There is no problem determining the “meaning” of the Pentecost Festival. It’s “typology” or “symbolism,” one might say. The New Testament’s “Day of Pentecost” surely supplies that information!
But Leviticus 23 gives us the specifics … “15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. 18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. 19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.” (Verses 15 through 22)
“Pentecost” is primarily called by another name in the Old Testament. For example, in Deuteronomy 16:10 it is “the Feast of Weeks.” (In the King James Version: “And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.”)
And as you can tell from the lengthy Bible Paragraph above, it involved bringing “bread” (two loaves) unto the Lord, but here it is baked bread! So it happens (during the year) at the coming in of the wheat harvest. (Seven weeks earlier at the “Feast of Firstfruits” the barley harvest was involved. In Israel barley ripened sooner than wheat.)
One can tell how important “Pentecost” was to the Lord because of all the attending Offerings that were to accompany those two loaves!
A new “meat offering,” verse 16.
Then seven lambs, one young ox (bullock), and two rams … as a “burnt offering,” verse 18.
Then “drink offerings,” still verse 18.
Then one little goat for a “sin offering,” verse 19.
Then two more lambs for a “peace offering,” verse 19.
Wow, this is impressive!
No manual work that day either, it is a day of rest and worship unto the Lord, verse 21!
And in harvesting that grain, to give unto the Lord … remember the poor! (This is actually part of the Pentecost legislation.) “When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger,” verse 22. (“Others” as in “whosoever will,” I think.)
This Day’s significance with the coming of the Holy Spirit will be discussed tomorrow morning, the Lord willing. In its Acts chapter 2 context, the Lord willing.
I have learned something this morning though … I had no idea how involved this Feast Day was! It is the only “middle of the year” Holy Day God gave Israel.
With three Feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits) now in the past and three remaining (Trumpets, Day of Atonement and Tabernacles) … Pentecost was central!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
The Bible, what a Book!
The Psalmist was right … “Lord, Thy Commandment (Word) is exceeding broad.”
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