FEAST OF WEEKS

#4 of 7Beginning with the first day after the regular Sabbath on Saturday during the Feast of the Unleavened bread (which is called the Feast of the First Fruits) and counting seven weeks brings us to the fiftieth day and the summer feast: The Feast of Weeks, Shavout or PENTECOST. This takes place in the Jewish ecclesiastical month of Sivan. The sons of Jacob were told:

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD." -- Lev 23:15-17

This date corresponded with the wheat harvest. On this day the Israelites, in addition to the burnt offerings, were not to bring the sheaves like they did with the barley, but to offer two loaves of baked bread using fine flour with leaven. The Priests in a "wave offering" were to wave them together, thus appearing to be one. They could not be placed on the altar due to the leaven (which represents sin) and they could not be eaten until after the ceremony. The burnt offerings consisted of two rams, two lambs and a bull. Afterward, everyone was invited to celebrate at the feast--- the poor, the strangers and the Levites.
According to both Jewish oral tradition and Rabinical scholars, it is believed it was on this day that God visited the Israelites in the wilderness and gave them the ten commandments. It is considered by some to be the birthday of the nation of Israel.

In the New Testament period, Jesus had spent forty days after His resurrection with the disciples. During this time He ministered to them as well as over 500 other people (1 Cor 15:6). Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until He sent the Holy Spirit.

"To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." --Acts 1:3-5
Ten days later, on the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, in the upper room as they were praying, Jesus' final act of His first coming was accomplished. He sent the Holy Spirit to descend on the believers. Peter, now being filled with the Holy Spirit, preached to the men of Judea, and 3000 people believed, repented and were baptized (Acts 2:1, 4, 41).

The two equal leavened loaves of fine flour symbolize both the Jew and the Gentile that will now be God's people. Inviting all to attend the feast supports this--as this is the birthday of the church! Notice the leaven present in the loaves--- the church has yet to be glorified-- there is still sin within the church. Jesus was represented as unleavened, we as leavened.

Thus we see that the Lord God Almighty uses His covenanted feasts for SIGNIFICANT PURPOSES.

Jesus' FIRST COMING fulfilled the typography of the first four Feasts.

- -- -WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE SUMMER - - - --- A TIME OF LABOR IN THE FIELDS AND PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL HARVEST

."I tell you, lift up your eyes and see
how the fields are already white for harvest."
---John 4:35