Yesterday was the anniversary of Pentecost, a Greek word meaning “fifty.” In the Old Testament, this Jewish feast week was called Shavuot, which in Hebrew means “weeks.” Beginning on the second day of Passover, the “counting of the omer” began, referring to a sacrifice of an omer-measure of barley. The second day of Passover was also called “Firstfruits,” and was the beginning of the barley harvest. After seven weeks elapsed, the wheat harvest began, signifying the start of Shavuot. On the Hebrew calendar, this feast began on the first day of Sivan, and was one of the three feasts of Moses that required for every Jewish man twenty years of age or older to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Additional significance lies in the fact that during the exodus of the Jews from Egypt to the Promised Land, Shavuot marks the day when the Jews received the Law. Having departed Egypt in haste, with Pharaoh’s soldiers in hot pursuit, the Jews carried their emancipation from slavery with the requirement of following God’s Law. In the Bible, seven is symbolic of completeness, and not ironically, after seven weeks of seven days, God shared His Law with them. According to tradition, King David was born and died on Shavuot, which is the only one of the seven feasts of Moses using leavened bread instead of unleavened bread. Leaven points to sin, as it causes bread to puff up, while prideful sin causes man to puff up.
A deeper significance of the day involves another anniversary, as Shavuot is also the day that the Church began. The resurrection of Jesus occurred on the day of Firstfruits, that second day of Passover, as He was the firstfruit of the resurrection. The resurrection is a category, rather than an event. To explain that further, just as Jesus was resurrected, each of us as believers will be in the first resurrection, concluding with the following verse:
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
After He was resurrected, Jesus appeared to His disciples before He departed from the Mount of Olives and returned to heaven in a cloud. A Sabbath’s journey away, according to the Book of Acts, the disciples left the Mount of Olives for the upper room. Just as Jesus promised, when He departed the believers, He left them with the Holy Spirit:
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:14-18
The word for “another” Helper, is allos (ἄλλος), which differs from heteros. Allos signifies another of the same sort, while heteros signifies another of a different sort. This tells us that the Holy Spirit is like Jesus. Yet there is a difference. Jesus walked with His followers, and was with them for three years, but only part of the time. The Holy Spirit is a gift to believers that will be with us at all times, as He dwells inside of us:
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
John 16:7
So on that first Pentecost Sunday many years ago, celebrating the anniversary of the giving of the Law, the first believers were filled with the Helper, who will teach us and bring to remembrance all things. He will imbue us with power. He came in as a rushing wind! What a gift we have been given! God is dwelling in us!
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