Acts 2:1-4 Coming of the Holy Spirit
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Who is the “they” being referred to here? In Acts 1 we learn that there are 120 people gathered together and praying. When Jesus was teaching his disciples on that final night, he promised that his Heavenly Father would send the Holy Spirit. But the disciples really weren’t sure what Jesus was talking about. Now they were remembering some of the things Jesus had told them.
John 14:15-21 Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit (John 16:5–16)
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate f to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.”
John 15:26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.”
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come…” One of the wonderful and frustrating things about God is His timing. From the creation of the world, God has already planned the place when the Holy Spirit will descend and the timing of that descent down to the last second.
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” Although this account contains the first description of the coming of the Holy Spirit, there have been countless other incidences. In one of the Transformations series of videos produced by the Sentinel Organization, there is an actual video of the Holy Spirit descending on members of a church in a remote Alaskan village during a baptism. Those operating the sound system originally think their equipment is malfunctioning; however, the roaring of the Holy Spirit wind actually increases after they turned off all the sound equipment. Some of the church members are flat on their faces while others are leaping in praise of God.
“Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” John the Baptist promises those whom he is baptizing. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matthew 3:11) Today is the day for that baptism of fire. But the baptism of the Holy Spirit also empowers those who receive it with the ability to speak in “new tongues.”
Why has God chosen these people, this time, and this place? Pentecost marks one of the major feasts, one for which people from all over the known world flock to Jerusalem.
Christianity.com tells us this: “Pentecost is a Jewish feast that has been celebrated since the Old Testament, being called the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Weeks in Jewish tradition. It is mentioned in five places in the first five books — in Exodus 23, Exodus 24, Leviticus 16, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16. ‘Pentecost‘, the Greek name of this event, is also used to refer to the events in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit intervened following Jesus’ ascension to heaven.
What is the Origin of Pentecost?
Pentecost was the celebration of the beginning of the early weeks of harvest. In Palestine, there were two harvests each year. The early harvest came during the months of May and June; the final harvest came in the Fall. Pentecost was the celebration of the beginning of the early wheat harvest, which meant that Pentecost always fell sometime during the middle of the month of May or sometimes in early June.
There were several festivals, celebrations, or observances that took place before Pentecost. There was Passover, there was Unleavened Bread, and there was the Feast of Firstfruits. The Feast of Firstfruits was the celebration of the beginning of the barley harvest. Here’s the way you figured out the date of Pentecost.
According to the Old Testament, you would go to the day of the celebration of Firstfruits, and beginning with that day, you would count off 50 days. The fiftieth day would be the Day of Pentecost. So Firstfruits is the beginning of the barley harvest and Pentecost is the celebration of the beginning of the wheat harvest.”
God is a master showman and He sends the Holy Spirit when the maximum number of people are going to witness the results. Tomorrow we’ll examine what happens next, but consider something. How many times have you begged God to do something in your life, only to have to wait on His timing? And when you have waited, haven’t you been thankful that you were patient? As we study the Pentecost story, pay attention to the small details, for they will bless you.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to wait on Your timing, knowing that You arrange things perfectly. Help us to trust where we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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