Pentecost: Observing God’s Second Holiday of the Year
In the Bible, God specifically told His people to celebrate three holidays and teach their children to do so for generations to come. The first holiday is Passover. Click here to read more about Passover. The second God-mandated holiday is Pentecost. The last one is Sukkot. In this blog, I’ve highlighted some key points below from my research about Pentecost.
Pentecost: What is it?
Origin: The word “Pentecost” derives from the pre-fix “pente,” which means 50. Leviticus 23:15-21 tells us that if we count 50 days, or 7 complete sabbaths, from the last day of Passover, this time period is recognized as Pentecost. The 50-day holiday is composed of seven week-long sabbaths. According to Jewish culture, this feast is also called Shavuot.
In the Old Testament, Pentecost is identified by several monikers—all of which showcase its significance.
1. The Harvest of the First Fruits of Your Labor
2. The Feast of Weeks
3. The First Fruit of the Wheat Harvest
4. The Feast of the First Fruit
These OT references contain obvious clues regarding the holiday’s significance. Having “first fruits” in the title makes it easier to remember why this time is important. Even the Feast of Weeks reminds us that this divinely ordained celebration is the one that lasts for several weeks! Both Passover and Sukkot only last one week.
The Process
Unlike Passover, the offerings presented during The Feast of the First Fruit, are honorable because they are the FIRST fruit. This concept is similar to tithing, where Believers are expected to take God’s tenth off the top of our earnings. Historically, Jews would present themselves to the temple with the first produce of their harvest. Deuteronomy 16:16 reads that God’s people shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed, but give an offering according to the blessing the Lord has given them. See also Leviticus 23:19.
Obedience was required for Israel (God’s people) to stay in covenant with God. Not only was observing the appointed times of God a must, but they were also expected to follow other governing rules. For example, God instructed Moses to tell Israel that they were forbidden to eat bread, roasted grain or new growth until the first fruit offering was presented as an offering to the Lord. (Leviticus 23:14). A second one implied working only six days. During this feast, God’s people were to designate one day for complete rest. Once a week on that rest day, God’s people would participate in a holy convocation, or gathering. During which, Israel was to make a proclamation.
“21 On this very day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a permanent statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.”Leviticus 23:21
The Feast of First Fruit undergoes a name change when we flip over to the New Testament. Now recognized as Pentecost, God’s appointed holiday seem to place less emphasis on the fundamental components. But is that true? Let’s take a closer look
- Though God gives Moses the Ten Commandments in the OT, all of its principles are very much applicable in the NT. For example, keeping the sabbath holy is a principle that transcends time. This principle is still equally as important today as when it was first introduced.
- Tithing, or giving a tenth of the fruits of our labor/time (a concept very similar to the first fruits offering), is an age old principle found in both Malachi 3 and Luke 20. When Jesus pays a tax to Ceasar, He also tells the disciples ‘to give God the things that belong to Him.’
- Lastly, the proclamation, though repackaged, is still applicable in the NT as well. Pentecost focuses on a specific proclamation: repentance for the forgiveness of sin
In Luke 24:44-47, Jesus returned to the Apostles after his death. He reminded them of His spoken words—the Law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (v44). Then Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (v45) and He said to them, “After Christ died and was raised again in three days, the repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed (v47). Even as Jesus is speaking, He had already proven himself to be resurrected after His death but the 11 disciples still had doubt. Guilty of disbelief (sin) the Apostles needed to repent for their sin and receive forgiveness. Jesus takes this proclamation to the next level when He issued “The great commission.” As found in Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus taught His disciples to go and share this proclamation with all the nations.
“18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”.
What If...
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.”John 3:16-17
During His life on the earth, Jesus spent most of His time going place to place proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God. His ministry focused on healing and deliverance. In Matthew 9:35-38, Jesus said this remark after feeling compassion for the crowds who felt distressed and downcast,
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”Matthew 9:35-38
Even though the name of this Feast of The First Fruit has changed, it may be true that the concept never has.