13. When did the antitypical Pentecost go into effect, and how was that occasion marked?

¹³ This prophetic festival of weeks, or Pentecost, was fulfilled upon the congregation of Jesus’ disciples at Jerusalem on the 50th day counted from his resurrection from the dead. So the antitypical festival of weeks, or Pentecost, began to go into effect on the sixth day of the third lunar month, that is, on Sivan 6, of the year 33 C.E. At that time the glorified Jesus Christ was in the Most Holy of Jehovah’s great spiritual temple, namely, in the personal presence of Jehovah in heaven, to which he had ascended on the 40th day from his resurrection. While the Jews were celebrating the typical festival of weeks, or Pentecost, at Herod’s temple in Jerusalem, about 120 disciples of the spiritual High Priest, Jesus Christ, were met together in an upper room in that city. Then, before the third hour of the day (9 a.m.), the Lord Jesus Christ poured down holy spirit from the Most Holy of Jehovah’s spiritual temple. This resulted in their being spiritually begotten by their heavenly Father, Jehovah, and their being anointed with holy spirit by means of their High Priest, Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:1-36) Thus the two symbolic loaves of fine flour got Jehovah’s recognition in heaven, in his Most Holy.​—Heb. 9:24.

14. (a) The fact that the two wheat loaves were leavened pictures what? (b) What reasons might be assigned to why there were two loaves?

¹⁴ In the typical festival of weeks, or Pentecost, why were two loaves made of grain from the newly ripened wheat harvest presented to Jehovah? This typified that there would be more than one individual involved in the fulfillment. The two typical wheat loaves were baked with leaven. This indicates that those upon whom the fulfillment of the festival is realized are leavened with sin, by natural birth, which was the case with the 120 disciples of the sinless Jesus, waiting in Jerusalem on Sunday, Sivan 6, 33 C.E. There being two loaves may also indicate that those who become spirit-begotten, anointed disciples of the Messiah Jesus would be taken from two groups on earth, first from the natural circumcised Jews and later from all the other nations of the world, the Gentiles. Together, the two groups would constitute one antitypical wave offering to Jehovah.​—Eph. 2:13-18.

15. When was the loaf as representing a Jewish loaf presented to Jehovah, and how was his recognition shown?

¹⁵ Looked at from the latter viewpoint, the first of the antitypical loaves, as meaning the circumcised Israelites, was presented by the High Priest Jesus to Jehovah God right on time, on Sivan 6, which was the same day when the Jewish high priest waved the two typical loaves before Jehovah in Herod’s temple in Jerusalem. As those two wheat loaves were no longer necessary as a type, Jehovah did not recognize them, and so the Jews celebrating at Herod’s temple did not receive the gift of the holy spirit. Those Jews who wanted to realize the fulfillment of Joel 2:28, 29 upon them had to come away from that typical temple and get in touch with the 120 disciples of Christ upon whom the prophecy had already come true. Thus about 3,000 of them became part of the antitypical wave loaf on that twofold day of Pentecost, 33 C.E.

16. When was the second symbolic loaf presented to Jehovah, and till when have the two symbolic loaves been in process of being completed?

¹⁶ The second symbolic loaf, as meaning the Gentiles, or non-Jews, began to be waved before Jehovah later with the admission of the believing Samaritans to the Christian congregation and afterward the admission of the uncircumcised Gentiles or peoples of the nations in general. This latter is understood to have taken place in autumn of 36 C.E. (Acts, chaps. 8 and 10) The two antitypical loaves have been undergoing completion during these past 19 centuries. The facts show that some have been added to be part of the “loaves” in recent times, these having been prefigured by Ruth the Moabitess and ancestress of Jesus Christ and by Queen Esther, the cousin of the Jew Mordecai who became the prime minister of the Persian Empire.​—See the book Preservation, published in the year 1932 and reproducing the material in the series of articles appearing in the Watchtower issues of 1931 and 1932.

17. (a) The process of completing the membership of the two symbolic loaves has been a cause for what on the part of the festival celebrators? (b) For what reason are those making up the symbolic loaves a kind of “firstfruits”?

¹⁷ The completing of the membership of the two antitypical Pentecostal loaves during the now more than 1,900 years has been a cause for great rejoicing on the part of those spiritual Israelites celebrating the antitypical festival of weeks. Just as the two typical loaves represented the firstfruits in the harvest month of Sivan, so those making up the antitypical loaves are firstfruits to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ, since they take precedence over the rest of the world of mankind, getting a heavenly inheritance as the first benefits of the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God.”​—Jas. 1:18; Rev. 14:4.

14. (a) The fact that the two wheat loaves were leavened pictures what? (b) What reasons might be assigned to why there were two loaves?

¹⁴ In the typical festival of weeks, or Pentecost, why were two loaves made of grain from the newly ripened wheat harvest presented to Jehovah? This typified that there would be more than one individual involved in the fulfillment. The two typical wheat loaves were baked with leaven. This indicates that those upon whom the fulfillment of the festival is realized are leavened with sin, by natural birth, which was the case with the 120 disciples of the sinless Jesus, waiting in Jerusalem on Sunday, Sivan 6, 33 C.E. There being two loaves may also indicate that those who become spirit-begotten, anointed disciples of the Messiah Jesus would be taken from two groups on earth, first from the natural circumcised Jews and later from all the other nations of the world, the Gentiles. Together, the two groups would constitute one antitypical wave offering to Jehovah.​—Eph. 2:13-18.

15. When was the loaf as representing a Jewish loaf presented to Jehovah, and how was his recognition shown?

¹⁵ Looked at from the latter viewpoint, the first of the antitypical loaves, as meaning the circumcised Israelites, was presented by the High Priest Jesus to Jehovah God right on time, on Sivan 6, which was the same day when the Jewish high priest waved the two typical loaves before Jehovah in Herod’s temple in Jerusalem. As those two wheat loaves were no longer necessary as a type, Jehovah did not recognize them, and so the Jews celebrating at Herod’s temple did not receive the gift of the holy spirit. Those Jews who wanted to realize the fulfillment of Joel 2:28, 29 upon them had to come away from that typical temple and get in touch with the 120 disciples of Christ upon whom the prophecy had already come true. Thus about 3,000 of them became part of the antitypical wave loaf on that twofold day of Pentecost, 33 C.E.

16. When was the second symbolic loaf presented to Jehovah, and till when have the two symbolic loaves been in process of being completed?

¹⁶ The second symbolic loaf, as meaning the Gentiles, or non-Jews, began to be waved before Jehovah later with the admission of the believing Samaritans to the Christian congregation and afterward the admission of the uncircumcised Gentiles or peoples of the nations in general. This latter is understood to have taken place in autumn of 36 C.E. (Acts, chaps. 8 and 10) The two antitypical loaves have been undergoing completion during these past 19 centuries. The facts show that some have been added to be part of the “loaves” in recent times, these having been prefigured by Ruth the Moabitess and ancestress of Jesus Christ and by Queen Esther, the cousin of the Jew Mordecai who became the prime minister of the Persian Empire.​—See the book Preservation, published in the year 1932 and reproducing the material in the series of articles appearing in the Watchtower issues of 1931 and 1932.

17. (a) The process of completing the membership of the two symbolic loaves has been a cause for what on the part of the festival celebrators? (b) For what reason are those making up the symbolic loaves a kind of “firstfruits”?

¹⁷ The completing of the membership of the two antitypical Pentecostal loaves during the now more than 1,900 years has been a cause for great rejoicing on the part of those spiritual Israelites celebrating the antitypical festival of weeks. Just as the two typical loaves represented the firstfruits in the harvest month of Sivan, so those making up the antitypical loaves are firstfruits to Jehovah God through Jesus Christ, since they take precedence over the rest of the world of mankind, getting a heavenly inheritance as the first benefits of the sacrifice of the “Lamb of God.”​—Jas. 1:18; Rev. 14:4.