HomeThe Feast Has Fully Come
The beginning of Acts 2 tells us, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (KJV).
In the previous posts about the Pentecost, we looked at some aspects of Pentecost as described in the book of Acts. But most of us are a lot less familiar with the Feast of Pentecost and its connection to the Old Testament. Understanding this feast will give us a richer understanding of Pentecost and its significance for us as Christians. In later days, I will put up some studies on the Old Testament feasts and offerings, and their significance for us as believers in Jesus Christ. They have enriched my understanding of Christ and His work, and I am sure they will yours if you are not familiar with them (as I was not).
The Feast of Pentecost—originally called the Feast of Weeks—is described in Leviticus 23:15-22. This is the second of the three major feasts when the Jews were required by the Law to come up to Jerusalem (). The first was for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread which celebrated deliverance from Egypt and the first yearly harvest (of barley). The people were to give back to God in recognition that He was their provider. This points us to Christ who, the New Testament tells us, is the first-fruit of the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20). We see a similar aspect in the Feast of Pentecost as well.
There are (at least) three aspects of the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost which will be helpful to us as we examine how the Feast of Pentecost had “fully come” in Acts.
First, the Feast of Pentecost celebrated the second harvest—this time of the wheat crop. Just as the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Feast of Firstfruits foreshadowed the death and resurrection of Christ, so also the Feast of Weeks foreshadowed (or, technically, was typology for) the harvest of souls which would come as a result of the work of Christ. In Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus tells His disciples, “lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (John 4:35). And indeed, they are white for the harvest. The harvest is ready! The Disciples saw this early on as they began to preach and reap the harvest. The Feast of Pentecost had fully come. But Jesus also laments, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37-38, Luke 10:2). Will you be a laborer filled with the Holy Spirit to bring in the harvest of souls through the testimony of Jesus?
Second, the Feast of Weeks makes provision for the poor. Leviticus 23:22 commands that the people not harvest from the corners of their fields in order that the needy and the alien be provided for. What we find in Acts 2 is striking in this relation: verse 45 tells us that the believers were selling their property and possessions and sharing with all who were in need. The Feast of Pentecost had fully come. As believers in Jesus Christ controlled by the Holy Spirit, are you opening your possessions to those who have need?
Third, the Feast of Pentecost came to be celebrated as a time when the Jews would remember the giving of the Law since the giving of the Law at Sinai followed the Passover. The Old Testament prophets tell us that a new covenant is coming (and has come with Jesus’ institution at the Last Supper, and sealed at Pentecost), where the Law will be written on the hearts of believers (Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27). The Feast of Pentecost had fully come. Jesus Christ fulfilled and upheld the Law, and now through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit lives in us who believe in Him, as the Law written in our hearts.
The Feast of Pentecost has fully come.
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