Pentecost, called in Hebrew Shavuot (שבועות), that is, the “Feast of Weeks”, is one of the three great pilgrimage feasts established by the Law of Moses (Exodus 23.14-17 ; Deuteronomy 16.16). All the men of Israel were invited to go up to Jerusalem to celebrate this feast.
The Hebrew name Shavuot comes from the fact that seven complete weeks had to be counted from the feast of firstfruits:
“You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh ” (Leviticus 23.15-16).
In the Old Testament, this celebration bears several names. It is called the “Feast of Weeks” (Exodus 34.22 ; Deuteronomy 16.10), the “Feast of Harvest” (Exodus 23.16) and also the “day of the firstfruits” (Numbers 28.26). It marked the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. The Israelites then brought to God the first produce of the harvest as a sign of gratitude and dependence on him (Exodus 23.16).
The term “Pentecost” comes from the Greek Pentêkostê, which means “fiftieth”. This name, used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament and in the New Testament (Acts 2.1), recalls that this feast is celebrated fifty days after the feast of firstfruits.
The feast of Shavuot was above all a joyful celebration. The people thanked God for his material blessings and shared this joy with the Levites, the foreigners, the widows and the orphans (Deuteronomy 16.11-12). Two leavened loaves were presented before God, a remarkable feature among the offerings prescribed by the Law (Leviticus 23.17).
In the first century, Shavuot drew to Jerusalem Jews from many regions of the Mediterranean and Eastern world. Luke thus mentions the presence of Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Asia Minor and Egypt, as well as visitors from , Crete or Arabia (Acts 2.5-11). This crowd explains why Peter's preaching had such a considerable impact and why about three thousand people were baptized that day (Acts 2.41).
In later rabbinic Judaism, Shavuot was also associated with the remembrance of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, even though this connection is not explicitly established in the Scriptures.
For Christians, the Pentecost of Sunday, May 22, AD 33 holds a special significance. On that day, the promise announced by Jesus was fulfilled:
“You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1.5).
While the disciples were gathered in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them (Acts 2.1-4). Peter interpreted this event as the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy (Joel 2.28-32 ; Acts 2.16-21). This is why many theologians regard this Pentecost as the visible beginning of the Church and the opening of a new stage in the history of salvation.
Thus, the Jewish feast of Shavuot, originally tied to the harvests and to gratitude toward God, takes on a new dimension in the New Testament by becoming the setting chosen by God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the universal mission entrusted to the disciples (Acts 1.8).