If you would prefer to listen to the audio presentation, it will be featured on Ancient Roads: Real Israel Talk Radio at www.cominghome.co.il/podcasts beginning June 22, 2024.
---------------------------------------------------------
Shalom. I’m Avi ben Mordechai. Today, I will continue from the last program, looking into the biblical themes of Shavuot or what is commonly called the Feast of Weeks. This is Real Israel Talk Radio Episode 154.
In the previous program, I discussed Shavuot with the theme of covenant resurrection. Today, I want to continue this theme and tie it together with related themes of covenant restoration and renewal. So, let’s get started.
As I mentioned in the last episode, the Festival of Shavuot revolves around the following biblical paradigms:
A harvesting of souls performed as an ingathering and separation of wheat from tares (Matthew 13:30).
A restoration to repair Adam’s transaction with the Tree of the Knowledge of Good but Evil (see Genesis 3:6) and then passing that corrupted line on to all of us.
A calling to freely become an ally and associate of King Messiah’s government administration on earth, as it is also in Shalem, the Kingdom of Heaven (Genesis 14:18 and 1 Corinthians 6:3)
A rebuilding of Yehovah’s Kingdom of Heaven on earth, as it is in heaven (Acts 15:16 based on Amos 9:11).
An end of salvation through the door of summer and the start of new life through the door of hope (Romans 8:25 and Matthew 24:33)
A final bodily transformation through a promised resurrection on the Last Day (John 6:40 and Romans 8:23)
The Feast of Weeks is an exceptional set-apart day to enter into the eternal covenant that Yehovah makes with us through the redemptive actions of Messiah Yeshua. Of course, in the days of Moses and Aaron, the themes, particularly that of resurrection, had to be communicated through prophetic symbols and shadows; otherwise, nothing would make any sense to us because we don’t have any personal experience with resurrection. Here is what Shaul or Paul wrote for us in
2 Corinthians 3:17-18. Now Yehovah is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of Yehovah is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of Yehovah, are being transformedinto the same image from glory to glory (referring to the glory of Messiah in his first coming to the glory of Messiah in his second coming), just as through the Spirit of Yehovah.
This seems to suggest that the idea of our promised last-day resurrection can only be explained through indistinct symbols, shadows, and images. I think the Festival of Shavuot represents this because its reality is yet to come.
In the previous episode of this two-part program, I analyzed a handful of the many shadows and symbols of Shavuot in the opening verses of
Leviticus 23:9-14 (I’ve added some points of what I think the Hebrew text is driving at). And Yehovah spoke to Moses, saying, speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest (cut his cutting), then you shall bring a sheaf (omer) of the firstfruits (bikkurim) of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave (lift up) the sheaf (omer) before Yehovah, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave him. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave (lift up) the sheaf (omer), a male lamb of the first year, without blemish (perfect, complete), as a burnt offering (going up, ascension) to Yehovah. His grain offering two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour (solet = wheat grain) mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to Yehovah, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day (the essence of that day – Messiah’s third-day resurrection) that you have brought an offering (come close or drawn near) to your God; He shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
This said, let’s now, once again, revisit the baked-in Hebrew grammar as I might understand it from
Leviticus 23:21. And all of you are being called INTO THE VERY ESSENCE OR CORE OF HER POWER – (THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT WHO MAKES THE LAST DAY RESURRECTION A REALITY), a set-apart proclamation to all of you TODAY, THIS VERY DAY (referring to the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot).
This concept appears to be reflected in Paul's words when he spoke about the free gift of the Spirit (that is, the Holy Spirit), which is given as a downpayment or guarantee of something colossal but rather impossible to fully understand. Nonetheless, the facts remain true in
Ephesians 1:13-14. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee (downpayment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
According to the Greek, which comes across as feminine in this New Covenant passage, the Spirit is the One who seals us as belonging to Yehovah. The Spirit of Yehovah was given on Shavuot as a downpayment (translated to English as “a guarantee”) of our inheritance. Said differently, the Book of Acts 2:1 describes Yehovah’s free gift of the first fruits of His harvest festival.
Acts 2:1 (The 15th day of the 3rd month on the Priestly Calendar of the House of Tzadok). “When the Day of Shavu’ot (Pentecost) had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
Notice when Pentecost had FULLY COME as opposed to saying that the day came. When Shavuot or Pentecost had FULLY COME, it was a downpayment of the Spirit and what it means to draw near to Yehovah through the prophetic count of 7 weeks and 50 days concluding on the 15th day of the 3rd month, precisely what we would expect from the Priests of the House of Tzadok or the Zadokites of Paul’s timeframe.
So therefore, Paul writes in
Philippians 3:13-14. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing, forgetting those matters which are behind and reaching forward to those matters which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of Elohim in Messiah Yeshua.
This UPWARD CALL looks like Last Day resurrection talk, BY, IN, and THROUGH, the essence of the Power of the Spirit of Yehovah. When that day arrives in a yet-future event, we will hear a SHOUT from Heaven, sounding like a TRUMPET prophetically revealed in Psalm 81:3-5 and Revelation 4:1. First…
Psalm 81 (English: 3-5; Hebrew: 4-6). All of you, SHOUT IN THAT MONTH; A SHOFAR (VOICE) of the CONCEALMENT (a covering referring to being buried in the dust of the earth - see Isaiah 26:19) TOWARDS THE DAY OF OUR FESTIVAL (Shavuot). A decree for Israel, an instruction of the God of Jacob. This He established in Joseph a testimony (Heb: "Joseph" is "Yeh'hoseph," spelled with an extra Heh - ה indicating the breath, wind, and Spirit of Yehovah). When He went throughout the land of Egypt, I heard a VOICE (Shofar) that I did not understand.
Revelation 4:1. After these things (describing the characteristics of the seven congregations or churches) I looked, and behold, a door (a theme of Shavuot) open in Heaven. And the first voice which I heard LIKE A TRUMPET speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”
This might help us to understand Yeshua’s words to the first-century Rabbinic leader and scholar Nicodemus in
John 3:5-7. …Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (Hebrew: mayim, a metaphor for heaven) and the Spirit (the feminine attribute of the Spirit of Yehovah that causes the Last-Day resurrection to become a reality), he cannot enter the Kingdom of Elohim. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (referencing Genesis 3:19), and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit (reflecting John 11:25). Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’
This appears as suggestive in
Galatians 4:26. ...the Jerusalem above is free, who is the mother of us all (like a mother giving birth).
And in…
Isaiah 26:19. All of them – the dead – they will rise with my corpse. They are of the summer (linked to the shadow imagery of Shavuot because “end” and “summer” are from the same Hebrew root). And they are rejoicing – those who are dwelling in the dust. Like lights of the morning dew – His morning dew is a land of recovery (a restorative healing). She (the people) will be born (see Isaiah 26:18 and Isaiah 66:8 - Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her sons. My position: this is not the "rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948).
Therefore, should it be a surprise to us why Yeshua would say to Nicodemus in
John 3:8. The wind (Heb: Ruach or Spirit) moves (rapidly) where she desires, and you hear the sound of her (rapid movement), but cannot tell where she comes from and where she goes. So is everyone who is born of her – the Spirit (“wind” or “breath” of Yehovah).
Wow! This comes across as talk of being born-from-above (“born again”) on Shavuot, from the Hebrew of
Exodus 20:18. Now all the people SAW the VOICES AND SAW THE FIERY LAMPS (Heb: lapid’im, i.e. “tongues of fire”), and the mountain smoking; and when the people SAW, they trembled and were standing motionless, far looking far into the future.
Most biblical commentators attempt to clarify the expression: "They saw the sounds." Rabbi Shlomo Yitzaki, or the “Rashi,” writes, "They saw that which should be heard – something which is impossible to see.” And what they saw was a future event (my words) – an ingathering of something like a new grain harvest at Shavuot in Acts 2:1.
Now, look at this Kefa’s (Peter’s) Shavuot message in
Acts 2:38-39. Repent, and let every one of you be immersed in the Name of Yeshua the Messiah for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your sons, and to all who were far away, as many as Yehovah our God will call (or in Shavu’ot terminology, “will draw near”).
Again, Shavuot is about a first fruits waving of wheat grain called minchah, as it appears in Hebrew. Minchah is a prophetic symbol for the gift of Yehovah’s Spirit, bestowed on the nation as a gift in the form of a guarantee or downpayment. This suggests the Shavuot paradigm of
Matthew 7:11. If you then, being evil (your fallen human condition), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give GOOD to those who ask Him!
Compare this to Leviticus 23:17 and my retelling as a biblical prophecy of the coming Messiah.
Leviticus 23:17. From all of your dwellings, all of you shall be gathered in THROUGH HIM, THE BREAD. A WAVING OF TWO… שְׁ֚תַּיִם תְּנוּפָ֗ה (Hebrew: t’nufah shtyi’m). They shall be of solet; they shall be leavened and baked as a first cutting to Yehovah.
I see an oft-repeated New Covenant Shavuot theme concerning the Bread of Heaven and Earth.
Leviticus 23:18. And all of you shall draw near IN, ON, or WITH THE BREAD.
Very interesting, indeed, that of drawing close to Yehovah IN, ON, or WITH THE BREAD.
John 6:41. “I am THE BREAD which came down from Heaven.”
And…
John 6:48. I am THE BREAD of lives (Plural Heb: chayim - life in the natural and life through resurrection).
Again, the instruction from
Leviticus 23:18: “And all of you shall draw near IN, ON, or WITH THE BREAD.”
With THE BREAD, there must also be a lifting up of a PERFECT LAMB (Heb: seven, oath).
Typically, English translations give us.
“…And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish.”
The reading appears valid. However, I’m thinking outside the box in light of Messianic prophecy. Therefore, to me, the statement comes across as describing a LAMB as “A PERFECT SEVEN” or “AN OATH.” In Hebrew, שבע shev’ah is a kind of loyalty oath as if to say, “Raise up to me A SEVEN – an oath among the lambs.”
On Shavuot, the theme confirms Yehovah’s covenant as we acknowledge THE BREAD and AN UNBLEMISHED LAMB and AN OATH as if to say, “I SEVEN THAT!” In so doing, we receive Yehovah’s redemptive gift, and to thank Him, we elevate and raise the new grain of His wheat harvest. The words of Yeshua imply this:
John 12:24-25. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, he remains alone; but if he dies, he produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will safeguard it for eternal life.
Shavuot of Leviticus celebrates the downpayment of the gift of the Spirit, further presented through solet (in Hebrew). The gift reflects our first cutting of the new grain called bikkurim, or the first fruits of the harvest. What is the requirement to wave this grain? The grain must be baked with leaven, BUT NOT with the old leaven of slavery and bad doctrine. This grain is a metaphor for a new lump of uncorrupted, unadulterated wheat grain, renewed through the Spirit of Yehovah. Is this not what Yeshua warned about to his disciples in
Matthew 16:11-12. …beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Now, look at 1 Corinthians 5:7-8.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8. Therefore, purge out the old leaven (grain that has been corrupted) so that you may be a new lump (o since you truly are unleavened (not puffed-up with yeast of bad doctrine). For indeed Messiah, our Passover, was slaughtered for us. Therefore, let us safeguard the Feast, not with old leaven (doctrines and traditions of man’s yeast of corruption) nor with the leaven (a corruption) of malice and wickedness, but with the Unleavened of sincerity and truth (grain that is not puffed-up by the yeast of bad doctrine and manmade tradition).
Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread teaches us about redemption from man’s fallen nature, which strongly suggests the lesson of
Leviticus 23:17. …All of you shall be gathered in THROUGH HIM, THE BREAD – A WAVING OF TWO… שְׁ֚תַּיִם תְּנוּפָ֗ה (Hebrew: t’nufah shtyi’m). They shall be of solet (wheat grain sifted to fine flour). They shall be waved or raised up leavened bread of Yehovah’s new grain, implying the new grain of the Last Day resurrection.
Yes, this metaphor makes sense to me when understood through the prophetic word that is linked to elevating the first cutting of the new grain of THE BREAD, THE UNBLEMISHED LAMB of SEVEN or THE OATH, and the DOWNPAYMENT GIFT of the SPIRIT, given to the people individually and collectively.
John 15:26-27. But when the Helper comes (feminine attribute of Yehovah), whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of the Truth who proceeds from the Father, SHE will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning (from Genesis).
What I am seeing is the possibility that שְׁ֚תַּיִם תְּנוּפָ֗ה – t’nufah shtyi’m – that is, a waving of two is, at least, in part, a hint towards a Last Day Resurrection event, which takes place on Shavu’ot. Thus:
1) NUMBER 1 WAVING– The Spirit of Yehovah testifying to The Truth in us.
2) NUMBER 2 WAVING– The Redeemed Body of Yehovah testifying to The Truth in the Spirit.
Or, perhaps it could be said this way:
1) We are attached to the Spirit that raised Messiah with His Third Day resurrection. (Mark 9:31).
2) The Spirit is attached to us, and this is our guarantee that we will rise to meet our Messiah on the way up to the top of the mountain on Shavuot. This will be Our Third Day resurrection experience (Hosea 6:1-2), understanding that a “day” is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years is like a day (see Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8).
In either case, this comes across as TWO becoming ONE as Yeshua prayed.
John 17:20-23. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made (tamim) perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
Based on the priestly calendar of the House of Tzadok, WAVING NUMBER 1 always falls on the 26th of the 1st month and is called reisheet katzir – literally, the first cut of the cutting; that is, the FIRSTFRUITS of the harvest. This is OUR covenant with Yehovah and His receipt acknowledging that the downpayment of His Spirit as “earnest money” is received as it was in Acts 2:1. So, did Paul write in.
Ephesians 1:13-14. …you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the downpayment (guarantee) of our inheritance until the redemption (the resurrection) of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The principle is in the WAVING OF TWO, beginning with the first cut of the cutting and a count of 7 Sabbaths and 50 Days of the Sheaf or the Omer (a dry measure) of new wheat grain. This brings us to Shavuot and the metaphor of a Last Day Resurrection, as Yeshua said in
John 6:40. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up (“I WILL WAVE HIM” ) at the Last Day.
John 11:25-26. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Let’s now link all this with the words of Paul in
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. For Yehovah Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the Voice of an archangel, and with THE TRUMPET (Yovel and Shofar) of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet Yehovah in the air. And thus, we shall always be with Yehovah.
This appears to reflect Exodus 19:16 and the LOUD BLAST OF A FIRST TRUMP or THE FIRST YOVEL (a ram’s horn):
Exodus 19:16. Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people in the camp trembled.
It shall be on that day and that hour, early in the morning of Shavuot, when the VOICE OF YESHUA, LIKE A TRUMPET, will be heard…
“ALL OF YOU, GET UP NOW!”
If I were to interpret what was going on inside of the Hebraic-thinking mind of Paul, I would say that he was pointing us back to THE FIRST TRUMP and THE THIRD DAY resurrection paradigm of Exodus 19:13 as it presents from the Hebrew text:
Exodus 19:13. In the DRAWING-OUT (“the pulling down or pulling out”) of THE YOVEL (“The Trumpet”), they will ascend (“go up” ) into the mountain.”
Compare this to the Shavuot terminology of
1 Corinthians 15:51-52. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…at THE LAST TRUMP. For THE YOVEL (“The Trumpet” of the call to freedom) will be drawn down (“drawn out”), and the dead will be raised up (“waved” ) imperishable, and we will be changed.
This appears to be a Shavuot resurrection, in Hebrew – Techiat haMatim, fulfilling the metaphors of Leviticus 23 and Exodus 19 with its prophetic Shavuot terminology. The event happens within the context of what Paul called the “twinkling of the eye.” The Greek giving us this English phrase presents as a rapid waving action equivalent to the Hebrew word gal גל – imagery of a hurried, moving, flowing, and rolling wave, represented by the Hebrew term t’nufah from
Leviticus 23:20. The cohen shall wave them: the First Cutting of an Omer of wheat grain and the waving of the new grain of the harvest on Shavuot. They (THE WAVING OF THE TWO ) shall be set apart to Yehovah for the cohen (as this Zadokite Priest is tasked with doing the waving).
Shavuot’s resurrection paradigm of renewal in the New Covenant fits.
1 Corinthians 15:20, 23. But now Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the bikkurim (the first cutting of the new grain of an Omer among) those who have fallen asleep (all believers in the Last Day resurrection Messianic hope, who previously died).
Among all the faithful men and women of ancient days from Genesis 3, forward even to our own time, those believers, those trusting in the coming Salvation of Yehovah (our “hope of salvation”) that there would be a promised third-day Shavuot resurrection at a future time; indeed, they all went to sleep (passed away) knowing that this promise would be fulfilled in its time. This was their hope, which is why they held on to their test of faith, at least, according to Hebrews chapter 11.
Hebrews 11:39-40. And all these (referring to all those with trusting faith those among the personalities of the biblical texts) having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
They believed in the coming of a Last Day, End-Times, and Third Day resurrection.
Now, we must ask, what is the relevance between the Last Day resurrection from Mount Sinai above (the “New Jerusalem above” – see Revelation 21:2 ) and the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31 and Matthew 26:28? Modern-day and Biblical Hebrew both have the answer that is needed with two words:
L’briut = a modern-day Hebrew term that essentially means, “to your health and shalom.”
Brit = a biblical Hebrew term referring to the cutting of a formal agreement to make shalom (see Genesis 31:54).
Now, have a look at
Revelation 3:20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
Within contemporary Israeli culture, when food or bread is served at any function, you will hear the server say, l’briut! In the same way that eating physical food benefits our physical sustenance, eating spiritual food also benefits our spiritual sustenance. Though physical life is sustained through food, spiritual life is sustained through food. Yeshua said in
John 4:34. My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
Making formal agreements and breaking and eating bread to seal a covenant or a contract is a universal, cross-cultural experience, and it represents health on many levels—emotional, physical, and spiritual (see Deuteronomy 8:3 ).
What could Yeshua have meant by saying, “…and to finish His work”? I think this was answered by Paul, who said in
Acts 24:15. I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of just and unjust (see Revelation 2:11, 20:12-15; Daniel 12:2 and John 5:28-29 ).
Shavu’ot, or Pentecost, therefore, reflects the grand finale, the Last Day resurrection, when the VOICE of the MESSIAH will call out to gather in the harvest of the new grain from the four corners of all the land (earth). Then, we will be free and with Yehovah forever and assigned administrative positions in the Kingdom of Heaven, whose King and Priest is Melchizedek (King Tzadok). His authority will be given to us to rule and reign with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, fulfilling Yehovah’s promise in
Exodus 19:6. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the sons of Israel.
This is the New Covenant and Shavuot, as it appears to be according to the Priestly language of the House of Tzadok in
2 Timothy 2:11-12. A faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign (king) with Him.
Of course, I realize that it is difficult to wrap our heads around the Last Day Resurrection. But, our lack of experience does not and cannot in any way negate the truth that it IS going to happen because He has given us his irrevocable gift of the Spirit as a downpayment of His New Covenant with us. We have the goods in part, and he has our acceptance as a receipt. In the meantime, I want to close with a critical thought: It is NOT how we begin our faith journey. It’s how we end it. This IS what Yeshua said in
Matthew 24:13. But he who endures to the end shall be saved (a wordplay from the Hebrew word for “end” and for “summer.” Summer always begins with the open-door Festival of Shavuot).
Shalom. I’m Avi ben Mordechai. Thanks for listening to Real Israel Talk Radio.
Comments