Acts 2:1-8

“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.”

The word “Pentecost” is a Hebrew word called Shavuot, meaning “weeks”—and so it is known as the Feast of Weeks. Pentecost comes from the Greek word for “fifty” since it occurs fifty days after the preceding holiday, Passover. Shavuot was originally a harvest festival, the second of two firstfruits occasions. Passover was the first offering of the barley (a wave offering) as a sacrifice to God, according to the law in Leviticus 23:9-11. Then, further into Leviticus 23, in verses 15-16 we read of another harvest, the wheat harvest, 7 weeks or 50 days later, called the Shavuot. Once Israel was settled in the land and there was a permanent sanctuary, an entire ritual developed around the bringing of firstfruits. They were instructed to take some of the first of the harvest, place it in baskets, take it to the Tabernacle (later the Temple) and turn it over to the priest as an act of worship and gratitude to God for the land He given His people (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). 

Also, it is believed that the day God gave the Torah (Law of Moses) on Mount Sinai was exactly on the day of Shavuot. By the time of Jesus, in addition to being the firstfruit holiday, it had also become the anniversary of the giving of the Law.

It was on this very holiday, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were bringing their firstfruits to Jerusalem, that the events of Acts 2 took place.

There was an unusual audible phenomenon (a great sound) as well as a visual one (tongues of flame) in the upper room on this day. The disciples began to speak in languages they did not know and were understood by the Jewish people in attendance no matter what they were from or what language they spoke.

What was it all about? Going back to Exodus 19, when God first gave the Law at Mount Sinai, we see significant parallels (verses 16-20):

“Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.”

The same imagery continues in Exodus 20:18-21:

“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear: for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.”

The loud sound and tongues of fire in Acts 2 would have brought Exodus 19-20 to mind for many of the Jews that day since this was the anniversary of the giving of the Law, and Mount Sinai would have been on the minds of many. Could the events of Acts 2 be related to those of Exodus? 

The people present understood that God was re-creating the events of Mount Sinai in a new way. The loud sound, the tongues of fire, and the declaration in the languages of all present were Scriptures being fulfilled.

Peter explains that this is the fulfillment of the prophet Joel, that in the last days God’s Spirit would be poured out. Acts 2 reveals that there is a new revelation happening, a new wine! And it’s not just for the Jews, but for everyone!

In Jewish custom, when the first of the crop came in, it was a visual promise that the rest of the crop would follow. And so the idea of first fruits became a metaphor for the first of anything that would follow in greater measure. Knowing this, now we can understand these verses in the New Testament more completely:

“But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” (I Corinthians 15:20-23) Jesus’ resurrection is like the first of the crops. It’s a promise and guarantee that more resurrection will follow for those who believe in Him.

“Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23). As believers, God’s Spirit dwells in us individually and corporately. But the fullness of what that means for our entire being (spirit, soul and body) is yet to be realized fully. 

“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” (James 1:18). James writes that believers, with all our imperfections and failings, are the first of something much greater. We are the firstfruits of redemption for all who will believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

What revelation we can receive when we dig deeply into the Word! I encourage each of you this year…dig a little deeper and find the treasure within God’s Word!