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Bible Dictionaries
Pentecost
American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
or The fiftieth, a feast celebrated the fiftieth day after the sixteenth of Nisan, which was the second day of the feast of the Passover, Leviticus 25:15-16 . The Hebrews call it the "feast of weeks," Exodus 34:22 , because it was kept seen weeks after the Passover. They then offered the first fruits of their wheat harvest, which at that time was completed, Deuteronomy 16:9-10 . These first fruits consisted in two loaves of leavened bread, of five pints of meal each, Leviticus 23:17 . Besides this offering, there were special sacrifices prescribed for this festival, Numbers 28:26-31 .
The feast of Pentecost was instituted, first, to oblige the Israelites to repair to the temple of the Lord, and there acknowledge his dominion over their country and their labors, by offering to him the first fruits of all their harvests. Secondly, to commemorate, and to render thanks to God for the law given from Mount Sinai, on the fiftieth day after their coming out of Egypt. It was on the day of Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit as first poured out upon the apostles and the Christian church, Acts 2:1-3 . On this occasion, as on the Passover seven weeks before, Judaism was at the same time honored and gloriously superseded by Christianity. The paschal lamb gave place to "Christ our Passover;" and the Jewish feast in memory of the giving of the law, to the gift of the Holy Spirit for "every nation under heaven," Acts 2:5 . This gift was for the whole period of the gospel dispensation; and the mighty effects then produced foreshow the yet greater works the Spirit will perform in answer to prayer.
These files are public domain and are a derivative of the topics are from American Tract Society Bible Dictionary published in 1859.
Rand, W. W. Entry for 'Pentecost'. American Tract Society Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ats/p/pentecost.html. 1859.
