PENTECOST

The fiftieth, a feast celebrated the fiftieth day after the sixteenth of Nisan, which was the second day of the feast of the Passover, Le 25:15-16. The Hebrews call it the "feast of weeks," Ex 34:22, because it was kept seen weeks after the Passover. They then offered the first fruits of their wheat harvest, which at that time was completed, De 16:9-10. These first fruits consisted in two loaves of leavened bread, of five pints of meal each, Le 23:17. Besides this offering, there were special sacrifices prescribed for this festival, Nu 28:26-31. The feast of Pentecost was instituted, first, to oblige the Israelites to repair to the temple of the Lord, and there acknowledge his dominion over their country and their labors, by offering to him the first fruits of all their harvests. Secondly, to commemorate, and to render thanks to God for the law given from Mount Sinai, on the fiftieth day after their coming out of Egypt. It was on the day of Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit as first poured out upon the apostles and the Christian church, Ac 2:1-3. On this occasion, as on the Passover seven weeks before, Judaism was at the same time honored and gloriously superseded by Christianity. The paschal lamb gave place to "Christ our Passover;" and the Jewish feast in memory of the giving of the law, to the gift of the Holy Spirit for "every nation under heaven," Ac 2:5. This gift was for the whole period of the gospel dispensation; and the mighty effects then produced foreshow the yet greater works the Spirit will perform in answer to prayer.

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pentecost. pentecost, (g) whitsontide

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Pentecost. 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 one was to bring to the Lord his “tribute of a free-will offering” (Deut. 16:9-11). The purpose of this feast was to commemorate the completion of the grain harvest. Its distinguishing feature was the offering of “two leavened loaves” made from the new corn of the completed harvest, which, with two lambs, were waved before the Lord as a thank offering.

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 Peter’s preaching, so many thousands were converted in Jerusalem (Acts 2).

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Pentecost. fiftieth

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PENTECOST. → Called
* FEAST OF WEEKS Ex 34:22; De 16:10
* FEAST OF HARVEST Ex 23:16
* DAY OF FIRST FRUITS Nu 28:26
* DAY OF PENTECOST Ac 2:1; 20:16; 1Co 16:8

→ Institution of Ex 23:16; 34:22; Le 23:15-21; Nu 28:26-31; De 16:9-12,16 → Holy Spirit given to the apostles on the first day of Ac 2 → See FEASTS

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pentecost. Pentecost, n. Whitsuntide, a high Jewish festival

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Pen″te‐cost (?), n. [[L. pentecoste, Gr. � (sc. �) the fiftieth day, Pentecost, fr. � fiftieth, fr. � fifty, fr. � five. See Five, and cf. Pingster.]] 1. 1. A solemn festival of the Jews; — so called because celebrated on the fiftieth day (seven weeks) after the second day of the Passover (which fell on the sixteenth of the Jewish month Nisan); — hence called, also, the Feast of Weeks. At this festival an offering of the first fruits of the harvest was made. By the Jews it was generally regarded as commemorative of the gift of the law on the fiftieth day after the departure from Egypt.
2. 2. A festival of the Roman Catholic and other churches in commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles; which occurred on the day of Pentecost; — called also Whitsunday. Shak.