Because of the great power displayed in the upper room at Pentecost, some regard this day as celebrating the advent of the Holy Spirit. However, Scripture gives abundant witness that it consists of three “Raptures” symbolized by the 3 main Jewish feasts, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. The confusion comes from the word Easter. You shall bring from your habitations two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. The journey from Passover to Pentecost is one in which we have opportunities to truly come to know God and to develop the trust and dependence that is to be the basis of our ongoing relationship. More widely accepted today is the idea, based on rabbinic calculations, that Shavuot was when God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, and the holiday has become a time for commemorating that occasion. Seven Lessons for Meditation. We read in John 20:21,22 that the risen Christ breathed on each of the disciples and filled them with the Holy Spirit weeks before Pentecost! Along with Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost) and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles ), Passover is one of the three “pilgrimage” festivals in Scripture, during which the Jews were commanded to travel to Jerusalem and observe the feasts together. There were two major schools of thought on the interpretation of the Leviticus 23 text. Though Passover and Pentecost had dates attached to them that coincide with the Hebrew calendar, here in 2020, they are ongoing realities. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. Passover: from Egypt to Pentecost ... ** Passover is a fixed date every year only changing due to the fluctuations of the vernal equinox – between March 19 to March 21. This early growing season ended seven weeks later with the cutting of the wheat harvest, and for that crop, a different kind of offering was decreed. Passover and Pentecost: Optional or Obligatory? Just as the Giving of the Law at Sinai formed the constitution of the spiritual commonwealth of Israel, so the visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples signaled the constitution of the spiritual community of faith in Christ. The Sadducees interpreted Sabbath in verse 15 to mean the literal seventh day of the week, so that the barley sheaf was to be offered on the first Sunday of Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The holiday we call Easter in English is called Passover in other languages—and this is fitting, because Easter is the Christian Passover. Passover—the celebration of deliverance from Egypt Pentecost—the Feast of Weeks, or firstfruits In the Jewish calendar, each of these festivals commemorates one of the great acts of God’s provision or deliverance. The dates of the fast, March 1 - April 9, were initially chosen years ago to culminate on the anniversary of the Azusa Street Revival. Orthodox Christians calculate the date of Passover using a formula that was adopted at the First Ecumenical Council at Nicæa in AD 325. If you don't see an email from us in the next few weeks, please check your spam or junk folder in your email account to make sure our messages have not been filtered. Considered together, these feasts tell one sweeping story of redemption from death and slavery to freedom and abundant harvest blessing. I say of Passover and not after Passover because the counting begins with one rather than zero. Three times a year the Jews would present themselves at the Temple in Jerusalem, Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. Yet that was not quite the case. The Feast of Pentecost or Shavuot has many names in the Bible: The Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Harvest, and the Latter Firstfruits.Celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, Shavuot is traditionally a joyous time of giving thanks and presenting offerings for the new grain of the summer wheat harvest in Israel. That would be the fifteenth of the Jewish month Nisan, regardless of what day of the week it was. In Christian tradition, … Over the centuries the Festival of Weeks came to be known as Pentecost ("day of Pentecost" Acts 2:1). First, Yeshua died as the perfect, sinless sacrifice. For believers in Yeshua, Shavuot becomes an archetype of what happened seven weeks after the crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua. As we continue in our moment of reset, we are moving into the 7-week, 50-day period of time where we will see the contending over the aligning of nations. Pentecost. You have permission to use this material and you can send me an email. Sign up for our monthly updates and special announcements. Thus, the inclusion of the Gentiles completed the symbolism of the wave offering, where the High Priest offered two loaves of fine wheat flour baked with leaven. Pentecost occurs in the month of Sivan (May/June), 50 days after Passover, and celebrates the end of the grain harvest. However, it became impossible to determine the date of Passover after the rebellion of Simon bar Kochba in AD 135, because the Romans banned all Jews from Jerusalem. Of these three festivals, the two that are of interest are the Passover and the feast of Weeks. 3 Raptures: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles “Celebrate a festival in My honor three times a year. Then, He arose and became the firstfruits from the dead as described by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:20. The Jewish pilgrims at Jerusalem who heard and received the good news of salvation joyfully brought it back to their native lands. All rights reserved. There were several festivals, celebrations, or observances that took place before Pentecost. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Just-A-Thought No. It refers to the Jewish festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, also known as the "Feast of Weeks" and the "Feast of 50 days" in rabbinic tradition. That is, the Jewish Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the Jewish Passover, the Orthodox Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the Orthodox Passover, the western Christian Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the western Christian Passover, which we confusingly call Easter in English. Based on this interpretation, the barley offering would be made on the sixteenth of Nisan, and Shavuot would come seven weeks later, on the sixth day of the month Sivan, on whatever day of the week it might fall. We need to understand how to count Pentecost. He wants us to go out among those who do not know Christ to tell them, in the power of the Holy Spirit, of God's salvation. The Nicene formula compensates for the rabbinical calendar reforms and allows the celebration of the Resurrection on Sunday, as depicted in Scripture. I Its connection to Israel’s salvation history is unclear, though it eventually grew to commemorate the giving of the Law, due to speculation by the rabbis that the 50 days marked the time it took for Israel to journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai where the Law was given. God wants such a harvest from every kindred tribe and nation. As I commanded you, you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because you came out of Egypt in that month. The title of my split sermon is “Christ in the Holy Days, from the Passover to Pentecost” Passover (Pesach) The story of the Passover is found in Exodus chapter 12. We find the Old Testament commandment for Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, and its required offering in Leviticus 23:15-17: And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Within each system, Pentecost is the fiftieth day of Passover. From this ancient point of view, Passover doesn't actually end until the fiftieth day when Pentecost occurs. As long as the Temple stood and the Sadducees were in charge, their view prevailed. “When theDay of Pentecost had 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, andit filled the whole house where they were sitting. Some wrongly think that the chief purpose of the Church is to provide a place for people to worship and enjoy God. The other major feasts of the Jews are the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. Along with variations in date, diversities also arose in the understanding of the holiday's purpose. (Side note more on the latter Holy Days in another message.) In the first case, Israel was brought together by the Law (rules of constitution), in the latter, believers in Christ were bonded together not by rules, but by the Holy Spirit within them. The word Pentecost means, “50 days,” or seven weeks after Passover, celebrated when the people harvested their grain, offering a “tithe” of it to God. That is, if you are counting off the squares on the calendar, and you start by calling Passover (or Easter) as one, when you say fifty, your finger will be on Pentecost. This view of only one function of the Body as its prime purpose generates an "upper room" mentality that has us huddled together, waiting for God to act. The name Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fifty, but the Jewish name is Shavuot (meaning weeks or sevens). One of three major Jewish feasts, also derived from the Greek word meaning "fifty." The test of Pentecost is not what happened in the upper room but what happened on the streets afterward. It compensates for the changes in the Jewish calendar and the inaccuracies in the Julian calendar. (The ban lasted for centuries.) Matt 3:11. 23:15-16 says, ““You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. A Critique of Samuele Bacchiocchi's God's Festivals in Scripture and History, Part 1, The Spring Festivals This book represents the first of a two-volume project dealing with the annual Biblical Feasts and their relevance for Christians today. There is controversy today as to when the New Year Abiv 1 occurs. Or if Jesus was slain AFTER the lambs were slain, with an official Passover meal as the Last Supper, then it is a total of 52 days to Pentecost. (s) The eight-day Jewish festival of Pesach, commemorating the biblical story of Exodus, during which the first-born sons of the Israelites were passed over while those of the Egyptians were killed. Centuries before it came to pass, the two loaves of the wave offering symbolized the Body of Messiah made up of both Jewish and Gentile believers. That is, the Jewish Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the Jewish Passover, the Orthodox Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the Orthodox Passover, the western Christian Pentecost is the fiftieth day of the western Christian Passover, which we confusingly call Easter in English. When the Passover is in the middle of the week you have the first day of the count toward Pentecost just a little bit half way. Today, however, the date of Shavuot is based on the generally accepted interpretation of the Pharisees. The Christian holy day generally falling on the first day of the Jewish Passover. EU contact options ›. Pentecostis thefestival at which Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it iscelebrated on the 7th Sunday, 50 days after Resurrection Sunday. All Jewish males without disabilities are required to participate in the Pentecost. Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish holiday held 50 days after Passover. Teachings, worship, rites, sermons, and terminology. Western Christians use the Nicene formula to calculate Passover, which English-speaking Christians call. The Biblical Passover is tied to the agriculture growing seasons consisting of 12 months. When Israel entered the promised land the first harvest (the day after Passover) would be the barley harvest and they were to give the firstfruits of that harvest to the Lord. Chapter 34 is the same order after Moses had to write the Law. You can read more information about the calendars. The entire spring religious season of Israel, from Passover to Pentecost, speaks of God's plan to harvest a holy people for Himself. Pentecost – observed fifty days from the Feast of First Fruits. The firstfruits wave offering consisted of a sheaf of barley, the first crop of the spring growing season. There are seven weeks from the day of the Wavesheaf during the Days of Unleavened Bread until Pentecost. The entire spring religious season of Israel, from Passover to Pentecost, speaks of God's plan to harvest a holy people for Himself. κοστή) in English.It is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (it may fall between May 15 and June 14 on the Gregorian calendar). In the Passover exodus, God brought a people out from among the nations. As we celebrate the birthday of the Church, we would do well to contemplate the fact that our primary purpose is to proclaim the gospel. The event of Pentecost was the "birthday" of the Church—the welding together of Spirit-filled disciples into one organism—the living body of Christ. Since the statement of John 13:1 can be resolved as a historical or anecdotal comment, and not a chronology, then … Kenneth W. Collins. (Heb.11:6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him [Do we? EU residents: Sorry but we can't take your info on this site. PASSOVER TO PENTECOST. Pentecost is the fiftieth day of Passover; however, if you check your calendar for this year, you will find that the Church is not celebrating Pentecost on the fiftieth day of the Jewish Passover, so what gives? Pentecost takes its name from the 50 days by which it follows Passover. That speaks of the fact that the Church, though refined (cleansed by the blood of Yeshua's sacrifice), still retains the human sin nature until that day when she will be presented as the Bride of Christ, without spot or wrinkle. Pentecost is a joyful festivity which is celebrated 50 days after Passover. Passover is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. There was Passover, there was Unleavened Bread, and there was the Feast of Firstfruits. Most marked quotations are under copyright. So the rabbis reformed the Jewish calendar at least twice, the first time was about AD 200. Traditional Jews of Jesus' time celebrated Pentecost (or Shavuot) on the fiftieth day after the waving of the firstfruits. In essence, 2020, as a year, is about a lengthy Passover and a lengthy Pentecost. First, Yeshua died as the perfect, sinless sacrifice. It was necessary to come up with a formula, because the changes in the Jewish calendar and the multiplicity of local calendars had caused rivalries and disputations about the proper date. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. The Nicene formula uses the Julian calendar as its base, since the Julian calendar was the civil calendar of the Roman Empire at the time. Some Christian denominations consider it the birthday of the Christian church and celebrate it as such. The Passover celebration was an eight day celebration which also incorporated the day of firstfruits (Resurrection Sunday) and the … Surely there are times when we ought to wait on the Lord for His empowerment, but He wants an active, dynamic Church to bring His message of salvation to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). "The Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:47b). Passover was the week when Jesus died, was buried, and rose again on the third day of the Passover week to now become our Passover Lamb. The Passover is also known as the Paschal. Passover is also the time of the barley harvest. To honor the original harvest aspect of the holiday, the liturgy also includes the Book of Ruth because of its setting of summer harvest time in Israel. Let us always look to His WORD, the Bible from which we have come to understand these truths. See also. 438 (October 26th.2014) PASSOVER, PENTECOST AND TABERNACLES …. The traditional view of the Rapture is that there is only one harvest, and then comes the end. Then Shavuot would always fall on the seventh Sunday after Passover. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit moved upon each of the disciples to bring about the united story of the Church. The Book of Jubilees (of Second Temple times) indicates that Shavuot was also celebrated as an annual memorial of God's promise to Noah never again to destroy the world by flood. Proper noun. Copyright ©1995-2020 by the Rev. (Firstfruits coincided with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) Then there appeared to them… When it's like this year, the Wave Sheaf Offering Day is three days later than in the middle of the week. He doesn't want us to remain in seclusion waiting for miracles. Within each system, Pentecost is the fiftieth day of Passover. The current Jewish calendar was not in effect at the time of the Crucifixion. Though various Christian denominations commemorate Pentecost, many forget that it was a Jewish holiday before the Church was established. The Feast of Firstfruits was the celebration of the beginning of the barley harvest. They are known collectively as the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. Though the loaves were made of fine wheat flour, they contained leaven, a symbol of sin. Pentecostis named after the Greek word pentekoste,meaning fiftieth. The sages of Israel called Pentecost (Shavu'ot) the end or completion (atzeret) of Passover (Pesach). From Passover to Pentecost April -May 2020. The Pentecost that followed Jesus' death and resurrection was the occasion on which the Holy Spirit was given to believers in… Passover and Pentecost Are Happening All Year. Here's the way you figured out the date of Pentecost. It was the ancient Greek term for Shavuot. … More 3 Raptures: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles They are the firstfruits to the Lord. Observe the Feast of Passover. The Pentecost is Israel’s second major feast. There, it was received by Gentiles as well as by other Jews, an the Church became established abroad. We ask hard questions about faith and the issues facing our Jewish people today. In Scripture, the date of the Jewish Passover depends on the date of the spring harvest in Palestine. Synopsis: Christ is truly in the Passover, and Spring Holy Days through Pentecost. Some believe Abiv 1 is the first new moon closest to the Vernal equinox, others, believe it to be the first new moon after the Vernal equinox. Pentecost, in fact, completed the series of connected feasts (festivals) celebrated by the ancient nation of Israel that began with the Feast of Passover and ended with celebrating the first fruits of the harvest, the final celebration being Pentecost. Whatever is out of alignment, will be challenged. One of three major feasts during the Jewish year, it […] Bearing this in mind, we find three methods of calculating Passover: Of the three methods, the western method seems to be the most accurate in reconstructing when Passover would fall if the first-century Jewish calendar were still in use. Passover, Weeks, and Tents. The Pharisees, however, interpreted "Sabbath" not literally as Saturday, but figuratively, as the day of rest to be observed on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In this strategic time in history, “God is Pushing the Reset Button.” In order to pass through this crucial period, it will require some intense chiropractic adjustments including Recalibration. Second the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Upper Room and other followers of Yeshua/Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating Shavuot, (the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31). More details on the 12 Pentecost is the crown, the completion, the fulfillment of Passover. PASSOVER, PENTECOST AND TABERNACLES …. Starting Page > More Like This > Top of this Page. He revealed Himself and how to live as a redeemed community, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6). ]. Tens of thousands of believers across the earth just completed a 40-Day Jesus Fast in anticipation of a great global harvest of souls. Seven weeks after the resurrection, the dynamic manifestation of the Holy Spirit among the early Jewish believers became the catalyst for many to put their faith in God's Messiah. As we have entered the season from Passover to Pentecost, this a season to stay vigilant and alert. Today, Pentecost should speak to us of the sowing of gospel seed and the harvest or ingathering of saved souls—redeemed people to become part of the Body of Christ. Pentecost is a Christian holy day that celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit 40 days after Easter. See the Copyright Notices for details. Even in early times, a diversity of opinions existed about the date of Shavuot. As we, God's people, remain faithful to this task, the harvest will grow. First, Yeshua died as the perfect, sinless sacrifice. Then they would count 49 days until the next harvest which was called the Feast of Weeks also known as Pentecost. To celebrate the Giving of the Law, the Ten Commandments are read in the synagogue on the first day of the weeklong festival, and plants and flowers reminiscent of the slopes of Mount Sinai decorate the sanctuary. Later in the Old Testament this feast became known as “Pentecost” (“fiftieth”), since it was celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover.” Lev. THROUGH FAITH. First Fruits was the beginning of the barley harvest that starts with Passover. Pentecost is the end of the wheat harvest. THROUGH FAITH. Though Shavuot was originally a time of thanksgiving for the wheat harvest, it became more than just a harvest festival to the Jewish people. κοστή (Pentēkostē) meaning "fiftieth". But they are also shadows, hints, prophecies of the One who was to come. Pentecost was the party at the end of the grain harvest. At Sinai on that first Shavuot and later at Pentecost, God created a nation set apart for Himself. We have entered into a 50-Day Divine Reset from Passover into Pentecost.