Pentecost 2016: What Date Does it Fall on? 5 Amazing Facts to Know About the Celebration
On Sunday, some religious denominations will celebrate Pentecost, and while many people only know so much of it as the commemoration of the Holy Spirit's coming to Jesus' followers in the early days, there are actually some very interesting facts about the said holy day.
In the King James Bible, the story of Pentecost is accounted in the Book of Acts Chapter 1. In verses 1-4, it reads: "And when the day of Pentecost was 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 all the house they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as 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."
According to Patheos, Pentecost came from the Greek word "pentekostos," meaning "fifty." While Pentecost was originally a harvest festival and was turned into a day that remembers Moses' reception of the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai, it later became a special day known by many today as one that commemorates the Holy Spirit's coming upon Jesus' first followers.
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There some issues about the Day of Pentecost that Bible historians and religious experts have raised debates on, particularly the Bible's account that those who received the Holy Spirit spoke different languages, but there are also several aspects of the festival during the olden times that remain special to many denominations, including Pentecostals and Charismatics, Roman Catholics, and widely among Protestants, up to this day.
1. It was a holiday.
According to Ray Pritchard of Jesus.org, no servile work was done and shops had to be closed as part of the celebrations.
2. Certain sacrifices were offered.
As with every worship day, sacrifices were offered to thank and honor God. However, Pentecost required the High Priest to offer two fresh loaves of wheat bread from newly harvested wheat.
3. Some historians of today believe the events that took place in Pentecost were beyond historical truth.
Due to the massive accounts of miraculous events detailed in the Book of Acts, some historians doubt if the stories are trustworthy. However, many others have also pointed out over the past years that Luke, who is said to have written the Acts of the Apostles, is a reliable historian as he also wrote the Third Gospel.
4. Pentecost fulfilled Jesus' promise of a "Comforter."
In the Gospel of John, Jesus told his followers in Chapter 16 verses 5-15 that he will send a "Comforter" who will "guide you into all truth." Jesus also referred to the Comforter as the "Spirit of truth" and Bible experts have agreed that his statements then were fulfilled when the Holy Spirit came upon his followers.
5. A massive number of people were baptized in the New Testament Pentecost.
According to Deily, after the Holy Spirit descended on Peter, the Apostle preached to the crowd and about 3,000 people were baptized. The story is recorded in Acts 2:41.
Pentecost 2016 will be celebrated on Sunday, May 15, 2016.
