The painting below depicts the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
This occurred on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. Between the two feasts, each Jew was to “count the omer” from the day when the “omer” of barley was offered as the First Fruit Offering in the Temple until the day of Pentecost. The Rabbis considered this count to mark the passage through 49 “gates of impurity” culminating in the giving of the Law to Israel on Mt. Sinai.
The First Fruit Offering took place as Jesus was being resurrected, thus tying the two events together spiritually. So we view the counting of the omer as reckoning Christ’s Resurrection in us each day.
We’ll celebrate Pentecost this year May 20-22 at Double J Hacienda and Art Ranch near Mineral Wells. You can download the Pentecost notes here.
