The Acts of the Apostles - Part 1

The Feast of Pentecost is one of the three major festivals, on which every Israelite male had to travel to Jerusalem. This feast only lasted for one day and was celebrated in the third month of each year.

In the Old Testament, Pentecost is called the "Feast of Weeks" (Deuteronomy 16:9-10). Pentecost is derived from the Greek word pentekoste, the fiftieth, and means: the 50th day after the resurrection.

Now read the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles quietly and then answer the questions of this lesson.

What were the three major festivals for the Israelis? (Deuteronomy 16)

For us, Pentecost signifies the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God, the Holy Spirit, descends to earth to dwell and work here. You might ask: Don't we read about the Holy Spirit working on earth before Pentecost?

Indeed! What do we read, for example, about Elisabeth and Zacharias in Luke 1:41 and 67?

The question now is: What is the difference between the time before and after Pentecost?

Before Pentecost, the Holy Spirit worked in certain people, but did not dwell as a person within them.

So says the Lord in the Gospel of John: “He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38) and then it is explained:

But this he said concerning the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for ...