This article is part of my resource titled: An In-Depth Study of the Nature, Purpose, and Duration of Tongues.
Characteristic of the Pentecostal denomination is the manifestation of tongues. However, the day of Pentecost itself was marked by more than just these utterances. Along with this ability came also the phenomena of a “sound like a mighty rushing wind” which proceeded from heaven and the visible manifestation of “divided tongues as of fire” appearing and resting upon the apostles (Acts 2:1-4). For some reason, which the Pentecostal cannot biblically explain, the manifestation of tongues has endured while the others have been deemed unrepeatable. If tongues were to last long after the day of Pentecost, why aren’t they accompanied by sounds from heaven and visible appearances of tongues of fire as they were when initially manifested?
Furthermore, what are we to make of these occurrences in the first place? We must not assume they were haphazard events without significance but rather we must seek to understand how they relate to the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Once we understand the significance of these manifestations then perhaps we can provide clarity in regards to why they’re no longer present. We may, in fact, do more than this by going so far as to prove that all three of these supernatural occurrences are not to be expected among believers today. That is to say that none of these occurrences were meant to be viewed as the normative experience for the church throughout subsequent ages, including tongues.
It is the purpose of this lesson, then, to examine the manifestations in question and connect them to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Our examination of the facts will necessarily lead us to the conclusion that these supernatural demonstrations were given for a purpose and once that purpose was served their presentation was no longer required. Let us now examine the passage of Acts 2:1-4.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4
When the Day of Pentecost Arrived
In a previous lesson we spoke at length as to the meaning of Pentecost. We will discuss it briefly here for the sake of establishing context. The day of Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks as it’s referred to in the Old Testament, was a Jewish pilgrimage feast tied directly to the grain harvest. At this feast all able bodied Jewish men were required to travel to Jerusalem in order to celebrate and give thanks to the Lord for the harvest which He had just supplied. This is why we read of “devout men from every nation under” dwelling at Jerusalem during this time (Acts 2:5).
It was on this feast day that “they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). “They” likely refers to the apostles exclusively. They were the ones to whom the promise of the Holy Spirit was given (Acts 1:8) and thus were to be the initial recipients of it. Furthermore, the crowds asked in astonishment, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” (Acts 2:7). We know that the apostles were refereed to as “Men of Galilee” by the angel who spoke to them in Acts 1:10-11. Further evidence for the apostles being the ones who spoke in tongues and not the 120 will be presented in a future lesson.
Where they were staying is only said to be a “house” (Acts 2:2). Contention has arisen as to what exactly is meant here. Some take it to mean a literal house, whether it be the one where the 120 had previously gathered for prayer (Acts 1:12-14), or another. Some believe that Luke had in mind a room in the Temple itself. However, given the fact that they were staying in a literal house previously, and Luke makes no attempt to state that the location of their gathering had changed, it’s likely that they weren’t at the Temple on this day. Furthermore, when Luke, the writer of Acts, mentions the actual Temple in his Gospel, a different Greek word is used as opposed to the one he uses here for house (See Luke 24:53).
A Sound Like a Mighty Rushing Wind
Regardless of who was there and where they were at, it was on this day that “suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2).
There are a few initial observations we should make here. First of all, the sound which proceeded from heaven and the events which followed it came “suddenly”, that is, quickly and unexpectedly. Some charismatics make the claim that in order for one to speak in tongues they have to earnestly desire the gift, pray for it and seek God on its behalf. In doing so, perhaps God would be gracious enough to grant one’s petition and give him the desire of his heart.
However, what we see in this instance is that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit with its accompanying signs, tongues being one of them, came without any supplication being made on their behalf. We have no record of those residing in the house praying and making supplication for these phenomenal events to occur. In fact, they were sitting, which isn’t the typical posture for praying. It is more likely that they were merely conversing with one another and remembering the time during which their ancestors were slaves in Egypt. After all, it was on the Feast of Weeks that such a remembrance was to be made per the Lord’s command in Deuteronomy 16:12.
Furthermore, the suddenness with which these events took place also implies that they weren’t expected or being prepared for. The Greek word used here for “sudden” is also found in Acts 16:26 where “suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken.” If something occurs suddenly it can’t simultaneously be anticipated by those whom it occurs to. Thus, the events of Acts 2 were not anticipated by the apostles. Had they been praying for these events to take place, then when they did they could not rightly be described as happening “suddenly”. The idea, then, that the apostles were praying for the gift of tongues, as modern tongue speakers do prior to their “reception” of the gift, is erroneous. Biblically speaking, we have no evidence that such supplications were made by the apostles and in light of the suddenness with which the events took place, we have even less reason to suspect they were doing so.
Second, it should be noted that that which proceeded from heaven was not a tangible wind. Rather it was the sound “like a mighty rushing wind”. It was this sound which “filled the entire house where they were sitting” and it was “at this sound [that] the multitude came together” (Acts 2:6). The sound itself was not the Spirit but rather an indication of its arrival. Its purpose was merely to gather the attention of the apostles so as to announce the fulfillment of that which had been promised to them by Christ only a few days prior. Jesus had told them they would be “baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). How would the commencement of this baptism be made clear? How would they know the time had come for them to be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49)? A clear signal would be given and, indeed, it was in the form of this sound.
The sound was not, however, for their sake alone but for those gathered nearby who heard it. It was this sound which got their attention and brought them nigh unto the apostles. For what purpose? So that they might hear the apostles speaking to them “in his own language…telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God” (Acts 2:6,11).
A similar thing took place when Moses was to receive the Law on Mt. Sinai. God told Moses that “when the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain” (Ex 19:13). And “on the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled…and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain” (Ex. 19:17) to receive the Law of God from Moses. In both instances, God used supernatural, audible phenomena to gather the multitudes in order to receive revelation from Himself. The sound of the mighty rushing wind was equivalent to the loud trumpet blast which commenced the giving of the Law of Moses.
Finally, the sound is said to emerge “from heaven”, demonstrating its divine origin. It was an undeniable sign of God’s direct involvement in what was taking place. Just as the trumpet blasts previously mentioned were supernatural in nature and facilitated the Israelites gathering at the foot of the mountain, likewise the sound set forth by God on this occasion accomplished a similar purpose – “the multitude came together” (Acts 2:6). Had this sound been of terrestrial origins it likely wouldn’t have resulted in the attention it is said to have received. However, in both cases, the audible phenomena dispensed by God received the attention of His intended audiences and therefore aided in the accomplishment of His will.
Divided Tongues as of Fire
The second manifestation which accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was “divided tongues as of fire” (Acts 2:3). This manifestation, too, only marked the Spirit’s arrival for it was only after these manifestations that the apostles are said to have been “filled with the Holy Spirit”. Neither of them are said to have been the means by which the apostles were filled, but rather were signs which accompanied that fulfillment.
What exactly those present saw, however, is difficult to determine with one hundred percent certainty. The Greek word used for divided is diamerizó (Strongs 1266) and it means to divide, to distribute, to break up into parts. It’s the same Greek word used in reference to the parting of Jesus’ garments in Matthew 27:35 and the distribution of the proceeds from goods sold among the believers in Acts 2:45. It implies, then, that the “tongues as of fire” were part of a whole which was then broken up and distributed to the apostles individually. Thus, what they likely saw were individual tongue or wedge-like shapes breaking away from their cumulative form and resting upon them individually. At least, this is my estimation of things.
We must also consider that these tongues were not composed of fire but were as of fire, that is, in their appearance. They resembled fire but were not so literally. Fire is emblematic of God’s presence. When God revealed Himself to Moses He did so “in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed” (Ex. 4:2). When leading the people of Israel though the wilderness at night, God “went before them…to lead them along the way…in a pillar of fire to give them light” (Ex 13:21-22). The Lord descended upon Mt. Sinai “in fire” when giving the Law to Moses (Ex 19:18). And the sacrifice presented by Elijah in 1 Kings 18:38 was consumed by “the fire of the Lord”.
The divided tongues which appeared on the day of Pentecost resembled fire in appearance although not in form. Nonetheless, they represented the direct involvement of God as being the author of the event. Being that God, in times past, had used fire to depict His presence and the sanctioning of events said to be done in His name, it should be no surprise that He continues this tradition on the day of Pentecost which marked a monumental moment in His plan of redemption. Being that this day marked the beginning of the Holy Spirit’s ministry under the New Covenant, it stands to reason that it should be commenced with signs which undoubtedly proved that God was responsible for its occurrence.
We should not be concerned so much, however, with what exactly these objects were but what they were meant to represent. In similar fashion to these fiery tongues appearing and resting upon the apostles, Christ himself had the Spirit of God descend upon him like a dove. After the baptism of Christ “the heavens were opened to him, and he [John the Baptist] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’” (Matt 3:16).
According to Bible commentator Albert Barnes, “The gift of the Holy Spirit, in this manner, was the public approbation of Jesus (John 1:33), and a sign of his being set apart to the office of the Messiah. We are not to suppose that there was any change done in the moral character of Jesus, but only that he was publicly set apart to his work, and solemnly approved by God in the office to which he was appointed.” (Barnes Notes on the Bible – Matthew 3:16)
Similarly, the divided tongues as of fire which rested upon the apostles was God’s way of publicly approving them specifically as His messengers and setting them apart for the ministry to which they were assigned. The descension of the Spirit in dove form upon Christ designated him as the one who would “baptize with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33). The fire-like tongues on the apostles, likewise, designated them as the vessels through which the Holy Spirit would be dispensed throughout the world through the proclamation of the Gospel.
Speaking in Other Tongues
The two initial manifestations previously discussed, wind from heaven and tongues as of fire, accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The final spectacle mentioned, speaking in tongues, proceeded from it. It was upon the reception of the Holy Spirit that the apostles began to “speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Without this infilling, the apostles would not have been able to utter a single word in “other tongues”.
The ability to speak in tongues was the sign that the apostles had, indeed, been baptized with the Holy Spirit thus receiving power from on high for such was the promise made to them by Christ. This was conclusive evidence that the words of Jesus had come to pass, granting them supernatural abilities apart from his bodily presence so as to evidence the fact that his power didn’t die with him but would continue though the ministry of the Holy Spirit until the end of human history. Upon being baptized with the Spirit the apostles were granted supernatural abilities that couldn’t be done apart from It. This provided ample proof that Christ was, indeed, resurrected from the dead. The miracles performed by the apostles, beginning with speaking in other tongues, bore witness to the resurrection of Christ and thus validated the claims he made while on earth and those made after him by his apostles.
Tongues, then, were a sign. They were given for the sake of validating the apostles as messengers of God while simultaneously confirming the message which they preached. Were the gospel proclamation unaccompanied by tongues and other miraculous phenomena, how then could the apostles effectively bear witness to the resurrection of Christ? Would not their words of a dead man rising, who did so for the sake of our salvation, without the aid and demonstration of God’s supernatural and miraculous power, seem to be nothing more than a delusion? It was for this reason that signs accompanied the apostles throughout their ministry, beginning with the sign of tongues on the day of Pentecost.
It was this sign, out of the three given, that was most significant in regards to effects that it produced. The sound from heaven gathered the crowds, the divided tongues as of fire resting upon the apostles publicly attested to God’s approval of them, and the “other tongues” spoken by the apostles paved the way to 3000 souls being saved. It was this supernatural ability flowing through the mouths of twelve Galilean men that caused the crowds bewilderment and astonishment, leading them to question among themselves, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12). This gave way to Peter’s sermon which cut them to the heart and resulted in their subsequent salvation. A salvation which was sealed by their infilling of the Holy Spirit for, as Peter said, “the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off” (Acts 2:39).
The sign of tongues along with the other phenomena which accompanied the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are similar to the phenomena surrounding the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, and were given for much the same reason. In each instance, signs were given to authenticate the men as truly being messengers from God and they served to validate the message itself as truly being from God. Anyone can claim to hear from any given god but when one claims to hear from the only true God, then he must be able to provide substantial evidence to support his claim. God provides this evidence, not only for the sake of those who He sends but, at times, in support of His own deity as well. In other words, God proves that He is God by means of the supernatural.
The Cessation of These Signs
The cessation of any sign occurs when the purpose for which it was given has been fulfilled. Why doesn’t wind from heaven accompany the modern church? For the same reason that it didn’t continue to occur during the early church and for the same reason that supernatural loud trumpet blasts aren’t seen recurring throughout the pages of the Old Testament. Their purpose had been served. Why don’t we see divided tongues as of fire appearing in our church services? Again, for the same reason we have no record of their continual manifestation throughout the pages of the New Testament. They marked a once and for all endowment of the Holy Spirit upon certain men for the sake of accomplishing the will of God. They were not meant to be a continual manifestation of God’s power any more than the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove was to be. These signs were granted by God on a specific occasion in history and they’re not to be viewed as something perpetual which is supposed to take place in the lives of God’s people until the end of time.
What then are we to make of tongues? Why have they continued apart from the other signs? Indeed, they did continue for a while apart from these other manifestations but only for the reason that they’re purpose had not yet been fulfilled. Tongues were the beginning of the spiritual endowment given to the apostles. As such, they, along with the rest of the signs, wonders, and miracles performed at their hands, were meant to continue until the gospel had been firmly planted. These signs were given for as long as it took for the apostles to build the foundation of the church and secure the foothold of Christianity in the world (Eph. 2:20). Once this foundation was built and the full revelation that God intended to give during this period had been given, then the signs were no longer necessary. They served their purposes in validating God’s messengers and confirming the message which was being preached.
This being the case, tongues did not endure past that period of time. Tongues were not given for the personal enjoyment of the believer any more than the ability to turn water into blood was given to Moses for his own merriment. Moses didn’t continually turn water into blood for self-edification and neither were tongues allowed to endure past their expiration date for that purpose. Thus, tongues today are not biblical in proportion. Indeed, they cannot be. Given the role they played in the fundamental work of the apostles, and the fact that that work has been completed, they can no more be obtained than a role in the apostolate by believers in our time period.
In Conclusion
Each of the three signs given on the day of Pentecost had an important role to play. The wind from heaven announced the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the divided tongues of fire resting upon the apostles marked His entry, and tongues flowed as the result of that baptism. The initial two signs were given as one time events which commenced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The last was given for the length of time necessary to establish Christianity’s foothold in the world.