The Day of Pentecost

The Day of Pentecost in the New Testament is called the “Feast of Weeks” in the Old Testament. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension 2,000 years ago, God poured out the power of the Holy Spirit upon His people on the Day of Pentecost, so they could powerfully preach the gospel of the kingdom and testify about Jesus Christ to all nations.

Christ proclaimed the mission of world evangelism on Ascension Day, but it was the Day of Pentecost that ignited the fire of world evangelism. The Holy Spirit that was poured out at Pentecost became the driving force for the growth of the gospel in the early Church. The disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached Christ. As a result, the gospel began to spread rapidly throughout the world.

As God’s people in this last age—the Age of the Holy Spirit, we have the mission of leading our lost brothers and sisters around the world into the truth by testifying about Elohim. By studying the origin and meaning of Pentecost, let us understand the path we must walk in our life of faith.

The Origin of Pentecost

God called Moses up Mount Sinai on the fortieth day after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea. After receiving God’s instructions, Moses came down from the mountain and delivered them to the people. Three days later, God descended on Mount Sinai to proclaim His covenant; there was thunder, lightning, a thick cloud, and the sound of a trumpet. God commanded Moses to ascend Mount Sinai once again to give him the tablets of stone with the law and commands He had written.

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.” . . . When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. Ex 24:12–18

On the fiftieth day after crossing the Red Sea, Moses went up Mount Sinai. During his forty-day stay on the mountain, he met God and received the words of the covenant written on the two stone tablets. God appointed the day Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments as the Feast of Weeks and commanded His people to celebrate this feast.

“ ‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD. . . .’ ” Lev 23:15–18

The “day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering” refers to the Feast of Firstfruits. On this day, the priest offered a sacrifice by waving the first sheaf of grain before God. On the Feast of Weeks—the day after the seventh Sabbath following the Feast of Firstfruits, a new grain was presented as an offering to God. In the New Testament, the Feast of Weeks is called Pentecost (meaning fiftieth), because it is the fiftieth day after the Feast of Firstfruits, the Day of Resurrection.

The Meaning of Pentecost and the Fulfillment of Prophecy

The ceremonies performed since the time of Moses are prophetic foreshadows of the ministry of Jesus Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. The priest waved the first sheaf of grain on the first day [Sunday] after the Sabbath following the Feast of Unleavened Bread and presented an offering of new grain to God on the fiftieth day—the day after the seventh Sabbath. God appointed this feast as a prophetic shadow of what would take place in the future.

Jesus established the New Covenant on the Passover. On the very next day—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He died on the cross. On the Day of Firstfruits, Jesus was resurrected as the “firstfruits of those who had fallen asleep.” On the fortieth day after His resurrection, Jesus ascended to Heaven. And on the Day of Pentecost—the fiftieth day after His resurrection, He entered the Most Holy Place in Heaven and poured out the Holy Spirit on the disciples.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? . . .” Ac 2:1–12

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. . . . And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ” Ac 2:14–21

On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to preach in other languages. They boldly preached Jesus—the Savior in the Age of the Son—in front of the people from over fifteen countries, who gathered in Jerusalem. They were surprised to hear the gospel in their own native languages and listened attentively.

If the gospel had to be preached only in Judah, it would not have been necessary for the apostles to speak in other languages. The reason God gave them the gift of speaking in other languages was that He wanted them to preach the gospel to the whole world, just as Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Ac 1:8).

The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the Growth of the Early Church

The disciples were overwhelmed with grief and despair after witnessing the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. However, after three days, Jesus showed them the great power of the Resurrection so they could realize that He is the true God who has authority over life and death. After witnessing the glorious resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the disciples grew in faith and hope for ascension. From that day forth, they prayed earnestly for ten days, and the Holy Spirit came upon them on the Day of Pentecost. This event empowered the early Church to take the lead in the mission as witnesses of Christ.

Peter, being moved by the Holy Spirit, explained through the Old Testament that Jesus was the Christ—God who came as the Son to save mankind.

“This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. . . .’ God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit[.]”. . . Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. . . . Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Ac 2:23–47

While on earth, Jesus told His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ. However, before ascending to Heaven, He told them to be His witnesses. After receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the disciples boldly testified that Jesus was the Christ, whom the people knew only as the son of a carpenter or one of the prophets. Before the Ten Commandments were given by God 3,500 years ago, the law was not written down. However, God codified the law, and the day He codified it became the origin of Pentecost. Two thousand years ago, the disciples began to publicly preach Jesus, starting from the day of Pentecost.

The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. Ac 4:1–4

The apostles, who had denied Jesus and fled for fear of death, were no longer afraid of death after receiving the former rain of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; instead, they boldly preached Jesus. The Holy Spirit from God has an amazing power that can change people. Those who received the Holy Spirit spoke and acted as the Spirit enabled them. They prayed and studied God’s word diligently, preaching the gospel unceasingly. As they confidently preached Christ and took care of one another, something amazing happened: 3,000 people or 5,000 people were baptized and received salvation in a single day.

The Breaking of the Ten Commandments and the Withdrawal of the Holy Spirit

Moses went up Mount Sinai, and after receiving the Ten Commandments he came down from the mountain. This symbolized that Jesus would enter the Most Holy Place in Heaven and pour out the Holy Spirit on the disciples. However, as the church became secularized, the former rain of the Holy Spirit that had been poured out on the Day of Pentecost was withdrawn. This, too, was prophesied through the work of Moses.

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” . . . He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” . . . Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt[.]” . . . Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. . . . When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. Ex 32:1–19

As Moses stayed on Mount Sinai for forty days, the Israelites thought he had died. Subsequently, in search of a leader, they made an idol in the form of a golden calf and worshiped it as their god. As their minds became corrupt and they violated the Ten Commandments, God was enraged. Moses, too, became enraged when he came down from the mountain and saw the Israelites worshiping the idol; he threw down the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. Then Moses pleaded with God for mercy on behalf of the people.

This prophecy was fulfilled after the death of the apostles, when the church became corrupt and secularized; they abandoned God’s truth and secretly introduced lawlessness—teachings that are never found in the Bible, and as a result God withdrew the Holy Spirit from the church.

The Holy Spirit Works Through Preaching in This Age

The preaching of the apostles who received the former rain of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost serves as an example for us who have received the latter rain of the Holy Spirit in this age. Those who are given the Holy Spirit have a mission to be witnesses of God. The early Church experienced the explosive power of the Holy Spirit because the saints preached Christ boldly in spite of many insults and obstacles.

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead—whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior . . . We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were furious . . . They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. Ac 5:27–42

They never stopped teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ. Like them, we must never stop teaching and proclaiming the Saviors in the Age of the Holy Spirit—Christ Ahnsahnghong, who has come in Jesus’ new name, and New Jerusalem Heavenly Mother. In order for us to fulfill this great mission, God has promised to pour out upon us the latter rain of the Holy Spirit, which is seven times more powerful than the former rain of the Holy Spirit poured out at Jesus’ first coming.

“Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” Hos 6:3

The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted. Isa 30:26

God gives us the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to what each of us needs. There are many gifts of the Holy Spirit, but all the gifts are given for the same purpose—to preach the gospel and save souls.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 1 Co 12:4–13

If we do not use the Holy Spirit that God has given us, we are no different than the servant in the parable of the talents who hid his talent in the ground. We can experience the powerful gifts of the Holy Spirit only when we preach the gospel. In the history of the early Church, the apostles began to preach immediately after receiving the Holy Spirit. Day after day, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. As a result, they were empowered all the more by the Holy Spirit.

Let us diligently preach the gospel to all people without hesitation. The power of the Holy Spirit works when we preach. Being filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, let us preach Elohim God with firm faith and lead our heavenly family members, who are scattered throughout the nations, into the arms of New Jerusalem Heavenly Mother as quickly as possible.

When we bear much fruit, our Father is glorified (Jn 15:5–8). Is there anything more valuable than glorifying our Heavenly Father and Mother by bearing much fruit? Preaching is evidence that we have received the Holy Spirit. I earnestly ask you, the heavenly family members in Zion, to preach the gospel so that all people around the world can receive the good news of salvation.