Feast of Weeks/Shavu’ot/Pentecost: The 50th day and the Holy Spirit
The second day of Passover/Pesach begins a seven-week counting of the Omer that adds up to 49 days. The next day, the 50th day, is the actual Shavu’ot. What makes this significant is that when the Israelites were freed from their bondage in Egypt, they accepted YHWH’s Torah (Instructions in Righteousness) 50 days later at Mt. Sinai. The counting of the days is done in anticipation of receiving the Torah. This is the event that committed them as a nation to YHWH. It is also important to know that 50 is the number of the Holy Spirit.
The 50th day of the Feast of Weeks (Shavu’ot) commemorates the giving of the Torah and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Christianity refers to this day as the day of Pentecost (Pentēkostē/fiftieth), which is not a separate feast or holy day. It is simply the 50th day. What is most important regarding this day, however, is that the Holy Spirit was given as promised by Y’shua and prophesied by the prophet Joel (Yo’el). The Feast was fulfilled when the promised Holy Spirit came upon the disciples of Y’shua in the temple. It was the beginning of the body of Messiah on Earth, in which all those who believed and were redeemed through the blood of Messiah, were made known to the Father and set apart.
Let’s go to the Word:
Acts 1:4-8 (ESV)
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 2:1-41 (ESV)
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
This, of course, is not an in-depth study of Shavu’ot/Pentecost. I simply wanted to bring attention to the Feast at hand and its significance. The day of Pentecost is very important to the body of Messiah. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to be effective witnesses to the world. If you want to know what the body of Messiah is supposed to really look like, look no further than the book of Acts. I can write a whole other series on Acts alone. If the reader has any questions, such as, “when do we start counting the Omer?” or “which sabbath is the sheaf waved?” I will do my best to answer the questions. Suggested reading during Shavu'ot is the Book of Ruth, Exodus 19:1 thru 20:23; Numbers 28:26-31; and Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12.
May we be effective witnesses of Messiah and boldly take the Gospel to the world; making disciples of the nations. Let us feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Let us care for the widow and orphan. Let us fulfill the Great commission and occupy until our Kings return!