FIRE!

Huge wildfires are consuming large territories in California. These fires are so large, that the smoke from them has spread to Kansas. The heat of the fires is so intense, that the fires are creating their own weather systems of dark clouds, thunder, lightening, and even fire tornadoes*. Nothing like them has been seen for many years.
The Lord has fire also, and as frightful as the size of the California fires are, His fire is greater. God is even called "a consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24, 9:3, Heb. 12:29).
God called to a man, who had exiled himself in the desert, from out of a burning fire. He called Moses to return to Egypt and be His deliverer of His enslaved people.
The LORD led His people out of Egypt and into prophetic promise with a column of fire by night, and a column of smoke by day.
God appeared to His people on the top of Mt. Sinai, having set the top of that mountain on fire. In the midst of this terrifying fire, rumblings, dark clouds, thunders and lightenings were created. Out of this fire, the LORD spoke to Moses and His people, and entered into covenant with His people unlike any covenant that had gone before, and delivered His Word to them to keep for all generations, to keep for us (Deut. 5:2-5). He gave them this fiery image also as a prophetic promise that He would forge an even better covenant (Heb. 8:8-10) with us through blood and fire, which we will see later.
It is also by this fire that the LORD receives the offerings and prayers of His people (Lev. 9:23-24).
In another example, God turned a whole nation back to Him in a demonstration of His fire. The people had been worshipping a demonic god, who demanded that they sacrifice their living children to him in fire. The prophet Elijah called for God to receive the prophet's lawful offering by answering with fire from heaven. God's fire came down from heaven and not only consumed the prophet's offering, but also the water with which the offering had been doused. The demonic god, on the other hand, never answered the challenge, though his worshippers tried to draw him with their own blood (1 Ki. 18:21-39).
John the Baptist associated the Messiah with fire:
"I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."  Lk. 3:16-17
A few weeks after the resurrection of Christ, and exactly 49 days, or 7 weeks, after Passover, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, was crucified, the disciples met together in an upper room, above the tomb of King David in Jerusalem.  Including Passover,the 50th day counted is the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost (meaning "50"). An account is given of the fire of God that descended on that day from heaven:
"When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."  Acts 2:1-4
Often we interpret the phrase "they were all with one accord" in "one place" as meaning that everyone there was in agreement with each other, and physically assembled together in the same place. We have often relied upon this interpretation in praying for revival, which is a move of the Holy Spirit, and even for group prayer of any kind. However, the Greek words used in these phrases also seem to have a deeper meaning. We have seen in the examples above from scripture that God does not need a group to be gathered together in a united mindset in order to pour out His fire from heaven. We also know from accounts of Holy Spirit revivals in our nation's history, that it did not require a group coming into agreement for it. Single individuals were often involved in the beginnings of great revivals (Jonathan Edwards, William J. Seymour**). So what does it seem to require? Let's look at the meaning of the Greek phrases used in the above scripture from Acts:
"one accord"- homo thymadon- with one passion, with one mind
                                 Root 1: thymos- passion, angry, heat, glow, ardor, wine of passion,
                                               inflaming wine, fierceness, indignation, wrath, rage,
                                               breathe violently
                                 Root 2: thyo- sacrifice, do sacrifice, to immolate, slay, kill (the paschal
                                              lamb), to sacrifice (by fire); blow, breathe hard, smoke
                                              (also used in Mt. 22:4, Lk. 22:7, Mk. 14:12)
                      homo- together, assembled together, the same
                      Root 1: hama- together with (used in 1 Thess. 4:17, 5:10)
                                  close association, at the "same" time
"one place"- autos-himself, herself, the same, together, very (with added force or       
                              emphasis); "again" as in applied to what has been previously mentioned
                    Root 1: aer- (lower) atmospheric region, to blow, breathe unconsciously;
                                        according to Jewish teaching, the lower level of atmosphere filled
                                        with the ruler of the powers, the devil, the prince of demons
                                        (as used in Eph. 2:2, but also used in 1 Thess. 4:17, Rev. 16:17)

Based upon the Greek meanings and root meanings above, I am seeing a different understanding within the words "one accord" and "one place". First of all, the timing of the event is on Pentecost. Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks, by their names, is directly tied into, and determined by Passover, the killing of the Passover lamb, and the crucifixion of our Paschal Lamb of God, Jesus. The root words involved with "one accord" also refer to the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, and the sacrifice by fire. The Lamb of God was sacrificed in the fire of the enraged fierceness of those who hated and rejected Him. He was slain and "immolated" in this fierceness of unreasoning hatred. Even Pontius Pilate, though he tried repeatedly, could not reason with, nor placate this unreasoning anger against this man whom Pilate proclaimed as innocent, Jesus. This unreasoning rage cried out, "Crucify Him!". The use of the Greek root "homo/hama" means to be in close association with, to be together with. Those disciples who met in the Upper Room on Pentecost may well have been in close association and agreement with each other, but I think the more important close spiritual association was their togetherness with the crucified and resurrected Christ. The scriptures referred to in other uses of the word "hama" also reflect this:
"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them (the dead in Christ) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord....our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."  1 Thess. 4:17, 5:9-10
We are together with each other only as we are together in Christ, in His crucifixion and resurrection.
The use of the phrase "one place" emphasizes the meaning of the previous phrase "one accord", but its root meaning is also pointing us to a level of atmosphere, which had been ruled by demonic powers. However, the Holy Spirit rushes right through that region to come to the disciples. The catching away of the believers in 1 Thess. 4:17 will also occur right in the midst of that region- "in the air (Grk. "aer")". The judgment of God is poured into that region of atmosphere ("aer") in Rev. 16:17, with the words, "It is done!". We can also understand then that Pentecost not only brought the Holy Spirit in fire onto the believers, but also pointed to the victory over powers and principalities that had ruled that level of atmosphere, according to the root meaning of the Greek. The victory occurred in that "one place" through the Holy Spirit.
As I pray for a Holy Spirit revival in myself and my country, I will do so now with these things in mind. Pentecost, as an example for me, was a direct, dependent consequence of the sacrifice of Christ, and I must join together with Him in this, being in one accord, and in one place with His sacrifice and His victory. We cannot separate Pentecost from Passover, the crucifixion of Christ. As Jesus told His disciples, the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father, "in My name." (Jn. 14:26).
Are we prepared to be in one accord and in one place with Christ in His crucifixion? If so, we too shall be baptized with FIRE!

Our Father sends His Holy Spirit and fire in His Son's name.

* https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/08/20/california-wildfires-what-fire-tornado-fire-whirl-fire-cloud/5614981002/

** William Seymour