And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
~ Acts 2:4 ~
Let’s begin in Acts 2 to lay the foundation for this subject on speaking in tongues.
Acts 2: verses 2-4 KJV
- 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 reports the first major “filling of the Holy Ghost” event, which was actually first prophesied by the prophet Joel as “I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh”.
Joel 2: 28-32
- And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
- And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
- And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
- The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
- And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.
This outpouring of the Spirit, per Joel’s report, means:
- Your sons and daughters will prophesy
- Your old men will dream dreams
- Your young men will see visions
Let’s break down the speaking in tongues by first considering who or what was providing the utterance. Who was providing the tongues?
The answer is provided in the same verse four, which says they were speaking in tongues as the Spirit provided the utterance (the message).
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
~ Acts 2:4~
So, it was the Spirit who gave the message (spoke the tongue). The disciples then in turn spoke what they were witnessing, speaking parables by open visions.
“I will open my mouth in a parable.”
Psalms 78
1. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
The estimated one-hundred and twenty (120) disciples began speaking what they witnessed by open visions. As they were speaking aloud, amazingly, as we will see in this Acts 2 report, the messages being spoken were parables. Amazingly, their voices and messages were being spoken in other languages and not in the disciples’ Galilean native tongue (Western Aramaic).
Acts 2: 5-13
- And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
- Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
- And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilean’s?
- And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
- Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
- Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
- Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
- And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
- Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Those multitudes that heard Christ disciples speaking, they were hearing in their own language.
How is it that every man is hearing the parables in his own language?
The hearers ask, what does this mean? What is the interruption of these parables we are hearing?
Acts 2:6 “that every man heard them speak in his own language”
Acts 2:11 “we do hear them speak in our (native) tongues” (KJV/AMP).
Acts 2:12 (NIV) “Amazed and perplexed, they asked one to another, “What does this mean?”
We are hearing them speak in our own language! But what they are saying, we don’t understand; we are greatly perplexed as to what the meaning is.
What was the message that was being spoken in the language they could understand? The language was known, but what was being spoken was not being understood. Although the message was in each of their own language, they still needed to know its meaning and its interpretation to understand.
Parables need interpretation for application.
Where do we find this question in other scriptures? As we compare spiritual with spiritual, the answer will become known and certain.
I. The disciples ask Jesus for the meaning of the sower of the seed, a parable:
Mark chapter 4: 10-13
- And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable (sower of the seed).
- And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
- That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
- And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
II. Nebuchadnezzar asks for the meaning of his dreams, which were seen as parables and allegorical images.
Daniel 2:1 – 4
1. And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
No one could interpret the dream, nor was he able to recall it as Nebuchadnezzar couldn’t not remember it as well.
However, the Spirit revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel.
Daniel 2:19-30
19. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21. And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
22. He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
24. Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25. Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
26. The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
27. Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
28. But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29. As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Daniel now presents the king with his dream.
Daniel 2:31-35
31. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33. His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
Daniel now tells the king the interpretation.
Daniel 2:36-45
36. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
37. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
40. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
45. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
III. King Pharaoh asked Joseph for the meaning of his dream, which was seen as parables and allegories:
Pharaoh’s dream:
Genesis 41: 1 – 8
1. And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
2. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
Pharaoh sent for Joseph, as his chief butler recalled that Joseph had interpreted his dream, and the dream came to pass. Once Joseph is present, Pharaoh tells him his dream.
Genesis 41: 14 – 27
14. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
15. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it.
16. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20. And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21. And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23. And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24. And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream.
Genesis 41: 28 – 36
28. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30. And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31. And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
33. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.
34. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
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Speech spoken in another language. My personal experience.
Recalling my own experience, I was speaking aloud a message, and by my own conscience, I was speaking English, but those near me heard me speak it in another language.
I had an open vision one night, thinking I was still lying in bed asleep, dreaming. However, in actuality, I was out of bed, like some would refer to it as sleep walking, conscious but not awake, the Spirit conscience was doing the speaking (utterance).
What the message was that I was speaking,
“Say, son of man, I Am Your Sign”,
Say, son of man, I am your Sign”,
*(Ezekiel 12)
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