There is a scripture in Malachi that refers to

the day of His Coming

and asks

who will stand when He appears….

then Malachi compares the Lord God to

a refiners fire and fullers soap.

Malachi 3:2 

“Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before Me, and The Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His Temple the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, says The Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? “For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to The Lord.”

The day of His coming is not a reference to an actual appearance at that moment. We are so used to the words Second Coming and the appearance of the Lord in the skies as a future event, that we automatically reference this to the Second Coming of Messiah.  Here is what is known as on-going prophecy, meaning it is a prophecy with a fulfillment in the time it was given and it occurred shortly after Malachi gave this prophecy; but it was also a picture of a future event and recorded for us because there will be an event similar to this that will take place in the future.

In light of the times in which we are living and the recent popular interest in the book of Revelation taking a look at what Malachi was prophesying may help us to further understand what our Heavenly Father requires of us.

We have looked at the refiners fire in a previous post but what or who is fuller?

It may surprise us to discover that this word is found five times in several scriptures other than Malachi 3:2 in both the TaNaKH (Old Covenant) and the Brit Chadashah, (ReNewed Covenant):

2 Kings 18:15-17; Isa 7:3; 36:1-2. Mark 9:2-3,

Who is a fuller and what is the significance of the fullers soap, in some translations launderers soap, and where was the fullers field located?

In Hebrew borith mekabbeshim:

alkali of those treading cloth.

3526 [e]
mə·ḵab·bə·sîm.
מְכַבְּסִֽים׃
launderer/fuller’s

1287 [e]
ū·ḵə·ḇō·rîṯ
וּכְבֹרִ֖ית
and like soap

of bor
Definition: lye, alkali, potash, soap
NASB Translation: soap (2).

בֹּרִית  noun feminine lye, alkali, potash, soap, used in washing Jeremiah 2:22; Malachi 3:2. 

Jeremiah 2:22 
HEB: וְתַרְבִּי־ לָ֖ךְ בֹּרִ֑ית נִכְתָּ֤ם עֲוֹנֵךְ֙
NAS: And use much soap, The stain
KJV: and take thee much soap, [yet] thine iniquity
INT: lye and use soap the stain of your iniquity

Malachi 3:2 
HEB: כְּאֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים׃ 
NAS: fire and like fullers’ soap.
KJV: fire, and like fullers’ soap:
INT: fire A refiner’s soap fullers’

Englishman’s Concordance

ū·ḵə·ḇō·rîṯ — 1 Occurrence 

Strong’s Lexicon 1287

borith: Soap, Lye, Cleansing Agent

Original Word: בֹּרִית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: boriyth
Pronunciation: bo-REETH
Phonetic Spelling: bo-reeth’
Definition: Soap, Lye, Cleansing Agent
Meaning: vegetable alkali

Derived from the root בָּרָה (barah), meaning:

“to purify” or “to cleanse.”

While there is no direct Greek equivalent for “borith,” the concept of cleansing and purification is echoed in Greek terms such as καθαρίζω (katharizo – Strong’s G2511),

meaning “to cleanse” or “to purify.”

The term “borith” refers to a cleansing agent, often understood as a type of soap or lye used in ancient times for washing and purification. It is associated with the process of making something clean or pure, both in a physical and metaphorical sense.

In ancient Israel, cleanliness was not only a matter of physical hygiene but also had significant religious and ceremonial implications. The use of cleansing agents like “borith” was common in daily life for washing clothes and personal hygiene. In a religious context, purification rituals often symbolized spiritual cleansing and renewal, reflecting the importance of purity in one’s relationship with God.

Using what is said within the context of the sentence there are clues which help us to develop a sense of its definition.

What or who is a fuller?

Understanding the role of a fuller and his ancient occupation can provide us with valuable insights into the cultural and historical backdrop of biblical times, enriching our comprehension of the scriptures. By exploring the concept of a fuller in the Bible we can gain a fresh perspective on familiar passages and characters, which sheds light on their experiences and challenges; creating a deeper connection with the timeless wisdom contained within the pages.

For many centuries, the process for making soap was a closely guarded secret among select Jewish families.

With the cloth soaking in soap and water, the fullers beat with a stick or stomped on with their feet to remove stains.

 

Raw wool scouring; aqueous and/ or solvent washing.

Carbonizing. Scouring.

Fulling /crabbing/Felting (Anti-shrinking treatments)

Wool Bleaching.

Carbonizing : is done to remove the cellulosic impurities from wool by treatment with acid or acid producing salt.

Fulling:cleansing of cloth (particularly wool) to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities.

 

    The patriarch of the Jewish nation, Abraham, was presumably nurtured in Akkadia, the most advanced civilization of its time. It is written that Abraham and his entourage emigrated from Akkadia (Biblical Shinar) to establish himself and his posterity in Canaan.
Mesopotamian statues and iconography, dating from earlier than 3000 B.C. into the Akkadian period, depict woolen textiles of diverse weaves, some richly patterned and others with looped fringes. The cleansing and coloring of these textiles was a sophisticated and secret art. The Jews became privy to those secrets, and that knowledge was one of the mainstays of the textile industry as it was practiced by the Jews in the Diaspora into the modern era.
Malachi 3:2 – But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
Before the dyeing of wool can take place, the oils have to be removed, a process called “fulling.” A number of  bleaching and detergent substances (“soaps”) were used in ancient Akkadia. The bleacher or “fuller” took his Akkadian name from the azalog (soapwort plant). He also obtained the necessary caustic alkalis from wood ashes (potash) or plant ashes (soda). (Hebrew History Federation – Dye-Making A Judaic Traditional Art – Fact Paper 21 – Samuel Kurinsky –

For further interest: publications.iaa.org.il/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1126&context=atiqot

“Researchers baffled by unique, mysterious Jerusalem structure from First Temple era Channels unearthed in City of David site, last in use around 9th century BCE, likely formed part of city’s economy due to location near temple and palace.”The site will be open to the public next week as part of the 24th City of David Studies of Ancient Jerusalem event” (The Times of Israel).

By MICHAEL HOROVITZ 30 August 2023″Archaeologists recently unearthed two unique structures used for an unclear purpose during the First Temple period 2,800 years ago in Jerusalem’s Old City, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday.

The installations, dating to around the 9th century BCE and found at the City of David archaeological site, were likely an important part of the economy, due to their proximity to the royal palace and temple.

Field of the Fullers in the City of David:

  “Three Vs were uncovered in a complex of rooms carved into the bedrock near the Gihon Spring, the oldest section of the city whose founding dates back to the fourth millennium BCE.”

http://www.biblicalarchaeologytruth.com/the-fullers-field.ht

 

The term “Fuller” comes from the Latin word “fullo,” which means someone who works with fabrics or textiles, cleans and whitens clothes. Fullers were responsible for cleaning, bleaching, and softening cloth and garments, a process known as fulling.

The role of a Fuller was crucial in biblical times as they played a significant part in maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness. Fullers worked with different types of fabrics, including wool and linen, using techniques such as washing, beating, and treading on the cloth to remove impurities and achieve the desired texture and color. Heavily fulled fabric looks like felt.

Fullers were also symbolic figures in the Bible, this symbolism is further highlighted in passages like Psalm 51:7, where King David prays for cleansing, saying, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

The significance of Fullers in the Bible extends beyond their practical role in textile care to represent deeper spiritual truths of purification, renewal, and holiness. Their work serves as a metaphor for the cleansing power of God and the transformative process of becoming spiritually washed and renewed. It represents cleansing, purification, and restoration; highlighting the importance of inner purity and spiritual renewal in the lives of believers. Through their laborious task of cleaning and whitening fabric, Fullers offer a powerful illustration of God’s work in purifying and sanctifying His people. This imagery emphasizes the thorough and transformative process of purification that God’s presence brings to His people.

A “fuller of cloth” is actually a person who gathers and cleans newly woven cloth to remove oils, dirt, and other impurities. The fulling process involves beating or pressing the cloth to make it denser and more durable.

Fulling, also known as tucking or walking,

(Scots: waukin, hence often spelt waulking in Scottish English),

is a step in woollen cloth-making

which involves the cleansing of woven cloth.

Below is a sign noting the location of the first fulling mill in the United States.

2 Kings 18:17: “And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field.”

Isaiah 7:3: “Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field;….”

 

A Fuller’s field is mentioned in Isaiah 7:3. where the prophet Isaiah told King Ahaz to ask for a sign from God, but the king refused to do so, saying he would not put the Lord to the test. Isaiah then responds by saying, “The LORD himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” This prophecy ultimately refers to the birth of Yeshua haMashiach/Jesus Christ. The mention of a Fuller’s field serves as a vivid illustration for the prophetic message being spoken.

Isaiah 36:2: “And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto king Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller’s field.”

Malachi 3:2: “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:…”

Mark 9:3: “And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.”

In Kings and Isaiah, we read that a “fuller” is connected to pools and conduits (channels of water).

The word full is from the Anglo-Saxon fullian,

meaning to whiten.

To full is to press or scour cloth in a mill.

This art is one of great antiquity.

En-rogel (q.v.), meaning literally “foot-fountain,”

has been interpreted as the “fuller’s fountain,”

because there

the fullers trod the cloth with their feet.

There is a field in Jerusalem, the fuller’s field which existed early in Bible History. The first mention of it is in the time of King Hezekiah (Kings of Israel and Judah), when the “invade and conquer” Assyrians (Ancient Empires – Assyria) were threatening the land of Israel:

“And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the House of The Lord [see “My Father’s House”], and in the treasuries of the king’s house. At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the Temple [see Temples] of The Lord, and from the doorposts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh with a great army from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. When they arrived, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is on the highway to the Fuller’s Field.” (2 Kings 18:15-17 RSV)”In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them. And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem, with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field.” (Isaiah 36:1-2 RSV) 

And The Lord said to Isaiah, “Go forth to meet Ahaz, you and Shearjashub your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the highway to the Fuller’s Field” (Isaiah 7:3 RSV)

Secondly, Malachi speaks of a fuller using soap.

in Micah 3:2, the idea of fuller’s soap should be understood in the same way as refiner’s fire. With the refiner’s fire, someone would bring a lump of gold or silver and the refiner would use fire to burn off the dross and purify the precious metal. Similarly people would bring their wool to the fuller and he would use soap to clean the wool and remove the impurities so that what is left is pure wool.

Perhaps the reason soap doesn’t sound too much of a threat is because the metaphor is misunderstood. The gold or wool being refined or purified is not an individual, but it is the nation itself. In verse 1:1, Malachi was speaking Gods words to Israel.

The question, “Who can endure his coming?” When the fullers soap comes, only those who are pure will remain. It will certainly not be the sorcerers, adulterers, those who speak falsely or the those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, the fatherless, and the stranger, says Malachi.

Before this statement given by Malachi we read that the priesthood has been defiled; they offer polluted offerings, they have turned from God and refuse to listen to Him, profaning God’s covenant. Malachi therefore warns them that God is coming in judgment, and if they do not turn back to Him they will certainly not be able to stand at His coming. For He is a refiner’s fire who burns away the kind of dross that they represent and He is a fuller’s soap Who scrubs and beats out the kind of dirt and defilement that they represent.

The refiners fire purified the metal by melting it down completely so the dross hidden within it could be removed. Using fullers soap was a process that made the material become whiter than it normally was, as white as it possibly could be achieved by any other process. The soap used had a strong pungent odor and was very unpleasant, also the process involved trampling or beating the material to obtain the desired result.

For believers going through either or both of these processes is to ensure that we will have some measure of confidence in the presence of the Lord at His coming. 

We will be tried, our faith tested through our endurance by how we keep His commandments. This may feel as though we have passed through the process of a refiners fire or of the fullers soap. While this may seem harsh and overwhelming, we have His promise that He will always be with us to give us strength, He will not give us more than we can handle.

We are always to remember He loves us more than anything, or He wouldn’t have given us commandments to help us avoid many of the hardships of life if we chose to follow them. Things won’t always turn out the way we might hope as we view it with our current understanding and desires, however we will become exactly what our Father wants us to be. He understands us, He has endured more than any test or trial we will ever be given to pass through here.

Messiah arrives suddenly, and begins a cleansing work among His faithful followers, all of whom are still in the flesh needing spiritual maturity which includes sanctification and character adjustment.

This seems to align with what Messiah describes in Revelation 3 at the church in Laodicea. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…. I will come in and dine with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne…” We should take note that the condition of being a conqueror seems to follow participating in the feast. In the previous verses He also describes some issues found with His disciples when He arrived. “You say, ‘I am rich…not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire [note the connection with the refiner’s fire metaphor in Malachi] so that you may be [actually] rich, and white garments [which are what fullers produce in their cleansing vats] so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”

This does not seem to be about a national cleansing and subsequent judgment, but that even among sincere people, whom He has called, there is considerable need of cleansing and maturity. He loves us and that’s why He comes to us as His sanctuary on earth, corrects us, and uses the refiner’s fire and the fuller’s soap to make the gold in our characters pure; and the stains of sin to be washed away with His blood leaving our garments pure white.

The ecclesia/called apart ones, are already experiencing these refining and correcting influences. May we be patient, obedient, and repentant whenever the cleansing message of His presence is with us. 

Mark 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

A fuller is said to whiten raiment (clothes).

A fuller is simply one who fulls

meaning: bleaches or cleanses laundry.

In Bible times, clothes were washed by beating them with a bat, or stomping on them, in a tub of water. Various alkaline substances were used as a crude detergent.

fuller –  כָּבַס, H3891, to trample or tread;

γναφεύς, G1187).

One who cleans, shrinks, and thickens newly shorn wool or cloth. Also in ancient times the fuller often dyed cloth.

The root of the Heb. word כָּבַס, H3891,

meaning “to tread,”

suggests what was chiefly involved in the fuller’s art.

A Little More Historical Information:

Before material could be used for a garment, it was necessary first to free it from the oily and sticky substances that stuck to the raw fiber. This was done by first washing the material with some cleansing substance like white clay, putrid urine, or nitre which was made from the ashes of certain plants that grew in Egypt. Soap was unknown in ancient times. The material was then washed free from the alkali by many changes of clean water or by boys treading on it in a running stream. After that it was placed in the sun to dry and bleach.

The fuller’s trade was an essential part of ancient textile production. Fullers used various natural substances, such as clay, alkaline plants, and soapwort, to clean and treat fabrics.

The process often took place in designated areas outside city limits due to the odors and waste produced. Fullers would tread upon the cloth in vats of water to agitate and cleanse it, a method that required physical strength and endurance.

While soap may have been employed (Malachi), natron or salt was equally helpful here (see “nitre” in Proverbs 25:20 and Jeremiah 2:22). Cimolite (picture below), a white clay, or chalk were used as “bleach” or whitening agents.

 

Fullers Soap  בֹּרַית מְכִבְּשֵׁים ,

borith’ mekabbeshin’,

alkali of those treading cloth, i.e., washers’ potash;

Septuagint. ποία πλυνόντων, some alkaline or saponaceous substance mixed with the water.

Mention is made Proverbs 25:20; Jeremiah 2:22 of nitre. 

Nitre is found in Syria, and vegetable alkali was obtained from the ashes of certain plants.

Fullers soap

 Hebrew. phrase, וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים,

consisting of a term בֹּרִית,

H1383, alkaline salt, natural lye

extracted from the Asiatic soap plants

such as Mesembrianthemum cristallinum;

Salicornia solacea; Salsala kali and the like (cf. I. Löw, Die Flora der Juden [1924-1934]) which are reduced by burning to produce a pasty mass used as a bleach, esp. in the presence of olive oil.

The other term is

כָּבַס, H3891, “to tread,” “knead”

and thus to wash in the Near Eastern fashion.

Where was the location of the Fullers/launderers Field?

Isaiah 7:3 : Then the LORD said to Isaiah, ‘Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Fullers/Launderer’s Field.

The Fullers/Launderer’s Field is a location associated with the work of fullers, indicating a place where cloth was processed and cleaned. This setting provided a backdrop for the prophetic encounter between Isaiah and King Ahaz.

As in Kings and Isaiah, fullers worked in a field outside the city of Jerusalem. They needed large spaces to air or dry the laundered articles. Also, since their work involved pungent and unpleasant odors, they were situated away from populated areas. Because of the odors given forth in the process of fulling, the fuller’s shop was usually outside the city.

The Fullers Field

fool’-ers feld, (sedheh khobhec):

In all references occurs “the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller’s field”; this must have been a well-known landmark at Jerusalem in the time of the monarchy. Here stood Rabshakeh in his interview with Eliakim and others on the wall, clearly the highway was within easy earshot of the walls.

2 Kings 18:17 Isaiah 36:2;

Isaiah met Ahaz and Shear-jashub his son here, by command of Yahweh (Isaiah 7:3). An old view placed these events somewhere near the present Jaffa Gate, as here runs an aqueduct from the Birket Mamilla outside the walls of the Birket Hamam el Batrah, inside the walls; the former was considered the “Upper Pool” and is traditionally called the “Upper Pool” of Gihon. However, these pools and this aqueduct are said to be of a later date. 

 Another view puts this highway to the North side of the city, where there are extensive remains of a “conduit” running in from the North. In favor of this, is the fact that the North was the usual side for attack and the probable position for Rabshakeh to gather his army; it also suits the conditions of Isaiah 7:3.

Further, Josephus (BJ, V, iv, 2) in his description of the walls places a “Monument of the Fuller” at the Northeast corner, and the name “fuller” survived in connection with the North wall to the 7th century, as the pilgrim Arculf mentions a gate. West of the Damascus gate called Porta Villae Fullonis.

The most probable view, however, is that this conduit was one connected with Gihon, the present “Virgin’s Fountain”.  This was well known as “the upper spring” (2 Chronicles 32:30), and the pool, which, we know, was at the source, would probably be called the “Upper Pool.”

In this neighborhood-or lower down the valley near En-rogel, which is supposed by some to mean “the spring of the fuller”- is the natural place to expect “fulling.” Somewhere along the Kidron valley between the Virgin’s Fountain and the junction with the Tyropeon was the probable scene of the interview with Rabshakeh; the conversation may quite probably have occurred across the valley, the Assyrian general standing on some part of the cliffs now covered by the village of Siloam.

We are learning that a fuller’s job was to cleanse and whiten cloth and in Jerusalem, the cleansing process took place in a fullers’ field outside the city because of the smell. Dirt and oils were removed from the wool so that it would be pure white and ready to be dyed.

As already mentioned on the Mount of Transfiguration referred to in Mark 9:3 and Matthew 17:2
There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light

Luke 9:29
And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became radiantly white.

 

Daniel 7:9
As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.,

Messiahs clothing being exceeding white as snow, this was far beyond the work of any human or earthly fuller/launderer. It was a supernatural manifestation of our Heavenly Father’s holiness, purity and righteousness, giving a glimpse of His Glory which will be revealed very soon as He return like fullers’ soap to wash away the filthiness of sin!

“But who can endure the day of his coming?

Who can stand when he appears?

For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.”

Looking at the Micah’s similes:
This metaphor highlights the transformative power of divine intervention and the call to righteousness. The spiritual symbolism of fulling in scripture often relates to purification and holiness. In the same manner as a fuller cleanses garments, God is depicted as cleansing His people from sin and impurity.

Malachi says, when the Lord returns, no one will be able to stand before Him. The Lord’s holiness and judgment will be as a refiner’s blazing fire and as a fuller’s bleaching agent. The idea of standing before the Lord is associated with withstanding or standing up to; sinful human flesh will not have the strength, the right, or the desire to resist the Lord in His glory. Psalm 76:7; Revelation 6:17.

The two similes help clarify why no one will be able to stand in the Day of the Lord. First, Malachi 3:2 says the Messiah will be like a refiner’s fire, an allusion to the process of purifying metal. A refiner uses a fire to heat metal to a molten state; then he skims off the dross that floats to the top. The refiner’s fire is, of course, maintained at an extremely high temperature, and such a high degree of heat is the prophet’s picture of the testing people will face on Judgment Day. All judgment has been entrusted to the Son. John 5:22. Upon His return, the intense flame of His judgment will purify the earth, removing the dross of sin.

Second, the Messiah will be like a fuller/launderer’s soap. As we have learned, this type of soap was caustic and quite effective in producing bright white clothing. The HCSB translates it as cleansing lye. When Messiah returns, He will cleanse the world of all impurity and every stain of sin will be scrubbed away. The account of Jesus’ transfiguration contains a reference to His purity, and uses language similar to Malachi’s: “He was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than any launderer in the world could bleach them”. Mark 9:2–3.

This passage described the Transfiguration of Yeshua/Jesus, where His garments became exceedingly white, surpassing the capabilities of any earthly fuller, emphasizing the divine nature of the transformation and the purity associated with Messiah.

The goal of Yeshua/Jesus will be to judge wickedness and purify His people: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness” Malachi 3:3. Like the refiner’s fire, He will burn away the impurities of the priests. Like launderer’s soap, He will wash away their uncleanness. Deuteronomy 4:29; Isaiah 1:25; Jeremiah 6:29–30; Ezekiel 22:17–22; Zechariah 3:5. The priests in the millennial kingdom will then be able to offer sacrifices from a pure heart. The sacrifices in those days will be similar to those when the temple was first built: “The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years” Malachi 3:4.

The refiner’s fire and fuller/launderer’s soap indicate the holiness and burning judgment of the Messiah when He returns to reign in Jerusalem at His second coming. His purifying brightness and absolute holiness will affect those who serve Him, creating a cleansed temple and purified priesthood. “See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him” Isaiah 40:10.

How is the Savior like a refiner’s fire or like fuller’s soap?

A refiner’s fire is an extremely hot furnace (1,600–1,800˚F) in which gold and silver were melted. Impurities would rise to the surface, making it easy for the refiner to blow or scrape them away, leaving the pure metal.

A fuller’s soap was used to whiten wool, so that it could be dyed and used in cloth.

The Hebrew root of the word fuller, kabas (כָּבַס), means to wash or to tread. The fuller would use a strong soap and would beat or stamp on the wool until the impurities had been removed.

Strong’s Lexicon 3526. kabas

kabas: To wash, to cleanse

Original Word: כָּבַס
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kabac
Pronunciation: kah-vas
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-bas’)
Definition: To wash, to cleanse
Meaning: to trample, to wash Word Origin: A primitive root

G3068 (louo): To bathe, to wash

– G4150 (pluno): To wash, to cleanse (specifically garments)

As the Hebrew verb kabas primarily means to wash or cleanse, particularly in the context of laundering garments, its often used in the Old Testament to describe the physical act of washing clothes, but it also carries a metaphorical sense of purification and cleansing from sin or impurity.

In ancient Israel, washing garments was an essential part of daily life and religious practice. The act of washing was not only for cleanliness but also held ceremonial significance, especially in preparation for worship or participation in religious festivals. The process of washing clothes involved beating or treading them in water, often with the use of soap or alkaline substances. This physical act symbolized spiritual purification, reflecting the importance of holiness and purity in the Israelite community.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin a prim. root
Definition to wash
NASB Translation

fuller’s (3), fullers’ (1), wash (38), washed (8), washes (1).

The Savior paid the price for us to overcome our impurities and return to the presence of the Father. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He paid a price which we could not pay, but that doesn’t mean that the process of accepting His gift will be easy or painless.

So the job of the fuller was to make the cloth fuller, more suitable for weaving or sewing. So as we walk with the Lord there should be a cleansing, we need to experience the bleach, wet, beat of our spiritual fibers to a consistent and desirable condition- fuller. It’s how we become more like Jesus/Yeshua, which is the goal. We need to prepare, we need to be full, meaning: consistent and desirable. Just as in immersion of baptism symbolically, our sins are washed away, so as we are out in the world from day to day, we must be continually refined and cleansed.

Like the purifying process, it may seem harsh, and impossible at times, but it is all meant to prepare us to be an offering in righteousness when He returns for His family.

As we come to a greater understanding of Him and His Word, this is how we gain our very own testimony and relationship with our Heavenly Father and a strong and true relationship with Messiah Himself. Every one of us needs our own experience in the life we are living for Him, and as we mature we begin to have a greater understanding of the Word. Then we are made full, cleansed and refined, this is His plan for us.

It is up to us to allow His fuller’s soap to be applied to us in the most beneficial way.

The imagery of fulling in Scripture serves as a powerful metaphor for the sanctification process. Believers are called to be purified and made holy, reflecting the righteousness of our Heavenly Father and His Messiah. The fuller’s work is a reminder of the thorough and sometimes rigorous process required to achieve spiritual cleanliness, a theme which resonates throughout the scriptures, emphasizing the need for repentance, renewal, and the pursuit of holiness in the life of a believer. By allowing His process in our lives we will have assurance that we shall be able to stand in the day of His appearing.

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…Don’t put it off one more moment…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

You are now Born Again by the Holy Spirit of the Living God and you are part of the ever growing family of believers. You will never be the same again!