Pentecost

1. The seventh Sunday after Easter, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. Also called Whitsunday.
2. Judaism. See Shavuot.

[Middle English pentecoste, from Old English Pentecosten, from Late Latin Pentēcostē, from Greek pentēkostē (hēmerā), fiftieth (day), feminine of pentēkostos, fiftieth, from pentēkonta, fifty.]

For more information on Pentecost, visit Britannica.com.

The second of the three annual pilgrim festivals (along with Passover and tabernacles) when every male was required to proceed on foot to the Temple in Jerusalem. It is also called the Feast of Weeks, because it was held after the counting of seven complete weeks after "the morrow of the Sabbath" when the barley sheaves were offered (Lev 23:15-20). The festival is then held on the 50th day, i.e. Pentecost. The Pharisees took the "morrow of the Sabbath" as the second day of Passover, while the Sadducees interpreted it as the first Sunday after the first day of Passover. The Pharisee interpretation was accepted as normative. The festival is also named the feast of the Ingathering (Ex 23:16) and the Day of the First Fruits (Num 28:26).

All the pilgrim festivals possessed agricultural significance. Pentecost marked the end of the barley and the beginning of the wheat harvest, and two loaves, made of the finest wheat were "a wave offering before the Lord" in the Temple (Lev 23:17-20). The first fruits were also brought to the Temple on this occasion. Pilgrims used to assemble in large towns in each district, and would set out together in joyful procession to the Temple, where they were welcomed by the Levites. Historical connections were given to these festivals: Pentecost was associated with the revelation on Sinai, becoming known as "The Season of the giving of our Torah" although the Bible gives the event no specific date; it was deduced by reckoning based on Exodus 19:1-2. The Book of Ruth, associated with the barley and wheat harvests, as well as with a proselyte who accepts the Torah, became part of the synagogue liturgy on this festival.

Christian tradition regarded Pentecost as of special significance in view of the events related in Acts chapter 2, which tells of the very beginning of the Church. On that day, the risen Lord sent the Spirit in accordance with the prophecy of Joel (Acts 2:16-21). The author of Acts (Luke) understands the experience of the Spirit in the context of the prophetic tradition: the Spirit realizes the new covenant promised by Ezekiel 36:26-27. Crowds who had come for the Pentecost feast were witnesses to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and some 120 disciples. Just as at Sinai, God addressed Moses from the midst of the fire, so now the Spirit of the Lord manifested itself with the symbol of tongues of fire. The disciples who experienced the Spirit speak in other tongues. In this way, Luke expresses the universality of the Christian message. He sees the truth of the Spirit forming the Church among all peoples through Peter's discourse which was understood by men of different nationalities.

Concordance
Acts 2:1; 20:16. I Cor 16:8

In the New Testament, the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples of Jesus. Pentecost is the Greek name for Shavuot, the spring harvest festival of the Israelites, which was going on when the Holy Spirit came. The disciples were together in Jerusalem after Jesus' Resurrection and return to heaven, fearful because he had left them. On that morning, however, “there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Because of the festival, crowds of visitors were in Jerusalem, speaking many languages, but the disciples of Jesus moved among them and spoke to them all, and “every man heard them speak in his own language” about “the wonderful works of God.” Peter then made a powerful speech to the crowds in the city, and many were baptized as new followers of Jesus.

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For other uses, see Pentecost (disambiguation).

Pentecost
An Eastern Orthodox icon of Pentecost. This is the Icon of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. At the bottom is an allegorical figure, called Kosmos, which symbolizes the world.
Observed by	Most Christians
Type	Christian
Significance	Celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus
2009 date	May 31 (Western) June 7 (Eastern)
2010 date	May 23 (both Western and Eastern)
Celebrations	Religious (church) services, Festive Dinner.
Observances	Prayer
Related to	Shavuot, historically and symbolically; Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima, Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday which lead up to Easter; and Ascension, Trinity Sunday, and Corpus Christi which follow it.

Liturgical year
Western
Advent Christmastide Epiphany Pre-Lent Lent Easter Triduum Eastertide Ascensiontide Pentecost Ordinary Time
Eastern
Feast of Cross Nativity Fast Nativity Theophany Great Lent Pascha Pentecost Apostles' Fast Great Feasts Transfiguration Dormition Protection

Pentecost (Ancient Greek: πεντηκοστή [ἡμέρα], pentekostē [hēmera], "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year. The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, and Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (49 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name.^[1] Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday.

Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot, which commemorates God giving the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai fifty days after the Exodus, Pentecost now also commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus as described in the Book of Acts, Chapter 2 in the New Testament. For this reason, Pentecost is sometimes described as "the Church's birthday".

The Pentecostal movement of Christianity derives its name from this biblical event.

Contents 1 Biblical narrative 2 Location of the first Pentecost 3 Literary allusions 4 Date 5 Public Holiday 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Biblical narrative

A depiction of the Descent of the Holy Spirit in the Rosary Garden of San Carlos Seminary, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City, Philippines.

The Cenacle on Mount Zion, claimed to be the location of the Last Supper and Pentecost. Bargil Pixner^[2] claims the original Church of the Apostles is located under the current structure.

The biblical narrative of Pentecost is given in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. As recounted in Acts 2:1-4 (CEV):

On the day of Pentecost all the Lord’s followers were together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind. It filled the house where they were meeting. Then they saw what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there. The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them speak.

The apostles received the Holy Spirit and were miraculously enabled to go out into Jerusalem prophesying and speaking in languages that all the visitors to Jerusalem could understand as told further in Acts 2:5-6: "Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem ... they were hearing everything in their own languages." The noise and activity attracted a huge crowd and the Apostle Peter preached a sermon to the crowd with some effectiveness, as Acts 2:41 reports: "On that day about three thousand believed his message and were baptised."

Location of the first Pentecost

It is believed that the events of the first Pentecost recorded in the New Testament Book of Acts took place at the Temple Court located south and south-west of the Temple Mount, an area excavated by Israeli archaeologist Benjamin Mazar shortly after the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. In the Jerusalem Christian Review, Dan Mazar wrote about the archaeological discoveries made at this location by his grandfather, Prof. Mazar, which included the first century stairs of ascent, where Jesus and his disciples preached, as well as the "mikvaot" (or baptismals) used by the "three thousand" who were baptized on the day of Pentecost, according to the Book of Acts.

Literary allusions

According to legend, King Arthur always gathered all his knights at the round table for a feast and a quest on Pentecost:

So ever the king had a custom that at the feast of Pentecost in especial, afore other feasts in the year, he would not go that day to meat until he had heard or seen of a great marvel. ^[3]

Date

Pentecost is part of the Moveable Cycle of the ecclesiastical year. According to Christian tradition, Pentecost is always seven weeks after Easter Sunday; that is to say, 50 days after Easter (inclusive of Easter Day). In other words, it falls on the eighth Sunday, counting Easter Day (see article on Computus for the calculation of the date of Easter). Pentecost falls in mid- to late spring in the Northern Hemisphere and mid- to late autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

Since the date of Easter is calculated differently in the East and West (see Easter controversy), in most years the two traditions celebrate Pentecost on different days (though in some years the celebrations will coincide, as in 2007). In the West, the earliest possible date is May 10 (as in 1818 and 2285), and the latest possible date June 13 (as in 1943 and 2038). In the East, the earliest possible date is May 24, and the latest possible date June 27.

Public Holiday

Since Pentecost itself is on a Sunday, it is automatically a public holiday almost everywhere. Pentecost Monday is a public holiday in many European countries including Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, (The) Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and (most parts of) Switzerland. In Sweden it is not a public holiday, since Pentecost Monday (Annandag Påsk) through a government decision 15 December 2004 was abolished as a public holiday, in favour of June 6th, the National Day of Sweden. This made the average work-year 2 hours 17 minutes longer, since Pentecost Monday was always on a Monday, while June 6th moves, so it can occur on a Saturday or Sunday. The unions where not happy, and union-talks 2007 led to guarantees that employees would be compensated for the extra hours. In Italy it is no longer a public holiday either, but they are discussing whether to re-establish it or not(Senat: Nr.940; Kammer: Nr. 1647).

See also

Christianity portal

• Pentecontad calendar
• Whit Monday
• Cenacle

References

1. ^ Catholic Encyclopedia, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15614b.htm
2. ^ Bargil Pixner, The Church of the Apostles found on Mount Zion, Biblical Archaeology Review 16.3 May/June 1990 [1]
3. ^ Le Morte d'Arthur, Thomas Malory. Book 7, chapter 1

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pentecost

• Pentecost on RE:Quest
• A collection of 22 prayers for Pentecost
• "Pentecost" article from the Catholic Encyclopedia
• "Pentecost" article from the Jewish Encyclopedia
• Feast of Pentecost Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
• Explanation of the Feast from the Handbook for Church Servers (Nastolnaya Kniga) by Sergei V. Bulgakov
• The Facts About Pentecost from Bethel Church of God
• Pentecost or Whit Sunday Celebration

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - jødisk pinse

Nederlands (Dutch)
Pinksteren, Pinksterzondag, Wekenfeest (joods)

Français (French)
n. - Pentecôte

Deutsch (German)
n. - Pfingsten

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ.) Πεντηκοστή

Italiano (Italian)
Pentecoste

Português (Portuguese)
n. - Pentecostes (m)

Русский (Russian)
пятидесятница

Español (Spanish)
n. - Pentecostés

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - Pingst

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
圣灵降临节, 五旬节

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 聖靈降臨節, 五旬節

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 오순절

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ペンテコステ, 五旬節, 聖霊降臨日

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) عيد الخمسين عند المسيحيين‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חג השבועות (הנוצרי)‬

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