The Feast of Pentecost
The Feast of Pentecost is one of three annual feasts Yahweh commanded Israel to observe in the Old Covenant. This particular Old Covenant Feast is referred to as the Feast of Weeks and Feast of Harvest.
In Exodus 23:14-15, Yahweh commanded Israel to keep a Feast unto Him three times during the year; which are:
- Unleavened Bread (referred to as Passover)
- Harvest (referred to as Weeks and today as Pentecost)
- Tabernacles (referred to as Succoth and Ingathering)
The Feast of Weeks commemorates the giving of Yahweh's Divine Law to Israel on Mount Sinai 50 days after their departure from Egypt.
The sheaf of the first-fruits of the barley harvest had to be waved before Yahweh, and a he-lamb without blemish of the first year had to be offered unto Yahweh as a burnt offering which was a representation of the New Testament Age Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost is the same Feast of Harvest and Weeks spoken of in Exodus 23: 14 -16; Leviticus 23; Numbers 28 and 29; and Deuteronomy 16: 1-13.
In Leviticus 23, Pentecost commemorates Yahweh's command for the first fruits of the first grains of the barley harvest to be waved before Him as a sheaf offering the morrow after the weekly Sabbath following Passover . The day after the sheaf offering Israel had to count 50 days and observe the Feast of Weeks.
We see the Old Covenant Feast of Harvest, Weeks and New Testament Feast of Pentecost point to the giving of Yahweh's Divine law written on tables of stone on Mount Sinai 50 days after Passover. It also represented Yahweh's act of mercy to fallen man through Adam's disobedience and Grace through Yahshua's Act of obedience to bring redemption to all that would receive Him into their heart by faith.
We that believe Yahshua is the fulfillment of Yahweh's law and through Him we have access to salvation by Grace must observe the New Covenant Age Feast of Pentecost. As with the Old Covenant Feast of Harvest and Weeks, it represents the establishment of Yahshua's New Testament Assembly in our heart by Yahshua’s Atonement and Act of Redemption for the whole world.
We see the revelation of the establishment of Yahshua’s New Testament Assembly in Matthews 16:15-19, “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? (16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Messiah, the Son of the living Elohim. (17) And Yahshua answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. (18) And I say also unto thee, That thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My assembly; and the gates of sheol shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
The Old Covenant Feast of Harvest, including first fruits of the first barley harvest, and Feast of Weeks and given of Yahweh law on Mount Sinai were all a shadow of Yahshua future work of salvation for fallen man through Yahshua and His Holy Spirit who has become a new and better Covenant.
After Yahshua resurrection, He walked with His disciples for 40 days before leaving them with the command to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of Yahweh. (Acts 1:3-5; 2:1-4 and Joel 2:28-29)
We read in the second chapter of Acts, the disciples waited in Jerusalem for 10 days following Yahshua's ascension after being with them 40 days, totaling 50 days until the Holy Spirit was sent to man by Yahweh as Yahshua had promised His disciples.
This represented the fulfillment of Yahweh's word spoken in the Old Covenant through the Prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Joel. The Old Testament reveals Yahweh's plan of salvation for man through Yahshua, (which meansor Yah Who delivers).
Yahweh’s command for Israel to offer the first fruits of the first barley harvest to Him reveals His plan in the Old Covenant that Yahshua would become the first fruit of them that fall asleep and are raised in Him by the Holy Spirit.
We can see why the Feast of Pentecost (which is the same Feast as Harvey and Weeks) must continue to be observed in the New Covenant Age through Yahshua the head of New Testament Assembly led by the Holy Spirit of Yahshua who is the Administration of the New Covenant through the Blood of Yahshua, the Testator of the New and better covenant. We read in Acts 20:16, the Apostle Saul and disciples that accompanied him observed the Feast of Pentecost, This Feast is observed on the Sunday following the 50th day after the first weekly Sabbath following Passover.
We must observe this Feast through faith in the promise of Yahweh that He would put His spirit in our heart and write His law in our inward parts (Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36). By faith, we must believe the promise in Leviticus 11:45 and 1Peter 1:14-15 is fulfilled in Yahshua by His atonement and act of redemption for the whole world to every man that would receive Him into their heart by faith in the promise of Yahweh. Yahshua is the New and better Covenant by the will of Yahweh given to mankind through the Grace of Yahweh. Yahshua is the fulfillment of the whole law given to us by the love of Yahweh.
Apostle Saul speaks to Faith in this wise in Galatians 3: 6 to 9, “Even as Abraham believed Yahweh, and it was counted to him for righteousness. (7) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (8) And the Scriptures, foreseeing that Yahweh would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the glad tidings unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (9) So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.”
It was the plan of Yahweh before the earth was that Yahshua would fulfill the whole law. After Adam’s disobedience, a better covenant had to be established by Yahweh by putting His law in the heart of man and giving man access to Yahweh through Yahshua’s obedience to death. By faith in the word of Yahweh, we know the resurrection of Yahshua, the first fruit of them that fall asleep and are raised by the Holy Spirit guarantee all that sleep in Him shall also be raised as He was raised by the power Yahweh.
Property of the Assembly of Worship
Written by Pastor Jenkins