Meaning of PENTECOST OR FEAST OF WEEKS.

The second of the three annual solemnities (Passover, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Booths or Tabernacles) in which all Israelite males had to appear at the sanctuary. It was the first of the festivals that had to do with the harvest (Ex. 34:22, 23; 2 Chr. 8:12, 13; 1 Kings 9:25).

It was called the Feast of Weeks because its date was set seven weeks after the offering of the barley sheaf (Lev. 23:15, 16; cf. Deut. 16:9, 10). The sheaf was waved on the day after a Sabbath (Lev. 23:11).

The most authoritative opinion places this day on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is presented in the LXX (Lev. 23:7, 11), as are the organizers of Zerubbabel's temple services (Ant. 3:10, 5). Thus, the Feast of Weeks took the name Pentecost because it was celebrated on the fiftieth day from the waving of the sheaf (in Greek "Pentecost" means "fiftieth"; cf. Acts 2:1).

It was also called the festival of the harvest, or day of the first fruits, because the wheat harvest ended almost in all of Palestine at this time, and two loaves of new wheat were offered (Ex. 23:16; 34: 22; Num. 28:26).

On this day all work was suspended: there was a solemn convocation (Lev. 23:21; Num. 28:26; Lev. 23:17, 20; cf. Lev. 34:22; Num. 28:26; Deut. 16 :10). In addition to the two symbolic loaves, a burnt offering of ten animals was offered; A goat was also sacrificed as a sin offering and two lambs as a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Lev. 23:18, 19).

In Israel the festival did not last more than one day, but Jews who lived outside the country celebrated it two days in a row. During Pentecost, as during the other festivals, the Israelites were to give gifts to the poor (Deut. 16:11, 12).

At a later time, the rabbis alleged a connection, not mentioned in the OT, between the date of the promulgation of the Law at Sinai and Pentecost. But it cannot be proven that the Law of Moses was given exactly fifty days after the departure from Egypt.

The most decisive Pentecost was the one that took place after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. At the third hour (around 9 a.m.), the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and about one hundred and twenty disciples (Acts 2:15-21). This is how the Church was founded.

The Holy Spirit was given, without distinction of age, sex or social status, to all those gathered in the upper room (Acts 2:1-4, 14-21). (See TONGUES [GIFT OF].) In the past, the Spirit had been given in power to prophets and certain believers, but the first Christian Pentecost marks the beginning of the dispensation of the Spirit.

Since then, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to believers, sealed by Him, and they are consequently exhorted to be filled with Him (Acts 1:8; 2:38-39; Eph. 1:12-13; 5:18), and this without the observance of particular rites. God had raised up the people of Israel in the past, to whom he revealed himself in a special way.

Today, in this new dispensation, the Lord acts through the Church, of which the Spirit is the bond of union, strengthening it, increasing it and building it on the earth (Acts 2:39; Eph. 1:22, 23; see HOLY SPIRIT, CHURCH).

It is noteworthy that the Law of Moses itself has placed this very important festival on the day after a Sabbath (in fact, the fiftieth day fell on the day after seven Sabbaths). In the same way, the resurrection of Christ and the descent of the Spirit, with the consequent founding of the Church, took place on the first day of the week, the characteristic day of the new creation.