FEAST 4 : WEEKS *Fulfilled*

Feast of Weeks or also known as Pentecost

Significance:

·        Points to the Giving of the Holy Spirit

{As we start, let’s remind ourselves that these are NOT solely JEWISH celebrations or feasts but rather these are the LORD's appointed times.}

*Remember that the Spring "Feasts" have already been fulfilled by JESUS our Messiah.

The LORD’s Prophetic Time Clock

JESUS

1. Crucified – Passover
2. Buried – Feast of Unleavened Bread
3. Resurrected – Feast of First Fruits

N O W . . . let’s see how JESUS fulfills the Feast of Weeks…

PENTECOST

Pentecost is also Known As:

1. Shavu’ot [which is Hebrew for “weeks”]
2. Feast of Weeks
3. The Festival of the Giving of the Torah - in Hebraic circles

As a side note Pentecost is a Greek term meaning Fiftieth; since Pentecost occurs on the Fiftieth day.

NOTE:

From Passover to Pentecost / Shavu'ot we have the counting of the Omers...

An omer is simply a Hebraic term referring to a unit of dry measure

·        An omer of flour for example

The counting of the Omers signifies a count-down [7 weeks; 49 days] until Shavu’ot; hence Feast of Weeks.

IMPORTANT:

For the Hebrews:

·        Passover commemorates the Exodus

·        Shavu'ot commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

·        The Counting of the Omers commemorates the link between the two Feasts / Events.

TORAH

·        A Hebrew word meaning

“Instruction or teaching”

·        From the root YARAH meaning

to direct; as in directing or shooting an arrow to the “target”

...Counting the Omers

·         Seven weeks of repentance, introspection, prayer as they prepare for their ENCOUNTER with GOD

Leviticus 23 : 15 - 16

[15] “You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering.

·        7 full weeks or shavu’ot – hence the term Feast of Weeks

[16] You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. {{Then you shall present a grain offering of NEW grain to the LORD.}}

New Grain

The “Grain” of the Spring Feasts is BARLEY

The Grain of Pentecost is WHEAT

It is interesting to Note that in Exodus 9 : 32 the “wheat” was not destroyed by the hail

FEAST OF WEEKS

Leviticus 23 : 17

[17] You shall bring from your dwelling places two loaves of bread to be waved, made of two tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour, and they shall be baked with leaven, as first fruits to the LORD.

A quick note on Leaven:
Passover – No Leaven [representative of sin]

Pentecost – Leaven [Sin made acceptable]

What made leaven acceptable? Or WHO erased the connotation?

FEAST OF WEEKS

Takes place in the THIRD Month

Exodus 19 : 1

[1] In the third month after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai

o       Sinai means “Thorny”

o       The Law can be a thorn to us if we do not have the right perspective!.

Giving of the TORAH…

Exodus 24 : 12

[12] And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Come up to Me into the mount and be there; and I will give thee the tables of stone, and the LAW [TORAH] and the commandment [Mitzvah], which I have written, that thou mayest direct [yarah] them.'

What was given to Moses on Mount Sinai…?

1. The Tablets of Stone
2. The TORAH - Teachings or Instructions
3. The Mitzvah
1. Mitzvah is a word used in Judaism to refer to the 613 precepts / commandments which the Pharisees prided themselves in keeping.

  
Exodus 24 : 17 – 18

[17 ] Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel.

[18 ] Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

~Hebrew Mindset~

• To remind them that the redemption from slavery was not complete until they were given the Torah.
• NOW they were a unique, separate people…

“Pentecost” Is The Epitome of Passover

For the Hebrews:

•         DELIVERANCE WAS GIVEN FOR THE SAKE of the REVELATION OF THE TORAH

•         IT SIGNIFIED RESTORATION to GOD


    PAY ATTENTION: The LAW Brings DEATH & JUDGEMENT

    Exodus 32 : 28

           
[28] So the Sons of Levi did as Moses instructed and about three thousand men of the people fell that day.

Note this is the result of the Gold “Bull” Calf story

JESUS & PENTECOST

“Pentecost” Is The Epitome of Passover

For Followers of JESUS

• Passover commemorates JESUS' crucifixion
• Pentecost commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Remember the Promises of the NEW COVENANT

Jeremiah 31 : 33 - 34

1.      I will put my TORAH within them, and I will write it on their hearts.

2.       And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

3.      And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.

4.      For I will forgive their iniquity, and

5.      I will remember their sin no more.”

Only the in-dwelling of the HOLY SPIRIT can make this POSSIBLE, and only the BLOOD of JESUS can fulfill what GOD has ordained !

PICTURE IT . . .

•         On the one hand, we have the Jews from all ends of the earth gathered in Jerusalem to “reaffirm” their commitment to the covenant of Moses…

•         On the other hand, we have the Holy Spirit being poured upon Israel to offer the promise of the NEW COVENANT [Jer. 31] to all who believe.

•         NOW we have the TORAH written by God’s Spirit on our hearts.

ACTS 2 : 1 – 4

[1] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

[2] And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

[3] And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.

[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2 : 15 , 41
[15] …the Third hour of the day

[41] So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

PAY ATTENTION NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE PAY ATTENTION

Look What Happened [verse 41]

G R A C E       BRINGS          L I F E

John 1 : 17

For the LAW was given through MOSES; GRACE and TRUTH came through JESUS CHRIST.

    MOSES                                                       JESUS



•         LAW                                                 GRACE

•         Torah on Stone                                Torah on our Hearts

•         Flesh                                                 Spirit

•         Death                                                Life

•        Motivated by Duty                         Compelled by Love

~ MINISTRY OF GRACE ~

2 Corinthians 3 : 3 – 11

[3] And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

[4] Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God.

[5] Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
[6] who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.            

[7] Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end,

[8] will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

[9] For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.

[10] Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.

[11] For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

Two Mind-Sets
1. Fleshly Motivated

o       Ministers of LAW and condemnation

2.  Spirit Driven

o       Ministers of GRACE and righteousness

    ~ JESUS is THE Divine Fulfillment of Scripture!

~ Love Much…Forgive Often…Seek Earnestly!

THE NEW COVENANT

JESUS is the Fulfillment of The NEW COVENANT

• What is the “new” Covenant ?

• How does JESUS fulfill it ?

In my humble opinion, these are Scriptural concepts and passages that every believer should familiarize themselves with.

Jeremiah 31 : 31 -34

[31] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

[32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.

• The Covenant given at Mt. Sinai was written on “stone”
• Who broke the covenant?  Who is the faithful husband?

[33] But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my LAW within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

• The Hebrew for “Law” here is TORAH – meaning instruction or teaching
• The same term used for what was delivered at Mt. Sinai.
• More on Mt. Sinai when we study Pentecost / Feast of Weeks

[34] And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

• What shall become of the “Teachers” of the “Law”?
• How can a “just” GOD remember our sins no more?

JESUS AS THE NEW CONVENANT

Luke 22 : 19 – 22

[19] And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

• Notice HIS body is “BREAD”

[20] And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

• HIS blood is the Fulfillment of the long-awaited NEW COVENANT !

• It is HIS blood that seals the New Covenant

• The reason WHY GOD can FORGIVE and will no longer remember our sins {GRACE}

JESUS is the Divine Fulfillment of Scripture !

~Love Much…Forgive Often…Seek Earnestly

FEAST 3 : FIRST FRUITS *Fulfilled*

The Feast of First Fruits is the THIRD of the LORD’s Appointed Times.

Significance:

• It points to JESUS’ Resurrection

Paul calls JESUS our First Fruits in 1 Corinthians 15 : 20 – 23

[20] But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the First Fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

What is a First Fruit?

• As it related to these harvest times, a first fruit is the FIRST “blossoms” of the harvest.

• The LORD instructed that the Hebrews offered up the First Fruit as a sign of FAITH and THANKSGIVNG.

• Faith because of the “greater” harvest yet to be harvested
• Thanksgiving for the harvest

Let’s take a look at the Hebraic Scriptures…

Leviticus 23 : 10 -11

[10] Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the FIRST FRUITS of your harvest unto the priest.

[11] And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

JESUS ALERT

·        The morrow after the Sabbath = Sunday [in our thinking]

Let’s Review for a moment…

We have seen according to Scripture, in the FIRST MONTH we have the following Appointed Times:

14th Day

PASSOVER

15th Day

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Day after the Sabbath {our Sunday}

Feast of First Fruits

JESUS’ RESURRECTION

Scriptural Accounts:

•         Matthew 28 : 1

•         Mark 16 : 1 – 2

•         Luke 24 : 1

•         John 20 : 1

NOTE:  They all record coming to the TOMB early, in some cases

before the “sunrise” on the - FIRST day of the WEEK

The first day of the week is Sunday [think as a Hebrew not a Westerner].

This would have been as Leviticus 23:11 described it

“the morrow after the Sabbath”

Now watch JESUS as the FIRST FRUIT of GOD…

Matthew 27 : 52 – 53

[52] The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,

[53 ] and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

·        JESUS on the Feast of  First Fruits is bringing HIS offering to the Father!

·        A small portion of the larger harvest to come!

·        W O W ! ! !

TIMELINE

Day of the        Hebrew

Week               Month          Gregorian             Part of              Event

                         Abib            Name                              the Day           

5th	14th	Wednesday	NIGHT	Yeshua’s early Seder Yeshua arrested, questioned
		Thursday	DAY	Passover Lambs Killed Yeshua Crucified [Mark 15:25, 34]
6th	15th	Thursday	NIGHT	Yeshua Buried [Mk 15:42] Feast of Unleavened Bread Starts DAY 1
		Friday	DAY
7th	16th	Friday	NIGHT	Evening of Sabbath DAY 2
		Saturday	DAY	Sabbath
1st	17th	Saturday	NIGHT	Feast of First Fruits Yeshua is Resurrected DAY 3
		Sunday	DAY	Tomb is EMPTY Disciples see Yeshua [Mark 16:1-2]

Note: The Jewish day begins at Sundown – so it goes from Sun-down to Sun-down.

JESUS is the Divine Fulfillment of Scripture!

~Love Much…Forgive Often…Seek Earnestly!

FEAST 2 : UNLEAVENED BREAD *FULFILLED*

This Appointed Time of the LORD follows immediately after Passover.

Significance:

• Points to JESUS burial

SCRIPTURAL ORIGINS

Exodus 12 : 15 – 20

[15] Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread [chametz]. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

[16] On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.

[17] And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.

[18] In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

[19] For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.

[20] You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

• The practice, even until today, is to remove all chametz or leaven from your dwelling. 
• This typically takes place about 10 prior to the Feast.

Strong’s Concordance

H2557 ~chametz meaning that which is leaven or sour.  The root word conveys a sense of oppression or cruelness.

Representations of Leaven or Chametz:

• Sin
• Pride
• Self-dependence
• Leaven is considered to be a corrupting influence
• Affliction

Matzah is bread that has no leaven in it.  This is the bread that is to be consumed during this time.

Seven days of Holiness – no “sin” is to be found in or among you.

NOTE           PRIOR to the Feast of Unleavened Bread we have the “covering” of our sins; which allows us the live in an UNLEAVENED STATE.

JESUS ALERT !

The Passover Lamb had just been sacrificed which provides a covering of

one’s sin.

Leviticus 23 : 5 -6

[5] 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S PASSOVER.

[6]And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the LORD; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread.

For Jews living today, it is a reminder of the haste in which they left Eqypt.

The bread had no time to “rise”.

FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

JESUS’ BURIAL

Luke 23 : 50 - 54

[50 ] Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, [51 ] who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. [52 ] This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

[53]Then he [Joseph of Arimathea] took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. [54 ] It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.

• This was actually a “High” Sabbath as recorded in John.

John 19 : 31

            [31] Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.

• The Sabbath [the Holiest of Days] is the end of the Week – the traditional day of Rest [Saturday].
• A High Sabbath is a Holy Day such as a “Feast” Day.
• Day of Preparation refers to preparing for the Feast of Unleavened Bread; which starts at sundown.

Paul Encourages US to Celebrate with NEW meaning

1 Corinthians 5 : 6 - 8

[6]Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? [7 ] Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. [8 ] Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Once again we see JESUS as the Divine Fulfillment of Scripture!

~Love Much…Forgive Often…Seek Earnestly!