The Astounding Saga
Astonishing New Insight
On the Significance of
PENTECOST!
There is
much more to the observance of Shavuot
-- or
Pentecost -- than meets the eye at first glance!
How should
this most mysterious of all the annual
Holy Days be
observed? Why is it the only holy
day whose
date is ambiguous in the Scriptures?
Why do we
"count fifty" in its anticipation?
William F. Dankenbring
The
festival of Shavuot -- or Pentecost, which means "fiftieth day" -- is
the most mysterious of all God's annual holy days. It is cloaked in mystery -- and even the date
of its observance is highly controversial!
Why is there more argument over this
holy day than any other -- with the possible exception of Passover?
The ancient Sadducees claimed this
holy day always fell on a Sunday -- counted fifty days from the weekly Sabbath
falling within the seven-day festival of Unleavened Bread. The Pharisees, however, claimed it fell on
the fiftieth day after the Passover holy day -- the first day of
Unleavened Bread! Modern end-time
remnants of God's Church get all mixed up on both how to count, and when
to count from -- so most of them wind up observing this day on a Sunday
every year -- the very day the Roman Catholic Church observes
"Whitsunday," their Pentecost, counting fifty days from Easter
Sunday! The pagan influence of such
a practice should be obvious from the very bare facts!
I have written many articles showing
that the Sunday-Sadducee reckoning of Pentecost cannot be right -- it is
totally in error. To summarize the
evidence that this is actual fact, consider the following evidence:
Proof
as to the Date of Pentecost
Jesus Christ said the Sadducees were, on the
whole, ignorant of the Scriptures. He
admonished them, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of
God" (Matt.22:29). Should God's
people then follow the Sadduccean reasoning?
Jesus further said we should not look to the
Sadducees for guidance in spiritual matters -- at no time and in no place did
He ever sanction or approve of the Sadducees!
But, on the contrary, He plainly said of the Pharisees: "The scribes and Pharisees sit in
Moses' seat: ALL THEREFORE whatsoever
they bid you observe, THAT OBSERVE and do; but do not ye after their works
[
their
hypocrisy and vain traditions]: for they say [keep the Law], and do not"
(Matt.23:2-3).
Jesus plainly showed the Pharisees
had authority which came down from Moses' time and authority. They were the official, sanctioned
interpreters of the Law. Therefore, when
it comes to God's Law, the dates of holy days, and the calendar, their rule was
the official word -- except where their determinations clearly differed with
and conflicted with the words of Christ Himself! This passage would clearly imply that the
Pharisees are the ones we should follow when it comes to observing the date of
Pentecost!
In support of this conclusion, the apostle
Paul also points out that he himself was a Pharisee, and had been taught
"according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers" (Acts
22:3). He had, in fact, been brought up
"at the feet of Gamaliel," one of the most highly respected Pharisee
"rabbans," or chief rabbis (same verse). Paul later told the church at
The only question, then, is what
day did the Pharisees sanction for Pentecost, or Shavuot?
The
answer is very clear in all historical references. The Pharisees counted fifty days from the
Passover! Therefore, the correct date
for Pentecost would be fifty days from Nisan 16. During ancient times, when the months of the
Hebrew year could have 29 or 30 days, therefore, Pentecost could fall on either
Sivan 5, 6, or 7! Today, with the Jewish
calendar now in use, it always falls on Sivan 6, and whatever day of the week
Sivan 6 falls upon!
Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first
century, makes this plain. He wrote in Antiquities
of the Jews: "But on the second
day of unleavened bread, which is the sixteenth day of the month, they first
partake of the fruits of the earth, for before that day they do not touch
them. And while they suppose it proper to
honor God, from whom they obtain this plentiful provision, in the first place,
they offer the first fruits of their barley, and that in the manner
following: They take a handful of the
ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from the bran;
they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to God: and, casting one handful
of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priest; and after
this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest They also at this participation of the
first-fruits of the earth, sacrifice a lamb, as a burnt offering to God.
"When a week of weeks has
passed over after this sacrifice, (which weeks contain forty and nine days,) on
the fiftieth day, which is Pentecost . . . ." (Josephus,
Alfred Edersheim, in The Temple: Its
Ministry and Services, declares, "The expression, 'the morrow after
the Sabbath,' has sometimes been misunderstood as implying that the
presentation of the so-called 'first sheaf' was to be always made on the day
following the weekly Sabbath of the Passover-week. This view, adopted by the 'Boethusians,' and
the Sadducees of the time of Christ . . . rests on a misinterpretation of the
word 'Sabbath.' As in analogous
allusions to the other feasts in the same chapter [Leviticus 23], it means not
the weekly Sabbath, but the day of the festival. The testimony of Josephus, Philo, and of
Jewish tradition, leaves no room to doubt that in this instance we are to
understand by the 'Sabbath' the 15th of Nisan, on whatever day of the week it
may fall" (p.257).
Finally, as a proof that indeed the fifty
days are counted from the day after the Passover holy day, Nisan 15, we can
cite the evidence from the Septuagint (LXX), which was translated from the
Hebrew into Greek by leading orthodox Jewish scholars around 250 years before
the time of Christ. More and more, in
recent years, scholars have come to see that the Septuagint is actually based
on an ancient version of the Hebrew Scriptures much in use during the time of
Christ. In fact, most quotations in the
New Testament are from the Septuagint!
Since this translation was made long before there were any Sadducees or
Pharisees in existence (those schools of religious teaching did not develop
until after the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, circa 165 B.C.), its authority in
this matter is of very ancient authenticity and credibility.
In the passage dealing with the
offering of the wave sheaf, and the counting of the days after that till
Pentecost, found in Leviticus 23, the Septuagint translates as follows:
"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the
evening times is the Lord's passover.
And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast of unleavened
bread. And the first day shall be
a holy convocation to you . . . And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying . . . When
ye shall enter into the land which I give you, and reap the harvest of it, then
shall ye bring a sheaf, the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest; and he
shall lift up the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you. On the morrow of the FIRST DAY the priest
shall lift it up. . . . And ye shall number to yourselves FROM the day after
the sabbath, FROM the day on which ye shall offer the sheaf of the
heave-offering, SEVEN FULL WEEKS: until
the morrow after the last week ye shall number FIFTY DAYS. . ." (LXX,
Lev.23:5-16). The "first day"
mentioned in this passage obviously refers to the first day of Unleavened Bread
-- Nisan 15. The "morrow" after this day would have to be Nisan
16. Thus the "count" to
Shavuot or Pentecost begins Nisan 16.
Fifty days later, on the Jewish calendar, brings us to Sivan 6, and
whatever day of the week that occurs upon!
So much for the "Sunday"
Pentecosters! They are barking up the
wrong tree. They have ignored or never
looked at all this clear cut evidence which proves them wrong. Or, on the other
hand, they have blinded themselves to the truth in order to maintain their own
human (church) "traditions" of men!
Jesus Christ says to them, "Why do ye also transgress the
commandment of God by your tradition? . . . But in vain do they worship
me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matt.15:3,
9).
Observing
Pentecost -- a New Look
But Pentecost is not only observed
on the wrong day, by most Messianic Jewish believers, as well as most Christian
groups, which claim to observe God's Holy Days, its vital message is also not
generally understood, and its observance is done with little or no
understanding!
What is the real meaning of this
Holy Day? What is its vital significance
in God's Plan?
In the Scriptures it is called Shavuot,
which means "Weeks" (Deut.16:10). That is, it takes its name as
"Feast of Weeks" because it culminates the counting of the weeks that
lead up to it! (Deut.16:9-10).
But how many believers and
"Christians," or even Sabbath-keeping Christians, do you know who
faithfully "count the omer" every year, between Passover and
leading up to Pentecost? How
many? Or, should I say, how few?
Indeed,
as Jesus Christ/Yeshua Himself said:
"Enter ye in at the strait [narrow] gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the
way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it" (Matt.7:13-14).
One major reason so many Christians
are ignorant of these things, and the Biblical commands to "count the
omer," and to observe Shavuot/Pentecost, is because of much latent and
deeply hidden feelings of anti-Semitism -- hostility toward anything and
everything "Jewish" in nature!
Yet, Jesus Christ Himself declared, unequivocally, "Salvation is of
the Jews" (John
Shavuot or Pentecost is also called,
in the Scriptures, "the day of First-fruits" (Num.28:26), as well as
"the feast of harvest, of the first-fruits of thy labours"
(Exo.23:16), and "the feast of weeks, of the first-fruits of wheat
harvest" (Exo.34:22). Why the
emphasis on "first-fruits"?
Few indeed understand it, but
Pentecost or Shavuot pictures, in a sublime and amazing way, the Christian's
journey through life, leading up to the second coming of the Messiah! Passover pictures our repentance, and
forgiveness of sin, and acceptance of Christ as our "sacrificial
lamb" -- the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world (John
journey
out of Egypt -- a type of "sin" and bondage to sinful human nature --
pictures the Christian or Messianic believer's journey as a believer in the
Messiah, coming out of sin, and wickedness, and journeying forward through the
desert -- a type of this world's tangles, troubles, trials, and
temptations.
Finally, the Israelite's standing
before Mount Sinai, as God came down to the mountain-top, and revealed Himself
to them, and entered into a binding covenant with them as His people, was also
a type -- a type of the second coming of the Messiah in an awesome blaze of
glory, to gather His saints, to marry them as His virtuous "bride,"
and to punish the evil and rebellious nations of the world!
The
"First Coming" at
Among the Jewish people, the festival of Pentecost, or
Shavuot, celebrates as well the time of the giving of the Law, the Torah, by
God to
On the third month, which is Sivan,
on the third day of the month, they came to the "wilderness of Sinai"
(Exo.19:3). On this day Moses went up to
God on the mount, and God offered to make
Careful calculation shows that the
"third day" here would have been Sivan 6 -- the very day of
Pentecost! God came down, in glory, and
met with the people, and gave them His inexpressible, glorious Covenant,
summarized in the Ten Commandments -- and they became His official "bride,"
entering a marriage covenant with them (Jeremiah
Moses recorded of this spectacular
event: "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD
descended upon it in FIRE: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a
furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and
louder . . . And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the
mount" (Exo.19:18-20).
We tend to read over these
Scriptures and fail to register their awesome portent!
This awesome event was a very type
of the second coming of CHRIST the Messiah!
Notice! God came down to earth -- to the top of a
mountain! At this time, He made His
people
Because of this wickedness, when
Moses returned from communing with God on the top of mount Sinai, he broke the
tablets containing the Ten "Devarim" or Ten Words of God -- commonly
called the "Ten commandments."
If he had delivered the tablets to
What does this have to do with
Christians, and believers in the Messiah?
Pentecost and the Bride and
Redemption
The Feast of Pentecost is a Type
of Redemption! The counting of fifty
days from Passover to Pentecost is a type of the life of overcoming and
enduring to the end. For the Jewish
people, observant Jews, this period of time has always represented a period of
maturing relationship between
In
truth, our acceptance of Christ represented our "betrothal" to Him,
as part of His bride-to-be, spiritually.
The Church, in Scripture, is referred to as the "bride of
Christ." Paul says to the
Corinthians, "For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused
you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ" (II Cor.11:2). God
says, "And I will betroth thee to me forever; yea, I will betroth thee
unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in
mercies. I will even betroth thee unto
me in
faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD" (Hosea
Christ is going to present a wife to
Himself, "in her virginity" (Lev.21:13). As Paul wrote, Christ Jesus "loved the
church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious
church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish" (Eph.4:25-27).
Therefore, when the Messiah returns
from heaven, He will take the saints -- the true believers in Him, who follow
and obey Him -- as His bride forever! At
His coming, John tells us in the book of Revelation, He will take His bride to
Himself: "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to
him: for the marriage of the Lamb and
his wife is come, and his wife hath made herself READY. And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints. And he saith, Blessed are
they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true
sayings of God" (Rev.19:6-9).
This same bride, the
"first-fruits" to God and to the Lamb, are pictured also in
Revelation 14, where we read: "And
I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred and
forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads
(the name YAHVEH, or in the Hebrew, hwhy]. . . .
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne . . . and no man could
learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed
from the earth. These are they which
are not defiled with women; and they are [spiritual] virgins. These
are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were REDEEMED from among men, BEING
THE FIRSTFRUITS UNTO GOD, and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without
fault before the throne of God" (Rev.14:1-5).
This is the picture of the true
BRIDE OF CHRIST, ready to meet Him when He comes! Will you be among them? Are you becoming purified -- made white? Are you being clothed with righteousness --
which is keeping the commandments of God (Psalm 119:172)? Are you a spiritual "virgin," uncomtaminated
by the pagan teachings and falsehoods of this world, and its Babylonian whorish
religious "traditions"? Are
you also "without guile"?
Think about it!
These are the
"first-fruits"!
These are the ones pictured by the
harvest festival of Pentecost -- the feast of Weeks!
Parable of the Ten Virgins
When
God came down to mount Sinai, in blazing glory and power, the trumpet blew with
a resounding sound, growing louder and louder!
It, also, was a "type."
When the Messiah comes for His bride,
pictured by Pentecost, we read:
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took
their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were
wise,
and five were foolish. They that were
foolish took their lamps, and took
no
oil with them: but the wise took oil in
their vessels with their lamps.
"While
the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at
there
was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then
all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said
unto
the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out [or, "going
out"].
But
the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you:
but
go ye rather to them that buy and sell, and buy for yourselves.
"And
while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were READY
went
with him to the marriage: and the door
was shut.
"Afterward came also the other
virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he
answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore,
for
ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh"
(Matthew 25:1-13).
Let us examine this parable. Again, the church is compared to a BRIDE --
ten virgins, who are awaiting their Lord's return. The wise ones are prepared and ready -- they
have "oil" in their lamps. The
oil is a type of God's Holy Spirit, that flows through the candelabra -- the
seven pipes of the menorah, a type of God's Church (Zech.4:2-6; Rev.1:20).
When the bridegroom returns, a
"cry" is made. "The
bridegroom cometh!" What will
that coming be like?
The
Awesome Second Coming
Let us notice what happens when
Christ Jesus/Yeshua the Messiah returns to this earth. A few key Scriptures tell us the story:
"For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven, with a shout, with the
VOICE
OF THE ARCHANGEL, and with the trumpet of God: and the
dead
in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall
be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:
and
so shall we ever be with the Lord" (I Thess.4:14-17).
"Behold,
I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
CHANGED,
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, AT THE LAST
TRUMPET: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead
shall be raised
incorruptible,
and we shall be changed, for this corruptible must put on
incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Cor.15:51-52).
"Immediately
AFTER the TRIBULATION of those days, shall the sun be
darkened,
and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall
from
heaven [comets, meteor showers], and the powers of the heavens
shall
be shaken: AND THEN shall appear the
sign of the Son of man
in
heaven: and then shall
all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall
SEE
the Son of man COMING in the clouds of heaven with power and
great
glory. And he shall send his angels, with a GREAT
SOUND OF
A
TRUMPET, and they shall
GATHER TOGETHER HIS ELECT from
the
four winds, from one end of heaven to the other [that is, from around
the
world!]" (Matt.24:29-31).
Let us notice carefully, now! Pentecost pictures both the first coming of
God, to mount Sinai, in glory and splendor, with earthquakes and fire, and the
long blasting sound of a piercing trumpet (Exodus 19:18-20). But it also pictures the great SECOND coming
of Christ, the Messiah, in awesome glory and splendor, to judge and reward His
saints, who will be gathered to meet Him in the air, from around the world, as
He returns "like fire" -- as the "lightning" -- "For
as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt.24:27).
Before both comings is the loud
clarion call of a TRUMPET! At both
comings, God comes down TO EARTH, and stands upon a mountain top! (see Exo.19:20; Zech.14:4; Acts 1:9-11). At His first coming, to mount Sinai,, the
people SAW Him coming (Exo.19:11). At
His second coming, "Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall
see him" (Rev.1:7).
Will Christ Return in a Secret "Rapture"?
Now, before going further, notice
seven things about the second coming of the Messiah. Many people today believe that when He comes,
He will secretly "spirit away" all the true Christians to heaven in a
massive "rapture" attack. That
is, Christians around the world will suddenly disappear, no matter where they
are or what they are doing. Christian
pilots will disappear from airplanes, Christian motorists will suddenly
disappear from behind the steering wheel of automobiles, or even "big
rigs," causing devastating auto accidents.
Christian surgeons will suddenly disappear, while performing open heart
surgery -- and Christian nurses, and so forth. You get the idea.
But is this idea true?
The lessons of Pentecost prove
beyond a shadow of a doubt that these modern day "Christian" stories
and ideas are nothing but fables and myths!
The Scriptures do not allow for any "secret rapture" of
the saints before the Great Tribulation!
Let's study and review the actual Biblical evidence on this matter!
Seven Proofs the Secret Rapture is
Ridiculous
Here are seven powerful proofs that
the commonly held and virtually idolized "rapture theory" is totally
untrue:
1)
First of all, the descent of God to the top of mount Sinai clearly did not
involve or describe SOME "SECRET RAPTURE" of the nation of Israel --
yet it was a TYPE of the Second Coming of Christ! When God came down to mount Sinai, He
came down ONCE! And He came in glorious
power and splendor (Exodus 19:9-11).
Even
so, when Christ returns to this earth, He is coming ONCE MORE -- NOT TWICE MORE! And when He comes, He is coming in GLORY, and
splendor! Matthew tells us: "When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him . . ." (Matt.25:31).
2)
Secondly, when He comes, His coming will be accompanied by a TRUMPET
BLAST, even as His coming to mount Sinai was accompanied by a loud trumpet
blast! Again, there is no way this
can be SECRET! The blast of the trumpet
is meant to be HEARD! It is a clarion
call to ANNOUNCE the presence of the KING MESSIAH! (I Cor.15:51-52; I
Thess.4:14-17).
3) When the Messiah comes, His coming will be
accompanied with the LOUD VOICE of a SHOUTING ARCHANGEL! Again, this is not some mystical
"silent" shout, or a whisper of some sort! A SHOUT is a SHOUT! A shout is the lifting up of the voice to
a high powerful pitch, and much volume and noise! A "shout" is meant to be heard! (I
Thess.4:14-17).
4) Finally, when the Messiah comes, He will then
-- at that time -- gather His saints, the living and the dead, who will
rise to meet Him in the air -- and then return to earth with His as His feel
stand upon the Mount of Olives! This means that the saints are on the earth,
when He comes -- they are NOT up in heaven!
When He comes, He sends His angels to GATHER them from the four winds,
from every direction, on the earth! (Matt.24:31).
5)
When Christ Messiah comes, He will not come "part way" -- and
then return up to heaven with His saints!
Rather, when He comes, He will come ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EARTH -- and
will STAND upon a mountain top, even as He did at Sinai! There was no "dipsy doodle" coming
to earth at that time -- nor will there be in the future. Christ will not come like a "yo yo"
-- going down, up and down again!
Rather, as the Scriptures tell us:
"Behold, the day of the LORD cometh,
and thy spoil shall be divided in the
midst
of thee. And I will gather all nations
against Jerusalem to battle . . .
Then
shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he
fought
in the day of battle. And his feet
shall STAND IN THAT DAY UPON
THE
MOUNT OF OLIVES, which is
before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount
of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof . . . ." (Zech.14:1-4).
Notice! When the
Messiah comes, His feet will stand upon the Mount of Olives on that very day
of His coming! Not weeks, months, or
years later! Isn't this PLAIN?
6)
Further evidence of this is given in the New Testament book of Acts,
where the gospel writer Luke tells us of the ascension of Christ into heaven,
in full view of the disciples:
"And when he [Christ] had spoken all
these things, WHILE THEY BEHELD,
HE
WAS TAKEN UP; and a CLOUD received him out of their sight. And
while
they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men
stood
by them in white apparel; which also
said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand
ye
gazing up into heaven? This same
Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven,
SHALL SO COME IN LIKE MANNER AS YE HAVE SEEN HIM GO
INTO
HEAVEN" (Acts
1:9-11).
Now let's get this, and get it good! Was Jesus secretly "raptured" out
of their sight, invisibly? NO! Not at
all! He was taken up into heaven IN A
CLOUD, and they SAW Him ascending,
as
they WATCHED with their eyes gazing steadfastly on Him, as He disappeared into
the remote heavens! And take careful
note! The two angels told them that when
He returns, it will be in the VERY SAME MANNER as they SAW Him go into
heaven!
Clearly, then, Jesus will NOT come
in some clandestine, secret, invisible manner in which nobody will notice or
see him. Rather, the WHOLE WORLD WILL
SEE HIM -- AND WILL SHAKE WITH HORROR AND FEAR!
7) Finally, there is one respect in which
Christ's coming will be "like a thief in the night" (Rev.16:15). That is, in regard to the TIME of His coming! Although most thieves who come at night, seek
to hide their activity from prying eyes, when Jesus Christ returns He will not
"hide" Himself at all. But His
coming will be "like a thief" in the respect that no one will know
PRECISELY WHEN HE IS GOING TO COME!
Jesus
Himself said, "Watch therefore: for
ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman
of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have
watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also READY: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son
of man cometh" (Matt.24:42-44).
Pentecost, the only Festival of God
which has a "movable date," is the perfect picture and type of the
"second coming of Christ," because -- like Pentecost, in the ancient
Jewish calendar -- the second coming of Christ could occur on a number of
different dates, and we do not know for certain exactly when He will
return!
Thus, even in this respect,
Pentecost, or "Shavuot," the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of heightening
expectation and anticipation, as we count down the days and weeks before it
comes, Pentecost is a unique symbol of the second coming of the Messiah!
The Early and Latter Rains
The early church observed the Feast
of Pentecost. The apostle Paul bode his
friends farewell at Ephesus, in Asia Minor, saying, "I must by all means
keep this Feast [Pentecost] that cometh in Jerusalem" (Acts
18:21). We read later, that Paul
"hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of
Pentecost" (Acts 20:16). Why
the urgency? Why Pentecost? Obviously, because Paul desired to observe
this Holy Day in Jerusalem, at the Temple!
Interestingly, the early church
actually began on the Holy Day of Pentecost. We read in Acts, chapter 1, that
Jesus Christ told the disciples before He parted, and was taken up into heaven,
that they should "NOT depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise
of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For
John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit
not many days hence" (Acts 1:4-5).
A review of the dates shows that
this statement was made on the 27th of Iyar, the second month of the Jewish
calendar (corresponding to our May 13, this year). It was the 40th day since Christ had first
appeared to the disciples following His resurrection (Acts 1:3). Thus, since Pentecost would come on Sivan
6th, this was eight days before Pentecost! (the month Iyar has 29 days). Was Jesus telling His disciples, in effect,
to wait until Pentecost?
In Acts, chapter 2, we find a most
remarkable occurrence, fulfilling the promise and prophecy of Christ. Notice!
"And when the day of Pentecost was
FULLY COME, they were all with
one
accord in one place [together]. And
suddenly there came a sound from
heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they
were
sitting. And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire,
and
it sat upon each of them. And they were
ALL FILLED WITH THE
HOLY
SPIRIT, and began to speak with other tongues [languages], as the
Spirit
gave them utterance. And there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews,
devout
men, out of every nation under heaven.
Now when this was noised
abroad,
the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that
every
man heard them speak in his own language.
And they were all amazed
and
marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galileans? And how hear we every man in his own tongue,
wherein we
were
born? . . . .And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one
to
another, What meaneth this?" (Acts 2:1-12).
On the first Pentecost, in Moses'
day, when God came down on top of mount Sinai, and delivered the Decalogue to
mankind, His appearance was accompanied with "fire" (Exo.19:18). And on this first Pentecost following the
ascension of Christ the Messiah into heaven, there was again a mighty display
of power from heaven -- tongues which appeared as "like as of fire,"
and a rushing mighty wind, like a tornado (Acts 2:2-3).
In his sermon on that day, Peter
explained the phenomenon which had just occurred to the assembled multitude,
saying, "This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass, in the last
days, saith God, I will pour out of MY SPIRIT upon all flesh: and your sons
and your daughters shall
prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I
will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven above,
and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapours of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it
shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
saved" (Acts 2:16-18).
What Peter quoted was a prophecy by
the prophet Joel, about 800 years before that time, which foretold the very end
of the age. Yet God inspired Peter to
draw from that prophecy to explain the miraculous events of that
Pentecost! God's Spirit was poured out
on His people then, even as it will be poured out once more during our
end-time generation, before the coming of the dreadful and awesome "Day of
the Lord"!
That
event was the "early rain" of God's Spirit. But soon, now, we are going to see and
witness and experience the fulfillment of the "LATTER RAIN"
of God's Holy Spirit! The prophet
Hosea foretold:
"Come, and let us return unto the
LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal
us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
After TWO DAYS will he revive
us: in the THIRD DAY he will raise us up, and we
shall live in his sight. Then
shall
we know, if we follow on to know the LORD:
his going forth is prepared
as
the morning; and he shall COME unto us, as the RAIN, as the LATTER and
FORMER
RAIN unto the earth" (Hosea
6:1-3).
What is this talking about?
A "day" with God is as a thousand years (II Pet.3:8-10). The Jewish nation was smitten when it
rejected the Messiah in 30 A.D., and He was crucified to fulfill Biblical
prophecy (Dan.9:24-26). Two days is
2,000 years. This is a prophecy that
after about two millennia, or 2,000 years, from the time God began punishing
His people for their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah, they would begin
to return to Him, and confess their sins, and at that time He would begin to
intervene, to heal their wounds, and to bind them up! This is speaking of OUR AGE, TODAY! According to Jewish eschatology, from 4
B.C. to 1997, is the "age of the Messiah," or "Messianic
age." At the end of this period, in
the beginning of the "third day," or third thousand year period,
"we will LIVE in his sight." This
speaks of the second coming of the Messiah!
Note
that the prophecy goes on to point out that this is discussing the "going
forth of the LORD" -- that is, of His coming to earth from heaven! And notice, it says He shall "come to
us" TWICE -- "as the rain, as the latter and former rain UNTO
THE
EARTH" (Hosea 6:33).
Christ came as the "former
rain" in 27-30 A.D. Upon His
ascension into heaven, on the following day of Pentecost, He sent the former
rain -- His Holy Spirit -- upon His disciples!
Christ is coming once again -- this
time as the "latter rain." And
prior to His coming, He will once again send forth the "rain" of His Holy
Spirit upon His disciples! He will
once again send His Holy Spirit with POWER upon His true disciples!
Luke records that before Christ departed to heaven, He told His
disciples:
"Thus it is written, and thus it
behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from
the
dead the third day: And that repentance
and remission of sins should be
preached
in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are
witnesses
of these things. And, behold, I send the
promise of my Father upon
you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem,
until ye be ENDUED WITH
POWER
FROM ON HIGH" (Luke
24:46-49).
Luke shows that they waited eight days. And on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon
the disciples with enormous power and miraculous energy!
But Jesus gave the disciples final
instructions, which also apply to us, of this generation. He declared:
"It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the
Father hath put in his own power. But ye
shall receive POWER, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: And ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth" (Acts 1:7-8).
The time of the "latter
rain" is almost upon us!
The
Real Meaning of Pentecost
According to Jewish tradition,
Pentecost is the day the fruit of trees is judged in heaven. Thus it pictures the judgment of the
"first-fruits." True believers
and followers of the Messiah are the "first-fruits" to God of all the
people of the world (see James 1:18; Rom.16:5; Rom.8:9-10, 23). We are to be "bearing fruit" (John
15:16). We will be judged according to
our fruitfulness!
We read in The Jewish Festivals:
History and Observance, by Hayyim Schauss, of Pentecost, or Shavuot:
"It is the festival when home and
synagogue are decked in green, and all the
world
is fragrant with plants and flowers, for it occurs in the most beautiful
and
balmiest season of the year. . . .
"The
word Shavuos means weeks, and was therefore used to designate the
festival
that
ended the weeks of the grain harvest. . . The grain harvest started with the
reap-
ing
of the barley and after seven weeks ended with the cutting of the wheat, an
occasion
for a festive holiday. . . .
"The
beginning of the grain harvest was marked by the sacrifice at the sanctuary,
of
the omer, the first sheave of the newly cut barley; fifty days later, at
the close
of
the harvest period, two loaves of bread, baked from the wheat of the new crop,
were
offered as a sacrifice. This
bread-offering was called 'the first-fruits of the
wheat
harvest,' and the festival was therefore also called Yom ha-Bikkurim, the
day
of offering the first loaves of the new crop to God" (p.86-87).
The festival of Shavuot is the only Jewish festival
"for which there is no fixed date, and it was therefore a matter of
great discussion in the period of the Second Temple" (ibid.).
In principle, however, we see that
this Feast must occur at the end of barley harvest, when the
"first-fruits" of the harvest, known as the "omer," have
been completed -- and it cannot occur until the first of the wheat harvest is
ready, so that the two loaves of the "first-fruits" of wheat may be
offered. This period of fifty days
allows for the full maturation of the barley harvest, and also for the
beginning of the wheat harvest.
What lesson can we learn from
this? Christ, the Messiah, cannot return
to this earth until the first-fruits of the spiritual crop are ready! That is, His return, which is symbolized
by the Feast of Pentecost, cannot occur UNTIL THE BRIDE HAS MADE HERSELF
READY! (Rev.19:7)!
When the harvest is ready, in the
eyes of the Father, the Messiah will return -- with shouts of acclamation and
joy!
Hayyim
Schauss goes on:
"According to the Pharisees,
therefore, it was necessary to offer the omer on
the
sixteenth day of Nisan; Shavuos, therefore, coming on the sixth day of
Sivan.
"The
Pharisaic tendency became standardized as the procedure for Orthodox
Judaism,
and to this very day Orthodox Jews begin 'counting' S'firah, on the
second
day of Pesach. The S'firah is a
form of benediction in connection with
which
the fifty days between the supposed offering of the omer and the obser-
vanvce
of Shavuos are counted. Daily, after the
evening prayers, the days and
weeks
are counted off and the fiftieth day is Shavuos" (p.88).
He continues:
"It appears that as far back as the
days of the second Temple, Shavuos was a
twofold
festival. It was the festival of the
wheat harvest, when a sacrifice was
offered
from the new wheat crop; it was also considered the observance of the
pact
entered into between God and mankind. . . . The festival is celebrated,
according
to [the book of Jubilees], as a symbol of the pact God made with Noah,
in
which he promised no future general flood, is renewed each year" (p.89).
Does the observance of Pentecost go back to the covenant
God made with Noah never again to flood the whole earth with a Deluge, in
punishment for sins? It is a fact that
the observance of the day became closely interlinked with the giving of the
Torah, because the Law of God was given on mount Sinai upon that very day --
Sivan 6 -- and the marriage covenant God entered into with Israel at that time.
Pentecost
and the Book of Jubilees
However, the book of Jubilees does
claim that originally the observance of this Holy Day does go back to Noah's
time -- and even before! From the time
of Creation itself, God said that He established the sun, moon and stars in the
heavens to be "for signs, and for seasons (Hebrew moadim, meaning
also "fixed times" or "festivals"), and for days, and
years" (Gen.1:14). We read in the
book of Jubilees:
"And he gave to Noah and his sons a
sign that there should not again be a
deluge
over the earth; he placed his bow in the clouds as a sign of the eternal
covenant
that no water of the deluge should again come over the earth to destroy
it
all the days of the earth.
"On
this account it is also ordained and written on the tablets of heaven that the
celebration
of the festival of weeks should be in this month, once a year, for a
renewed
covenant in each year and year. And
during the time this festival was
being
celebrated in heaven, from the days of creation to the days of Noah . . . and
Noah
and his sons observed it . . . until the time when Noah died. But his children
violated
it until the days of Abraham, and they ate blood. But Abraham alone
observed
it, and Isaac and Jacob observed it, for these are his children. . . . and in
thy
[Moses'] day the children of Israel forgot it until I renewed it for them on
this
mountain. And thou command the children
of Israel that they should observe
this
festival in all their generations as a commandment for them one day in the
year,
in
this month, they shall celebrate this festival.
For it is the festival of weeks and is
a
festival of first-fruits; for this festival is of a double nature and double
kind, as it
is
written and engraved concerning its celebration" (Jubilees 6:14-19).
The book of Jubilees was written about a century before the
time of Christ, and seems to reflect a great deal of oral history and ancient
Jewish beliefs handed down from generation to generation. It provides an astonishing glimpse into the
hidden history of God's Holy Days.
Notice that the book of Jubilees
emphasizes the "covenantal' aspect of the feast of Shavuot, or
Pentecost! This covenantal concept is
the real grist -- the true inner depth-- of this awesome Holy Day!
Pentecost
-- the Day of the Covenant
As the Israelites witnessed God's own Presence at mount
Sinai, and heard the living God speak to them directly, from the mountain, we
can only faintly imagine their emotions, their feelings, their transformation
in the presence of the Almighty. Says
Joel Ziff in Mirrors in Time, "The Israelites fully and directly
experienced God's Essence and Presence at Mount Sinai. In this respect, as we
hear the Word of God, our old understanding dies, creating a possibility for
new learning" (p.111).
Says Ziff:
"This change in consciousness is
symbolically noted in the description of how
the
Israelites 'heard' the lightning and 'saw' the thunder at Sinai, as it says in
the
Torah: 'All the people saw the
sounds' (Exodus 20:13). They now can
see
and
hear what was previously unknown, hidden, and heard only from a distance"
(p.111).
How is it that the people "saw the thunderings,"
and "the noise of the trumpets" (Exodus 10:18)? Can we really ever "see" a
"sound"? Actually, the answer
is yes -- when in a higher state of consciousness, attuned to the presence of
God, and His Spirit, a combined form of seeing and hearing can occur -- a
deeper awareness of sight and sound. The
senses can become integrated in a unique way, leading to greater awareness and
perceptivity. Writes Avraham Yaakov
Finkel in The Essence of the Holy Days,
"It occurs in an individual who is
capable of rising above the limitations of the
senses. Such a person can see sound and hear a
vision. A prophet can do this.
When
receiving divine prophecy, the prophet divests himself of his corporeality,
and
his sense of hearing and vision blend into one. At Mount Sinai, after under-
going
fifty days of spiritual refinement, the children of Israel attained the level
of
prophecy. They 'saw the sounds,' and thereby the belief
in God was anchored in
their
hearts" (p.188).
Pentecost
and Transcendental Change
The children of Israel were so attuned
to God, at that moment, that when God asked them if they would obey His
covenant, they replied in unison, together, "Naaseh
venishma!" That is, "We
will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7).
Consider this! They were so close
to God, at that moment, that there was no hesitancy or doubt in their
minds. They not only agreed to
"do" God's Law, and keep His commandments, but they agreed to DO
it even before HEARING it! They said
"we will do it," and then said, afterward, "we will hear
it"! This exemplified real
faith and commitment!
The "Pentecost experience"
had already begun to change them, and their entire outlook on life. One may ask, How can you do something
before you even hear it? Avraham
Finkel states:
"Look at it this way. For example, if you want to open a door, you
certainly don't
have
to tell your hand, 'Turn the knob.' Your
head and your mind encompass all
your
limbs, and if your mind wants to take a certain action, your hand instinctively
senses
this without being told specifically.
"At
the Giving of the Torah, there existed a perfect union between the Holy
One,
blessed
is He, and the people of Israel. God was
the Head of the nation. Consequently,
when
God wanted Israel to accept the Torah, the entire nation sensed what was asked
of
them. There was no need to teach them
the specific details of the Torah" (p.196).
In this state of close union with God, they accepted His
Torah in faith -- in complete submission and commitment to do His will. They did not have to have it all spelled out
first!
Says Joel Ziff on the Sinai
experience:
"The experience at Mount Sinai is
described using the image of a wedding in which
God
is the groom standing under the marriage canopy -- the chuppah -- with
the
Israelites
as the bride. God and Israel make an eternal
commitment to one another.
God
gives the Torah, and the Israelites pledge to adhere to its precepts. A wedding
represents
the BEGINNING of a relationship. Although vows are made, the young
couple
must still struggle to translate those vows into reality, overcoming
differences
and
difficulties. In the same way, the
commitment made at Sinai also represents a
beginning
of relationship. There are many
difficulties to overcome: shortly after
Moses
ascends Mount Sinai, the Israelites make the golden calf, losing trust and
violating
their commitment.
"This
beginning is also symbolized by the offering of the first ripe fruits that
begins
at
this time . . . . For this reason, Shavuot is also known as Yom HaBikkurim, the
day
of the first fruits. We not only harvest
the agricultural produce; we also begin
to
nourish ourselves with the fruits of our learning.
"This
same quality of commitment is reflected in the story of Ruth, which is read
during
the Shavuot service. Ruth, the ancestor
of King David, is respected because
of
her commitment and devotion in caring for her mother-in-law Naomi. . . .
"The
images of Shavuot allow us to receive a personal revelation that transforms
our
understanding, help us clarify a vision of our future, and motivate us to make
a
commitment to manifest that vision" (Ziff, Mirrors in Time, p.113).
Pentecost, then, represents a "peak
experience." It is or should be a
true epiphany -- a time of tremendous closeness to God and His revelation. It ought to be a transforming experience --
involving commitment, rededication, renewal of spiritual vows to God, devotion,
worship, and reverence. It should be a
profound experience, causing us to reach deep down inside ourselves, and truly
humbling ourselves before our Mighty God and Everlasting Father, and our
Saviour and Messiah.
After working on ourselves for forty
nine days, and stripping off the impurities of "Egypt" and the sinful
inclinations, and the yetzer hara, the tendencies and impulses to sin
and do evil, we stand before God -- ready for a transforming experience --
ready to receive a renewal and an infusion of His Holy Spirit, that will
transform us spiritually.
Writes Joel Ziff of this principle:
"On the fiftieth day [Pentecost], an
integration occurs that incorporates and
transcends
the previous learning. We surrender what
we think we know to a
higher
understanding. We link the spiritual
Essence to the material level of
existence. At this time, all the parts are integrated,
subsumed into a larger
oneness. An integration occurs in which the whole is
larger than the sum of
its
parts" (p.115).
Obviously, there is far more to
Pentecost than most of us have remotely imagined!
As we observe this Holy Day of God,
we should reflect on our own covenantal relationship with God, and Christ, our
Messiah. We should also reflect on the
other convenantal relationships in our lives -- husband and wife, parents and children. We should look upon Pentecost as a special
day of commitment and covenant renewal, every year.
Pentecost holds the promise of being
a key to the transformation process in our lives -- from carnal, earthly, to
spiritual, divine. It represents the
high peak of revelation and religious experience, contact with God on a person
level, in a higher plane.
The apostle Paul says, accordingly,
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be ye not
conformed to this world,
but BE
YE TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:1-2).
Final
Preparations
Among the Jews, especially those
from eastern Europe, the whole period from Sivan 1, the festival of the New
Moon, to Sivan 6, is replete with joy.
The New Moon is a semi-festival in itself, and from it there are only four
days until the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost.
Thus the four in-between days, also, become "minor
holidays." Children only attend
school for half a day; the three days before Shavuot are "marked off"
as the days the Israelites were forbidden to approach the holy mountain, Sinai,
and the only remaining day, Sivan 2, was considered significant because on that
same day of the week Yom Kippur is bound to fall.
Writes Rabbi Irving Greenburg in The
Jewish Way:
"As one approaches the event of
Revelation [Sinai-Giving of the Torah-Shavuot],
preparation intensifies. The three days before Shavuot are known as
the shloshet
yemay
hagbalah, the three
boundary days. In the biblical account,
Moses instructed
the
people to use the three days before the Sinai theophany for purification. The
boundary
days act out the historical image as if the contemporary Jews are encamped
three
days from Sinai. People get haircuts,
buy new clothes, and mourning ceases
in
anticipation of the great day. Weddings,
another form of covenantal relationship,
are
scheduled during this period.
"The
holiday is ushered in at nightfall on the fiftieth day. Since Shavuot occurs
in
the summertime, the stars come out quite late.
Thus, the dictum of the Torah,
'You
shall count . . . seven complete weeks,' is fulfilled" (p.82).
As Pentecost approaches, the weather
is mild. Says Schauss:
"The sun pours oceans of light warmth
upon the town. The trees are green with
leaves
and the fields are gay with flowers. The
grass is fragrant and makes the heart
feel light and summery. All await the beauteous festival, when Jewish
houses are
decked
in green, when dairy dishes grace every Jewish table . . . .
"Even
in school the instruction is festive and breathes the spirit of the
holiday. The
children
are taught the Book of Ruth. So clear is
the imagery thereof that they are
carried
back to the days of old, when Jews reaped the harvest of the fields of their
own
land" (p.90-91).
The story of Ruth is especially appropriate for Pentecost
for many reasons. It was at Pentecost
that Boaz "married" Ruth. It
was the beginning of wheat harvest, and Ruth went out into the fields to glean
from the harvest of Boaz, her next-of-kinsman.
She proposed to him the eve of Pentecost, and he accepted, according to
Jewish tradition. The Scriptures clearly
reveal it was the beginning of barley harvest when Ruth began gleaning (Ruth
1:22). She continued reaping until the
end of barley harvest (Ruth 2:21), which puts the story at the point of
Pentecost! Therefore, the connection is
obvious (Ruth 2:6-11). The story of Ruth
pictures the marriage of the Church, typified by Ruth, the Gentile convert, and
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, typified by Boaz, of the tribe of Judah.
According to Jewish legend,
Pentecost also pictures the day of the dragon's conflict, when the Messiah will
destroy Leviathan, the crooked serpent (see Isaiah 27:1). On Pentecost, the words of Akdomus, a
beautiful Aramaic ode composed by the Chazan of Worms in the eleventh century,
are chanted in the synagogue, presenting a vivid picture of the day when the
coming Messiah will have arrived, ushering in a time of eternal peace and bliss
on earth.
Says Hayyim Schauss, as the ode Akdomus
is chanted, the children see "the golden thrones, approached by seven
stairs; seated on the thrones are the saints, gleaming and shining like the
stars of heaven. Above them are spread
canopies of light, and below ripple streams of fragrant balsam. There is no end to the joy and happiness of
the saints. They dance in Paradise,
arm-in-arm with God himself. He
entertains them with a mammoth spectacle, arranged especially for them, the
combat between the Leviathan and the Behemoth" (p.91-92).
Schauss goes on:
"The teacher tells of the feast which
God will prepare after the coming of the
Messiah.
. . . He pictures the saints seated around a table made of precious
stones,
eating the flesh of the Leviathan and the Behemoth" (p.92).
How interesting! In
the book of Revelation we read of a similar "feast," which will be
given after the coming of the Messiah.
The apostle John records:
"Blessed are they which are called
unto the MARRIAGE SUPPER of the Lamb"
(Rev.19:9).
"And
I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying
to
all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves
together
unto
the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh
of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and the flesh
of
them
that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and
great"
(Revelation 19:17-18).
What a Feast that is going to be!
The All-Night Vigil on Pentecost
Eve
The fact that Jesus Christ told the disciples to "wait"
in Jerusalem, and to "tarry" there, until they were to be empowered
by God from on high, by receiving the Holy Spirit -- the Spirit of "power,
and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Tim.1:6-7) -- is highly significant,
because the Jews have an age-old tradition about staying up all night, on the
eve of Pentecost, to study the Laws of God, to get in "final
preparation" for the "Revelation" of God -- and meeting with God
-- which symbolically is to occur on "Pentecost."
The disciples were waiting, no doubt
in much anticipation -- both for the coming of Pentecost, as they were
faithfully "counting the omer" each day during the seven weeks of
seven days each, or 49 days -- and for the expectation of the coming
"Promise from on high" -- the Holy Spirit! Was their vigil also connected with the
Jewish practice of the intensifying preparation for Pentecost, as the Holy Day
approached?
Especially the evening before the
great day of the Feast, this preparation among God's peoople intensifies, as
the anticipation builds to a climax.
Says Rabbi Irving Greenburg:
"There is a custom to stay awake the
entire night of Shavuot in preparation
for
the Revelation. The kabbalists saw this
as time to prepare the bride's
(Israel's)
trousseau for the wedding (with God) in the morning. What is the
preparation
during this long night? It is the study
of Torah, preparing a
Jew
for what he or she is about to receive.
. . .
"Many
congregations today carry on the tradition of all-night study by schedul-
ing
various classes and study groups to make the learning more meaningful.
Good
all-night sessions are an exciting, if tiring, off-beat learning experience.
Those
who stay up all night pray the morning service immediately at daybreak
--
carrying through the symbolic acting out of 'eagerness' and anticipation to
receive
the Revelation. The service, which is
full of joy and celebration, includes
the
chanting of the entire Hallel as on Passover" (The Jewish Way, p.82-83).
In The Three Festivals, by
Rabbi Yosef Stern, we discover:
"Throughout the world Jews observe
the centuries-old custom of conducting
an
all-night vigil dedicated to Torah learning on the first night of Shavuos. .
.
One explanation for this tradition is that
it compensates for a tragic error com-
mitted
by the Jewish nation as they were about to receive the Torah at Sinai:
On
the very morning Hashem came to give the Torah, they
overslept! Hashem
had to arouse them and remind them that it
was time to receive the Ten Com-
mandments. To atone for this blunder, Jews have accepted
upon themselves
the
custom of remaining awake all night."
One of the reasons for the all-nighter, according to Rabbi
Stern, is that it is believed that "the study of the Mosaic books during
the night will hasten the arrival of the Messiah." According to Stern, the forty-nine days
from Passover to Pentecost represent a time of "spiritual purification (taharah)
that grows in intensity during the seven weeks of sephirah" until
it reaches a climax on the night of Pentecost, or Shavuot (p.203). During these forty-nine days, we eliminate
and get rid of the forty-nine levels or degrees of spiritual contamination and
degradation we have accumulated. Thus
these are forty-nine days representing forty-nine levels of spiritual
purity. Each day we jettison another
piece of impurity, another contaminant, another vice, until, after forty-nine
days -- seven times seven -- we reach true purity, maturity, and perfection!
Says Rabbi Stern:
"During these days and weeks, our
personal efforts to cleanse ourselves of spiritual
impurities
are critical. However, if we make
sincere efforts during sefirah, we can
be
assured that Hashem [God] will shower us with an outpouring of taharah
on the
night
of Shavuos, as the Sages said (Shabbos 104a) someone who
comes to purify
himself
will receive [Divine] help" (p.204).
This "Divine help" is described as an out-pouring
of taharah -- divine purification. This
help comes to us through the Holy Spirit of God! Jesus Christ declared:
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my
name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever
I have said unto you" (John 14:26).
"Howbeit
when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth: for
it
shall not speak of itself; but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak;
and it
will
shew you things to come" (John 16:13).
Rabbi Stern says that this taharah that descends and
comes upon us, as we study Torah and the truths of God's Word, is exceedingly
fragile. In his words:
"The Zohar also reminds us
that the taharah that descends on those who immerse
themselves
in Torah study on this night is a fragile thing. Unless we take active
steps
to preserve it throughout the year we cannot be assured that it will remain
with
us. . . . Through our efforts during the seven weeks of sefirah we merit
the
creation
of a 'pure heart' for ourselves.
However, it takes the all-night vigilance of
Shavuos
to give it permanence and to turn it into a 'steadfast spirit' that will endure
throughout
the year" (Stern, The Three Festivals, p.204).
Although the Scriptures do not tell us that we must stay up
all night, on the eve of Pentecost, to observe this day, this custom seems to
go back to earliest times. And Jesus
Christ did tell us, "The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you
observe, that observe and do" (Matt.23:2-3). The staying up all night practice is not a
commandment for God's people.
Nevertheless, it certainly would not be wrong to do it, as afinal
"preparation" for the Day of "Revelation" -- Pentecost!
After counting the "omer"
for forty nine days, faithfully, it seems fitting that this "spiritual
odyssey," or journey, should be capped off with a special celebration -- a
special night of "final preparation" for FINAL EXAMS, as it were -- a
night devoted to Bible study, prayer, and meditation, drawing closer to God in
preparation for the ULTIMATE PENTECOST PERSPECTIVE -- the soon arrival of our
Messianic King and Husband
--
Yeshua Notzri -- Jesus the Nazarene!
In college, or at the university,
students often "cram" for finals during the weeks immediately before
final exams are to occur. They study
extra hard, burn the midnight oil, and sometimes pull an "all-nigher"
in order to get that final "term paper" prepared and written and
presented on time. They review their
class notes, assignments, and previous tests, so that they can be as prepared
as possible for "finals."
So it should be with Pentecost. Have we ever looked at it that way before?
Pentecost, in typology, is the time
of Final Exams -- the day we will be "judged," and evaluated, by our
Teacher, and Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Do you want to flunk the test?
When Christ returns at the seventh
and final trumpet (Rev.11:15), He will judge the saints! John writes, "And the nations were
angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be
JUDGED, and that thou shouldest give REWARD unto thy servants the prophets, and
to the saints, and them that fear thy name, both small and great; and shouldest
destroy them which destroy the earth" (Revelation 11:18).
The apostle Paul wrote:
"According to the grace of God, which
is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I
have LAID THE FOUNDATION, and another buildeth thereon. But let every
man
take heed HOW he buildeth thereupon. For
other foundation can no man lay
than
that [which] is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
"Now
if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay,
stubble;
every man's work shall be made manifest:
for the day shall declare it, because
it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort
it is. If
any
man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any
man's
work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss:
but he himself shall be saved; yet so
as
by fire" (I Corinthians 3:10-15).
Paul also wrote, saying, "For to this end Christ both
died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and
living. But why dost thou judge thy
brother? or why dost thou set at nought
thy brother? for we shall all stand
before the judgment seat of
Christ. For it is written, As
I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall
confess
to God. So then every one of us shall
give account of himself to God. Let us
not therefore judge one another any more:
but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion
to fall in his brother's way" (Romans 14:9-13).
It is not my purpose, in this
article, to condemn those who do not see the full story behind Pentecost -- or
the full light God has shed upon this wonderful Feast day. But for those of us who do understand, let's
observe this Festival with new joy, new meaning, new zeal, renewed dedication
and commitment, and new vigilance!
PENTECOST -- Its
True Meaning &
Incredible Symbolism
Not only do
thousands observe Pentecost or Shavuot
on the wrong
day, but millions don't have any true
understanding
of its deep rich symbolical meaning
and
spiritual significance! Here the awesome
and in-
credible
truth is made crystal clear and plain as day!
William
F. Dankenbring
Millions of people don't understand
the true meaning of the Pentecost holy day, because of one of two reasons: The Jews observe the correct day, but don't
understand its real significance because they don't recognize the true Messiah
-- and this day is symbolical of the Messiah and His coming in a very unique
way! Thousands of others don't
understand the true meaning of this day because, although they understand who
is the true Messiah, they are ignorant of the true day on which to observe
Pentecost, and its vital linkage with the Passover season!
But
God has revealed the awesome meaning of this holy day during these "last
days." Let's take a good look at
the mystery of Pentecost -- the "Festival of Shavuot" or
"Weeks" -- also called Yom Ha'Bikkurim, or "Day of The
Firstfruits."
Going
Through the Desert Wilderness
To understand Pentecost, then, let's
notice it's direct relationship to Passover.
We read that on the day after the "sabbath" -- the high holy
day of Passover, the 15th of Nisan -- the people were to bring an
"omer" or sheaf of firstfruits of the barley harvest to the priest,
to be waved for them (Lev.23:11). And
from that day, which would be the 16th of Nisan, they were to "count off
seven weeks. They must be complete: you must count until the day after the
seventh week -- fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to
the LORD. You shall bring from your
settlements two loaves of bread as an elevation offering; each shall be made of
two-tenths of a measure of choice flour, baked after leavening, as
firstfruits to the LORD" (Lev.23:15-17, Tanakh).
Leading up to Pentecost, then, was a
period of 49 days -- seven full weeks -- counted from the day after
Passover. Passover pictures the
sacrificial lamb of God shedding His blood in atonement for the sins of each
sacrificer, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29; I
Cor.5:7). Putting leaven out of our
homes for the seven days during the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures putting
sin out of our lives. On the seventh day
of unleavened bread, Israel came through the Red Sea
in a
miraculous deliverance from Egypt, a type of "sin." This pictures the "baptism" of
every repentant sinner who confesses his sins and acknowledges Christ as the
Messiah and Saviour (I Cor.10:1-4).
The forty-nine day journey through
the wilderness pictures the Christian's life of overcoming, rooting out sin,
and conquering the fleshly impulses -- the "evil impulses" or yetzer
ha'ra of human nature (Jer.17:9; Rom.8:7).
The number "49" of course is significant: It is 7 X 7, or perfection perfected. Thus we are to have our spiritual character
"perfected" during this life of overcoming, so that we can be worthy
to stand before the Son of man at His coming!
What, then, does all this lead up
to? It leads up to the "fiftieth
day" -- that is, Pentecost!
The
Two Loaves and the Bread of Life
Pentecost occurs at the culmination of the march through
the wilderness of 7 X 7 days -- a "perfect" or "complete"
march. The seven weeks picture the seven
stages or thresholds of "overcoming" sin and developing the character
and divine nature of God -- replacing human nature with its earthly pulls with
DIVINE nature (Gal.4:19; II Pet.1:4).
What is to happen, then, on the "fiftieth day" -- the
"Feast of Weeks"? This Feast
could be described as the "FEAST of the Weeks of Overcoming"! It is the PRESENT -- the GIFT of God that He
gives to His people who have obeyed His commandments, and served Him
faithfully!
The Feast of Pentecost, therefore,
pictures SALVATION -- and the GIFT of becoming ONE with God -- spiritual
ONENESS!
Notice! This feast pictures the harvest of the
"firstfruits to the LORD" (Lev.23:17). On this Festival day two loaves of beautiful
bread are offered to God, as wave offerings, made of the finest flour
(v.17). What do these two loaves of
bread picture?
Jesus Christ said, "I am that
bread of life" (John 6:48), and, "I am the living bread which came
down from heaven" (John 6:51). He
commands His true followers to eat of His "bread" -- which is His
body, broken for us (Matt.26:26). In so
doing, we become like Him -- and receive of His spiritual essence. Therefore, the apostle Paul writes, speaking
of the Church of God: "The bread
which we brake, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are ONE BREAD, and one
body: for we are all partakers of that
ONE BREAD" (I Cor.10:16-17).
In other words, Jesus Christ is
pictured in the Scriptures as being a loaf of bread -- the righteous loaf that
came down from heaven. But the Church
also is pictured as being ONE BREAD -- that is, ONE LOAF -- also. Thus we have two loaves -- One is Christ, and
the other is the Church!
Some might object, saying, "But
these two loaves are leavened, and leaven is a type of sin. So how can they represent Christ and the
Church?"
It is true that "leaven"
in the Bible sometimes represents sin, because of the way in which leaven works. Paul says, "A little leaven leaveneth a
whole lump" (Gal.5:9). In this
passage he is talking about false teachings, that begin to influence and change
a person's behavior for the worse.
Jesus Christ told His disciples,
"Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees" (Matt.16:6). The
disciples understood how "he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread,
but of the DOCTRINE of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees" (v.12).
Leaven, in these cases, is a type of
a corrupting and perverting influence -- something that changes the nature of a
product for the worse! But leaven is
also a type of GOD'S KINGDOM -- and a type of God's Holy Spirit -- which
changes a person's nature for the better!
Jesus Christ also taught: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto
LEAVEN, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole
was leavened" (Matt.13:33).
Like the leaven which renders mere flour into bread dough, and causes it
to rise up, and become delicious and tasty, so the Spirit of God changes our
human nature, and causes it to transform into God's Holy and righteous divine
nature! Jesus Christ would hardly have
said, "The kingdom of heaven is like SIN," would He? Obviously, in this case "leaven"
does not picture "sin" at all!
Therefore, the leavened loaves
offered to God on Pentecost in no way represent loaves of bread saturated with
the leaven of SIN! That would be
ridiculous! God would never accept an
offering transformed by the influences of SIN.
Rather, these loaves contain leaven, which represents the transforming
quality of God's Holy Spirit!
"The Firstfruits of God"
Notice that the two loaves of
leavened bread offered on Pentecost are also called "the FIRSTFRUITS to
the LORD" (Lev.23:17). Who or what,
then, are the "firstfruits"?
The apostle Paul points out that as
true followers of Christ, we are they "which have the FIRSTFRUITS of the
Spirit" (Rom.8:23). The apostle
James tells us, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that
we should be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures" (James 1:17). Also, John in the book of Revelation,
describes the Church of God -- true believers in the Messiah -- as spiritual
"virgins," who have not been defiled by the "women" -- the false
churches -- of this paganized
world. John says, of them, "These are they
which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
These were REDEEMED from among men, BEING THE FIRSTFRUITS UNTO GOD
and to the Lamb" (Rev.14:1-4).
Thus the Church of God, true
Christians, are the "firstfruits" -- and also are "one
bread."
But in First Corinthians, the
apostle Paul says further: "But now
is Christ risen from the dead, and become THE FIRSTFRUITS [Greek, literally, firstfruit,
singular] of them that slept. For
since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive. But every man
in his own order: CHRIST THE
FIRSTFRUITS [Greek, singular, 'FIRSTFRUIT']; afterward they that are Christ's
AT HIS COMING" (I Cor.15:20-23).
When are the "firstfruits" going to be presented to
Christ? "AT HIS COMING!"
Do we get it then? WE ARE THE "FIRSTFRUITS," pictured
by the two loaves of bread offered to God on the day of Pentecost! One loaf pictures Christ Himself! The other loaf pictures the Bride of Christ,
the Church of God! Pentecost, then,
pictures the great celestial WEDDING DAY -- THE WEDDING CELEBRATION -- OF THE
MESSIAH AND HIS BRIDE, SPIRITUAL "ISRAEL"!
"A Wedding Coming Soon"
Abbout 20 years ago, or so, a young
couple at Ambassador College -- Matthew and Sharron Kalliman -- sang a number
of "folk-songs," spiritual melodies, which Matthew had written
himself, and performed in church services and at the Feast of Tabernacles,
accompanied by guitars, and sometimes additional musical instruments. At that time we did a record of some of
Matthew's songs, based on the seven days of Creation and the plan of God. One of the beautiful songs was titled "A
Wedding Coming Soon," about the future wedding of Christ and the Church of
God (the true saints of God).
This wedding is described in
Revelation 19. We read: Alleluia:
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the MARRIAGE of the Lamb is come, and
his WIFE hath made herself ready. And
to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and
white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints. And he said
unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of
the Lamb" (Rev.19:6-9).
It is, of course, interesting to
note that ancient Israel also entered into a "wedding" contract with
God at Mount Sinai, on the very day of Pentecost, when they came out of Egypt
under Moses. God Himself, the One who
became the Messiah, came down to the top of Mount Sinai, and
"revealed" Himself to Israel, and spoke the Ten Commandments in their
hearing (Exo.19:20; 20:1-17). This was
surely a momentous event. This was a
special
"revelation"
of God to mankind. It occurred in the
desert. We read: "And all the people SAW the thunderings,
and the lightnings, and the NOISE of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking . .
." (v.18).
Notice that the people
"SAW" the thunderings, and the "noise" of the trumpet. How do you "SEE" thunderings and
noise? Generally speaking, we
"hear" thunder with our ears; you cannot "see" it. Likewise, we "hear" noises with our
ears, which can hear only a small portion of the entire spectrum of the band of
"sound waves." But we do not
"see" noises or other sounds.
Yet the Scriptures are very explicit, here. God is telling us something special. To "see" sound implies that the
Israelites received a special REVELATION from God -- they were able to do that
which is not normal, according to the senses of the flesh. Their awareness was heightened, and their
sensory receptacles were decloaked, and they were able to SEE sounds,
thunderings, and lightnings -- they had a unique awareness of these sound
waves. They experienced a sort of
enlightened and mystical epiphany. This
occurred on Pentecost, at Mount Sinai, when God spoke to mankind!
Pentecost
and the Marriage Covenant
Israel entered into a covenant
relationship with God, and agreed to be obedient to Him (Exodus 24:3, 7). This was followed by a magnificent
"Feast" when they were enabled and permitted to "see God"
and not be killed (vs.10-11). This was
a MARRIAGE covenant! Jeremiah the
prophet records the words of God:
"Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married
unto you" (Jer.3:14).
Interestingly, then, Pentecost
itself pictures the MARRIAGE of the Bride and the Lamb of God -- the
Messiah! He was also the One who married
ancient Israel, in a physical covenant, called the Old Covenant. But Israel rebelled, and He divorced her
(Jer.3:8,9-11, 20). He then died for His
bride, in order to redeem her to Himself, to pay the penalty of her sins.
At the second coming of the Messiah,
He will MARRY His new bride, Redeemed Israel (Gal.6:16). He will inaugurate the NEW COVENANT, which is
also a Marriage Covenant, only this is not a physical covenant alone with
physical promises of health and wealth and prosperity; this is a spiritual
covenant with better promises, of spiritual inheritance, eternal life, and
salvation, and becoming a very son of God through the resurrection of the dead
(see Heb.8: 7-10; Rom.8:16-18; Heb.11:39-40).
Mount Sinai and Mount Zion
The Old Covenant was made and
ratified at Mount Sinai, and was a marriage covenant (Gal.4:22-25). The New Covenant will be concluded with the
Church at the second coming of Christ, when He sets foot on the Mount of Olives
(Zech.14:4; Acts 1:9-10), and returns to Mount Zion.
The Old Covenant was of the flesh,
and compares to Rahab, and the child Ishmael, the child of the flesh
(Gal.4:24-25), which generates bondage and slavery. But the New Covenant is spiritual, and
compares to Isaac, the child of promise, and faith, and brings true freedom through
the Messiah, of whom Isaac was a "type" -- "Jerusalem above,
which is the mother of us all" (Gal.4:26-27). We in the Church are not children of the
"bondwoman," but of the free (Gal.4:28-31).
The apostle Paul further compares,
or contrasts, these two covenants, Mount Sinai with Mount Zion, in the book of
Hebrews. He writes: "For ye are not come unto the mount that
might be touched, and that burned with fire, not unto blackness, and darkness,
and tempest, and the sound of the trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice
they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more .
. . But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general
assembly and CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN [that is, "firstfruits"!], which
are written in heaven [our names are inscribed in the Book of Life in heaven!],
and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
and to Jesus, the mediator of the NEW COVENANT, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
See that ye refuse not him that speaketh" (Heb.12:18-25).
The
Revelation at Mount Sinai
In his book Mirrors in Time: A Psycho-Spiritual Journey through the Jewish
Year, Joel Ziff writes about the holy day of Shavuot or Pentecost:
"The revelation at Mount Sinai was
not only a mystical, intellectual, and inner
experience. God's Presence manifests itself in concrete
and practical form, in the
Ten
Commandments engraved in stone, and in the Torah with the 613 mitzvot,
action
imperatives that guide and inform every aspect of life. According to Shneur
Zalman
[the early 19th century leader of Chabad hasidism], at the time of revelation
on
Mount Sinai, the light of God's Essence, the Ayn Sof, the Infinite, is
manifest
through
the Torah. In the same way, the personal
revelation we experience is not
limited
to a cognitive discovery that remains within us. It translates into new rules
and
guidelines for ourselves in how to approach our situation more constructively.
Understanding
informs action" (p.112).
Each year, as we observe the day of Pentecost, after having
"counted the Omer" for forty-nine days, and achieving a pinnacle of
"perfection," and arrive at the foot of "Sinai," we should
prepare ourselves, as our ancestors did, for the moment of
"Revelation." We should
rehearse the giving of the Law, study over the Ten Commandments, and the Torah,
and reflect on what this day means -- a day of MARRIAGE to God, and of COVENANT,
agreeing to obey God and keep all His
commandments -- as we enter into a NEW RELATIONSHIP typified by this day -- the
relationship of BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM!
Ziff portrays this truth from his
own understanding of this day, as a Jew, in this way:
"The experience at Mount Sinai is
described using the image of a WEDDING in
which
God is the GROOM standing under the marriage canopy -- the chuppah --
with
the Israelites as the BRIDE. God and
Israel make AN ETERNAL COMMIT-
MENT
TO ONE ANOTHER. God gives the
Torah, and the Israelites pledge to adhere
to
its precepts. A WEDDING REPRESENTS THE
BEGINNING OF A RELATION-
SHIP. Although vows are made, the young couple must
still struggle to TRANSLATE
those
vows into reality, overcoming differences and difficulties. In the same way, the
commitment
made at Sinai also represents a beginning of relationship. There are
many
difficulties to overcome: shortly after
Moses ascends Mount Sinai, the Israelites
make
the golden calf, losing trust and violating their commitment" (p.113).
Notice four imperatives here -- four golden truths. First, the great occasion at Mount Sinai is
compared to a WEDDING -- a marriage ceremony.
The bride and groom exchange their "I do's," and the
"bride" willingly agrees to "obey" her husband -- to keep
His commandments. The couple
"exchange vows." He agrees to
protect and provide for her, and to love her and cherish her, through all
times, good and bad, and to love her forever; she agrees to be faithful to Him,
to obey Him, to love Him, and to endure life's trials with Him, despite
distress, tests, problems, difficulties, discouragements, hard times, or
whatever.
Secondly, this wedding represents a
new relationship -- a new COMMITMENT on the part of both parties. This is an eternal, everlasting
"commitment."
Thirdly, this wedding constitutes a
TRANSFORMING experience -- it is a NEW RELATIONSHIP! Two who were formerly separate now "tie
the knot" and become ONE! There is
a NEW ONENESS that is instituted. Even
as Adam took Eve as his wife, and "they twain" became "ONE
FLESH" (Matt.19:5-6; Gen.2:21-24), even so Christ and the Church will
become "ONE SPIRIT" -- that is, One, in spirit
Essence,
in Spiritual Unity.
Even so, as Paul wrote, in this life
we are to be TRANSFORMED until we are ready to become ONE with Christ! He wrote, "And be not conformed to this
world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God" (Rom.12:2).
Paul likewise wrote to the
Ephesians, "That ye put off concerning the former conduct the OLD man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be RENEWED in the
spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the NEW man, which after God is
CREATED in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph.4:22-24).
To the Colossians, Paul writes: "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye
have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on THE NEW MAN, which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col.3:9-10). As the people of God, we are being changed --
transformed -- into the very IMAGE and spiritual likeness of Jesus Christ!
Fourthly, this new relationship also
bespeaks A NEW BEGINNING -- A NEW AWARENESS -- A NEW CREATION!
"The
Eighth Day of Passover"
This truth is manifest in the fact
that Pentecost is the fiftieth day -- the final day of a Jubilee cycle of days
(compare Lev.25). The fiftieth day
represents the Jubilee year, the year of Freedom and Liberty and Release! "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of
Jubilee to sound . . . And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and PROCLAIM
LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof"
(Lev.25:9-10). Pentecost, which by
definition means "the fiftieth day," is the JUBILEE DAY -- the day of
true freedom, guaranteed by the Laws of God, and the Covenantal Power of God!
But, being the END of one cycle, the
day of Pentecost is also known as "the eighth day" of Passover -- and
the conclusion of the Passover festival season.
Even as "Shemini Atzeret" is the "Eighth Day" and
follows the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, so Pentecost or Shavuot is the
"eighth day" of the Passover festival. The number "eight" is very
significant. A week has
"seven" days, and the first day of the next week is known as the
"eighth day." Thus
"eight" signifies a NEW BEGINNING, or the beginning of a new cycle, a
new phase, a NEW CREATION. There were
"eight" souls on Noah's ark that were saved, to enter a New World
after the Deluge (I Pet.3:20).
The number "eight" in
Hebrew sh'moneh, from the root shah'meyn, meaning "to make
fat," "cover with fat," "to super-abound." As a participle, it means "one who
abounds in strength." As a noun, it
is "superabundant fertility," "oil,"
etc. As a numeral, then, it is the super-abundant
number! As seven represents the day of
completion, then eight, which follows seven, means "over and above perfect
completion," or "the first of a new series." (See Number in Scripture, by E. W.
Bullinger, p.196).
Thus the marriage of Christ and His
Bride, the Church, constitutes a NEW BEGINNING -- a NEW relationship! And the whole earth will experience a NEW
BEGINNING -- the Messianic Kingdom or Age -- which is THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
Says Joel Ziff, in Mirrors in Time:
"This beginning is also
symbolized by the offering of the FIRST RIPE FRUITS that
begins
at this time; 'The day of
FIRST-FRUITS is when you bring a new grain offer-
ing
to God as part of your Shavuot festival.
It shall be a sacred holiday to you when
you
may not do any mundane work' (Numbers 28:26).
"For
this reason, Shavuot is also known as Yom HaBikkurim, the day of the
firstfruits.
We
not only harvest the agricultural produce; we also begin to nourish ourselves
with
the
fruit of our learning.
"This
same quality of commitment is reflected in the story of Ruth, which is
read
during
the Shavuot service. Ruth, the ancestor
of King David, is respected because
of
her commitment and devotion in carrying for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Ruth,
whose
husband had died, returns with Naomi to the land of Israel rather than stay
in
the land of her birth, Midian.
"The
images of Shavuot allow us to receive a personal revelation that transforms
our
understanding, help us to
clarify a vision of our future, and motivate us to make
a
commitment to manifest that vision" (p.113).
On the Feast day of Shavuot, a new harvest begins -- the
wheat harvest. On this day the
"first ripe fruits" of the harvest are brought to the priests. On this day then the "spring"
harvest, which occurs with the "firstfruits," is depicted -- that is,
the harvest of true Christians and followers of God, who are
"harvested" at the second coming of Christ!
The
spring harvest from Passover till Pentecost was the barley harvest. But now the two loaves of bread are offered,
at the beginning of the wheat harvest, symbolizing the perfected Christ and the
perfected Church, being presented before God the
Father,
and "married" by Him to each other.
The
Wheat Harvest -- A New Season!
The two loaves of wheat bread also
represent a further symbol of transcendent, integrative learning. As we grow in understanding, and spiritual
knowledge, we become more useful and valuable to God. Wheat is considered the greatest, most
nourishing and balanced food for humans. In this depiction, we are symbolized
by the fullness of the finest wheat bread, made from the firstfruits of the
wheat harvest!
Writes Joel Ziff:
"The
bread offering of Shavuot signals the manifestation of the quality of 'wheat,'
integrative
and intuitive learning in contrast to the barley offering of the omer,
which
nourishes the 'animal' soul associated with the Sefirot.
Connection with the
Archtypal Father
This quality of learning is also
symbolically described as a connection with God as
Father
in contrast to the image of the Divine Mother associated with the counting of
the
omer. The mother's role in
nourishing the child with her milk is direct and clear.
The
Father's role is more difficult to comprehend, associated traditionally with
the
role
as economic provider. The mother offers
the infant milk, and the father puts
bread
on the table. . . . The child is too young to understand logically, but wheat
gives
the
infant a knowledge that transcends what can be understood through the logical
cognitive
processes. The infant feels the connection and expresses it. The infant longs
for
the father, has trouble separating from the father, and cries when the father
leaves
.
. . This knowledge is more powerful than the logical process. It is this aspect of
God
that we experience at Shavuot.
".
. . . At Mount Sinai, we make connection with God as Divine Father, receiving a
nourishment
that is complex and less obvious. . .
"Shneur Zalman associates the bread
offering with the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew
alphabet
using the mystical process known as gematria for making connections
through
numerology. The Hebrew word for wheat, chittah, adds
up to twenty-two, the same as
the
number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.
Once we have the basic sounds of the
vowels
associated with the time of the counting of the omer, we can combine
them with
letters
to produce words, sentences, and conversations, the traffic of
relationship. The
letters
represent the transcendent experience of Shavuot and the giving of the
Torah"
(Mirrors in Time, p.115-117).
Notice! The counting
of the Omer, in the desert, is one plane of relationship, which connects us
with God as our Provider, who sent the manna in the wilderness. But when the Israelites reached the Mountain
of Sinai, a whole new relationship commenced.
They saw God then as Father. The
basic building blocks they learned in the wilderness, by counting the Omer
(learning how to count -- a rudimentary concept), is now replaced by a
transcendent new relationship -- typified by the outpouring of God's Voice --
His Words -- the Torah, which incorporates all His law and commandments. This new relationship is compared to
firstfruits of "wheat," whereas the desert wilderness experience is
compared to the firstfruits of "barley." As wheat transcends barley, in richness and
desirability, so our new relationship with God transcends our old relationship. As "wheat," we are on a much
higher, newer level -- a higher and more exalted "plane" of existence
-- a much greater REVELATION of God!
Integrative
and Synergistic CHANGE
Joel Ziff compares it to the driving
of a car. First a young person learns
each isolated aspect of driving -- starting, steering, acceleration, braking,
turning, watching the rear view mirror, backing up, etc., etc. It is a long series of movements and
adjustments, which must learn to be coordinated together. But eventually, when that learning process is
complete, we arrive at the time when we can put it all together. Once we practice and learn each separate
skill, we finally come to the point where we can simply "drive." We put it all together, and as we become more
skilled, it becomes more intuitive, and synergistic. We develop a "feel" for it, which
we no longer have to be consciously aware of.
It becomes like "habit."
All the little individual "steps" are integrated into a larger
"whole."
Says Joel Ziff:
"One's competence increases as each
of the component skills is mastered.
Eventually,
a
breakthrough occurs: all the pieces
become integrated, without focusing on each as
an
individual skill. The prior learning
dissolves into a new synergy, a whole greater than
the
parts, a more intuitive, nonlinear integration.
The step-by-step, left-hemisphere [of
the
brain] learning from the time of the counting of the omer provides a
foundation that
is
integrated and TRANSCENDED by the intuitive synergistic learning of
SHAVUOT"
(p.118).
Thus the Feast of Shavuot pictures a rapid and accelerated
CHANGE -- a new dimension of learning -- a new level of experience -- a new
plane of existence -- a new platform of reality. It represents not merely a quantitative
"leap" from that of the counting of the Omer, but a qualitative
jump in existential reality! Whereas
the counting of the Omer represents the human being working on overcoming the
animal lusts and instincts, and the evil impulses (yetzer ha'ra) within
human nature, and the trials and learning processes of this present life; the
day of Shavuot, Pentecost, is a day of "Revelation" -- a day of
Transcendence -- a day picturing the CHANGE that will occur within our very
natures at the coming of Jesus Christ to take His Bride to Himself, and to
inaugurate the Kingdom of God!
Joel Ziff explains:
"Insight is meaningless if it does
not translate into CHANGE in what we do and
how
we respond. For example, in working with
addictions, twelve-step programs
such
as Alcoholics Anonymous stress the need for making a commitment to change.
There
is also a recognition that commitment does not instantly translate into
behavior.
For
this reason, the recovering addict is enjoined to take 'one day at a
time.' Some-
times,
one is not able to sustain the commitment, falls back into old addictive
behavior,
and
must begin once more in the struggle for recovery.
"In the same way, for each of us, as
we develop our understanding of new situations
and
how to cope with them, we arrive at a point where we are able to make a
commit-
ment
to CHANGE [i.e., Shavuot]. Although this
is an important step, we are ONLY
BEGINNING: much effort is needed to translate that
commitment into reality" (Joel
Ziff,
Mirrors in Time, p.120-121).
The Feast of Pentecost, then, is involved with CHANGE --
commitment to obey God, and commitment to keep His laws faithfully, and
commitment to CHANGE our behavior.
Shavuot represents the BEGINNING of a commitment; it represents the beginning
of a process.
Ziff continues:
"In this same way, as each of us
experiences a moment of REVELATION [such as is
depicted
by the revelation at Mount Sinai], we then need to make a commitment to that
vision,
so that the thought and idea can be translated into reality. We spend the rest of
the
cycle of the year IN THAT PROCESS [the process of CHANGING]" (p.121).
Shavuot, which means "Weeks," or Pentecost, which
means "Fiftieth Day," both represent the concept of commitment to
CHANGE. This holy day of God
represents a great day of CHANGE! It
soars above the mundane life of dreary and difficult "overcoming,"
and fighting the pulls of the world and human nature, depicted by the
forty-nine days (seven weeks) of counting the Omer. It lifts one above the mundane to the
celestial; from the mud to the stars; from the earthly to the divine; from
going one-on-one in battling one's problems, to going face to face in
experiencing the Revelation of GOD!
A
Great "CHANGE" That Is Coming
This picture of "change"
is depicted in the New Testament. We
read of the day Pentecost pictures -- the day the Bridegroom meets His Bride --
which is the time of the second coming of Christ, the "revelation" of
Yeshua the Messiah. Paul wrote,
"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed [i.e., His "revelation" as at Pentecost!] from heaven with
his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God,
and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thess.1:7-8).
Peter speaks of Christ's coming as a
great "Revelation," also -- "Wherefore gird up the loins of your
mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto
you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (I Pet.1:13).
At this spectacular revelation, we
-- God's true people, who obey Him and keep His commandments -- will be
CHANGED! Paul wrote, "Behold, I
shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed. In a
moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead [in
Christ] shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be CHANGED. For this corruptible must put on
incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Cor.15:51-53).
The end of the "weeks" we
come to Shavuot, which depicts this incredible CHANGE which will occur at the
second coming of Christ, when the "firstfruits" are CHANGED and
GLORIFIED and given eternal life! Paul
says, "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars: for one star
differeth from another star in glory. So
also is the resurrection of the dead. It
is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in
glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in
power: It is sown a natural body; it is
raised a spiritual body. . . As is the earthy, such are they also that are
earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy,
we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (I Cor.15:41-49).
Paul also wrote of this incredible
day and what it pictures: "For our
conversation [Greek, "citizenship"] is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall CHANGE our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his
glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all
things unto himself" (Phil.3:20-21).
John puts it this way:
"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we
should be called the children of God . . . and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, WE SHALL BE
LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:1-2).
The patriarch Job, in the Old
Testament, wrote: "If a man die,
shall he live again? all the days of my
appointed time will I wait, till my CHANGE come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to [finish] the work
of thine hands" (Job 14:14-15).
A
New Understanding of Pentecost
When we consider the deep significance and meaning of the
day of Pentecost, the day of "firstfruits," and how it fits into
God's overall plan, it should fill us with exuberance and anticipation --
exhilaration and excitement!
Think about it! This day does not merely describe the coming
of God's Holy Spirit upon the Church of God, in 30 A.D. It does not merely represent the beginning of
the Church "age" when the Holy Spirit came upon the Church for the
first time (see Acts 2). Rather, it is
the FOCAL POINT of the entire spring festival season, the CULMINATION of events
that transpire from Passover until Pentecost!
Pentecost, as the "little
Jubilee" -- being the "fiftieth day" -- is a type of the day of
the coming of Messiah, on the "Great Jubilee," at the last trumpet,
when the "great trumpet shall be blown" (Isaiah 27:13). It typifies the harvesting of the
"first-fruits" unto God, that is, the Church of God down through the
ages.
As the time of the giving of the
Law, and the old covenant, a marriage covenant between God and Israel,
Pentecost also pictures the "marriage" of Christ to the Church, which
will occur at His second coming. And it
depicts the day when the Church will be glorified, and be given incorruptible
bodies, and immortality, and eternal life, in the God Family -- a fitting glorious Bride for a loving and glorious
Groom! It depicts the
day
of our "epiphany" -- our complete CHANGE from mortal to immortal,
from corruptible flesh to incorruptible spirit, from human to DIVINE!
Pentecost is also the day in which
God finally "REVEALED" Himself to Israel, amidst thunder and
lightning and many signs and wonders, after the Passover deliverance, and the
journey through the wilderness. Even so,
it also depicts that coming day when CHRIST will once again be "revealed
from heaven," in awesome power and glory.
How many of us understand this
dramatic scenario? How many understand
that Pentecost is not just a "forgotten feast," that has no special
meaning or importance? It is one of the
three pilgrimage festivals. And as the
conclusion of the Passover season, it has very special meaning to those of us
who are true Christians, depicting the day of our salvation, the return of
Christ as the Bridegroom, and the marriage of the Lamb to His Bride! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!