and in fire: whose fan is in his
hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will
gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with
unquenchable fire.

MARK 1:7, 8.

And he preached, saying There cometh after me he that is mightier than
I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
I baptize you in water; but he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

LUKE 3:9, 16, 17.

And even now the axe also lieth at the root of the trees: every tree
therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the fire.... John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you
in water; but there cometh he that is mightier than I, the latchet of
whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; he shall baptize you in the Holy
Spirit and in fire: whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his
threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff
he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

JOHN 1:33.

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said
unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.

John is preaching to a mixed multitude composed of those who would
accept his teaching and baptism, and of those who would accept neither.
Many the former would become disciples of Jesus and receive the baptism
of the Holy Spirit to qualify them to take up the work of the Master and
carry it on until the church would be established and the gospel fully
revealed to men. The baptism of the Spirit, a purely supernatural thing,
was necessary to qualify them for this work. Others would "reject for
themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him." These should
at last "have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and
brimstone." That such a division was meant by John becomes evident if we
examine the context carefully. In the above parallel columns the reader
will observe that Matthew and Luke use the expression "in the Holy
Spirit and in fire." They both use two illustrations to show what is
meant by "in fire." One of the illustrations immediately precedes and
the other immediately follows the expression "in the Holy Spirit and in
fire," seemingly for the specific purpose of guarding against a failure
to understand the expression "in fire." The illustration that precedes
in both instances is: "Therefore every tree that b