Origin and Significance of Pentecost in Christianity
Pentecost, meaning "fiftieth day" in Greek, refers to a significant festival in both ancient Israelite tradition and early Christianity [1, 2, 5]. Originally known as the Feast of Harvest or the Day of the Firstfruits, it was celebrated fifty days after the Passover [1, 2, 7]. This timing marked the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest in early summer [5, 7].
In the Old Testament, the observance of Pentecost is described in Exodus 23:16, 34:22, Leviticus 23:15-19, and Numbers 28:26-29 [1, 2]. It was a single-day festival where specific sacrifices were offered, including two wave loaves made from fine wheat flour as firstfruits, along with various burnt offerings, a sin offering, and peace offerings [1, 4, 7]. Beyond these prescribed offerings, a freewill offering was also expected [4]. The day was designated as a holy convocation, meaning it was a day for sacred service where no servile work was to be done, except for tasks necessary for food preparation [8]. The festival was a time for rejoicing before the Lord [2].
The Christian significance of Pentecost is primarily rooted in the event recorded in Acts 2:1-4, where the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in Jerusalem [9]. This occurred "when the day of Pentecost was fully come" [3, 9]. The Apostle John Chrysostom draws a parallel between the Old Testament harvest festival and this New Testament event, viewing the descent of the Spirit as the "sickle of the word" being put to the harvest, gathering souls into the Christian faith [3]. John Gill also notes this connection, stating that the Spirit was poured down upon the apostles at the time of the Feast of Weeks [4].
The timing of this event, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus (which occurred during Passover), connects Pentecost directly to the Paschal mystery [1, 2, 5]. The early Christian community began to observe the first day of the week, Sunday, as sacred, commemorating the Lord's resurrection and seeing it as the beginning of a "new spiritual creation" [6]. This shift gradually superseded the Jewish Sabbath [6]. The three annual feasts of Israel, including Pentecost, are understood by some as typifying Christian truths [6].
Thus, Pentecost in Christianity marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, empowering the apostles and initiating the church's mission. It transforms an ancient harvest festival into a celebration of spiritual harvest and the inauguration of the new covenant era.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Pentecost — I.e., "fiftieth", found only in the New Testament (Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:8). The festival so named is first spoken of in Ex. 23:16 as "the feast of harvest," and again in Ex. 34:22 as "the day of the firstfruits" (Num. 28:26). From the sixteenth of the month of Nisan (the second day of the Passover), seven complete weeks, i.e., forty-nine days, were to be reckoned, and this feast was held on the fiftieth day. The manner in which it was to be kept is described in Lev. 23:15-19; Num. 28:27-29. Besides the sacrifices prescribed for the occasion, every o”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Pentecost — that is, the fiftieth day (from a Greek word meaning fiftieth), or Harvest Feast, or Feast of Weeks, may be regarded as a supplement to the Passover. It lasted for but one day. From the sixteenth of Nisan seven weeks were reckoned inclusively, and the next or fiftieth day was the day of Pentecost, which fell on the sixth of Sivan (about the end of May). (Exodus 23:16; 34:22; Leviticus 23:15,22; Numbers 28) See Jewish calendar at the end of this volume. The Pentecost was the Jewish harvest-home, and the people were especially exhorted to rejoice before Jeho”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: Homily IV. Acts II. 1, 2 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven.” Dost thou perceive the type? What is this Pentecost? The time when the sickle was to be put to the harvest, and the ingathering was made. See now the reality, when the time was come to put in the sickle of the word: for here, as the sickle, keen-edged, came the Spirit down. For hear the words of Christ: “Lift up your eyes,” He said, “and look on the fields, for they are white already to harv”
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 16:10: And thou shall keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God,.... The feast of Pentecost, at which time the Spirit was poured down upon the apostles, Act 2:1. with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand; there were two wave loaves which were ordered to be brought and seven lambs, one young bullock and two rams for a burnt offering, together with the meat and drink offerings belonging thereunto, and a kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs for a peace offering, Lev 23:17, and besides all this, there was to be a voluntary contribution brought”
- Numbers (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Numbers 28:26: 28:26-31 The Festival of Harvest was later called the Festival of Pentecost (see Acts 2:1); see also Lev 23:15-22. It celebrated the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest in early summer (May~June). The Greek name Pentecost means “fiftieth day” (i.e., after Passover; see Acts 20:16; 1 Cor 16:8).”
- 1 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 Corinthians 16:2: first day of . . . week--already kept sacred by Christians as the day of the Lord's resurrection, the beginning day both of the physical and of the new spiritual creations: it gradually superseded the Jewish sabbath on the seventh day (Psa 118:22-24; Joh 20:19, Joh 20:26; Act 20:7; Rev 1:10). So the beginning of the year was changed from autumn to spring when Israel was brought out of Egypt. Three annual feasts, all typical of Christian truths, were directed to be kept on the first day of the week: the feast of the wave offering of the first she”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 34:20: And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks,.... The feast of Pentecost, called the feast of weeks, because seven sabbaths or weeks, or fifty days, were to be reckoned from the day in the passover feast, on which the sheaf of the wave offering was brought, Lev 23:15 and which was also called the feast of the first fruits of wheat harvest, to distinguish it from the barley harvest, at the time of the passover, when a sheaf of barley was the wave offering to the Lord; but at this two loaves or cakes of fine wheaten flour were brought as the first fruits of the wheat ha”
- Leviticus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Leviticus 23:21: And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you,.... This proclamation was made by the priests with the sound of a trumpet, that the people might observe that this fiftieth day, or day of Pentecost, was devoted to sacred service, and that they were called to holy exercises in it: ye shall do no servile work therein; what was not necessary for food, as Ben Gersom observes, but what was necessary on that account, as kindling a fire, &c. might be done, see Lev 23:7; for this was to be kept in like manner as the first and seven”
- Acts (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Acts 2:1: We have here an account of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples of Christ. Observe, I. When, and where, this was done, which are particularly noted, for the greater certainty of the thing. 1. It was when the day of pentecost was fully come, in which there seems to be a reference to the manner of the expression in the institution of this feast, where it is said (Lev 23:15), You shall count unto you seven sabbaths complete, from the day of the offering of the first-fruits, which was the next day but one after the passover, the sixteenth day of the month Abi”