There are big divisions in churches/congregations and with believers which are separating people. I look forward to the Truth being fully known when YESHUA’YAH/JESUS returns so believers can be united again and turn from what is not the Truth, AMEN! Tongues is one area of division but remember, it is not salvational. From what I have experienced/read about, some believe the Biblical gifts are not being manifested anymore, others say they are but not much and wonder why, many others are way too loose and not using the Bible how they need to discern correctly.

GOD/ELOHIM has impressed upon me that during these days of great deception, we need to lift up in prayer ANYTHING involving supernatural occurrences, dreams, visions, prophesying, healing – there can be false healing too, prayers we or others pray – especially praying for something but not asking for GOD’S/ELOHIM’S Will, etc. This is to protect us from deception, the will of our flesh, pride, other people’s wills, and error in beliefs, etc. GOD/ELOHIM is not going to take something from us HE has given but HE will take away what is not of HIM if we ask for discernment and help, AMEN!

YESHUA’YAH/JESUS did talk about night coming when no one could work which is from John/Yochanan 9:4 and I wonder if this is why the Gifts are not being manifested as much. I believe there is much deception replacing the Truth. This is an anti-christ spirit – something replacing the Truth. The belief that tongues are languages and are only valid when someone can interpret is Scriptural and what I believe. There are many who believe that what they speak, which does not sound like a language and that no one interprets, is tongues. So what is the Truth?

1. What the New Testament/Covenant says about tongues/languages:

1a. Verses on the Gift of tongues/languages:

Acts 2: ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of flames of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues/languages 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. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born [native language]? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.  [This shows that tongues refers to languages. See also the definition in 1c below.]

Acts 10:46 For they heard them speak with different tongues, and magnify God.

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;

1b. What Paul said that many who today believe in tongues but with no interpretation do not mention:

I Corinthians 14:4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. 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. 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.

1c. Greek definition of tongues:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G1100&t=KJV

The ancient Greek word behind the word “tongues” in the above verses is Strong’s G1100 – glōssa – γλῶσσα glōssa, gloce-sah’; of uncertain affinity; the tongue; by implication, a language (specially, one naturally unacquired):—tongue.

The ancient Hebrew word behind the word “prophesy[ied]” in the above verses is Strong’s H5012 – naba:

1. 1. to prophesy

      1. under influence of divine spirit

      2. of false prophets

2b. New Testament/Covenant verses and Greek definitions of prophecy and its root:

Look at 1a above for verses in Acts 2 and the verses below:

Luke 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,

Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

The ancient Greek word behind the words “prophesy/prophesied” above is Strong’s G4395 – prophēteuō

2c. Now look at what Peter said in this part of Acts 2. What the believers were doing in Acts with the flame of the HOLY SPIRIT resting on them was to prophesy!

   The gift of tongues is used to prophesy to others.

This is also found in the Old Testament verses above in part 2a.:

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.  [see Deuteronomy 34:9]

3. The pure language and is there a prayer language:

I was in a Messianic Congregation when someone I know brought up questions about tongues and other related things. They received back from the visiting Rabbi from Israel and Pastor much information about babbling and false beliefs in some churches/congregations. They also said that the tongue/language of GOD/ELOHIM and angels/messengers is Hebrew which I had not thought about before.

It says in Zephaniah/Tzefan’Yah 3:9, “For then will I turn/change/transform/restore to the people/nations a pure/the chosen language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.”. Did ELOHIM/GOD give Adam and Eve HIS language/tongue and all people spoke it until the tower of Babel when HE added many languages to man, Genesis/B’Resheet 11:1-9?  Genesis/B’Resheet 11:1, “And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.”. Is ancient Hebrew [differs from modern Hebrew] the pure language/tongue from prior to the tower of Babel which will be restored per Zephaniah/Tzefan’Yah 3:9? Whether it is Hebrew or not, it is clear that ELOHIM/GOD caused one language on the Earth in the beginning, and YAH ELOHIM/THE LORD GOD talked with Adam and Eve [Genesis/B’Resheet 1:28-30, 2:16-20, 3:8-19].

I would also like to add that some have used the phrase “prayer language” instead of “tongues” to describe what was happening to them or others. I have found no reference in Scripture to a prayer language. People prayed to GOD/ELOHIM out loud, in whispers, in their hearts using the language[s] they knew. Nothing was noted about a prayer language even when JESUS/YESHUA’YAH prayed to THE FATHER. We are not supposed to add to Scripture or take away from it. These can bring curses on us! Whatever one calls the sounds made by some while they are praying/speaking to GOD/ELOHIM/or others, please remember that our GOD/ELOHIM and HIS angels/messengers speak in a language that HE gave to humans in the beginning, and that HIS pure language will be restored to us all again one day, Zephaniah 3:9, AMEN!

Look below at how a difference in translation can change a verse:

Jude 20 But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, [ESV]

Jude 20 But you, my beloved, build up yourselves anew in the holy faith through the Holy Spirit, by means of prayer. [Holy Bible Ancient Eastern Text – Aramaic]

I have read that linguists say that the gibberish called tongues has no recognizable pattern as a language. Please see section 9 of this study.

4. Seeing the Flame of Fire rest on you:

Another point is how many people who believe they speak in tongues have seen the HOLY SPIRIT rest on them like others did in Scripture mentioned above? John/Yochanan 14:17 –  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. This verse implies that those who are not of the world can see the SPIRIT of TRUTH the HOLY SPIRIT! I met David in Ohio who told me that when he was in his 20’s a flame of fire came down from the sky and hit him in his forehead. I went to Florida 2 weeks later and saw Jonathan who told me that 2 weeks prior he was in his car at night and a flame of fire in the sky was following him!

It even says that the RUACH HA’KODESH/HOLY SPIRIT came down from Heaven and HE rested/settled on JESUS/YESHUA’YAH when HE was being baptized: Matthew/Mattityahu 3:16, Luke 3:22, John/Yochanan 1:32. This bears witness with these verses in Isaiah. Isaiah/Yesha’Yahu 11:1-5,  “Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; but with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist.”.

6. Testimonies of true tongues and how the enemy can mimic the truth:

I have heard testimony from people that I believe is true tongues. One person shared with me that a Pastor [I think from Texas] was at the wailing wall in Jerusalem and he started speaking in a strange language. Two men heard what he was saying and confronted him, asking how he knew an ancient tongue spoken only by rabbis! Another person shared about a Christian businessman being on a plane and how he started speaking in a language he did not know. A man from Africa was next to him and when the person stopped speaking, the African man asked him to please tell him more about JESUS! Nothing was mentioned about seeing a flame/tongue of fire resting on the people speaking so I do not know if that was part of their experience or not. But these two were very Biblical because in Acts others understood what GOD’S people were saying.

One other thing, in regards to how the enemy can mimic what is of GOD. When I was in the new age after one workshop of “slaying in the spirit” – read my study on this if you have not yet – link below, a couple of people spoke to each other in a language that they had never spoken before and they understood each other and it sounded like a language! The enemy mimics the truth!  The truth about “holy laughter and slaying in the spirit” is a kundalini deceiving demon.

8. Praying for the Truth and the outcome:

I can tell you about my own experience at churches/conferences/congregations. When I have been somewhere and one or more have spoken in what they call “tongues”, I pray to our FATHER IN HEAVEN immediately and ask if it is the Truth for it to continue but if not the Truth for it to stop and repeat the words, “what is the Truth”, in JESUS/YESHUA’YAH’S NAME, AMEN! 99.5% of the time the person stops speaking in “tongues” right away and instead speaks in English. They usually start up again a few minutes later in “tongues” and I start asking for the Truth again and pretty quickly, they stop.

A few times the “tongues” did not stop quickly. I found that also asking for GOD’S/ELOHIM’S Will and if the person would want it will typically stop any that continue on. One pastor was speaking in “tongues” and neighing and stamping his foot like a horse! I prayed with him before leaving for GOD’S/ELOHIM’S Will for him and his church and found out a few months later that he lost his church! I have prayed for GOD’S/ELOHIM’S Will in places where only a few spoke in “tongues” and HE broke them up by some of them only coming back occasionally and not regularly. I have seen a pattern with some women, men too, who seemed to have a desire to show what they were doing to a group. This may be a lust for power or an unhealed need of being noticed or to be somebody.

Something to remember, we have to want/be good with GOD’S/ELOHIM’S Will and the Truth above all. If one prays but does not really want the Truth or GOD’S/ELOHIM’S Will, that could be looked on as being double minded – James 1:8, so would this interfere with the prayer? Check your heart and thoughts before praying this and even ask HIM for conviction, courage, support, and whatever help is needed for breakthrough, AMEN!

I have taught others how I prayed above and they have tried it in churches they went to where others spoke in “tongues” which stopped when they prayed. I have found success with this prayer even with Pastors of well known congregations and ministries. One worship team on stage started looking at each other worried when every time they started in “tongues” they quickly stopped. The point is that when inquiring of GOD/ELOHIM if what is happening is the Truth and then if the person stops speaking this way, it means they are not speaking in True tongues! I try and share it afterwards with the person for them to hopefully lift up in prayer to GOD/ELOHIM to ask HIM themselves, but if unable to talk to them or they reject what is said, I pray for the Truth to be revealed to them and for our Well Beloved FATHER in Heaven’s Will to be accomplished especially if they would want the Truth and HIS Will, AMEN!

It is important for all of us to want only the Truth because what is not the Truth is of HIS enemy! This is not about who is right or not right, this is about helping each other out during the deception of the end times. We are told in the bible that Believers were like family and that we are to be each other’s keepers. JESUS/YESHUA’YAH even said that men would come to HIM and say what they did for HIM and HIS response will be, “I never knew you…keepers of lawlessness/iniquity”, Matthew/Mattityahu 7:22-23. Please do not allow the enemy to create offense or hurt between you and GOD/ELOHIM or you and others if the Truth is not what you currently believe. Count it a blessing GOD/ELOHIM woke you up from deception! Remember what is important!

9. Two articles on speaking in tongues to consider:

http://www.comereason.org/praying-in-the-holy-spirit.asp [below is from this link]

I think 1 Corinthians 14:6-11 supports this view as Paul makes a big deal about “indistinct sounds,” “speaking into the air,” and someone who “speaks [as] a barbarian.”

Although that’s the argument on angelic tongues, the third point in my letter wasn’t specifically directed against speaking the language of angels. I was more trying to state that there are many who claim to be speaking in tongues, when in reality they are merely repeating similar sounding syllables; saying nothing but gibberish in order to impress their audience. Jamison, Faucet and Brown’s commentary exposits verse 13:1 in this way, “‘Now I wish you all to speak with tongues (so far am I from thus speaking through having any objection to tongues), but rather IN ORDER THAT (as my ulterior and higher wish for you) ye should prophesy.’ Tongues must therefore mean languages, not ecstatic, unintelligible rhapsodie (as NEANDER fancied): for Paul could never ‘wish’ for the latter in their behalf.”4

Both Grudem and Wiersbe agree that for much of the time the language will be unknown to the speaker – so whether it is an “angelic” tongue or not becomes moot. If the speaker cannot identify it, he cannot claim it as being heavenly, an extinct ancient language, or a modern one. However, all languages, known and unknown do have specific patterns and grammar they must follow in order to be able to communicate thought.5 This is why linguists are able to identify whether someone is speaking a real language or just “faking it.”

Unfortunately, because tongues have become so prominent in some Pentecostal congregations, some television evangelists have used this to speak repetitions of vowel sounds, claiming tongues when they are saying nothing at all.

http://www.comereason.org/gift-of-tongues.asp  [below is from this link]

Tongues Are Manifested in Real Languages, Not Babble

An important point in understanding the gift of tongues is the fact that tongues are real languages. The crowd in Acts 2 noted this when they said, “We hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” Paul confirms this as well when he says “Unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air.” (1 Cor. 14:9)

Unfortunately today, there are many congregations that are so eager to speak in tongues, the worshipers will babble phonetic sounds but they aren’t speaking a real language. In a situation such as the one you faced, there can sometimes be so much pressure to “manifest” tongues that congregants feel as though they need to say something, and they speak whatever comes to mind. I think that this is putting too much emphasis on one specific gift ,and this error can cause the whole congregation to stumble as a result.

Worse, I have heard some popular Word Faith teachers, such as Ken Hagin, stand in front of a congregation and purport to speak in tongues, but in reality they were speaking gibberish on purpose! I believe that by so doing, they are not honoring the Holy Spirit but mocking God by falsifying His gifts. (For more discussion on this point, please see the next article “Can Men Speak in a Heavenly Language?”)

10. This verse is key – Revelation 19:10

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony[witness/record] of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. https://biblehub.com/parallel/revelation/19-10.htm

So the SPIRIT OF PROPHECY was given to the Believers in Acts instead of to just a few as is shown in Scripture prior to that event. 2 Peter 1:21 – For the prophecy ^G4394 came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. It was used to magnify GOD – Acts 10:46.

From 2b above Strong’s G4396 – prophētēs:  E. of men filled with the Spirit of God, who by God’s authority and command in words of weight pleads the cause of God and urges salvation of men.

Conclusion: Remember, if we can’t lift up everything in our lives to our Well Beloved FATHER IN HEAVEN in prayer and ask for HIS Will in HIS Well Beloved and Precious SON’S NAME, who can we lift it up to? Why would we not want to ask for our GOOD SHEPHERD to use HIS Rod and Staff to examine us, inside and out, for any speck of the enemy, especially in these deceptive times?  If GOD/ELOHIM shows you a deception or orders your footsteps with someone who has testimony that reveals deception, count it a blessing and do not reject the message/messenger HE has lined up for you! If you have trouble believing that you have been deceived or wonder why GOD/ELOHIM has allowed it, please do not do that to yourself! The enemy has deceived many, from low to high in the kingdom and is especially after the bright lights. Ask and ye shall receive. Lift up prayers asking HIM for the Truth. HE is faithful.

What if GOD/ELOHIM allowed the enemy to sift you and you fell to the deception? Do not be angry or feel GOD/ELOHIM has let you down. HE allows things to happen for many reasons we may not understand yet. HE is constantly looking to mature us, grow us wiser and stronger, and examines what we do and choose, and the reasons behind these things. Per Scripture, HE especially hates pride and offense and many are caught up in them on the earth today from what I have seen. Are you under pressure to show “fruit/gifts” by your church or friends, are you “lusting” or are not patient for wanting to show you have a gift from GOD/ELOHIM and if so, why? What weakness may the enemy be exploiting in you: rejection, fear, need to feel like you are somebody or to prove a point or show others you have power[too], envy, jealousy, greed, lacking knowledge – not knowing the Bible well enough to discern TRUTH from deception – so you are being taken in by false teachings? GOD/ELOHIM may be trying to get your attention about a real problem that is an open door to HIS enemy that needs to be shut.

Do away with what HE asks you to or ask for HIS help if you are having a problem with what HE has revealed to you. If HE stops “the gift” from happening again, thank HIM for the blessing. HE is not going to stop something HE gave you. Remember, if it is not the Truth or THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, the HOLY SPIRIT, then it is deception and a deceiving spirit! May we all be blessed with ONLY the TRUTH, AMEN!