The Feast of Pentecost, or the Day of Pentecost, is mentioned in the books of Acts and 1 Corinthians.  It’s also known as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-17, Deuteronomy 16:10, 16), the Feast of Harvest (Exodus 23:16), the Day of the Firstfruits (Numbers 28:26), and Shavuot by the Jews.

The word Pentecost comes from the Greek pentekoste which means fiftieth.  It’s so named because Pentecost is determined by counting fifty days from the wave sheaf offering.  (For more information on the wave sheaf offering, see “When exactly is the wave sheaf offering?” and “What is the meaning of the wave sheaf offering?”)

Instructions

The instructions for keeping Pentecost are found in Leviticus 23.

Lev 23:15  ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed.
Lev 23:16  Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
Lev 23:17  You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD.
Lev 23:18  And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the LORD.
Lev 23:19  Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.
Lev 23:20  The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Lev 23:21  And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

In ancient Israel there were three harvests, two in the spring (barley and wheat), and the third in late summer stretching into early autumn.  The barley spring harvest comes first as is made clear in Exodus. 

Exo 9:31  Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud.
Exo 9:32  But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops.

So the wave sheaf offering was from the barley harvest, and the two loaves of the Pentecost offering were from the wheat harvest.  There are different views regarding what these two loaves represent.  This ties in to the different views of whether the Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Trumpets pictures the resurrection of the saints.  For a discussion on this see “Which Feast Day Pictures the Resurrection of the Saints?”

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

A very significant event occurred on the Feast of Pentecost following Jesus Christ’s resurrection which is described in Acts 2.  The disciples were filled with Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues, whereby everyone heard them speak in their own language.  Importantly, in his sermon, Peter explained that the Holy Spirit was now available to those who are called, repent, and are baptised.

Act 2:38  Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Not just to those in the audience but to future generations as well.

Act 2:39  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

From this we see that the Feast of Pentecost pictures the giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church of God. 

Those whom God is working with directly went from a handful at any one time (the patriarchs and prophets of old) to thousands (brethren in the church).  The Holy Spirit is available now to those who are called, repent, and are baptised.  However, not all are called now; for example, consider the masses who have never even heard of the name of Jesus Christ.  The vast majority of mankind will be called later.  See “What is the meaning of the Eighth Day of the Feast of Tabernacles?” for more information.

Interesting Parallels

There is an interesting parallel between the Jubilee year (which occurs every fifty years) and the fifty days from the wave sheaf offering to Pentecost.  On a Jubilee year all debt is released.  On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given, which enables us to break free from the bondage of iniquity (by Christ living in us through His Holy Spirit).

Another interesting parallel is that between the “speaking in tongues” on the day of Pentecost when the disciples met together and the pure new language yet to be given.  On the day of Pentecost the disciples “spoke in tongues” which was actually a miracle in hearing as everyone heard them in their own language.  See “What is Speaking in Tongues?” for more information.

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Act 2:5  And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
Act 2:6  And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

When this occurred, there was effectively, for a short period of time, one language.  When Jesus Christ returns, once again, all peoples will speak the same pure language.

Zep 3:9  “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord.

This is particularly fitting if the Feast of Pentecost pictures the resurrection of the saints and thus the return of Jesus Christ.

Yet another interesting parallel is that between the Holy Spirit given now as a down payment and the full “payment” at the resurrection when we become eternal spirit beings.  This is particularly fitting if the Feast of Pentecost pictures the resurrection of the saints.

2Co 5:4  For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.
2Co 5:5  Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee [arrhabon].

The Greek word translated guarantee is arrhabon which means down payment, which indeed some translations have.

Conclusion

The Feast of Pentecost pictures the giving of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church of God.

Depending on your persuasion it also pictures the “first resurrection”, which is the first “harvest” of humanity for eternal life.