Acts 2:1-11

Acts 2:1-11They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak. All who heard them heard in their native language.

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1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues asof fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.

The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

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6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and wondered, saying, Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

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10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.

PentecostPentecost means fiftieth and occurs 50 days after Easter Sundays Resurrection.The festival is first spoken of in (Ex 23:16)as the feast of the harvest, It is mentioned again in (Ex 34:22) as the day of the first fruits.This Jewish feast was celebrated seven weeks after the Passover and is sometimes called The Feast of Weeks.It was a time for all Jewish men to go to the Temple sanctuary and give God a Thank Offering a Toda.

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The Toda - The Toda, a peace offering, was offered to God in recognition of, or in thanksgiving for the blessings God had granted to the giver.In this particular case the offerings given were from the first fruits, crops or livestock, which God had allowed the giver to produce.The Toda was known as a Thank Offering, the Greek word is, Eucharistia, which for us is Eucharist.Wherein an ordained priest offers a thanksgiving to God on behalf of the congregation.

1Cor 5:7-8; 10:16-18; 11:23-26; Col. 1:20 6

Leviticus 7:11-1311 This is the ritual for the peace offerings that are presented to the LORD.12 When anyone makes a peace offering in thanksgiving, together with his thanksgiving sacrifice he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes made of fine flour mixed with oil and well kneaded.13 His offering shall also include loaves of leavened bread along with the victim of his peace offering for thanksgiving.

Lev. 3:1-17 Lev. 7:11-21; Lev. 7:2834; Lev. 9:18-21 Lev. 22:17-30; Lev. 21:21-30; Num. 15:7-127

The Feast of First FruitsPentecost was also the time Jews associated with God giving Moses the Law (Torah) on Mount Sinai. Pentecost was one of three major annual feasts celebrated by the Jews:The Passover Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles about four months laterJesus was crucified at Passover time.He ascended forty days after the resurrection (The Feast Day of the Ascension). On Pentecost one of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, blew new life, new courage, into the hearts of men.

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First FruitsThe identification of Pentecost with first-fruits has a real significance here, since three thousand came to have faith in Christ on that day.We can say that they constituted the first-fruits of Christianity.

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