Wind and Fire

Wind and Fire

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2: 1-4

Hearing and Seeing

There are two things in particular to notice here, firstly everyone heard,

(V2) a sound like the blowing of a violent wind

And then the apostles saw,

(V3). what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

“Violent rushing wind” and “tongues of fire that separated” are both images found in the Old Testament that are associated with the presence of God.

For example, we read of a whirlwind in 2 Kings 2:1, when Elijah was about to be taken up to heaven,

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.

Likewise, Fire is often present when God is present, we only need to think of Moses and God speaking to him through the burning bush in Exodus 3: 2-4

There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

As promised by Jesus on the day of Pentecost, God’s Holy Spirit comes to the disciples, the Ruach or Wind, and what’s described LIKE

"flaming tongues of fire"

divide and settle on each of the disciples as they are commissioned into Apostles to go out into all the world and preach the good news.

On this first day, they preach the Gospel to crowds of Jews who have traveled from the known world for the celebration, and they hear the message of the gospel in their native languages.

The Apostles, now empowered and emboldened by the Spirit, discover that language is no longer the barrier that had divided people from the time of Babel. And the words that the Spirit gave the Apostles to speak set the hearts of those present on fire with a desire for Messiah Jesus resulting in over three thousand Jews coming to believe in Jesus. After the celebrations, those three thousand Jewish believers returned to their own countries as new disciples who were the fruit of the first seeds of the gospel, and in this Christs Church was born.

One final thought, consider for a moment,

“they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire”

Perhaps this isn’t so much a physical flame that rested on each of the Apostle's heads, but instead describes the power of their words (fire) spoken by their tongues as they proclaimed the good news.

What are your thoughts?

Have a great day, and God bless,

Trev.