pastor’s Message
Pentecost
by Pastor Jin-Jong Lee
In this column, I would like to revisit the subject of Pentecost—which we recently celebrated—to share some thoughts I was unable to cover at the time. According to Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. This event marked a definitive turning point between the Old and New Testament eras. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon only a select few—such as kings, prophets, and priests—in a limited manner; however, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit like a rushing torrent on Pentecost gave birth to the early church and ushered in the new era known as the New Testament age. As previously mentioned, God Himself established these festivals and commanded His people to observe them. Why, then, did God specifically choose the Day of Pentecost for the descent of the Holy Spirit?
Pentecost falls on the fiftieth day—the day immediately following the completion of the seven-week count that begins with the Feast of First fruits. Although Pentecost is often viewed as the same festival as the Feast of Weeks, which marks the end of that seven-week period, strictly speaking, the Feast of Weeks is the forty-ninth day, while Pentecost is the fiftieth. On Pentecost, a new grain offering was presented at the Temple; what distinguished it from ordinary grain offerings was the inclusion of leaven. This was the only grain offering presented at the Temple that contained leaven. What spiritual significance lies in this leavened grain offering, and how does it relate to the festival of Pentecost?
There is a close connection between the Feast of Unleavened Bread—during which unleavened barley bread is eaten at home—and Pentecost, when the priests consumed wheat bread made from a leavened grain offering. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which occurs early in the agricultural year at the start of the barley harvest, people ate unleavened bread—prepared without leaven—as a symbol of renewal and the casting off of the old. In contrast, during Pentecost, which marks the final stage of the grain harvest with the gathering of wheat, leavened bread was consumed.
Unlike barley—which was primarily used as animal feed and served as a staple for the poor—wheat was the daily sustenance of farmers in Canaan. Pentecost, marking the completion of the harvest, signifies a return to ordinary life; it marks the end of the period of hardship spent eating unleavened barley bread and ushers in the consumption of leavened wheat bread—the normal daily food. This is akin to making a spiritual resolution too fast for a fresh start at the beginning of the new year, only to resume eating regular meals to sustain daily life once the fast concludes. In this sense, Pentecost can be viewed as the concluding assembly of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread marks the beginning of the agricultural cycle, which commences with the barley harvest. This cycle, initiated by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, reaches a milestone at Pentecost—the conclusion of the wheat harvest—and prepares the way for a new beginning.
In other words, Pentecost is the time to wrap up the grain harvests (wheat and barley) and prepare for the summer fruit harvests, which proceed from grapes to figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Thus, Pentecost is a season of preparation for a new period and a new era.
After completing the Passover rituals and escaping Egypt, the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai two months later. There, God gave the Law to Moses, establishing new commandments and a covenant suited to this new era. Consequently, Pentecost became a festival commemorating the moment the Israelites received the Law from God and entered into a covenant with Him, thereby becoming a covenant community. The work of redemption, initiated by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross during Passover, was brought to completion with the descent of the Holy Spirit; the disciples' reception of the Spirit ushered in the new era of the New Covenant. The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was granted to establish a renewed covenant appropriate for this new age. Shalom!
by Pastor Jin-Jong Lee
In this column, I would like to revisit the subject of Pentecost—which we recently celebrated—to share some thoughts I was unable to cover at the time. According to Acts chapter 2, the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. This event marked a definitive turning point between the Old and New Testament eras. In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God came upon only a select few—such as kings, prophets, and priests—in a limited manner; however, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit like a rushing torrent on Pentecost gave birth to the early church and ushered in the new era known as the New Testament age. As previously mentioned, God Himself established these festivals and commanded His people to observe them. Why, then, did God specifically choose the Day of Pentecost for the descent of the Holy Spirit?
Pentecost falls on the fiftieth day—the day immediately following the completion of the seven-week count that begins with the Feast of First fruits. Although Pentecost is often viewed as the same festival as the Feast of Weeks, which marks the end of that seven-week period, strictly speaking, the Feast of Weeks is the forty-ninth day, while Pentecost is the fiftieth. On Pentecost, a new grain offering was presented at the Temple; what distinguished it from ordinary grain offerings was the inclusion of leaven. This was the only grain offering presented at the Temple that contained leaven. What spiritual significance lies in this leavened grain offering, and how does it relate to the festival of Pentecost?
There is a close connection between the Feast of Unleavened Bread—during which unleavened barley bread is eaten at home—and Pentecost, when the priests consumed wheat bread made from a leavened grain offering. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which occurs early in the agricultural year at the start of the barley harvest, people ate unleavened bread—prepared without leaven—as a symbol of renewal and the casting off of the old. In contrast, during Pentecost, which marks the final stage of the grain harvest with the gathering of wheat, leavened bread was consumed.
Unlike barley—which was primarily used as animal feed and served as a staple for the poor—wheat was the daily sustenance of farmers in Canaan. Pentecost, marking the completion of the harvest, signifies a return to ordinary life; it marks the end of the period of hardship spent eating unleavened barley bread and ushers in the consumption of leavened wheat bread—the normal daily food. This is akin to making a spiritual resolution too fast for a fresh start at the beginning of the new year, only to resume eating regular meals to sustain daily life once the fast concludes. In this sense, Pentecost can be viewed as the concluding assembly of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread marks the beginning of the agricultural cycle, which commences with the barley harvest. This cycle, initiated by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, reaches a milestone at Pentecost—the conclusion of the wheat harvest—and prepares the way for a new beginning.
In other words, Pentecost is the time to wrap up the grain harvests (wheat and barley) and prepare for the summer fruit harvests, which proceed from grapes to figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Thus, Pentecost is a season of preparation for a new period and a new era.
After completing the Passover rituals and escaping Egypt, the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai two months later. There, God gave the Law to Moses, establishing new commandments and a covenant suited to this new era. Consequently, Pentecost became a festival commemorating the moment the Israelites received the Law from God and entered into a covenant with Him, thereby becoming a covenant community. The work of redemption, initiated by Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross during Passover, was brought to completion with the descent of the Holy Spirit; the disciples' reception of the Spirit ushered in the new era of the New Covenant. The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was granted to establish a renewed covenant appropriate for this new age. Shalom!