Pentecost

by Fr. Mark Wojdelski, FSSP

(This is part of a series of articles, and will make little sense without the introductory articles: (1) , (2), (3), and (4).  There are more than four articles in the series, but the first four are very important to understanding the conceptual framework.  There is also an index available here for the rest of the articles which includes a calendar with links.)

Although a great deal has been written by others about the feast of Pentecost and how it ties in to ancient Israelite worship, I wish to make a few observations as regards how it fits in with our (if you are still reading these, it’s not just mine any more) lunar calendar schema. Even though I wrote about the second year of the Exodus in the last article, we have not yet had a chance to look at the Pentecost of the first year of the Exodus (before it was even instituted as one of the chief feasts of the Israelites).

First of all, we need to look at the exact day the feast of Pentecost falls on. This is determined based on a reading of the book of Leviticus:

 

“And you shall count from the day after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, counting fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the Lord.  You shall bring from your dwellings two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah; they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with leaven, as first fruits to the Lord. And you shall present with the bread seven lambs a year old without blemish, and one young bull, and two rams; they shall be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their cereal offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord. And you shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings.  And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.  And you shall make proclamation on the same day; you shall hold a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work: it is a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. (Lev 23:15–21)

 

 

This might seem fairly straightforward, but a there is a dispute regarding precisely when the counting of the fifty days should begin. When that count begins will, of course, determine the date of Pentecost. There are two schools of thought in this regard. The one that is a product of later rabbinic (post-second-temple) Judaism, and the one that is held to today (outside of the fundamentalist sect called the Karaites) begins counting the days to Pentecost immediately after the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, which the rabbis regard as the “sabbath” spoken of in the text quoted above. Thus in present day Judaism, Pentecost or “Shavuot”¹ always falls on the 6th day of Sivan, no matter what day of the week that might be.

The other school of thought was followed by the Sadducees, who were in power around the time of Christ until the destruction of the second temple in 70 AD. This tradition is only retained today by the aforementioned Karaites. It is possible this represents the more primitive tradition. It is important to keep in mind that until the destruction of the second temple, the end of the “grace period” for the Jews to receive Christ, the high priests at that time were Sadducees. This priestly line was preserved by the grace of almighty God from the time of Moses and Aaron, and even enjoyed certain special divine privileges (cf. Jn 11:51, when the high priest prophesies). By this literal—and likely original—reading of the text, the counting of the days to Pentecost began after the Sabbath (Saturday) within the week of Passover. If the feast began on Friday, 15 Nisan, then, the count would begin on Saturday evening (after sunset) and end on the Sunday seven weeks thence. One can see that if the counting of the days until Pentecost is done in this manner, Pentecost itself would always fall on a Sunday, the first day of the week, as it always does in Christian worship, and so there is a certain fittingness to this.

The events that took place before, during, and after the first Pentecost (which did not yet exist as a formal observance) are recorded in Exodus, chapter 19:

On the third new moon after the sons of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.  And when they set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine, and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

So Moses came and called the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the Lord had commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you for ever.”

Then Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready by the third day; for on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. And you shall set bounds for the people round about, saying, ‘Take heed that you do not go up into the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death; no hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” So Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. And he said to the people, “Be ready by the third day; do not go near a woman.”

On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.  And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the Lord to gaze and many of them perish. And also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out upon them.” And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for you yourself charged us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain, and consecrate it.’ ”  And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” So Moses went down to the people and told them. (Ex 19:1–25)

After this, God reveals the Ten Commandments and other basic observances of the law. Many of the other minute observances would not be given until after the incident with the golden calf.  Additionally, we have here a parallel, frequently commented upon, between the public establishment of the people of God at Sinai and the public establishment of the new people of God on the first Pentecost after the resurrection.

Although a much later development in the liturgy, we can at least see a biblical justification for an octave of the feast of Pentecost (at least in the Christian calendar), for after receiving the law:

Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the sons of Israel. And Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights. (Ex 24:15–18)

It is unfortunate to end on a low note, but we recall what happened at the end of those forty days, on the 17th day of Tammuz. (see here)