Pentecost was one of the Jewish feasts. It is also known as the Feast of Weeks. It is usually 50 days after the Passover. The Pentecost of the year of Jesus’ resurrection took place 10 days after His ascension. The significance of that year’s Pentecost lies in the fact that it coincided with the day that the Holy Spirit came down to indwell believers. So outside of its original Jewish meaning, Pentecost for believers is essentially about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the power He exudes through dedicated human vessels. The descent of the Holy Spirit was accompanied with a mighty rushing wind and cloven tongues like fire. While the fire was not literal, it nonetheless had a terrific effect on the believers who gathered together in the upper room.
There were two immediate impacts created by the Pentecost flame. Firstly, the doubts associated with the disciples before Pentecost were clean gone. In our previous meditation, we specifically mentioned the thick layers of doubt in Thomas. Ten witnesses were not enough to douse his unbelief about the resurrection of the Lord. The others also had varying degrees of doubts. After Pentecost, they spoke boldly of the resurrection of the Lord. Tradition has it that Thomas who once doubted the Lord vigorously went to India as a missionary where he died as a martyr. The coming of the Holy Spirit also dealt a deadly blow to their fears. Even when the news of Jesus’ resurrection had filtered to them, they were still huddled together in a secret place with the door bolted for fear of the Jews. (John 20:19). When they had received the Holy Spirit, they were able to take on the religious leaders with all authority. The Holy Spirit will always make the difference. Those who operate with Pentecost flame cannot be intimidated.