Do you know what Pentecost is in the Bible ? If not, we invite you to read this article. Discover with us the meaning of this biblical term and its great importance for Christian believers.
What is the Day of Pentecost in the Bible?
The concept of Pentecost, from the etymology of the word, comes from the Greek word πεντηκοστή, transliterated as pentēkostḗ. This Greek word is composed of two roots: pentē, which denotes five, and kostḗ, from the suffix Konta, which is used to indicate the tens.
So Pentecost translates to the word fiftieth or fifty. Now, what is the meaning of the fiftieth day or day of Pentecost in the Bible?
In the old testament
In the Old Testament it refers to the fifty days counted from the wave offering of the Passover festival. Upon reaching these fifty days, the Hebrew people celebrated the festival known as Shavuot or The Feast of Weeks, in obedience to God's perpetual mandate
Leviticus 23:15 (NBV): – The Feast of Weeks: Fifty days later they shall bring to the Lord an offering of new grain from their last harvest-.
Deuteronomy 16:9-10 (DHH): 9 – When seven weeks have passed , from the day that the wheat harvest began, 10 you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks in honor of the Lord your God , and you shall present your freewill offerings according to the good things with which the Lord your God has blessed you.
In the new testament
In the New Testament Pentecost refers to the fifty days counted from the crucifixion of Jesus, which is our true Passover, until the fulfillment of the Promise of the Holy Spirit. As the risen Jesus, he told his disciples on earth before his ascension to heaven:
Acts 1:4b-5: – Wait for the promise my Father made to you , which I have spoken to you about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
A promise from God given to his people through his messenger the prophet Joel in the biblical passage Joel 2:8-32. This baptism would take place on Pentecost (fiftieth day), with the coming of the Holy Spirit, as described in:
Acts 2:1-4a (RVA 2015): When the day of Pentecost came , they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.
While the Feast of Weeks represented in the Old Testament, the celebration of the end of the harvest of the grain crop. For its part in the New Testament, the day of Pentecost marks the beginning of the era of the Christian church.
The church is the new harvest born from the true Easter that is Christ Jesus, which would be in charge of distributing the seed of faith to the ends of the world, until today.
You can learn about these and other differences by reading the article: Differences between the Old and New Testaments . These differences are all part of the fulfillment of God's perfect plan.
The fire and wind of Pentecost in the Bible
The narration of the arrival of the day of Pentecost in the Bible in the passage of Acts 2:1-4, describes two signs that could be perceived in addition to the gift of tongues. These signs were a strong wind that came with the sound of thunder and fire in the form of tongues.
In the Bible in both testaments there are many references that can be found where the wind manifests the power and control of God. Some examples are the citations: Exodus 10:13, Isaiah 11:15 and from the New Testament, Matthew 14:23-32 can be cited.
However, the wind in the Bible is also related to life and spirit, read Job 12:10 and John 3:8. In this sense God gives man the breath of physical life:
Genesis 2:7 (TLA): Then God took some dust, and with that dust formed man . Then he breathed into his nostrils, and with his own breath gave him life.
But the breath of spiritual life comes to us through Jesus Christ, generated by the Holy Spirit of God, so without a doubt that is the meaning of the wind on the day of Pentecost.
For its part, fire in the Bible represents or is related to the presence of God or his holiness. An example of this are the biblical quotes: Exodus 3:2, Isaiah 10:17, Psalm 97:3, Hebrews 12:29 and Revelation 3:18, among others.
We invite you to continue reading to learn more about the gift of the Holy Spirit given on the day of Pentecost in the Bible. To do so, read the article titled, Speaking in Tongues : What is it? Who can do it?
You can also complement your reading with the article on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit : What are they and how to use them?
