Cloven Tongues, Like as of Fire
Table of Contents
Cloven Tongues, Like as of Fire: No. 1
All the readers of this paper may not have noticed that the Lord Jesus was anointed by the Holy Ghost and received the Holy Ghost under vastly different circumstances. On this earth He was thus recognized as the Holy One of God, but was alone: in heaven He received the Holy Ghost to shed upon us.
Let us turn to Matt. 3 for the first occasion. John the Baptist says," I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
On this occasion Jesus came to John to be baptized. " But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" Now mark the answer of Jesus, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him." Thus we see Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, enter upon His mission from heaven, fulfilling all righteousness. We must remember this. " And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
He, the Holy One of God, was the only man on earth to whom the heavens were then open. He stood alone as the One who could really fulfill all righteousness. " Lo I come to do thy will, O God." That will had then to be done. Oh, look at that blessed Jesus in this world of sin and foul dishonor, engaged to fulfill all righteousness. Yes, to enable God, His Father, in absolute righteousness, to justify guilty sinners. And as a man, to glorify God—to manifest Him in this guilty world.
But mark, in the first case, John " saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him." There was no fire, or symbol of judgment. It was as angels had announced: " Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." He descended as emblem of peace. It was God in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not in judgment now, not imputing their trespasses unto them. How pleasing was all this to God, for God is love. Hearken to that voice from heaven: " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." But mark, He stands alone: no brethren here with Him. The voice from heaven does not proclaim, These are they in whom I am well pleased. Jesus alone then could hear those words. To Him alone then those heavens could be opened.
Yes, we see Him alone, the Holy One; and He must remain alone or die, as He says later on. He had been offered to men, to His own nation, and had been utterly rejected. He says," Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12)
We will now pass on to another scene, not on this earth, but in heaven. Jesus has now fulfilled all righteousness. He has now glorified God His Father. He has now been delivered for our iniquities; as our substitute, He has borne our sins in His own body on the tree. The infinite claims of God's righteous wrath against sin have been fully met, God has shown this by His resurrection from the dead. God has raised Him from the dead for our justification. And more, as Peter declares: " This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." (Acts 2:32, 33.)
Let us now look at Jesus receiving from the Father the Holy Ghost for a special purpose.
What a change from the river Jordan to the right hand of the throne of God in heaven. The same Jesus by the right hand of God exalted, now, as man, receives the Holy Ghost—and He, the risen, glorified Jesus, He hath shed forth this. Everything is in contrast with the anointing of the Holy Ghost on earth. Then the work of our redemption had to be done, now it is done—done never to be repeated, wholly or in part. Such a thought would imply that He had failed to fulfill all righteousness. He has made peace by the blood of the cross, and now, in heaven as the exalted One, receives the Holy Ghost. We shall see how intimately this is connected with the righteousness of God.
At His baptism we have seen He was alone. Not so now. Then the Holy Ghost descended, and lighted, as a dove, on Him alone. Now, " When the day of Pentecost was fully tome, 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.', What a contrast to the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan! Now all believers are baptized by the Spirit into one body. " For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles," &c. (1 Cor. 12:13.) And Jesus received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost for this purpose. "He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." What a revelation this is. May our eyes be fastened on Him in heaven, receiving the Spirit that He might baptize all believers by the Spirit into one body: His body; He the heavenly Head! A heavenly company, baptized into one body.
There are, however, other deeply important matters to notice in this baptism in contrast with the first. The Spirit did not now descend as a dove. Great is the change in this respect. There was a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, or " as of a violent, impetuous blowing," and there appeared unto them (not as a dove, but) as cloven or parted tongues of fire, and it sat upon each of them. Have you ever thought of this striking contrast? What does it mean? Fire is the emblem of judgment: our God is a consuming fire; and here there was a mighty rushing wind. And this appearance of parted tongues of fire sat upon each of them. How little we have understood this. If we turn to John 16.. we shall find the promise very remarkably in keeping with the fulfillment in Acts 2
" Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." If He had not died for us and risen again, we never could have been one with Him in heaven. The Father could never have given Him the Holy Ghost to baptize us into this one body.
" And when he is come, he will reprove [or convince] the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." It is the very contrast of the dove resting on Him. " Of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Tongues of fire are needed for this testimony of the Holy Ghost come down from heaven: needed for witnesses of Christ in a world that has definitely rejected Him as peace and good will on earth. The world stands convicted of sin, because they believe not in Christ. It is no use trying to cover this sin, by pretending to keep the law. Do we as with tongues of fire declare to this world its damning sin in not believing on Christ? It was this that marked the preaching at Pentecost. The Holy Ghost did not come down from heaven to split hairs of theology. " Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more." The righteousness of God was fully proved; for He had received to glory the Man that had made atonement for our sins. This same Jesus, who had fulfilled all righteousness by obedience unto death, the death of the cross, was exalted at the right hand of God. God, who had forsaken Him when made sin on the cross, now gives Him the Holy Ghost, as man, this same Jesus, and this in heaven. There is righteousness then in heaven. "Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
Oh, Christ rejecting, unrighteous world, that has murdered the Son of God! There is righteousness proved by the Spirit come down from heaven, for the Jesus you rejected, and still reject, is gone to the Father. Talk not of probation, all is out as to the race of Adam; Christ has been rejected by us. More guilty we could not be. Wondrous grace! that which proves the world's deepest guilt, reveals to faith Christ the righteous One, to be our righteousness before the face of God; and we in Him, the righteousness of God. Yea, all this the righteousness of God; for it is what God has done, the sending of His Son; the acceptance of that blessed One who has done the will of God, by raising Him from the dead; by receiving Him up to glory; by sending the Holy Ghost to bear witness of Him. All is of God.
Still we have the tongue as of fire on each one. "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Satan, this world's prince and god, is judged. His trial is over. He led Jew and Gentile to reject and crucify the Holy One of God. It was Satan's deepest possible act of sin and rebellion. Yes, both man and Satan have been tried and proved guilty. Mercy is still proclaimed to men, but Satan awaits his doom. What light this throws on the present scenes around us in Satan's world! Oh, reader, have you received the Holy Ghost? Or are you still in the darkness and chains of Satan?
If you have received the Spirit, you are linked with heaven; yea, with this same Jesus, now Lord and Christ. " Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."
We are found now in circumstances very similar in one respect to those who received the Holy Ghost, as parted tongues of fire, sitting on each of them. Coming judgment had to be proclaimed to Jerusalem and the Jews; for God was about to judge her and them as rejecters of His Christ, and of the Holy Ghost come down from heaven. Much in Christendom now, as Jerusalem then, has rejected Christ, and the judgments are at hand. Let us next look at the preaching of the apostles then, and the need to proclaim the judgments about to fall on Christendom now. Oh for tongues as of fire, to proclaim the same glad tidings of mercy, and also of judgment which will as surely fall on Christendom as it fell on Jerusalem.
Cloven Tongues, Like as of Fire: No. 2
We will now look how the Spirit enabled these poor, unlearned men to speak words " like as of fire." The rushing, mighty sound from heaven had been noised abroad in Jerusalem, and had gathered great multitudes together—devout men, Jews out of every nation. That great multitude was composed chiefly of two companies, much as it is now.
One company was composed of Pharisees, or those who were seeking to attain to righteousness by works of law; the other were rationalists, or infidels. But both had rejected Jesus, and the whole world had joined together to kill the Prince of Life, the Holy One of God. And thus the action of the Spirit of God was no longer limited to the dove as it rested on Jesus whilst here below. The days were now at hand when these words of Jesus should be fulfilled, " I am come to send fire on the earth: and what will I, if it be already kindled?" (Luke 12:49-53,) Yes, to the Jews, days were at hand when judgments, like a figure of their last days of tribulation, should fall upon them.
Peter stood up and spake as if with a tongue of fire, quoting the words of Joel, the prophet, " And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire, and vapor of smoke: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come." All this is yet in connection with infinite grace: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
But hear the fearful charge against the men of Israel as to their treatment of Jesus. "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and, by wicked hands, have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up," &c. Yes, " this Jesus" (whom they had cruelly murdered) " hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear." Thus the descent of the Spirit was the proof of two things: man's wickedness and God's righteousness. Man's wickedness in rejecting and murdering the only righteous One, in whom was no fault: God's righteousness in receiving Him to glory. " Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." Oh, how the Spirit used these words of fire in pricking the conscience of thousands. What a cry arose: " Men and brethren, what shall we do?" " Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift or the Holy Ghost." Yes, the very murderers of the Christ of God, the Savior Lord, were called upon, in the mighty power of the Spirit, to repent and become the very disciples in baptism of the Jesus they had rejected and slain. What a change of mind! What judgment of themselves and their mad and wicked conduct; and what a burst of God's forgiving love. " For the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Mark, this was no u do penance as a merit of salvation," that Peter preached as with a tongue of fire. " Then they that gladly received his word were baptized." And read the wonderful effect of this preaching so as by fire. " And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."... " And the Lord added to the assembly daily, such as should be saved." Yes, the words of the apostles were the words of God. " And our God is a consuming fire."
In chapter iii. 13, we hear Peter again speak piercing words of judgment. " The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." And then how he shows them that the prophets had foretold it should be thus. " That Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out," &c.
Hear again the cloven tongue as of fire in chapter iv. " Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
Yes, if you read through the Acts, you will find, " With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all," They had no need for gorgeous services and sacerdotal robes; for music, and paintings; for services of song; for stringed bands; religious concerts, and Sunday theatricals—all these sadly become heathenized Christendom of idolatry, or rationalism. But let us return.
" This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear," There is a beautiful figure of this in Psalm 133 " Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."
A new company was formed on that clay when Jesus, received up to glory, shed forth the Holy Ghost, and brethren dwelt together in unity! As we have seen, when He was anointed by the Holy Ghost as Man on earth, come to do the will of God, He was alone: the Spirit abode on Him alone, as a dove; but now the Spirit was given Him to shed on the new company. Just as the precious ointment upon the head of Aaron ran down upon the beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments: so our Aaron, our Great High Priest, has passed into the heavens. Thus, all believers, baptized into His body, are a heavenly company. lie in the heavens received the promise of the Father, the Holy Ghost, and shed this, like the anointing oil on the head, and it descends, covering every member of His body—the assembly.
On the banks of the Jordan, the Father could only say of one, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." But now the new company of believers are brought into favor in Him in the heavenlies. And the same precious ointment flows down from Christ, the Head, and covers all Our dear brother in the East tells us that the dew of Hermon is very peculiar. It is not like dew, or mist, or fog; but if you happened to pass through it, as he has done, you would find it most reviving and strengthening, as it falls on the mountains of Zion. And is there anything like the anointing of the Holy Ghost? How reviving, refreshing, and strengthening! The intellect of man cannot in this particular imitate it. All that is in imitation withers the soul. Have you received the Holy Ghost? Then you belong to this unity of the Spirit, and are responsible to endeavor to keep it.
Now if your sins are forgiven, and you have received the Holy Ghost, then what company do you belong to? Do you say, " I belong to a company of Christians that began about fifty years ago, or a hundred, or three hundred years ago? éé That will not do, a sect may have begun at these dates. But a sect is not the new company of Acts 2 The date of this new company would be about 1856 years ago. Very blessedly did that company dwell together in unity, persecuted and hated by the Jews. We read: "And being let go, they went to their own company." (Acts 4:23.) This was the company on whom the Holy Ghost was shed. " And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul... And with great power gave the apostles, witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all" Those were the days of the dew of Hermon.
As to their bodies these persons were all on earth. And though as yet they may not have understood it, yet they were a heavenly company one with the Savior Jesus raised from the dead, received up to heaven, Lord and Christ, All this comes out more fully in the inspired writings of Paul. But this is the date of that, entirely new company, the assembly of God. It has no other date, no other beginning. And all true believers ever since, who have received the same Spirit, belong to this same heavenly body.
It may easily be distinguished from all the earthly bodies that man has made. No doubt it has been the special aim of Satan to disfigure, by earthly imitations, this wondrous heavenly reality. And men have ever been found ready to spoil what is put into their hands. It has been so from the beginning. It might be well to ask yourself, Is that with which I am identified as a Christian earthly or heavenly? A very serious question. If it be of heaven, it will have no earthly show. Of this, the new company, set up of God, was absolutely destitute; so much so, that the men of the earth regarded Christians as having no religion at all, but as being atheists. The world, as it always will, called them a sect, and they were everywhere spoken against.
Well, time is short: it matters little for the world's scorn. This new company that began at Pentecost, is about to be caught up to meet the Lord, this same Jesus. I do not ask, Do you, or I, belong to any of the companies formed since: but do we belong to that new company formed that day when Jesus received the Holy Ghost to shed forth on man? Then let us remember the same Holy Ghost who, as cloven tongues like as of fire sat on them, is still with us. May the Lord grant that there may be more of that same truth preached with tongues as of fire. May we have more faith in the continual presence and mighty power of the Holy Ghost.