A Lead up to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Understanding Pentecost Leviticus 23:4-22

In order to properly understand the New Testament day of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; It is important to have a basic understanding of what the Jewish Feast of Harvest or Feast of Weeks  (commonly referred to as Pentecost from its Greek name meaning 50) is all about. Often; the Old Testament will foreshadow the New Testament in plain language or with word pictures. This study briefly outlines the significance of the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Barley First Fruits, and the Feast of Harvest (Pentecost) and how these feasts foreshadow the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit and the simultaneous birth of the New Testament Church Age on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 1:3-5, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4)

Passover – feast day – 14^th of Nisan (April or late March) The people of Israel celebrated God’s deliverance from Egypt annually (Exodus 12:1-14) – The picture here is that Jesus Christ is our perfect Passover lamb and that his blood will stave off the wrath of God to come.

Romans 5:9-11   Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

1 Peter 1:18-19  knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,  but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

           

Feast of Unleavened Bread – 15^th day of Nisan (Jewish Sabbath) to 21^st day of Nisan (Leviticus 23:6-8) the people of Israel bore many hardships in Egypt at the hands of their cruel taskmasters. (Exodus 1:1-16,) After God’s judgement on the nation of Egypt by the slaying of their firstborn sons; the Egyptians forcefully urged the Israelites out of their land. (Exodus 12:29-39) God commanded the Israelites to eat an unleavened Passover (Bread of Affliction) to symbolize the haste in which they had fled Egypt.  (Deuteronomy 16:3-4) Consuming leaven during that period of time was a serious offence punishable by being “cut off from the congregation of Israel” (Exodus 12:15-20) Leaven is often a symbol of sin in the Bible. (Exod. 12:15-20; Deut. 16:3-4; Hos. 7:4; 1 Cor. 5:6-8) The picture here is that Jesus Christ is our “unleavened” or sinless sacrifice. In other words; Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the bread of affliction. Likewise; it can be said that a Christian has to leave sin or “Egypt” behind. (Spiritually speaking)

Luke 22:19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Feast of Barley First fruits –  16^th day of Nisan (Sunday) On the Barley First Fruits festival; a sheaf of barley was to be harvested from the Israelites fields and waved before the Lord by the priest on the day after the Sabbath (Sunday) with a burnt (lamb), grain, and drink offering. (Exodus 29:40)  The first fruit was an early sampling of the harvest to come at a later date; but it nevertheless consecrated (set apart) the whole harvest unto God and served as a pledge or promise for the entire harvest to come later. In God’s economy; if the first fruit offering was acceptable; the whole harvest would also be acceptable. (Leviticus 23:9-14) The Festival of Barley First Fruits is a picture of our Messiah’s (the Lord Jesus Christ) Resurrection proving that his first fruit offering was perfectly acceptable on behalf of all who would associate with his death, burial, and resurrection. In other words; the sinless savior Jesus Christ was the first fruit of a great harvest to come.

1 Corinthians 15:20  But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Romans 11:16 For if the first fruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Feast of Harvest - 6^th day of Silvan (50 days after the feast of unleavened bread) was Pentecost. This was a day of rejoicing for all the people including foreigners meant to remind the Israelites that they were once slaves in Egypt and that they were to keep the Lord’s statues. (Deut 16:9-12) It is also believed the Israelites received the Law on the Feast of Harvest after they had fled from Egypt. During the Feast of Wheat Harvest; 2 wave loaves were baked using fine flour with leaven and offered as first fruits to the Lord. (This may be a picture the birth of the New Testament Church) The first fruit was an early sampling of the harvest to come at a later date; but it nevertheless consecrated (set apart) the whole harvest unto God and served as a pledge or promise for the entire harvest to come later. In God’s economy; if the first fruit offering was acceptable; the whole harvest would also be acceptable. Burnt grain and drink offering were presented to the Lord as a wheat harvest first fruit. (Exodus 23:16, Numbers 28:26-31) The wheat harvest first fruit pictures the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles in the upper room 50 days after the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This outpouring of the Promised Holy Spirit would begin a new dispensation; (epoch) The Church Age in which the Holy Spirit would baptize Jews and Gentiles alike. (Leviticus 23:22)

James 1:18  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.

Romans 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

John 12:23-25 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.