THE FEAST DAYS OF ISRAEL / PENTECOST
Lev. 23:15-16
God gave very specific directions for counting the proper number of days until the Feast of the Harvest which we call Pentecost. It actually marked the summer harvest, the 2nd one of the year. In this 2nd harvest more crops were available than the Feast of First Fruits, but still not as much as to what will come in the fall.
Lev 23:15 And ye shall count5608 unto you from the morrow4283 after the sabbath7676, from the day3117 that ye brought935 the sheaf6016 of the wave offering8573; seven7651 sabbaths7676 shall be1961 complete8549: Lev 23:16 Even unto5704 the morrow4283 after the seventh7637 sabbath7676 shall ye number5608 fifty2572 days3117; and ye shall offer7126 a new2319 meat offering4503 unto the LORD3068.
Pentecost then, occurs on Sunday 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits. Quite a few instructions are given in the following verses of Lev. 23, but two in particular that should interest us. These two verses show us God's careful planning.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out935 of your habitations4186 two8147 wave8573 loaves3899 of two8147 tenth deals6241: they shall be of fine flour5560; they shall be baken644 with leaven2557; they are the firstfruits1061 unto the LORD3068.
This subtle instruction gives us a great truth. These two wave loaves are of equal weight, and they are baked with leaven. They are called "first fruits". Since they are baked with leaven, they represent sinful man. They do not represent Jesus or the Holy Spirit because they have already been represented by unleavened bread.
Since these are called "first fruits" they are redeemed or resurrected men. What God was predicting to you and I is that the church would be comprised of two parts, the Jew and the Gentile.
We seem to think that the church today is 100% gentile, but it has always been part Jewish because God has always kept a remnant of His people. The greater body of Jews will join the church in the 2nd kingdom at the 2nd Coming.
Zec 12:10 And I will pour8210 upon the house1004 of David1732, and upon the inhabitants3427 of Jerusalem3389, the spirit7307 of grace2580 and of supplications8469: and they shall look5027 upon me whom they have pierced1856, and they shall mourn4553 for him, as one mourneth5594 for his only3173 son , and shall be in bitterness4843 for him, as one that is in bitterness4843 for his firstborn1060.
Zec 13:1 In that day3117 there shall be a fountain4726 opened6605 to the house1004 of David1732 and to the inhabitants3427 of Jerusalem3389 for sin2403 and for uncleanness5079.
Rom 11:26 And2532 so3779 all3956 Israel2474 shall be saved4982: as2531 it is written1125, There shall come2240 out of1537 Sion4622 the Deliverer4506, and2532 shall turn away654 ungodliness763 from575 Jacob2384:
Also interesting in the direction for Pentecost is this command in verse 22.
Lev 23:22 And when ye reap7114 the harvest7105 of your land776, thou shalt not make clean riddance3615 of the corners6285 of thy field7704 when thou reapest7114, neither shalt thou gather3950 any gleaning3951 of thy harvest7105: thou shalt leave5800 them unto the poor6041, and to the stranger1616: I am the LORD3068 your God430.
The corners of the fields were to be left un-harvested so that the poor could eat thereof. If you were a land owner then you were not allowed to harvest the corners of your land. It was to be left for the poor to harvest. In God's economy nobody is left out. (the book of Ruth)
Act 1:3 To whom3739 also2532 he shewed3936 himself1438 alive2198 after3326 his846 passion3958 by1722 many4183 infallible proofs5039, being seen3700 of them846, 1223 forty5062 days2250, and2532 speaking3004 of the things pertaining4012 to the kingdom932 of God2316:
Now Jesus rejoined His disciples after His resurrection and taught them for 40 days. Then He told them to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of God came exactly on the day of Pentecost, and gathered 3,000 souls.
Act 2:1 And2532 when1722 the day2250 of Pentecost4005 was fully come4845, they were2258 all537 with one accord3661 in1909 one place846.
How rejuvenating it must have been for those disciples who waited fearfully for the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit. I mean think about it; Peter who had denied even knowing Jesus only 7 weeks earlier. Now he was able to preach the doctrine of Pentecost, he was able to quote the books of Joel and Psalms, and bring a massive crowd of Jews to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
The fulfillment was exactly in keeping with the purpose of the feast. It was a greater harvest of souls than the Lord Himself had presented at First Fruits, but only a token of the great harvest to come with the rapture of the church.
The number 3,000 is a significant number. How many were killed the day the law came down from Mt. Sinai? 3,000!
Exo 32:28 And the children1121 of Levi3878 did6213 according to the word1697 of Moses4872: and there fell5307 of the people5971 that day3117 about three7969 thousand505 men376.
The Law condemns and kills, but the Spirit gives life.
It was of no coincidence that Jesus was crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, raised on First Fruits, and sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
Four coincidences are hard to explain away especially when they are so completely appropriate in its purpose. The disciples had all the proof they could want to prove to the Jew that Jesus was the Messiah.
The situation is this today we have not seen the fulfillment of the 5th feast. We remain under the orders of Pentecost which is continuing the summer crop harvesting and cultivation.
We must remain workers in the field until the day of the Great Harvest which will be marked by the next feast.
Pastor
Brandon Dona
709 Union
Bonham, TX
903-583-4716
Website administration contact: Steve Vaughan