Tuesday, April 15

To the day after the seventh sabbath you should count, fifty days, and you must present a new grain offering to Jehovah.—Lev. 23:16.

When Jehovah spoke to Abraham, He indicated that Abraham’s “seed” would be more than just one person. It would be “like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore.” (Gen. 22:17) The appearance of other members of the “seed” was foreshadowed by the Festival of Weeks. When Jesus was on earth, the Festival of Weeks was known as Pentecost (from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth”). At Pentecost 33 C.E., the greater High Priest, the resurrected Jesus Christ, poured out holy spirit upon the small group of 120 disciples gathered in Jerusalem. Thus those disciples became anointed sons of God and brothers of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:15-17) They became a new nation, “the Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16) From small beginnings, that nation would finally number 144,000.—Rev. 7:1-4. w07 1/1 1:7, 8