שָׁבוּעוֹת

Pentecost, exactly seven sabbaths from after Easter. Pentecost, Shavu’ot, or the Festival of Weeks is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance. The other two are Passover and Tabernacles. During this time Leviticus chapter 21 says in verses fifteen, sixteen, and twenty-one:

15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). The rabbis calculated it out. It was the same time as Moses was going up to get the law and celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah). It is also when God gave the power of the new covenant or the Holy Ghost. When Shavu’ot was translated into Greek, it is Pentecost.

The period from Passover to Shavu’ot is a time of great anticipation for the Jews. They count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu’ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks. The counting reminds of the important connection between Passover and Shavu’ot: Passover freed them from physical bondage in Egypt, but the giving of the Torah on Shavu’ot redeemed spiritually from bondage to idolatry and immorality through the law. It is customary to stay up the entire first night of Shavu’ot and study the Torah, then pray as early as possible in the morning. Starting in Acts chapter one verse four and five it says: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Jesus is letting telling them to linger in Jerusalem during this feast of weeks until the promise shows up. These 120 people were praying in the upper room patiently until this “promise” that God spoke entered. They were, what would look like, observing tradition. They were in anticipation of the “power” spoken by Jesus in Acts chapter one verse eight. And, “Suddenly,” as the scripture says, “There came a sound from heaven like as of a rushing mighty wind.” (Acts 2:2). This Pentecost or Shavu’ot was being celebrated by and for two separate reasons. At the time the Jews would’ve been reading the Torah preparing for the day to come, but for us, it was a beginning to something God had been working on.

There are many foreshadowing of what we celebrate as Pentecost in Shavuot tradition I believe were set in place as a pattern. This is something that takes place much more than just during this feast. One thing that scripture notes around the time of this “summer harvest” is in Leviticus 23:17 which says: 17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals; they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord. Many Messianic Rabbis attribute the two loaves to a much greater meaning given in Jewish law. On the day of Pentecost when the spirit of God or Ruach poured out this allowed the Gentiles to be engrafted into the body of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-16). The two loaves are symbolic of the Jews, and the Gentiles are offered as sacrifices before God. This feast marks the beginning of us as Gentiles being a part of the body. Moses wrote in Leviticus 23:22: 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God. God is not a God of coincidences; therefore, it isn’t one that this passage is listed in line with these feasts. This is a major foreshadowing what we the Gentiles, with the spirit of God living inside of us would be doing. This “Sumer Harvest” marked a specific time in scripture for the Jews. I believe it denotes a specific time for us. We partake in the Rauch have a harvest we are to tend. (Matthew 9:37). Scripture notes here that we aren’t to reap to the corners of our fields, designated portions for the poor and strangers. I think this is a great foreshadowing of what we are to do as the newfound children of God. We are to feed the hungry. (Matthew 25:35). More than just feeding the hungry, we must through our harvest fields reach to the corners to help those in need. During this era, there were what is called “Mattan” it was the name of the gift the bridegroom would send to the bride. It was an assurance he had not forgotten her, and that he would come back to us. The Holy Ghost was the מַתָּן pronounced (mat-tawn’). Acts chapter two verse thirty-eight titles the Holy Ghost as a gift. The gift of the Holy Ghost the Mattan, was also designated as the comforter. (John 14:26). On this day of Pentecost, there was a reassurance given he would be coming. I’m with you now, but I shall be in you. (John 14:17).

Acts chapter two starts out by saying,“ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” When the day of Pentecost had fully come, what does this mean? I have often wondered and concluded it meant the day the spirit was to be poured out, but to the Jews it was just another Shavu-ot or Pentecost. To the Jews was just a traditional time. Where they would bring the first of their summer fruits. After this crazy encounter of the spirit being poured out, with the cloven tongues like as of fire you would think it would be easy to convince the Orthodox Jews to convert. To the Jews, receiving the spirit wouldn’t be discussed then or now because to them, there was still a separation in the tabernacle model to get to the Holy of Holies. Today, if you ask a Jewish person about the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues isn’t something they recognize. Today If you ask an array of “Christians” where the Holy Ghost is found they will say in the new testament they may even point to the passage that introduces it, but to them, it is not relevant to today. Two weeks ago, on Friday night, during #AMTC19, Brother Pickard spoke on, “God will move in your routines.” Here I confirm that is exactly how our God will work if we’ll let him because that’s exactly what he did on this day almost two-thousand years ago.

Just before Pentecost is The Feast of First Fruits. Historically, on that day, an offering was given to God from the first of the new crop before they could consume it. Living after Jesus’s time, we can see that His resurrection was in accordance with the Feast of First-fruits when He offered Himself as the first fruit. After his death and resurrection, we now understand that the harvest the Feast of the Harvest celebrates refers to those who come after Jesus, from the “same crop” if you will. Just as the First-fruit represented Jesus, the full harvest represents us and those around us! Today, this Feast celebrates our salvation. We are the followers of Jesus, resurrected with Him to a new life because we have received “That same Spirit.” Yes, Pentecost is a time for celebration. On this day, we celebrate this spirit that has been given to us. Today we have a right to celebrate. It is the day in which we have been afforded the opportunity to be engrafted into the Body, adopted as fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Ephesians 3:6). In order to truly understand what our response should be to the the spirit let us look at the pattern set before us in Acts the second chapter. God’s spirit has just fallen on the 120 in the upper room, but what happens directly after? Acts chapter two is very descriptive from, “cloven tongues like as of fire”, but there is a major hole in what happened this day. It went from them being in the upper room to being in the street when they mocked, “These men are full of new wine.” (v13). Then the conversation really took traction. Peter then started to exert revelations, and in response to these revelations the men said,“ What shall we do?” After this point these men were “hooked” Peter delivered the beautiful plan of salvation in verse thirty-eight. I am very thankful for this beautiful salvation we have. Following salvation being given Peter continues on, “ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” (v39). I am thankful for salvation, and that it is available to each and everyone. In the same chapter it goes on to said, “ The same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (v41) “Well of course on the very first day salvation was given here on earth that would happen.” There is one more scripture I will add here. Acts two verse forty-seven says:

Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added daily such as should be saved.

Our patten is given here. God wants to save every day. He wants to use you to reach for the lost and broken in this world. That you could give them this gospel and loving savior that we have been privileged to receive.

Pentecost should be a celebration of what we received this day, but also Pentecost should also be a time of reflection. If Christ is the “First Fruit” and we are a part of the “full harvest.” Not only are we a part of the “Full Harvest”, but so are the surrounding people. When you are looking at the world, you must see them as the fruit to be harvested. (Matthew 9:37). Matthew 28:18 says: 17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Because of the spirt this day issued to us almost two-thousand years ago, we are commissioned to go, teach, and baptize. Everyone you come in contact with is ready for the harvest. “God, I ask every person I come in contact with you would give me the power to reap them for your harvest and kingdom.”