Below is an article by Jonathan Bernis, president of Jewish Voice ministries. The article is in detail about this celebration. I wanted to share it because I have been so blessed during this time, and I pray that you will be also.
SHAVUOT—A BIBLICALLY-APPOINTED HOLIDAY RICH WITH PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE FOR ALL BELIEVERS
A TIME OF REFLECTION & ANTICIPATION
Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, as it is called in the New Covenant, will be celebrated on June 8th this year. While most Christians know of the powerful events of Pentecost as recorded in the second chapter of the Book of Acts, very few are aware of the historical yearly observance that pointed toward it. It is important to understand the Old Covenant observance of Shavuot and its historical meaning to fully appreciate its New Covenant fulfillment. This holiday, once thought of as only a Church holiday, is actually one of the Biblical Mo'adim—appointments with God—and is rich with meaning and significance.
Shavuot falls on the fiftieth day after the Passover Sabbath, or the day after "seven Sabbaths," hence the Greek word "Pentecost" or "fifty." The period between the Passover Sabbath and Shavuot is the time of the "counting of the Omer." (Leviticus 23: 15, 16) This is a period of transition from the exodus from slavery in Egypt to the receiving of the Torah at Sinai, and from the time of Yeshua's death and resurrection to the receiving of the Ruach Hakodesh, or Holy Spirit. It is a period of reflection, and a time of building anticipation, awaiting Shavuot. The omer is counted each evening with the following blessing: "Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam, asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav, vitzivanu, al sefirat ha omer." ("Praised are you, Lord our God, King of the universe whose mitzvot add holiness to our lives and who gives us the mitzvah of counting the Omer" Leviticus 23:15-16) For seven weeks, each evening this prayer is repeated and a portion of Psalms is read and expectation builds as the time of Shavuot approaches.
FIRST FRUITS OF THE WHEAT HARVEST & PROPHECY
According to Leviticus 23:15 - 17 and Exodus 34:22, Shavuot was an agricultural holiday, marking the reaping of the first fruits of the wheat harvest. The Israelites were commanded to offer the first fruits of their produce to the Lord in thanksgiving for His abundant provision. Just as all the Biblical feasts are prophetic shadows of things to come, the gathering of the first wheat harvest hints of the first harvest of the first followers of Yeshua. Wheat, in the New Testament, is symbolic of souls the parables of Yeshua are rich with illustrations comparing the gathering of wheat with the salvation of souls. Just as Yeshua was the "first fruits of resurrection," so His first followers were the "first fruits" of the "Kingdom of God."
ONE OF THE THREE PILGRIMAGE FEASTS
Along with Passover and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), Shavuot is one of the three pilgrimage feasts in which all the men of Israel were required to travel to Jerusalem to rejoice together in 'the place where God chose for His dwelling.” It was a time of celebration with great spectacle and pageantry. Shavuot is a special Sabbath day in which no one is to work, and all are to celebrate! It was with this joy that the Disciples and Believers in Yeshua gathered together at the Temple in Jerusalem on that first Shavuot following Yeshua's death and resurrection.
GIVING OF THE LAW—ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATION
According to traditional Jewish calculations, it was during Shavuot that Moses was given the Commandments on Mt. Sinai, thus Shavuot is also known as "Mattan haTorah" or the time of the giving of the Torah (the first five books of Moses). God delivered a people out of Egypt, but it was through the Commandments that He established a Nation, a Community set apart unto Himself through whom the world would see the one true God.
It was through the covenant of Moses that Israel was born. At this awesome event, the Israelites heard God's voice as the sound of the shofar, thundering from the mountain and saw fire and lightning. The traditional commentary or Midrash says that on the occasion of the giving of the Torah, the children of Israel not only heard the Lord's Voice, but actually saw the words as as fiery substance that came to each individual in the encampment. Would this not have been in the minds of the Jewish believers who had gathered in Jerusalem on that Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2?
GIVING OF THE SPIRIT
Just as the Jewish people were birthed as a nation on the first Shavuot, the Church was essentially birthed on the first Shavuot after Yeshua's death and resurrection. It was not at random that God chose Shavuot to pour out His Spirit and empower the first followers of Yeshua. The tongues of fire and the great sounds described were not unheard of—they directly related to the events of the first Shavuot. The miracles described in the Book of Acts were actually a powerful fulfillment of thousands of years of prophecy and expectation.
On this day pilgrims from far and wide were assembled together in Jerusalem—in one place, in one accord. Acts 2:7-11 records that there were Jewish men gathered in Jerusalem from great distances such as Egypt, Libya, Parthia, Media, Mesopotamia, Asia, North Africa, Rome, Crete, Turkey and other Arab lands. These Jewish men came together to worship God with expectation and anticipation, and once empowered, would return to their homes and villages with the zeal and power of the Lord to bring the message of hope in the Messiah.
In this we see fulfillment of the promises through Jeremiah 31 :33 and Ezekiel 36:27 a promise of replacing the Law on tablets of stone to inscribing the Law inwardly on tablets of flesh our hearts through the Holy Spirit!
TWO LOAVES WITH YEAST?
"From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of first fruits to the Lord”(EX. 23: 17) At Passover, we are commanded to eat bread without leaven or yeast, because the bread represents the sinless body of Yeshua. But at Shavuot we are now to bake bread with leaven. Why? These two loaves represent the Body of Messiah, which has sin. Why two loaves? The Body of Messiah is comprised of Jew and Gentile together, which is the fulfillment of Shavuot. An interesting tradition of the Jewish people is to read the book of Ruth at Shavuot. The most significant message of the book of Ruth is that it is a shadow of the Gentiles coming to follow the God of Israel, which is also the most significant event following the Shavuot celebration recorded in the book of Acts. Joel 2:28 promises that God will pour out His Spirit on all mankind that first Shavuot, the power to fulfill this promise came into the world.
A REMINDER TO DEPEND ON GOD FOR ALL OUR NEEDS
Clearly, an important aspect of Shavuot is that of a celebration of thanksgiving. As an agricultural holiday, all Israel was to stop work and come before the Lord, acknowledging Him as provider and give thanks. As a spiritual holiday, Israel recognized the God who made them a people and gave them His Commandments that they may live as a people chosen by God for His glory. Today, we are thankful, for He not only called us to be His people, but He gave us His Spirit to enable us to live as His people and bring the Good News of Messiah to a lost and dying world.
GLOSSARY
Mo'adim - designated times or appointments (with the Lord) the Hebrew word used in Leviticus 23:1
Omer - a measure of barley
Ruach Hakodesh - The Holy Spirit of God, also wind or breath
Mitzvot - Commandments or good deeds
Mitzvah A blessing
Torah - The first five books of the Bible
Shofar Trumpet
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