Pentecost, More Than Talking In Tongues

Throughout the bible man has been instructed as to how to serve the Lord. Yet today many remain steeped in traditions and totally ignore the word of God when it comes to serving Him. Christians extend both time and effort to observe man's holidays such as Christmas and Easter, yet fail to recognize the Lord's Holy Days. And if you inform them that you do not observe man's holidays but instead follow the teaching of the bible by observing the Lord's Holy Days, their reactions suggest you are participating in something strange or peculiar. Yet the following verse puts things in their proper prospective.

John (4:22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

Holidays are not found in, nor supported by the bible. So what appears to be strange and peculiar is not following that which is written in the bible but instead observing and following that which is not.

How does one know what they are worshiping? Simply follow the word of God. That will be our intention with this lesson. We will examine the scriptures and let them speak on The Day of Pentecost one of the Lord's high holy days. The name Pentecost is first mentioned in the following verse.

Acts (2:1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they where all with one accord in one place. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Why The Apostles Observed The Day of Pentecost Tradition teaches that the individuals assembled on that day were there tarrying for the Holy Ghost. And the majority of people relate this event to speaking in tongues. The scriptures will show that the Apostles and other Israelites were assembled on this day in observance of one of the Lord's Holy Days.
The Lord had commanded His servants to offer Him a portion of their first fruits.

Exodus (22:29) Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give to me.

In the following verses in Leviticus, the Lord's instruction were to count seven Sabbaths and on the fiftieth day the day after the seventh Sabbath an holy convocation or gathering was to be held where the first fruits of the people were to be offered.

Leviticus (23:15) And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: (16) Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. (17) Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the first fruits unto the LORD. (21) And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

Note in verse (21) it states that this holy convocation was to be held forever. This is what Peter and the rest of the Apostles were observing in Acts the 2nd chapter. They were in one accord observing the Pentecost. This commandment was for then and is still in effect now; for it shall be a statue forever in all your dwelling throughout all your generations.

The Apostle Paul knew that this statue was to be observed forever. Note the following verse. Remember, Paul came well after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus and he still observed the Lord's Holy Days.

Acts (20:1) And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. (6) And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. (16) For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

Paul's goal was to be in Jerusalem the day of Pentecost because as stated in Leviticus (23:21) there is to be an holy convocation and this statue was to be forever.

The Name Pentecost Now one may ask why the Apostles were said to be observing the Day of Pentecost when the name Pentecost itself is not used in the Old Testament where the commandment to observe this Holy Day came from. Pentecost simply means fifty and comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Remember Leviticus (16) stated this Holy Day was to be the fiftieth day. In the Old Testament this Holy Day was called the Feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks.

There are three main annual feasts or holy days that the Lord requires man to make an offering. The following three feast days all MALES are required to observe: Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering -Tabernacles.

Feast of Harvest
Exodus (23:14) Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. (15) Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) (16) And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. (17) Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
In verse (16) the feast associated with first fruits is identified as the feast of harvest.

Feast of Weeks In Deuteronomy again man is instructed that at three times a year they are to conduct a feast and appear before the Lord. These are the same three feasts spoken of in Exodus (23) However this time the feast is called feast of weeks instead of feast of harvest. Remember in Leviticus 23:15 & 16 the Lord told His servants to count seven Sabbaths or (49 days) and on the day after the seventh Sabbath have a holy gathering. This time instead of stating to count seven Sabbaths the people were instructed to count seven weeks which is the same thing.

Deuteronomy (16:8) Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God: thou shalt do no work therein. (9) Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

Thus the feast of weeks is the same as the feast of harvest. (10) And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: (16) Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: (17) Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.

Feast of First fruits As mentioned the Lord requires that on this holy day we appear before Him with an offering.
The Lord commanded to give of one's first fruits and hence reference was made to this holy day as being the feast of first fruits.

Exodus (34:18) The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. (19) All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. (20) But the firstling of an --- thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty. (21) Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. (22) And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. (26) The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

Now one may ask, "What does Pentecost signify?" Jesus became the first man to die and to be resurrected from the grave. And in doing so Jesus became the first fruit. As the title implies, if Jesus is said to be the first, then are more to follow. And the Day of Pentecost points to the time when men just as Jesus was will be resurrected and the Lord will gather more first fruits.

The Foundation of Our Faith As stated Jesus at His resurrection became a first fruit. The resurrection of Jesus Christ must lay at the foundation of one's faith. The fact that Jesus died for our sins, in itself, is not enough, for we all will die. Without the resurrection of Jesus one's faith is in vain.

I Corinthians (15:13) But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: (14) And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (17) And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (18) Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

But the promise of the resurrection that is what we hope for.

Jesus the First fruit Jesus became the first fruit upon His resurrection.

I Corinthians (15:20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. (21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

I Corinthians (15:20) But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. (21) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
(23) But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

The Lord's plan is not to take people off to heaven as commonly thought but instead Jesus is to return and take over this world.

(24) Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. (25) For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (26) The last enemy that should be destroyed is death

This is what Paul is talking about in the following verses. He is referring to man overcoming death and being resurrected at Jesus 2nd coming.

I Corinthians (15:50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
This is when the resurrection of man will occur and we at this point will have become like Jesus and become His first fruits
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

While one's final objective is to become like Christ and put on immortality we must strive now to become a kind of first fruits for before we can hope for our new spiritual body our mind must be changed.

Romans (8:11) But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.



One is led to become a first fruit by the Spirit of God through the word of God.

James (1:18) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
And this is what occurred in Acts 2nd chapter look at what Jesus told the Apostles in John.

John (16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (14) He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This was a dramatic thing that was to occur on the day of Pentecost for the Lord was getting some first fruits. And in reading verse (41) you see that He did just that.

Acts (2:1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they where all with one accord in one place. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (41) Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

The Lord has revealed all that He is to do and I know Jesus is to return for His servants because that is what is written in the scriptures.

Matthew (24:29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Peace to all who seek the truth in the name of Jesus.

http://www.theisraelofgod.com/

Oops, thought we already discussed this, but this is SLIGHTLY different... thought you were getting on the tongues subject again like here:

http://www.christian-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=21929

Sorry... what is the exact nature of your question/discussion or is this just factual?

sister Rose

we have two different topics of discussion.

Pentecost, More Than Talking In Tongues

speaking in tongues a sign for non-believers

two different lesson


what is the exact nature?

what ever understanding God gives you.

You decide by commenting!!!!!

Thanks Brother Ozell,

But I think I made most of my comments regarding tongues already on the other discussion. I think I'll stay out of this one!

Thank you though!