A Messianic Perspective of:

Transcription

1 A Messianic Perspective of: Shavuot (Pentecost) by Kanaan Ministries For those who know that the wild olive is grafted into the natural olive those who recognize their Jewish roots.

2 1 Cor 15:46 But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. The feast shows this clearly! The physical The spiritual The redemption from Israel The revelation at Mt Sinai ii

3 Amanda Buys Spiritual Covering This is a product by Kanaan Ministries, a non-profit ministry under the covering of: El Shaddai Christian Church, Durbanville Pastor Ken Turner Biblisches Glaubenszentrum Ludwigsburg Pastor Karl-Heinz Gunther, Germany Hatfield Congregation, Vaal Triangle Pastor Edward Gibbens Intercessors International Noël Bell, Australia There is no copyright on this material. However, no part may be reproduced and/or presented for personal gain. All rights to this material are reserved to further the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ ONLY. Published by: Kanaan Ministries For further information or to place an order, please contact us at: P.O. Box John Vorster Avenue Panorama Plattekloof Ext Parow 7500 Cape Town Cape Town South Africa South Africa Tel: (+27) (21) Fax: (+27) (21) kanaan@iafrica.com Website: Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 3 pm. iii

4 CONTENTS Page PREFACE (vi) INTRODUCTION 1 FEASTS OF YAHWEH 3 SPIRITUAL SPACE AND TIME 7 SHAVUOT (PENTECOST) Introduction Commandment to keep Agricultural background Timing and religious calendar Names/Aspects of this festival The time of giving the torah Day of first fruits Festival of harvest Atzeres, or The feast of assembly, or The feast of restriction Themes of this feast Giving of the Ten Commandments / Torah Accept the Torah / Commandments by faith Love your neighbour Giving of the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit) or, 20 said differently, A Betrothal Contract for Marriage 3.5 Bringing the Old and the New Testament together: 22 The Torah and the Holy Spirit 3.6 Torah = Law New Testament application The path to Sinai a process of restoration Day Day Ex 19:5 You will be the most beloved treasure of all peoples Ex 19:6 Kingdom of priests and holy nation Ex 19: iv

5 4.6 What gives us a foundation? Shavuot: Fire & water/awe & love The Ten Commandments We must establish a greater platform The principles in the Feast of Shavuot that were fulfilled by Jesus and are reflected in the New Testament The Ten Commandments and how they are systematically broken by Israel with the result of pain and separation from God The Ten Commandments The first and second Commandments The third Commandment The fourth Commandment The fifth Commandment The sixth Commandment The seventh Commandment The eighth Commandment The ninth Commandment The tenth Commandment The festival / feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) Introduction The order of events of this feast & how to keep the 39 feast physically ( body ) 4.3 Time for empowerment and how to keep the 44 feast mental ( soul ) 4.4 Time to grow in the Spirit and how to keep the 44 feast spiritually ( spirit ) CONCLUSION 47 REFERENCES 50 APPENDIX A: Jewish holidays 51 v

6 PREFACE This is the second in a series of books put together to try and assist Christians in their understanding of their Jewish roots and of the significance of the Jewish festivals to us as Christians. In so doing we hope to bridge the gap between the physical experience of the feast and the spiritual significance thereof in the New Jerusalem (Revelation). In the first book we focussed on the Pesach (Passover) and the two feasts associated with Pesach (the Feast of unleavened bread and the Feast of first fruits) and in this book the focus will be on the Shavuot (Pentecost). The journey toward my Jewish roots began a few years ago when I (Roland) attended a Barmitzvah in a local synagogue. After the service they told this story: Every young man at the age of 13 years goes through a process ending in the declaration of his entering manhood. He is given a new name. His name is engraved on a wooden carving of a tree the tree of life. The rabbi sends a note to Jerusalem where his name is entered into the Book of Life. He doesn t need a visa if he should go to Israel and, because his name is recorded and he can stay there forever. As they told this story I saw in it the New Testament truth of accepting Jesus as your personal Saviour and of being accepted into the Kingdom of God. What was being done in the natural at a Barmitzvah had a spiritual parallel in the kingdom of God. I realized that if we observe the Jewish festivals and celebrations in the natural we would uncover spiritual patterns and truths. My thanks to a spiritual friend, Arthur Aaron, who started me (Roland) down this path, to Zanne Mouton for the hours of typing and also to Emeritus Professor Rosalie Thompson for all the hours of editing. These notes are the first fruits of our study and already we have realized that there is so much more to add. Our suggestions for using this book are as follows: 1. Study our thoughts and the heart with which is was written. 2. Keep in mind the fact that we are looking for spiritual truths that are manifested in the natural and are not suggesting legalism. 3. Consider the strands and concepts that link the: Old and New Testament Jew and Christian vi

7 And consider what position you should take in relation to: The Jewish people Jerusalem The keeping of the feasts Remember, you need to count the cost: If I should forget you O Jerusalem Let my right hand lose its skill If I do not remember you Let my tongue cling to the roof Of my mouth If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. (Ps 137:5) 4. Before coming to Shavuot (empowerment of the Torah and the Holy Spirit) we encourage you first to consider the process of Pesach (Passover) of personal deliverance, meeting with God face to face and the process of Unleavened Bread (dealing with the old man). The simple order of this process is clear but it also contains a Biblical truth, namely that one cannot pray for the cleansing of the city or nation before one has dealt with issues at a personal level. Nor can one pray effectively without the enabling and direction of the Holy Spirit. This order is validated in that the next major feast of Yom Kippur deals with the cleansing of the nation. This book is still in a developmental phase and we would therefore welcome feedback from those who have used it. Suggestions for improvements would be particularly appreciated, as would any testimonies as a result of your having used this book and applied it to your life. Yours in Christ Roland & Amanda Buys Revision: June 2003 vii