And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:1-2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Pentecost is the 5th of eight feasts, sometimes called the second of three Great Feasts of the Lord established before God created man.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,
Genesis 1:14
Seasons in Hebrew is mow`ed, an appointed time, meeting, or feast. A place of, assembly, congregation… God appointed These Feasts, which were formally established in Leviticus 23.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
Leviticus 23:1
Convocations is miqra’ something called out, i.e. a public meeting, a rehearsal.
Pentecost is the conclusion of the Feast of Weeks. A week is seven days. Seven weeks is 49 days. The fiftieth day is Pentecost. Pente is fifty. The Feast of Weeks follows the Feast of First Fruits, the beginning of the forty-nine-day harvest marked by a daily counting of the Omer. An Omer was a dry measure that would be about two quarts of wheat today. The counting of the Omer signified the connection between Passover and the giving of the Torah (The Ten Commandments) to Moses on Mount Sinai or Shavuot. Shavuot was the first Pentecost.
It is important to note that the Great Feast of Passover, which originated in Exodus 12, contains three feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. Jesus was the fulfillment of all three feasts. Biblically speaking, Fulfillment means to give the correct interpretation of something. Think of it as the difference between seeing a photograph of someone and then meeting them for the first time in person. The meeting is the fulfillment. Jesus fulfilled all three Feasts. He was crucified on the day of Passover. He was in the tomb during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was resurrected at the commencement of the Feast of First Fruits. Hence, Paul is speaking literally in 1 Corinthians 15.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:20
The God’s chosen people were rehearsing the death and resurrection of Jesus for at least 1500 years but missed Jesus when He came. That should give all of us reason to pause and reflect.
Shavuot
On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
Exodus 19:16
The giving of the Law, the Torah, the Ten Commandments came amidst a storm after three days of consecration. Some versions say sanctify.
When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
Exodus 19:10-11
Consecrate is qadash – prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
In Acts chapter two, the 120 had consecrated themselves in prayer. They were of one accord. Accord in Greek is homothymadón
Homothymadón is a unique Greek word, used 10 of its 12 New Testament occurrences in the Book of Acts, helps us understand the uniqueness of the Christian community. Homothumadon is a compound of two words meaning to “rushalong” and “in unison”. The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonise in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church.
– Strongs Concordance-
The first Pentecost was characterized by rebellion of all involved, including Moses, who broke the first tablets in a fit of rage when he saw the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. In contrast, the fulfillment of Pentecost was characterized by radical obedience to the command of Jesus among all involved. The first Pentecost took place after three days of waiting for the law. It seems to me those three days were a foreshadowing of three days in the tomb before the fulfillment of the law came in the resurrected Jesus.
The fulfillment of Pentecost came after ten days in the upper room. We know it was ten days because Jesus ascended on the 40th day of the Feast of Weeks. Pentecost came ten days later. The first Pentecost began with thunder and lightning, a thick cloud, and a very loud trumpet blast... The fulfillment of Pentecost came with a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, that filled all the house… The people were terrified on the first Pentecost. The fulfillment of Pentecost brought the comforter.
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 14:26
The promised Holy Spirit came. Then Galilaens, Parthians, and Medes, Elamites, and Mesopotamians, Judaeans and Cappadocians, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, heard everyone speak the in their own language.
Approximately two thousand years after God confounded the language of men at the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, Holy Spirit restores the understanding of the very same people groups at Pentecost.
The motivation for building a tower to heaven was self glorification.
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
Genesis 11:4
Name is Shem, ironically pronounced Shame. It means reputation, fame, and glory. They wanted to glorify their name, not God’s.
And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
Genesis 11:6
The people in Genesis 11 were of one accord to glorify themselves. Therefore God broke the accord.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
Genesis 11:7
In contrast, the 120 were in one accord. Holy Spirit came, restored thier understanding and they did
hear them speak in their tongues the wonderful works of God.
Acts 2:11
How ironic that the root issue in Genesis 11 is rectified in verse 11 of Acts 2. It’s no coincidence that self-glorification remains the core struggle for the body of Christ today. Let’s pay attention as we move on in Acts. Are the Apostles and disciples primarily focused on their identity, authority, gifting, and power? Or does their spiritual self-esteem take a back seat for His namesake and glory?