Please read the one page article “God’s Festivals: An Historical Perspective” for an introduction to the subject of God’s Holy Days.
Leviticus 23:15-21 and Numbers 28:26. The Festival of Weeks (Pentecost in Greek for “count 50”) is held 7 Sabbaths and one day after the annual Passover service. Thus Pentecost is always held on a Sunday. It is significant the law (10 Commandments) were given to Israel on the first Feast of Weeks after the Exodus (See. Ex 19 for a time line and Exodus 20 for the giving of the law). With the receiving of the law, God’s WORD replaces the sinful nature of man and allows His Holy Spirit to guide mankind. It signifies the indwelling of God’s Spirit in mankind and the first part of the spiritual harvest and salvation of mankind.
In the New Testament the first Pentecost after the death and resurrection of Jesus was held in Jerusalem and on this day the apostles received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). On this first New Testament Pentecost 3,000 individuals believed the message given by Peter and were baptized and thus received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. Unlike the Old Testament, God’s law (10 Commandments) are now written on the hearts of mankind (Acts 2; Jere. 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-10) through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. The sinful nature of mankind is pushed out and replaced by the sinless nature of God through His Holy Spirit thus allowing for the beginning of God’s spiritual harvest of mankind. We read of that “spiritual harvest” in I Cor. 15:50-57, the resurrection chapter and I Thes. 4:13-18 when Christ returns to earth and redeems His followers to an everlasting sin free spiritual life.
The Feast of Weeks is the second festival and third holy day (Unleavened Bread has two holy days.) of Leviticus 23. Leviticus 23:15-21 gives us the original description of Pentecost and the method of calculating the day of its keeping. Deut. 16:9-10 is also helpful.
This festival, as all the Holy Days, were kept by the early church. In Acts 20:6, 16 Paul sailed for Phillippi after keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread as he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem before Pentecost. Paul describes the New Testament meaning and fulfillment of Pentecost in I Cor. 15:20-23. In this, the resurrection chapter Paul describes Jesus as the First fruit and “those who belong to Him” as firstfruits.” Paul reveals the true meaning of Pentecost, we who are in Christ are His first fruit to be resurrected and are to reign with Him in the Kingdom of God. We see Paul working his schedule around the Holy Day of Pentecost (I Cor. 16:8). Paul was the apostle to the gentiles and yet Paul made it a point to teach the gentiles God’s Holy Days.
God’s family of Christians are the first fruits of His labor. The Christians are the harvest of God to fulfill His plan of redeeming mankind from sin.
