Pentecost and the Christian
God deliberately chose to
send the Holy Spirit on the precise day of the Feast of
Pentecost, as recorded in
Acts 2. Thus it would seem appropriate for Christians to
consider what connections there might be between
the earlier history and symbolism of this Feast (see
Part One for an overview of
these) and its
possible relevance to Christ's Church. If, as Paul said,
this was one of the Feasts that are shadows pointing to
Christ (Colossians 2:16-17), what aspects of the Gospel of salvation did it
foreshadow?
While still in bondage in Egypt, the descendents of Israel (the biblical Patriarch whose name originally was Jacob) were a totally disorganized mass of people from twelve different "tribes," with no common purpose and no common identity. At Sinai, they were forged by God into a single nation, the Nation of Israel, with the commission to be an example to the world of what it was like for a nation "whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 23:12), and whose laws and practices reflected His will for mankind. There are hints throughout the Old Testament that it was God's ultimate plan for all nations to be attracted to Israel, and to eventually look to it as the model to emulate. It was to be "a light to the world." The clearest statement about this is perhaps the powerful words of the Prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:In the last days
the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.Many peoples will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths."
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.Come, O house of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.
In fact, God called the Israelites a "kingdom of priests," indicating that they were to have a role of representing God to the whole world, and representing the whole world to God as its intercessor with Him. He explained this to Moses even before He spoke the Ten Commandments to the assembled people.
Exodus 19:3-6
Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
Unfortunately, over the coming centuries the Nation of Israel as a whole did not live up to the covenant that they had made with God at Sinai. By the time immediately after the reign of the mighty King Solomon (approximately 900 BC ... perhaps 400 years or more after the events of Exodus) the Nation was shattered in two by Civil War, never to be reunited again. The tribes of the northern "House of Israel" ended up in armed hostilities against its brother tribes of the southern "House of Judah." Both Houses went deeply into apostasy from the true ways of God throughout most of the rest of their separate histories.
Barely 200 years later, the northern kingdom was attacked and defeated in war by the Assyrians. Most of the people were taken captive, removed from the land of Israel, and dispersed to lands far away, never to return.
Barely 100 years after that, the southern kingdom was attacked and defeated in war by the Babylonians. Most of the people were taken captive, removed from the land also, and taken to Babylon. During all this time period, God had sent prophets to warn both Israelite kingdoms of what would befall them if they didn't return to obedience to the Sinai covenant. And He reminded them through those prophets, such as He did through Isaiah in the passage above, what blessings would come (both to them, and through them to the whole world), if they would only return to Him.
Although the captives of the House of Judah in Babylon were allowed to return to the land of Israel and once again set up a kingdom, they were never restored to the glory that could have been theirs. Instead they were kept in subjection to a series of world powers including Persia, Macedonia, Greece, and eventually Rome. And by 70 AD, the Romans finally crushed the remaining Israelite culture and destroyed the Temple, eliminating the last vestiges of the Nation of Israel that had been forged by God at Sinai. Most of the people emigrated to other parts of the Roman Empire, and the Nation that was to be a light to the world slipped away into the shadows of history.
The bright promise of the beginning of the Nation around the time of Pentecost at the foot of Mt. Sinai was never fulfilled. The modern Jews still look to this promise year by year at the time of Pentecost (Hebrew: Shavuot) and yearn for a time still in the future when they are sure it will finally come to pass, the time that they now view as the Messianic Kingdom.
A New Kingdom of Priests
Years after that Pentecost described in Acts 2, the Apostle Peter, still on fire for the Lord, wrote the following to a group of Christians.
I Peter 2:4-10
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The imagery is inescapable--Peter is likening those who have become part of the Body of Christ to those Israelites in bondage in Egypt, who had no common purpose, no common identity, until God made of them one Nation under God. "Once you were not a people [a nation, a clan, a tribe]" says Peter. "But now you are the people of God..." Not only are you a "people," he adds, you are a "royal priesthood" with the commission to "declare the praises of him" who called you out of the dark bondage of sin, and brought you into light.
Just as the Jewish scattered remnant of that original Nation formed at Mt. Sinai still celebrate its ancient "founding" on the Feast of Pentecost, even so the "royal priesthood" of the followers of Christ can look back to that same Feast as the beginning of their commission as a holy nation with the job of "declaring the praises" of God to the whole world. For on that very day, with the sermon of Peter recorded in Acts 2, the declaration began going out that the whole world--including those of that original Nation--can be part of that new Holy Nation by looking to Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
Thus the
Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for
Christians
to focus on the blessings of being
part of God's Kingdom of
Priests.
And it is also a perfect time to ask Him to equip us
to pray for and intercede for the whole world,
and for those in particular whom we may be able
to reach with the Gospel personally,
that they too may be drawn to be partakers of the Promise.
A New Harvest
For centuries the physical firstffuits of the harvest of the Land of Israel were brought to Jerusalem to be presented to God at the Temple. And on that very same day, the firstftuits of a new harvest ... this one of people instead of wheat, or the "seven species"... were reaped and brought to God:
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
A harvest of "people"? Is that a biblical idea?
John 4:35-38
[Jesus said to His disciples] Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest [KJV: white unto harvest] Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
The metaphor of the planting and reaping of "the harvest," in connection with the spreading of the Gospel, is throughout the teachings of Jesus, such as in this comment:
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
By the end of Jesus' public ministry, which lasted less than four years, His personal "harvest" of loyal followers as a direct result of that ministry consisted of 120 or so men and women. On the day of Pentecost, the new efforts of the Apostles at harvesting those white fields yielded 3000 people in one day. And that was to be only the beginning of efforts that were, by the time of Paul less than 20 years later, said by some to be "turning the world upside down" (Acts 17). Almost 2000 years later, the teachings of Jesus and the promise of salvation through His Blood are still being shared--now literally into almost every nation on Earth through the written words of the Bible--and the harvest continues.
Thus the
Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for
Christians
to preach about, discuss, and meditate on
the "harvest parables" of Jesus.
And it is also a perfect time to ask the Lord of the Harvest
to equip us to be good workers in His fields.
The Two Loaves
Why were there two loaves of bread offered on the Feast of Pentecost, and why were these leavened loaves, unlike all other grain offerings?
This detail of the ceremonies of
the Feast of Pentecost has fascinated and puzzled
commentators for the past 2000 years. Even many of those
Christians who do not actually observe this Feast realize
that it does have symbolism related to the prophesied coming
of Jesus as the Messiah, and that the Holy Spirit was,
indeed, sent on the date of this biblical Feast,
inaugurating the beginning of the spread of the Gospel to
the world and the growth of the Body of Christ. In I
Corinthians, Paul mentions "Jesus, our Passover (lamb)," so
we don't need to speculate about the symbolism of the lamb
in connection with Passover. But there is no such clear
statement regarding the details of Pentecost. We are left to
speculate from the evidence we are given what analogies
might be valid.
So what solutions have been suggested to this puzzle of the two loaves?
The most popular suggestion among commentators over the centuries seems to have been that the two loaves represented the "firstfruits" of those who were converted to Christianity in the early years of the Church. The leaven (following Paul's connection of leaven with a symbolism of "sin" and with being "puffed up"--see The Symbol of Leaven for more details on this analogy) in this speculation is taken to exemplify the fact that the loaves represent humans, who are tainted with sin (unleavened bread would symbolize the purity of Jesus). And it is suggested that one loaf represents Jews and one loaf represents Gentiles, both of whom can become members of the Body of Christ, His Church, through accepting His Blood to cover their sins.
There are other commentators who accept a variation on this symbolism. Instead of the firstfruits being viewed as only a first century reality, they are taken to encompass the whole of Christian history from then until the present. Under this scheme, there is the expectation of a "great harvest" that is either to come in a prophetic "Time of the End" just before the Second Coming of Christ, or perhaps not even until the inauguration of the Millennium. Thus the two loaves represent all the Jews and Gentiles who have ever become Christians since the time of Christ. Such commentators often speculate that these are only "firstfruits" of a much greater harvest that is symbolized by the fall Feast of Ingathering--the Feast of Tabernacles.
Although interesting speculations, and "plausible," it is not possible to dogmatically state that either of these scenarios is precisely what God had in mind when commanding the offering of the two loaves for Pentecost. Perhaps there are other explanations which would be equally valid.
But what we do know is that, whatever the symbolism of the two loaves might precisely mean, there has indeed been a continual "harvest" of new believers from that day to this, which is ongoing. And we can have a part in it, by sowing the seeds of the Gospel at every opportunity, and tending to the fields.
I Corinthians 3:6-9
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Thus the
Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for
Christians
to focus on the spiritual harvest of firstfruits
of people coming into the Kingdom.
And it is a perfect time to remember
to ask the Lord of the
Harvest
to equip each one of us to have an
active part in the sowing of seed
and the nurturing of the growing "plants,"
encouraging all to bear fruit abundantly.
The Seven Species and the Spiritual Species
The modern use of the word "fruit" usually refers to items from one of the basic "food groups" of the nutrition pyramid: oranges, apples, bananas, pears, lemons, etc. But when used in the Bible, particularly in the King James Version, this is not the intent of the word. In this context it refers to the produce born by living things in general. Even human infants are sometimes referred to as "fruit" of a woman's womb. A bunch of grapes is the "fruit of the vine," i.e., the produce of the grapevine. The grain in the head of a stalk of wheat is the "fruit" of the wheat plant.
And throughout the New Testament, the word fruit is used to refer to the spiritual "produce" of the human heart, the words and actions that a person exhibits as a result of what is "inside" him.
Hebrews 13:15
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
John 15:1-8
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
A person can bear "rotten" or "evil" fruit.
Matthew 7:15-20
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 1By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
And thus we come to the connection between the fruit produced in the lives of by people, and the symbolism of the firstfruits of the seven species, offered anciently on Pentecost. For the "good fruit" that is exhibited by Christians comes from the influence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which was first "poured out" in a great way on this day almost 2000 years ago.
Galatians 5:22-23
... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...
Thus
the Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for Christians
to focus on the "spiritual species" of fruit of the
spirit.
And it is a perfect time to remember
to ask the Lord of the
Harvest
to prune us in whatever way necessary
to assure
that we are growing
an abundant crop of those species in our
lives.
The Law and the Spirit
Knowing every word of the Bible is not what "saves" a person. Trying to scrupulously follow the letter of every "law" or "rule" one can find in the Bible is not what "saves" someone---the Pharisees tried that method and Jesus was very clear that they were not succeeding. What saves someone is the Blood of Jesus. Someone who comes to see that they are a sinner, lost and without hope if someone doesn't rescue them; who repents of the sinful life that they have led; and who accepts the sacrifice of Jesus to cover their sins and turns to Him as Savior and Lord, is welcomed into His Family and has the hope of the resurrection. But does that mean that "The Law" ... including the whole Old Testament ... is irrelevant to the life of a Christian? Here's what the Apostle Paul told the young minister Timothy, at a time when the writings of the Old Testament were all that there was recorded as "scripture":
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So it is clear that the Law that came on that first Pentecost shortly after the Exodus, and the writings of the rest of the Old Testament, are of extreme importance to the Christian. All should want to be "thoroughly equipped"!
And yet a person with only the knowledge of those scriptures and that Law can end up just like those Pharisees who John the Baptist and Jesus labeled as hypocrites. Paul explained to another minister what was missing:
Titus 3:3-8
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
Once renewed by the Holy Spirit, and empowered for service by the Holy Spirit as the disciples were on the Day of Pentecost, the Christian has the complete package he needs to truly serve God with his whole heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit.
Thus
the Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for Christians
to focus on the fact that the commandments of God were given
for our good, even though it is not our own efforts at
obedience that "make us righteous," but the Blood of Jesus.
And it is a perfect time to remember
to ask the Giver of the Holy Spirit
to help us yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit in our
lives, that we may bear abundantly the fruit of
righteousness.
On Fire!--The Spirit and the Power
The Power of the Lord
When God "came down" to present the Law to Israel, and make of them a Nation, He manifested Himself in a display of great power, including deafening sound and flames of fire.
Exodus 19:16-19
On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder...
The Power From the Lord
Almost 1,500 years later, He manifested that power again, and again with a deafening sound and flames of fire. But this time it was to share some of that power with men, that they might be empowered to do mighty works in His Name, works that would lead to the great harvest He will reap from the world--of people for His Family.
Acts 2:1-3
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Thus
the Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for Christians
to focus on the fact that all power comes from God,
including the power to serve Him.
And it is a perfect time to remember
to thank the All-Powerful Mighty One of Israel
for His gift to us of the Holy Spirit,
the fruit of the Spirit that our lives can yield,
the gifts of the Spirit that we can use to build up the
Body, and the power of the Spirit available to us
to effectively spread the Gospel.
Into All the World
Acts 1:8, 2:8, Matthew 28:18-20
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
...Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."
...Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Jesus commissioned the Apostles to go into all the world and preach about the Salvation available through Jesus. But if those whom they reached didn't "pick up the ball and run with it" after they all died, the Gospel would have died out in the first century. It is only because each generation of Christians has realized that the "commission" is a never-ending one, passed from generation to generation, that we have the Bible preserved for us today, where we can read about how we can have a part in the Harvest of the Lord. We are the field workers for our own generation. And the fields are still "white unto harvest."
Thus the
Feast of Pentecost is
a particularly appropriate time for Christians to focus on
our continuing role in the Harvest of the Lord.
And it is a perfect time to remember to ask the Lord of the
Harvest to send more laborers to work with us.
Now that you have an overview of the Biblical background, symbolism, and Christian significance of the Feast of Pentecost, you may wish to explore some of the ways in which Christians observe this Feast. The 3Rs:Feast of Pentecost article provides a variety of descriptions and suggestions for such observance.
See the Feast of Pentecost Scripture Collection for a concise set of the primary passages from the Old and New Testament related to the observance of this day.
