Introduction

God's purpose in creating the human race is to reproduce His own kind, to fashion in each person His holy character. God gave to Israel seven annual festivals which reveal symbolically the steps in fulfilling that plan. Using this inductive study guide you'll learn about the third step in that plan -- Pentecost, the third festival of the year.

Evidence From Scripture

LEVITICUS 23:15 "'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath [during the Days of Unleavened Bread], from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. (16) Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. (17) You shall bring from your habitations 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."

1. What does "Pentecost" mean? What other names are there for this Feast?

2. When is Pentecost?

3. To what does the "sheaf of the wave offering" refer?

4. What occurs at this time of the year?

5. What do the loaves represent?

6. Why is leaven (a symbol for sin) an ingredient in these loaves?

7. Who are called "firstfruits" in the New Testament? Read James 1:18.

JAMES 1:18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

8. Is there still sin in the church? If so, why?

9. What is the connection between a harvest and the church? Is there a "harvest" into the Family of God? Read Revelation 14:1,4 and comment.

ACTS 1:4-5 "And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which, ‘He said, you have heard from Me; (5) for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’

ACTS 2:1,4 "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit...."

10. Did the apostles observe the Day of Pentecost?

11. What occurred on this day?

12. Was the Church founded on that Pentecost? Read Ephesians 2:18-22 and comment.

13. Who made it possible for us to receive the Holy Spirit? Read John 14:16-17, 26 and comment.

ROMANS 5:5 "...the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

ROMANS 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."

GALATIANS 5:16-18, 22-23 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (18) But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, (23) goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

14. What does the Holy Spirit do in the life of a Christian?

15. What is the "love of God"?

16. Who is a son of God?

17. How does one "walk in the Spirit"?

18. Does the Holy Spirit make possible the making of the New Covenant? Read Hebrews 8:7-12 and comment.

ACTS 2:38 "Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’"

19. How does one receive the Holy Spirit?

20. What is "repentance"?

21. Are repentance and baptism pictured in any preceding Feast?

Summary

1. What does God want to impress upon us by observing the Feast of Pentecost?

2. How important do most churches regard Pentecost? Do they celebrate it? What meaning do they see in this day?

3. What meaning does this Feast have for you?

For a more comprehensive study, we recommend the booklet, "God's Holy Day Plan - Hope For All Mankind".