I find it fascinating that God takes control of the one thing man cannot control as evidence of His abiding presence; the tongue.
"For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
But the tongue can no man tame;" (James 3:7-8) However, with God all things are possible. (Matt 19:26)
In addition, on the Day of Pentecost a flame resembling a cloven (split) tongue appeared above each person when the Spirit entered their body. This record in Acts points to a couple things considering each believer is to be God's dwelling place upon rebirth:
1. The Israelites knew when God was present in the darkness of night by the pillar of flame that appeared above the Old Testament tabernacle. (Exodus 25:8, 22, 29:43,40:34-38)
2. The cloven (split or divided in two) tongue appears to represent that there are two types of tongues: One as the initial evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and two; the Spiritual gift of tongues.
I see it more as one thing. The infiling of the Spirit of Christ, the gift of hearing God.
Signs throughout the Bible follow after the unseen eternal work . They do not lead. Prophecy leads as many that are led by the Spirit that dwells in them.
The Israelites that did believe God were waiting 400 years for God to fulfill the prophecy made to Abraham . Those who knew not God did not believe prophecy . So God multiplied His signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt
against those who did not believe in a God not seen.
Exodus 7:2-4 King James Version (KJV) Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.And
I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt
.But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
Like in Acts the tongue or in
1 Kings 18:37-39 it is used to represent certain men have the approval of God .This is when God was still brining new revelations. Cloven tongues like a fire licked up the proving water showing the fiery judgement had ben satisfied .,Just as it was a sign in Acts.
And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2: 3-4
1 Kings 18:37-39 King James Version (KJV)Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and
licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.