As I write this blog, we are approaching the celebration of Pentecost which occurred 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection. It marks the launch of the fledgling church when the promised Holy Spirit filled the 120 people in the upper room.

It’s easy for us non-Jewish Christians to think that this was the only celebration in town, but the Jewish Calendar also celebrated the Feast of Weeks which is seven weeks (50 days) after Passover. The Hebrew festival, (Shavuot) dated back to the time of Moses and was the harvest festival celebrating the first fruits of the wheat harvest. Shavuot later became the celebration of when Moses received the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai, acknowledging the giving of the first covenant.

There are some amazing parallels between the Jewish Shavuot festival and the Christian Pentecost, all of which serve to show how God has been revealing Himself throughout Jewish history.

Spiritual Symbolism

• Shavuot reveals God’s Law on Mount Sinai, Pentecost reveals God’s Holy Spirit on Mount Zion.
• The first brought Law on stone tablets, the second brought Law written on human hearts.
• God’s presence on both occasions was evidenced as fire, wind.

Historical Parallels

• People Gathered: At Mount Sinai and from all nations at Jerusalem
• Audible Phenomena: Thunder and a loud trumpet blast at Mt. Sinai and a mighty rushing wind in the upper room.
• Visual Phenomena: Fire and smoke on the mountain, tongues of fire on the disciples
• Result: Fear and distance resulted in 3000 deaths at Sinai, but joy and closeness with 3000 saved when Peter preached his first sermon.

Theological Significance

• Foundation: The old covenant was the creation of Israel and a nation of God, and the new covenant was the birth of the Church as the body of Christ.
• Access to God: The Old Covenant was by the law, but the new covenant was by faith in Jesus and the empowerment by the Holy Spirit
• Mission: The old covenant focused on the land, whereas the new covenant is to the ends of the earth.
• Limitation: The old covenant was national, with ethnic boundaries, but the new covenant is inclusive of all people (every nation under heaven).

The Old Testament Pentecost (Shavuot) commemorated the giving of the Law to Israel—a national, external covenant written on stone. The Christian Pentecost commemorates the giving of the Spirit, inaugurating a universal, internal covenant written on hearts. What began as a harvest of wheat became a harvest of souls.

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Brian

Spiritual practices strengthen faith and
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