Pentecost — The Coming of the Holy Spirit
By John Ross Schroeder (Originally published as part of the article God’s Annual HOLY DAYS: Sneak Preview of Your Future! in the Plain Truth, March, 1979)
The term Pentecost means “fiftieth” in the Greek language. This is the only annual sabbath whose exact calendar date is determined by counting. The first New Testament Pentecost (see Acts 2) occurred on the fiftieth day after Christ’s resurrection.
However, the vital meaning is more important than the exact date. The very first Pentecost after Christ’s death and resurrection marked the beginning of the New Testament Church of God. The Holy Spirit was then poured out on all repentant believers.
In the Old Testament, this festival was termed the “Feast of Firstfruits.” The Israelites observed it for some 1500 years before the name of the day was actually fulfilled. But with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the harvest of the first or the firstfruits began. Whereas God had only called a very few in Old Testament times, thousands received the Holy Spirit (the mark of conversion) in the first few weeks of the New Testament Church.
Pentecost teaches us that this is not the only day of salvation. Many think it is. They believe that “probation shall be closed” at the second coming of Christ. Presumably this means that God will “burn up” the billions in Asia and elsewhere who have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.
The true meaning of the day of Pentecost runs counter to this false, paganized teaching. As Herbert W. Armstrong has written: “God gave this festival to His people in order to reveal, and to keep them continually informed, that the present dispensation is only the first, preliminary ‘harvest of souls’.”
All who have been called from the days of Jesus Christ until now represent the firstfruits of God’s salvation. But they only constitute a minute portion of all who have lived from then until now.
Pentecost is a festival of transition. It is in the midst of the three main festival seasons. Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread largely symbolize events now already past. All of the fall festivals represent things to come. Pentecost symbolizes that part of the process of fulfillment of God’s plan which is underway right now — in this “Church age” — but also that function of the Holy Spirit which is both past and future. This day not only marks the coming of the Holy Spirit in A.D. 31, it also shows that there is a great fall harvest of salvation yet to come.
Indeed, one of the present functions of the Holy Spirit itself is to reveal “things to come.” Jesus Christ said to His disciples: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13).
This same Holy Spirit has revealed the full meaning of God’s annual holy days for, so far as we know, the first time in the history of the Church. Previous Church ages have not understood the fullness of their importance. But let’s understand the vital significance of the first fall festival, the first annual autumn holy day.
Note: Pentecost in 2015 is from sunset May 23 rd to sunset May 24 th. Pentecost in 2016 is from sunset June 11th until sunset June 12th.