8 And yet how is it we are hearing, each one of us, his own language in which we were born? (Acts 2).
The scripture above is a reader question. The bible is asking us to research that issue. Here is that research.
1 Now all the earth continued to be of one lip/language and of words one [set].
2 And it came about that in their journeying eastward they eventually discovered a valley plain in the land of Shinar, and they took up dwelling there.
3 And they began to say, each one to the other: Come on! Let us make bricks and bake them with a burning process. So brick served as stone for them, but bitumen served as mortar for them.
4 They now said: Come on! Let us build ourselves a city and also a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a celebrated name for ourselves, for fear we may be scattered over all the surface of the earth.
5 And proceeded to go down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men had built.
6 After that said: Look! They are one people and there is one lip/language for them all, and this is what they start to do. Why, now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be unattainable for them.
7 Come now! Let us go down and there confuse/scramble their lip/language that they may not listen to one another's lip/language [but they were not said to scramble their words].
8 Accordingly scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth, and they gradually left off building the city.
9 That is why its name was called Babel,
because there had confused/scrambled the lip/language of all the earth,
and had scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth (Genesis 11).
God is not permitted to mentally rape us. He does not permit himself do a matrix download and all of a sudden we know how to speak Greek or Hebrew (wish he would sometimes). Neither does he destroy our linguistic memories from the past.
Eber, the father of the Hebrew speaking people, was born in 2304, 66 years after the flood. Hebrew is named after him. So we can deduce that all his sons spoke his language which was originally the language of Noah. But since even today the name of the language is the name of a pre-Babel patriarch, we can also deduce that the Hebrew language is a pre Babel language. So Hebrew is the original language of mankind, of Noah and of Adam.
But for the rest of mankind how did a Hebrew speaking person end up spouting Japanese?
Well all languages have changed enormously in the last 4,000 years. So what the forefathers of the Japanese language spoke at Babel might not sound at all like modern Japanese. But they nonetheless spoke the original form of that language in an instant without being mentally raped.
We are told by scripture that the vocabulary (the words) were not changed, only the lip was changed. But how can that be, given that all languages have different vocabularies? The solution is this - we think. Everyone retained their linguistic memories, (their remembered words) but a scrambler was initiated between the brain and the mouth and a descrambler was initiated between the ear and the brain, so that the speaker still heard himself speaking the original language but spoke something that sounded entirely different.
The scripture does not say that the languages were changed. It says they were confused/scrambled/mixed up.
Effectively every language originated as a scramble of Hebrew. In this way everyone would carry on speaking as normal without any mental rape, but only people with the same speech transformation algorithm would understand the speaker. If God encoded 100 different speech transformation algorithms, then 100 different language groups would have resulted. We read that they gradually left off building the tower because it took them a while to work out what had occurred and to find people who had the same scrambling/descrambling routine activated, and because you can carry on with a project for a while without effective communication, but eventually when you cannot receive the next instruction set, work comes to a halt.
There would have been a couple of technical problems with this. For example had a Chaldean Shakespeare written a rhyming couplet in Hebrew, it would not have rhymed in English, and though the listener of the Babel generation would hear it descrambled in the original Hebrew, the next generation would not need or have the transformation algorithm and would realise that in fact it no longer rhymed in the spoken language of English. So sure Hebrew poetry would have been lost on the first non Hebrew speaking post Babel generation. But there would actually have still been a group that appreciated that cultural heritage - the Hebrews!
But understanding what happened at Babel helps us to understand what happened at Pentecost and how people spoke in tongues back then.
1 If I speak in the tongues of men [human languages spoken from your own mind] and of angels [inspired multi-threaded symbolic scriptural speech in your mother tongue, but not from your own mind] but do not have love, I have become a sounding [piece of] brass or a clashing cymbal.
2 And if I have the gift of prophesying and am acquainted with all the sacred secrets and all knowledge, and if I have all the faith so as to transplant mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing (1Corinthians13).
Remember speaks gnostically. So we can expect him to mix up human tongues with angelic tongues.
1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 14
1 Pursue love, yet keep zealously seeking the spiritual gifts, but preferably that you may prophesy.
2 For he that speaks in a tongue [of angels] speaks, not to men, but to God, for no one listens [they hear the words and understand the literal meaning, but do not get the greater or symbolic meaning. As is the case with many scriptures], but he speaks sacred secrets by the spirit [inspired utterances in his mother tongue].
3 However, he that prophesies upbuilds and encourages and consoles men by his speech.
4 He that speaks in a tongue upbuilds himself, but he that prophesies upbuilds a congregation.
5 Now I would like for all of you to speak in tongues, but I prefer that you prophesy. Indeed, he that prophesies is greater than he that speaks in tongues, unless, in fact, he translates, that the congregation may receive upbuilding.
6 But at this time, brothers, if I should come speaking to you in tongues, what good would I do you unless I spoke to you either with a revelation or with knowledge or with a prophecy or with a teaching? [4x, possibly relating to the 4 churches]
7 As it is, the inanimate things give off sound, whether a flute [single toned wind instrument, the tongue of man] or a harp [multi threaded, multi timbral, multi toned instrument, which plays chords - the tongue of angels - sitting upon cloud with them!]; unless it makes an interval to the tones, how will it be known what is being played on the flute or on the harp? [there is an interval between each note or chord in music, and this prefigures the interval between the tongue being spoken and the translator explaining its meaning or the reader finally getting that meaning - doh!]
8 For truly, if the trumpet sounds an indistinct call, who will get ready for battle?
9 In the same way also, unless you through the tongue utter speech easily understood [the angelic tongue is easily understood in the literal meaning, the foreign tongue of men is not], how will it be known what is being spoken? You will,
in fact, be speaking into the air [with the greater meaning].
10 It may be that there are so many kinds of speech sounds in the world, and yet no [kind] is without meaning.
11 If, then, I do not understand the force of the speech sound, I shall be a foreigner to the one speaking, and the one speaking will be a foreigner to me.
12 So also you yourselves, since you are zealously desirous of [gifts of the] spirit, seek to abound in them for the upbuilding of the congregation.
13 Therefore let the one who speaks in a tongue [of angels or of men] pray that he may translate [explain the greater meaning or the meaning in his mother tongue].
14 For if I am praying in a tongue [of angels, one would not pray to God in a foreign language of men since he understands them all - except to ask him to switch the foreign language off!],
it is my [gift of the] spirit that is praying, but my mind is unfruitful [angelic speech is all inspired].
15 What is to be done, then? I will pray with the [gift of the] spirit [in the tongue of angels], but I will also pray with [my] mind [not in a tongue]. I will sing praise with the [gift of the] spirit, but I will also sing praise with [my] mind.
16 Otherwise, if you offer praise with a [gift of the] spirit, how will the man occupying the seat of the ordinary person say Amen to your giving of thanks, since he does not know what you are saying?
17 True, you give thanks in a fine way, but the other man is not being built up.
18 I thank God, I speak in more tongues than all of you do.
19 Nevertheless, in a congregation I would rather speak 5 words with my mind, that I might also instruct others orally,
than 10,000 words in a tongue [of angels].
20 Brothers, do not become young children in powers of understanding, but be babes as to badness; yet become full-grown in powers of understanding.
21 In the Law it is written: 'With the tongues of foreigners [different tongues of man] and with the lips of strangers [different tongues of man] I will speak to this people, and yet not even then will they give heed to me,' says .
22 Consequently tongues [of man] are for a sign, not to the believers, but to the unbelievers,
whereas prophesying is, not for the unbelievers, but for the believers.
23 Therefore, if the whole congregation comes together to one place and they all speak in tongues [of men, different languages not your own, having your scrambler temporarily re-programmed by holy spirit], but ordinary people or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are mad?
24 But if you are all prophesying and any unbeliever or ordinary person comes in, he is reproved by them all, he is closely examined by all;
25 the secrets of his heart become manifest,
so that he will fall upon [his] face and worship God, declaring: God is really among you.
26 What is to be done, then, brothers? When you come together, one has a psalm, another has a teaching, another has a revelation, another has a tongue, another has an interpretation. Let all things take place for upbuilding.
27 And if someone speaks in a tongue [of men], let it be limited to 2 or 3 at the most, and in turns; and let someone translate.
28 But if there be no translator, let him keep silent in the congregation and speak to himself and to God.
29 Further, let 2 or 3 prophets speak [in the tongue of angels], and let the others discern the meaning.
30 But if there is a revelation to another one while sitting there, let the first one keep silent.
31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all be encouraged.
32 And [gifts of] the spirit of the prophets are to be controlled by the prophets [that is God's way, the manager of the football team must know how to play football].
33 For God is [a God], not of disorder, but of peace. As in all the congregations of the holy ones,
34 let the women keep silent in the congregations, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but let them be in subjection, even as the Law says.
35 If, then, they want to learn something,
let them question their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in a congregation.
36 What? Was it from you that the word of God came forth, or was it only as far as you that it reached?
37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or gifted with the spirit, let him acknowledge the things I am writing to you, because they are the Lord's commandment.
38 But if anyone is ignorant, he continues ignorant.
39 Consequently, my brothers, keep zealously seeking the prophesying, and yet do not forbid the speaking in tongues.
40 But let all things take place decently and by arrangement (1Corinthians14).
At Babel all of that generation except the Hebrews got a lip scrambler and an ear descrambler. At Pentecost the holy spirit was given authority by God to turn the lip scramblers and ear unscramblers of the apostles on to languages which they did not speak natively. So that each member of the audience heard them speaking in his own mother tongue...
4 and they all became filled with holy spirit and started to speak with different tongues, just as the spirit was granting them to make utterance.
5 As it was, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, reverent men, from every nation of those under heaven.
6 So, when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 Indeed, they were astonished and began to wonder and say: See here, all these who are speaking are Galileans, are they not?
8 And yet how is it we are hearing, each one of us, his own language in which we were born? (Acts 2).
But the apostles themselves did not hear that. They heard their words in the Greek they were used to speaking through their ear descramblers. This was a second application of the technology that God employed to the Babel generation. But this time it was for the purposes of improving communication to enable all races to build a temple of worship to God rather than impeding the communication of people trying to build a temple of worship to themselves.
The apostles then had the power to give the gifts of the spirit (which included the ability either to speak in a tongue through the lip scrambler and to understand it through the ear descrambler) to others only through the laying on of their hands. This power was only given to the apostles and was not transitive. God could then enable lip scrambling when a Christian found himself addressing a congregation which spoke a foreign language (this is basically the universal translator idea of Star Trek).
But the tongue could also be used as a sign to a congregation which spoke his mother tongue. For at the flip of a switch by the holy spirit he could start spouting Swahili at them understanding himself what it meant but being unable to tell them in any language other than Swahili. Hence a translator was required. If there happened to be a Swahili speaking Christian in earshot then the exercise was worthwhile continuing, not merely from a sign standpoint but also from a content standpoint. If not, then after having done his sign for a few minutes, the best thing would be for him to shut up or to continue speaking in prayer to God, perhaps asking him to switch his language back to his mother tongue!
A man speaking in a foreign tongue by holy spirit, would not understand or be able to speak in his mother tongue whilst this was going on. He is hard wired to speak a foreign language.
Now the ability to hear this gift of the spirit would only be given to those who had been born again - for it is a kingdom manifestation. This is why we read...
11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues about the magnificent things of God.
12 Yes, they were all astonished and were in perplexity,
saying one to another: What does this thing purport to be?
13 However, different ones mocked at them and began to say: They are full of sweet wine. (Acts 2 )
The ones who were not born again could here nothing unusual and so though that those who heard the tongues were drunk.
http://www.industrytap.com/pilot-ear-buds-can-translate-languages-real-time/36867
A Croatian teenager awoke from a coma last week to find she could no longer speak in her native Croatian -- but was fluent in German, a language she had just started studying in school, the U.K. press reports.
Following a mysterious 24-hour coma, the thirteen-year-old girl from the southern town of Knin has been able to understand Croatian, according to the U.K. press. She can only respond in German and requires a translator to communicate with her family, the stories said.
The bible can explain such an event as follows. During the coma the teenagers scrambler/descrambler was set to German!
To be considered with extreme skepticism: Singaporean media reports that, after a motorbike wreck, a Malaysian 17-year-old woke up in the hospital speaking four new languages: Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indonesian. It's not as cool as it sounds. According to the New Straits Times, the "language changes every day," he mother said, and the family learns the langauge du jour only after the girl performs her morning prayers. The new language kicks in only between dawn and 6 p.m. And if her brain deigns to speak Chinese or Korean that day, she's forced to communicate with her mom in hand gestures until the effect wears off.
The scientific community attempt to explain this as an extreme case of foreign accent syndrome. Foreign accent syndrome is an attempt to explain people with head injuries who come out of a coma speaking another language. The s are very familiar with the practice of hammering inconvenient facts into inappropriate pre-conceptions - we have done that in the past with a lot of scriptures! Evidently the scientific community are not immune from this affliction! This Malaysian 17 year old has plainly loosened her language switch to the point where she wakes us every day with the switch in one of 4 new positions! She is living proof of the Babel and Pentecost 'miracles'.
Software that can translate spoken English into spoken Chinese almost instantly has been demonstrated by Microsoft.
The software preserves intonation and cadence so the translated speech still sounds like the original speaker.
Microsoft said research breakthroughs had reduced the number of errors made by the instant translation system.
It said it modelled the system on the way brains work to improve its accuracy.
Details about the project were given by Microsoft research boss Rick Rashid in a blogpost following a presentation he gave in Tianjin, China, in late October that had, he said, started to "generate a bit of attention".
In the final few minutes of that presentation the words of Mr Rashid were almost instantly turned into Chinese by piping the spoken English through Microsoft's translation system. In addition, the machine-generated version of his words maintained some of his spoken style.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20266427