Revelation 13:13-14 “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”
The phenomenon of or Speaking in Tongues that is seen in the Christian churches today is relatively new. It did not start to enter into some churches until the early 1900’s. This raises the question. If what we are seeing today is the genuine gift of the Holy Spirit that empowered the disciples at Pentecost, allowing them to go into all nations and preach the gospel in the native tongue of those they came across, why was it absent from the church for over 1800 years? Is it that God only gives His people gifts of the spirit that are required at a particular time or for a particular purpose? See Speaking in tongues and glossolalia for a very detailed study of this topic.
Throughout the Bible it is seen that God always empowered His people to do what it is that He wanted them to do. He directed them with His Holy Spirit and then gave to them whatever gift was necessary to get done what needed to be achieved. This being the case it is easy to see why God saw it necessary to give the gift of speaking in Tongues to the early Church. How else would uneducated men have been able to effectively spread the gospel? This all makes perfect sense. The question is then, for what reason would the gift of Speaking in Tongues have been reintroduced to the church a hundred years ago? What possible purpose does it serve? And in fact is what we see in churches today the genuine gift, or has Satan somehow been able to infiltrate the Christian world and deceive them with a counterfeit of one of God’s gifts for his own purposes?
We are warned in the Bible that in the end times there will be a huge outpouring of false miracles, signs and wonders that will deceive much of the Christian world. Mark 13:22 “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”
Many of the events predicted for the end times are now happening, Mathew 24:7 “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”
In the history of this planet we have never seen such a continuous, increasing amount of natural disasters and such a threat to peace as the terrorism epidemic.
Everything is pointing toward the soon coming of the Lord, and as such we need to hearken to the severe warning that the disciple Mark gave to us. We need to be aware that false signs and miracles are even today occurring, and to earnestly search the scriptures so as to be able to discern the true from the counterfeit.
In Revelation, John writes that he saw in vision that the antichrist beast power (representing a false system of religion that bases it’s doctrines on the traditions of man, instead on the word of God, and does blasphemous things, like claiming to have the power to forgive sins and replace Christ with an earthly representative) would also do great wonders and signs and make fire come down from heaven.
Fire in prophetic terms was symbolic of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16 “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:”) which means that the false fire from heaven, is a false representation of the Holy Spirit, or more precisely the deceiving spirits of demons counterfeiting the works of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 13:12-14 “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”
So if we are in the end times, and there is a false representation of the Holy Spirit in our churches, what is it? Are some of the miraculous healings being done by a source other than God, and is the speaking in tongues phenomenon that has already swept through more than 20% of the Christian world the genuine gift or a counterfeit?
The best way to find out, is to study the word of God in relation to the fruits and the gifts of the spirit, and test what we see happening in our churches against the Bible. If what we see today is exactly the same as what happened in the examples in the Bible, and is being used for the same purpose, then we can be assured that what we are checking is the genuine gift or fruit from God, but if what we test against the scriptures comes back different – then it is most likely a deceptive counterfeit from the devil, who is always doing his utmost to trick or seduce God’s people into sinning and falling away from God.
One of the most important attributes of the Holy Spirit is that He will guide you into truth. John 16:13 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;” Truth is the understanding of the true gospel message of forgiveness of sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus our Lord. The message that we are saved by grace and not works, and that those who are saved will be obedient to the will of the Father and follow His commandments, just as Jesus also instructed. John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
The Bible does not contradict itself, and the Holy Spirit will never contradict the word of God, so if anyone says that the Holy Spirit showed them that we don’t have to obey the Ten Commandments or anything else that would directly contradict the teachings of the scriptures, then you can be assured that the spirit that they are listening to is not the Holy Spirit, but a deceiving spirit. We must never forget that most of the attacks that the devil makes on us are through the thoughts and temptations that he or his evil angels place into our minds. 1 John 4:1 “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
One of the devils strongest tools is his ability to deceive, to make counterfeits that are very close to the original, and if not tested against the word, may be easily accepted as being the genuine thing.
What is the main area that he has been able to deceive much of the Christian world in over recent times? Before we answer that question, let’s just look at a couple of things from the Bible, firstly the gift of speaking in tongues and secondly the gift of miraculous healings to see what the genuine manifestation of these gifts were.
Acts 2:3-8 “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. 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 Galileans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
When used in reference to speaking, tongues simply meant “language.” The Greek word is “glossa” and means “tongue, language,” and the verb “laleo” means “to speak”, producing the word “glossolalia.” Here is the definition from the Strong’s and Thayer dictionaries on tongue speaking i.e. glossolalia:
Strong’s Definition: “glossa”, pronounced “gloce'-sah” Of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication a language (specifically one naturally unacquired): - tongue.
Thayer Definition: “glossa”
1) The tongue, a member of the body, an organ of speech.
2) A tongue.
1a) the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations.
When the disciples and believers at Pentecost were baptised by the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, what was the purpose? Why did God choose to bestow that gift upon them at that time?
Jesus had predicted the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues for the purpose of carrying out the Great Commission, when He was telling the disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel message. Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;”
Jesus' disciples were to receive the power of the gift of the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues so that they could proclaim the Good News of Jesus, first in Israel, and then to all nations, tongues (languages) and peoples. The disciples were unlearned men who would never have been able to preach in other languages to all the people of the various nations, without the divine intervention of God, giving them the ability to preach the Gospel message in languages they had never learned.
It should be noted also that when the genuine gift of tongues was given, for the purpose of evangelising, they understood what they were saying. 1 Corinthians 14:15-16 “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when you shall bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at your giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what you sayest?”
Paul is also pointing out in this verse that it is of no value to be praying, singing or speaking blessings in tongues if those around you do not understand the language. He found it necessary to point out to the church at Corinth the fact that they were misusing the gift.
1 Corinthians 14:4-6 “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that you all spoke with tongues, but rather that you prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?”
1 Corinthians 14:9 “So likewise you, except you utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for you shall speak into the air.”
1 Corinthians 14:13-14 “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.”
1 Corinthians 14:18-19 “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”
1 Corinthians 14:21-23 “In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that you are mad?”
1 Corinthians 14:26-27 “How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.”
1 Corinthians 14:39 “Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.”
Paul was clarifying with them that the purpose of the gift was for teaching and preaching to people in languages that they could understand – not to do it just for the sake of it. Select this link to view 1 Corinthians 14 by Albert Barnes Commentary or this link to view 1 Corinthians 14 by Adam Clarke Commentary.
Paul also confirmed that the gift of speaking in tongues was the least of the gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-10 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”
Again later he repeated the message that we are all given different gifts so that we can work together as parts of the body of Christ to achieve whatever God commissions us for, and again he listed tongues last. 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 “...you are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
Now that we have looked at what the genuine gift of tongues was used for and why it was required, let us look at what speaking in tongues in the occult world is.
Studies have revealed that speaking in tongues is found in the zar cult and various spirits in Haitian Voodoo. It is practised in non-Christian religions among the Eskimos, Japanese séances in Hokkaido, in a small cult led by Genji Yanagide of Moji City, in Malaysia, Indonesia, Siberia, Arabia, Burma, Japan, Korea, China and Arctic regions, the shamans in Ethiopia and is also found extensively in African tribal religions. History also shows that it was present among many pagan religions many years before Pentecost.
The speaking in tongues that we find in most Christian churches today bears far more resemblance to the tongues spoken in the above non-Christian religions than it does to the wonderful miracle that God gave to the early disciples in order to spread the gospel message to the world.
This is not to say that the genuine gift of the speaking in tongues or interpretation is not given to some Christians today. I have heard of missionaries who have been preaching the gospel message in English and the Solomon Islanders they were speaking to heard them in their own language.
On the other hand, TV evangelists who claim to have the gift of speaking in tongues prove over and over again that they are being hypocrites, when they take their team of trained interpreters on their international crusades. If they had been given the genuine gift of speaking in tongues why would they ever need to hire an interpreter?
There have been several studies on the speaking in tongues phenomenon in the Christian churches. One was done by Felicitas D. Goodman, a psychological, anthropologist and linguist. She did her study on various English, Mayan and Spanish speaking Pentecostal communities in the United States and Mexico. She took tape recordings and then compared them to recordings of non-Christian rituals from Africa, Indonesia, Borneo and Japan. Her results were published in 1972 in an extensive monograph (Speaking in Tongues: A Cross-Cultural Study in Glossolalia by Felecitas D. Goodman, University of Chicago Press, 1972).
Her conclusions were as follows: “when all features of speaking in tongues were taken into consideration, which is the segmental structure (such as sounds, syllables, phrases) and its suprasegmental elements (namely, rhythm, accent, and especially overall intonation) there is no distinction in tongues between Christians and the followers of non-Christian (pagan) religions.” Ms. Goodman wrote in the prestigious Encyclopedia of Religion (1987) that the “association between trance and glossolalia is now accepted by many researchers as a correct assumption.” Goodman also concluded that glossolalia “is, actually, a learned behaviour, learned either unwarily or, sometimes consciously.”
Being able to speak in a language or articulate foreign phrases and syllables that you have never been learned is indeed a miracle, but unless you have received the genuine gift to meet a specific need for witnessing or evangelising to people in their own language, and unless you understand what it is you are telling them, then it would seem that the miracle is most probably from a deceiving spirit, rather than the genuine gift from the Holy Spirit of God.
So many of the charismatic and Pentecostal churches put an overwhelming emphasis on speaking in tongues as proof that you have been baptised by the Holy Spirit. This is in direct contrast to the teaching that Paul gave, where he described the different gifts of the spirit and put speaking in tongues and interpretation down the bottom of the list. He also pointed out that we are all part of the body of Christ, and as such are all given different talents, gifts and abilities, so that we can work in harmony together to advance the kingdom of God. He certainly never advocated that everyone should seek solely for the gift of tongues and not wholeheartedly beseech God for the other gifts, such as evangelism, apostleship, teachers etc.
Anyone who is preaching that if you do not have the gift of speaking in tongues that you have not received the Holy Spirit is directly contradicting the scriptures. Those who go one step further and pronounce that if you do not speak in tongues you are not saved are speaking a lie. 1 Corinthians 12:28 “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” This shows clearly that we are not all given the same gifts and not all given the gift of speaking in tongues.