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The feasts of the Lord, then, of Lev. 23: are as follows:--
A | REDEMPTION BY BLOOD.
a | 5. PASSOVER.
b | 6-8. UNLEAVENED BREAD. Seven days. Egypt.
B | REAPING.
c | 9-14. FIRSTFRUITS.
d | 15-21. PENTECOST.
c | 22. HARVEST.
d | 22-25. TRUMPETS.
A | ATONEMENT BY BLOOD.
a | 27-32. DAY OF ATONEMENT.
b | 34-44. TABERNACLES. Seven days. Egypt.
The Lord knew that Israel would not repent and be gathered the first time, and that the
purpose of the ages would reach out to the trumpets of the Apocalypse and the harvest at
the end of the age. Nevertheless the feast of Pentecost was an anticipation of harvest, just
as firstfruits was, and the gathering of Israel to Jerusalem at this period was an
anticipation of that great gathering at the time of the end.
A peculiar feature of Pentecost is that a new meal offering was commanded:--
"Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall
be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord"
(Lev. 23: 17).
It had already been commanded that "no meal offering, which ye shall bring unto the
Lord, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any
offering of the Lord made by fire" (Lev. 2: 11). The two leavened loaves of Pentecost
cannot therefore typify Christ: they are a firstfruits, and typify His people. The reason
why two loaves were specified appears to be that the Lord knew that the kingdom
would be delivered, and that at the restoration the ten tribes and the two tribes
(commonly spoken of Israel and Judah) would come together again as one before Him.
Ezek. 37: 15-28 sets this forth under the figure of the two sticks: "I will make them
one nation . . . . . they shall be no more two" (Ezek. 37: 22).
The appointment of Matthias to complete the number of the twelve, and the gathering
of Jews from twelve of the nations round about, are therefore features that are living and
harmonious when Pentecost is seen in the light of God's purpose to gather Israel again
and restore the kingdom. But their import is lost when Pentecost is misinterpreted as of
the inception of the "church", and indeed, those who most strongly advocate the doctrine
that the "church" began at Pentecost have among them those who do not hesitate to call
the appointment of Matthias an "apostolic mistake".
What digressions have been necessary before reaching Peter's explanation of
Pentecost! Had every reader as much knowledge of the teaching of the O.T. as Peter and
the gathered multitudes, we could have gone straight on to his inspired explanation, but,
as it is, we should not have appreciated his reference to Joel if we were not in possession