This is a day celebrated by both the ‘Jews’ and the ‘Christians’ only in different ways. This being one of the feasts ordained by God for the children of Israel to observe throughout their generations. It marks the fiftieth day (7 weeks plus one day) after the Passover or Exodus of Israel out of Egypt. It is in commemoration of the day Moses received the Tablets of the Law. This was to establish the Covenant between God and Israel. The Feast of Weeks or Shavuot and to bring in the firstfruits of the harvest.
By some, May 31, 2020 will be celebrated as the Pentecost (the Greek word for fifty). Is it just a day to go to church and pay your tithe or is there something else there hidden from view? What is the significance?
Others, from the evenings of May 28 to May 30 will be celebrating the “Feast of Weeks.” It also commemorates the Feast of the Firstfruits when the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were to be brought before God in thanksgiving. Is it just a harvest or tithe of wheat? Is it a time to eat cheese? Or is there something hidden from view? What is the significance?
The Pentecost is found in the Old Testament under the name, “Feast of Weeks,” “Feast of the Firstfruits” and also the “Feast of Harvest.” According to the Law, the counting began the day after the Passover. The firstfruits were to be gathered together at an appointed time, that is after 7 sabbaths (weeks) or 50 days. Similar to the Year of Jubilee, which is also 49 and 50 years in this case.
To Learn of God
Moses was on the Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights receiving teaching and instruction of God. Moses was given a message and a promise of God to be delivered to the children of Israel. The name of ‘Israel’ belongs to Jacob, the son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham.
The first reference to “Pentecost” (Greek for 50th day) is in the New Testament, Book of Acts, chapter 2. But in chapter 1 of Acts, we find the Apostles gathered together and learning from Jesus what they should do. He taught them the message and the promise of God for forty days.
Promise of the Holy Spirit
He told them to stay together and wait for the promise of the Father, which they had heard from him. He went on to say, “For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” On the fiftieth day after Passover, they were all together, all of one mind, with tongues of fire and “were all filled with the Holy Spirit” and began to speak and to teach God’s Word to the people as they had heard it from Jesus and the Word or Spirit of God.
Since they had never heard these words before, some of the people thought they might have been drunk or mad. But the Apostles told them it was as the prophet Joel had spoken in the Old Testament:
“And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel and I am the LORD your God… And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all My people: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy… The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable Day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the LORD shall be saved, that is delivered or rescued.”
Acts 2:17-21, Joel 2:27-32
We see here a direct connection made by the Apostles between the Passover and being delivered in the latter days.
Promise of the Deliverer
“For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery… that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the nations is come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion/Zion the Deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is My Covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
Apostle Paul, Romans 11:25-27
This is a prophecy by Paul of a future event. Now we have another connection to the deliverance of Israel and God’s Covenant with them.
Promise of the Comforter
Judas said to him, not Iscariot, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us but not to the world?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my words… He that doesn’t love me won’t keep my sayings. And the Word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. These things I have spoken to you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is of the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you.”
Jesus, John 14:20-26
“I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes… he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
John the Baptist, Luke 3:16-17
Promise of The Messenger of the Covenant
“Behold, I will send My Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. The Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, whom you delight in. Behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap… And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…”
“Bring all the tithes/tenth into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts. See if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing upon you, that there shall not be room enough to contain it.”
Malachi 3
Promise of Elijah
“Remember the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel… Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful Day of the LORD…”
Malachi 4
Promise of ‘That Prophet’
“This is the record of John. The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ/Messiah.’ And they asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you that prophet? And he answered, No.”
John the Baptist, Gospel of John 1:19-21
“For Moses truly said to the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him you shall hear in all things whatsoever he shall say to you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.”
Apostle Peter and Moses, Acts 3:22-26; Deuteronomy 18:15-19
Now we see the promise of one coming who will be “like unto Moses” to deliver the message of the Covenant to Israel. Is he the one who will baptize us in the Holy Spirit and with fire? As a purifier of gold and silver to purify us? Is he the one who will deliver us from evil in the latter days?
Jesus himself was hidden and signified in the Passover Lamb. When Israel was preparing to leave Egypt, they were told to “eat the meat of the Lamb in haste…” Jesus said, “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63
So what could be hidden and signified in the “Firstfruits”? Let’s see…
The Firstfruits Delivered
“I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion/Zion and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s Name written in their foreheads. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, …and no one could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth… These are they which follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.”
Revelation 14:1-4
“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
Revelation 7:4
What is Hidden and What is the Significance?
A parable he put forth to them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, then the tares appeared also.
So the servants of the householder came and said to him, Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? from where then has it tares? He said to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Will you then that we go and gather them up? But he said, No; lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘Gather together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Jesus
“All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables… That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret (or hidden) from the foundation of the world. Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, ‘Declare unto us the Parable of the Tares of the Field.'”
The Mystery Revealed
“He answered and said to them, ‘He that sows the good seed is the Son of Adam; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world/age; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world/age. The Son of Adam shall send forth his angels and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;”
Jesus, Matthew 13
The Blessing upon Zion
“The LORD bless you and keep you: The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” And they shall put My Name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-17
“They shall see His face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads.” Rev 22:4
Revelation 22:4
Medley for the Pentecost: Barocha, by Michael Card; Thus saith the LORD, He Shall Purify, from Handel’s Messiah; Who May Abide, from Handel’s Messiah, by Patti Austin; The Ten Commandments, by The Statler Brothers; Days of Elijah, by Paul Wilbur