What is Speaking in Tongues

What Is Speaking In Tongues?

Please visit the tab "What is the Tongue of Angels?" for edification that Hebrew is the tongue of angels and the tongue of creation.

The tongue of creation was Hebrew:

Jubilees 12:26

[26]And I opened his mouth, and his ears and his lips, and I began to speak with him in Hebrew in the tongue of the creation.

When man was made, the sons of men spoke Hebrew, the one language:

Genesis 11:1

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

At the tower of Babel, the one language was confounded amongst men:

Genesis 11:7

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

Jasher 9:32

And Alahayim said to the seventy angels who stood foremost before him, to those who were near to him, saying Come let us descend and confuse their tongues, that one man shall not understand the language of his neighbor, and they did so unto them.

The tongues are languages of men. At the splitting of the tongues, the Holy Language of the Angels and creation was retained by Noah, Shem, Eber, and the House of Abraham while 70 nations were given tongues of men.

The Appendix of Naphtali 8:4-6

4 For at that time Ahayah, blessed be He, came down from His highest heavens, and brought down with Him seventy ministering angels, Michael at their head.

5 He commanded them to teach the seventy families which sprang from the loins of Noah seventy languages.

6 Forthwith the angels descended and did according to the command of their Creator. But the holy language, the Hebrew language, remained only in the house of Shem and Eber, and in the house of Abraham our father, who is one of their descendants.

Genesis 11:8-9

8 So Ahayah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because Ahayah did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did Ahayah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

The languages of the people being confounded and split into 70 languages amongst the 70 nations except the Hebrew tongue of Abram the Hebrew. People were scattered according to their tongues that they spoke:

Genesis 10:5,20,31
[5]By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their
families, in their nations.
[20]These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their
nations.
[31]These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.

From the confounding of the first language resulting in people's inability to understand each other's language and the scattering of the people according to their respective tongues, the precepts show tongues are in reference to the actual tongues of men in the earth or the tongue of Angels which is Hebrew. The prophecies show men of other tongues will speak to the Hebrews with other languages than Hebrew, the tongue of Angels:

I Cor 14:21

[21]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.

Unbelievers will be spoken to by "men of other tongues," which are men who speak another language of men, so the men would actually understand the tongues they are speaking unto the unbelievers in because it's just another language of men that is unknown to the unbelieving Hebrews. The Apostles did indeed speak in other tongues of men that were unknown tongues to the unbelieving Jews to understand the prophecies and what speaking in tongues means:

Acts 2:3-8
[3]And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
[4]And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
[5]And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
[6]Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that
every man heard them speak in his own language.

(The New Testament confirms speaking in "other tongues" still meant to speak in the languages of men that other men can understand. This shows that "tongues" still referred to "languages of men or Hebrew" in the earth in the New Testament.)

[7]And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galilaeans?

(They were amazed because Galileans speak Hebrew, the tongue of Angels, mixed with Chaldean from the Babylonian captivity and living among the Gentiles of Galilee, but the Jews of other countries heard them speaking the tongues of the nations wherein they were born abroad.)

[8]And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

As a sign of them that believe, believers shall speak in new tongues that they were formerly unacquainted with:

Mark 16:17
[17]And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues;

The Apostles did show these signs of believers in the book of Acts for edification. In respect of the Hebrews, they will be given utterance of the pure Hebrew Language again in these end times in Egypt:

Isa 19:18

In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction.

Zep 3:9

For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

Understanding tongues are languages of men or the Hebrew tongue of Angels and the Hebrew race, Charity is more profitable than the gift of speaking in other tongues of men or the tongue of Angels:

1Co 13:1

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

So if we speak any known language of men today or Hebrew and have not Charity it is no profit to us:

1Co 13:4

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
1Co 13:5

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
1Co 13:6

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
1Co 13:7

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
1Co 13:8

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
1Co 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

There is nothing wrong with desiring spiritual gifts to speak in other tongues of men or Hebrew, but knowing Charity is what is what will abide, everyone ought rather to desire that we may prophesy because Charity edifies others:

1Co 14:1

Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.

1Co 14:3,5

3. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

5. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth
than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.

Prophesying is greater than speaking the other tongues of men or Hebrew because everyone is edified, yet if someone can speak another tongue of man or Hebrew as well to interpret it, speaking in those other tongues is just as good as prophesying because everyone can be edified by the interpretation:

1Co 14:27

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.

There must be others who understand the tongue of man or Hebrew being spoken that is unknown to the others in the Church:

1Co 14:28

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to Alahayim.

This is the simplicity of the ordinance for those who have the gift of speaking in the other tongues of men or the Hebrew tongue unknown to the rest of the church. This ordinance is for good reason:

1Co 14:23-26

[23] 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 ye are mad?

The newcomer would think we were mad if we all spoke different tongues of men and Hebrew while no one is being edified because we cannot understand each other:

[24]But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all,
he is judged of all:

If the men are all prophesying in an orderly fashion in the Church in a tongue of man that can be understood by everyone, it will be for the conversion of the unbeliever:

[25]And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will
worship Alahayim, and report that Alahayim is in you of a truth.

Understanding how much better it is to prophesy unto edification in a known tongue, Paul reasons with us about how speaking in tongues of men or Angels, isn't profitable if others aren't edified:

1 Corinthians 14:6-11

[6]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?
[7]And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the
sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped?
[8]For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
[9]So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air.

If the Apostles were not speaking actual words of the actual languages that the people could understand in Acts 2, the hearers wouldn't have known they were declaring the wonderful works of Alahayim if the Apostles spake into the air to no one's profit:

[10]There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification.

All the voices in the world have a signification so all the tongues of men today have a signification of what respective language is being spoken, hence speaking in "unknown tongues" is just speaking in one of the languages of men or the Hebrew language that may just be unknown to another person but one can still tell what language it is by the signification of the sound of the language.

[11]Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he
that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

A person may be able to tell by the sound, what respective language of men is being spoken, but if they don't know the meaning of the sound of that language, it will sound barbaric to the hearer. For example, if no one knew and understood the tongues the Apostles were speaking, then they would seem like barbarians to those Jews that were gathered from abroad and would have been taken for madmen as Paul spake of by evidence of the few who couldn't understand the Apostles mocked them. Through the simplicity of the scriptures, speaking in an unknown tongue is just being given utterance by the Holy Spirit to speak in the languages of men or the language of Angels which is Hebrew. Speaking in unknown tongues is not speaking a language that is not amongst the tongues of men or Hebrew by evidence of others having the ability to understand the tongue that the Spirit gives a person utterance to speak as the Apostles in Acts 2 had done for an example for us. In the Church, to avoid being a Barbarian to another or speaking another language that another man can't understand or Hebrew that another doesn't understand, there are guidelines:

Speaking in unknown tongues

I Cor 14:13-19

[13]Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.

Rule 1: if you speak an unknown tongue of men, pray in a tongue that you are able to interpret so that others can be edified:

[14]For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

If you pray in a unknown tongue to the people in the room, your understanding will be unfruitful because others can't understand:

[16]Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say
Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?

This is why Rule 1 of praying in a tongue people can understand is important so that others can agree with understanding of the tongue.

[17]For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.

So speaking in a tongue others can understand is important for others edification:

[18] I thank my Alahayim, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
[19] 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.

The simplicity of Rule 1 ensures everyone in the church is edified. Now in regards to a person who may just speak an unknown tongue to the church:

1Co 14:27

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.

Rule 2: There can only be men speaking in an unknown tongue of man in two or threes at most and there must be one who can interpret the language being spoken because at the mouth of two or three witnesses are words established:

1Co 14:28

But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to Alahayim.

Rule 3: If there is no interpreter of the unknown tongue of men that the other man speaks, let him keep silence in the church and speak to himself and Alahayim.

1Co 14:34

Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.

Rule 4: Sisters keep silent in the churches by the commandments of the Lord so if they speak any tongue, they have to keep silent and speak to themselves:

1Co 14:35

And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

**Pleases visit the tabs "Can a sister teach?" and "Can a Sister Speak in Church?" for further edification for the sisters.**

1Co 14:36

What? came the word of Alahayim out from you? or came it unto you only?

1Co 14:37

If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

Thus we have the commandments of the Lord for the church. The church is a body of people, not an actual physical building in the earth.

1 Peter 2:5

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to Alahayim by Yache Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Ephesians 2:20

And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yache Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Ephesians 2:21

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Ephesians 2:22

In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Alahayim through the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:14 For the body is not one member, but many.

Knowing this, the church setting can be wherever the members of the body gather, like a home for example:

Rom 16:5

Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

Seeing as though the church is a people, wherever they gather in the name of the Lord, he is in the midst:

Mat 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

So those 4 simple rules for speaking in the tongues of men or Angels (Hebrew) in the churches if for any church setting wherein the members of Christ are gathered.

Rule 1: If you speak an unknown tongue of men, (bilingual) pray in a tongue that you are able to interpret so that others can be edified:
Rule 2: There can only be men speaking in an unknown tongue of man in two or threes at most and there must be one who can interpret the language being spoken because at the mouth of two or three witnesses are words established:
Rule 3: If there is no interpreter of the unknown tongue of men that the other man speaks, let him keep silence in the church and speak to himself and Alahayim.
Rule 4: Sisters keep silent in the churches by the commandments of the Lord so if they speak any tongue, they have to keep silent and speak to themselves:

In closing, according to the Holy books, speaking in tongues is to speak in the languages of men or Hebrew, the tongue of Angels, either of which can be recognized by the significant distinction of the sound of the voice and understood by others who hear it when the Spirit gives a believer utterance to speak in a new tongue that the believer was once unacquainted with. Also, in the church setting, believers speak in tongues of men that they can understand to interpret so that others can be edified.