Pentecost a Time of Rejoicing Over Freedom
PENTECOST IS A CELEBRATION OF LIBERATION FROM SLAVERY
The Israelites were freed after the Passover plague crushed Egyptian families. This was just punishment by God because the Egyptians all cooperated in killing Israel's sons. God balances the scales of justice.
Ex 1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
(KJV)
The process of freeing the children of God began on the eve after the Passover sacrifice of the lamb. This process of reaching freedom continued until they reached Mt. Sinai, and God spoke to them on Pentecost. The march to freedom started on the first day of Unleavened Bread and continued until Pentecost. Pentecost is the jubilee celebration of that freedom. The Ten Commandments were given at Pentecost. The Ten Commandments are the law of liberty. The laws of God lead to freedom and being guiltless.
Ex 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.
(KJV)
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. {deed: or, doing}
(KJV)
Pentecost is a celebration of the power of God in the act of freeing his people from slavery. The Israelites freed from physical slavery, and Christians from spiritual slavery. The Israelites march to Mt. Sinai ; their Pentecost appointment with God has lessons for us. We must learn from the lack of faith of the Israelites during this period, and stay positive. We must celebrate our freedom and trust God thru our trials.
CHRIST IS THE CORE OF ALL HOLYDAYS INCLUDING PENTECOST
Pentecost is all about Jesus. He is the source and power supplying us our grace and freedom. Who is the true lamb of God? It is Christ. The count of 50 days to Pentecost, begins with the resurrection of Christ. This is the zero starting point. Day One is the Wave Sheaf Offering. Who is the true Wave Sheaf Offering or First of the First Fruits? Jesus is. He is the first of many resurrected sons of God.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. {taketh away: or, beareth}
Le 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: {sheaf: or, handful: Heb. omer}
11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf, an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Jesus is the wave sheaf offering. He fulfilled all the meaningful models in the Bible in His death and resurrection and then ascending to His Father as the first of first fruits. Note John.
Joh 20:17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.
Christ clearly had to first fulfill the wave sheaf offering by appearing to His Father in heaven before being handled by his followers. Pentecost should be celebrated because we are rejoicing over the salvation and freedom and grace Christ has given us. The wave sheaf is the count of day one and then add seven weeks and you arrive at the count of fifty , a jubilee celebration. Pentecost has no calendar date like other Holy Days. It is tethered to Jesus. Christ death resurrection and him being the wave sheaf triggers the count down to Pentecost. Jesus is the start and the reason for the count. Note what Paul says to the Corinthians again.
1Co 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. {followed...: or, went with them}
GOD EMPOWERS THE CHURCH OUT OF LOVE
When Pentecost finally arrived, the Israelites were given power for freedom by the law. The New Testament followers of Christ were given powerful gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts were accompanied by special effects to attract the crowds. The visual and audio sound effects were awesome. The sound of a mighty wind and sight of tongues of fire on each of the 120 followers.
Ac 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
(NKJV)
Ac 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one in one place.
2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each2. 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.
(NKJV)
If God was doing away with the Holy Days in the Old Testament, why have the disciples wait until a Holy Day to empower them. God was fulfilling the true meaning of Pentecost. It is the beginning of the first, smaller harvest. The Church is the small first harvest represented by Pentecost. Those fortunate enough to be in the church now will be God's first fruit and blessed to be part of the best and first resurrection.
Re 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
(NKJV)
God really loves us and we are very blessed to be part of the first fruits. We have a more daunting task than those in the later age. We must resit Satan's society. If we repent and obey and let God work in us, we help lead the world in Christ's millennium paradise. Wow! God loves us so much he has an emotional investment in us- the first fruits.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
(NKJV)
The Holy Spirit also opened the truth to those at Pentecost to help do the work of God. We also should help do the work of God.
