Waters in the Wilderness
"If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself."
(John 12:32)
Shavuot / Pentecost
From Mount Sinai to the Upper Room
From Faithfulness to Miraculous Empowerment
Excerpt from article by the same name available at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org
Shavuot is the third festival in YHVH’s cyclical parade of annual sacred appointed times. It is also known as the Feast of the Harvest of the First Fruits (Exod. 23:16), Day of First Fruits (Num. 28:26) and the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot (which is Hebrew for weeks) (Exod. 34:22; Deut. 16:10, 16; 2 Chr. 8:13). Shavuot falls fifty days “from the day after the [weekly] Sabbath” (NKJV) that falls during the Days of Unleavened Bread, hence the name Pentecost (“count fifty”) in the Apostolic Writings (Acts 2:16). According to the first-century Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, the concept of counting fifty, hence the name Pentecost, was expressed by the Jews of that day by the Hebrew word Asartha (Ant. III, x, 6). Rabbi S. R. Hirsch in his Torah commentary refers to it as Azereth (The Pentateuch-Leviticus, p. 663). Both of these references seem to point to the Hebrew word atzerah (or atzereth) (Strong’s H6116/TWOT 1675c) meaning an assembly or solemn assembly.
YHVH through his Torah instructed his people that Shavuot was…
• a day of rest where laborious or servile work was prohibited (Lev. 23:21)
• a commanded assembly (Lev. 23:21)
• a time when the priests offered up offerings and sacrifices (Lev. 23:18-20)
• a time when all males were to bring the
tithes of the increase of their income (Exod. 23:14; Deut. 16:16)
• a time when the priests were to offer
up as a wave offering to YHVH two loaves of leavened bread made of the
freshly harvested wheat (Lev. 23:17-20)
• to occur where YHVH would place his
name and all were to go there to celebrate it (Deut. 16:11)
• a time of rejoicing (Deut. 16:11)
• to be forever (Lev. 23:21)
An Agricultural Festival With Prophetic Implications
Ancient Israel was an agricultural society that had a spring harvest of grain and a fall harvest of fruit. The spring harvest consisted of the smaller barley harvest which began during the Days of Unleavened Bread and the much larger wheat harvest occurring fifty days later at Shavuot. Both the barley and wheat harvests were prophetic shadow pictures symbolizing new life and new creation and both were presented to YHVH by the priests for his acceptance—a sheaf of barley on wavesheaf Sunday during Hag HaMatzot (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) (Lev. 23:10-11) and two loaves of leavened wheat bread on Shavuot (Lev. 23:17).
In the first presentation of the first fruits of the barley harvest during the festival of Unleavened Bread when the priest waved or lifted heavenward, we see a shadow picture of Yeshua who upon his resurrection Saturday evening, ascension to heaven on the first day of the week to be accepted by the Father (John 20:17). Literally, Yeshua was the first of the first fruits of the resurrection from the dead.
Fifty days later was Pentecost when the priests offered to YHVH the two loaves of leavened bread made of wheat from the first fruits of the larger of the two spring harvests. This foreshadowed the larger harvest of souls during the time period from the giving of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Set-apart Spirit) until Yeshua’s second coming. We are at the close of that time period now as the end of the age draws near. The Feast of Pentecost in Acts chapter two ushered in this time period with the harvest of thousands of souls (Acts 2:41,47). It must be inserted here that an even larger harvest of souls for the kingdom of YHVH is yet to occur during the fall feast days, which corresponds with the largest harvest of the entire year—the fall fruit harvest. This will occur just prior to and after the return of Yeshua as an innumerable multitude of people get saved out of the Great Tribulation and when many more will be saved during the Messianic Age (Millennium) itself.
The Prophetic Implications of The Feast of the Harvest of First Fruits
As we have noted above, The Feast of the Harvest of First Fruits is another name for Shavuot (Exod. 23:16; 34:22; Num. 28:26). At Passover time, the barley (Exod. 9:31 cp. chap. 12) was ready to be harvested in the land of Israel. Fifty days later at Pentecost the larger wheat crop was ready for harvest (Exod. 34:22). Barley and wheat were the two main grain crops of Israel (Deut. 8:7-8; 2 Chron. 2:15; Jer. 41:8). In the late summer occurred the larger harvest of fruits and vegetables.
These three harvests coincided, as noted above, with the three pilgrimage festivals: Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. The success of these three harvests was contingent upon the arrival of the fall (early or former) rains and the latter rains of the spring. In biblical and rabbinic thought these rains speak of not only the outpouring of the Spirit of Elohim upon the earth, but of an outpouring of YHVH’s Torah-understanding and glory, as well. This double meaning may be referred to as Spirit of Elohim and the Torah-truth (or the Word) of Elohim. This concept is expressed in many ways in many places throughout the pages of Scripture (e.g., spirit and truth, John 4:23-24 and 1 Peter 1:22; letter and spirit, 2 Cor. 3:6; Col. 1:6, grace and truth; truth in love, Eph. 4:15; truth and life, John 14:15; judgment and mercy, Jas. 2:13; power and authority, Luke 4:36; word and spirit, Eph. 6:17; as well as logos and rhema, Moses and Elijah, “Old” and “New Testaments”; Mount Sinai and Mount Moriah/Zion; and the list could go on).
The land of Israel and the rain and harvest cycles are prophetic of outpourings of YHVH’s Spirit and the revelation of his Written Word. “The rains are prophetic of the outpouring of the [Set-apart] Spirit upon people’s lives individually as they accept Yeshua into their lives and allow the [Set-apart] Spirit to teach and instruct them concerning the ways of [Elohim]. The early rain and the latter rain also teach us about the pouring out of [Elohim’s] [Set-apart] Spirit in a corporate way upon all flesh. The early rain refers to the outpouring of the [Set-apart] Spirit during Yeshua’s first coming and the latter rain refers to the outpouring of the [Set-apart] Spirit during Yeshua’s second coming [during the fall feasts]” (The Seven Festivals of Messiah, by Eddie Chumney, pp. 97-98). Chumney goes on to note that harvest speaks of the salvation of people with the spring harvest representing those who would receive Yeshua as Messiah in the present age with fall harvest representing those who would come to Messiah at the end of the present age (ibid., p. 98).
The Three Pilgrimage Festivals
Shavuot is one of three Pilgrimage (or Aliyah) Feasts when the Israelites were commanded to go up to the place wherever YHVH had chosen to place his name (Exod. 23:14-19; Deut. 16:1-17). That place corresponded to where the Tabernacle and later the Temple was located. Since the Temple was eventually located in Jerusalem that city become the physical destination for the people of Elohim to fulfill their spiritual obligations before him.
Three times each year YHVH commanded his people to go Jerusalem—on the Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread in the early spring, fifty days later on the Feast of Pentecost in the late spring, and then several months later at the end of the summer for the Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day. In time the prophets of Israel realized that physical Jerusalem would become the destination for all the people of the nations during the Millennium (Messianic Age) (Zech. 14:16-19), even as it had been up until the first-century before the destruction of the Temple (Acts 2:5-11).
YHVH reveals in his Torah several things that his people are to do pertaining to the three aliyah festivals. They are to appear before YHVH Elohim (Exod. 23:15-19) in the place where he has chosen to place his name (Deut. 16:2, 16), they are to bring their tithes and offerings to this place (Exod. 23:15; Deut. 16:16-17), they were to have a solemn assembly (Deut. 16:8, 15; Lev. 23:4) and to rejoice (Deut. 16:14).
The imminent Jewish rabbi of nineteenth century, Samson Raphael Hirsch, as to why we separate ourselves from the world during these three feast days, said in his commentary on Deut. 16:16: “[T]hree times in the year all the individual members of the nation [of Israel] are to appear out of all isolation personally before the Presence of the One [Elohim] of the nation in the circle around the one common Sanctuary and thereby become conscious of each one being in connection with all the others, with [Elohim], and with His Torah” (The Pentateuch—Deuteronomy, p. 310). Shema Israel! Hear and obey the word of Elohim and be blessed!
Set-apart Times
These feast days are set-apart times for YHVH’s set-apart people. They are divine appointments between the Creator of the Universe and his called-out ones. They are love feasts between YHVH-Yeshua and his Bride, the Saints of the Most High Elohim. The seven annual appointed times of YHVH are the perfect seven-step divine plan of how YHVH-Yeshua will redeem his backslid people Israel, his adulterous bride, back to himself. These days are the embodiment of the Gospel (Good News) message of the coming marriage between Yeshua and his Bride and the establishment of his kingdom upon this earth in a full and universal sense! We show our belief, faith, love, anticipation and obedience to him by walking them out. What will you be doing?
To not set aside time for them from one’s secular schedule is to ignore the call of the Bridegroom, Yeshua, for us to go out to meet him. It is to deprive oneself of the joys of communing with the Set-apart (Kadosh) One of Israel in this special and set-apart way. It is to disregard and treat as common and profane set-apart times that YHVH established for him and his people to come together. It is to disregard the covenants, the national constitution and marriage agreement between YHVH and his people—born again, Messianic Believers who have been grafted in to the olive tree of Israel through a relationship with Yeshua, the Messiah, the Anointed Sent One of Israel. To disregard YHVH’s feast days is to show disregard for his Torah-commands—his precepts, teachings and instructions in righteousness. To do this is to violate his commandments, which is sin (1 John 3:4)!
It’s About Love and Marriage
Yeshua said that if we love him we would keep his Torah-commandments (John 14:15). It is all about love. Love for YHVH and love for the members of the Body of Yeshua. So where will you be and what will you be doing during the upcoming set-apart feast days of YHVH Elohim: the Day of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) and the Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret)?
Our Master and Redeemer, Yeshua, the Messiah of Israel, is returning again SOON! Man has been on this earth for more than 6000 years. The ancient Jewish rabbis and sages have known and taught for thousands of years that man will be upon this earth for 6000 years walking in sin and rebellion against the Torah (instructions and commandments) of YHVH, but then immediately after that the Messiah will come to establish his kingdom upon this earth ruling from Jerusalem for 1000 years (the Messianic Age).
King Messiah Yeshua is coming again soon. Are you ready? He is calling his Bride, that is you and me, to prepare herself for the marriage supper of the Lamb. YHVH’s feasts are a beautiful shadow-picture of these glorious events for which the whole earth has been waiting, groaning in travail in anticipation ever since YHVH called a man out of Babylon nearly 4000 years ago and gave him the name Abraham. Are you a child, by faith, of this great man of faith? Will you hear the cry of the Kadosh One of Israel, blessed be his name, to come out of Babylon for a season, to separate yourself from this world and its anti-Messiah and anti-Torah system and keep his feast days in holiness and righteousness out of love for your Bridegroom, Yeshua and out of love for your fellow Believers, the Body of Yeshua?
The Two Loaves of Bread
Bread is symbolic of many things in Scripture. It is a metaphor for the Word of YHVH (Matt. 4:4). Yeshua the Messiah is the Word of Elohim made flesh (John 1:1-14) and is therefore spiritual bread. He is the spiritual manna that sustains the Believer’s life spiritually (John 6:25-58). Believers partake of bread in remembrance of and identity with Yeshua’s life and death on this earth (Matt. 26:26; 1 Cor. 11:24). YHVH’s Torah instructs us that bread was to be part of the Passover meal. One of YHVH’s seven annual festivals is called the “Feast of Unleavened Bread.” In the Tabernacle and the later Temple service bread was an important component in many of the sacrifices and offerings. Finally, in the Tabernacle itself we find the Table of Showbread containing twelve loaves of bread representing the tribes of Israel.
But all this bread has one thing in common: it is unleavened. Why? Leavening in Scripture almost always represents sin (1 Cor. 5:6-8; Gal. 5:9). The bread that represents the Word of YHVH, the Person of Yeshua and the sacrifices and offerings that pointed to Yeshua had to be free of leaven (Lev. 2:1-17). To impute sin to the Written and Living Word of Elohim is blasphemous. Yet, interestingly enough, on the Day of Pentecost YHVH’s Torah instructed the Levites to make two loaves of leavened wheat bread from the new wheat crop and offer them up before YHVH. The two loaves of leavened bread were offered in conjunction with seven lambs, one bull and two rams as a burnt offering in addition to a goat as a sin offering and two lambs as a peace offering. Normally a peace offering was a private matter. This is the only example of a community peace offering in the Torah (Artscroll Tanach Series Vayikra/Levitcus, p. 401). The two loaves of bread were to be waved before YHVH in conjunction with the two lambs of the peace offering (Lev. 23:16-20). Why two lambs? Who is the Lamb of Elohim? Yeshua the Messiah is that Lamb (John 1:29, 36; Rev. 13:8). But why two lambs? Because he offered himself up as a sin offering for both the Jews and the people of the nations. (More on this point to follow.) All must come to the Father through him and there is salvation through no other than Yeshua the Messiah (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Why did YHVH instruct his priests to offer leavened bread at this one time?
These two loaves of bread speak of YHVH’s grace toward sinners. The unleavened bread on the Table of Showbread in the Set-apart Place of the Tabernacle’s sanctuary represented the twelve tribes of Israel in a purified, sin-free (unleavened) state in the very presence of YHVH himself. Contrariwise, the leavened bread waved with the meat that was offered on the Altar of Sacrifice (see Lev. 23:18; the bread itself was not burnt, see Lev. 2:11 and see ArtScroll Vayikra/Leviticus Commentary on this verse) in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle represents Believers coming to Yeshua still in a state of spiritual impurity. When offered together with the sacrifices, which point to Yeshua’s work on the cross of redeeming sinners, the leavened bread was accepted—leavening and all. YHVH in his grace does not expect people to come to him in a sin-free state. He loved us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16) and sent Yeshua, his Son, to redeem us from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death (Rom. 6:23). But a new Believer is not expected to stay spiritually leavened. The refining process begins in the Outer Court of the Tabernacle and by the time YHVH is finished with his people they will be totally unleavened abiding in his presence in the Sanctuary of his Tabernacle.
But why are there two loaves of leavened bread? Eddie Chumney points out that Pentecost speaks of the birth of Israel as a nation at the foot of Mount Sinai as well as the birth of a congregation of Believers in Yeshua through the Spirit of Elohim on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 (Chumney, pp. 94-95). Who are these two congregations? They are the two houses of Israel. This can be stated in many ways:
The two loaves of bread that the priests lifted or waved on Shavuot represent:
• Jews and Gentiles
• the House of Judah and the House of
Ephraim/Israel, which are the two houses of Israel (Isa. 8:14 Jer.
31:31-33; Heb. 8:8-10)
• the two olive trees (Zech. 4:3; Jer. 11:10, 16-17; 2:18, 21; Rom 11:13-24; Rom. 11:4)
• the two sticks of Ezekiel 37:15-28
• the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-4
• Moses and Elijah of Malachi 4:4-6
• the two-fold path of spirit and truth
which leads to the Father in heaven to which Yeshua makes reference in
John 4:23-24
Batya Wootten, in her book, Israel’s Feasts and Their Fullness, adds the following:
• two nations (Ezek. 35:10)
• two chosen families (Jer. 23:2-4)
• two sinful sisters (Ezek. 23:2-4)
• two lampstands (Rev. 11:3-4)
• two cherubim over the Mercy Seat in the Tabernacle (Exod. 25:18-20)
• two tablets of stone upon which the Ten Words (Commandments) were written (Exod. 34:29)
• two silver trumpets (Num. 10:2-3)
These series of two all speak to the same thing: the two houses of Israel. Let us briefly explain this:
The Word of Elohim, the Bible, is divided into two parts: the Former and Latter Covenants. These are the two loaves of bread. The House of Judah was given charge over the First or Former Covenant (“Old Testament”) (which includes YHVH’s Torah) and the House of Ephraim was given charge over the Latter or Renewed Covenant (“New Testament”) (Wootten, p. 203). Both of these covenants were prophesied to be for the whole house of Israel (Jer. 31:31-33), but Judah was given the Torah for safekeeping (Gen. 49:10) while the Renewed Covenant was primarily given to the “Gentiles” or people of the nations. Paul teaches that those who were formerly spiritual Gentiles once they are grafted into the olive tree of Israel through the redemptive work of Israel’s Messiah (Yeshua) they are no longer spiritual Gentiles, but are Israel (Rom. 11:13-24; Eph. 2:11-19; Rom. 4:16; 9:8-11; Gal. 3:7, 9, 14, 28-29).
“The appointed wave offering of this feast teaches us that the Father loves both the houses of Israel. They are his two chosen families (Jer. 33:24).
“However, while the fine bread of truth can be found in the teachings of both houses, both also contain leaven. We need to work to bring forth only that which is of the finest flours from our divided family. We need to leave the leaven behind.
“Let us reunite! Let us eat of the latter day bread of Shavuot! As New Covenant priests of Israel, let us wave both loaves before our Father (1 Pet. 2:9). Let us bring in from our dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, let them be of very fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to YHVH (Lev. 23:17) (Wootten, p. 204).
There are two loaves of bread. What is the significance behind the number two? In Hebrew thought the number two represents the concept of duality, “for there is diversity in every part of YHVH’s Creation. Only in the Creator Himself does absolute Oneness prevail” (The Wisdom In the Hebrew Alphabet, p. 55 by Rabbi Michael L. Munk). The number two corresponds with bet c, the second letter in the Hebrew alphabet, which pictographically represents a house. According to Rabbi Munk, the house (home) is the focal point of holiness on earth and additionally pictures the spiritual House, Sanctuary or Set-apart Temple of YHVH, and to man, who himself is to become a miniature temple. There is a blessing in duality when opposites work together (e.g. negative and positive in electricity, male and female in a marriage, heaven and earth, the logos and rhema Word of YHVH, this world and the world to come) to achieve a common beneficial purpose (ibid., pp. 55-58).
The fact that these two loaves of bread contain leavening represent the fact that all the people of YHVH have sin in their lives and to one degree or another and have absorbed pagan traditions of men by which YHVH’s word has become of non-effect (Matt. 15:6; Mark 7:7-9) for which the command to the people of YHVH is made to come out of Babylon (Revelation 18:4). Both the House of Judah (the rabbinic Judaism of today) and the House of Ephraim/Israel (modern Gentile Christianity) have strayed from the truth of YHVH’s word (the former has rejected Yeshua, the Living Torah and the latter has rejected the Written Torah given to Moses) and contain the leavening of religious doctrines of men.
Alfred Edersheim notes that these two loaves of leavened bread were actually public thank offerings that the ancient Israelites offered up to YHVH. The fact that they were leavened speaks of the imperfectness and sin of those making the offerings (The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, p. 210). The fact that YHVH ordained and accepted this thank offering laced with leavening (a biblical metaphor for sin) speaks of the unconditional love and mercy of YHVH toward his sinful people and desire to reconcile himself to man, in spite of man’s sinful condition. For Scripture records that YHVH loved us while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8) and that Yeshua suffered on the cross for our sins while we were still in our wickedness to bring us to the Father (1 Pet. 3:18).
The Giving of the Torah At Mount Sinai
Not secondary to what we have already discussed regarding important things that occurred on Shavuot was the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai that occurred on this day, as well. YHVH gave his people the words of life to live by, but because of the hardness of their hearts they were not able to be faithful to him. Like a wife who says “I do” in response to her wedding vows, but cannot remain faithful to her marriage covenant agreements, so Scripture likens Israel to such a woman. On Pentecost in the book of Acts however, Yeshua betrothed Israel all over again and this time he gave her a spiritual heart of flesh to replace her spiritual heart of stone, by filling her with the Ruach HaKodesh (Set-apart Spirit) empowering or enabling her to keep his Torah-commandments. In other words, Yeshua, the Living Torah-instructions of YHVH, came to take up residence within the very hearts and minds of Believers through the indwelling and empowering presence of the Ruach HaKodesh thereby living out Torah from within each born-again Believer even as he lived out the Torah-Word of YHVH when he walked this earth. Isn’t this a beautiful picture of YHVH’s love and care for his bride, his people? This is all part of the wonderful plan of salvation/redemption that YHVH laid out thousands of years ago to bring people into a life-giving relationship with himself through his instructions in righteousness, the Torah, all through his Son, Yeshua the Messiah, the Living Torah who now leads and guides his people through the wilderness of life not via a pillar of fire over a physical tabernacle, but through the fire of the Ruach HaKodesh living in the spiritual temple of each individual believer’s life and guiding them from within.
On Shavuot the first century Believers were empowered from on high by the Spirit of Elohim, called the immersion in the Spirit of Elohim (or baptism in the Set-apart Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh) (Acts 1:5,8). As a result, we see Peter being transformed from a spiritual mouse (compare John 20:23 with John 21:3) into a spiritual lion or dynamo (Acts 2:14-41). The immersion or saturation in the Spirit (a different and subsequent occurrence than being simply born again) is for the purpose of being empowered with supernatural gifts and enablements (the gifts of the Ruach, see 1 Cor. 12) in order to be equipped to go out into the harvest field of human souls, spiritually empowered, ready to bring in the spiritual harvest of souls. On the Day of Pentecost YHVH wrote the Torah into the hearts of the Messianic Believers by the Ruach (Spirit) and then supernaturally empowered them to take both the message of Torah—the light of his truth—coupled with the Good News of the Redeemer, Messiah Yeshua—the Living Torah word of Elohim—to a lost and dying world. This is the fundamental message and purpose of Shavuot in the Book of Acts.
The Third Day—A Prophetic Picture
In Exodus 19:11 YHVH tells the Israelites to consecrate themselves and wash their clothes for two days, then “be ready against the third day: for the third day YHVH will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.” Every detail in YHVH’s word means something and is important. Don’t read over the details too quickly, for you might miss some wonderful nuggets of truth hidden therein! Exodus 19:1 says that the Israelites arrived at Sinai in the third month. Rabbinic tradition teaches that YHVH most likely gave this order to the Israelites on the third day of the third month. Rabbinic tradition also teaches that this Third Day—the day YHVH gave the Ten Statements or Commandments—was on Shavuot.
Even after two days of preparation, ancient Israel was still not ready (spiritually) to receive the Torah from YHVH. On Shavuot, at Mount Sinai, YHVH entered into a marriage covenant with the Children of Israel, but they were not ready to live up to the terms of that covenant. Those terms, simply stated, involved being faithful and obedient only to YHVH, Israel’s spiritual marriage partner, and to his instructions in righteousness, the Torah. This Israel quickly demonstrated they were not willing to do, for they had hardly said “I do” to their marriage vows when they made and began worshipping the golden calf—bringing in the worship practices of a pagan deity from Egypt—calling it YHVH and in doing so, saying they were having a feast unto YHVH. Between the time of the Feasts of Shavuot and Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast, commonly called Rosh Hashana) when Moses received the second tablets of stone from YHVH containing the Ten Commandments, Ancient Israel, the bride of YHVH, prepared herself not only to receive YHVH’s instructions again, but this time to be faithful to her marriage vows. This Israel did. She remained faithful to YHVH for approximately 38 years in the wilderness after which she entered the Promised Land and “stayed the course” until after the death of Joshua.
Similarly, Messianic Israel of the first century a.d. received the Torah on the fleshly tablets of their hearts written by the finger of the Ruach HaKodesh on Pentecost. But starting at about a.d. 70 with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and continuing up through the Second Jewish Revolt of a.d. 135 until the time of Emperor Constantine (in the fourth century) the second century bride of Messiah had for the most part abandoned YHVH’s Torah-commandments and turned, to one degree or another, to mixing in golden calf worship (Sunday worship, Christmas and Easter celebrations and many other pagan beliefs and traditions that exist in Christendom to this day).
In our day, is not YHVH calling out a remnant who are leaving behind the pagan traditions of golden calf worship and returning to the ancient blessed paths of YHVH’s Torah-instructions in righteousness? Does not the book of Revelation speak of a group of end-time saints who will say “I do” to YHVH, and whose identifying mark is their faith in Yeshua the Messiah (i.e., the Gospel message) and yet who faithfully keep YHVH’s Torah-commandments (Rev. 12:17 and 14:12)? Are these remnant Believers not preparing themselves for the Second Coming of Messiah at the Feast of Trumpets when Yeshua, the Living Torah, will return to marry his Spiritual Bride—the Saints, or sanctified ones, of YHVH? As the Children of Israel entered into the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua, so YHVH’s spiritual bride will enter into the Spiritual Promised Land of the Millennium and the Kingdom of YHVH under the leadership of Yeshua the Messiah.
Why Fifty Days Between the Wave Sheaf Offering and Shavuot?
Fifty is the number of complete redemption or liberty. In Ancient Israel all debts were forgiven every seven years. This was called the seven-year cycle. Each seven years one had to let their land rest—no crops were planted. This was called the land Sabbath. Seven seven-year cycles equaled 49 years. In Scripture we see that seven is the number YHVH uses to signify completion or perfection. Therefore, seven sevens, or 49 years, signified total completion. Seven Sabbaths represents redemption, liberty or rest in its fullest or ultimate sense. The fiftieth year was therefore the year of Jubilee when all slaves were set free, all land was returned to its original owners and when all debts were forgiven. If Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread signified deliverance from sin (Egypt), then Shavuot, occurring 50 days after the Wave Sheaf Offering during the week of the Days of Unleavened Bread, symbolizes total redemption, deliverance and victory over sin. How? By the glorious power of the indwelling presence of the Ruach HaKodesh (Set-apart Spirit) in a person’s life.
The Torah Written On Tablets of Stone At Sinai and On the Heart In the Upper Room
YHVH wrote the Ten Words on two tablets of stone with his finger and gave them to man on Shavuot at Mount Sinai. Similarly, it is the Ruach HaKodesh’s (YHVH’s Set-apart Spirit) work to write the Torah-instructions or commandments of YHVH on the fleshly tablets of our heart. Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 3:3 that “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Messiah ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Ruach of the living Elohim; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.” The Spirit of Elohim came on Shavuot to empower man to live and obey Torah by faith from the heart (not just in a mechanical, legalistic, letter-of-the-law fashion). Ancient Israel received the same Gospel message (Heb. 4:2), but it did not profit them since they did not have faith and because their hearts were hardened (verses 6-7). They did not have the indwelling presence of the Ruach (John 7:39). This would not happen until Yeshua returned to heaven to be glorified after which the Comforter (Set-apart Spirit) would be sent (John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7; See also Jer. 31:31 and Ezek. 11:18).
Shavuot At Mount Sinai Versus Shavuot (Pentecost) In the Upper Room
The Commandments of Elohim were originally written on tablets of stone at the first Shavuot (Exodus 24:12); then at Shavuot in the upper room (referred to as Pentecost) on our hearts (Jer. 31:33; Psalm 40:8; 37:31; Is. 51:7; Ezek. 11:19-20; 36:22-27; 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10). Originally the commandments were written by the finger of Elohim on two tablets of stone (Exod. 31:18); then at Pentecost YHVH’s commandments written by the Ruach (Spirit) of Elohim (2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10) on the heart of man. Three thousand were slain at the golden calf incident (Exodus 32:1-8,26-28); on Pentecost the reverse happened: three thousand were saved or born again (Acts 2:38-41). The letter of the Torah was given at Sinai; in the Brit Chadashah (Renewed Covenant) the Spirit of the Torah was given (Matt. 5-7; Rom. 2:29; 7:6; 2 Cor. 3:6). The Torah-law was originally given on Mount Sinai (Exod. 19:11); at Pentecost the Torah was written into the hearts of men in the “Upper Room” of the Temple in Jerusalem, or Mount Zion (Rom. 11:26; Heb. 12:22; 1 Pet. 2:6). Thunderings, fire and tongues of various languages occurred at both Shavuot at Sinai and Pentecost at Jerusalem.
Jewish Midrash (interpretation of Scripture) teaches that when YHVH was speaking out the Ten Commandments visible sound waves actually left his mouth—liquid, audible fire. Exodus 20:18 says that the people saw the thunderings (plural, not singular thunder). Midrashicly (allegorically) this means that as YHVH’s voice left his mouth it split into the 70 known languages extant on earth at that time and traveled around the entire camp and then to each Israelite. Israel had a “Pentecostal” experience in the wilderness! The Feast of Shavuot at Sinai was a rehearsal (or miqra) of Shavuot in the Messianic Scriptures (Brit Chadashah). The phrase “voice of the words” in Hebrews 12:19 referring to what the Israelites heard at Sinai may be a reference to what the rabbis are referring to in the Midrash when they say that the liquid, audible fire went to each individual Israelite, for the word words in Hebrews 12:19 is the Greek word rhema which means an individual word from the Ruach (Set-apart Spirit) of YHVH. So in Sinai each Israelite heard YHVH’s word in 70 languages, while on Pentecost when the fire of YHVH went onto each person, each person not only heard the Gospel preached in their own language (Acts 2:6–11), but those present were empowered to speak or evangelize the Gospel message in the tongues or languages of that day.
Yeshua commanded his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until Pentecost where they would be “immersed with the Ruach HaKodesh” (Acts 1:5). He further told them that they would “receive power (literally explosive, dynamic or dynamite-like power) after that the Ruach HaKodesh is come upon you …” (verse 8, first part). And what was the purpose for that dynamic immersion or in-filling of the Ruach HaKodesh (Set-apart Spirit)? “...[A]nd ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (verse 8, last part). Were they, under the empowerment of the Ruach to preach a Torah-less (or even anti-Torah) message? Assuredly not!!! They were commanded to preach the Gospel message of the Written and Living Torah to the Jews first and then to the world as Yeshua commanded with signs and wonders following (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18). He taught the glorious and liberating message of Torah to a lost, hurting and dying world with signs and miracles following even as he commanded his disciple to do under the power and gifts of the Ruach. One author states this so aptly, “The complete saturation of believers with the Set-apart Spirit bestowed many supernatural gifts and enablements for declaring the Good News with power and effectiveness (Acts 1:8). This is reasonable, for if the work of YHVH could be accomplished through human abilities, the ‘enduement (or clothing upon) with power from on high’ would be rendered unnecessary and meaningless.” (http://www.vcfbham.org/chap6.html)
This author continues, “It is a mistake to isolate one manifestation as evidencing this in-filling. Pentecost represents a many-faceted demonstration of His presence, as we shall see. Some of the spiritual abilities with which the church was endowed are these: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and speaking with tongues, both heavenly language and foreign languages of men (1 Corinthians 12; 1 Corinthians 13:1). You will discover that gifts to the ministry are included in this equipping. (Eph. 4:8,11)” (ibid.).
Simply stated, he says, this Set-apart Spirit baptism was for the equipping of those who would be used of YHVH with whatever they needed, on any occasion and under any circumstances, to be an adequate witness and to do the works of Elohim (John 14:12).
He continues, Today, more than ever, we must have these spiritual talents working in us so that the Gospel of the kingdom may be published into all the world for a witness before the end comes (Matthew 24:14). The fact that Pentecost is also identified as the Feast of Harvest gives us some spiritual insight concerning the harvest of souls that Elohim desires to be reaped from the earth. The Bible teaches that Yeshua was the Son of Man who came to sow good seed—the word of YHVH (Luke 8:5-11). The Body of Messiah is the reaper sent forth for harvesting (John 4:38; Matthew 9:38). Through Spirit-filled witnessing, the harvest of earth will be reaped. It is for this reason that Yeshua made the declaration, “Ye shall receive power after that the Set-apart Spirit is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me … unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The people of YHVH can never be effective and productive in this harvest without an abundant anointing or baptism of the [Set-apart Spirit]. Pentecost symbolizes ANOINTING FOR THE HARVEST. A yearly observance of this biblical memorial day by the believers serves to remind us of our total dependence upon the Set-apart Spirit to give us the guidance and anointing we must have for this spiritual harvest of earth. The apostle Peter referred to it as a “time of refreshing” (ibid.).
Torah Portions:
Traditional Judaism follows a yearly Torah and Haftarah reading cycle in which the Torah (the First Five Books of Scripture) is divided into weekly portions that have an accompanying excerpt from one of the Prophetic books that relates to the theme being presented.
As Believers in Messiah Yeshua, we also include portions from the New Testament, so that we will be reading form the whole counsel of our Father's Holy Word.
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