When The Fire Fell At Pentecost

Understanding Pentecost and the Feast of Weeks

We went through the Feast of Weeks Bible Study a couple of weeks ago so we know exactly what they offered and what they did on that feast day. We know that Pentecost, or fiftieth, is another name for the Feast of Weeks.

Remember, the Feast of Weeks is numbered by 7 weeks and then the day after that seventh Sabbath day. Seven times seven is forty-nine and then the next day is the fiftieth day. Pentecost is fiftieth.

We know Jesus ascended into heaven forty days after he arose from the dead. And now, in Acts Chapter 2, we’re going to see the fiftieth day, or Pentecost the year that Jesus died, was buried, arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven.

Acts 2:1
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

From Acts Chapter 1, “They were all with one accord in one place” means the apostles and the one hundred and twenty.

Acts 1:15
And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

Unity and Prayer at Pentecost

The day of Pentecost was fully come. There are 120 people gathered together in one place. They were all with one accord. Accord means they were all in agreement. They were in harmony with one another.

We should always be in one accord and in agreement with each other. How? We should use the Bible and agree on what the Bible actually says.

Now, we are setting the scene. They are all in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded them. They are praying. They are with one accord. The apostles are all there. The women are there. Mary the mother of Jesus is there. The brothers of Jesus are there. Peter is there. About 120 people in the same house. They are all saved. They are all together with one accord. Same mind. In agreement with each other.

Acts 2:2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

The Arrival of the Holy Spirit

The sound comes from heaven. The sound is like that of a rushing mighty wind. It filled all the house where they were sitting. So, think about this. The Bible says it filled the house where they were sitting.

The house is filled. They are fully surrounded by this. They are baptized in this. Baptized is fully immersed or fully surrounded. When you are baptized in water, you go under the water completely and you are fully engulfed in the water or fully surrounded by the water.

Now, in Acts Chapter 2, we see that this sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filling the house where the 120 disciples of Jesus Christ are located.

“Acts 2:3
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.””

Cloven Tongues as of Fire

Cloven tongues. Cloven means divided. Cloven tongues like as of fire. And they can see these divided tongues like as of fire. They appeared unto them. And it sat upon each of them. The tongues are divided or cloven tongues.

Psalm 55:9-11
Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.  10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.  11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

“Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues.” What does a divided tongue mean?

Language Division at Babel

The Scripture there in Psalm 55 gives us a clue. “Divide their tongues.” Why? Because the people are coming together and doing violence and strife. They are doing mischief together. Wickedness is in the midst thereof. They are deceiving people.

The wicked are coming together to do violence because they can understand each other when they speak. If they can’t understand each other’s language, then they won’t be able to do so much wickedness. So, please, O Lord, DIVIDE their tongues.

And that takes us back to the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11.

Genesis 11:1-4
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.  2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.  3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.  4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

Genesis 11:5-7
And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.  6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.  7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

Genesis 11:8-9
So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.  9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The Purpose of Divided Languages

You can’t work together to do evil if you can’t understand one another. God divided their tongues or languages so they couldn’t understand each other.

For example, I hired a Hispanic framer to frame one of our homes. He spoke Spanish and a tiny bit of English. I told him what I wanted. He didn’t understand. He didn’t do it as I asked. He fixed it later. He couldn’t understand what I meant.

Tongues are languages in the Bible. We speak the English language here or the English tongue. When we speak, we are using our tongues to speak. The divided tongues or cloven tongues are representing these divided languages. And there are many different languages. They appear to them like as of fire.

Power Promised from God

They sat upon each of them. The power of the Holy Ghost is with each of them. Fire is power. The divided tongues are different languages. God, the Holy Ghost, is with them and is bringing power to them.

Jesus told them this in Luke Chapter 24. They will be endued or will receive this power from God the Father.

Luke 24:49
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Now, please listen, as this is very important. Jesus is sending the promise of the Father upon them. This is what we are seeing in Acts Chapter 2 at Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. Pay close attention to what Jesus says here in the parallel passage of Acts 1.

Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus says they will receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. That’s what we see happening there in Acts Chapter 2 when the Holy Spirit fills the house with the 120 disciples of Jesus Christ. Why is this happening in Acts Chapter 2? Jesus tells us before it happens.

Why Did They Receive This Power at Pentecost?

He says, right there in verse 8 of Acts Chapter 1:

“And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The power of the Holy Ghost is coming to them for what reason? Why is this happening in Acts Chapter 2? Why are the cloven or divided tongues that appear as fire sitting upon each of these approximately 120 people in a house in Jerusalem?

God is anointing them with the Holy Spirit so they can be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And, because of the tower of Babel, in Genesis Chapter 11, there are many different tongues or languages out there in the world.

But Jesus us sending them to the uttermost parts of the earth where there are different languages to be witnesses to Jesus. He’s sending them everywhere to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And that’s what Pentecost is all about. That’s what the Feast of Weeks is all about. That’s what speaking in tongues is all about. That’s what speaking with tongues is all about. It’s speaking in languages that people can understand so they can hear the Gospel and be saved.

The Fake Show in Churches

It’s not the show that you see in false churches where they babble on and act as if they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Please trust the words of the Bible.

Again, Jesus says: “And ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Witnesses are preachers of the Gospel or the Good News of Jesus Christ. He is specifically talking about Pentecost in Acts 2.

Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Verse 4, again, says: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

The Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, gave them the power to speak with other tongues or other languages. Not babble. Genesis Chapter 11 is about God dividing their languages so they can’t understand each other.

Speaking In Tongues Means Languages

For example, I can’t understand Swahili or Spanish. If you came to me speaking any other language than English, the tongue you are speaking to me would be unknown. I wouldn’t even know what language you were speaking to me. It would be an unknown tongue to me. When the Bible says unknown tongue, it means unknown language or tongue. It’s a language.

Language allows us to communicate effectively with each other. We can’t give the Gospel to someone if they can’t understand what we’re saying.

God confounded their language at Babel. Babbling is not a language. What people today, in so-called Christian churches, call speaking in tongues is actually speaking in babble. They don’t have a clue what they are saying and no one else does either. It’s not a structured language.

God confounded their language or mixed or blended in disorder their language. And now, at Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, we see God making them understand different tongues or languages.

The Holy Spirit Gave Them Utterance

They are now speaking with other tongues as the Spirit GAVE THEM utterance. This is to spread the word of God.

Acts 2:5
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

There are men living in Jerusalem out of every nation. There were people there from different nations. They spoke different languages or tongues. The speaking in tongues today in churches, that’s what they falsely call it, is speaking in babble. Speaking in tongues is qual to speaking in languages that have structure, rules, and meaning.

Imagine people from all nations all around the earth gathered together. And they all speak different languages.

Acts 2:6-8
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?  8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

All Different Nations Came Together And Understood

Listen, this is simple. People that speak in all different types of tongues and languages come together. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be able to understand each other.

But the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit of God, God himself, makes them understand each other. The fire fell at Pentecost. The power of God is doing this. The Galilaeans, the disciples of Jesus Christ, are speaking in their own language and all the others are hearing them in their own language or tongue.

For example, let’s say I am preaching. You know I speak in English. Let’s say two people come in here that speak Swahili and Russian. Neither one knows English. I am speaking in English and they hear me speaking in Swahili and Russian. The man who speaks Swahili hears me in Swahili. The man who speaks Russian hears me in Russian.

But I don’t know those languages. The Holy Spirit can do anything like that. It’s actually very easy for him. And then the Bible gives us great detail on what’s happening here at Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks. God gives us all the different tongues or languages being spoken.

Acts 2:9-11
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,  10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,  11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

We Hear Them Speak in Our Language

There are eighteen different groups mentioned there. “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”

The disciples, the ones filled with the Holy Ghost, are speaking in their own language and the others are hearing them in their own language. This is a miracle. Why? They are telling them about the WONDERFUL WORKS of God.

Acts 2:12-13
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?  13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Many people will attempt to take this Scripture to say that all of the people were speaking in their version of tongues because they are saying, “These men are full of new wine.” They will say that means drunken and babbling like a drunkard. But that should tell you something about those people who say these things.

Babbling is What Drunkards Do

They admit that they are babbling like drunkards. But that’s now what the Bible says. Others mocking said, “These men are full of new wine.”

New wine isn’t alcoholic wine. New wine would be new grape juice straight from grapes. That would be a drink that tastes really great. It makes you happy. It makes you joyful.

These men were witnessing a miracle. They were excited. They were joyful. They were happy. “And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?” Hey, why is this happening? This is amazing!

This is how Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks is being fulfilled. This is the promise Jesus left them. It’s happening right now in Acts Chapter 2.

Acts 2:1-4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

We’ll Continue Learning About the Fire at Pentecost

We are going to continue going over Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2 in detail next Bible Study. We’re going to see Peter stand up to preach. We’re going to see what he was actually saying. And remember, he’s speaking in his own tongue or language while the others are hearing him in their own tongues or languages.

But I want you to see everything that happens at Pentecost or Feast of Weeks word by word and verse by verse. And you’ll see that there’s nothing like what happens in modern day churches that say they are speaking in tongues. They aren’t. It’s not a language.

Let’s pray.