Hag HaShavuot: The Feast of Weeks
Also called Pentecost
The Biblical Basis
There are five passages from the Hebrew Scriptures and three in the New Testament that make reference to the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] which is also known by its Greek name, Pentecost. They are as follows:
1. Exodus 23:16 Instructional
2. Exodus 34:22 Instructional
3. Leviticus 23:15-21 Instructional
4. Numbers 28:26-31 Instructional
5. Deuteronomy 16:9-12 Instructional
6. Acts 2:1-4 Fulfillment
The birth of the Church resulted from the coming of the Holy Spirit. This will be discussed later under Messianic Implications.
7. Acts 20:16 Reference to
As a Pilgrim Feast it was Paul’s desire to be in Jerusalem for the Feast.
8. 1 Corinthians 16:8 Reference to
Paul would be in the city of Ephesus until the Feast of Weeks.
The Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] has eight names of which five of them are strictly rabbinic designations for the feast. The four biblical names are:
1. Hag Hashavuot meaning “Feast of Weeks” – Exodus 24:22; Deut 16:10
2. Hag Hakatzir meaning “Feast of Harvest” – Exodus 3:16
3. Yom Habikkurim meaning “Day of the First-fruits” – Numbers 28:26
4. The Day of Pentecost – Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8
Pentecost is a Greek word meaning 50 because this feast came 50 days plus one day after the third feast called the Feast of First-Fruits.
The biblical celebration of this feast was that two loaves of leaven bread were placed on a single sheet and waved before the Lord. They were waved but not actually offered on the altar (Leviticus 2:12). This was very unusual because it is the only feast where leaven is permitted as an offering. Leaven, when used symbolically in Scripture, is a symbol of sin, and what we have here are sinners who are making the offering which is representative of them.
In this feast we will have nine things discussed in this Jewish Old Testament feast:
1. Date of the Feast – Leviticus 23:15:
As with the discussion on the Feast of First-Fruits the Sadducees again had the correct interpretation. The Feast of Week [Shavuot] would begin to be counted after the first day of the week after Passover.
2. Jewish Observance of the Feast:
In the period of the Second Temple the farmers around Jerusalem would parade to the Temple with all their first-fruits of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil, and honey where there would be offered in a special ceremony. The people would follow blowing flutes and playing of other instruments. It was quite elaborate.
3. Two Loaves of the Feast:
The loaves were waved before the altar twice, once before the slaughter of two sheep and once again after. The two loaves were eaten, one by the High Priest and the other was divided among the other priests.
4. The Laws of the Feast:
In this feast there was no fasting as on a Sabbath day.
5. Three Days of the Bounds of the Feast:
This tradition is based on Exodus 19:10-13 which deals with the three days of preparation the Israelites underwent before receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai. In Jewish tradition this is the occasion when the Law was given.
6. Scripture Reading of the Feast:
The following passages were read over a two-day period, including sections from the Law and from the Prophets:
a. First day – Exodus 19:1-20:17; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 5:19-30; 9:9-19; 10:1-5, and 10; Ezekiel 1:1-28; 3:1-2
b. Second day – Deuteronomy 15:19-16:17 and Habakkuk 2:20-3:19
7. Liturgy of the Feast:
There are two special liturgies that are used during the synagogue service.
a. The first is the singing of the Akdamut, an Aramaic hymn composed about 1030 AD which is a reference to the Ten Commandments. Its theme is God’s love for Israel and Israel’s faithfulness to the Law of Moses.
b. The second song that was sung is Tikun Lei Shavout which means the “Service for the Night of Shavout.” This is an anthology of the first and last verses of every book of the Old Testament and also the entire Book of Ruth. The main emphasis of this second song is the indivisibility of the Written Law and the Oral Law according to rabbinic teaching.
8. Special Foods of the Feast:
a. Special emphasis is on eating of milk products.
b. Challah is the same bread that is used on Sabbath
c. Kreplack is in the form of Jewish ravioli without the tomato sauce and fixed in a triangle rather than a square. It has three sides to represent the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and three sides to represent the three divisions of the Hebrew Scripture: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.
There are ten things that the passages given earlier lay down the foundations for the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] in the Torah [Books of Moses].
1. Pilgrim festival – Exodus 23:16
2. The biblical name for the feast – Exodus 34:22
3. Timing of the feast – Leviticus 23:15-16
4. Purpose of the feast – Leviticus 23:16
5. Two loaves of bread – Leviticus 23:17
6. Blood offerings – Leviticus 23:18-19
a. Burnt Offering
b. Sin Offering
c. Peace Offering
7. Ceremonial Observance – Leviticus 23:20
8. Rules and Regulations of the Feast – Leviticus 23:21
9. Joy of the Feast – Deuteronomy 16:11
10. Purpose of Remembrance in the Feast – Deuteronomy 16:12
Messianic Implications
In dealing with the Messianic implications involved in the Feast of Weeks, [Shavuot] Acts 2:1-4 will be discussed first, and then the various facets of the fulfillment will be discussed:
1. Timing of the Occasion – Acts 2:1
The timing of the event, the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] is 30 CE [Common Era] and the event itself is the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the believers in Messiah Yeshua in the house. Here we have the birthday of the Church also called the Body of Messiah.
2. Ministry of the Holy Spirit – Acts 2:2-4
In this passage we have the coming of the Holy Spirit by the filling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit filled believers who were placed under His control as He had done previously in the Hebrew Scriptures, but there was a difference. In the Hebrew Scriptures the Holy Spirit only came upon select individuals to accomplish a task. Now in the New Testament the Holy Spirit will come upon all believers.
3. Purpose of Spirit Baptism – 1 Corinthians 12:13
In Acts 1:5 Yeshua states that they will be, (future tense), baptized with the Holy Spirit. That is what happened in Acts 2. The description of what happened in Acts 2 is described in Acts 11:15-16. The purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit given in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is that all believers in the church will be placed into the body of Messiah by Spirit of baptism.
4. Significance of the Two Loaves – Ephesians 2:11-16
In the discussion of the feast in the Hebrew Scriptures, it was pointed out that two loaves were to be offered on a single sheet. The Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] or Pentecost was fulfilled and became the birthday of the Church, which is composed of both Jew and Gentile believers, united into one Body. One loaf represents the Jews and one loaf represents the Gentiles, and the single sheet represents the fact that Jewish and Gentile believers are united into one Body (Ephesians 2:11-16; 3:5-6).
5. The Allowance of Leaven in the Feast – Matthew 13:24-30
One thing learned or observed from the Hebrew Scriptures is that in this feast the two loaves were leaven bread (Leviticus 23:17). Leaven, when used symbolically in Scripture, is a symbol of sin. It is Jewish and Gentile sinners who are saved by grace through faith and are brought into this one Body, now called the Church, the Body of Messiah.
Furthermore, these loaves were to be made of wheat. Wheat and harvest are common symbols of evangelism and salvation in the Gospels. In Matthew 3:11-12, the concepts of wheat and harvest are also connected with baptism of the Holy Spirit, which began on the Feast of Pentecost, and by which the Church came into existence.
These symbols of wheat, evangelism, and salvation are found again in Matthew 13:24-30. This parable is an elaboration of the Matthew 3:11-12 passage where wheat is again used as a symbol of evangelism and salvation which results in being unified into the Body of the Messiah, born on the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] or Pentecost. Also see John 4:35-38.
6. Feast of First-Fruits at Pentecost – Acts 2:41-42
Another thing about the Hebrew Scriptures observance of the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] or Pentecost was that there were first-fruits on this occasion. It was the first-fruits of the wheat and barley harvest. The first-fruits concept is fulfilled by the first believers who were Jewish believers (Acts 2:41-42). The first several thousand believers who were Jew and Gentile do not come into the picture until Acts 10. In a very special way these Jewish believers were the first-fruits fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] or Pentecost. This is brought out again in James 1:18. According to verse 1 of this chapter, James wrote his epistle specifically to Jewish believers. The term “the Dispersion” from verse 1 is a technical term describing Jews living outside the Land. The people to whom James wrote were Jewish believers living outside the Land. James was not writing to the Church in general but to Jewish believers in particular. This makes sense since he was the head of the Jerusalem church.
Summary:
The Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] or Pentecost completes the first cycle of the feasts that come close together – within fifty-one days of each other. See the sequence of the ministry of Yeshua in the spring feasts to Israel:
1. Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah.
2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His blood sacrifice and blood offering.
3. First of First-Fruits was fulfilled by the Resurrection of the Messiah.
4. The Feast of Weeks [Shavuot] or Pentecost was fulfilled by the birth of the Church the Body of Messiah, both Jew and Gentile in one body.
The first, third and fourth feast were fulfilled on the day of the feast. God’s timing is impeccable. The second feast shows the sinlessness of the Messiah and the righteous character that He possesses.
See Arnold Fruchtenbaum manuscript # 117
