The Christian Letter, Volume One: Chapter 41
While Yahoshuah played out the first feasts, and proclaims that He will play out the last feasts upon His return, there is a festival in between them. It marks the anniversary of the giving of the Torah in Exodus, and the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts. Shavuot represents the time here where we keep the Torah, written upon the tablets of our heart by the Holy Spirit.
Shavuot, called Pentecost in Greek, which means fifty days, while Shavuot means weeks, occurs fifty days from the Sabbath during the Feast of the Unleavened. In celebrating Shavuot, there is a universal custom: to read Torah with a gathering, being thankful for the Spirit Who gave it. Let us bear fruit for the kingdom of the Messiah, by remembering the anniversary of the One Who loved us first. Let us now consider the Feast of the Harvesting Spirit!
It is fitting that His celebrations coincide with His harvests, but not all that is harvested is grain. “Then He said to them, ‘The harvest indeed is great, but the workers are few, therefore pray the Master of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” (Luke 10:2). Without workers, a field turns to weeds, goes without water, and indeed is no longer planted. I pray He sends workers, but I do not pray for this without being among those He sends. Will you also pray while planting Good Seed? Will you water with Living Water as you walk in His steps? Will you have a bountiful harvest to lift up before the Spirit?
“And Kepha said to them, ‘Repent, and let each one of you be immersed in the Name of Yahoshuah Messiah for the forgiveness of sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as Yahoweh our Elohim shall call.’ And with many other words he earnestly witnessed and urged them, saying, ‘Be saved from this crooked generation.’ Then those, indeed, who gladly received his word, were immersed. And on that day about three thousand beings were added to them. And they were continuing steadfastly in the teaching of the emissaries, and in the fellowship, and in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers.” (Acts 2:38-42).
Three thousand died when they disobeyed Yahoweh, soon after the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 32:28, by worshiping a golden calf unto Yahoweh. Yet, three thousand found life, here in Acts 2:38-42. What was different? With just the letter, there is rebellion, but with the Spirit, we have the prophesied desire within us to emulate Yahoshuah, Keeper of Torah, and Celebrator of festival! Will you be one of the thousands this year to be added to the fold, or will your golden calf turn you away from serving in love, even though to you it is unto Yahoweh? It is Shavuot, and a wonderful time to decided this day, His day, Whom we will love. In fact, we have no other choice but to decide.
After the Messiah’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the disciples continued to celebrate the eternal feasts, and we see they invited gentiles to rehearse them as well. I, likewise, invite each one of you to join us in this Torah filled, Spirit filled, joyous remembrance. Shavuot is about the communication of Yahoweh to His people. It is a celebration of two-way prayer.
… I sigh deeply. I weep internally. How long before those of faith die out? I own many commentaries and Bibles, but I only look to The Scriptures without added thoughts and finish my study in fear and prayer before I look at them to see if I missed something. So far they have only been an inspiration to write more passionately, for I fear the day we doom ourselves is already at hand. Almost all my commentaries state that, “Mount Sinai was a volcano, and this is why the Israelites thought it sounded like rushing water, and a shofar, when their Elohim spoke. Yet, we have never found such a mountain.”
I sigh deeply because the Spirit of Yahoweh is grieved. Let us pause and consider this statement—with the Spirit. One thing that really hit me was, “Their Elohim,” admitting openly that they do not claim Him. The Messiah is Jewish, and they refuse to acknowledge Him. Let us rewrite this. “Our Elohim.” Next, I see them proclaiming that around one million people were fooled by a volcano, and they heard His Word, yet there is no drug that could give such an illusion to everyone! “Our Elohim spoke the Torah from a mountain top.” We have found the mountain of Sinai as well, but since it is in Arabia, not in Egypt like so many try to make it be, only a few have seen it. Nevertheless, it has been found, and we have proof, not in the pictures and videos, but in His Word. Therefore, “Our Elohim spoke the Torah from a mountain top, and whether seen or unseen: His Word is enough for us!”
Isn’t it?
“And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks had come, they were all with one mind in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.” (Acts 2:1-4).
To understand this we have to go to back to another time. A time when fear was on Whom it belongs. According to a legend the apostles would have been very familiar with: When Yahoweh gave the Ten Commandments His voice echoed all languages (as foreigners were with them this would not surprise me) and fire was above everyone’s head (as He was throughout their journey). Would you be afraid? Or fearful? The miracles, signs, and wonders, that came upon them in Acts chapter two, carried deep significance. The tongues of fire and the speaking in every tongue (language) were mirrors to the Mount Sinai experience of receiving of the Torah. First came His Spirit, then His Spirit’s Words, the Torah of Desire, and His Spirit came to us personally thereafter to remind us of what He has said. Praise Yah! HalleluYah!
“‘And I shall give them one heart, and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, so that they walk in My Laws, and guard My right-rulings, and shall do them. And they shall be My people and I shall be their Elohim. But to those whose hearts walk after the heart of their disgusting matters and their abominations, I shall recompense their deeds on their own heads,’ declares the Master Yahoweh.” (Ezekiel 11:19-21). Who can fathom the pen of Yahoweh, able to write upon stone and heart? Only those who give themselves as tablets.
“And all the people saw the thunders, the lightning flashes, the sound of the ram’s horn, and the mountain smoking. And the people saw it, and they trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Mosheh, ‘You speak with us and we hear, but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die.’” (Exodus 20:18-19). The people were terrified at the giving of Torah! Do you think that when tongues of fire came down on the disciples that they were just casually sitting around? No way! There was fear and rejoicing. Too often we take advantage of His grace like some men take advantage of anyone they can. We lack the fear we need to depart from evil. “And He said to man, ‘See, the fear of Yahoweh, that is wisdom, and to turn from evil is understanding.’” (Job 28:28).
“But the Helper, the Set-apart Spirit, Whom the Father shall send in My Name, He shall teach you all, and remind you of all that I said to you.” (John 14:26). “And now I have told you before it takes place, that when it does take place, you shall believe.” (John 14:29). The Son can set us free from bondage by taking us to the Spirit of Torah on Mount Sinai, in the Upper Room.
The Holy Spirit was given on Shavuot in a full manner, but why didn’t the Messiah give His disciples this Ruach while He was still here? Our Father is the keeper of time—the Maker of time. The time had to be Shavuot. However, have you ever wondered what would have happened if the disciples had said, “Ah, we have grace now and we don’t need to keep the festivals. Let’s go do something else instead of Torah.” Would the Holy Spirit still have come upon them? The disciples did not earn the Spirit, but they were where the Ruach was going to be, as Yahoweh never misses His feasts.
Consider any one sin in your life. I’ll consider one of mine. Got one? Now, what would it take to remove that sin from our lives besides just doing, or not doing something, as doings often change? What if we really fear Yahoweh, and know that His eyes behold our actions and thoughts? What if we allow the Keeper of Feasts residing in our heart to remove the sin, and fill us with humble obedience? Consider this, “And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Adam, dressed in a robe down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. And His head and hair were white as white wool, as snow, and His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like burnished brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters. And in His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was as the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead, and He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last,’” (Revelation 1:12-17). If Yahoshuah appeared like this to us, and said, “Stop that sin! You are grieving Me.” would we stop? Only if your sin were lying would you say anything other than, “Yes.” … and even then. Do we lack the faith to understand that He is every bit as awesome right now, though unseen? Is He not in the midst of our gathering on Shavuot? Or are we gathering? When the Messiah returns, will we be in the midst of cussing, looking at pornography, or toiling away for manna on Sabbath, or on Shavuot? We sin because we need more fear of Yahoweh in our lives.
When we fear Yahoweh and depart from evil, we learn the true way of love is so much more fulfilling than our sinful nature wants us to believe. Yahoshuah wants to live in you and give you the power to overcome. We know He kept the Torah, and we know that, “Yahoshuah Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8). Yet, how can we claim to have the Torah Keeper in our heart, if we do not feel led within our heart to keep the Torah?
“Okay, so what do we do on this day?”
Good question. How would you answer it? This is the anniversary of the Torah and the Holy Spirit, and of harvest. What would be a way we could celebrate in the Holy Spirit, the Word, and in food?
My wife and I harvest first fruits from our garden, and take them to widows here in town as a part of our celebration. If we do not have enough, then, before the Sabbath, we take some of our tithe and purchase foods for them. Not cream corn, mind you, but good foods prepared and brought with company in friendship. We also speak His Word as His Spirit leads us, and offer up silent prayers of thanks for the trees we see, and the kittens we pet, on the way to visit with others.
On Shavuot, we do no servile work (we may cook and feast: see Leviticus 12:16), and we read His Words, and live His Words read by giving to those in need, whoever they may be. We do not just give food, though; we also get to share His Word in joy, but never forced. If someone refuses what you present, then give a welcoming offer as your parting, rather than a condemning judgment.
Often people worked for weeks or months to be able to travel to Jerusalem for Shavuot. What do you suppose they spoke about on their way there? Likewise, on our spiritual journey let us speak of the Torah and have wondrous fellowship, not argumentative midrash from various false rabbis and preachers. Let us walk as the Messiah walked: In the Ruach of Torah, in the essence of Shavuot!
“And many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahoweh, to the House of the Elohim of Ya’aqob, and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths, for out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah, and the Word of Yahoweh from Yerushalayim.’” (Isaiah 2:3).
While the Torah only calls for certain days, these days have one great lesson in common: all days have a place in the Father’s plan. And all characters have an important part to play out. Dear brothers and sweet sisters, do not leave your roles empty. What is our role? We are to be living sacrifices.
“Bring from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread, of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour they are, baked with leaven, first-fruits to Yahoweh. And besides the bread, you shall bring seven lambs a year old, perfect ones, and one young bull and two rams. They are a burnt offering to Yahoweh, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet fragrance to Yahoweh. And you shall offer one male goat as a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old, as a peace offering. And the priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave offering before Yahoweh, besides the two lambs. They are set-apart to Yahoweh for the priest. And on this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do no servile work on it—a Law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. And when you reap the harvest of your land do not completely reap the corners of your field when you reap, and do not gather any gleaning from your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am Yahoweh your Elohim.” (Leviticus 23:17-22).
Could these two loves of bread be representations of the Two Tablets Yahoweh the Spirit wrote upon our heart? Let us be the bread offering, as the bread shows we are made with fine flour from grains, but that we also have leaven (sin) within us, no matter how hard we strive, and, therefore, must be accompanied with the Sacrifice before we can be accepted. So let us all count our days as we move from the grain of nature, to the fine flour offering of bread made by His love, ever knowing that without the perfect Lamb (seven being a number of perfection) we cannot be saved, and even if we could be or were, without Him, salvation looses all meaning. For what is immortality in this world, but endless sorrow?
The Anniversary of the Harvesting Spirit reminds me that my wife chose me over everyone in this world. She chose me over herself and over her parents. I celebrate her love daily; however, once a year there is a time I remember the day we said, “I do.” This anniversary, our anniversary, is not the only day I cherish her love, but it is a set time and I honor that set time. What if I woke on our anniversary and left her at home without a word? I went and goofed around with other people and never even considered her. My absence of heart would rip her heart out. Is not Yahoweh more jealous than any wife? That is what many people who do not care about His festivals do to our Groom. That is not all, though, as they then say it simply does not apply to them, let alone matter. The hole where the heart was is now filled with shards of ice. Will we remember the giving of a ring, but not the giving of the Spirit Who moves us to keep His Commandments?
“Okay, so when do we keep this festival? Isn’t there confusion about what day it is on?”
“Count seven weeks for yourself. Begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. And you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to Yahoweh your Elohim, according to the voluntary offering from your hand, which you give as Yahoweh your Elohim blesses you. And you shall rejoice before Yahoweh your Elohim, you and your son and your daughter, and your male servant and your female servant, and the Lewite who is within your gates, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are in your midst, at the place where Yahoweh your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell. And you shall remember that you were a slave in Mitsrayim, and you shall guard and do these Laws.” (Deuteronomy 16:9-12).
We all know the importance of keeping the correct date of His appointed times, but many are confused as to what day it is on. Even with clear instructions given, there is controversy over when Shavuot is to be celebrated. Do we count fifty days from the morrow after First Fruits, which many see as a Sabbath, or do we count fifty days from the morrow after the weekly Sabbath? There is only one date Shavuot is on, but there are two ways of counting to determine the day of Shavuot, and when both are done, it eliminates any confusion. When one or the other is done, then there is great confusion. According to the Torah, Shavuot is to be celebrated on the fiftieth day of the Counting of the Omer, after the seventh Sabbath.
“And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new grain offering to Yahoweh.” (Leviticus 23:15-16).
The Torah clearly teaches that Shavuot is to be, “the morrow after the seventh Sabbath” and would total, “fifty days.” First Fruits is on Day 1, the morrow after the weekly Sabbath. Fifty days later, on Day 1, the morrow after the weekly Sabbath, is the celebration of Shavuot. It is the only method of counting where both methods can be used.
Example: Using an American calendar, let’s say the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of the Unleavened falls on the first of the month, and there are thirty days in the month. You begin counting on First Fruits, the Day 1 after the Sabbath. Thus, we have twenty-nine days in the first month, and four Sabbaths. Next month, the twentieth day would be the seventh Sabbath, and the Day 1 after would be the fiftieth day. The date of Shavuot: it is as easy as counting to seven and counting to fifty.
Side note: The counting of the days to Shavuot can be a fun activity, and it is referred to as: The Counting of the Omer. An omer is a measure, or sheaf, of either barley or wheat. Before any of the newly harvested grain could be eaten or used, an omer of the first fruits of the grain was brought to the temple for a wave offering. This bringing of the first fruits happened three times a year, but could only happen if the workers in the field were diligent all year. Let us, therefore, never forget to pray that there would be more workers for Yahoweh’s harvest.
Side note: I mentioned this next passage to you in my letter The Gentile and the Sabbath, and hold what I wrote to you within that letter is the proper understanding, but there is one more I said I would share. “One indeed judges one day above another, another judges every day alike. Let each one be completely persuaded in his own mind. He who minds the day, minds it to Yahoweh. And he who does not mind the day, to Yahoweh he does not mind it. He who eats, eats to Yahoweh, for he gives Elohim thanks. And he who does not eat, to Yahoweh he does not eat, and gives Elohim thanks.” (Romans 14:5-6). Some feel this passage does not speak about fasting, and not judging others who are, or are not, as the text states, but that it instead applies to the Counting of the Omer, thereby saying to celebrate both Biblical and un-Biblical Shavuot dates, which the text does not state. Shavuot is worth a celebration of remembrance! Some, in zeal, not tempered with wisdom and understanding, strive to keep both days, or they struggle unnecessarily as to what the date is. However, their zeal of love outshines those whose metal sits cold or lukewarm.
Pause after the reading these first four words, and then read them again: “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands. And I shall ask the Father, and He shall give you another Helper, to stay with you forever—the Spirit of the Truth, Whom the world is unable to receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. But you know Him, for He stays with you and shall be in you. I shall not leave you orphans—I am coming to you. Yet a little while, and the world no longer sees Me, but you shall see Me, because I live, and you shall live. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who possesses My commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:15-21).
He shall send His Spirit to those who love Him, and therefore guard and do His commandments. Seek wisdom beginning with a fear of Yahoweh, and a love for Him, for it is true, “Yahoshuah answered him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he shall guard My Word. And My Father shall love him, and We shall come to him and make Our stay with him.’” (John 14:23). Be still—be still! … I hear His whisper:
“Do you love me?”
“Yes, my King, you know that I do.”
“I’ll be waiting for you … at Shavuot.”
Selah
Be Blessed and be a Blessing
Shalom
-Valentine Thalken Billingsley
If this blessed you, please share it.
Additional Scripture References:
Exodus 35:22, Deuteronomy 16:16, 1 John 1:7
