- · What is the meaning of the word Pentecost?
· What is or was the day of Pentecost?
· What was it’s significance and does it hold any importance in this present time in which we live?
The Bible is divided into three major dispensations: the patriarchical, the Mosaical and the Christian dispensations. Dispensation means spiritual arrangement.
God’s first spiritual arrangement with man was the patriarchical age or family arrangement. God would speak to the head of a family, such as Noah, who in turn would pass on God’s will to the rest of the family. Therefore, the FAMILY arrangement.
The next arrangement was the national arrangement. God promised that through the lineage of Abraham a great nation would arise. To this nation He gave law through His servant Moses. The nation was to be guided by the law of Moses. Hence, the NATIONAL arrangement.
Christ died on the cross, taking away the law of Moses and ushering in the gospel age of the world. Christ told the apostles, “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” (Mark 16:16). Therefore, the WORLD arrangement under which we now live was brought into existence.
To prove that even though God is the same, His law has changed, please note the following scriptures:
- Hebrews 8:13, “In that He says, ‘A new covenant, He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.’ ”
Hebrews 8:7, “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.”
Hebrews 7:11-12, “Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, (For under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedic, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.”
Under Moses’ law, sacrifices, observances, and celebrations were required daily, weekly, monthly and annually.
The day of Pentecost was a part of Moses’ law. It was observed each year — one of five yearly festivals or celebrations.
The following list serves to show the place of the day of Pentecost in the yearly feasts of Moses’ law.
The Israelites, under the law of Moses were commanded to observe five festivals each year.
1. Feast of the Passover — Leviticus 23:5, “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover.”
2. The Day of Pentecost — Leviticus 23:15-16, “And you shall count for yourselves from the first day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new meat offering to the Lord.”
3. Feast of Trumpets — Leviticus 23:24, “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.”
4. The Day of Atonement — Leviticus 23:27, “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the day of atonement. It shall be an holy convocation to you; and you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.”
5. Feast of Tabernacles Leviticus 23:34, “... The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.”
On the Pentecost day mentioned in Acts 2:1, the Jews had come into Jerusalem to observe the feast which followed fifty days after the Passover supper. They were to number seven Sabbaths complete or forty-nine days and on the day following the seventh Sabbath, they were to offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. The day after the seventh day would mark fifty days. Seven days in a week times (seven Sabbaths complete) would equal forty nine days. The day following would be the fiftieth day. Any reliable Bible dictionary will define Pentecost as meaning simply fiftieth, in this case the fiftieth day after the Passover.
Pentecost was a busy day filled with all kinds of activities. A new meat offering was sacrificed. Seven lambs of the first year and two loaves of specially prepared bread were offered by a priest. One young bullock and two rams were burned unto the Lord. Drink offerings were made unto the Lord. A kid goat and two lambs were offered as a sin offering and a sacrifice of peace offering.
The highlight of the day, so it seems, was when the priest would take some grain either threshed or in a sheaf and wave it over a new meat offering in oblation to God to show the people’s thanksgiving for the bountiful harvest from their fields.
To the Jews, the day was very significant because of what they were commanded to do on that day according to Moses’ law.
What is the significance of Pentecost to Christians? It is significant only because of some special things that occurred on the day, i.e. one particular day of Pentecost.
Pentecost is mentioned only three times in the New Testament. We have already noted in Acts 2:1.
When Paul departed from Troas, the Bible says of him, in Acts 20:16, “ ... he was hurrying, to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost”.
Paul said of himself in 1st Corinthians 16:8, “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost.”
In all three references the day marks a time on the calendar. The day itself has no significance or the Christian except to mark a day on the Jewish calendar.
The things that happened on this particular day of Pentecost in Acts 2, are very significant.
The apostles, by the Holy Ghost, spoke with other tongues or in various languages. When this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and was confounded because they heard the apostles speak in a variety of different languages. People were gathered out of every nation under heaven. They asked, “Are not all these who speak, Galileans? And how is it that we hear each in our own language in which we were born?”
The apostles, all Galileans, who had been chosen by Christ as special ambassadors — were able to speak in various languages which had previously been unfamiliar to them. This is in harmony with the great commission given to the apostles at Mt. Olivet, by Christ, when He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Supernatural ability to speak in many languages would equip them for this mission.
Other great things happened on this particular Pentecost day. As a result of the preaching of the gospel by Peter and the other apostles, three thousand people repented and were baptized. The Lord added to the church those who were saved.
Acts 2:41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Acts 2:47, “...And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
Hence, the beginning of the New Testament church.
The Apostles were never called Pentecost apostles, before, during, or following the day upon which they received the Holy Ghost. The three thousand that were baptized were never called by the day on which they believed.
In view of the religious events and the present conditions of our day — one cannot help but wonder — if the Holy Spirit had been sent to the apostles during the Passover, would we see a phenomenon emerge called Passoverism? If the events that happened on Pentecost had happened on one of the other Jewish festivals, would we have denominations in the world today known as Trumpetism, or Atonementism, or Tabernaclism?
The events of Pentecost are significant. The day itself is significant only, in that it marks a day on the Jewish calendar. Other than this, the day itself has no New Testament importance [except that it is the day that the church belonging to Jesus Christ began! dc].
- T/F 1. Christians are called Pentecostals in the Bible. Acts 11:26; Acts 26:27-28; 1 Peter 4:16.
T/F 2. When the apostles were baptized with the Holy Ghost, they began to speak in tongues which no one but God understood. Acts 2:1-8.
T/F 3. Pentecost was a day of Jewish celebration under Moses’ Law. Leviticus 23:15-16.
T/F 4. Pentecost denotes fiftieth or in Acts 2:1 refers to the fiftieth day after the Passover, Leviticus 23.
T/F 5. On Pentecost day, 120 people received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Acts chapters 1 and 2.
T/F 6. On Pentecost day, the twelve apostles received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Acts chapters 1 and 2.
T/F 7. On the Pentecost day, 3000 people received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Acts chapters 1 and 2.
T/F 8. When the apostles spoke in tongues, the people who heard them understood what the apostles were saying. Acts 2:1-8.
T/F 9. The apostles had been promised the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:2-8
T/F 10.The priesthood being changed made it necessary to also change the law. Hebrews 7:11-12.
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