The Feast of Pentecost, known in the Jewish tradition as the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks, is a festival that has been celebrated among Jews since the Old Testament. This Eid is mentioned in five positions of the five primary books of the Torah: Exodus 23, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16.
The word “Pentecost”, which is the Greek name for this feast, is also used to refer to the events mentioned in Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit descended after the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. In this text, you can read more about the origin and significance of Pentecost in the Bible.
Pentecost in 2024
This year, Pentecost will be celebrated on Sunday, May 19, 2024. This Eid is the seventh Sunday after Easter (March 31).
Pentecost in the Bible
Descent of the Holy Spirit
“And when the day of Pentecost came, the multitude of the disciples were all together. And suddenly there was a sound from the sky, like a strong wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And cloven and fiery tongues appeared on them and sat on each one of them. And all of them, filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak in other languages, according to the gift of the Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4)
“And in Jerusalem of the Jews dwelt devout men of every nation under heaven. And when this song happened, the crowd gathered and were amazed, because each of them heard them speaking in their own language. And they were shocked and puzzled and said, aren’t all these people who are speaking from Galilee? So how do we each hear in our mother tongue? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Qiravan located in Libya, and the Roman foreigners, Jews and Muslims, Cretans and Arabs, we hear that in their own languages Aja
The roots of Pentecost
The feast of Pentecost was originally a celebration of the beginning of the first harvest. In Palestine there were two harvests each year. The initial harvest was done in May and June and the final harvest in autumn. Pentecost was a celebration of thanksgiving for the beginning of the wheat harvest, and for this reason, it was always held in mid-May or early June.
Before Pentecost, there are other celebrations and occasions. Among these celebrations, we can mention Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Khoshe. The Feast of the Ears was a celebration for the beginning of the barley harvest. There was a special way to determine the date of Pentecost.
According to the Old Testament, they should have started from the day of the Feast of Tabernacles and counted 50 days. The fiftieth day was Pentecost. Therefore, the Feast of Sheaves was the beginning of the barley harvest and the Feast of Pentecost was the thanksgiving festival for the beginning of the wheat harvest.
Why is Pentecost important for Christians?
Today’s Christians celebrate Pentecost not to celebrate the wheat harvest, but to commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit on the church in Acts chapter 2.
The reason for the importance of Pentecost
The Descent of the Holy Spirit and Empowerment of the Church: According to the account of Acts chapter 2, after Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples gathered for the harvest festival (also known as Pentecost). At this time, the Holy Spirit “filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, according to the gift of the Spirit” (Acts 2:4).
This strange event attracted a large crowd and Peter stepped forward to speak about repentance and the gospel of Christ (Acts 2:14). At the end of the day when the Holy Spirit descended, the church received 3,000 new members (Acts 2:41). This is why Christians still celebrate Pentecost.
The promise of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and the Gospels
The importance of Pentecost for Christians is not limited to the descent of the Holy Spirit on the church on the day of Pentecost. In fact, the coming of the Holy Spirit was foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ promised it to his disciples.
In John 26:14, Jesus Christ promises the coming of the Holy Spirit as an “advocate” for his people:
“But the Helper, that is, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of what I said to you.”
Today in the article : What is Pentecost and where did it come from? We reviewed useful information about the Bible and the way of Jesus. If you wish, you can view other articles of Ali Vahidi about Christianity
