The Gift of Tongues
When I study a topic of scripture I want to know WHY. For this study on the gift of tongues, we’re going to look for the answers to: Why is there a gift of tongues? What is the purpose of tongues? How do tongues fit into the Gospel of the Kingdom? What is the historical significance behind the gift of tongues? We typically start our understanding by reading 1 Corinthians and stop there, but this is how personal opinions and interpretations get put onto the scriptures. Individuals and entire denominations have come up with what they believe to be the formula for getting this, and other gifts, of the Holy Spirit. There is no formula. But there is a reason behind the gift, a reason Paul understood when he wrote his letter giving instruction for how to use all of the gifts. We are going to find out what he knew that we’re never taught.
In my notebook I have sections of writing with arrows drawn pointing back to connecting concepts. Since I can’t do that here, be sure to scroll up and down on your own, paying close attention to recurring words like tongues, resurrection, nations, first fruits. Also, with verse references, please read the entire passages for yourself to gain a fuller understanding of the context.
Hear and See
In Acts 2, the festival of Shavuot (First Fruits/ Pentecost) arrived. You can read this blog post to gain an incredible understanding of the historical and prophetic significance of this feast. This was known to be a celebration of covenant renewal and first fruit offering. The disciples were gathered together, waiting and obeying the instruction Yeshua had given them before His ascension back to the Father, when Yeshua preformed His first act as High Priest. With greater access to the power of God, He sent a sound as a rushing wind and made appear flames that rested on each of His disciples.
Exodus 19:9 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also trust in you forever.” Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
Exodus 19:18 Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the entire mountain quaked violently.
When God's power and authority is upon a place, it is heard and seen! Just as He made His presence known on Siani to the entire congregation of Israel, He also made His presence known on the day of Pentecost. The scattered tribes of Israel were gathered for the feast and became a first fruits offering of Yeshua to present to His Father. 15 regions are named in Acts 2; 15 regions heard the praises of Elohim in their own language! This Spirit-filled gathering in Jerusalem was prophetic of the gathering of the nations to the New Jerusalem where every nation, tribe, and tongue will come to confess Yeshua IS King! This was a first fruits of the harvest that would be ready at the end of the age.
Romans 14:11 For it is written: “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” (Isaiah 45:23)
Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
Peter takes a stance in the crowd to explain what is happening. He proclaims a passage from Joel 2, this word reveals how this outpouring event is directly correlated to the end times when the Kingdom comes; it points to exactly what Yeshua had been preaching!
Kingdom Purpose
Each gift of the Holy Spirit points to a purpose of the Kingdom. It is given for people to see, hear, and witness the same message Messiah preached. The portion that we have now is just that, a portion. We are given a first installment/ pledge/ downpayment, of the fullness of the Spirit that we will receive at the resurrection. Until that day, we wait eagerly and submit to being taught by the Spirit of truth and understanding.
Romans 8:23 And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body.
Ephesians 1:13-14 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, which is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 5:5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a pledge.
In the New Jerusalem, resurrected and/or changed set-apart ones will be completely clothed in the Spirit and given a new heart with the law inscribed. We will be as ministering Spirits to the nations that gather to Zion for healing and learning of the ways of God. We will be a kingdom priesthood, a holy nation under our Melchizedek, Yeshua.
Isaiah 2:2-3 Now it will come about that In the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; So that He may teach us about His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go out from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
We have a portion of the Spirit now to practice Kingdom behavior and minister to people. We're enabed to use whichever gift has been given to us- healing, tongues, prophecy, etc. to build of the body and prepare for His kingdom. The gifts edify and build up the body because they are examples of the fullness that is to come at eternity with Yeshua.
Daniel 7:14 And to Him was given dominion, honor, and a kingdom, so that all the peoples, nations, and populations of all languages might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.
The Order of Tongues
A tongue is simply a praise to God, in a language that you're not familiar with. It is a mysterious word uttered by the Spirit that edifies an individual to surrender to the will of God and not rely solely on your own ability to pray or worship. In Acts 2 it specifically says that the crowd heard the great deeds of God in their own language. The disciples were praising and prophesying, and there was an interpretation/understanding by hearers. It IS a move of prophecy, not mindless babbling, that requires faith.
Paul gives clear instructions for how this gift is to be used in the body. If there is no interpretation, the speaker should remain quiet. If there was to be an unbeliever or immature believer among the assembly, and there is no interpretation, that person would think you're crazy. However, if there is an interpretation or understanding by a hearer, the unbeliever or immature believer will be convicted and recognize that this is a move of God. 1 Cor. 14:21 is a quote from Isaiah 28:11-12. This is a prophecy that God would speak to men of all languages but not all will hear and accept His voice.
Isaiah 28:11-12 Indeed, He will speak to this people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue, He who said to them, “This is the place of quiet, give rest to the weary,”
And, “This is the resting place,” but they would not listen.
Different Kinds of Tongues
In 1 Cor. 12:10 the gifts are named, one of which is "different kinds of tongues." My understanding, based on the context and instruction in the following chapters, is that "kinds” means tongues for self-edification and tongues for others in the church or amid a ministry opportunity. I've heard beautiful stories of individuals being given a language to preach the gospel on missionary trips and one individual that was given sign language so the deaf church member next to her could understand the worship songs! The Spirit moves at the will of the Father, period. We don't get to create a formula for how to receive His gifts.
The other kind of tongue, self-edification, is just as meaningful. It's not a selfish thing to be edified, it is necessary for your building up as part of the body of Messiah.
1 Corinthians 12:13-15 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray to be able to interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit is at prayer but my mind is unproductive. So what is to be done? I will pray with the spirit, but I will also pray with the mind. I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will also sing praise with the mind.
You can allow the Spirit to pray for you, but pray also in understanding and for understanding of the Spiritual prayer. This doesn’t necessarily mean word for word, just like asking for the meaning of a prophetic dream, you can and should ask for understanding on what the Father is urging you to do or pray for with your mind. This verse in Daniel is a small example of hearing a prophetic word and asking for understanding.
Daniel 12:8 But as for me, I heard but did not understand; so I said, “My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?”
Romans 8:26 Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
Either kind of tongue- for self edification or edification of the church, the words spoken are to God, not man. Acts 2, they were praising God for His good deeds and the gathered brethren heard and understood in their own languages! Speaking the word of God is prophecy and speaking the word to God is a powerful way to pray and praise- whether in your own language or in a tongue.
Baptized in the Holy Spirit
The word baptism means immersion.
Water baptism = immersed in water.
Spirit baptism = immersion in the Spirit of God.
From my understanding, and my experience, being “baptized in the Holy Spirit” is a noticeable moment associated with serious surrender. I deeply desired to be closer to the Father!! But there was someone in my life that I needed to forgive; my heart needed to be purified first. The day after I did this, He filled me with His Spirit, allowing me to be immersed in His presence on a whole new level. For my husband, just to offer another example of surrender, he gave up vices that had had a hold on him for years. He desired the Spirit of God more than the momentary pleasures. Walking through our field one random day, the Spirit fell on him! There was no church scene or pastor praying, no loud uproar, just him deeply desiring to walk closer with the Father and the Father answered him.
Reading the “old testament” scriptures I see this immersion where God told the people to set themselves apart; to consecrate themselves so His presence could go before them. Where they got to experience that in an external way - seeing seas part, walls fall, angel armies demolish cities, enemy camps flee - we get to experience Him in a personal, internal way. Prophets, priests, and individuals had the Spirit upon them, gifts of the Spirit are not a “new testament” concept.
David prayed in Psalm 51 "do not remove your Spirit from me," but the majority didn’t have access to this immersion. Ways are made, strongholds break, the enemy’s attacks are defeated, and anyone can have a prophecy or tongue because we carry the presence of God with us. Our High Priest has greater power than the Levitical priesthood, He can consecrate and cleanse our hearts to make it possible for the Holy Spirit of Elohim to dwell within us. We all have the ability to not only see and hear the move of His Spirit, but be immersed (baptized) in it.
Hebrews 9:9, 14 the gifts and sacrifices being offered (by the Levitical priesthood) cannot cleanse the conscience of the worshiper. . . how much more will the blood of Messiah (our High Priest in the heavenly tabernacle), who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Additional Thoughts
Tongues of known language or of angels? When human language was confused at the tower of Babel, it was angels that came down to execute this order from God. So personally, I couldn’t tell you what is human and what is angelic language. Messengers spoke to many people throughout the scriptures in their own human languages. The book of Jubilees says that Hebrew was the original language before Babel; that it was the language of angels. Abraham was given a supernatural ability to understand Hebrew so that he could read the books of Noah and learn God’s ways. My understanding at this point is that 1 Cor 13 is saying "even if I could" speak in other human languages or an angelic language, it doesn't matter, love is the point- loving God to praise Him and loving people to pray for them.
1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
What about false spirits that mimic tongues or groups that misuse the gifts?
People are going to get it wrong, that's just the reality of being in this fallen world and in religious systems that lack discipleship. Speaking in tongues has nothing to do with your salvation, it’s an additional gift that you can be given at God’s will. You cannot allow people's shortcomings and lack of understanding to hinder your own walk in the Spirit, desire His good gifts and be patient for His timing to give them. False spirits such as the popular kundalini spirit are going to mimic and twist every good thing. They can use any language to cause confusion and curse, it doesn’t have to be an “angelic” language. So I encourage you not to fear the gift because of the enemy. When you avoid tongues and other gifts out of fear, you’re literally allowing the enemy to have a strong hold and an influence on your relationship with the Father.
Matthew 7:11 So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Having a better understanding of the purpose and WHY behind the gift of tongues gives you a deeper connection to the Father's heart. This is gift is a significant foreshadow of His covenant for our eternal inheritance. Don't just desire good gifts but desire to know the heart behind the One who is giving them!
1 Corinthians 1:14 Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Supporting End Times Verses
Revelation 5:9-10
Revelation 7:9
Revelation 13:7
Revelation 14:6
Revelation 20:6
Joel 2:28-32
Micah 4:1-2
Psalm 2:8