The Fourth Feast Day
Shavuot, Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks (High Shabbat)
Shavuot must be observed by counting 50 days from the first weekly Shabbat after Passover, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The first day of this count, as we learned last week, is the Feast of Firstfruits. These fifty days will total seven complete Shabbat days, which is significant as seven represents completeness. The Torah does not specify or provide a fixed date for Shavuot, making it a moveable feast, which occurs according to the fifty-day count it’s tied to, as explained above.
Shavuot, also known as Pentecost in modern Christian tradition, commemorates the outpouring of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit) as recorded in Acts 2. The name ‘Pentecost’ comes from the Greek word pentekoste, meaning ‘fiftieth,’ referring to the fifty-day count leading to Shavuot. While Christians commonly associate this day with the Ruach Ha’Kodesh’s descent on the disciples, Shavuot also has deep roots in the Hebrew Scriptures, linked to the giving of the commands and the establishment of the covenant between 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and His people at Mount Sinai.
Shavuot will, however, always fall in the month of Sivan, the third Hebrew month. It will always be on a Sunday (the first day of the week), as the day after the first weekly Shabbat (the seventh day) after the Passover is a Sunday. Seven Shabbats and fifty days later will always fall on a Sunday. The fifth-day count will sometimes fall on the sixth day of Sivan, but it’s not fixed to the sixth of Sivan as the rabbinical priesthood of old and modern Jew-ish people believe (Rev 2:9, 3:9).
𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (The Name of Our Creator)
𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 (The Name of the Son – Yahusha or Yahshua)
Shabbats and Feast Days begin at sundown and conclude at the following sundown
Counting to Shavuot
Why are we counting from one feast day to another feast day?
There is a connection between the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), highlighted by their offerings. Both feasts are tied to the agricultural harvest and mark significant points in that cycle. One marks the beginning, and the other the completion.
- The Feast of Firstfruits offers the first of the harvest to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 (Leviticus 23:10-11), acknowledging His provision and sovereignty over the land or giving back the first and best of what you have received. This is done by waving raw, beaten barley sheaves before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
- The Feast of Weeks marks the completion of the harvest. It is a time of thanksgiving for the fullness of the harvest reaped (Leviticus 23:17). This is displayed by waving two baked loaves of leavened bread before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
As we progress in this study, you will see the significance of Shavuot blossom, but let me quickly highlight a few key points. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 fulfilled the symbolism of the Old Testament wave-sheaf offering, becoming the firstfruits of the harvest, the first resurrected Son of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and the first to complete the process of salvation and be “born again.” However, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 could not have become the captain of our salvation without possessing an essential ingredient—the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit)—which is necessary for all who are to be born again.
The second, or final, step—symbolized by the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)—marks the completion of the harvest. The two loaves of leavened bread represent the fullness of the harvest. It’s important to note that even after the salvation harvest is marked, sin remains within humanity. Nevertheless, this does not negate the offering; rather, it points to the ongoing process of sanctification. The presence of leaven in the two loaves mirrors the reality that the people of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄—Yahshar’el and Gentiles grafted in as wild branches—though redeemed, are still in the process of transformation. Note: Gentiles being “grafted in” (Romans 11:17) are now a part of the same covenant.
Ultimately, the time between Firstfruits and Shavuot (the 50 days) is not just a countdown to a festival but a spiritual process. It’s a cycle that mirrors the believer’s walk—from the initial offering of the firstfruits of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏‘s sacrifice to the completion of that work through the outpouring of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh at Shavuot. This outpouring provided the missing essential ingredient that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 had and promised to give to us—empowering us to live in obedience to the laws and commandments of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. The power to fulfill the Torah was made available to all believers.
he one who keeps his commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”
1 John 3:24 (HRB)
Obedience to the Torah is the evidence of one’s faith and proof of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit) being in him.
In this and all Food for Thoughts I recommend you read the Scripture(s) provided and the entire chapter they are from to obtain more insight.
Timeline From the Passover in Egypt to Yahshar’el’s Interaction With 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 on Mount Sinai
First of the Month (Head of the Months – Exodus 12:2)
- 14th – First Passover -(Exodus 12:1-13)
- 15th – 21st – Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:15-20)
- 16th – First Weekly Shabbat after Passover
- 17th – Feast of Firstfruits – Not Observed in the wilderness (Leviticus 23:10-11, Exodus 23:16)
- 17th to 6th of the third Month – Counting the Omer (Leviticus 23:15-16)
Third Month (Sivan on the Hebrew Calendar – Esther 8:9)
- 1st of Sivan – Arrival at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:1-2)
- 3rd of Sivan – Preparation for the Covenant (Exodus 19:10-11)
- 6th of Sivan – Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) – The giving of the law and acceptance of the Covenant by Yahshar’el (Exodus 19:16-20, Exodus 20:1-17, Exodus 24:7-8) Not Observed in the wilderness
Though Yahshar’el was not able to observe the agricultural feast days in the wilderness, due to not yet possessing the Promised Land, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 still orchestrated His plan through the timing of His Feast Days, pointing toward future events in His redemptive plan. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 operates in cycles, with each feast serving as a reminder and pattern that reveals His ultimate purpose. The events of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏‘s death and resurrection, aligning with Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, are not random but are part of the divine plan that reflects the hand of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
Similarly, the connection between the first Shavuot, when the commandments and covenant were given, and the Shavuot after 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏‘s resurrection, when the covenant was renewed, and the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (Set Apart Spirit) was poured out, demonstrates how 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 works through revelation and restoration. 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 used the same cycle, but through 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 as the Passover Lamb, He allowed Yahshar’el and the wild grafted-in branches (Romans 11:17) to renew the covenant, with the addition of the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh (John 14:15-17, John 15:26), empowering us to live in obedience to His ways, laws, commandments, precepts, and Torah. Though we have received this empowerment, we have yet to experience the full realization of the prophecy in which 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will write His laws on our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31:33-34). We eagerly await that ultimate fulfillment.
It is also traditionally believed that the giving of the Torah was on the day of Shavuot. However, this is not rooted in biblical facts but more so in theological and Modern-day Jewish interpretations passed down over the centuries. When it comes to biblical teaching and observance, it’s critical to avoid assuming things based on tradition unless we can find clear scriptural evidence to support them. The Torah was not given all at once on Shavuot or at Sinai. But, it came progressively over time, beginning with the Ten Commandments and continuing with other laws and instructions, as recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Scriptures
- Leviticus 23:9-22 – 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 commands the Shavuot (Feast of Weeks or Feast of First Fruits) and provides specific instructions.
- Acts 2:1-5 – After Yahshua’s death, burial, and resurrection. His closest followers, Peter, the other Apostles, and many others numbering around 120, kept the Shabbat and Shavuot (Pentecost).
- Acts 20:16 – Paul kept the day of Shavuot (Pentecost).
- Joel 2:28-32 – 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 promises to pour out His Spirit, connecting this promise to the event in Acts 2.
- John 7:37-39, 14:15-17 – 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 promises the coming of the Spirit, linking the giving of the Spirit to Shavuot.
On the Day of Shavuot (High Shabbat)
- No work, buying, or selling
- Refrain from self-seeking activities or distractions from the holiness of the day
- Rest
- Cooking is allowed
- Feast
- Have a holy gathering (Fellowship with other believers if possible)
Conclusion
On Shavuot, we celebrate not only the harvest, the commandments, and the covenant 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 made with His people (Exodus 19:1-6, 20:1-17), but also the profound outpouring of His Spirit upon humanity. Just as Yahshar’el received the laws that would guide their lives and establish their covenant with 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, the disciples were likewise empowered by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh to spread the message of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏 and live in obedience to His laws. This parallel underscores 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄‘s desire to dwell within His people, offering both the guidance of His commandments and the transformative power of His Spirit. In essence, Shavuot is a pivotal moment in salvation history, where the promises of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤔𐤏, the keeping of the covenant, and obedience to the law through the Ruach Ha’Kodesh converge.
We will continue with the next feast or Feast(s) next week 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 willing.
By: David Edwards – Hallelu-YAH – Praise YAH – Praise 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
