Foreign Tongues as a sign of Judgment | Workshop #tongues #giftoftongues #speakingintongues

Why does Paul quote Isaiah 28 when discussing the gift of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14? In Session Two of The Tongues Project, we trace how unintelligible foreign languages consistently function throughout Scripture as a covenant sign of divine judgment. Most popular misunderstandings of tongues arise from failing to read Paul’s New Testament teaching against its deep Old Testament roots. From the dispersion at Babel to the covenant curses of Deuteronomy, the conquests of Assyria and Babylon, and the handwriting on the wall in Daniel 5, this session exposes the continuous thread linking Old Testament biblical theology with Paul’s instructions to the church in Corinth. ------------------------------------- Read our articles on https://thetonguesproject.substack.com Key Topics & Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction & Why This Session Matters Unpacking 1 Corinthians 14:21–22 and why Paul’s quotation of Isaiah 28 is essential for understanding tongues. 05:15 - Link 1: Genesis 11 (Babel & Confusion as Judgment) How human rebellion at Babel resulted in confused speech (Bālal) as a divine act of restraint and judgment. 12:30 - Link 2: Deuteronomy 28:49 (Foreign Tongues in the Mosaic Covenant) Examining the covenant sanction in Deuteronomy: conquest by a nation whose language Israel cannot understand (goy ’asher lo-tishma leshono). 21:10 - Link 3: Historical Fulfilment (Assyria & Babylon) How the covenant threat manifested in 722 BC (Assyria) and 586 BC (Babylon), as recognised by Jeremiah and Isaiah. 30:45 - Link 4: Isaiah 28:11–13 (Mocking Plain Revelation) How Judah’s leaders mocked Isaiah’s teaching as childish babble (tsav latsav, qav laqav), prompting God to speak through foreign conquering speech. 41:20 - Link 5: 1 Corinthians 14:21–22 (Paul’s Rebuke to Corinth) How Paul uses Isaiah 28 as an ironic rebuke to the Corinthians, who treated a sign of judicial distance as a mark of spiritual prestige. 52:00 - Case Study: Daniel 5 (The Writing on the Wall) How the opaque script (Mene, Tekel, Parsin) functions as a covenant lawsuit (riv) requiring a God-given interpreter. 1:01:15 - Objections Answered & Pentecost Connection Addressing how tongues function as judgment while Pentecost marks the expansion of the gospel. --- 📖 Key Scripture References Deuteronomy 28:49 – The covenant curse of an incomprehensible foreign tongue. Isaiah 28:9–13 – God’s response of foreign speech to those who mock His word. Isaiah 33:19 & Jeremiah 5:15 – Foreign conquest as the fulfilment of covenant warnings. Daniel 5:5–8, 25–28 – Divine judgment delivered through an unintelligible script. 1 Corinthians 14:21–22, 27–28 – Tongues as a sign for unbelievers and the mandate for interpretation.