PENTECOST -- A REVEALING BEGINNING "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." -- Tomorrow:
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)
Devotion 16 of 28
CLOVEN TONGUES OF FIRE, #1
Not only is something supernatural heard, there is also a supernatural sight. Something is brought within the range of human vision that could not possibly have been produced by men. The external phenomenon that accompanied the coming of the Spirit was as extraordinary as the coming of the Spirit Himself.
THERE APPEARED
"And there appeared unto them . . ."
Other versions read, "They saw what seemed to be" (NIV), "appeared among them" (NRSV), "And they saw" (BBE), "Then, what looked like . . . appeared" (NLT), "They saw something which looked like" (IE), and "Before their eyes appeared" (PHILLIPS).
When something or someone from heaven comes to earth, it has to "appear," or be accommodating to the awareness of men. Heaven is of a differing order, consisting of a kingdom that "cannot be shaken," and will "remain"after heaven and earth have passed away (Heb 12:27). When something or someone from the eternal realm comes into a temporal domain, some provision must be made for men to be aware of it. There are no natural capacities that can perceive things from heaven! God, however, can so clothe invisible realities that they can be seen. Thus, when God descended upon Mount Sinai, it was "in fire" (Ex 19:18). When He descended to show Himself to Moses, it was "in the cloud" (Ex 34:5). When the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, He did so "in a bodily shape like a dove"(Lk 3:22; Matt 3:16; Mk 1:10; John 1:32). In these cases, the fire, cloud, and dove were not the point. They were a visible sign of realities that could not be perceived by flesh and blood.
Thus, on the day of Pentecost, when "the promise of the Father" took place, certain signs were given in order to alert the disciples.
What was seen did not "appear" over the city of Jerusalem, like the accompanying signs of God's presence appeared on Mount Sinai. This appearance was intended for those who were being "endued with power from on high." It was not something designated for the general populous of the city.
CLOVEN TONGUES LIKE AS OF FIRE
" . . . cloven tongues like as of fire . . ."
Other versions read, "divided tongues, as of fire" (NKJV), "tongues as of fire distributed themselves" (NASB), "tongues of fire that separated" (NIV), "tongues as of fire, distributed" (RSV), "tongues parting asunder, as of fire" (ASV), "tongues like flames of fire" (BBE), "tongues, which were divided like a flame" (MRD), "flames of fire separating" (IE), "tongues of what looked like fire distributing themselves over the assembly" (WEYMOUTH), "tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed" (AMPLIFIED), and "tongues like flames which separated off" (PHILLIPS).
With the sound of a rushing mighty wind in their ears, their eyes were arrested with what appeared to be fire. Within the mass of fire, a division took place, and separate tongues shot out like arrows aimed at specific targets.
The word "cloven" means divided, cut in pieces "to cleave asunder . . . to distribute among themselves" (THAYER), "separated off, to be dispersed, divide up among" (FRIBERG), "to distribute objects to a series of persons, to distribute, to give to each in turn" (LOUW-NIDA) and "to divide or part among themselves" (LIDDELL-SCOTT).
There was purpose and deliberation revealed in something visible. From a single fiery source, specific measures of the fire were being formed for distribution. It must have appeared like the breaking up of a single flame. Yet, this dividing was not random, nor was it like an explosion that results in disintegration. This was a magnificently orderly distribution of the fire.
To say that this was a very unusual phenomenon would surely be an understatement. God had, indeed, been associated with fire. The Psalmist wrote, "A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about" (Psa 97:3). And again, "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him" (Psa 50:3). In the tabernacle service, when the law of the burnt offering was instituted, a sacrifice was placed upon the altar. It is written of that time, "And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat" (Lev 9:24).
Solemnly Israel was told, "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God" (Deut 4:24). That word is also delivered to the church: "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire" (Heb 12:28-29). That is, He is a jealous God, and fire depicts the burning and destructive nature of that jealousy.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You that Your qualities are sanctified by the atoning death of Jesus, so that they bring a blessing to us.