The Feast of Shavuot is specifically timed by God to come 50 days, or seven weeks, from Passover. The name additional name, Pentecost, for this feast comes from the spacing of 50 days. It is for the offering of the first fruits of the wheat harvest:
"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: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 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." Lev. 23:15-17
Shavuot is one of the three mandatory feasts of the LORD commanding the presence of Israel:
"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD." Ex. 23:14-17This feast of Shavuot or Pentecost is assigned by the LORD to a specific place, both in the Old and New Testaments, as we will see. Describing this feast, the LORD promised to send an angel to protect and lead the Israelites to the place "which I have prepared". v. 20
Jesus also told His disciples that He was going to "prepare a place" for them.
In the case of Shavuot, the Israelites would be brought to Mt. Sinai, in the wilderness, where the LORD would appear before them to give them the Torah.
According to the Midrash, which contains the teachings of the Rabbis based upon their studies of scripture, there is a description of that first Shavuot, when the LORD appeared before all of Israel on the mountain. The Midrash speaks of flames of fire which came to each individual at Sinai: "On the occasion of the giving of the Torah, the Children of Israel not only heard the LORD’s Voice, but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from the LORD’s mouth. They visualized them as a fiery substance. Each commandment that left the LORD’s mouth traveled around the entire camp and then came back to every Jew individually.... God’s voice (sounding as thunderings, plural), as it was uttered, split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand."
These writings from the Midrash show us that, as with all of the other feasts, Shavuot/Pentecost, also had a prophetic significance that was revealed and fulfilled in the New Testament. Knowing from the Midrash the story of the giving of the Torah at Shavuot, the New Testament event in the Upper Room on the Feast of Pentecost, would have had a great effect on the Jewish witnesses present. As the angel had led the Israelites to Mt. Sinai, the place prepared by the LORD, in the New Testament fulfillment, they were all in one accord in one place (Acts 2:1). As with the Rabbinical account of the giving of the Torah at Shavuot, they experienced the waves of sound as a mighty rushing wind in the Upper Room (v. 2). They knew of the words of fire resting on each individual at Mt. Sinai, and experienced the same in the Upper Room on Pentecost (v. 3). The account of God’s voice speaking to all mankind in every language of the world at Sinai, would be repeated in the Upper Room at Pentecost (v. 4-12). As God gave the Torah on that first Shavuot at Sinai, God was also giving the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, in the Upper Room (Acts 2:4).
Jesus taught that everything that He said was the fulfillment of those things "which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Palms concerning me." (Lk. 24:44). He "then opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures" (v. 45). He needed them to know that everything concerning Him, including His death and resurrection, had been written in the scriptures beforehand. Understanding this concept of His prophetic fulfillment of scripture, Jesus then told them that He was sending upon them the promise from His Father. They were to wait in Jerusalem, again a specific place, "until ye be endued with power from on high." (v. 49). Upon the receiving of that promised power, which is the Holy Spirit, they would go and preach repentance and remission of sins among the nations in His name (v. 47).
When John the Baptist was prophesying of the Messiah, he said:
"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Mt. 3:11-12
Not only did John connect Messiah to the Pentecost baptism in fire of the Holy Ghost, but he connected the Messiah to the wheat harvest, which is also part of the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost. That wheat harvest speaks to the gathering in by God of His people.
Jesus also spoke by parable of the ingathering of the wheat harvest (Mt. 13:24-30). In this parable, He revealed that the worthless counterfeit wheat that had been sowed amongst the good wheat by an enemy would be separated out at the time of harvest (Shavuot/Pentecost), and then thrown into the fire.
As mentioned at the beginning, this mandatory gathering together for the feast of Shavuot/Pentecost is for the offering of the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The principal of first fruits is prophetically significant. Jesus is directly connected to it as being the "first fruits":
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept...For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." 1 Cor. 15:20-23
Because Christ fulfilled the principal of first fruits of the resurrection, now all who are in Him can follow Him in the same manner. The Jews looked to Messiah to reign and rule for their immediate benefit at His first coming, but God wanted Him to become the First Fruits of the resurrection for the eternal benefit of many. Upon His soon return, however, He will indeed rule and reign.
Pentecost/Shavuot is next week. Pray that you are prepared. Pray that the Shavuot blessings of the giving of the Torah and the power of the Holy Spirit create a much needed revival in our land, especially during this pandemic.
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https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
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Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
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