HOW ARE THE JEWISH FEAST OF WEEKS AND PENTECOST CONNECTED?

God gave the children of Israel the Feasts of the Lord to point them to the Messiah Jesus. 

Seven weeks from, or on the 50^th day following Jesus’ resurrection, Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Shavuot.  Shavuot means “weeks” in Hebrew.  Thus, this holiday is also called the Feast of Weeks.  Believers in Jesus know this day, 50 days following Jesus’ resurrection, as Pentecost.  Pentecost in Greek means “50.”  This year the Church celebrated Pentecost on May 15^th. 

Pentecost, the birth of the Church, is connected to a Jewish feast?  Really?

Acts 2:5 tells us that there were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, Jews - devout men from every nation under heaven.  They gathered to celebrate the Feast of Weeks.  According to Jewish tradition, the Feast of Weeks commemorates the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai.

Jesus had told the disciples directly before He ascended into heaven that they were not to depart from Jerusalem; they were to wait for the Promise of the Father (Acts 1:8).  Jesus told them, You shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. . . .    The disciples of Jesus, following His resurrection, were gathered in one place – waiting for His promise.   And on that Feast of Weeks, on the day of Pentecost, came a sound from heaven – like a rushing mighty wind – and it filled all the house.  And there appeared unto them tongues as of fire (Acts 2:3) that rested on each of the disciples.

What are these tongues?  Acts 1:8 - Jesus had told them that the Holy Spirit would come upon them – and they would be witnesses – they would SPEAK of Him.  Jesus told them, . . . and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  Why “tongues as of fire”?  Fire in Scripture speaks of judgment; fire also speaks of purging.  At Pentecost God sent fire from heaven to show His power.  The fire that God sent descended upon LIVING sacrifices (Rom. 12:1).  HE, the Holy Spirit, descended upon and permanently indwelled individuals as the tongues of fire sat upon each.  On this Feast of Weeks, 50 days following Jesus’ resurrection, God empowered the disciples, Jewish men, to follow their destiny, to bless all the nations of the world by sharing the message of redemption/deliverance through the Messiah Jesus. 

At Pentecost we see the door opened wider to the nations.  Jesus told the disciples, You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  (God’s plan of redemption has always been for both Jew and Gentile [Gen. 12:3; Isa. 49:5-6])

Jewish tradition teaches that the Feast of Weeks commemorates God giving the commandments, the Law, to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  We read in Ex. 32 that while Moses was communicating with the Lord and receiving His law, the children of Israel were out of control down below.  They were worshipping a golden calf.   When Moses came down to the people and witnessed this perversion, he said in Ex. 32: 26, Whoever is on the Lord’s side, come to me.  The sons of Levi moved toward Moses.  Ex. 32:27 -  And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’   Moses instructed the Levites to kill their fellow Israelites!!!  Ex. 32:28, So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses.  And about three thousand men of the people fell that day – about 3,000 DIED that day – at the giving of the Law!!!  On the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost, 50 days following the resurrection of Jesus, what does Acts 2:41 tell us?  “About 3,000” people were given ETERNAL LIFE!  What an amazing contrast is taught between the Feast of Weeks and Pentecost.  The law is called the ministration of death in II Cor. 3:7.  Please know that the law reflects Who God is.  The law is perfect; it restores the soul (Psa. 19:7).  The law, however, cannot save; the law cannot justify (Rom. 3:20).  The law revealed to the children of Israel their sin.  II Cor. 3:6 states that the Spirit gives life.  The Feast of Weeks looked forward to Pentecost.  Pentecost is the rest of the story of the Feast of Weeks.  Pentecost is a fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks.

God gave the children of Israel 7 feasts to. . . REMEMBER what God had done on their behalf in the past. . .to WORSHIP Him always. . .and to ANTICIPATE the Promised One – the Messiah.

In Leviticus 23 God instructs the children of Israel to offer a NEW GRAIN offering to the Lord on the Feast of Weeks.  Lev. 23:17 - You shall bring from your dwellings TWO WAVE LOAVES. . . .   What did this new grain offering in the form of two wave loaves anticipate?  Eph. 2:15 -  having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,  The Church, born on the day of Pentecost, is comprised of Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus – one new man!

How glorious is God’s plan of redemption!

For more detailed information concerning the connection between the Feast of Weeks and Pentecost, go to www.jewishrootsofchristianity.org  - click on the LESSONS link, under the PDFs, under Book of Ruth (2016) click on Week 8.  For the audio recording of the same lesson, scroll down to the MP3s, under Book of Ruth (2106) click on Week 8.