Quotes and Comments made/compiled by Robert Hyatt
1998

Jewish tradition, held that as the Passover commemorated the deliverance from Egypt, so Pentecost commemorated the wondrous outpouring of divine grace that occurred fifty days later when with his own finger, the Great Jehovah wrote his law on tablets of Stone and gave them to Moses the man of God. What is more to the point is that our Lord was crucified as part of the Passover, and that the Holy Spirit of God came in power on the Day of Pentecost. For forty days after his resurrection Jesus continued to minister among the Twelve as a resurrected Being. Then he ascended to his Father, leaving them with instructions to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endowed with power from on high. Ten days later, "when the day of Pentecost was fully come," the apostles, with Matthias now one of their number, and perhaps other believers, "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."

There were three great feasts -- the Feast of the Passover, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. All Israelite males were commanded to appear three times a year before the Lord in his sanctuary, meaning that attendance at these three feasts was obligatory, and all were to go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, to purify themselves before him, and to carry back to their various cities and farms the spirit of festive worship in which they had participated. Women were welcome -- and we find Mary accompanying Joseph, at least when their twelve-year-old son taught in the temple -- though they were not required to attend.

One of the three great feasts to which all the males of Israel must go each year was the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of the Harvest, or, as we would say, the Feast of Pentecost. It came fifty days after the beginning of the Feast of the Passover. The burnt offerings of Pentecost included a sin-offering and a peace-offering, indicating that the great purpose of the feast was to gain a remission of sins and obtain a reconciliation with God.

Pentecost had its beginning in the Passover, and the Passover had its ending, seven weeks later, in Pentecost; the two feasts are tied together, with the one growing out of the other. At the Passover, on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Israel presented the Passover sheaf to the Lord. With ritualistic ceremony they harvested the first of the barley crop, threshed the heads of grain, parched the grain, and ground it into fine flour. One omer (just over five pints) of fine flour was chosen, and oil and frankincense were added; the mixture was then waved before the Lord, and a portion was burned on the altar. This was the beginning of the harvest, which would be climaxed fifty days later at Pentecost.

Joyous festivities marked the Feast of Tabernacles; the "ingathering" spirit prevailed: without their harvests Israel would perish for want of bread; and famine was a constant threat. How natural that they should rejoice in what the Lord had given them -- from the soil and the rain and the sun! And how natural that Jehovah would expect of them thanksgiving and rejoicing for the bounties that flowed from his hands! Thus we hear him say: "Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates." Why? "Because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice." Then, as to the three great feasts -- Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles -- the Lord said of all who went up to Jerusalem to keep them: "And they shall not appear before the Lord empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee." (Deut. 16:13-17.) And at these festive occasions, both those who gave and those who received would have occasion to rejoice. "Votive, freewill, and peace-offerings would mark their gratitude to God, and at the meal which ensued the poor, the stranger, the Levite, and the homeless would be welcome guests, for the Lord's sake."

Chapter 2

Acts 2:1

1 ¶ AND when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

Acts 2:2

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.

Acts 2:3

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Acts 2:4

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:5

5 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Acts 2:6

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Acts 2:7

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

Acts 2:8

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Acts 2:9

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

Acts 2:10

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Acts 2:11

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

Acts 2:12

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Acts 2:13

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Acts 2:14

14 ¶ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

Acts 2:15

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day.

Acts 2:16

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Acts 2:17

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Acts 2:18

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Acts 2:19

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

Acts 2:20

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

Acts 2:21

21 And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

1 Corinthians 12:1

1 ¶ NOW concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.

1 Corinthians 12:2

2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.

1 Corinthians 12:3

3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 12:4

4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:5

5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

1 Corinthians 12:6

6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

1 Corinthians 12:7

7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

1 Corinthians 12:8

8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

1 Corinthians 12:9

9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

1 Corinthians 12:10

10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another [divers] kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

1 Corinthians 12:11

11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

1 Corinthians 12:12

12 ¶ For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also [is] Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.