Why Pentecost?

Pentecostal Sunday is approaching us and the question was asked to me "why Pentecostal ?" Why did God choose this feast and why is it so significant in the story of the book of Acts.

It has everything to do with fulfilling the law Jesus said...

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (Matthew 5:17)

Now remember there were 613 ordnances of the ceremonial law Let us look at the Seven feast of Jehovah.

Passover - 14 Nisan, is the type of the crucifixion day and occurs before a seventh day Sabbath.

*The day following the crucifixion is not only a seventh day Sabbath, but also the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 15 Nisan, making that Sabbath a "high" double Sabbath. 16 Nisan, the day of First-fruits, a clear type of the resurrection day, occurs after a sabbath day, but is not itself a Sabbath day! The feast of Pentecost was 50 days after First-fruits (resurrection day).


Now you can see this was not without significance. God made the disciples wait until the day of Pentecost to receive the new birth experience. Pentecost literally means fifty. The number fifty is used in scripture to symbolically represent liberty as in the year of Jubilee, every fiftieth year slaves were liberated, debts canceled, and liberty was proclaimed throughout the land. Paul wrote, "where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3:17).


Moreover, it was at Pentecost that Israel first received the Law of God at Mount Sinai fifty days after departing from Egypt at Passover. So also the disciples received the Holy Ghost at Pentecost to write His laws in their hearts fifty days after First-fruits or the resurrection day. Hence the Law was given physically on the Old Covenant Day of Pentecost as a type of what was to come when the Law would be given spiritually on the New Covenant Day of Pentecost.


"But this shall be the covenant that I will make . . . says the Lord, I WILL PUT MY LAW IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, AND WRITE IT IN THEIR HEARTS . . ." Jeremiah 31:33

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, and cause you to walk in my statutes. " (Ezekiel 36:26, 27)


The Jews have always referred to the Day of Pentecost as "The Feast of the Giving of the Law," or "The Birthday of Judaism." Likewise the Day of Pentecost speaks to the New Testament Believers as the first day of the proclamation of "The Law of Liberty" (See James 1:25) and the Birthday of the New Testament Church. Pentecost was also known as "The Feast of Harvest" (See Exodus 23:16; 34:22) "wheat harvest." Spiritually speaking, Pentecost denotes a time of celebration and great joy for the great harvest of the souls of mankind which would be born into the New Testament Church.

We are Pentecostal because we identify with the same experience that the 120 had on the day of Pentecost. That is the birth of water and Spirit.

We are Apostolic because we believe, teach, and preach what the Apostles believe, preached, and taught.

We are Holy because we believe in living a sanctified and separated life from the world and Holiness until God.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)



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



And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:3, 37-42)