The incident occurred Saturday evening during a packed revival event at Covenant Church, the home base of internationally known televangelist Jesse Duplantis. With over 2,000 people in attendance and tens of thousands watching via livestream, a stage light malfunctioned midway through the worship segment, causing a small electrical fire near the front podium.
Smoke began to rise from the corner of the stage as worship leaders signaled for assistance. The crowd remained calm, assuming it was part of the dramatic stage effects. But when flames began to visibly lick the carpeted platform, church staff quickly moved in with extinguishers and evacuated the front rows as a precaution.
The fire was swiftly extinguished, leaving behind a charred section of the stage, damaged cables, and melted lighting fixtures. But in the center of it all untouched and unscathed was a leather-bound Bible that had been resting on a wooden stand directly above the ignition point.
Witnesses say the flames had engulfed the area around it but seemed to “avoid” the Bible entirely.
“I saw it with my own eyes,” said Alicia Grant, a longtime church member seated in the second row. “The floor was blackened. The stand was partially burned. But the Bible? Not even a singe on the page. That was no accident.”
Photos and videos taken by attendees and later shared by church staff show clear evidence of the burn pattern stopping abruptly around the open Bible, which was turned to Isaiah 43:2 ironically, a verse that reads, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Duplantis, 75, returned to the stage just minutes after fire officials gave the all-clear. His first words to the congregation: “This ain’t damage it’s a declaration.”
Later, in a livestreamed message, he said, “I’ve preached for years about the power and protection of God’s Word, but last night we didn’t just hear it we saw it. That Bible was surrounded by fire, and it didn’t even flinch. That’s not a coincidence. That’s divine preservation.”
He added, “God is reminding the world right now that His Word cannot be burned, broken, or buried.”
While believers have heralded the incident as miraculous, some experts suggest the Bible may have simply been shielded by a quirk in the airflow or burn pattern.
“It’s certainly unusual,” said Dr. Carmen Wallace, a fire forensics investigator based in New Orleans. “But we can’t jump to supernatural conclusions without a thorough examination. Flame behavior can be unpredictable, especially with electrical sparks and rising heat.”
Still, even Wallace admitted, “It’s rare to see that kind of preservation right at the center of a burn zone.”
Within hours, photos of the unburned Bible had gone viral across social media platforms. Hashtags like #FireproofFaith and #UnburnedBible began trending on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram.
Some users shared their own testimonies and miracles tied to scripture, while others praised the symbolism. “Whether you believe it’s divine or not,” wrote one user, “you can’t deny the power in that moment.”
Mainstream news outlets picked up the story by Sunday morning, with headlines ranging from “Miracle in Louisiana” to “Faith Under Fire Literally.”
Even skeptics found themselves intrigued. “I’m not religious,” one post read, “but that gave me chills.”
The scorched wood from the Bible stand is reportedly being preserved and may be encased as part of a new display at the church. Duplantis has also announced plans to release a sermon titled “Unburned: The Word That Withstands Fire,” which will air on international networks and streaming platforms next week.
“This wasn’t just for us here in Baton Rouge,” Duplantis said in closing remarks. “This was a reminder to the whole world that no matter how hot things get, God’s Word doesn’t bow. It doesn’t burn. It stands.”
Whether seen as miraculous intervention or symbolic coincidence, the event has reignited discussions around faith and the enduring power of scripture in the modern world. For Jesse Duplantis and his followers, one thing is clear: something powerful happened on that stage and it left a Bible, and a message, completely untouchable
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