ALL ABOUT YOU: GIDEON, CHAPTER 16
INTRODUCTION TO TONGUES
02-01-04
(Mat
13:36) Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went
into the house [covering]: and his disciples [learners,
pupils (i.e. students)] came unto him, saying, Declare unto us
[through the idea of defining; to indicate, spec. to expound (Dict: to
explain; interpret)] the parable of the tares of the field.
The
Bible declares that God speaks to us “twice,” or in two ways
(logos and rhema), although of the second way “man perceiveth it
not” (Job 33:14). God speaks to us through the visible and
through the invisible (Rom 1:20); to our soul (conscious)
awareness and to our spirit (subconscious) awareness – the whole of
whom we are.
1.
(Job 33:14-18) For God speaketh once, yea twice [logos
and rhema], yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in
a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings
upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their
instruction, That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide
pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life
from perishing by the sword.
2.
(Rom 1:19,20) Because that which may be known of God is manifest
in them [“in their inner consciousness” Ampl.]; for God
hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from
the creation of the world [i.e. nature] are clearly seen, being
understood by the things that are made [by us], even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
God
speaks to us through visible material manifestation of “the word [logos]
spoken by angels” (Heb 2:2; Job 33:23) which we consciously receive as
the composite Bible (“made flesh” i.e. visible, by Jesus:
John 1:14), and God speaks to us through invisible immaterial
manifestation, again of angels (rhema), in our subconscious which we
receive as dreams (Job 33:15). Please note that both these
modes of communication are purposed by God to impact the willing hearer
with understanding (Mat 13:23,51). Also, please note that God
only speaks to us through His messengers, i.e. His angels, who are
the message. The “word” of God (Heb 4:12 logos; Eph 6:17 rhema),
which is “the sword of the Lord” (Judg 7:18,20 - Gideon) is a
“tongue,” the tongue of the Lord. Through both the Bible
(visible logos) and dreams (invisible rhema), God speaks to each receiving
person in their own language, a language, a tongue which employs the
recipient’s own culturally learned symbols and associations.
1.
(Acts 7:38) This is he [Moses], that was in the
church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in
the mount Sina [Heb: Sinai], and with our fathers: who
received the lively oracles [the living utterances of God]
to give unto us:
2.
(Acts 7:53) [We] Who have received the law by the
disposition [instrumentality] of angels, and have not
kept it.
3.
(Gal 3:19) Wherefore then serveth the law? It was
added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the
promise was made; and it was ordained[instituted, prescribed:
appointed, commanded, given, (set in) order] by angels in the
hand of a mediator [“Christ Jesus” 1 Tim 2:5].
4.
(Heb 2:2) For if the word [logos] spoken
by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience
received a just recompense of reward; [Deut 33:1-3; Acts 7:38,53; Gal
3:19]
5.
(John 1:14) And the Word [logos “spoken by
angels” Heb 2:2] was made flesh [in Jesus Christ],
and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only
begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
6.
(Job 33:23,24) If there be a messenger [Heb:
mal’ak; an angel] with him, an interpreter, [with]
one among a thousand [men], to show unto man his uprightness
[“how to be upright and in right standing with God” Ampl.]: Then
he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down
to the pit: I have found a ransom.
7.
(Mat 13:23) But he that received seed [“The
seed is the word (logos) of God.” Luke 8:11] into the good ground
is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty.
8.
(Mat 13:51,52) Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood
all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then said he unto
them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed
[taught] unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an
householder [head of a family, master of the house], which
bringeth forth out of his treasure things new [rhema
- revelations] and old [logos - seed].
When
we consider a “tongue” through the lens of the Bible, the
spiritual emphasis is not on the speaking, but rather on the
hearing, as in understanding – to which point the apostle
Paul’s commentary is quite lengthy and specific (1 Cor 12,13,14). The
correct discernment of what contemporary Christianity commonly labels as
a biblical tongue is that of an utterance of God in a language that is
intentionally incomprehensible to the unsaved (Mat 13:10-16 &
25:28-30), lest they “eat, and live for ever” (Gen 3:22,23). Incomprehensible,
as a consequence of their own unsavedness. The tongue therefore
reactively serves as “a sign” (1 Cor 14:22) or witness to
that unbeliever pertaining to the imminent danger of his or her own
eternal damnation. The “understanding” of the tongue which God
desires to share with His children is intentionally “hidden
manna” (Rev 2:17) within the sentence of covering words.
Those hearers who remain unsaved, though perhaps not forever, are at
present outside the kingdom, and to them the tongue of the Lord is heard
as a foreign unknown language; they do not receive or understand
the meaning of the utterance, nor is it intended or even possible that
they should (1 Cor 2:14).
1.
(Mat 13:10-12) And the disciples came, and said unto him,
Why speakest thou unto them in parables [a “kind” of
tongue]? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given
unto you to know [i.e. to receive] the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever
hath [understanding], to him shall be given [more
understanding], and he shall have more abundance: but
whosoever hath not [understanding], from him shall be taken
away even that he hath.
2.
(Mat 25:28-30) Take therefore the talent [money,
i.e. silver v.27] from him [“who hid thy talent in the earth”
v.25], and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto
every one that hath [understanding] shall be given [more
understanding], and he shall have abundance: but from him
that hath not [understanding] shall be taken away even
that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant [i.e.
stony ground hearer] into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
3.
(Mat 13:13-16) Therefore speak I to them in parables
[“kinds of tongues” 1 Cor 12:10]: because they seeing
see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing
ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see,
and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross,
and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed;
lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their
ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them [make whole]. But blessed
are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
4.
(Gen 3:22,23) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is
become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put
forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat,
and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the
garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
5.
(1 Cor 14:22) Wherefore tongues are for a sign
[miracle, token, wonder], not to them that believe, but to
them that believe not: but prophesying [inspired speaking]
serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
6.
(Rev 2:17) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh [“ye
have overcome the wicked one” 1 John 2:13,14] will I give to eat
of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the
stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that
receiveth it.
7.
(1 Cor 2:14) But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither
can he know [understand] them, because they are spiritually
discerned.
May
we note in the second chapter of Acts, that the twelve apostles were
“standing up” (Acts 2:14) in distinction (separation) from the rest
of the people in the house (if you had just been filled with the Holy
Ghost, you would be standing up – and jumping too: Acts 3:8). Further,
that the apostles were uttering words in the language of God. Many
Jewish hearers and proselytes from different nations who entered into that
house (covering) heard the apostles as if the apostles were
speaking in the hearer’s own respective native
language (Acts 2:6). The only hearers who were blessed with an
understanding of the language of God were “Jews, devout men [“God-fearing”
NIV; i.e. saved], out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5-12).
Whereas the remaining hearers in that house (covering) were without an
understanding of the language of God, and were therefore signified in
Holy Scripture by the separating appellation of “Others.” “Others
[i.e. unsaved] mocking said, These men are full of new wine”
(Acts 2:13). “Others” than what? “Others” in clear contrast to
the aforementioned “devout.”
Amen
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