SHAVUOT AND PENTECOST: THE GIFT OF RECEIVING THE TORAH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
JESUS CHRIST/YESHUA IS THE LIVING TORAH
Shavuot occurred 50 days after the Exodus, the Passover. It was the great event when the Law was given at Mt. Sinai to the people.
The Holy Ghost was given at Pentecost in the New Testament, 50 days after Resurrection Sunday (which was just after the day of the Jewish Passover), both in the same time frame, but thousands of years apart. Pentecost referred to as the Spiritual Beginning of the New Testament Christian Church.
AMAZING!!!
With the help of my Jewish niece, Rebecca, the Bible, and with the aid of the Holy Spirit, I hope to explore the importance and correlation of Shavuot and Pentecost, bringing the Old and the New Testaments together.
JESUS WAS A JEW AND DID NOT ESCHEW THE LAW
We New Testament believers should never eschew the Law as some say that the Law was nailed to the Cross on Calvary with Jesus. Not so! Read…“And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” [Exodus 20:6] [Deuteronomy 5:10]
Leviticus 23:15–22 describes the four things the Jews were to offer and how to do the offering. The waving of the firstfruits is mentioned in Leviticus 23:17: 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. Shavuot was the only time the Jews were to do the wave offering.
However, do not confuse The Day of the First Fruits that was the last day of Feast of the Unleaven Bread and first day on which individuals marked the first fruits of their labor to be offered. From that day they counted fifty days to Shavuot/Pentecost [Festival of Weeks].
Shavuot is the Feast of Weeks and not Firstfruits. Firstfruits is a different feast day in the Jewish religion. On the 17th day of the Nisan moon the firstfruits of the barley harvest was gathered and waved before the Lord in celebration. This celebration on the 17th day of Nisan moon relates to Christ’s Resurrection from the dead. Yeshua and His disciples participated in a Seder on the eve of the Day of Preparation for Pesach which is Aviv or Nisan 14th (Luke 22:7-8; 23:54; John 13:1). This is what is known as Erev Pesach and the Fast of the Firstborn (Ta’anit Bechorim). Remember a biblical day starts with the Eve and then the Morning (Genesis 1:3-28).)
Shavuot was when the Law, the Torah, was given at Mt. Sinai to God’s Chosen People, the Israelites, 50 days after they escaped slavery in Egypt following Passover when they were protected by G-d Himself by putting the Blood of the Lamb without Defect on their doorposts. G-d Himself freed them from their enslavement to Pharaoh. On the day of Shavuot, in the Desert, they were given the Torah that G-d wrote on Stone Tablets when Moses climbed Mt. Sinai and received The Law-Word of God. They became a nation committed to serving G-d because the Law was written on their hearts forevermore. [Jeremiah 31:33] 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.
Pentecost in the New Testament is when the Holy Spirit descended upon 120 followers of Jesus Christ and is traditionally called the Spiritual Birthday of the Christian Church. New Testament followers of Jesus Christ consider their primary duty to take the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ to the entire world. This is called The Great Commission. However, the Lord Jesus Christ cautioned his followers not to begin their work immediately upon His Ascension, but to wait for the power they would be given.
THE NEW TESTAMENT GREAT COMMISSION
[Matthew 28:18-20] 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: [20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT: SHAVUOT — NEW TESTAMENT: PENTECOST
Shavuot (or Shavuos) is also called “Feast of Weeks” in the Old Testament, a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). In this Year of Our Lord 2012 A.D. it will fall on May 26th .
↓↓↓ TO HEAR THE WORD SHAVUOT PRONOUNCED, CLICK BELOW ↓↓↓
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Yi-Shavuos.ogg
The date of Shavuot is directly linked to that of Passover. The Torah mandates the seven-week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover and immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the Giving of the Torah. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer.
The Jewish religious New Year starts at Passover because that is when the Israelites came into the Promised land. Shavuot was the first harvest after coming into the Promised Land. At Shavuot, the Israelites were to offer the first of the grain harvest. This was symbolized by the offering of two leavened loaves of bread. The festival was a day of thanksgiving to God, who had faithfully completed what He had begun—bringing forth a harvest to be enjoyed by His people. [Leviticus 23:17] 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. Synagogues today are decorated in greenery to represent that first harvest.
Shavuot means seven sevens. Shavuot means seven weeks after Passover or seven Sabbaths.
Hellenistic Jews gave it the name Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, “fiftieth day”. Greeks also called it Pentecost because of the meaning of 50 because it happens on the fiftieth day after Passover.
PENTECOST SUNDAY IS THE COMMEMORATION OF THE SPIRITUAL BEGINNING OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
In the Book of Acts, Shavuot is called Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday takes place 50 days after Resurrection Sunday to acknowledge G-d manifesting Himself
powerfully in the upper room in Jerusalem where the Holy Ghost fell as a mighty rushing wind. Cloves of fire rested on each of the 120 believers and each began to speak in other tongues as the Holy Ghost gave them utterance. [Acts 2:1-4] And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [ 2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [ 3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The 120 believers did not speak in languages of strange babbling that no one knew or understood, they spoke in the various dialects of the Jews all gathered together in one city to pay their tithe to the Jewish rulers of that time. The power given to the 120 that day was so they could preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah, so that all those Jews could hear in their own dialect the Good News of the Peace that Messiah bought for them by His Life, Death and Resurrection. It was so they could receive salvation, grace, mercy and forgiveness, to be cleansed from all their sins, to receive that peace between G-d and man that can only come through Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah. It is not a peace that the world can understand. Judas Iscariot did not understand. He thought Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah came to reduce the Romans to naught. Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah did not come for that purpose. Those first 120 believers gave utterance and followed the command of The Great Commission so that all who heard could receive and believe. [Philippians 4:7 KJV] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
There were many people in Jerusalem on the Pentecost 50 days after Christ’s resurrection speaking many different tongues because they were there to pay their taxes or their tithe. They had two choices, stay with the baptism of Herod and the Pharisees or get the baptism of Christ. The
Pharisees were forcing the contributions based on their membership in their system of Corban which Jesus had already stated made the word of G-d to none effect. They heard the Word [1 John 1:9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – and they had a choice, believe in Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah or continue on paying Corban.
Christians still call the day the Holy Spirit descended upon the 120 followers of Jesus Christ Pentecost that occurs 50 days after Easter Sunday. However, many Christians do not use the word Easter because that was a pagan holiday so they have referred to this wonderful occasion as Resurrection Sunday commemorating the day Jesus Christ arose from the dead.
On the 7th Sunday following Resurrection Sunday (or Easter Sunday) that was celebrated all through Christendom on April 8, 2012; this year, therefore, Pentecost Sunday will be celebrated May 27th. It is also known as Whitsunday, or Whit Sunday in the UK. Whitsunday is a contraction of “White Sunday.” The Holy Ghost, also called the Holy Spirit is often referred to as a White Dove. Cf. Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22 where the Holy Spirit is compared to a dove at the Baptism of Jesus.
Pentecost Sunday, which marks the end of the Easter season in the Christian Liturgical calendar, celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. They were waiting in obedience to Jesus’ command and also because no work was to be done during Shavuot. [Acts 1:4-5] And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that 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. [Leviticus 23:21] 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 statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
While Pentecost Sunday marks the end of the Easter season for Christians, Shavuot in the Jewish religion is the end of the Spring Jewish Festivals.
SHAVUOT, PENTECOST THE SAME DAY, WHY DIFFERENT DATES?
Why does Shavuot for Jewish folks start May 26, 2012, while Pentecost for Christians is May 27, 2012?
Shavu’ot is not tied to a particular calendar date. (FYI – There are numerous spellings for Shavuot and I’ve included different ones for your viewing.)
Jews celebrate all their festivals for two days, while the Christian counterpart is one day.
Shavuot for Jewish folks starts the night before Christians would be celebrating Pentecost because in the Jewish religion days are not marked by the sun, but by the moon or the lunar calendar. In the Jewish religion the new day starts at sundown and ends the next day at sundown.
In Acts, Pentecost occurred at nine o’clock in the morning, the third hour of the day (Acts 2:15) so it would have been the next day on our modern-time calendar after the beginning of Shavuot, but on the Jewish calendar it would be the same day. The Jewish day goes from sundown to sundown, not from midnight to midnight as it does on the Christian calendar also known as the Gregorian calendar and the Western calendar we all use today.
THIS IS WHERE IT GETS VERY INTERESTING AND EXCITING!!!
“JESUS/YESHUA IS THE LIVING TORAH”
When I asked my wonderful niece, my Jewish relative, Rebecca, “How does your Jewish background enhance your Christian experience?”
Rebecca replied. “The Lamb without Defect of the Old Testament represents Jesus Christ or as we Messianic Jews call Him, the Messiah, Yeshua. It says in John 1:1 that Yeshua is the Word. The Word is really the Torah or the Law. Therefore, the Torah, the Law, became Flesh, which is Yeshua. Jesus Christ/Yeshua is the Law. Yeshua is the Torah became Flesh.”
One of the most misinterpreted verses of the Bible that has lead to resulting false religions and grievous, harmful cults is [John 1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That verse is so important to understanding who Jesus Christ is. In John 1:1 we have affirmed that The Word was G-d who is Jesus Christ, who is the Creator and that The Word is The Law. The Word is the Law and Jesus Christ fulfilled The Word.
Recall the Words of Christ in [Matthew 5:17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Rebecca continued, “Yeshua never said to abolish the Law; in fact, Yeshua/Jesus is the Law. On Shavuot the people were given the Torah, the Law, and on Pentecost, in the New Testament, on the very same day, only thousands of years later, the 120 believers of Yeshua, who were all Jews who accepted Jesus Christ, Yeshua, as Messiah, were given the Holy Spirit. Those 120 people that were Jewish and believed upon the name of Jesus/Yeshua were filled!”
One-hundred and twenty Jews on the Day of Pentecost believing that their long-awaited Messiah had come, resurrected and ascended, and who had been seen by more than 500 witnesses after His resurrection, were rewarded, were empowered because of their faith, when the Holy Spirit came upon them and the first thing they did was to preach The Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what we now call The Great Commission.
Rebecca noted, “Christians miss a lot of in depth meaning of how the Old and New Testaments correlate, never having known the Jewish religion, understanding the festivals and feasts, how they represent Yeshua. They are types of Yeshua. Yeshua is the Torah, the Word, the Law, all made into Flesh!”
For us Christian believers who were never Jewish, we still can proclaim with great joy in our hearts, “Jesus Christ is the living Torah and take the peace of Christ, the peace that Christ made between God and man to all people everywhere.
For we are all ambassadors of Christ.
[2 Corinthians 5:20] Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
[Acts 16:31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…
[Romans 10:9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT IF YOU DIED TODAY YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN?
If Jesus Christ returned today, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven with Him?
Resolve any doubts. Read “Inspirational. Do you know for sure?”
↓↓↓ Click below ↓↓↓
http://blog.beliefnet.com/watchwomanonthewall/?p=4928
“Jesus Christ/Yeshua is the living Torah”
— Rebecca, a Messianic Jew
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SPECIAL THANKS
Watchwoman: I offer my special thanks to Rebecca, my beloved Jewish relative, for helping me write this. My loving relationship with Rebecca was the inspiration for me to write “Shavuot and Pentecost: The Gift of Receiving The Torah and The Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ/Yeshua Is The Living Torah.” After we spent Mother’s Day together with her and her Mom, who both are Messianic Jews, loving G-d with all their hearts as believers who serve Him, Yeshua was the catalyst. Rebecca’s mother has become my quasi-adopted mother on earth since my mom has gone on home to be with the LORD for all eternity in Heaven. Rebecca’s aged mother is an Auschwitz holocaust survivor and certainly needs much prayer.
I also want to thank Jana at Beliefnet who tirelessly provides us with topics that are trending. When I saw “Shavuot” on the list, I knew what I must do.
I also want to thank Rob Kerby, the Sr. Editor at Beliefnet who recruited me to blog at the Watchwoman on the Wall. He has been a friend for many, many years and without that friendship, I would not be a blogger here.
▬ Donna Calvin
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Additional Notes
All Biblical quotes come from The King James Bible.
The following references have been used in preparing SHAVUOT AND PENTECOST, THE GIFT OF RECEIVING THE TORAH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavuot
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST – http://endtimepilgrim.org/pentecost.htm
Pentecost/Shavuot – Spiritual Birthday of the Church Pentecost/Shavuot – http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/judeochr/pentcost/pentcost.html
Judaism 101: Shavu’ot – http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayc.htm
Shavuot (Pentecost): Basics and Beyond | Messianic Jewish Musings – http://derek4messiah.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/shavuot-pentecost-basics-and-beyond/
Shavuot – Pentecost www.hebrew4christians.com
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/Shavuot.pdf
Shavuot – Feast of Weeks or Pentecost – http://www.fbci.org/ministries/isra_docs/Shavuot.pdf
Pentecost, Shavuot, and the overlap of the Christian and Jewish …
http://bustedhalo.com/blogs/pentecost-shavuot-and-the-overlap-of-the-christian-and-jewish-faith
How do you calculate the timing of Shavuot or Pentecost?
http://www.tedmontgomery.com/bblovrvw/emails/Pentecost.html
Shavuot and Pentecost – 1 – YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DwbdpmoOkHOY
BONDS OF FREEDOM FROM SHAVUOT TO PENTECOST by Brother Gregory
http://www.newswithviews.com/Gregory/williams123.htm
Shavuot – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shavuot
Counting of the Omer – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_of_the_Omer
File:PikiWiki Israel 6772 Dancing at shavuot.jpg – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_6772_Dancing_at_shavuot.jpg
Shavuot – Wikipedia | Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shavuot/103105019729303%3Fsk%3Dwiki
Shavuot – Wiktionary – Major Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Simchat Torah, Succoth, Chanukah, Passover and Shavuot
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Shavuot
Whitsen – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitsun
Pentecost/Shavuot – Spiritual Birthday of the Church – http://www.cdn-friends-icej.ca/judeochr/pentcost/pentcost.html
Judaism 101: Shavu’ot – http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayc.htm
What is the Correct Day of the Messianic Passover?
http://paradoxparables.justparadox.com/2011/04/18/which-is-the-correct-day-of-the-messianic-passover-nisan-14th-or-15th-did-yeshuas-training-passover-change-the-date-of-the-passover-observance/
Pentecost (Wikipedia) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost
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Posted by Donna Calvin — Monday, May 21, 2012
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