Many Christians think of Pentecost solely as a Christian holiday without realizing it goes back much farther. The Feast of Weeks is a feast initially prescribed by God to celebrate the first of the wheat harvest (Leviticus 23:15-21, Numbers 28:26-31, Deuteronomy 16:9-12). In Hebrew, it is called Shavuot, which means “weeks” (7 weeks after Passover); in Greek, it is Pentecost, meaning “fiftieth” (50 days after Passover). By the era of Jesus (and still today), it also became a time to celebrate God giving the Torah on Mount Sinai. Jewish sages had studied the Scriptures and made this time correlation between […]
Tag Archives: Spirit
Where in Jerusalem did God pour out the Holy Spirit?
This Sunday is Pentecost, remembered this weekend by some churches. Christians associate Pentecost with Acts 2 and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I want to explore a few aspects of it, starting by focusing on its location. Below is a picture of the Cenacle, a Crusader-era structure built over the site believed by some to be the “Upper Room” where Jesus held his last Passover, the Last Supper. Most tourists are told that this is the location where the events of Acts 2:1-4 and the outpouring of God’s Spirit occurred. But who cares where the outpouring of the Spirit […]