and Elisha approach the Jordan. Elijah strikes the waters and they part, allowing them to cross on dry land. It is then that "a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind."

This question was summoned by Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: Peter

Poor Peter. A few hours before he had been boasting to Jesus that he was ready to go to prison with Him and even to death. Then he fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane; he was also probably the one who cut the ear off the servant of the high priest, who had come to arrest Jesus.

He followed Jesus to the house of the high priest and sat down with some others to warm himself by the fire lit in the middle of the courtyard, and it was then that he was recognised by the servant girl. He denied being with Jesus, and did so twice more later that evening.

The Bible speaks in some places of light or illumination as spiritual understanding. In fact, Jesus calls himself the Light (John 1:5, 8:12). Conversely, a lack of light corresponds with spiritual darkness or spiritual death (Proverbs 4:19, Colossians 1:13).

This question was revealed by Phoenix Rising member VegemiteKid.

Answer: A violent wind

According to Acts 2 (NIV) it was the sound of a violent wind that came from heaven and filled the house in which the apostles were present. As the apostles looked up they saw fire separate into tongues and land on each of them. This filled them with the Holy Spirit and gave them the power to speak in other tongues (languages). This proved timely because in Jerusalem at that time were many foreign "God-fearing" Jews. They were Parthians, Medes, Mesopotamians, Judeans, Phrygians, Cyrenes; in fact, there were Jews there from "every nation under heaven". The gift of tongues enabled the apostles to be understood by all of them at once. Whilst many were amazed, there were a number of them who ridiculed them, saying that the apostles had indulged in a little too much wine.

This question blew in from Phoenix Rising team member pollucci19.

Answer: The second death

The second death refers to the spiritual separation from God due to unrepentant sin that comes after physical death. Since it comes after physical death it is called the second death.

Four verses in Revelation mention the lake of fire:
1) "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." (Rev 19:20 KJV)

2) "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev 20:10 KJV)

3) "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Rev 20:14 KJV)

4) "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev 21:8 KJV)

This question was written by Phoenix Rising team member purelyqing.

Answer: His deliverance of the faithful

In Daniel chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar has raised an enormous image of gold and decreed that all his officials should fall down and worship it at the sound of music. Those who fail to do so shall be cast into a fiery furnace. Three Jews named Hanania, Mishael, and Azaria, who were also known by their Babylonian names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, stand accused of defying the king's command. When they are brought before the king, the three men tell him that the God whom they serve is able to deliver them, but even if He won't, they will worship none but Him.

Incensed at their refusal to pay what he deems his due regard, Nebuchadnezzar orders the furnace heated seven times hotter. The fire is so exceedingly hot that it instantly kills the men who cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace. Yet, Nebuchadnezzar is amazed to see them walking about in its midst unscathed with a fourth man like unto the "Son of God". When they are called out, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are unharmed - not a hair singed, nor even the smell of fire upon them. The king blesses the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego because He was faithful to deliver them who trusted in Him. Indeed, he declares that "there is no other God that can deliver after this sort" (Daniel 3:29, NKJV).

This question was delivered by Phoenix Rising team member JCSon.