IPHC Doctrinal Exegesis Page Four

Pentecost (Gr. pentecoste-fiftieth day) has for its antecedent the "Feast of Weeks," called also the "Feast of Harvest," one of the seven feasts that Israel was commanded by the Lord to observe annually. There are three feasts to be observed in the beginning of the spring season: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of First-Fruits. Following the night of the Passover Feast, they began to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread which lasted one week. During this week the Feast of First-Fruits was held, which lasted but one day, or a part of a day. That day was the "morrow after the Sabbath" of the Unleavened Bread Feast, corresponding to our Sunday. From that Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Israel was commanded to number seven Sabbaths (which would make the seventh Sabbath the forty-ninth day), and on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, Israel was commanded to observe the Feast of Weeks, or Feast of Harvest, which would be a feast on the fiftieth day.

Hence, from the Feast of the First-Fruits to the Feast of Weeks, fifty days intervened. The Feast of Weeks or Harvest was also a First-Fruit Feast-the second-so that between the two was a period of fifty days. The first of these feasts pointed to the resurrection of Christ and the second to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, as in Acts 2. Christ died on the day the Passover was killed and was raised from the dead on the day of the offering of the sheaf of the first-fruits. He continued on the earth forty days, and then, ascended to heaven.

The apostles, by Christ's command, returned from the Mount of Olives where they saw the Christ depart from earth, and in the upper room with over one hundred other believers, began tarrying for the fulfillment of the "promise of the Father" which the Christ assured them would be given "not many days hence." They sought and waited ten days. The tenth day was the fiftieth day after the resurrection of the Christ. On that day the old Feast of Harvest was observed. And at the hour that the Priest offered the two loaves "according to the law," the Holy Ghost fell upon the upper room waiters, "and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit."

Pentecoste was the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks, or Harvest, held on the fiftieth day. The last letter of the original word was dropped and so we have our word pentecost. The original pentecoste literally means, fiftieth, as a number. "And when the day of Pentecost [pentecoste] was fully come" (Acts 2:1), the Holy Spirit was given in fullness to the 120 in the Jerusalem "upper room."

Pentecost now refers to the baptism of the Holy Spirit and not to any special day. His coming was the beginning of the indwelling of God the Father, Son, and Spirit in the hearts of believers and in the New Testament Church.

God (Hebrew Elohim) as a name signifies uni-plurality-the unity of more than one personality. The Trinity (tri-unity) is implied in the name. However, we say God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Not three Gods, but one God with three personalities, co-existing in unity.

The coming of God the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers meant the coming of God the Son and God the Father, at the same time. Pentecost is the indwelling of the adorable Trinity in individual believers and in the Church of the New Testament dispensation. This is the great distinguishing feature of the pentecostal baptism of the Holy Ghost. The Comforter was given to dwell in the hearts of the crucified-fully cleansed- believers. "And ye are clean-cleansed every whit-but not all" (John 13:10). The statement "not all," referred to Judas the betrayer, "Now ye are clean [cleansed, purified] through the word which I have spoken to you" (John 15:3). These statements were made before the Day of Pentecost. The washing of the disciples' feet was a symbol of the inner cleansing of their hearts, and the statement "ye are clean every whit" was made at that time and place.

The "upper room" company, while tarrying ten days for the "enduement from on high," was continuously "praising and blessing God." This is a fine specimen of a genuine holiness meeting. "They were all with one accord in one place" during the ten days' waiting, which gave evidence of heart purity as a preparation for the pentecostal baptism.