Joseph Ignaz Mildorfer painted this version of Pentecost around 1750. He was Swiss but this painting is now in Budapest at the Hungarian National Gallery.
That makes sense to me. A Jewish event, begun in the days of Moses, about 1500 BCE, takes on universal significance as the Ruach Hakodesh falls on 120 Jews in an upper room in Jerusalem a few weeks after the death of Y'shua, the Messiah. As a result, about 3,000 Jewish people find eternal life in repenting and receiving Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
And the message spread from one country to another, from one language group to another. Even Swiss and Hungarian folks. And American Jews like me. Sweet.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit fell on Y'shua as a dove, but on us, who are not so clean, He fell as flames of fire, to cleanse us. And those flames carry us on in passion and zeal to proclaim His majesty and love.
Next week we will celebrate Shavuot (Pentecost) in both Jewish and Christian communities. Some will eat blintzes and stay up all night, reading the book of Ruth and learning from holy books. Others will rejoice that God has gifted them to speak in tongues and proclaim His message to the world.
No matter what, it's a great time to remember God, who preserved us in the wilderness, and who gave us His Word (Torah) 3,500 years ago. And by His Spirit He plants His word in our hearts in these days. Tablets of flesh vs tablets of stone. I like that.
That makes sense to me. A Jewish event, begun in the days of Moses, about 1500 BCE, takes on universal significance as the Ruach Hakodesh falls on 120 Jews in an upper room in Jerusalem a few weeks after the death of Y'shua, the Messiah. As a result, about 3,000 Jewish people find eternal life in repenting and receiving Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
And the message spread from one country to another, from one language group to another. Even Swiss and Hungarian folks. And American Jews like me. Sweet.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit fell on Y'shua as a dove, but on us, who are not so clean, He fell as flames of fire, to cleanse us. And those flames carry us on in passion and zeal to proclaim His majesty and love.
Next week we will celebrate Shavuot (Pentecost) in both Jewish and Christian communities. Some will eat blintzes and stay up all night, reading the book of Ruth and learning from holy books. Others will rejoice that God has gifted them to speak in tongues and proclaim His message to the world.
No matter what, it's a great time to remember God, who preserved us in the wilderness, and who gave us His Word (Torah) 3,500 years ago. And by His Spirit He plants His word in our hearts in these days. Tablets of flesh vs tablets of stone. I like that.
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