What did the cloven tongues of fire at Pentecost actually look like?
In the scriptural record, the cloven tongues at Pentecost were not actual fire but looked like little flames of fire. They appeared like fire and sat upon each one present, probably the twelve apostles and perhaps the whole hundred and twenty gathered.
Les explains that Pentecost was Jewish, not Gentile. When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind filled the house. There appeared unto them cloven tongues—not of fire, but they looked like little flames of fire, like fire, and it sat upon each one; that must have been the twelve and maybe the whole hundred and twenty. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, meaning other languages, because Jews from all over the unknown world, many displaced for generations from Babylon and Spain, spoke different languages. God gave the apostles the gift to speak all those languages to the massive crowd, and every man heard them speak not an unknown guttural noise but a language they could understand. This was the first time in Scripture that the Holy Spirit manifested this gift of speaking known languages not intrinsic to their own education. Peter and most disciples were from Galilee, uneducated fishermen, yet suddenly spoke the various languages evident at Pentecost.
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
More Questions
Why did the disciples see cloven tongues as of fire at Pentecost?
The cloven tongues appeared at Pentecost in order to give the believers something they could see, because the Holy Spirit's coming itself was invisible.