Some celebrations or festivals are pretty strange, like the following:

  • The Pickle Festival in North Carolina
  • The Onion Festival in Georgia
  • The Possum Festival in Florida.
  • Groundhog Day…that’s a strange celebration.

Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacle.

One of the 3 Required Feast

Pentecost was during the harvest season and lasted one day. While that may sound like a long party, some of the Jewish feasts lasted seven days.

In the book “Precious Holy Spirit”, we look at each of these three feasts in the order of their occurrence to discover the the prophetic picture that would be fulfilled in the New Tesatament.

Pentecost Fifty days after passover

 

Two revolutionary things took place at the first Pentecost in the Old Testament:

  • God gave them the Ten Commandments (or the Pentateuch),

  • and they experienced His manifest presence.

They heard, actually heard, God’s voice speak the Ten Commandments and experienced the presence of God. He was offering them the tools they needed to be a nation of priests.

Exodus 20:1 BSB “And God spoke all these words:”

The Old Testament Pentecost was a celebration of the Word of God.

New Testament Pentecost, which occurred 50 days after Passover, opened the door for believers to move into a new dimension in their relationship with God. This new dimension would change the way believers live as much as telephones changed the way people communicate. Pentecost would change a believer’s attitude and actions. Receiving the Person of Pentecost would affect all aspects of life. Holy Spirit would take each believer’s living, being, and serving to a brand new level—a new dimension. He would enlarge a believer’s capacity to know and serve God; much like a balloon remains stretched after it has been blown up.

Pentecost is dramatically more than an event. It is the giving of Holy Spirit.

Christmas

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ into this world, although we see glimpses of His presence in the Old Testament. “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” (John 1:10 KJV)

We celebrate Christmas because God sent His Son into the world as a little baby, clothed in humanity, to be born in a Bethlehem stable.

“So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father.” (John 1:14)

Pentecost

The descent of Holy Spirit at Pentecost was a unique event in the history of the world.

We see His activity and power throughout the Old Testament, beginning at Genesis, but only as a visitor and then only for specific people or situations.

Although we see Him empowering individuals in the Old Testament, Pentecost was the date of His introduction to the world as

“The Promise” and “The Gift” for every believer.

 

St. Augustine clarifies it: “Holy Spirit  was now to come no longer as a transient Visitor, 

but as an eternal inhabitant.”

 

Breaking God’s law is sin.

Jesus came to pay the ultimate price for our sins; that is redemption. The Book of Hebrews reveals God’s ultimate plan as being both redemptive and regenerative.

Holy Spirit would change us

from the inside out!

Let me try to explain one aspect of the new dimension Holy Spirit would open for a believer. As we have already discussed, the Old Testament Pentecost celebrated the giving of the Ten Commandments.

While Moses was still on the mountain with God, the Israelites constructed and worshiped an idol, which broke one of God’s laws. Breaking God’s law is sin. Jesus came to pay the ultimate price for our sins; that is redemption. The Book of Hebrews reveals God’s ultimate plan as being both redemptive and regenerative.

But, this time, God would not write His laws on tablets of stone. Holy Spirit would write them on the hearts of His people. Those laws would be remembered and obeyed out of a heart of love that is energized by The Dynamo, Holy Spirit, resident in every Spirit-filled believer. Jesus testifies to us about this.

First he says:

“This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them.” (Hebrews 10:16) Ezekiel prophesied this event, which would affect a change so great that, instead of obeying out of a string of stringent laws, our love for Him would energize our obedience. Ezekiel 36:23-27

Here are some clues for you to think about. At the Old Testament Pentecost, God gave the Word. The New Testament Pentecost enabled believers to understand and obey that Word. Jesus is the Word made flesh, and He is revealed to all through the infilling of Holy Spirit. One of the primary jobs Holy Spirit was sent to do is help all believers to know Jesus better. “All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me.” (John 16:15)

 

That reality makes me soooo excited!
Old Testament Pentecost celebrates the Word. New Testament Pentecost celebrates the Spirit!

Old AND New Testament Pentecost

teaches us we need BOTH the Word and the Spirit.

This truth is just one of so many in Scripture that are a two sided coin. As a believer we love to celebrate the Word, but there is another side to celebrate and experience, the Spirit. I am so thankful that God sent His son into the world to save us from our sins. But I am also thankful that God sent precious Holy Spirit to live in us and empower us to live overcoming lives and to be His witness everywhere we go.

Are you hungry for more?

Then you’ll want to order my book “Precious Holy Spirit.”

I have so much more I want to share with you  about Precious Holy Spirit. 

Holy Spirt filled living
Digital Book

EBOOK

You can begin reading right now!

Precious Holy Spirit

What learning option do you prefer?

 

Paperback Book Audio Book 7- Holy Spirit Sermons Download