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.
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