Why tongues of fire at Pentecost?

"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."

What is the fire here representing? Why fire? Also, why cloven tongues?

Cloven:Split;divided.

2 Corinthians 6:17
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

Gods word is like a refining fire the tou he’s of fire mean they are speaking of Gods spirit notice as soon as the tou he’s of fire come upon them immediately they start speaking as the spirit gives them utterance ?

The tongues of fire is pointing to what they are saying what’s coming off thier tongues being of Gods spirit d not coming from themselves

you’ll also notice often something coming out of mouths like a double edged sword , or spirits coming out of mouths or a flood of water coming out of a mouth ect it’s always referring to the persons words and speech ie tongues , double edged sword coming out of a mouth spirits coming out of moths ect it’s all referring to the doctrine the person is speaking

God is a consuming fire his word also is a fire that burns up the chaff in us

In this case the fire was a supernatural fire which emanates from God. We can only speculated about the questions you have asked. This was a very special event, and God gave a sign to His disciples by placing cloven or divided tongues of fire on them. They were cloven or divided to show that a variety of languages would be spoken by these same disciples supernaturally. This is pure conjecture.

It is interesting that the Spirit as it fell on Jesus was as a dove, perhaps signifying His lack of sin. Here fire perhaps acknowledges the sin still in believers.

A honest direct reply

They are not tongues of fire. They looked like fire. If you read a more modern version, it becomes clearer. The meaning is that the "fire" divided and settled on each of them individually.

When Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His baptism, it came in the form of a dove. Jesus came as the suffering servant, to be crucified and save the human race from their sins - if they will receive Him. The apostles received power to be witnesses to the resurrection of Christ and to preach the Kingdom of God. In the Bible, "fire" mostly represents judgement and cleansing. The apostles were frightened and scattered after the death of Christ. Once they were baptised in the Holy Spirit, they were fearless and bold.

Thanks Gideon300 for your response. Your response is the closest to my view of the coming of the Holy Spirit in this case. While it is true that the fire is not actual fire, but only "like as of fire ", the term 'fire' is still used and so has meaning, just as the 'form of a dove' did in your reference. I see the fire as being a picture of Christ's sacrifice. We read: "an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. ". This sacrifice scripture is an Old Testament picture of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. When the Holy Spirit comes, it enables believers to speak of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Thus, fire is referenced, in my opinion.

I see the term cloven as also having meaning. I see this as pointing to the fact that the gospel has two sides, salvation or condemnation. As the believers witness by the Holy Spirit about Christ's sacrifice, the gospel speaks of salvation for those that believe, and of condemnation for those that reject Christ. It is a bit, in my opinion, like those who rightly divide the word of truth. It is interesting that by and large the cloven-toed animals in the Old Testament were clean, whilst one-toed animals were unclean. So, I suppose this points to the gospel and having this two-sided component, like the double-edged sword. Similarly, John the Baptist ate locusts and wild honey. This, in my opinion, also shows the two sides of the gospel, with locusts being a picture of judgment, and honey as being a picture of salvation.

His word separates the wheat from the chaff.

"Like as of fire" could also mean resembling natural fire but in fact being actual supernatural fire, which would not burn the recipients. There are many instances when supernatural fire came down from Heaven. Generally for divine judgment, but here for divine blessing. Perhaps a symbol of the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit.

Purity is just like the fire coal from the brazen Alter put to the lips of the prophet.

The same fire that Appeared to Moses, the same fire that took Elijah into Heaven, the same Fire that was there by light for the Hebrews in the wilderness. Our God is an all-consuming FIRE!!!

The Holy Spirit enclothed them with Power and Holy Ghost fire.

i have been watching this Thread to what answers are provided while breaking down the Greek for this Verse. what's really intriguing is the Verse claims that Languages, in the form of PYRO [COMBINATION of “fire,” “heat,” “high temperature,”], literally sits down on them and then begins distributing to one another and they keep splitting and distributing.

Cloven tongues, I believe, is just a description of the 'fire' - If you've ever been at a campfire or have a wood burning fireplace, you'll see small "tongues" of flames that can appear as if split down the middle. I don't really see this as any more than a physical description of a "typical" tongue of fire. People may be reading too much into it. 'Tongue' here is just a word that describes the shape, like the 'tongue' of a shoe. Nothing to do with tongue as a descriptor for language.

Fire may be interpreted as something that purifies/cleanses. I don't know that there's any concrete answer for that part; as someone suggested, we can only speculate, and as someone also already mentioned, the Greek has "hôseì pyrós" - 'as if of fire". Was it actual fire, or something that just looked like it.

yeah the chaff is burned up this chaff

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:21-23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

New International Version
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
New Living Translation
Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
English Standard Version
And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.
Berean Standard Bible
They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
Berean Literal Bible
And there appeared to them dividing tongues as of fire and sat upon each one of them.
King James Bible
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
New King James Version
Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.
New American Standard Bible
And tongues that looked like fire appeared to them, distributing themselves, and a tongue rested on each one of them.

Imagine a candle has only one wick, & one 'tongue' of flame rising from it.
Nothing special about the word 'cloven'. (kjv)
What's the most important thing to consider is "Are you keeping your candle burning?"

The holy spirit.

I read this not sure if I agree thought I would just post it "Our the King James Version "cloven tongues" is somewhat misleading, for it is likely to suggest that each fire-like tongue was cloven or forked, as one sometimes sees in the pictures representing the scene. But this is not at all the meaning of Luke's expression; rather, tongues parting asunder, tongues distributed among them, each disciple sharing in the gift equally with the others. "Like as of fire," or, more exactly, "as if of fire," indicates the appearance of the tongues, not that they were actually aflame, but that they prefigured the marvelous gift with which the disciples were now endowed.

Well, thats speculation. Nowhere else in bible we find similar.

It is not speculation; there was a fire on the burning bush. Was there not? Is not God All Consuming fire? Did not the fire of the Holy Spirit Consume those in the upper Room? Enclothed with POWER!

To your questions.
1. Yes; 2. Yes; 3. No;
Where please it is written that those in the upper room were consumed with fire?
This Event you cant compare with an other Event in the bible.