~ The Sign to the Unbelievers ~ ... a sign which shall be spoken against.

1Cor 14:21 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.

Now I want to show you a great and hidden mystery here. Study this carefully.

Isa 28:7 But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. Isa 28:8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

Wine represents the glory of the truth and the Word. So who erred here? The OT priest and their prophets. All their tables, or spiritual eating places, are full of vomit and filthiness.

Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Now that is where it is written in the law, 1Cor 14:21 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.

Isa 28:15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

Now that is still speaking of the OT priests and prophets, and of course all their people. They say they made a COVENANT with DEATH. So what is DEATH? How could they have a covenant with death? It is that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, LAW. By the law is the knowledge of sin {evil}. It also teaches good. But it also brings DEATH. They DIED under the LAW without mercy. They also made a covenant {law} with hell. This is the OT priests and prophets. After death, comes hell. Since the priests and the prophets kept them under law, they are the death and hell to those who follow them. This covenant is that Ten Commandment LAW covenant.

Now why is it that they would not hear when God spoke to them with other tongues? I will show you why.

1Cor 14:22 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.

Isa:66:19 And I will set A SIGN among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

Now see that this SIGN he set among them is the same sign which is to them that believe not. It is the sign of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. How do I know? Jesus told his disciples [those who received that sign of speaking in tongues] to go into all NATIONS and preach to all people = the Gentiles, who were afar off. This promise is to you and your children and ALL THAT are AFAR OFF. These had not previously seen his glory. But when those who received this new REST, the stammering lips and another tongue, had this sign given to them, they carried his glory to all nations.

Now how is this a sign to them that believe not?

Jud:6:17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me A SIGN that thou talkest with me.

See here that Gideon told the Lord, IF I have found GRACE in thy sight, then show me a SIGN that thou talkest with me. A sign that you talk with me. For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak [talk] to this people...and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance. Gideon is showing that the people who came into the New Covenant of GRACE, are the ones to whom the Lord is speaking to. This is the SIGN which shall be spoken against. So see that this sign and grace are connected together.

Now for why it is a sign to the unbelievers:

Ex 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you

Ex 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Ex 31:16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.

Ex 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

See that the law brought them DEATH? He said if you do any work in the sabbath day, you will surely be put to DEATH. If you break that law, it brings death. IT is death.

Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. [the law is not of faith.]

The PROMISE is unto you and your children....this promise of entering into his rest...but you must come in by FAITH.

Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, .. Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Heb 4:8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. [They ceased from the works of the law.] See here that they entered not in because of unbelief. They did not believe the true sign of speaking in tongues. They did not hear when he spoke to them in other tongues. So this prevented them from entering into the true rest.

Back to Isa. 28:22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong:

He is telling them here not to mock this stammering lips and another tongue, lest their BANDS [law binding them] be made strong. Why? Because they fell backwards, they fell from Grace back to law = death and hell.

Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. Isa 28:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Now let’s tie all of the above together. God gave the sabbath as a sign to the people, for a perpetual covenant for THEIR generations. Their generations means those OT law people. It was the generation of OT Law. Then see that when God finished saying this to Moses he gave him tables of STONE. This is the hard law; hard heart. death. hell. This law on stone is this sign unto the unbelievers. How? See that in Hebrews he said they did NOT enter into his REST [that speaking in tongues] because of unbelief. They clung to that law on stone in a heart of unbelief. He said the law is not of faith. He said they did not enter into the true rest because when it was preached to them, they did not believe. In other words, they refused the sign of speaking in tongues. It was a sign to those UNBELIEVERS. It was a sign that they had missed God’s true move, and went and fell backwards, back to law on stone, the Ten Commandments. They never entered into the true rest of stammering lips and another tongue. They mocked it. They spoke against it. They clung to the sign of the OT Sabbath, instead of coming into the sign of the true Rest of God. All today who speak against it and mock it are in that law group who went and fell backward and were broken and snared and taken.

See that Gideon said If I have found GRACE in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. This is showing that the Holy Ghost is speaking in us or talking with us through the sign to the unbelievers, the speaking in other tongues. It comes only to those who enter into the true rest, GRACE. You cannot mix grace and law. It is the same as trying to mix life and death; light and darkness; freedom and bondage. So speaking in tongues is a sign to those unbelievers who refused to come into this true rest of God. He said this is the REST wherewith you may cause the weary to find rest. This is that other day he spoke of. It is the day of GRACE. Grace is the true rest of God. IT is the Holy Ghost speaking or talking to us. But the speaking in tongues is the sign to those unbelievers that they have missed it and gone back to the death covenant of law.

Now for those who doubt that the law of Ten Commandments was death, here is solid proof:

2Cor 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: [done away means disannulled] Now that shows very plainly that the law witten on stone to Moses was administering DEATH. Who is going to call this Word a lie? This is the death riding on that fourth horse. This is that death those OT people said they had a covenant with = law. This is the tree which when eaten of, brings DEATH. It is death. So all who cling to this death, after LIFE was offered to them, they are broken, snared and taken to be destroyed. They missed the sign of speaking in tongues. It was a sign to those unbelievers that they have missed Grace, or life.

2Cor 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. (The law kills therefore it is death.)

Now that verse proves that the New Testament is the Spirit which gives life and that the letter is the law which kills. Not of the letter means not of the law, for it is grace and law in focus here.

2Cor 3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

Now this proves that the ministration of law was condemnation. So to be under law is to be condemned. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. He gives us grace, not law. He gives us the SIGN of speaking in tongues, not the SIGN of keeping a seventh day sabbath.

2Cor 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ. 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.

This shows that the law, or old testament, blinds people. When they read or believe law today, the veil is upon their heart.

Eze24:27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be A SIGN unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Lu 1:62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. Lu 1:63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. Lu 1:64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

Ezekiel had been dumb for a time. But then his mouth was opened and this was a sign to them which had escaped. He was the OT type of this: Now Zacharias, John’s father had been dumb until John’s birth. They made signs to him asking what to name the baby. As soon as he spoke the NT name for John, his tongue was loosed and he praised God. This was signifying the coming of the NT salvation on the day of Pentecost. It showed the sign of speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives utterance.

See how having the mouth opened and the tongue loosed is a SIGN to those in bondage? It was used even in the OT times for a sign to the people.

Mt 12:38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Mt 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

These law keepers were seeking to make Jesus show them that he kept their sign of sabbath keeping. But he told them an evil generation [law people] is seeking a sign. We do not seek this sign of speaking in tongues; he just gives it to us. We are to seek for God, not the sign. I never sought to speak in tongues. I did not even believe it until I did it. I was not seeking the sign. Do not seek the sign; seek the Holy Ghost. He will automatically give you the sign. It is wrong to seek the sign, as so many do today. Now why did Jesus tell them that no sign except that of Jonas will be given to you? Jonas showed the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. But he also showed that Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonas. This group of hard-hearted law-keepers would never repent at the preaching of Jesus. That is why the sign of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost would never be given to them.

1Cor1:22 For the Jews require A SIGN, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

See this is why those Jews were seeking a sign from Jesus. They require a sign, for God had given them the sign of sabbath keeping. They lived by this law. They had already accused Jesus several times of breaking this sign or sabbath.

Now watch a new ‘sign’ be given to them:

Lu2:12 And this shall be A SIGN unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Now I realize you may think all of this is unrelated to this message on the gift of tongues. But I can assure you, it is all connected and very important to fully explaining the glory of this gift, which is so spoken against. I am now going to show you how Jesus is ONE with this gift.

That baby was the beginning of this new sign from God, the sign of having the Holy Ghost, the sign to the unbelievers, and sign that one is now in the life or grace covenant. This your only hope of salvation.

Lu2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for A SIGN which shall be spoken against;

Now see another verse showing that Jesus was a sign to these people. He would cause that OT group to fall, but he would also cause all those who believed to rise again. He was that sign which would be spoken against. He is the sign to unbelievers. He is also the sign to the believers. He is ONE with this ‘sign gift’.

Now for a third verse showing that Jesus is this sign: Lu11:30 For as Jonas was A SIGN unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

So Jesus was a sign to that generation of law-keepers. He gave the sign of speaking in tongues as a sign to those unbelievers who rejected the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, thus rejecting Grace, light, life and salvation.

Isa 7:10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 7:11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 7:12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. 7:13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Ahaz would not ask for a sign. He knew it was a wicked generation who seeks a sign. But God had told his to ask and he did not. So God gave the sign. See that it is the same sign of that baby in the manger? But this son is the resurrected Christ. He is the SIGN to this whole world. All who reject this sign will end up in hell fire.

So now see that all the NT signs are Christ? This sign of tongues is his gift to us = that of entering into the true REST FOR THE SOUL. Jesus said come unto me, all who are weary [from the works of the law] and I will give you REST. If he had given them rest, to whom it was first preached, he would not have afterward spoken of another day. This is the DAY OF REST, having the Holy Ghost speaking or talking to you in the Spirit. It is manifested by speaking in other tongues, which is this sign to the unbelievers.

Now why would speaking in tongues be a sign to the unbelievers and prophesying be for the believers? It is quite simple. See that I have showed you how the speaking in tongues shows the unbelievers that they have missed the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. When they hear speaking in tongues, they mock it, sneer at it, do not believe it, they speak against it. So they leave in a hard heart of law. That is the only place left for those who refuse Grace. You cannot come into Grace apart from faith in the Holy Ghost. Jesus gives us this sign. But after you believe and have the Holy Ghost, then prophecy is used to reveal thoughts of the hearts to people. When those who are unlearned [not knowing the Scriptures; it is not speaking of knowledge of worldly things] hear prophesying, they understand what is being spoken and therefore it can convert their heart as they hear things in their heart revealed. Then they know God is with these people. But if they hear everyone speaking in tongues, they just say you are all mad, or crazy. That is truly what these unbeliever say about this precious SIGN. The unbelievers spoke against the sign of Jesus; they hated him. They also speak against this sign of speaking in other tongues; they hate it. It is the same sign.

Jesus is doing the speaking in us. It is him. So he is the sign to unbelievers. They do not believe his tongues.

1Co 14:23 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? 14:24 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: 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

Let me use this one more time to tie it together for you how the speaking in tongues is a sign to the unbelievers:

1Cor 14:21 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.

1Cor 14:22 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.

Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. Isa 28:12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

See this Scripture in Isa. 28. says that He would speak to this people with stammering lips and another tongue. He said this was the refreshing and the rest to the weary which Jesus promised to give us. Yet for all this THEY WOULD NOT HEAR. See then that they are unbelievers for they did not believe this rest or come into it. So the speaking in tongues is the sign that they are on the outside of faith and salvation. But to the believers we have prophesy. I fully believe from this evidence that you must speak in tongues before you can have the gift of prophesy or any of the other gifts of the Holy Ghost. For if he has not uttered his heavenly tongue in you, you do not have the Holy Ghost to give you the gifts.

Isa 28:22 Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong:

Ac 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. [Be careful, you MOCKERS.]

By: Jo Smith