“...When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf (handful or omer) of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, (called the Wave Sheaf Offering) to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
         “...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. ... And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statue for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”
         “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 the harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.”
(Lev. 23:10-11, 15-17,21-22)

         In the New Testament, the fiftieth day after the Wave Sheaf Offering is commonly known as the Day of Pentecost. however, it is a day that has many names; Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16), Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22), and Day of Firstfruits (Num. 28:26). In the Hebrew language it is known as Shavu’ot (Shah-voo-oat’), which means, Feast of‘Weeks.

         Shavu’ot occurs in the late spring and is a harvest festival. It marks the end of the grain harvest and the beginning of the fruit harvest. In Israel there were three main harvest seasons. The barley harvest began at Passover (Heb. Pesach = Peh’-sock). The wheat harvest started after the barley harvest and culminated at Shavu’ot (Pentecost). The fruit harvest (including the grape harvest) began at Shavu’ot and was concluded prior to The Feast of Tabernacles (Heb. Sukkot = Sue-coat’).

         Shavu’ot (Pentecost) is a most interesting festival. It is the only time during the year that an offering containing leaven could be brought to the Temple. It is also the only festival that is not given a fixed date on the Hebrew calendar.
         Jewish tradition picks Shavu’ot as being the day on which the law (Torah) was given at Mt. Sinai while New Testament scriptures make it clear that Pentecost (Shavu’ot) is the day the Holy Spirit was given to the Believers.
         Shavu’ot was one of the three pilgrimage festivals celebrated by the Jews each year at the Temple in Jerusalem.

         “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.”
(Duet. 16:16-17)

         During the time of the Temple, which includes the time of Yeshua, ‘the place’ that God had chosen was the Temple itself in Jerusalem.

         “Then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you: ... And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God, Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest; But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, ... there thou shalt do all that I command thee.”
(Deut. 12:11-14)

         “But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel,”
(II Chron. 6:6)

         The procession of the people of Israel coming to the festivals must have been a magnificent sight. Even in the first century there were already a great many Jews in the Diaspora (Jews that had been dispersed out of the land of Judea). Today there are more Jews in the United States than in the nation of Israel. In Yeshua’s time there were more Jews in Babylon than in Jerusalem. We read in Acts, and in Paul’s writings, about the many places where Jews were living.

         “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem (for the Festival) Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. ... Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.”
(Acts 2:5, 9-11)

         For those Jews, living outside of Jerusalem, the highlight of their life was to be able to attend a Festival at the Temple in Jerusalem. For those that lived great distances away, in far off lands, they may have made the pilgrimage only one time in their life. Because of this, they sometimes came and stayed for several months so they could attend more than one festival, perhaps even attend all three in one year.
         For those who lived in Judea, outside of Jerusalem, or in the Galilee, they may have been able to come to every festival, every year. We know that Yeshua came to the Passover in Jerusalem, with His parents, when He was twelve years old. We can safely assume that He was a regular attendee at the Festivals.

Going Up to Jerusalem

         Whenever the pilgrims came to Jerusalem it was said that they were ‘going up’. It did not matter the direction from which they came, be it north or south, east or west, they were always ‘going up’:

         “...Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, (Torah = instruction) and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”
(Isa. 2:3)

         The reason the people were said to be ‘going up’ was twofold. First of all, Jerusalem is in the mountains and requires a physical climb no matter from which direction you are coming. Secondly, to ‘go up’ to the Temple means to rise higher spiritually as well as physically. The festivals were the spiritual ‘high of Jewish life.
         At Shavu’ot (Pentecost) the Jews would bring with them the firstfruits of the early fruit harvest as an offering to the LORD. The women and children would go if the family could afford it. If not, the men would go by themselves. Without modem transportation the primary mode of transportation was what my mother used to call “shank’s mares”, that is, one’s legs. Some of the older or infirm people may have ridden on the backs of animals. Those that had to travel the farthest would be the first to leave their homes. As they proceeded towards Jerusalem others would join them. The Priests and Levites that lived outside of Jerusalem, in the various cities of Judea, would join the procession. They would sing psalms, accompanied by the Levitical musicians playing their flutes. What a sight and sound it must have been. They would camp out at night on the way, sleeping under the stars of heaven. The fellowship, the camaraderie, and the joy of going to worship God at the Temple, where He had placed His name, must have been immense.

         What a contrast to the way many in the Church of God go to the Feast. Today we sit in our individual cars, the children get tired, bored and restless in the back seat. We may turn secular music on the car radio or, probably even worse for our nervous system, listen to the frightful gossip that passes for news, or to the angry diatribes of talk (hate?) radio. Then we arrive at the Feast site where God has not placed His name, but rather man has placed God’s name. We may have passed several other Feast sites on the way, many of which also claim to be where “God has placed his name.’ We each take our own individual room, and may turn on the TV to pass the time of day while waiting for a single hour and one-half service each day. (Is there something wrong with this picture?)

         This is not to say that it is wrong to attend the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) at a site outside of Jerusalem. ft is a wonderful time to put the cares of this world out of our lives for eight days, to focus on the Word of God, and rejoice in fellowship before the LORD. We just need to recognize that what we are doing is somewhat different from what the Israelites were able to do when the Temple existed. It is right and proper to ‘keep the Feast’. However, when attending the Feast we need to focus entirely on God, His word and His people. We must not become distracted by the things of this world, even if they are not wrong in themselves.
         In Yeshua’s day Jerusalem would be swarming with people, all intent on rejoicing before the LORD. The center of activity was the Temple Mount itself The Temple Mount was considerably larger than the Temple itself, so there was a lot of room for people to gather and listen to the various Rabbis teach. Many of the pilgrims might have stopped to listen to a country Rabbi from the Galil (Galilee) named Yeshua ben Yoseif of Nazareth. They may have been surprised at His teaching; “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Man. 7:29). This meant that Yeshua did not quote from ‘the sages’ (ancient rabbinic sources) but spoke directly to the people that which He received from His Father in heaven and from the Scriptures.

         The main entrance to the Temple Mount was from the south side. Today one can walk up the very steps that Yeshua and His disciples trod as they entered the Temple area from that direction. Many of the Rabbis sat on these very steps teaching their disciples. Yeshua was undoubtedly one of those Rabbis.

         Before going onto the Temple Mount itself, a pilgrim had to be ritually cleansed. This was accomplished by being immersed in a ritual bath called a mikvah (meek’-vah). Today, tanks to extensive excavations, (done in part by Ambassador College students in the early 1970’s) one can see dozens of these mikvaot (meek’vah-oat the plural form of mikvah). Did Yeshua and the disciples immerse themselves in these very ritual baths before entering the Temple grounds? If they were going to keep the law perfectly they most certainly did.

         Have you ever wondered where the three thousand were baptized (immersed) on the day of Pentecost? “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41) The only possible explanation are the mikvaot outside the south wall of the Temple Mount. It all fits. The speaking in tongues would have occurred in the immediate Temple area, possibly on the south wall steps, or up on the Temple Mount platform. “Now when this was noised abroad, (margin = when this voice was made) the multitude came together, and were confounded, (margin = troubled in mind) because that every man heard them speak in his own language.” (Acts 2:6) Then, when “...they were pricked in their heart...” (Acts 3:37) and desired to be immersed (baptized) the waters of the mikvaot were right at hand.

         An interesting side note: a certain percentage of the water in a mikvah had to be what the Jews called “living water”; that is water that came from rainwater, a river or a lake. It could not come entirely from a well. Once again we have what many believe to be a ‘Christian’ term being used by the Jews for centuries before the time of Yeshua. Yeshua did not make up new terminology, rather, He used what was familiar to the Jews of His day sometimes giving the traditional words new or additional meaning.

         “...If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink, lie that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38) This teaching was also given at the Temple during Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles).
         (God willing, we plan to write an extensive article on the Mikvah and immersion as it is taught in the Bible and as it was practiced in the time of Yeshua.)

Symbols of Shavu’ot

         In Israel, the ritual ceremonies of Shavu’ot were exclusive to the Temple. None were done in the home, as we find with Pesach (Passover) and Sukkot (Tabernacles). At Pesach there was the deleavening of the home and the Passover Seder (say’der set order) that were conducted away from the Temple. Likewise at Sukkot each family built a booth or Sukkah (Sue-kah’) on their property and gathered or purchased the four commanded species and made them into a special form called a lulav (loo’-lahv). (More about the lulav as we come closer to Tabernacles.)
         At Shavu’ot all activities took place at the Temple. The main ritual involved the “new meal-offering” which consisted of two loaves of leavened bread. (This was the only meal offering that could ever contain leaven.) These two loaves were made from flour that had come from that spring’s wheat harvest.
         This was a parallel ritual to the ‘Wave Sheaf Offering’ that was presented to God in the Temple during the Days of Unleavened Bread. There can be no doubt that the unleavened Wave Sheaf Offering represented the resurrected Yeshua being presented before the Father in heaven for acceptance: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” (I Cor. 15:20). The wave sheaf was cut (I believe) at the end of the weekly Sabbath, during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and presented in the Temple on the first day of the week according to the practice of the Saducees. If this be true, then the cutting of the omer took place at the very same time that Yeshua was resurrected from the grave, and the Wave Sheaf was offered in the Temple at the precise time that Yeshua was presented before God in the heavenly Tabernacle.
         It was the first day of the week (Sunday), during the Days of Unleavened Bread, that served as the starting point for the “counting of the omer” that brings us to the day of Pentecost. Anciently, these two festivals were considered to be connected by this ritual of “counting the omer” and Pesach (Passover) was not considered fully completed until Shavu’ot had likewise been fulfilled. Thus, there is a direct connection between these two spring, pilgrimage festivals.
         This leads us to make a symbolic connection between these two meal offerings. The first, as we have said, was unleavened and represented the resurrected Messiah. The second was leavened, and consisted of two loaves. Is it possible these two leavened loaves were meant to represent the remainder of the ‘firstfruits’? “Of his (the Father’s) own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” (James 1:18). We, the Believers, sinful (leavened) by nature, made pure by the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb.
         Why two loaves? Several ideas come to mind: 1.) they could represent the two houses of Israel and Judah, 2.) one could represent Israel and the other the Gentiles, or 3.) one for the patriarchs like Abraham; “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56), and others who saw the Kingdom ‘afar off’ and believed, and will be a part of the first resurrection, the other loaf being those of us Believers who have come later and will also be a part of the first resurrection.
         The second Shavu’ot Temple ritual (after the meal offering of the two leavened loaves) was an offering of “first fruits”. These were the very first produce of the fruit harvest. Actually, farmers could bring the firstfruits of their fruit harvest anytime beginning at Shavu’ot until Sukkot (Tabernacles). Again, we can deduce Messianic symbolism out of this practice. God calls sinners to repent and accept Yeshua all the way from that first century Pentecost up until the time of the Wedding Feast to come (a major symbol of Tabernacles).

Two Fulfillment’s

         There were two great events that took place on Shavu’ot. The First was the giving of the Torah, the second was the giving of the Holy Spirit.
         The giving of the Torah took place at Mt. Sinai near the beginning of the third month on the Hebrew calendar, called Sivan (See-vahn’).

         “In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. ... And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai,”
(Ex. 19:1,10-11)

         Thus began the countdown to the giving of the ten commandments or ‘ten words’ as they are known. This occasion ‘was considered to be the consummation of the marriage between YHVH (the LORD) and the children of Israel. The betrothal period having begun when God first called Abram (Heb. Avram = Ahv-rahm’).

         “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him;...”
(Gen. 12:1-4)

         Chapter 15 of Genesis tells the story of how God formalized this betrothal covenant with Abram. First, God promised Abram a physical heir that would grow into a multitude of people.

         “... Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and he (the LORD) counted it to him for righteousness.”
(Gen. 15:5-6)

         Once Abram had accepted the LORD’s offer by believing, the betrothal covenant was sealed by a sacrifice in which God provided the fire. Abram took a commanded selection of animals and birds and prepared them for sacrifice.

         “And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.”
(Gen. 15:17)

         This betrothal covenant was con-fumed on the fifteenth day of Nisan (Nee-sahn’) and lasted 430 years.

         “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.”
(Ex. 12:41).

This fact is confirmed both in Jewish tradition and in the book of Galatians. (See Gal. 3:17)

         During the betrothal period the bride and groom are considered as husband and wife. The betrothal can only be broken through a legal divorce or the death of one of the partners. It barely resembles our modem day engagement which has no legal status and can be broken by a word from either party. Once God had made His promise to Abraham He could not terminate the marriage without a legal divorce or the death of one of the parties. In this case it would have required the complete destruction of all of the children of Israel to annul the betrothal covenant by death.
         God was true to His word and waited until Israel had matured into a full grown nation of people. Then He went, at night, to take them out of their sin (Egypt) to the final wedding ceremony. This ceremony took place at Mt. Sinai.
         All ancient Israelite marriages required a marriage contract called the Ketuvah (Keh-too’-vah). The Torah constitutes the Ketuvah between God and the children of Israel. The bride was required to accept the terms of the Ketuvah (covenant) so they could be fhlly married. Israel, as the bride, did this when she said; “...All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.”
(Ex. 19:8)

         The Ketuvah was not just a one sided affair. The groom (YHVH = the LORD) also accepted obligations. “...then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation...” (Ex. 19:5-6). All of these things happened on that day of Pentecost (Shavu’ot).

         How about this for a wedding day?

         “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.”
(Ex. 19:16-19)

         The marriage proved to be a rocky one. Within the first forty days the bride committed adultery by worshipping the golden calf But God was a patient husband, and He established the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur = Yohm Key-poor’) as a ‘day of covering’ for the sins of His adulterous wife. (This story too must wait for a future issue.)
         The second great event of Shavu’ot (Pentecost) is, of course, found in the book of Acts.

         “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
(Acts 2:1-4)

         Now that the giving of the Holy Spirit has taken place, the Bride is able to abide by the marriage covenant (Ketuvah), for now she shares the Spirit of her Husband (the Holy Spirit). If she does slip and fall into inadvertent sin she has the sacrifice of her Husband to, not just cover, but, completely remove her sins so that she is always the spotless, virgin bride that every husband desires.
         The day of Pentecost (Shavu’ot) is indeed a great day for each one of us. It signifies the completion of the cleansing and preparation of the Bride of Messiah (that’s us!) for her wedding day. The bride price has been paid through the blood of the Lamb. The two leavened loaves have been accepted by God and He has confirmed that acceptance by sharing His Holy Spirit with us mortals

         “...who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
(Rom. 8:28-29)

         Now we (the Bride) have much work to do. We must be preparing for our wedding day, for the Messiah will come to take His betrothed bride into the full marriage relationship. How do we prepare?

         “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
(Rev. 19:7-10)

         It is time for us to lay aside our contentious spirits, that cause so much anger and division in the Body of Messiah, and begin earnestly preparing for our wedding day. This preparation absolutely requires that we make every effort to ‘make ready’ our Wedding dress of righteousness as pictured in the above scripture. Like Queen Esther, we must be going through a period of purification;

         “Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)”
(Esther 2:12)

         Right now the Bride is badly soiled by unrighteous and unloving behavior. She needs to be purified. If each of us resolves to not take part in unrighteous behavior, and learn to love one another, we will be doing our part to prepare the Bride for the greatest wedding ever.

                  DEW

Back

Next