Ashan in the Bible — Hidden Meaning & Symbolism

smoke. a A Levitical city of Judah (Josh. 15:42; I Chron. 6:59). b A city of Simeon in Judah (Josh. 19:7, 1). Meta. In almost every instance where smoke is mentioned in the Bible it is connected with the anger, wrath, or jealousy of Jehovah. Otherwise it is used in connection with the passing away of the results of evil. This shows the unreality and transitoriness of that which is not founded in God--good. When Truth is discerned in consciousness man enters into a judgment or sifting process, wherein the Truth reveals certain errors or limitations of thought, and if the individual remains firm in the Truth that he has discerned, the seeming error is overcome. But during the process wherein the law is working to destroy all that is unlike God, there is likely to be confusion in mind and body according to whether the error is deep-seated, also according to whether it is given up fully or held to by the personal will. This confusion is the smoke of the Lord's anger (see Psa. 74: 1 and Psa. 18:8 with margin), the anger and wrath of Jehovah being symbolical of the divine law in man in its work of revealing and erasing error from the consciousness. So Ashan refers to this phase of Spirit's work in man--the work of breaking up and casting out seeming error.