When is Pentecost? And How Much Does It Matter?

I was recently asked why I am using July 23rd as my Pentecost date for The Final Fulfillment of Pentecost.

I had contacted Arnold Bowen and he said it's on July 22nd. Then I went to Troy Miller's "creation calendar" site and checked out http://www.creationcalendar.com/CalendarIssue/17-FeastOfWeeks.pdf and that seems to point to the 20th (unless I miscounted).

I also considered Deuteronomy 16:9-10, which says:

"You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from [the time] you begin [to put] the sickle to the grain. Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.

I can certainly sympathize with anyone who says the whole issue is confusing.

I selected July 23 because it's the "outside limit" and because, at the time, Arnold was my most trustworthy source. July 22 is the New Moon.

It will also be Obama's 183rd day in office. It could be that he plans to have all the Christians off the streets at the end of his 172nd day and then he will "rest" (faithful Muslim that he is) and we will have ten days in the slammer (Rev. 2:10) before we are delivered ... one way or the other. Highly speculative, I readily admit ... but in today's political climate it is not all that unlikely.

From a practical point of view, it's becoming less important to me because, when that time actually arrives, I believe there will be Magor Missabib ("terror on every side") and most of our neighbors will be freaking out. In any event, our calling at this hour, I believe, is to speak prophetically, and our example should be John the Baptist, during whose ministry the Kingdom was also at hand.

In The Greatest Prophet? Steve & Marilyn Hill point out:

According to Jesus the greatest prophet was John the Baptist who came preaching "repentance for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." So far as we know John never had a vision, dream or angelic encounter. Yet Jesus called him the greatest prophet!

So if we get the date right, good for us. But if we get the message wrong ....

My prayer is that each of you remains strong and focused, and that you are extremely effective in the ministry God has given you.