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    History & Origins

    What Is the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot)?

    What Is the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot)? The Feast of Pentecost celebrated the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law at Sinai, and was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church.

    Key verse: Leviticus 23:16 (KJV)

    The Feast of Pentecost celebrated the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law at Sinai, and was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church.

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    Quick Answer

    The Feast of Pentecost celebrated the wheat harvest and the giving of the Law at Sinai, and was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church.

    "Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD." — Leviticus 23:16 (KJV)

    The Biblical Answer

    Shavuot (Feast of Weeks/Pentecost) occurs 50 days after Passover. In the Old Testament it celebrated the wheat harvest and, by tradition, the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Two loaves of leavened bread were offered—unique among offerings, possibly symbolizing Jews and Gentiles united in the church. The feast was dramatically fulfilled in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, empowering them to preach in other languages and launching the church with 3,000 conversions. Just as the Law was written on stone at Sinai, the Spirit now writes God's law on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). The timing was no coincidence—God fulfilled His feasts on their exact calendar dates, demonstrating His sovereign plan.

    Key Scripture References

    "Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD."
    "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost."
    "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people."

    Frequently asked questions

    Frequently asked questions

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    Read it in context

    The answer above sits inside Leviticus. The 365-day chronological plan reads it in the order the events happened.

    Read Leviticus on day 34 of the chronological Bible reading plan

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    Every verse quoted in “What Is the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot)?” comes from the King James Version, free to download and print.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Shavuot (Feast of Weeks/Pentecost) occurs 50 days after Passover. In the Old Testament it celebrated the wheat harvest and, by tradition, the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Two loaves of leavened bread were offered—unique among offerings, possibly symbolizing Jews and Gentiles united in the church. The feast was dramatically fulfilled in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, empowering them to preach in other languages and launching the church with 3,000 conversions. Just as the Law was written on stone at Sinai, the Spirit now writes God's law on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). The timing was no coincidence—God fulfilled His feasts on their exact calendar dates, demonstrating His sovereign plan.

    At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in Jerusalem with wind and tongues of fire, empowering them to preach in multiple languages and launching the church.

    Passover commemorates God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian slavery, when the angel of death 'passed over' homes marked with lamb's blood.