David's Comment: Celebrating Shavuot in 2024
Leviticus 23:15 - 16 And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.
Next Tuesday night is the eve of the next Feast of the LORD, Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, which is the foreshadow of what happened on the Day of Pentecost. As I have shared in previous years, the Hebrew word Shavuot is the plural of Shavua or 1 week. So the word Shavuot indicates 7 x 7 days or 49 days, and as we see in the opening verse, GOD told the Israelites to count 50 days to the day after the 7th Sabbath after Passover. Pentecost is a Greek word which simply means 50 days, so it is easy to see the connection. We read in Acts chapter 2 that the Holy Spirit came down to Jerusalem on the 50th day after Passover, which I believe was the morning of Shavuot, and a sound like a mighty rushing wind was heard. Then tongues of fire appeared to sit on each of the disciples and they were baptised with the power of the Holy Spirit. After receiving the Holy Spirit Peter preached a very anointed message and 3000 Jewish people were born again that day.
As the non Messianic Jews celebrate Shavuot each year at this time, their focus is on the book of Ruth which is which is traditionally read at Shavuot. Most Jews do not read the New Testament and do not know what happened in Jerusalem on the day of Shavuot in the year that Yeshua was crucified and rose again 3 days later. On the other hand, most Messianic Jews and a growing number of Christians who have discovered the true roots of their faith, celebrate the combination of the original festival of Shavuot and the fulfillment of the Pentecost outpouring of the Holy Spirit or Ruach ha Kodesh in Hebrew.
This year the Jewish people will be celebrating Shavuot in Israel with the horrors of the massacre of October 7 and the 8 months of war in Gaza and in the north, weighing heavy in the background. Many will have family members or friends still captive in Gaza, and will probably be protesting or mourning, rather than celebrating. Jewish people who ares still living in the nations will celebrate Shavuot this year, rightfully concerned about the dramatic increase of hatred for Israel and the Jewish people since the Gaza war began.
I am sure that the majority of Born-Again Believers pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit each year at Pentecost. This year most of the Christian world celebrated Pentecost Sunday a few weeks ago. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the Jewish people in a powerful way this Shavuot, and that He will remove the veil over their eyes and hearts, to enable them to see that Yeshua is the Messiah of Israel. Because of the dramatic events of the last 8 months many Jewish people are thinking more about faith and asking a lot of questions. Could this be the time for revival in Israel and in Jewish communities in the nations ?
Please pray from now until the end of Shavuot on Wednesday night, for Jews everywhere to have a Holy Spirit revelation of the reality of the GOD of Israel, and that Yeshua is the Messiah of the Jewish people. And please make a special prayer as the Holy Spirit leads you, for the hostages, their families and friends, and for the thousands of soldiers who will be serving over Shavuot.
The LORD bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to occupy and defend all of the land covenanted to the Jewish people by the GOD of Israel. Please pray that all of the Jewish people will turn back to their GOD and Messiah. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for a revelation of the real Messiah for the Muslims, and please remember to pray Angelic protection over all of the Israeli soldiers and pilots.
Shabbat Shalom and Shavuot Blessings ........ David |
