And when the day of 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 Spirit, 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. - Acts 2:1-5
I thought I would give you a little insight into some of the upcoming seasons that we experience here in Israel.
God was designing and creating His divine calendar on the fourth day of creation. The purpose was and is to teach us about His plan of redemption through Yeshua the Messiah.
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”. – Gen.1:14
A key word that we must understand in Genesis 1:14 is seasons. This word has been translated and interpreted incorrectly for centuries. The root meaning of the word season is the Hebrew word “moade or moadim”, it means “an appointed time, a festival.”
Traditionally, Shavuot or The Feast of Weeks, or The Day of First Fruits (Yom HaBikkurim)(Numbers 28:26) commemorates the revelation of the Torah on Mt. Sinai to the Jewish people, and occurs on the 50th day after the Feast of Passover. Shavuot is one of the three biblically based pilgrimage holidays. It is associated with the grain harvest in the Torah.
Since Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover, Hellenistic Jews gave it the name “Pentecost” or “50th Day”.
So back to the Book of Acts. Acts 1:15 tells us who the “they” were in Act 2:1
“And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, (the number of names together were about a hundred and twenty)”
120 disciples of Yeshua (“devout men of every nation under heaven”) in Jerusalem, celebrating the required pilgrimage, the “appointed time”….Shavuot.
Here’s the significance….During the Feast of First Fruits of Passover, Paul tells us in ICor. 15:20-22, “But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive. “
So what happened exactly 50 days later….Acts 2. On the Day of First Fruits, Yom HaBikkurim, Shavuot, Pentecost… 120 devout men were “made alive”, as they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Shortly thereafter… “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” …Acts 2:41
It was the Shavuot “Harvest”…not of wheat, but of souls!
It was truly a time to rejoice, a time of deliverance and a time of Jubilee.
The number 50 is mentioned in the Bible over 300 times
The number 50 is significant…jubilee, rejoicing, & deliverance are its meanings.
As Moses received the “Law” on tablets of stone, on a future Shavuot, the Holy Spirit was fulfilling Jeremiah’s words in Chapter 31….”I will put my Law in your inward parts and write it in their hearts”.
I pray you can use this teaching to “provoke your Jewish friends to jealousy”.
You now know more about “their” holiday than they do.
Special Prayer Requests:
We have a Team coming from Calvary South Denver in a few weeks. Please pray for ‘Divine Appointments’ and safety
We have looked at a home that has some great possibilities. Please pray for a favorable long-term contract & affordability.
Pray that many more teams will consider coming to serve,,,to be a blessing…to be blessed.
Pray for two of our children currently serving in the IDF, and one in the reserves.
A few weeks ago we met with the Israel Director of Jews For Jesus and the Israel Director of CMA Ministries….both are excited to be working with us in the near future…Praise The Lord.
If you are interested in supporting our work in Israel, you can
If you have any questions email us at: larryandbess@gmail.com
Blessings From Jerusalem
Larry & Bess
