Shavuot (Weeks) is a reminder of God as Elohim Avinu, God our Father. It is a reminder of Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) Life-giving Spirit enveloping our own spirits, bringing Life to them by coming to reside around our own spirits. It is a reminder of the Word Who resides within us, the Torah written on our hearts––given to us by our Father.
Shavuot (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost)
Shavuot is also known as Pentecost (the Greek word for Shavuot), the Feast of Harvest (Exodus 23:16) and the firstfruits of wheat (Vayikra 23:17). Beginning with Yom Bikkurim (Firstfruits of barley) as day one, count out fifty days (seven full Sabbaths or weeks––Vayikra/Leviticus 23:15-16) and day forty-nine will be a Shabbat (Sabbath). Then on the next day, the fiftieth day which always falls on the first day of the week (Sunday), is Shavuot (Pentecost). No where in Scripture does it say to count the fifty days from Pesach (Passover). This summer Feast day celebrates the beginning of the wheat harvest.
According to Vayikra 23:11 Yom Bikkurim (Firstfruits) always falls on a Sunday. It states that the Priest shall wave a sheaf of the firstfruits of barley on the day after the Sabbath, following Pesach (Passover). Some believe Scripture is speaking of the Sabbath day of Passover, but when it speaks of counting seven Shabbats, then we know it is speaking of an actual Shabbat (Saturday). Besides, Pesach is not a Shabbat, the first day of Matsot is and this verse is not speaking of this day either.
2017 Example: Yom Bikkurim falls on April 16 in 2017––this is day one. Count out fifty days and you will find that day forty-nine falls on June 3, 2017, the seventh Shabbat. Day fifty falls on June 4, 2017, which is a Sunday. Shavuot will always fall on a Sunday.
This is the Feast Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) disciples were celebrating in the Temple area in Acts 2:1-2. Acts 1:13 is speaking of an entirely different day from Shavuot––the Upper Room was an Inn or some place where the disciples were staying just before Pentecost. The Upper Room was not in the Temple and they were not in this Upper Room when the Spirit was poured out upon them. The disciples didn’t go to the Temple to celebrate Shavuot until Acts Chapter 2.
Like Matsot (Unleavened Bread) and Sukkot (Tabernacles), Shavuot (Weeks) is one of the three required feasts (Pilgrimage Feasts) Commanded by Yahweh (Exodus 23:14-17, Deuteronomy 16:16 & 2 Chronicles 8:13). All Yisraelite (Israelite) men were obligated to present themselves before Yahweh at the Temple for each of these three Feasts.
This day is indeed important to God, as it commemorates the giving of the Torah (Teaching) at Mt. Sinai. We are to always remember this, as well as God’s Spirit (the Living Torah written on our hearts) also given to God’s people on this day (Pentecost)––fulfilling of the miqra (rehearsal) of the giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai.
The First Shavuot
According to the Jewish Talmud, the very first Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost) was when Yahweh married Israel on Mt. Sinai by the giving of the Torah, after having redeemed her from Egyptian bondage fifty days earlier.
This first Shavuot (Pentecost) was later introduced as a symbol of the peace between the two divided houses of Israel, Judah and Ephraim (today Ephraim represents the lost tribes of Israel, which includes grafted-in Hebrews), which is God’s promise to bring these two houses together again in the future (Ezekiel 37:15-24).
This was represented by two loaves of leavened wheat bread offered to Yahweh, and they are part of the offering on this Shavuot Holy day. These loaves are leavened and contain yeast which symbolizes that the End Times body of Messiah will be made up of Hebrews and grafted-in Hebrews––both born with sin in them.
The Temple services for Shavuot closely resembled those of Yom Bikkurim (Firstfruits), since both holy days were observed with firstfruit offerings. However, the firstfruit offering for Shavuot (Pentecost) is a little different, in that the offering is two loaves of wheat bread with leaven in them, as Yahweh commanded in Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:17.
This demonstrates the completeness of the portion of God’s Covenant with Abraham to bless all the nations through him (Genesis 12:3); and that these two peoples will come together as one nation––One People in His Hand (Ezekiel 37:15-24) (although it has not quite manifested yet).
The Two Loaves represent Yeshua’s betrothal to Restored Covenant Yisrael, that is not quite fully consummated. Bringing His bride (Yisrael) into the innermost chambers of our Father’s house (Paradise) as one in His Hand, will make all of God’s Appointed Seasons perfected.
The blood of the perfect Lamb will unite the two as one blood-washed physical people called Yisrael (Ezekiel 37:19 & Ezekiel 37:22)––but this will not be manifested until all Gods people are in complete unity with each other and brought into the Father’s house (in Paradise).
This unity is all believers accepting Yeshua’s Torah as God’s true Word––bringing both Hebrews and grafted-in Hebrews together into One Body of Messiah and into one Way of belief through the same knowledge of God.
Even though the date of this first Shavuot is not in Scripture, the Talmudic account is somewhat true since Shemot (Exodus) 16:1 records that it was the 15th day of the second month (Zib/Iyyar) since they left Egypt at that point––this would have made this day 29 or 30. They are then given six days during which Yahweh could see if they will follow His Torah (Shemot/Exodus 16:4), and in verse 19:1 it is the third month (Siban) since they came out of Egypt, and when they had finally arrived in the wilderness of Sinai. At this point Mosheh (Moses) did not have the tablets yet.
Although Yahweh had already given the Israelites a little of His Torah before and during those six days (through Mosheh), in Shemot 24:4, Mosheh wrote down the whole Torah to tell the Yisraelites, when he went up the mountain the first time for forty days and forty nights (Shemot Chapters 25-31). God wrote the Ten Commandments and all of the laws, statutes and Commandments on the first set of tablets (Shemot 24:12), while Mosheh was up on the mountain. It had most likely been about seven sabbaths since Yahweh took the Yisraelites out of Egypt at this point. It was after this that Mosheh was called up the mountain for another 40 days and 40 nights, to receive the written Torah on the second set of stone tablets (Verse 34:28). We don’t find out until Devarim (Deuteronomy) 31:26 that the copy (of scrolls) of the Torah that was written by Mosheh, was set beside the Ark while the tablets were placed inside the Ark of the Covenant.
Our Bibles use the word test in Shemot (Exodus) 16:4, but God never tests us, He is forever teaching us through circumstances that we bring upon ourselves, or that God brings upon us in order to teach and strengthen us. Even today, Yeshua is always teaching us––even if it appears or feels like punishment or an impossible test.
The Beginning of the Messianic Age
Two thousand years after what Talmudic tradition calls the day of the first giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, this day became the giving of the promised Spirit of God (the Living Torah). Acts Chapter Two records the day of Shavuot (Pentecost) after Yeshua ascended to the Heavens. His Spirit descended upon each believer as Hebrews from all over the world gathered in Yisrael for this Feast (Acts 2:5). Everyone there heard the sound of a rushing, mighty wind as they worshipped in the Temple area (Acts 2:6). God’s Spirit entered each of Yeshua’s (Jesus’s) believers, surrounded their spirits with His Spirit (just as He promised (Yochanan/John 14:16), and ushered in what has been traditionally known as the church age.
In reality, it was the beginning of the Messianic Age. As far as the Hebrews were concerned, there was never really a church age––the 3,000 saved on that famed Shavuot day were all Hebrews.The Messianic age has been taking place during these last two thousand years.
Just as faithful Hebrews brought the firstfruits of their wheat harvest to the Temple on Shavuot, the 3,000 Hebrew believers in Yeshua on this day, were the firstfruits harvest of the congregation of believers in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)––firstfruits meaning without blemish, as in pure Hebrew blood.
The writing of Torah on believer’s hearts would be, and has been a gradual thing over the course of the next two thousand years.
Restoration of God’s Word
This last giving of the Restored Torah to Yisrael is what the Hebrew roots movement is all about. But not all will believe.Those who do believe will understand that this is the revival everyone is waiting for.
On this day, at the appointed time God will again restore His Torah (Covenant) to His people Yisrael (today called Jews), just like He did two thousand years ago. Their eyes will be opened to see the true Torah, as it is written (i.e. no tradition is involved) It is this Restoration of the Torah to all God’s people that will bring His Power to those who truly believe in Yeshua.
Those Jews who follow the false teachings of the Pharisaic traditions of man from twenty-three hundred years ago will have their eyes opened to the truth of God’s Way––His true Torah––Yeshua will open the eyes of the Jews to His true Word.
Yeshua will also open the eyes of those Messianic believers who are following the false teachings of the Pharisaic traditions of man. All of God’s people who follow the teachings of the Talmud will soon have their eyes open to Yeshua’s true Word––the true Torah.
They will realize that the Talmud is NOT a hedge around the Torah, and it is NOT the Torah either. Although it had not been written down yet, the Talmud is what Yeshua called the traditions of man, and it will be exposed for what it is––a book (or books) full of false teachings having nothing to do with God’s Torah.
Acts 9:3-6 is an example (miqra or rehearsal) of what might happen on Shavuot in the very near future. It may not happen exactly like Shaul’s (Saul’s/Paul’s) experience, but something dramatic will definitely happen to all believers who have been trusting in errors and false teachings––and on this very day of Shavuot!
The Words and Symbolism
The root word of Shavuot is shaba (shava) which means to seven oneself, as in repeating a declaration seven times––an oath. Shavuot simply means seven sevens, or seven Sabbaths. As mentioned earlier, this day always falls the day after seven Sabbaths (fifty days) after the Firstfruits of the barley harvest (Vayikra/Leviticus 23:15-16).
There is some symbolism that we should take a closer look at: the Firstfruits of the wheat harvest is a symbol of the wheat harvest of true believers in Yeshua (in Revelation 14:15-16, Yeshua (Jesus) calls believers a harvest when He teaches from Joel (3:13)).
Many people believe the rapture is supposed to happen on this day, but keep in mind that there is also the final harvest of the year at the beginning of Sukkot (Tabernacles), that we must take note of. We know when to expect this rapture (harvest), because the Bible tells us we can know the season (appointed time). Wherever the New Testament speaks of the Fig tree is where this is stated: figs usually ripen in August, or the end of Summer.
There are only two appointed seasons that Yeshua has not yet perfected: Yom Teruach (Day of Trumpets) and Sukkkot(Tabernacles), both of which fall at the end of Summer or the beginning of Fall. The season Yeshua will return is Sukkot because it has all the appropriate symbolism and it is when Summer fruits are harvested. However, we do not know the actual year or which day of Sukkot Yeshua will return (there are eight days in this festival).
In Matthew 13:24-30 & 13:36-43 Yeshua is teaching from Ezekiel Chapter 34, where Ezekiel is prophesying about the robust and famished lambs, which symbolizes the separation of the wheat from the chaff, and the separation of the holy from the common or unclean.
When the Bible states that the chaff (or darnel) will be separated from the wheat, it means that Chaff is a weed that resembles wheat and grows with the wheat until the wheat becomes ripe for harvest. When the harvest is ripe, the chaff then just looks like dried weeds, and is also considered false wheat and easy to identify (it can no longer hide among the true wheat).
In any case, Yeshua states to “let these false wheat plants grow together with the real wheat plants until harvest time (beginning of summer),” (paraphrased) and they will not only stand out and be recognized as the false wheat that they are, they will be gathered into bundles first, and burned (Revelation 14:19 & Matthew 13:30). Then the true wheat will be gathered into bundles also, but will be put into the storehouse (as in God’s storehouse) (Matthew 13:24-30)––meaning the true wheat (believers) will cross over into Paradise (known as the rapture).
Another example of this false wheat is the Hebrew word for holy, which is kadosh. The ancient meaning of this word is what follows the threshing––threshing means humbling, as in there is no chaff. In other words the true wheat are the holy ones, or true believers in Yeshua (Jesus)––those with true humility who have been separated from the chaff; those who follow Yeshua’s true Teachings––the Torah. Those without Torah (rejecting Torah) are the lawless ones––or false wheat, tares or chaff (Matthew 7:23 & 13:41). This is considered a separation of the holy from the common.
Celebrating Shavuot (Feast of Weeks)
Since this is a day of celebrating the giving of the Torah (the written Word), the giving of the Spirit of God––Yeshua (Jesus), (actually Yeshua gave His disciples His Power––He already gave them His Spirit when He breathed on them in John 20:22). However, we still celebrate the Restoration of God’s Torah, the Living Word written on our hearts, here is a suggested way to celebrate:
• Shavuot should be a day of lively praise and worship.
• Since giving is a form of worship, we should give of ourselves in some way to Yahweh, because believers are the firstfruits of wheat to Him.
• Shavuot is celebrated with a day off from work. God originally anointed this day as an Appointed Time (solemn feast in some Bibles), and it is a day of celebration––Yeshua has come and given us His Spirit, so celebrate!
• Baking two loaves of wheat bread and then waving them before God is an actual firstfruit offering of wheat. The waving of two leavened loaves before Yahweh was and is, symbolic of the fact that Restored Covenant Yisrael would be drawn out of both divided houses, both full of large amounts of leaven (born with a sinful nature). Yisrael was restored to God’s Covenant––His original Covenant of the Torah, also known as His Way on this day, as it will also in the very near future.
• Read Deuteronomy 26:3, & 5-10 when offering the two loaves of wheat bread and fresh fruit of the season, possibly in a basket (Deuteronomy 26:4). Afterward you can serve them to your guests to be eaten. This is truly a firstfruit offering.
According to the Jewish Talmud, eating dairy foods during Shavuot is supposedly symbolic of when Torah was given at Mt. Sinai––it was considered the milk of the Word at that time (1Peter 2:2, 1Corinthians 3:2 & Hebrews 5:12). In the New Testament, those who desire the milk of the Word, are described as babes in Messiah (or new believers). While at first you may be new in your Hebrew roots knowledge, this may not be how you want to remember the Torah each year. There is nothing in the Torah about eating dairy products during this festival.
• If you just want to have a dairy product dessert just because it tastes good, that is different. Make sure your guests know that it is not Scriptural though.
• The first Shavuot wasn’t exactly a feast, but the giving of the Torah. (However, this was not the very first Shavuot––Genesis 30:14 speaks of the wheat harvest, of which Shavuot represents. We must remember that these Feasts have been around since the beginning (since Adam and Chavah, because God’s people have always been people of harvests, from where God’s Festivals originated).
So have a special meal and you can decide what kind of a meal to have by taking a look at the offerings for this day (see Vayikra/Leviticus 23:15-21, Bemidbar/Numbers 28:26-31 and Devarim/Deuteronomy 16:9-12). You can choose from lamb or beef for your Shavuot meal, but do whatever the Spirit of God leads you to do.
• Read Leviticus 23:15-21, Numbers 28:26-31 & Deuteronomy 16:9-12 during the meal.You might want to have three different people read these passages, if you have guests.
A Menu for Shavuot
Lamb or Beef
Two loaves of wheat bread
Veggie medley (see Feast of Firstfruits page)
Green vegetable or green salad
Grape Juice or Wine
Dessert (possibly Cheesecake or Cheese Blintzes)
Bread Machine Cracked Wheat Bread Recipe
1 1/2 c. water 2/3 c. cracked wheat
2 1/2 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 T. honey
1 tsp. salt 2/3 c. wheat flour 2 2/3 c. bread flour 2 tsp. yeast
In small bowl, add the water and cracked wheat to soak. Allow cracked wheat to sit in the water at least one hour. Then place ingredients, water and cracked wheat first, in the order listed into the machine bread pan. Use Dough setting. When setting is complete, remove and divide dough into two equal parts. Place on a lightly floured surface and punch down. Shape into two long oblong (or round) loaves and place both on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Bake in preheated 350o oven for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Yield: 2 loaves
Updated April 30, 2020
(See complete Detail below Chart)
May 31, 2020
Sivan 8, 5192
Celebrating the Restoration of God's Torah to His people!