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Pentecost

The following is excerpted from Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi's book God's Festivals in Scripture and History on Pentecost:

A Prophetic Festival. A first indication of the continuity of Pentecost in the Christian church is the prophetic nature of the festival. Like Passover, Pentecost is a remarkable typological feast which celebrates not only the blessings of the agricultural harvest of wheat in Old Testament times, but also the blessing of the spiritual harvest of souls reaped in New Testament times through Christ’s redemptive ministry.

The prophetic nature of Pentecost is evident in the New Testament, first of all, in the timing of the first Christian Pentecost given by Luke. We noted in chapter 6 that Luke introduces the events that occurred on the day of Pentecost by saying: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come" (Acts 2:1, KJV). The Greek verb sumpleroustai, which literally means "was being fulfilled," seems to be intentionally chosen by Luke to make the point that the momentous events of the day of Pentecost occurred not before, not after, but at the very time of the celebration of the Jewish Pentecost.

The Observance of Pentecost Today. Pentecost still should be observed today as a season to be thankful for material and spiritual blessings. We can be thankful Christ arose as the first fruits of redeemed humanity (1 Cor 15:20). We can be thankful Christ ascended to heaven to begin a special intercessory ministry on our behalf. We can be thankful for the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are made available to us through the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.

We can express our thankfulness to God during the season of Pentecost in a variety of ways. Some may wish to follow the custom of the early Christians by standing rather than kneeling for prayer both at home and in church to honor the risen, exalted, and interceding Savior. Others may wish to express their thankfulness to God during the fifty days of Pentecost by singing songs of thanksgiving during their private and public worship. Others may wish to express the joy and gratitude of the Pentecost season by decorating their homes and churches with flowers.

During the seven Sabbaths from Passover to Pentecost, pastors could deliver a series of sermons focusing on the redemptive accomplishments of Christ’s first Advent. By taking time every year during the Pentecost season to deepen the understanding of vital aspects of Christ’s redemption, we can gain a greater appreciation, understanding, and experience of the great truths of the plan of salvation.