The Day of Pentecost
Acts 2 records the details of events on the Day of Pentecost (30 AD). This was the Hebrew Feast of Weeks, which was part of the three major annual feasts in Israel – Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents or Booths)—during which the people would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Seven weeks would be counted from Passover (making 49 days), then on the 50th day, a new offering was presented before the Lord. The term PENTECOST comes from the Greek Pentakonta, meaning “fifty“.
Pentecost marked the start of the New Testament Church – the institution of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). The pouring out of the Spirit of God, as prophesied by Joel some hundreds of years before the event (around 835 B.C.) , and promised by Christ on account of His perfect sacrifice, began to be fulfilled in dramatic and miraculous fashion.
Not only did this mark the beginning of the Church, it was the anniversary of the giving of the Old Covenant at Sinai, in which God manifested His power and glory through fire and thick smoke from Mount Horeb. On that occaision Moses was permitted to ascend to commune with God. This was a pre-figure of Christ ascending into the heavenly realm, to become seated at the right hand of God, and to receive full authority to pour out the Holy Ghost and fire. An appropriate time to pour out the benefits of the New Covenant through Christ.
The accompanying miraculous signs following on that day demonstated proof of Christ now seated in divine authority …
Acts 2:33
Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
What they saw was tongues of fire distrubuted on the recipients and what they heard was the sound of a rushing mighty wind and the recipients speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:3-4
And there appeared unto them cloven (divided) tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
This is That which Was Spoken …
Those present were astonished at the events unfolding and were at a loss as to what all of this meant …. What was this all about? What did it signify? …
Acts 2:12
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Peter stood up to deliver the vital message in answer to the question “What Meaneth this?”…
Acts 2:14-25
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
The Fulfilment of Prophecy
Acts 2:16-21
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The miraculous events on the Day of Pentecost signified the following …
- The commencement of the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy
- Entering what the Bible describes as the “Last Days”
- The commencement of the outpouring of the Spirit of God, made available to all flesh
- This outpouring of God’s Spirit precedes the Great and Notable Day of the Lord – i.e. the second coming of Christ
- Salvation comes through calling on the name of the Lord.
Ongoing Prophetic Promise until Christ’s Return
The initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost marked the commencement of an ongoing prophecy, the fulfilment of which remains available to individuals until the end of the Gospel age. The Day of the Lord (i.e. the return of Jesus Christ) will mark the end of the fulfilment of this exciting and life-changing prophecy.
Have you received your Pentecost experience?