Numbers 28:26 ‘Also on the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to the LORD at your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work (NKJ)
Acts 2:1-2 Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (NKJ)
The coming week is a special week for Jews and Christians. The Jewish people will begin to celebrate Shavuot on Tuesday evening and Christians celebrate Pentecost on Sunday. In this week’s comment I want to look at the amazing similarities between the Old Testament and New Testament holy days.
Paul asked in Romans 3:1 “ What advantage then has the Jew ? Paul’s answers himself “ much in every way, because to them were committed the oracles of God. ” As Christians followers of the King of the Jews, Yeshua the Messiah, and grafted-in members of the House of Israel, the oracles committed to the Jews are a vital part of our inheritance also. As I trust most of our subscribers know by now, God says that the original Biblical Feasts are His appointed times. They are a prophetic shadow of that which is to come. and they also lay out the timing of God’s plan of redemption for Israel and the nations. Therefore I want to use this weeks comment to connect the two celebrations together.
Therefore lets take a look at Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) The Hebrew word Shavuot is the plural of Shavua ( week ) it literally means a week of weeks - 7 x 7 = 49
What occurred at the first Shavuot / Pentecost ? After they passed through the Red Sea and crossed into the Promised Land, the Israelites were led to Mt. Sinai. The Lord was close by – how do we know ? There was thunder and lightning, the sound of the Shofar was being heard, the mountain was smoking. Sounds like God – right ? Moses went up the mountain where the Spirit of God came down in Fire and wrote His Torah (instructions) on tablets of stone. We read in. Ex 32:28 that 3000 people died that day.
After the Passover Feast 2000 years ago, the resurrected Lamb instructed His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they were imbued with power from on high. Exactly 50 days after Passover, that’s what Pentecost means – 50 days, the 12 Jewish disciples were gathered together in area of the Temple to celebrate Shavuot. And God was in the vicinity again ! We read in Acts 2 that the sound of a mighty rushing wind from Heaven was heard. The Holy Spirit descended. This time tongues of Fire inscribed God’s Torah on their hearts, and then empowered the 12 Galilean disciples to preach the Gospel to the thousands of Jews who had come to Jerusalem from the known world to celebrate Shavuot. Under that never seen before, powerful anointing, a good number of people were Born-Again. How many - 3000 ! Do you see it ? The same date, the same dynamics, even the same number of people were affected. At Mt Sinai 3000 died, at Mt Zion 3000 were born again.
Do you see how precise God is ? He only makes and carries out His major plans on His appointed days – the Feasts of Israel. It is his modus operanda – the way He operates.
Yeshua instructed His disciples, “Don’t leave town with out it ” – they waited and they received it. Their lives were dramatically changed. We still need the same anointing of Holy Spirit power today – even more so as the enemy rises up - God wants to give it. We are going to pray soon for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit for all who want it. I want to share what I believe are the keys to a full release of the Spirit of God. I believe that these keys are a pre-requisite to see the release of an even greater anointing than we see in the book of Acts. The Bible says that the Latter Rain will be greater than the Former Rain. We need to be like the persistent widow – to give God no rest until He fills us to overflowing with His Holy Spirit.
Lets look at the dynamics of the Acts church:
1. Yeshua was the focus Acts 2:36-38 They were preaching the centrality of Yeshua – believe, repent and be baptized for the remission of sin
2. Prayer They were a praying people
3. The Word – Acts 2:42 They continued steadfastly under the Apostles teaching - God appointed leadership - They were in one accord in much prayer & supplication
4. Unity - Acts 2:1 they were all in one place & one accord. Psalm 133:1 How good and pleasant it is when the brethren dwell together in unity. It is like oil running down Aarons beard …… There the Lord commands a blessing
5. Fellowship – Acts 2:44 - they were breaking bread together – they had all things in common – they were meeting house to house
6. Celebration of Biblical Jewish life - We see the first century predominately Jewish congregation still connected to their Natural roots, …. from where comes the goodness and the fatness, the nourishing sap Rom11:17
Finally I want to make this point – Romans 11:15 If their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but LIFE FROM THE DEAD – that’s full blown REVIVAL brothers & sisters. Lets fulfill our calling to bring in the Jewish harvest and lets continue to pray them into the fulfillment of Shavuot – a life with the Holy Spirit.
The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel. Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for all of the soldiers in the IDF -they are defending and fighting for the Kingdom of God.
Shabbat Shalom …. David & Josie Silver
