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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We last saw “Firstfruits” as a picture of Jesus’ Resurrection. Thus a symbol of our resurrection as well! (John 14:19 … Jesus teaching about His coming Death and Resurrection: “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: BECAUSE I LIVE, YE SHALL LIVE ALSO.”)

Maybe the following verse here is even better at revealing this truth: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

Now today … I’d like to share another Facet of Christian life portrayed in Firsfruits. And that would be the Ministry of the Holy Spirit!

In Romans 8:23 Paul clearly calls the Holy Spirit “the Firstfruits.” Here it is, King James Version: “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

Wow!

And this sweet Holy Spirit, Who is the “Firstfruits” of (good) things to come in our hearts … is the Guarantor of the “redemption of our bodies!” He is the very Forerunner of the glory we shall enjoy in Heaven forever!

This is even further assurance that Jesus is coming again … “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Philippians 3:21 … where it is promised that my “vile” body will become a “glorious” body!

In my country way of describing this Blessing … the “joy” of the Holy Spirit you are experiencing right now is a foretaste (a pledge) of the coming joy of Heaven! (Paul in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 speaks directly of “the joy of the Holy Ghost!”)

And his divinely inspired “Holy Spirit as Firstfruits” list is even longer in Romans 14:17 … “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but RIGHTEOUSNESS, and PEACE, and JOY in the HOLY GHOST.”

Wow!

Spend the day, dear readers, communing with the Holy Spirit. He is the very Essence of God, anyway. In fact, He is God!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Paul used the idea of “Firstfruits” in one other New Testament way. “I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of STEPHANAS, that it is the FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.” 1 Corinthians 16:15-16

Here Paul the “soul winner” believes Stephanas to be merely the “first” of many people (in Corinth) who would become Christians (or maybe by then had already become Christian) through his preaching of the Word of God, of the Gospel!

Tell others about Jesus!

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“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying; Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the FIRSTFRUITS of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” Leviticus 23:9-11

This Holy Day (Firstfruits) is tied into the Passover and Unleavened Bread Convocations of Israel. These three form a “trinity” of sorts, to be celebrated in the Spring of each year.

Bring a sheaf (a stalk) of the first grain picked during the Spring Harvest. This would likely have been barley, which matures more quickly than wheat.

The key word is “first,” the very beginning of your crop. The initial “stalk” that represents the many thousands of other stalks to come! Praise the Lord!

And wave this sheaf before the Lord, a sign of thanksgiving and (maybe even) victory!

Now …

The Firstfruits here is distinct picture of Jesus … IN HIS RESURRECTION!

The Firstfruits were to be waved before God on the day after the Sabbath … which would be the first day of the week. Saturday being the last day of the week!

And Jesus arose on what day? Sunday, the first day of the week. Jesus is our Firstfruits. His Body is like our bodies will become some day when they are resurrected, at the Rapture!

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

Passover … Jesus’ Death.

Firstfruits … Jesus’ Resurrection!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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As most of you know, we have been in Brandon, Florida this week. Where I have had the honor of preaching five sweet Revival Services at the Brandon Baptist Tabernacle. Pastor Brand Bailey and his people sure have been kind to us. And they were so respectful of the Word of God!

My Son Joel accompanied me on this trip, Debbie really needing to be at home a few days. We are there so little!

Well, last night after the Service Joel began to hurt severely. With the accompanying nausea … and I drove him to the nearest hospital (Brandon Regional Hospital). After several tests, we have learned this morning that he has kidney stones!

I am sharing this information to ask each of you our readers to pray for him today. I will share an update in the morning.

For that (understandable) reason … I cannot write the normal Bible Study Lesson today.

The Lord willing, tomorrow we will resume the Leviticus Articles.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

And Thank You for your prayers, in advance!

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Here’s what our chapter teaches about the week following Passover. “And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.” Leviticus 23:6-8

“The Feast of Unleavened Bread!”

So every April, every first month of the Jewish year … from the 14th day (Passover) until the 21st day (Unleavened Bread) … a total of eight days inclusively … the Israelites were to be in attendance at the Jerusalem Tabernacle (later the Temple) … worshipping God!

As is commanded in Deuteronomy 16:16 … “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles.”

The Passover, as we saw yesterday, is a Picture/Symbol of our very Salvation. Applying the Blood of the Lamb of God (the Lord Jesus Christ) to our hearts and trusting God to save us!

Then the following week (a week as opposed to a day) was the Feast of “Unleavened Bread.” Leaven in the Bible clearly being a type of sin! (Exodus 12:15 … “Ye shall put away leaven out of your houses.”)

The meaning of this?

After one is saved by the Grace of God and the Blood of Jesus (Passover) he or she is to live a holy, clean, pure life to the Glory of God! (Unleavened Living!)

Wow!

Listen to Paul here: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of MALICE and WICKEDNESS; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Get saved!

Then … live right for Jesus!

Some quick thoughts about this Unleavened Bread week, this Feast (the Lamb and the Bread) …

Only Jews could eat this Holy Meal! (Exodus 12:43 … “The LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof.” One had to be “in the family” to so partake! No foreigners! (One must be born again into the family of God to so enjoy Jesus and live purely!)

Then they could only eat the meal (roasted Lamb and unleavened Bread) … “With your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.” Exodus 12:11

The point here? Eat it ready to go, ready to leave Egypt, ready to march to the Promised land! Ready to relocate! Just as we Christian are to be “Rapture-ready” all the time!

And the menu? Roasted Lamb (a stunning picture of Jesus on the Cross enduring the fiery Wrath of God on behalf of us sinners!) along with the yeast-free Bread, lives purified from open and blatant sin!

Feasting on Jesus!

Wow!

I saw this yesterday, I think. These first two Feasts, Holy Occasions, are similar to Leviticus chapters 1 and 2 as well. Leviticus 1 (if you recall) is the Burnt Offering, Jesus dying on the Cross, satisfying His Father’s Righteous Demands, totally dedicated to obeying His Father’s Will … as in Passover! Immediately followed by Leviticus 2 (of you recall) recounting the Meat (Meal) Offering … symbolizing the Perfect, Sinless (Unleavened) Life Jesus lived prior to the Cross!

Had Jesus not lived right, with no sin … He could not have died right, vicariously for you and me!

Amazing!

Are YOU, dear friend, living a holy life unto the Lord? A life that is not leavened by the tainted spirit of this world?

If not … get the “leaven” out today!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

1 John 1:7 … But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Yes!

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