Pentecost and Israel
By Leroy Neff (Originally published as part of the article God’s Holy Days: The Master Builder’s Blueprint in the Good News, August, 1980)
About seven weeks after leaving Egypt, upon their arrival at Mt. Sinai, God Himself spoke the Ten Commandments for all Israel to hear. He also wrote them with His fingers on two tables of stone. Historically, the Jews have said that this occurred on the next Feast — Pentecost.
Now Israel had a special historical reminder as they observed Pentecost year by year. On that day, years before, God Himself had spoken His great law for all Israel to hear. But very soon after this great occasion, even after promising to do otherwise, Israel sinned grievously in making and worshiping the golden calf.
A short time later they again rebelled and believed the negative report of 10 of the spies sent in to look over the promised land. God then sentenced them to spend 40 years in the wilderness, a day for a year (Num. 14:34).
Pentecost also has great significance for Christians. After we repent, are baptized and begin to put sin out of our lives, we find that another ingredient is necessary — God’s Holy Spirit. It is a power emanating from God, a portion of His very own character. It begets us to eternal life. It was on Pentecost in A.D. 31 that God sent the Holy Spirit to beget, inspire and strengthen His servants.
Pentecost is a Greek word and is commonly used in the New Testament for this third Festival of God. But this Festival was called by other names such as the “Feast of Weeks,” because it was necessary to count seven weeks from Sunday during the Days of Unleavened Bread to determine when it would be observed.
It was also called the “feast of the harvest, the firstfruits of your labors,” because it was connected with an important harvest. Actually it was the early harvest in Palestine, starting during the Days of Unleavened Bread. This was a much smaller harvest than the fall harvest and included primarily grains. A much larger harvest ended just before the Feast of Tabernacles. This smaller harvest, or harvest of “firstfruits,” reminds us that the spiritual harvest God is reaping now is the smaller harvest. The much larger spiritual harvest will come later, when God will save the world.
In 2015, Pentecost is on May 24th. In 2016, it will be on June 12th.