Acts 2:1 And as the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in the same place. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit… Leviticus 23:10 …you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest; (15) And you shall count for yourselves…from the day that you brought the sheaf… (16) You shall count fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new meal offering to Jehovah [the feast of Harvest].
[Part 1 of 4]
The word “Pentecost” means fiftieth. It was the fiftieth day from the Lord’s resurrection, seven weeks in between, counting from the second day after the Passover on which the Lord was crucified. It was the fulfillment of the feast of Weeks (Deut. 16:10), which was also called the feast of Harvest, counting from the day of offering a sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. The offering of a sheaf of the first fruits was a type of the resurrected Christ offered to God on the day of His resurrection [1 Cor. 15:20].
The offering of Christ as the first fruit in resurrection involves His secret ascension to the Father. When Mary wanted to touch Him, He said to her, “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father…” (John 20:17). On the day of His resurrection the Lord ascended to the Father.
This was a secret ascension, forty days prior to His public ascension in the sight of His disciples. On the day of resurrection, early in the morning, He ascended to satisfy the Father. The freshness of His resurrection was first for the Father’s enjoyment, as the firstfruit of the harvest was brought first to God in type. On the day of His resurrection the Lord went to the heavens to offer Himself as the firstfruit of God’s harvest for the satisfaction of God the Father. That was a secret ascension. The day of Pentecost was fifty days later.
Prayer Confession Heavenly Father, thank you for the revelation in your word. Lord, we receive it with love and obedience and we ask for more grace as we experience and enjoy this truth of Christ’s resurrection and ascension to the Father as the first fruit in Jesus’ name, Amen.
[continued tomorrow]