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Pentecost. Also Acts 1: 5 mentions "baptized with the Holy Ghost" but it omits "and
with fire", indicating it was not applicable to the "not many days hence".
The explanation may be simply that "the Jews require a sign" (I Cor. 1: 22), and what
sign could be more appropriate than fire. God spoke to Moses on Mount Horeb from out
of the burning bush (Exod. 3: 1-6). On Mount Sinai "the sight of the glory of the Lord
was like a devouring fire" (Exod. 24: 17), and Moses wrote that "the Lord thy God is a
consuming fire" (Deut. 4: 24). When Aaron began his administration in the tabernacle,
fire came out "from before the Lord, and consume the altar and the burnt offering and the
fat" (Lev. 9: 24). Again, God vindicated His servant Elijah when he stood against the
prophet of Baal, by consuming the sacrifice with fire from heaven (I Kings 18: 38).
Similarly, the burnt offerings of both David and Solomon were consumed with fire from
heaven (I Chron. 21: 26 and II Chron. 7: 1).
Fire from heaven was an unmistakable sign to the Jews that God was behind the
activity. Such a sign was proof to them of God's existence and it signified to those who
benefited from its consequences that they were acceptable to Him and were in His will.
Thus for the Holy Spirit to assume the appearance of fire was perhaps not all that
surprising, and the disciples would appreciate the significance of such a manifestation
even though we may not. But was this the only occasion when there were tongues of
fire? Peter and John laid their hands on those from Samaria:
". . . and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through the laying on
of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money" (Acts 8: 17,
18).
How did he know that the Holy Ghost had been given? Did he see anything? Were
there tongues of fire? Did they speak in tongues? We are not told. Again, at the house
of Cornelius:
"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the
word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came
with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost"
(Acts 10: 44, 45).
Again, how did they know that the gift of the Holy Ghost had been poured out? Did
they see tongues of fire? The next verse states how they knew:
"For (because) they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10: 46).
However, some make a case for tongues of fire upon Cornelius and his house because
of what Peter says about the incident in the next chapter.
"The Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning" (Acts 11: 5).
The problem here is reading too much into the word as. It does not mean "in like
manner" but, as The Companion Bible note states, "even as". With this J. N. Darby's
translation agrees:
"The Holy Spirit fell upon them even as upon us also at the beginning" (J.N.D.).