Building on the Foundation

  At first glance, it appears as though God’s Word says little about the Feast of Pentecost. We do find four different names for it in Scripture: the Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22), the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16), the day of the firstfruits (Num. 28:26), and Pentecost (Acts 2:1). Yet observances of this day are seldom mentioned in Scripture by name. Only once, in fact. Only one time, in all of Scripture, are we specifically told that something happened on Pentecost, and that’s in Acts 2:1-4: 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were 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 the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. However, there ARE several other Pentecost observances detailed in Scr...

  The count to Pentecost — or the Feast of Weeks, as it’s called in the Old Testament — is somewhat controversial, as folks have diverse understandings of when the count should begin. Due to the differences in counting, some may observe Pentecost always on a Sunday during the Hebrew month Sivan (the third month), others on a Monday, and others on Sivan 6th. And there are likely other variations as well. In ancient times, the count to Pentecost began with offering a wave sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest. God told the Israelites, “When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Lev. 23:10-11). The count concluded fifty days later, on the Day of Pentecost, by offering wave loaves of the firstfruits of a later harvest: “You shall bring from your dwellin...

  The third annual holy day that God has given us is Pentecost (Feast of Weeks). This holy day is unique from the others in that there is no specific date given on the Hebrew Calendar for its observance. And yet, as we read in Lev. 23, it is on the list that God commanded Moses saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts [appointed meeting] of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations [sacred assembly] , these are My feasts’” (Lev. 23:2). God did not leave us wondering how we are going to know when His sacred appointment is. Instead of giving us a date, He gave us very simple instructions on how to arrive at the correct date. Even though the instructions are very simple, they have still been the cause of a lot of confusion among the brethren. This is most unfortunate as we read in 1 Cor. 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” I believe God's instructions are ver...