Pentecost

And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.

Christ arises from the dead, signifying the fulfilment of the wave offering by the ultimate peace offering. To this day, 50 days after the celebration of Passover, the Jewish people celebrate Shavuot, a festival that is indispensable in understanding Pentecost. As Passover is directly linked to Shavuot, so is the Crucifixion to Pentecost. 50 days after Christ arose from the dead, Pentecost occurs.

You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.

This day is to be celebrated forever, to Jesus Christ who without sin died for all of mankind. However, instead of offering food and drink as a holy offering, we are to eat of the very finest – “the bread of life and drink of the blood he shed.” He was the first fruit of the Vine, he is the true Vine and Father God is the gardener. The only way we can bear fruit is if we stay in the vine.

The two wave loaves illustrate the two branches of salvation, both to the Jew and to the Gentile. This bread now has leaven, signifying sin. Both Jew and Gentile could now receive the cleansing of sin through salvation in Jesus Christ. This was the birth of the Church, or rather the Body of Christ.

And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord. Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.

The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.

Jesus was the perfect lamb, without spot or blemish (without sin). Through Jesus death he offered spiritual rebirth and sustainment through his blood and his word - the bread of life. Jesus the Lamb of God became the only means of right relationship with God.

These are the firstfruits of the Body of Christ presented to the Father, by our High Priest Jesus Christ. The coming of the Holy Spirit Baptised believers into the Body of Christ and so the Age of Grace and the Church commenced.

And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

This day has become the Sabbath in Christianity; it’s the coming of the Kingdom that will last through to eternity. He was the first of the grain to be harvested and since then, a harvest of souls would follow until the closing of the age.

'When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.'

Although this has a direct social responsibility that none should be excluded, so is the new covenant through Christ’s death. This is to the Israeli nation and to all of mankind, so none would be excluded.

Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Once a person receives salvation in Christ, the following is the truth – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes 11 and be ready by the third day, because on that day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 Put limits for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13 They are to be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s horn sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”

After Christ’s death, he arose on the third day. Thus opening up the new and living way to God. When Jesus rose from the dead, there were many witnesses thus proving that he was the Son of God. Those who would come to Christ had nothing to fear, they could now come boldly into his presence and to the throne of God which was previously not allowed.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus.”

After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. 15 Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

Before the Israelites could go before God, they had to outwardly cleanse themselves. Through the crucifixion, we are washed and cleansed inwardly making a new and living access to God.

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain[b] trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.[c] Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’”

The curtain or veil of the Temple separated the Holy of Holies (where the presence of God dwelled) from the rest of the Temple. Only the high priest could enter there once a year, with the sacrificial offering for the sins of all the people. When Christ died and the curtain was torn from top to bottom, this symbolized the destruction of the barrier between God and man. The way was opened up through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. His death provided the complete sacrifice for sin so that now all people, through Christ, can approach the throne of grace. At that point, darkness covered the land. A little later, as Jesus gave up his spirit, an earthquake shook the ground, ripping the Temple veil in two from top to bottom. Matthew's Gospel records, "The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life."

The Lord descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21 and the Lord said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to see the Lord and many of them perish. 22 Even the priests, who approach the Lord, must consecrate themselves, or the Lord will break out against them.”

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Baptism here is twofold. They were baptised into the Body of Christ and they were Baptised into the Holy Spirit illustrating new birth promised and prophesied by John the Baptist when he said, “One that comes after me will Baptise with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.” The Baptism of Fire also occurs as the believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in new tongues, a gift of the Holy Spirit. This happens when tongues of fire comes upon them. Now believers can come boldly before the Lord through fire (which burns away their sins) and not be restricted as at perimeter of Mt. Sinai.

God speaks to Moses and gives him the law by which Israel must live – the Ten Commandments.

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

On Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.

God gives believers the law once again, but this time by grace through the indwelling Holy Spirit - This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. This is an inward witness of the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin and guides us.

Because of sin, the establishment of the Golden Calf and idol worship God slew 3000 Israelites in one day.

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.