3 Bible Tips: The Feast of Pentecost
Known by several names in the Old Testament (Feast of Harvest in Exodus 23:16; day of the firstfruits in Numbers 28:26; Feast of Weeks or shavuot in Hebrew in Exodus 34:22), Pentecost was an important feast of the New Testament Church.
1. God gave the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
"When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).
2. Pentecost pictures the Church of God as the firstfruits of God's harvest of people into His Kingdom.
"Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:18).
3. The Holy Spirit empowers the Church to assist in God's work of spiritual harvests.
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
For more about the relevance of Pentecost to Christians today, see The Feast of Pentecost: The Firstfruits of God's Harvest from the booklet God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind.