to signify that the Christian Pentecost did not coincide with the Jewish, just as Christ's last meal with His disciples was considered not to have coincided with the Jewish Passover, on Nisan 14. The Church also notes that if God intended the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, as it is known today, to be observed on a fixed date (Sivan 6), He could have inspired that date to be recorded in Scripture. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version (© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). Since the biblical Sabbath has always been and continues to be on Saturday, the 50th day after counting seven Sabbaths will always be a Sunday. The Holy Spirit offers us power for living, protection from evil, strength to fight temptation, and counsel for times of need. Even more important, it is a reminder for each of us that God’s Holy Spirit is now available to all who repent of their sins, are baptized, and continue to follow and obey Him (Acts 5:32). The size of each loaf was fixed by law. of As the name indicates (pentekoste), this second of the great Jewish national festivals was observed on the 50th day, or 7 weeks, from the Paschal Feast, and therefore in the Old Testament it was called "the feast of weeks." Pentecost is a central feast of Judaism. This means weeks or sevens, which alludes to the instruction to count 50 days. Pentecost Sunday (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsun, or Whit) is a liturgical day celebrated or commemorated in many churches in both the Western and Eastern traditions regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church. ( Exodus 23:16 ; 34:22 ; Leviticus 23:15 Leviticus 23:22 ; Numbers 28 ) See Jewish calendar at the end of this volume. A popular custom on Pentecost is to eat dairy foods and cheese-cakes in honor of the Law, which is likened to "honey and milk" (Cant.iv. The Lutherans, in their endeavor to prove the inherent power of the Word, claim that "the effects then exhibited were due to the divine power inherent in the words of Christ; and that they had resisted that power up to the day of Pentecost and then yielded to its influence." How Should a Christian Deal With the Coronavirus Pandemic? Read more about Pentecost here. The fire on the Day of Pentecost appeared in the form of tongues to symbolize God’s holy power through the proclamation of His Word, burning into people in a way that purifies them. The reason for mainstream Christianity’s date for Pentecost is pretty obvious to students of history. Those who celebrate all seven feasts of the Lord and rehearse their meanings each year continually find deeper meaning in them. 0. The Encyclopaedia Judaica says, “The Sadducees (and later the Karaites) understood the term ‘Sabbath’ in these verses [Leviticus 23:11, 15, 16] literally, hence, for them Shavuot always falls on a Sunday” (1971, Vol. "Entry for 'PENTECOST'". The requirements of the three great festivals were then well understood at this time, and their authority was founded in the Mosaic Law and unquestioned. He and his wife, Teddi, have two grown children and seven grandchildren. Whatever we may think of this matter, the fact remains that Pentecost completely changed the apostles, and that the enduement with the Holy Spirit enabled them to become witnesses of the resurrection of Christ as the fundamental fact in historic Christianity, and to extend the church according to Christ's commandment. Pentecost is an incredibly exciting time for the global church, and a key moment that took Jesus and his first followers, through to a global movement that spread throughout countries and through generations, and is just as relevant today (in my mind), as it was on the day that it started. The Feast of Weeks was also called “the Feast of Harvest” in Exodus 23:16, because it was associated with firstfruits—the early part of a harvest and the first harvest of the year in Canaan. At the same time, they also changed its date and meaning. The festival and its ritual were minutely described in this Law. In the first century, when Jesus’ followers observed Pentecost and received the Holy Spirit, there is no mention in the Bible of any concern or disagreement over the date. It was highly esteemed by the Fathers. On Pentecost, the High Priest was to take two loaves of freshly baked wheat bread and offer them before the Lord. Dr. H. Bavinck says: "Christ gathers a church about Himself, rules it directly so long as He is on the earth, and appoints twelve apostles who later on will be His witnesses. This day is said to mark the dividing line between the ministry of the Lord and the ministry of the Spirit. The most general division in the Church Year is […] Definition of Pentecost in the Definitions.net dictionary. Some Christian denominations consider it the birthday of the Christian church and celebrate it as such. Although this may not have been the direct intent of the calculation, other decrees by the Catholic Church clearly show that anti-Semitism was a driving force behind their reasons for abandoning worship on Saturday and the traditional, annual observance of Passover on the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:5). Yet there were multiple Jewish sects—including the Sadducees and Pharisees—who had differing beliefs and practices. This was a joyous time of giving great thanks to God. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit assumed the form of “tongues of fire” (Acts 2:3) to signify the miraculous power of the apostles’ message and their radically changed lives. Event: Pentecost, Year C . The significance of Pentecost lies in the baptism of the disciples with the Holy Spirit. All rights reserved. From Acts 2:1 we learn that it was a pre-determined event in the mind of God. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes the other names this feast has in the Old Testament and why Pentecost … by COGWA-STL on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. That is discussed in the article under TONGUES (which see). Pentecost is an annual festival commemorating the beginning of the New Testament Church of God. Pastoral ministry for over 40 years, pastoring congregations across six states baptism the! More in our article “ the Miracle and meaning 28 ) See Jewish calendar at the same,! 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