God’s Appointed Feasts – Feast of Weeks/ Shavuot/ Pentecost

Shavuot is Hebrew for weeks. It is also called ‘the Feast of the Harvest’ (Exodus 23:16).

The 50 days of ‘counting the omer’ starts at the waving of the barley Firstfruits at Passover, when Jesus was resurrected (see ‘FirstFruits’ under ‘God’s Appointed Feasts- Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits).

It takes us through to the waving of the two loaves baked from the wheat Firstfruits at the Feast of Weeks/ Pentecost. This was when God spoke the Ten Words/ Commandments, and also when He poured out His Holy Spirit more than a thousand years later.

“‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath , from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the Firstfruits to the Lord. And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.” Leviticus 23:15-17, 21 NKJV

“And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the First-fruits of the wheat harvest.” Exodus 34:22a NKJV

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT DESCRIPTIONS

“On the morning of the third day, there was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain . Then a shofar blast sounded so loudly that all the people in the camp trembled. Moshe brought the people out of the camp to meet God; they stood near the base of the mountain. Mount Sinai was enveloped in smoke, because Adonai descended onto it in fire— its smoke went up like the smoke from a furnace and the whole mountain shook violently. As the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moshe spoke; and God answered him with a voice.” Exodus 19:16-19 CJB

“And all the people are seeing the voices, and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and the people see, and move, and stand afar off.” Exodus 20:18 YLT98

“And in the day of Pentecost being fulfilled, they were all with one accord at the same place, and there came suddenly out of the heaven a sound as of a bearing violent breath, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, and there appeared to them divided tongues, as it were of fire; it sat also upon each one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues according as the Spirit was giving them to declare.” Acts 2:1-4 YLT98

“The festival of Shavuot 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 seperated and came to rest on each of them. They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” Acts 2:1-4 CJB

AT MOUNT SINAI 3000 DIED

God wrote the law on stone tablets, but then the people started to worship the golden calf.

“So it was, as soon as he came near to the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.” Exodus 32:19 NKJV

“So the sons of Levi did according to the word if Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.” Exodus 32:28 NKJV

IN JERUSALEM 3000 WERE BAPTISED INTO LIFE

“And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:18 NKJV

“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39 NKJV

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptised; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Acts 2:41 NKJV