#811

The Prophetic Sign Of Tongues

A Lot Of Signs

Whenever we talk about the end times or the last days we inevitably look at the various Olivet Discourses in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13. And for good reason as they were the words of Jesus to His disciples to let them know the signs of when He would return. Wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, nation against nation, false Christs, and so many more indications that anyone living at that time should recognize. Those of us who study Bible prophecy all know them and many of us have spent years breaking them down because we believe that we are living in those times right now. Indeed, we’re living during the prophetic birth pangs mentioned by the Jesus in Matthew 24:8:

All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish].(AMPC)

In a lot of translations the term birth pangs isn’t seen, but the Greek word for sorrows is described this way in an article from gotquestions.org:

Hearing Jesus’ description of the beginning of sorrows, the disciples would have been alarmed. Jesus was describing the collapse of the temple and its systems, mass socio-political upheaval, human catastrophe and crisis, and natural disasters. But Jesus encourages them that these things are not the end, but they are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:8). At first glance, this seems a strange statement, but recognizing that the Greek word for “sorrows” (odinon) is often associated with the idea of labor or birth pains, we understand Jesus to be indicating that this ongoing series of tragic events would merely be the “labor pains” leading to another event. Once these things began, the condition of the world would continue to worsen until the “childbirth” was completed.

So while some think, and rightly so, that the signs that Jesus iterated will happen during the Tribulation, the birth pangs will lead up to it before the Tribulation. And just like those pangs in natural childbirth start out small, so will the signs all around us. But there is one sign that many overlook and it is one I don’t want any of to miss.

That Guy Peter

Of all the apostles, Peter was the most brash and outspoken. Jesus talked to and about him more than the other disciples, at least that’s what happened in the gospel accounts. But Peter was also the one who said what they were all thinking so that impetuousness wasn’t all bad. His time with Jesus was one of ups and downs, a literal roller coaster of emotions that saw him declare he would never deny Jesus three times and then actually do it right after his master died on the cross. And his denials actually had him cursing like a fisherman which makes sense since he used to curse as a fisherman. Peter was a bold personality who did things to extremes, but he lacked balance in his spiritual walk. His spiritual highs were exhilarating, but his spiritual lows were devastating. That would change shortly after the resurrection of Jesus as we see in Acts 1:

In one of these meetings he told them not to leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them in fulfillment of the Father’s promise, a matter he had previously discussed with them.

5 “John baptized you with water,” he reminded them, “but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit in just a few days.”

6 And another time when he appeared to them, they asked him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel from Rome now and restore us as an independent nation?”

7 “The Father sets those dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. 8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection.” (Acts 1:4-8, TLB)

It Was Special

Although Jesus kept telling them they would receive power after He went back to Heaven, they still were hoping that Jesus as the reigning messiah was going to happen next. In Acts 1:6 they alluded to Him not being gone long and wanted Him to only leave for a short time. That wasn’t the plan, though as it wouldn’t happen in their lifetimes, but they couldn’t have predicted what was coming next while they waited in that upper room in Jerusalem. We see exactly what Jesus meant in Acts 2:

Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day, 2 suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in languages they didn’t know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. (Acts 2:1-4, TLB)

Power was given just as prophesied by Jesus. And that power to witness would be seen immediately as our guy Peter would rise to the occasion once more in a big way. A very big way.

This Is That

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel… (Acts 2:14-15, AKJV)

Peter obviously saw the need to clarify to those in Jerusalem what was happening at the time since the disciples were speaking in languages they were never taught and those seeing and hearing them assumed they were drinking the good stuff. In reality, it was the God stuff they were experiencing. But those watching were also Jews so they would know the Bible and they would have read the verses Peter mentioned next:

No! What you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel— 17 ‘In the last days,’ God said, ‘I will pour out my Holy Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men dream dreams. 18 Yes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will cause strange demonstrations in the heavens and on the earth—blood and fire and clouds of smoke; 20 the sun shall turn black and the moon blood-red before that awesome Day of the Lord arrives. 21 But anyone who asks for mercy from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved.’ (Acts 2:16-21, TLB)

Believe it or not, this baptism in the Holy Spirit is a prophetic sign of things before Jesus returns again. And that means today as well.

The Charismatic Renewal

I grew up as a Christian in the early 1970s and I was in an Assembly of God church. I didn’t know anything about the Assemblies of God as I was raised in a Baptist church before my family stopped attending church anywhere. But when I started going to church again I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. As part of the youth group, we met for a small Bible Study we called Prayer Corps. It was on Monday nights and the youth pastor decided to walk us through the book of Acts. Well, as you might have guessed it wouldn’t take too long before we were talking about the baptism in the Holy Spirit and when we were in the second chapter of the book the youth pastor asked us if we wanted to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I remember that night as if it was today. When you ask God for a good gift He isn’t going to turn you down. A lot of us received and started speaking in tongues just like the early church. I wouldn’t be baptized in the Holy Spirit until later, but my sister and I still speak in tongues to this day. However, the doctrine of speaking in tongues was dormant in the world until the 1900s when God started moving in pastors and others and they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. That move of God would wane again until the 1960s when the charismatic movement would rise again, but this time it coincided with the Jesus revolution. And it hasn’t slowed down since. But God said He would pour out His spirit is a massive way in the last of the last days just as the prophet Joel predicted.

It Is A Prophetic Sign

I will show powerful works in the heavens and on the earth, like blood and fire and clouds of smoke. 31 The sun will turn dark and the moon will turn to blood before the day of the Lord. His coming will be a great and troubled day. (Joel 2:30-31, NLV)

When Peter used the passages from Joel 2 he included the verses about signs in the heavens which were to happen just before the second coming of Jesus. Those last days refer to us now. So it is not a stretch to say that just as the birth pangs of earthquakes, wars, pandemics, and famines would get stronger and stronger, so will His outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They are mentioned in the same verses, folks. What I’m trying to say is that all of these people getting dreams, visions is just as much a prophetic sign as all the others we tend to gravitate to when thinking of prophecy. And it is one we tend to dismiss, ignore or even speak against and that’s a shame. Because in a world that wants to shut us up and tell us to stay in our lanes, a spirit of Antichrist is even being preached from pulpits as well. God will not be mocked and He certainly won’t be silenced. Now more than ever before let us embrace Holy Spirit in all His fullness and allow Him to explode all over the world and recognize that His baptism is one of fire, a fire that will light the path for a billion soul revival. The good news? You can be right in the middle of it all if you desire. As there is a revival of evil that seems to dominate the airwaves, there is a revival of God that is happening all around the globe as well. And tongues of fire are one of the signs He is moving.