As we approach Shavuot (Pentecost), we would like to share an article from Jewish Voice, as well as ask you to consider our following article which we pray will be a wakeup call to believers to seek a greater filling of the Ruach HaKodesh, that we may be equipped to do Abba’s work.
The Meaning of Shavuot
On the Jewish calendar, Shavuot marks the conclusion of a seven-week period known as sefirat ha-Omer, the counting of the Omer. Beginning on the second day of Passover, we are commanded to count 49 days leading up to Shavuot (Leviticus 23:15). In agricultural terms, this is a time of anxiety and anticipation for farmers who observe their ripening grain. In religious terms, counting the Omer links physical and spiritual redemption. Just as Passover celebrates physical freedom of the Israelite's redemption from bondage in Egypt, Shavuot celebrates spiritual liberation through their experience of God's presence and revelation at Sinai. In the Passover exodus, God brought a people out from among the nations. At Sinai on that first Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, or later, Pentecost, God created a nation set apart for Himself. He revealed Himself and how to live as a redeemed community, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). The presence of God on that day was attended with great supernatural events: "the mountains shook violently, the ram's horn blew louder and louder, there were flashes of lightning, smoke rose upon the mountain and God spoke in the thunder (Exodus 19:18,19).
Shavuot is one of the three pilgrimage festivals and a special Sabbath—a day of no work and holy assembly. The first fruits of the harvest were to be brought before the Lord as an offering and all the men of Israel were to come to the Temple in Jerusalem. As the Jewish people celebrate this feast year after year, they recount the awesome events that took place at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It is what defines them as a people. Therefore it was not by chance that God chose Shavuot, more commonly called Pentecost among Christians, for this miraculous event took place exactly seven weeks following Yeshua's last Passover. This was a time when Jerusalem would have been filled with Jews from all the surrounding lands who had come with great anticipation to "meet with the Lord"—the meaning of the "appointed times" listed in Leviticus 23—Jewish people of that time had a keen sense of this.
The first followers of Yeshua (Jesus) must have had a greater sense of expectation as they were told by the Lord Himself that, "in a few days you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit!" (see Acts 1:5) before He was taken up before their eyes. Acts 2 records that approximately 120 followers of Yeshua were gathered in Jerusalem for the Shavuot celebration when "suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them" (Acts 2:1-4). This was what was spoken of in Jeremiah 31 when he foretold of the New Covenant and Ezekiel 36:27, "I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."
No longer would man walk by commandments on tablets of stone, but by the Holy Spirit, who would write the law on hearts of flesh and give power to overcome the powers of darkness…the law of sin and death…while empowering us to become witnesses to the ends of the earth! The "church" had been born. Just as the nation of Israel had been created in the wilderness of Sinai to reveal the one true God to the world, now the doors had opened to the nations to come and know and worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Whereas God once dwelt in the Temple fashioned of bricks and mortar, by His Spirit, He now dwells in vessels of clay. Whereas men once went up to Jerusalem to enjoy God's presence, His presence now remains with us as we travel the earth taking His wonderful message—this Good News of the Messiah of Israel to the Jewish People and to the nations.
Sarah
SHAVUOT – UNITY!
Why did Yah gather His people from Egypt and bring them to Sinai to meet with Him and betroth them to Himself?
Why did Yah command His people to annually gather together for these three Feasts?
And why, thirteen hundred years later, did Yeshua command His followers to gather together in Jerusalem until they are endowed with the power of the Ruach Hakodesh (Holy Spirit)?
And why did Yeshua pray that His followers would be “one” (echad)?
It becomes quite obvious from study that when Yah desires to fellowship, instruct, and empower those He has called out, He requires unity. The theme of unity is found all through Scripture when Yah has a mighty work to do. So if we understand that our Father desires us to be “one” (echad) in order to bring the power of the Spirit, we can also discern the work of the enemy in separating and causing divisions among believers. Look at the “church” today – how many factions, denominations, quarrels, and schisms can you count? We are divided into catholic, protestant, amish, spirit-filled, not spirit-filled, Messianic, gentile, two-house, one-house, one-man, nazarite, baptist, church-going, “I am the church”, home church, wine at communion, grape juice at communion, no communion, only at Passover communion, feast-keepers, tradition-keepers, Yahweh only, Yahovah only, Yeshua, Jesus, Torah observant, law-done-away-with, baptism by immersion, baptism by sprinkling, Sabbath keeping, Sunday worshiping, …(I could go on and on, but you get the idea). Is this what Yeshua died for? Is this what Yah intended when He instructed His people to gather together annually to celebrate Him?
The Unity of the Spirit has been sacrificed on the altar of “self”. "My kingdom rather than His." "My interpretation of Scripture is different from yours, so we cannot fellowship in unity." --- STOP IT!!!! I can envision Yeshua making a whip of cords and running through each and every place of worship driving out the heresies of personal doctrines that keep His body separated. WAKE UP!!! The enemy has separated us to the point of impotence. Where are the miracles that Yeshua instructed us to do? Where are the healings of everyone prayed over? Where is the making of disciples that should exponentially eclipse the 3,000 saved at Shavuot? Why are we not following His command:
Mat 10:7 “And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The reign of the heavens has drawn near.’ “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons.
Luk 9:1 And having called His twelve taught ones together, He gave them power and authority over all demons, and to heal diseases. And He sent them to proclaim the reign of Elohim and to heal the sick.
Luk 10:8 “And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat whatever is placed before you, and heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The reign of Elohim has come near to you.’
Do you see a common thread here? The demonstration of the power of the Spirit was to show that Yah’s kingdom is real, and this was what was to be proclaimed. Has this message been lost? What are we preaching and teaching? Are we praying for healings or teaching our own pet doctrines to validate our own ministries, or rather are we working to usher people into the Kingdom of our Father provided by the death and resurrection of Yeshua through the unity of the Holy Spirit? As we approach Shavuot (Pentecost), and we discern the signs of the times and the birth pangs that are progressing toward tribulation, has there ever been a more important time for Yeshua’s body of followers to rise up in unity and the power of the Spirit to do Kingdom business?! As believers in Yeshua (Jesus), let’s take up our crosses and follow Him. Let’s gather at Shavuot wherever we can throughout the nations, in His name and in unity, to seek a greater outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), that we may be equipped to do His work.
Act 2:1 And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks had come, they were all with one mind in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.
Eph 4:1 I call upon you therefore, I the prisoner of the Master, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,
with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
being eager to guard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace –
one body and one Spirit, as you also were called in one expectation of your calling,
one Master, one belief, one immersion,
one Elohim and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
And He Himself gave some as emissaries, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers
for the perfecting of the set-apart ones, to the work of service to a building up of the body of the Messiah,
until we all come to the unity of the belief and of the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the completeness of Messiah, …
Eze 37:15 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
“And you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it, ‘For Yehuḏah and for the children of Yisra’ĕl, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Yosĕph, the stick of Ephrayim, and for all the house of Yisra’ĕl, his companions.’
“Then bring them together for yourself into one stick, and they shall become one in your hand.
“And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Won’t you show us what you mean by these?’
say to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am taking the stick of Yosĕph, which is in the hand of Ephrayim, and the tribes of Yisra’ĕl, his companions. And I shall give them unto him, with the stick of Yehuḏah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.” ’
“And the sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.
“And speak to them, ‘Thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am taking the children of Yisra’ĕl from among the gentiles, wherever they have gone, and shall gather them from all around, and I shall bring them into their land.
“And I shall make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Yisra’ĕl. And one sovereign shall be sovereign over them all, and let them no longer be two nations, and let them no longer be divided into two reigns.
“And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols, nor with their disgusting matters, nor with any of their transgressions. And I shall save them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I shall cleanse them. And they shall be My people, and I be their Elohim,
while Dawiḏ My servant is sovereign over them. And they shall all have one shepherd and walk in My right-rulings and guard My laws, and shall do them.
“And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Yaʽaqoḇ My servant, where your fathers dwelt. And they shall dwell in it, they and their children and their children’s children, forever, and My servant Dawiḏ be their prince forever.
“And I shall make a covenant of peace with them – an everlasting covenant it is with them. And I shall place them and increase them, and shall place My set-apart place in their midst, forever.
“And My Dwelling Place shall be over them. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.
Psa 133:1 See how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity –
Like the precious oil on the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aharon, Running down on the collar of his robes –
Like the dew of Ḥermon, That comes down on the mountains of Tsiyon. For there יהוה commanded the blessing, Life forever!
Joh 17:20 “And I do not pray for these alone, but also for those believing in Me through their word,
so that they all might be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so that they too might be one in Us, so that the world might believe that You have sent Me.
“And the esteem which You gave Me I have given them, so that they might be one as We are one,
“I in them, and You in Me, so that they might be perfected into one, so that the world knows that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Jacque
