The instrument of separation between wheat and chaff. John the Baptist's image: whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matt 3:12; Lk 3:17). The winnowing fork (Greek ptuon) was the wooden tool used at the threshing floor to toss the threshed grain into the air, letting the wind blow away the lighter chaff while the heavier wheat fell back to the floor. John applies the image to the coming One: Christ's ministry will separate. There is no third category. The same Christ who gathers the wheat into the garner burns the chaff with unquenchable fire. The fork is in His hand; the floor is being purged; the separation is in process now and will be complete at the end.