1 John 3:16


"By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Wednesday 3 February 2010

FULLFILMENT OF THE PENTECOST

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…” Acts 2:1

The opening of this verse means different things to different people depending on their view points. Some believe that since the Feast of Pentecost starts on the fiftieth day after the Passover, the arrival of the fiftieth day means the accomplishment of the antecedents that are relative to the fulfilment of the Feast of Pentecost. This verse seems to convey to the hearers then that the day of the Spirit’s coming is accomplished (Isaiah 44:3, Ezekiel 11:19, Joel 2:28, John 7:38). Tracing the historicity of Pentecost through the Holy Scripture to ascertain the meaning and intentions of God concerning the inauguration of Pentecost is a herculean task, owing to only three occurrences of the word Pentecost. (Acts 2:1 Acts 20:16, 1 Cor.168). However, when we use the Old Testament equivalent for ‘Pentecost’: ‘Feast of Weeks’ or ‘the Feast of Harvest’ (Exodus 23:16), or ‘the Day of Firstfruits’ (Numbers 28:26) it becomes easy to understand that the intention of God is to restore his Spirit in man so that He can gather His elect.

This is implied in all the Old Testament usage that it is relative to the agrarian activities where the farmer patiently followed the long process of identifying a piece of land. He prepares it as his farmland, ploughs it, plants it, weeds it, harvests it and gather in the sheaves (the harvest or produce). It is the time of restoration of all things for Israel and to the entire humanity that has ‘fully come.’ The real Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, has come. Christ as the fulfilment of the Passover came and died on the cross. The Holy Spirit, to accomplish our New Birth in Christ, came when the Day of salvation that God had ordained ‘was fully come…’ Apostle Paul said, “That time has come…the day for you to be saved.” (2 Corinthians 6:2 CEV) Today or now is the Day of Salvation. Not birthed by human inclination, but by divine ordination. The Day of Pentecost is fully come for you, your family, community and nation.

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