The Feasts of the Lord are important because they are His Feasts. They are a reflection of His ways, a memorial of His history with us and a prophetic picture of His will for our future with Him. I believe, however, that we have done a great disservice to Him and to the Body by presenting these Feasts primarily as “The Jewish Roots” teaching.

I have come to understand that they are only a part of the whole teaching of what I would prefer to call the Hebraic Biblical foundation of our faith rather than Jewish Roots. In like manner, I would rather call the Old Testament the ‘foundational’ Testament since ‘old’ often denotes worn out or obsolete. Many do not realize that all of Jesus’ teachings point back to the writings of those foundational books. All the Messianic prophecies found in that Testament revealed who Jesus is so we would not miss the Day of His Appearing both in His birth and earthly ministry as servant and Savoir, and in His Second Coming as King of Kings when He will take His rightful place on the Throne of David.

I would like to present the Biblical understanding of Shavuot, some examples of how the Jewish community celebrates this feast and a challenge for you to hear from God for yourself on this matter. God chose to present in His Word great details concerning how He wanted His people to follow His pattern for fellowship and worship. Do you think He did this only for the Jewish nation? Are these feasts only for our ancestors to observe and from which to learn, or has God given them as a picture for all nations and for all times? I believe they were given so that everyone might understand His heart and salvation through His Son. I challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit to begin to reveal to you the whole picture. I tell you the truth; it will be a gradual understanding of the mystery talked about in Romans 11.

We are approaching one of the three major Feasts of the Lord called Shavu’ot, (pronounced “Sha-voo-ote” in Hebrew), which means “weeks”.

Ex. 34:22-23

[22] “You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering ( Tabernacles or Sukkot) at the turn of the year. [23] Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.”

The first of the three feasts, which is not mentioned in the above passage, is the Feast of Unleavened Bread; the beginning of the Passover season.
Why the Feast of Weeks?

Deut. 16:9-12 [9] “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. [10] Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the LORD your God blesses you; [11] and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name. [12] You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.”

This is obviously a time of thanksgiving and rejoicing for all. Why would we not want to participate? Especially when we realize the word “feast” in the Word is really translated “appointed time”. God is inviting us to party with Him at His place; the place in which He chooses to establish His name.

Seven weeks are 50 days thus the term ‘Pentecost’ which means ’50’ in Greek.

Lev. 23:16-17 [16] “You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. [17] You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour,baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD.”

This is the only time when the bread offered at the temple contains leaven and is specifically two loaves. This offering to be made with human hands and to be brought from their home was made with the finest ingredients possible. This is the only offering that suggests a partnership with the Lord, giving Him our best labor with what He gives to us. However, it is only offered alongside the Lamb. What a clear picture to show us without Yeshua we are truly incomplete before the Lord.

Some see this as a picture of the One New Man because of the two loaves with leaven offered as one offering with the Lamb. Showing us that the two (Jew and Gentile) may become one through the cross. (Eph. 2:13-21). Interestingly enough, the first Shavu’ot occurred 50 days after the original Passover. It is celebrated among the Jewish community as the giving of the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai. It was a time of great wind – (thunder)

and fire -(lightning). The Jewish community recognizes Shavu’ot as commemorating the revelation of Torah and it has become a festival of gratitude and awe to God for giving the Torah.

Deut. 20:18-21 [18] “All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. [19] Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.’ [20] Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.’ [21] So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.”

This was the first time Israel had come together as a nation. The Rabbis felt they were about to receive their Ketubah, or marriage contract, from the Lord. They were also receiving the first constitution any nation ever had. Israel was a nation created by a covenant of God. Unfortunately, as you remember, in the estimation of the Israelites Moses was delayed so they built a golden calf. On that day 3,000 men were destroyed because of their disobedience.

Exodus 32:25-28 [25]” And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies). [26] Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, ‘Who is on the LORD’S side? Let him come unto me.’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. [27] And he said unto them, ‘Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ [28] And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.”

It was also 50 days after Yeshua, the Passover Lamb, rose from the dead that the Holy Spirit Rauch Ha Kodesh” (Holy wind) was released from heaven to His Body here on earth. On that day the people of God who had a revelation of Yeshua, God’s Son, were together in one accord in one place.

On the day of Pentecost the city was greatly populated because it was Shavuot. The Jewish community had come to honor God and celebrate the feast. This time when the wind and fire came 3,000 were added to the church.

The Day of Pentecost

Acts 2:1-4 [1]”When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. “

The Ingathering

Acts.2:37-42 [37] “Now when they heard this , they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ [38] Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ [40] And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ [41] So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand * souls. [42] They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

This time when God spoke His Spirit was given to each person individually. The people did not shy away from the Presence of God. They received within themselves His very Presence. Because of the blood shed by Yeshua on the cross the new covenant could now be in force. Jer. 31:31 was fulfilled!

Jer.31:31-34 [31] “‘Behold, the days come’, saith the LORD, ‘that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: [32] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them’, saith the LORD: [33] ‘ But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days,’ saith the LORD,’ I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them’, saith the LORD: ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more’.”

So is Shavuot just for the Jewish nation? Did God not clearly show us in His amazing time line that one expression of a day in History of the Jewish people is the foundation of the expression of the fullness and power for which Yeshua told His disciples to wait? We cannot be who God has called us to be without His Word and His Spirit. Many say the church was born on Pentecost. I can’t agree. I think the church was born at Mount Sinai and came into their fullness at Pentecost. What do you think?

Perhaps this year from Sundown June 7th to Sundown June 8th you might want to honor the Lord in thanksgiving for His gifts to us: the written Word, the Word Incarnate and the Holy Spirit.

Traditionally the Jewish community reads the 19th and 20th chapters of Exodus, Ezekiel 1:1-28; 3:12 and the whole Book of Ruth. There is great food, worship, dancing and a gift of thanksgiving given to the Lord. Why don’t you ask the Lord what He would like you to do this year?