Notes on Acts 2: The Festival of Pentecost and the Giving of the Spirit

Was asked to speak at the RUCU meeting recently on Acts 2. Here are my notes. See if you can decipher them... (I figure the fact that they are the academic hope of the nation, they should be able to cope on something a little more meaty.)


Context
1. The OT Festival of Pentecost/Weeks (Lev 23:15-22)

• The Israelites were commanded (Deut 16:16) to be in Jerusalem for this festival (2nd of 3 obligatory appearances each year). They would participate in a prophetic rehearsal for ≈1500yrs until the Spirit was finally given in Acts 2, so that, in theory, when he came they would be ready.
• The first Pentecost, 50 days after the first Passover, was at Mt Sinai – Law was given and 3000 people die (Ex 32).
• They would offer two leavened loaves – symbolic of the fact that through Christ, God would one day welcome both Jew and Gentile and give them the Spirit. (Eph 2:11-22).
• Due to their rejection of Christ and their hardness of heart, the Jews had lost the significance of this festival, (2 Cor 4:14-16).