The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavuot) has more than one significance to us believers that have chosen to put our faith in Jesus (Yeshua) as the Messiah and Master of our lives.
The first Shavuot, also known as the Feast of Weeks, commemorated the giving of the law of Moses and the first Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, in the New Covenant is a commemoration of the Holy Spirit being given to us, just as promised by our Messiah in Acts 1:4-5,
"At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!”
In John 14:23-26 Jesus (Yeshua) further explains,
"Yeshua answered him, “If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Someone who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words — and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me."
“I have told you these things while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you."
In the first instance, the instructions were written on stone. In the second, they were written on our hearts as described in Jeremiah 33,
“For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Isra’el after those days,” says Adonai: “I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts; I will be their God, and they will be my people."
When that first Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, arrived following Passover (Pesach), everything unfolded just as the Messiah had promised. As instructed, they gathered in Jerusalem, eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of the promise. And when it finally came to pass, it marked a pivotal moment, altering the course of humanity forever.
The World would then be "turned upside down" with the Holy Spirit indwelling every believer and giving them the power and ability to overcome and to travel to the corners of the Earth with the message of salvation and deliverance to all who would choose to believe the message of the Good News.
And it all began in that upper room in Jerusalem. Acts 2:1-4 tells us,
"The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak."
During the loud din that was being heard, Apostle Peter stood up to explain what was happening. He preached the very first public message of the Good News after the Messiah's ascension.
That amazing day 3 thousand people came to the faith which would be later known as The Way. The very reason so many Jews were in Jerusalem from all over, for the feast and for it to be a commemoration of the harvest. Oh my, did a great harvest of men's souls come in that day. Something like that had never been seen before in that city!
So what exactly was going on in the city when this was occurring? They were doing their wave offering of the two loaves of bread. Some suggest that the two loaves represent both Jews and Gentiles; both with leaven, both being sanctified and becoming a part of the Great Harvest of souls.
It is also said that the two loaves represent the two witnesses. The law of Moses is associated with two witnesses. Truth according to the law of Moses had to be established by two or three witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19:15)
The Messiah said that we would become witnesses after the immersion of one in the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:3-9)
The Feast of Weeks is an invitation to all of us to be grateful and celebrate God's provision to us, not just physical bread that comes from the earth, but the spiritual bread that was given to us in the form of Our Lamb, our Messiah who is our Bread of Life.
To honor and remember this significant day, we extend another invitation for you to explore our curated sets. These collections are designed to immerse you in the rich history and timeless beauty of the Feast of Weeks, also known as the Day of Pentecost. By delving into these sets, you can join us in supporting the people of Israel, the very land our Messiah came from. Click below to explore these specially curated sets.