It does not merely represent the beginning of the "Church age" when the holy spirit came upon the Ecclesia for the first time (see Acts 2). Pentecost calls us out to uncertainty and change but it also assures us that the Gospel will be heard everywhere! Get the latest blog posts from Life, Hope & Truth straight to your inbox. For usage information, please read the Baker Book House Copyright Statement. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (or languages) as … They consider it, in effect, to be the birthday of the New Testament Church. The service is celebrated with an All-night Vigil on the eve of the feast day, and the Divine Liturgy on the day of the feast itself. If you have been following the news recently, you know the connection between George Floyd and what is happening in Minnesota and other cities as I write this. i.e., "fiftieth", found only in the New Testament ( Acts 2:1 ; 20:16 ; 1 Corinthians 16:8 ). Most interesting, however, is its use in Joel and Acts. Pentecost is a Greek word identifying the conclusion of the Jewish harvest festival. by COGWA-STL on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. It was a festival of good cheer, a day of joy. Those who are called by God during this present age and who respond to God’s call are the “firstfruits” of His plan of salvation for mankind. The festival of Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks. School was out. Pentecost holds an interesting distinction among God’s commanded holy days. Of all the annual observances given by God to the ancient Israelites, this is the only one that has been commonly known to Christians since the first century by its Greek name—Pentecost, meaning “the fiftieth day” (Thayer’s Greek Definitions). Ezekiel 37 tells the story of the prophet's vision of a valley of dry bones which come together: when the 'breath' of God enters them, they come to life and stand on their feet. God the Holy Spirit proved on Pentecost His personal existence, and the intellects, the hearts, the lives of the apostles were on that day miraculously changed. It was the first of the two agrarian festivals of Israel and signified the completion of the barley-harvest (Leviticus 23:15,16; Deuteronomy 16:9,10), which had begun at the time of the waving of the first ripe sheaf of the first-fruits (Leviticus 23:11). • PENTECOST (noun) The noun PENTECOST has 2 senses:. I love the imagery and symbols of this important day in the church. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. As Paul later stated, the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom. In the old covenant, Pentecost or the Festival of Weeks was one of the "weightiest" festivals for God's people, according to Ligonier Ministries, an international organization founded by Dr. R.C. From the sixteenth of Nisan seven weeks were reckoned inclusively, and the next or fiftieth day was the day of Pentecost, which fell on the sixth of Sivan (about the end of May). The significance of Pentecost lies in the baptism of the disciples with the Holy Spirit. To learn more about this amazing truth, download our free booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You. Many people think about the Holy Spirit in terms of miracle healings, or gifts that He can give, and indeed, the Holy Spirit is also able to do these things in our days. Pentecost (ProperNoun) A Jewish festival (also known as Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks) seven weeks after the feast of Firstfruits or Yom Habikkurim, originally a harvest festival but, since the destruction of the Temple, also commemorating the anniversary of the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. As Numbers 28:26 says, “Also on the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. 1915. What else is this feast known as? Orr, James, M.A., D.D. The Feast of Weeks celebrated the end of the grain harvest. https://www.archmil.org/offices/worship/Resources/Symbols-of-Pentecost.htm Even more important, it is a reminder for each of us that God’s Holy Spirit is now available to all who repent of their sins, are baptized, and continue to follow and obey Him (Acts 5:32). Many Christians emphasize Christmas and Easter – and rightfully so – so why do we ignore this key moment in our church? The Spirit of Pentecost: the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost, the wind got the attention of the crowd. These festivals do not belong solely to the Jews. Proper name for the 50th day. A popular custom on Pentecost is to eat dairy foods and cheese-cakes in honor of the Law, which is likened to "honey and milk" (Cant.iv. Pentecost is from the Greek word 'Pentekostos', which means 'fifty'. By that day they were fitted for the arduous work that lay before them. The almost universal opinion among theologians and exegetes is this: that Pentecost marks the rounding of the Christian church as an institution. These two meals represent the two loaves of bread, formerly offered in the "bikkurim" offering at the Temple service. A violent wind filled the house: breath or wind is a symbol of the Spirit of God. The institution of the apostolate is an especially strong proof of the institutionary character which Christ gave to His church on the earth" (Geref. Many people don’t know the background of this holy day or why these groups often celebrate it on different days. The Christian festival of Pentecost is known as Whitsun in the UK and Ireland. He currently pastors the Austin, Texas, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. Also called the Feast of Weeks, it was a kind of Thanksgiving in which people brought a sacrifice for the harvest of grain. Its distinguishing feature was the offering of "two leavened loaves" made from the new corn of the completed harvest, which, with two lambs, were waved before the Lord as a thank offering. 3They saw divided tongues that were like fire resting on each one of them. For Christians, Pentecost is a holiday on which we commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the early followers of Jesus. The Pentecost is the only one of the three great feasts which is not mentioned as the memorial of events in the history of the Jews; but such a significance has been found in the fact that the law was given from Sinai on the fiftieth day after the deliverance from Egypt. that is, the fiftieth day (from a Greek word meaning fiftieth), or Harvest Feast, or Feast of Weeks, may be regarded as a supplement to the Passover. Pentecost is often thought to have begun in the New Testament, but in actuality, the word Pentecost is a Greek word referring to the Festival of Weeks, which was one of the main holy festivals of the Jewish people ( Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9 ). (Judaism) Jewish holy day celebrated on the sixth of Sivan to celebrate Moses receiving the Ten Commandments The fire of Pentecost burned in each one of them until their dying day. What we note from these passages is that Pentecost is a feast of God. 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