Shavuot/Feast of Weeks
The third High Sabbath in Yahweh’s Holy Days is, in Hebrew, Shavuot (שבועות, meaning “weeks”). In Greek, it is called Pentékosté (penthkosth=$, meaning “fiftieth ”). In English, it is called Pentecost, meaning “count fifty.”
Shavuot’s Duality
1. Shavuot represents the day on Yahweh’s calendar when the (letter of the law) Torah was written in stone and was given to Moshé (Moses) to present to the people. (Old Covenant).
2. Shavuot also represents the day on Yahweh’s calendar when the (Holy) Spirit of the Law (Torah) was made available to Yahweh’s people. ([Re] new[ed] Covenant).
Establishing Shavuot
To establish when Shavuot occurs involves counting, as Leviticus/Wayyiqra 23:15-16 NASB indicates:
You shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you bought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath.Then you shall pre sent a new grain offering to Yahweh.
The written Torah at Mt. Sinai was given to Moshé {Moses}. What it says was that seven weekly Sabbaths are included in the count for Pentecost. And, when the seventh weekly Sabbath is counted, then the next day, falling on the first day of the week, namely Sunday, is when Pentecost occurs. The important thing to remember is that the first of those seven weekly Sabbaths occurs during the Chag Matzot/Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The oral and written Torah is the first five books of the Old Testament. The contents of the Torah are the statutes, ordinances and judgments. The plural of Torah is Torot meaning more than one Torah.
Transposition
Webster’s New International Unabridged Dictionary defines transpose/transposition as:
1. To change the relative position, order, or sequence of; to cause to change places; interchange; and
2. To transfer or transport;
A third such transfer of position from one state to another without changing the meaning or intent.
There are three transpositions of the Torah/Instruction/Law. The first two are a physical transposition — the Oral & Written Torah/Torot. The third one is a spiritual transposition — Messiah Yahshua is viewed as the living, breathing, walking Torah/Word, Who is elevated (as being raised up) into the Spirit.
An example of the Oral (#1), a physical transposition, is the giving of the statutes, etc., orally from the Mind of Yahweh to the mind of man (Abraham), orally.
An example of Oral to Written (#2), a physical transposition, is the writing of the statutes, etc., in stone and given to Moshé (Moses) to be relayed to Yisrael.
An example of Written in stone being elevated into the Spirit (#3) is when the statutes, the Torah, is written in the hearts of man.
Two Worlds — Physical and Spiritual Parallels
Using the physical world around us to teach us the concepts in the spiritual realm is called physical to spiritual parallels.
The Oral and Written Torah are examples of a physical parallel (realm) which has since been transposed, "transferred," to the spiritual (realm). The Oral and Written Torah has always existed in the Mind of Yahweh.
Yahshua was born into the physical world and was resurrected into the spiritual parallel (realm). When Yahshua was raised up into the spirit realm, so was the Torah. The Spirit of the Torah, Messiah Yahshua, gives Eternal Life. The physical letter of the Torah exposes, identifies and condemns sin and the death decrees that reside within it. When Adam & Havah (Eve) ate of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and sinned, they activated the death decrees in the Torah. If the Torah had not always existed then Adam and Havah would not have been brought under the Torah's judgment and they would not have been condemned nor physically died.
One must first walk in the "Letter" of the Written Torah to come to the truth and understanding of the Spiritual Torah, "Yahshua." The physical shadow is the action committed, while the spiritual truth is the intent behind that action.
A Physical to Spiritual Parallel compares the Physical shadows to Spiritual truth. Yahweh establishes physical examples/shadows that correlate to spiritual truths by which those physical examples/ shadows help us to understand EL’s spiritual kingdom.
Yahweh's Moedim/Appointed times/Feast Days are physical rehearsals that lead to and teach spiritual truth.
I declared the former things long ago and they went forth from My mouth (to My prophets) and I proclaimed them (through physical shadows). Suddenly I acted, and they came to pass (written on our hearts with Yahshua on Shavuot), Yeshayah/lsaiah 48:3 NASB.
For now we (physically) see only a reflection (of spiritual reality) as (if we were looking) in a mirror; (but when resurrected) then we shall see (vividly) face to face (the spiritual realm directly) now I know in part (through physical to spiritual parallels): then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known, 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV.
Shavuot and Marriage Ceremony/Supper
The Moedim/ Appointed times of Yahweh, all seven High Sabbaths, are a rehearsal of the wedding covenant between Yahweh and His chosen people. As they are rehearsed each year, Yahweh's plan of Salvation, Justification and Redemption is revealed. The Spring Feasts/Moedim is where the Bride (Yah's chosen) and the Husband (Yahweh) are engaged to each other. Each of these High Sabbaths can be thought of as a time to meet or as a “Date” between the bride, “Yah’s chosen,” and her Husband, “Yahweh.”
This is (Shavuot), where the commitment to the marriage vows is made. Just as when couples, today, make a commitment to be married when they become engaged, the Israelites said, “All that Yahweh hath spoken we will do,” when Moses presented them with what Yahweh spoke to Moses, Ex. 19:8.
The Fall Feasts/Moedim are the celebration of the engagement to Yahweh along with the marriage ceremony and the wedding supper at Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles.
As we may recall, the Yisraelites, in the wilderness, did not remain true to Yahweh when they built the golden calf and worshiped it as the One Who led them out of Egypt, namely Yahweh. Because of this disloyalty, the invitation was withdrawn and the Levitical priesthood, along with the sacrificial instructions, were instituted as a temporary covering until the coming of the Messiah.
When Messiah Yahshua was raised from the dead, the original intent of the invitation was renewed/restored to the Spiritual Realm/Truth and is now open to those who answer the call and walk with Yahshua, the “Living Spiritual Torah,” in Spiritual Love and Truth, so that they may be invited to the marriage supper with Yahshua, the “Lamb of Yahweh,” Rev. 19:9.
Shavuot Rehearsal Time
Meaning Behind Shavuot
The counting of the Omer (days) to Shavuot is intended to teach us of the physical shadow that leads to the spiritual truth.
For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, (to wash/mikveh, you clean your sin) and you shall be clean (without sin, spotless before Me) from all your filthiness, (rebellion) and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new (circumcised) heart I will also give you, (for My Torah and write My Torah instructions on it) and a new spirit (loving obedience) will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, (legalistic observance of the Torah out of fear without love) and I will give you a (loving) heart of flesh. And I will put My (Set-Apart) spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances, and do them, Ezekiel 36:24–27 NASB.
Yahweh's Promise Fulfilled Through Yahshua
Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will make a [Re] new [ed] covenant with the house of Yisrael, and with the house of Judah [Yahudah]: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Yahweh. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Yisrael after those days, says Yahweh: I will put My law [Torah] in their inward parts, and in there I will write it and I will be their El and they shall be My people, Yeremyah/Jeremiah 31:31 -33 NASB.
If you shall ask anything in My name, (Yahshua), that will I do. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments [Torah/Torot]. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, (Yah's Spirit) that it may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth: that the world cannot receive; for it beholds it not, neither knows it: you know it; for it remains with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you desolate: I will come to you, Yahchonan/John 14:14-18 NASB.
In Summary
The Physical Shadow of Shavuot
The children of Yisreal, freed from slavery/bondage on Pesach/ Passover, left Mitzraim/Egypt on the first day of Chag Matzot/Feast of Unleavened Bread.They passed through the Red Sea where the nation of Yisrael was Mikved (washed clean) through water on Chag Matzot/FUB.
Today, we "Count the Orner," or 7 weeks plus 1 day, to arrive at Shavuot. The Yisraelites were guided by Yahweh so that, in their travels, they would arrive at Mt. Sinai, in order to receive the Torah, writ- ten in stone, on Shavuot.
The Spiritual Truth of Shavuot
The children (chosen) of Yahweh were freed/released from the slavery/bondage of sin on Pesach/ Passover. They departed a life of sin on the first day of Chag Matzot/FOUB. We are to search and inspect our lives for sin as we traverse to a new spiritual living way during Chag Matzot/FOUB.
At this time, the Torah is then written on our hearts on Shavuot when the Set -Apart (Yah's) spirit is sent to fulfill Yeremyah/Jeremiah 31:31-33.
It was on Shavuot that Yahweh established/fulfilled His Promise to “Write the Torah on our hearts" and the Renewed Covenant begins.
-Brother Jim Dehart
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2963 County Road 233, Kingdom City, Missouri 65262
View us online at: www.YAIY.org
Call Toll Free: (877) 642-4101
Main Line : (573) 642-4100