What is Pentecost?

Shavuot

The Significance of Pentecost

The Feast of Pentecost, also known as Shavuot, has rich historical and biblical roots, as well as profound connections to Yahusha’s ministry and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Biblical Origins of Pentecost

The origins of Pentecost are found in the Torah, where it is described as a harvest festival and a time for presenting offerings to YAHUAH. The festival marks the end of the seven-week counting period from the Feast of Firstfruits:

• Exodus 23:14-19: “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me. Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. Celebrate the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field. Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign YAHUAH.”
  This passage outlines the three annual feasts and includes instructions for the Festival of Harvest (Shavuot).

• Leviticus 23:15-16: “From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to YAHUAH.”
  This specifies the counting of the Omer and the timing for the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, which occurs fifty days after the Firstfruits offering.

• Deuteronomy 16:10: “Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to YAHUAH your Elohim by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings YAHUAH your Elohim has given you.”
  This command emphasizes the celebration of Shavuot and the importance of offering according to the blessings received.

Pentecost and Yahusha

The Feast of Pentecost, or Shavuot, gains additional significance in the New Testament, where it becomes associated with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

• Acts 1:4-5: “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”
  Before His ascension, Yahusha instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

• Acts 2:1-4: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
  This passage describes the fulfillment of Yahusha’s promise, marking the Day of Pentecost with a dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of speaking in tongues.

Theological Significance

The connection between Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit underscores a transformative moment in the early Church. The Feast of Pentecost, originally a celebration of the harvest and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, now also commemorates the spiritual harvest and the empowerment of believers through the Holy Spirit. This fulfillment aligns with the biblical pattern of God’s promises and their realization through Yahusha’s ministry.

The Feast of Pentecost not only celebrates the agricultural aspect of the harvest but also signifies the beginning of a new era of spiritual harvest, where the outpouring of the Holy Spirit equips believers to witness and live out their faith. This transformation reflects the broader themes of renewal and divine presence that characterize the observance of Shavuot, bridging the Old Testament promises with the New Testament fulfillment in Yahusha.

How to Keep Pentecost (Shavuot): Written Torah Instructions

1. Timing of the Feast

The Feast of Firstfruits (Bikurim) is observed on the day after the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This timing follows the instructions given in the Torah and marks the beginning of the harvest season.

• Leviticus 23:10-11: “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before YAHUAH, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.’”

2. Offering the Firstfruits

On the day after the Sabbath, the Israelites were to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of their harvest to the priest. This offering was to be waved before YAHUAH as a token of dedication and gratitude.

• Leviticus 23:10-11: “When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before YAHUAH, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”

3. Presentation of the Grain Offering

Along with the sheaf of firstfruits, a grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil and a drink offering of wine was to be presented.

• Leviticus 23:13: “Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to YAHUAH, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin.”

4. Prohibition on Eating New Grain

The Israelites were instructed not to consume any new grain from their harvest until the offering of the firstfruits had been made.

• Leviticus 23:14: “You shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”

5. Firstfruits as a Type of Messiah

The New Testament presents Yahusha as the fulfillment of the Firstfruits. His resurrection is described as the "firstfruits" of those who have died, symbolizing the promise of future resurrection for all believers.

• 1 Corinthians 15:20-23: “But now Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits, afterward those who are Messiah’s at His coming.”

6. Practical Observance

In addition to the ceremonial aspects, observing the Feast of Firstfruits involves acknowledging YAHUAH’s provision and dedicating the first and best of our resources to Him. This can be reflected in giving the first portion of one’s earnings or produce in gratitude and worship.

7. Future Fulfillment

The Feast of Firstfruits also points to future fulfillment and resurrection. As believers celebrate this feast, they reflect on the promise of eternal life through Yahusha’s resurrection and look forward to the coming Kingdom.

• Revelation 14:4: “These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to Elohim and to the Lamb.”

Conclusion

The Feast of Firstfruits, observed on the day after the Sabbath during Unleavened Bread, involves bringing a sheaf of the first harvest to the priest, presenting grain and drink offerings, and refraining from consuming new grain until the offering is made. This feast celebrates YAHUAH’s provision and serves as a prophetic symbol of Yahusha’s resurrection and the future resurrection of believers.

The Promised Land draws near! Amein Alleluyah.