Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Pentecost Sunday

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord descended in the cloud and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit upon him, and put Him upon the seventy men of the elders; and when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, although they never did so again. But two men remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, and the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those registered but had not come to the tabernacle, yet they prophesied in the camp. So a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” Then Joshua, the son of Nun, who was near Moses, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Lord Moses, forbid them.” Then Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people might be prophets when the Lord would put His Spirit upon them.” So Moses returned to the camp, both he and the elders of Israel. (Num 11:24–30)

This Spirit descended upon the seventy Elders in the days of Moses. (Now let not the length of the discourse, beloved, produce weariness in you: but may He the very subject of our discourse grant strength to everyone, both to us who speak and to you who listen!) This Spirit, as I was saying, came down upon the seventy Elders in the time of Moses; and this I say to you, that I may now prove, that He knows all things and works as He will. The seventy Elders were chosen: And the Lord came down in a cloud, and took of the Spirit that was upon Moses, and put it upon the seventy Elders. Not that the Spirit was divided, but that His grace was distributed in proportion to the vessels and the capacity of the recipients. Now there were present sixty-eight, and they prophesied, but Eldad and Modad were not present. therefore that it might be shown that it was not Moses who bestowed the gift, but the Spirit who worked, Eldad and Modad, who though called, had not as yet presented themselves, did also prophesy.

Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, was amazed; and came to him and said, “Have you heard that Eldad and Modad are prophesying? They were called, and they came not; my lord Moses, forbid them.” “I cannot forbid them,” he says, “for this grace is from Heaven; no, so far am I from forbidding them, that I myself am thankful for it. I think not, however, that you have said this in envy; are you jealous for my sake, because they prophesy, and you do no yet prophesy? Wait for the proper season; and oh that all the Lord’s people may be prophets, whenever the Lord shall give His Spirit upon them!” saying this also prophetically, whenever the Lord shall give; “For as yet then He has not given it; so you do not have it yet.”—Had not then Abraham this, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph? And they of old, did they not have it? No, but the words, “whenever the Lord shall give” evidently mean “give it upon all; as yet indeed the grace is partial, then it shall be given lavishly.” And he secretly alluded to what was to happen among us on the day of Pentecost; for He Himself came down among us. He had however also come down upon many before. For it is written, And Joshua the son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him. You see the figure everywhere the same in the Old and New Testament;—in the days of Moses, the Spirit was given by laying on of hands; and by laying on of hands Peter also gives the Spirit. And on you also, who are about to be baptized, shall His grace come; yet in what manner I will not say, for I will not anticipate the proper season.

Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 16.25–26