It commemorates the descent of the holy spirit on the apostles and other disciples following the crucifixion, resurrection. Charted index of sunday scripture readings from the revised common lectionary for lent and the sundays of easter to pentecost, year c. The day of pentecost is noted in the christian church as the day on which the spirit descended upon the apostles, and on which, under peters preaching, so. Pentecost was a day of joy for the harvest that god had given his people. Before pentecost the river of gods spirit blessed the people of israel and was their very life. According to the old testament, you would go to the day of the celebration of firstfruits, and beginning with that day, you would count off 50 days. As the passover feast celebrated the exodus of the israelites from the slavery of egypt, so pentecost celebrated gods gift of the ten commandments to moses on mount sinai. Well, pentecost is like the dedicatory opening of the aswan high dam. As the name indicates pentekoste, this second of the great jewish national festivals was observed on the 50th day, or 7 weeks, from the paschal feast, and therefore in the old testament it was called the feast of weeks.
Pentecost, also called whitsunday, pentecost from greek pentecoste, 50th day, major festival in the christian church, celebrated on the sunday that falls on the 50th day of easter. But after pentecost the power of the spirit spread out to light the whole world. Pentecost, festival in the christian church marking the descent of the holy. The term pentecost itself is not used in the old testament. Rather, it is a greek word referring to the 50 days counted from the offering of the wavesheaf during the days of unleavened bread until the holy day that celebrates the harvest of the firstfruits.
Pentecost is actually the greek name for a festival known in the old testament as the feast of weeks leviticus 23. None of the benefits enjoyed in the prepentecostal days were taken away. In the time of moses, several annual festivals were prescribed and celebrated throughout the year. Some of the most exciting events in the new testament revolved around the day of pentecost in the book of acts, chapter 2. Pentecost in the old testament archives consider the gospel. Pentecost definition, a christian festival celebrated on the seventh sunday after easter, commemorating the descent of the holy ghost upon the apostles. They received power, not the power giver on that day. The feast of pentecost from a christian perspective. The biblical narrative of the pentecost includes numerous. In fact, pentecost was a regular old testament festival. The observance of the feast of weeks or pentecost is recorded in the old testament in exodus 34. Read bible verses about the festival of pentecost when jesus promised the holy spirits power to help the church bear witness to all nations to. Pentecost is significant in both the old and new testaments. The festival of passover was the first to be celebrated in the jewish year.
How believers experienced the spirit before pentecost. The greek word means fifty and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of passover. This old testament feast revealed a shadow of the things that were to come. The feast of pentecost from a christian perspective learn religions. Pentecost bible verses top 3 scripture passages bible study tools. The christian holy day of pentecost, which is celebrated fifty days after easter sunday, commemorates the descent of the holy spirit upon the apostles and other followers of jesus christ while they were in jerusalem celebrating the feast of weeks, as described in the acts of the apostles acts 2. Jesus here confirmed that the old testament scriptures are based on these. The feast of pentecost or shavuot has many names in the bible. The holy spirit in the old testament was he really given. So firstfruits is the beginning of the barley harvest and pentecost the celebration of the beginning of the wheat harvest.