When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
The images of Pentecost are not unique to the Jerusalem Pentecost event. As I demonstrated in the previous post, the violent rushing wind reflect the ruach/pneuma of God – Spirit, breath, wind – throughout the Old Testament. Likewise, the “tongues as of fire” reflect various theophanic images in the Old Testament.
Fire is a symbol of the Divine Presence. As the exiled Moses wandered in the wilderness, the angel of Yahweh “appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush” (Exodus 3:2). From the fire, the voice of Yahweh spoke to Moses. The theophany of fire was to be a permanent fixture in the worship of Israel. As the priest constructed the Tabernacle they were commanded that the altar was to be a place of continuous fire. “Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out” (Leviticus 6:13). The altar was the place of sacrifice and atonement. It represented the sacred place where a holy God and sinful humanity could be reconciled. At the altar, the theophanic fire consumed the sacrifice. “Then fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces” (Leviticus 9:24). The consuming fire represents judgment for sin and acceptance of the atoning sacrifice. Generations later, after the Temple of Solomon was erected as a permanent dwelling for Yahweh, the theophanic fire sanctified the place of worship. “Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house” (2 Chronicles 7:1).
The “tongue of fire” represents the Voice of God. The fire is a theophany of the Divine essence and a symbol of the divine voice. After the exodus, Moses led the people of Israel to the foot of Mt. Sinai where “the Lord descended upon it in fire” (Exodus 19:18). The imagery of “tongues as of fire” is artfully portrayed in The Ten Commandments (click to watch) as the fire of Yahweh that engraves the commandments into the side of the mountain and then carves the tablets of stone. The Psalmist declared, “The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire” (29:7). Elijah declared that Yahweh is the god who answers by fire (1 Kings 18:24, 38-39). Isaiah cried out, “Behold, the name of the Lord comes from a remote place; burning is His anger and dense is His smoke; His lips are filled with indignation and His tongue is like a consuming fire…” (See also Isaiah 5:24). The “tongues as of fire” that appeared on the day of Pentecost reflect these Old Testament themes.
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16).The prophetic words of John the Baptist spoken at the beginning of Luke’s Gospel are fulfilled at the beginning of Luke’s Acts. Christ, the Anointed One, has been crucified, buried, and exalted. From the divine throne, the Anointed One now pours forth the Anointing – the Holy Spirit. As Luke penned the words “the Holy Spirit and fire” it is almost certain that he was reflecting on the tongues of fire that appeared on the day of Pentecost. Just as the fire of God descended upon Mt. Sinai as a sign of covenant with Israel, tongues of fire have appeared in the Upper Room to signify the New Covenant (Hebrews 12:22). Just as Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem was filled with the fire and glory of God, the Upper Room was filled with the Divine Pneuma and tongues of fire. The tongues of fire represent the consuming fire of the Levitical altar. The advent of the Spirit confirms that the Father has accepted the sacrifice of the Son (Hebrews 9:14; Acts 2:33). The disciples have presented themselves as a “living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1) by waiting for the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49). The preacher of Hebrews declared, “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29). The fire of the Spirit sanctifies the believer (1 Corinthians 3:12-16). The Spirit’s fire increases zeal in the heart of the believer (John 2:17). We must not resist the Spirit’s fire (Jeremiah 20:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20; Ephesians 4:30-31).
