The feast of weeks/Harvest/Pentecost, how relevant is this festival to not only believers but to all humanity?
The appointed time for this festival is fifty (50) days after the feast of the First Fruits, that is, fifty days after the Sunday which falls during the days of Un-leavened bread, or the feast of first fruits. The day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ when He ascened to heaven and presented Himself to the Father on our behalf.
Remember, while Mary stood by the tomb weeping Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:16,17,19).
This was the fulfillment or the reality of the instructions the Lord gave to the children of Israel saying; "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" (Leviticus 23:15-16).
This new grain offering the Israelites were commanded to offer on that day was two loaves baked with leaven, and present it to the LORD as a wave offering of first-fruits to the LORD (Leviticus 23:15-17).
This wave offering with the two loaves foreshadowed the unification between Jews and Gentiles as we have been duly admonished saying: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesian 2:13-18).
In the New Testament we are told, “Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Thus signifying that the coming together by the disciples on that particular festival was not something new to them, but rather they were commemorating the Feast of Weeks as instructed.
This festival as one can see is still relevant because the Apostle Paul who is the apostle to the Gentiles continued to observe this festival. He wrote “I must by all means keep this feast in Jerusalem” and he hurried to be at Jerusalem, if possible on the day of Pentecost, and on another occasion, he said, "but I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost." Signifying that he continued to acknowledge and observe these festivals (Acts 18:21; 20:16; 1Corinthians 16:8).
This festival therefore, commemorates the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh as was prophesied by the prophet Joel saying; " And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved" (Joel 2:28-29: Acts 2:17-21).
It is therefore so perplexing to see that this festival is being ignored and set aside by some who hold tennaciously to the seventh day Sabbath, and misapplied by those who observe Sundays as an excuse to justify this day as the reason for observing Sundays as their Sabbath day. Truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.
The appointed time for this festival is fifty (50) days after the feast of the First Fruits, that is, fifty days after the Sunday which falls during the days of Un-leavened bread, or the feast of first fruits. The day after the resurrection of Jesus Christ when He ascened to heaven and presented Himself to the Father on our behalf.
Remember, while Mary stood by the tomb weeping Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.' "
Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you" (John 20:16,17,19).
This was the fulfillment or the reality of the instructions the Lord gave to the children of Israel saying; "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" (Leviticus 23:15-16).
This new grain offering the Israelites were commanded to offer on that day was two loaves baked with leaven, and present it to the LORD as a wave offering of first-fruits to the LORD (Leviticus 23:15-17).
This wave offering with the two loaves foreshadowed the unification between Jews and Gentiles as we have been duly admonished saying: "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesian 2:13-18).
In the New Testament we are told, “Now when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Thus signifying that the coming together by the disciples on that particular festival was not something new to them, but rather they were commemorating the Feast of Weeks as instructed.
This festival as one can see is still relevant because the Apostle Paul who is the apostle to the Gentiles continued to observe this festival. He wrote “I must by all means keep this feast in Jerusalem” and he hurried to be at Jerusalem, if possible on the day of Pentecost, and on another occasion, he said, "but I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost." Signifying that he continued to acknowledge and observe these festivals (Acts 18:21; 20:16; 1Corinthians 16:8).
This festival therefore, commemorates the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh as was prophesied by the prophet Joel saying; " And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved" (Joel 2:28-29: Acts 2:17-21).
It is therefore so perplexing to see that this festival is being ignored and set aside by some who hold tennaciously to the seventh day Sabbath, and misapplied by those who observe Sundays as an excuse to justify this day as the reason for observing Sundays as their Sabbath day. Truly, these times of ignorance God has overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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