Bereans Online enews http://www.bereansonline.org B"H Shavuot - Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17; Numbers 28:26-28:31 After counting the Omer for "seven sevens," at sundown begins the Feast of Shavuot [i.e. "Weeks," "Sevens," or "Pentecost"]. As you can see, Shavuot, is not based upon a calendar date. Instead it is based upon counting the Omer. In other words, it is determined not by a fixed date, or some obscure calculations... but actual evening-to-evening countings to arrive at the Leviticus 23 mandated "seven sevens" (or 49 days). The day after the seventh seven is counted, is the day of Shavuot (two days in the Diaspora). This 49+1 is where the English word "Pentecost" comes from. You will notice I did not include the method arrived at by Western calendars, which always sets "Pentecost" on another day. The reason? It is simple: the biblical instructions regarding Shavuot found primarily in Leviticus 23 make it very clear that the Shavuot is directly related to, and following Pesach [Passover]. The dating for the Western "Pentecost" is not connected to Passover at all. It is connected to Easter, which we have seen in the past has no biblical basis at all (note to all inventors of new man-made "holy days" - don't pick names of pagan deities for your days, unless you want even mildly curious people to wonder at the irony of celebrating "holy" things dressed in a pagan costumes). Passover does not equal Easter. And no, Yeshua was not raised from the dead on "Easter" - but rather during the Week of Unleavened Bread (but you knew that already). Just like Easter has nothing to do with Passover or the Resurrection of Messiah, so "Pentecost," has nothing to do with Shavuot. Here is how a page on Christianity Today's web site described Pentecost: Pentecost is the 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the birthday of the church as 2000 or so years ago the first apostles and disciples of Jesus gathered and prayed in the Upper Room and suddenly the Holy Spirit came down from above. Where do I begin - there is so much that is based on "church" tradition, and so little based on what Scripture actually says. First, Shavuot is 50 days after the "day after the Sabbath, following Passover" (the term "Sabbath" is what makes it an honest debate between counting methods). The assumption is that Yeshua rose on that day following the weekly Sabbath, following Passover. It is a reasonable assumption - but regardless, the day of Shavuot is not arrived at by taking, "Resurrection + 50", or "Resurrection + 49" - it is arrived at by doing as we are commanded in Leviticus 23: by Counting the Omer. If you don't have Passover, you don t have Shavuot. Now for "the birthday of the church?" I know full well that this is the predominate explanation of what happened in Shavuot some 2,000 years ago, but I can assure you, the "church" was not born on that date. And as we will see, the martyr Stephen would have heartily disagreed with such a theological assumption, for which there is no Scriptural proof, other than millennia of "church" tradition.
Of course, "church" is a very poor English word that is used for the Greek word ekklesia. "Church" was the word the King James translators chose to use, but prior to that, English versions generally used some form of "Assembly" or "Congregation" etc. Those who know Latin-based languages know that English is the odd European language in regards to this word. Most European languages have a word that is more or less a transliteration of the word ekklesia [assembly of called out ones]. What is ironic is that those who hold to this theological anachronism (Pentecost is the birthday of the "church") - don't apparently read Acts 7:37-38 in the King James Version which says, This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall HaShem your G-d raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us. Acts 7:37-38 KJV In this verse, the Greek word for "church" is ekklesia. It is the same word used for the congregation of Israel all throughout the Septuagint [Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures]. The ekklesia was not a new thing on that Shavuot nearly 2,000 years ago - and if it was, then we should be very fearful indeed, for many "new things" of similar nature have sprouted since. No, G-d's chosen assembly was birthed long before that Shavuot in the First Century. A more sound theological perspective reads Hebrews 11 and sees that those listed are not part of a different assembly of believers, but the same assembly of believers as those in the First Century... and ourselves as well. Hebrews 11 shows that the mystery of the Body of Messiah is not only "Jew and Gentile" in one body - but that body is made up of believers from all time. From righteous Abel onward, all believers are the Body of Messiah, the Congregation of the Righteous. All are Israel. The next problem with common assumptions regarding Pentecost is the "upper room" part. It all stems from some poor biblical observation, and just like the "birthday of the church" statement, it comes not from Scripture, but from millennia of "church" tradition. Here is the last mention of any "upper room" in the Scriptures: And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. Acts 1:13 The events of Shavuot do not occur until the next chapter. And when the day of Pentecost [Shavuot] was 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 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 Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, 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. Acts 2:1-6 Of course, there is no mention of any "upper room." The Scripture says that the event was Shavuot ("fully come..." in other words, they had been counting the days of the Omer as commanded in Leviticus 23). They were in "one accord, in one place." Honestly, this could be anywhere in Jerusalem; but where would any devout Jew be on Shavuot? Where they were commanded to be: in the Temple environs. Of course, that creates problems for many "church" theologies, which are decidedly anti-temple. More importantly, it says that a sound from heaven and a mighty rushing wind filled the "house." What "house?" What you may not know is that many of the times you read "Temple" in the Hebrew Scriptures, you are reading the simple word bayit. Today, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is called Har Ha Bayit. Bayit, is simply the word, "house." Further evidence that this occurrence is at the Temple is of course the crowds who hear Peter's powerful message on that Shavuot. The result was 3,000 believers on that Shavuot. Anyone who has walked the tiny streets of Jerusalem knows full well that there is only one place large enough for 3,000 + people to hear Peter: the Bayit, the Temple itself. Add to that the 3,000 who were immersed on that day, and the only place that could accommodate that was the Bayit, the Temple, with its rows of mikvaot [immersion pools] at its entrances. Some people like to think that Jesus (or worse, Paul) started a new religion (Christianity). They assume that it was inaugurated on Pentecost, where former Jews withdrew from the Temple system (the old religion) and repented from obedience to the Law (think of the absurdity of that for a moment - repented from obeying the Law, the Torah of G-d?). Beloved, this thinking is not only anachronistic, it is evil. What better testimony than Peter, John and Paul - who continue to worship in the Bayit, the Temple (read Acts again). No, this was not a new religion - nor was this is a new assembly of believers. This was the same assembly of those who followed the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob. So, what really happened on that Shavuot nearly 2,000 years ago? The answer is better found (as all things in the Apostolic Scriptures) by turning to the Torah. You see, the powerful Presence of the Holy Spirit coming on Shavuot was not random... it happened on Shavuot for a reason. The dating for Exodus 19-21 is "in the third month" (Exodus 19:1). The giving of the Ten Words [Ten Commandments] at Sinai is the "Shavuot experience" of the Hebrew Scriptures. Here is how the Torah records the beginning of that day: Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because HaShem descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and G-d answered him by voice. Then HaShem came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. Exodus 19:18-19
Then there was that Voice. The Voice that spoke so that all Israel heard it. The Voice that the Psalmist speaks of in Psalms 29:1-9, a Voice that shatters trees and shakes the wilderness. A Voice that splits fire. Beloved, the tongues of fire was not a new thing at that Shavuot in the First Century. It was evidence of the same G-d that split the sky, and the fire at Sinai. It will be the same thing seen when King Messiah Yeshua reigns on His throne in Jerusalem. Then HaShem will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. Isaiah 4:5 That Voice at Sinai was seen - it was visible. Scripture does not tell us in what form it was seen, only that it was seen (Exodus 20:18, "thundering" is "Voices" in Hebrew). One tradition holds that the Voice was seen as a fire - and went through the camp of Israel, splitting to rest on each person. That it was divided into 70 "voices" speaking all the languages of the earth, so that all the nations (in addition to Israel) could hear G-d speak on their own tongue. Similarly the Midrash Rabbah relates to us, When G-d gave the Torah on Sinai, He displayed untold marvels to Israel with His voice. What happened? G-d spoke and the Voice reverberated throughout the world... that G-d's voice, as it was uttered, split up into seventy voices, in seventy languages, so that all the nations should understand... Exodus Rabbah 5:9 Doesn't that sound like Acts 2? So what happened at that first Shavuot following the resurrection of Yeshua? It was not something new - it was somewhere new. The Voice was the same Voice. It was saying the same thing (Repent...Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19). It was now speaking from a new place: the mouths of His people. Traditionally, we celebrate Shavuot as the giving of Torah. For believers, this remains true. Staying up on Erev Shavuot to study Torah is of particular delight. Thanking G-d for His blessed Word is a duty of all who follow Yeshua. In addition, we who know Yeshua have been given further insight into the significance of Shavuot and the harvest it commemorates. The Torah was given on tablets at Sinai on Shavuot. That same Torah brings a harvest in the lives of all who love G-d's Word. That same Torah is now being written in a new place: upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31). What was new on Shavuot in the First Century? Not a new religion. Not a new Law - but rather a new place for G-d's words (our mouths) and a new place for His Torah (our hearts). Now that is something to celebrate! For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will ascend
into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, "Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?" But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 Chag Sameach [A joyful feast!]!