Verse 11 says, “I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance; but He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy to bear; He shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.” In this verse John seemed to be saying, “I have come to baptize you with water, to terminate you, to bury you. But the One who comes after me is mightier than I. He will baptize you with the Spirit and fire. Whether He will baptize you with the Spirit or with fire depends on whether or not you repent. If you repent, He will put you into the Spirit. But if you continue to be a brood of vipers, He will certainly baptize you in the lake of fire. This means that He will put you into the fire of hell.”
According to the context, fire here is not the fire in Acts 2:3, which is related to the Holy Spirit, but the same fire as in verses 10 and 12, the fire in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15), where the unbelievers will suffer eternal perdition. The word of John spoken here to the Pharisees and Sadducees means that if the Pharisees and Sadducees would truly repent and believe in the Lord, the Lord would baptize them in the Holy Spirit that they might have eternal life; otherwise, the Lord will baptize them in fire, putting them into the lake of fire for eternal punishment. John’s baptism was only for repentance, to usher people to faith in the Lord. The Lord’s baptism is either for eternal life in the Holy Spirit or for eternal perdition in fire. The Lord’s baptism in the Holy Spirit began the kingdom of the heavens, bringing His believers into the kingdom of the heavens, whereas His baptism in fire will terminate the kingdom of the heavens, putting the unbelievers into the lake of fire. Hence, the Lord’s baptism in the Holy Spirit, based upon His redemption, is the beginning of the kingdom of the heavens, whereas His baptism in fire, based upon His judgment, is its ending. Thus, in this verse there are three kinds of baptisms: the baptism in water, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the baptism in fire. The baptism in water by John introduced people to the kingdom of the heavens. The baptism in the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus began and established the kingdom of the heavens on the day of Pentecost and will carry it on to its consummation at the end of this age. The baptism in fire by the Lord, according to the judgment at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15), will conclude the kingdom of the heavens.
Some Christians, thinking that the fire in verse 11 refers to the tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost, say that the Lord will baptize believers with both the Holy Spirit and with fire. But we must take care of the context of verse 11. Notice that the word fire is found in verses 10, 11, and 12. In verse 10 the trees that do not produce good fruit are cut down and cast into the fire. Certainly this fire is the lake of fire. The fire in verse 11 must also denote the lake of fire, for it is a further explanation of the fire spoken of in the preceding verse. According to verse 12, the Lord will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire. The wheat that is gathered into the Lord’s barn is those who are put into the Spirit. However, the chaff is burned with fire. Certainly this fire is also the lake of fire. Therefore, the fire that is spoken of in verses 10 through 12 refers in every case to the same fire, the fire of the lake of fire. John seemed to be saying to the Jewish leaders, “You Pharisees and Sadducees may be able to deceive me, but you cannot deceive Him. If you are truly repentant, He will put you into the Spirit. But if you remain in your evil, He will put you into fire.” This is the correct understanding of these verses.
Verse 12 says, “Whose winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and will gather His wheat into His barn, but He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Those typified by the wheat have life within. The Lord will baptize them in the Holy Spirit and gather them into His barn in heaven by rapture. Those typified by the chaff, like the tares in 13:24-30, are without life. The Lord will baptize them in fire, putting them into the lake of fire. Chaff here refers to the unrepentant Jews, whereas the tares in chapter thirteen refer to the nominal Christians. The eternal destiny of both will be the same—perdition in the lake of fire (13:40-42).
Jesus the King exercises two kinds of baptism: the baptism in the Spirit and the baptism in fire. The baptism in the Spirit began the kingdom of the heavens, and the baptism in fire will end it. The beginning of the kingdom of the heavens was on the day of Pentecost. On that day Jesus the King baptized the believers into the Holy Spirit. By that baptism in the Spirit, the kingdom of the heavens began. The kingdom of the heavens will end with the judgment at the great white throne. At that time the unbelievers will be judged and cast into the lake of fire. That will be the baptism in fire. This fire baptism will terminate the kingdom of the heavens.
The baptism in water practiced by John was preliminary to the kingdom of the heavens. It was a preparation for the coming of the kingdom of the heavens. Many nominal Christians have been baptized in water. But whether they participate in the baptism in the Spirit or suffer the baptism in fire depends on whether or not they repent. If they truly repent, the Lord Jesus will put them into the Spirit. If not, the Lord Jesus as the Judge on the great white throne will cast them into the lake of fire. Therefore, in the Bible there are three kinds of baptisms: the water baptism, the Spirit baptism, and the fire baptism. The water baptism of John was a preparation for the kingdom to come, the Spirit baptism was the beginning of the kingdom, and the fire baptism will be the termination of the kingdom. We should not continue to be a brood of vipers. Neither should we be the chaff in chapter three nor the tares in chapter thirteen. Rather, we must become wheat, the living children of God. In order to become the children of God, you must be baptized through water into the Spirit. John 3:5 says that you must be born of water and of the Spirit. Firstly, we are baptized through water; then we are baptized in the Spirit. In this way we are regenerated. Therefore, we have the two kinds of positive baptism, the baptism in water and the baptism in the Spirit. But we want nothing to do with the baptism in fire.