Pentecost happened where??

visionary said:

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place”

Where was that one place?

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Open Heart said:

Good morning! Aren't you glad that CF is back up and running? I went through withdrawals yesterday. LOL

Yes, I agree they were in Jerusalem and in an upper room somewhere. I doubt that it was the temple, though that is a possibility I suppose. Being in temple for Shavuot doesn't mean you are there the whole day and never go home to eat or sleep, nor does it mean that all of the traditions of Shavuot are observed in the Temple. This is just me thinking, but the current rabbinical way of celebrating Shavuot had not yet come into being. I doubt they were in the temple for more than a few hours, especially since occupation of the Temple had to be staggered due to the sheer population of Jews--the Temple just had limited space resources. A lot of Shavuot could very well have been observed in the Synagogues or homes. I'm assuming that's why they were in a home praying; it was part of their observance of Shavuot. Anyhow, that's just me thinking. What do I know.

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Open Heart said:

Yes, I agree they were in Jerusalem and in an upper room somewhere. I doubt that it was the temple, though that is a possibility I suppose. Being in temple for Shavuot doesn't mean you are there the whole day and never go home to eat or sleep, nor does it mean that all of the traditions of Shavuot are observed in the Temple. This is just me thinking, but the current rabbinical way of celebrating Shavuot had not yet come into being. I doubt they were in the temple for more than a few hours, especially since occupation of the Temple had to be staggered due to the sheer population of Jews--the Temple just had limited space resources. A lot of Shavuot could very well have been observed in the Synagogues or homes. I'm assuming that's why they were in a home praying; it was part of their observance of Shavuot. Anyhow, that's just me thinking. What do I know.

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ron4shua said:

The word translated for " house " in 2:2 is the same word for Temple . It was the first hour of prayer on the fulfillment of days of Omar , where do you think our Master's servants would be , after being " commanded " ?
HalleluYAH !

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Lulav said:

We are all familiar with the Christian take on Pentecost and how the followers of Yeshua, those called the Way, were actually meeting in what has been labled, the Upper Room, where the last meal was shared with Yeshua.

I would have to guess this comes from the reading of the gospels and the Acts of the Apostles as Christian literature and not Judaic.

It may be better to use the Stern version for this lesson since it may show things a little clearer.

I will not paste the whole of the chapter but you can read it if you have a copy or there is a copy online at Crosswalk that you can reference.


Acts Chapter 2 -1 The festival of Shavu'ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. 7 Totally amazed, they asked, "How is this possible? Aren't all these people who are speaking from the Galil? 8 How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y'hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; 11 Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things God has done?" 12 Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, "What can this mean?" 13 But others made fun of them and said, "They've just had too much wine!" 14 Then Kefa stood up with the Eleven and raised his voice to address them: "You Judeans, and all of you staying here in Yerushalayim! Let me tell you what this means! Listen carefully to me! 15 "These people aren't drunk, as you suppose - it's only nine in the morning.

I think the confusion starts from Chapter 1 where it says:

12 Then they returned the Shabbat-walk distance from the Mount of Olives to Yerushalayim. 13 After entering the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying.
This took place 10 days before Shavuot, and they very well could have been staying on in that house where they had their last meal, but that doesn't mean that is where they were Shavuot morning.

The traditions then that were done for Shavuot include the daily offerings and the prescribed offerings for the festival, including the wave offering of the two leavened loaves.


Shavuot is the second one of three 'pilgrimage' festivals which obliged the Men of Israel to go up to Jerusalem and bring sacrifices. So on this day, not only were there many from all over in the city but it was morning and the place they were to be was at the Temple. They were there to commemorate the second feast of firstfruits, that of the wheat harvest and also Hag Matan Torah, or the festival of the giving of the Torah. This was a happy occasion which could have lead to over imbibing as suggested by those from the diaspora when they heard the disciples speaking, but as Peter pointed out, it was only nine in the morning and thus they would not have been doing so this early as the sacrifices and ceremony hadn't been completed.

Verse 1 of Acts 2 states that the Festival had fully arrived, meaning it was now morning and the sacrifices and the rituals had begun ( the night before was taken up with examination by the priests of the offerings of the people that were to be offered in the morning ) and they were all gathered together in one place.

It is assumed by jumping from Chapter 1 verse 13 that this 'one place' was the 'upper room' but that can not be as they would be required to attend the ceremonies at the temple and bring the required sacrifices of thanksgiving as you were not to present yourself to the L-RD emptihanded.

The second verse makes it even more obvious that they were at the Temple, probably in the same spot where on many occasions Yeshua taught from, as the sound from the sky appears and it fills the whole house.
Now many would think this means the house of the servant where they shared the last meal, but it is forgotten that the Temple was also called G-ds House, or House of G-d.

Those from the Diaspora too heard this sound and then heard the sound of the disciples speaking, but in a language they could understand. I have seen other assumptions that they were in the 'upper room' and then when they started speaking they went downstairs to speak to those that were about, but those they were speaking to would have been at the temple. Instead the verse tells us plainly what happened.

They were sitting together, and then the Ruach HaKodesh came and they began to speak in various languages. When those of those languages heard them and accused them of being drunk that is when Peter stood up ( not went downstairs) and the other 11 stood up with him. It also speaks of 3,000 hearing and believing that day, so if 3,000 beleived, how much more were there that heard? This many people could not be contained outside any home in Jerusalem, except for the temple area which had huge courtyards and room for ten thousands.

We also can see that this was their habit to gather together at the temple, as we read in Chapter 3 verse 1, they were going up to the temple for the afternoon prayers. This is where Peter healed the lame man, at the temple. This is where the people were and this is where the people could be reached, this is where Yeshua could be proclaimed, not in a room in a small house.

To reach the people you have to go where the people gather, and that place was the Temple or House of G-d.

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