Sid: This evening begins Shavuot otherwise known as Pentecost. This is of all the 7 feasts that are mentioned in Leviticus 23 the Feasts of the Lord, this is my favorite. And I have to tell you I believe by the time we’re finished it’ll be your favorite too.
On yesterday’s broadcast we said that in Leviticus chapter 23 verse 2 with the Hebrew understanding this is how it reads. “The appointed times of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy rehearsals; these are My Feasts.” In other words, these appoints are God’s appointments.
Now how would you like to have an appointment with God; would you need a secretary to remind you or would you be waiting with bated breath “I can’t wait to get to this appointment God!” And you see these feasts have nothing to do with salvation what so ever. But oh, so they have s kernel of truth; a key of truth within them that will help you understand #1 they are rehearsals of past events. What better platform to worship God on then rehearsals of His past achievements. They are rehearsals of future events, His return. No wonder they’re so many different views on the end times because we aren’t looking at God’s rehearsals. How would you like to go to a dress rehearsal of the return of Messiah put on by the Messiah Himself that He promises to show up at and answer your questions and have His presence poured out? And just be… hang out with Him. Who would want to miss that, that’s what these Feast are. They have nothing to do with salvation but they have a kernel of truth in it that will affect the salvation of the world. The have nothing to do with righteousness; but they explain the righteousness you have in Messiah Yeshua. But they even have a greater purpose than everything that I’ve said. You see these Feasts have been orchestrated by God to bring Jews and Christian’s together under the banner of Messiah. And I’m going to tell you something. Roman’s 11:11 says that the Gentile believers call is to provoke the Jew to jealousy. Now you believe that you really provoke a Jewish person to jealousy by saying “We had the greatest Easter service and we went on an Easter egg hunt and…” No! But how about a Passover Seder where someone got out of a wheelchair and started walking. How about a Passover Seder where someone’s eyes that were blind were opened; now you’ll provoke a Jew. How about a Passover Seder where literally people went to it and encountered the manifest presence of God just like in the days of Solomon when the glory of God came into the Temple. And do you know what will happen when different congregations and different streams within Christianity come together and invite their Jewish friends on these Biblical God appointments. I believe that the heart of God will be so blessed that He will do what He promises He’ll show up. Now let’s read about the feast that is starting this evening. It’s called Pentecost, or Shavuot. And you shall count, this is in Leviticus 23 verse 15. “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Shabbat…” and by the way what I’m doing this is what I recommend what we do at the feast. Yes, read a book about the way the Feasts were during Temple days; read a book about how these Feasts were observed by Jewish people today. And then read the Book; the Bible and ask the Spirit of the Living God to breathe on His word and show you how it will be a word in season just for you on this Feast. Just for your congregation, just for your Mishpochah your family.
“And you shall count for yourself from the day after the Sabbath from the day after you brought the sheaf of the wave offering 7 Sabbath’s shall be completed. Count 50 days to the day after the 7th Sabbath and then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwelling 2 wave loafs of 2 tenths of an Ephah and they shall be of fine flour and they shall be baked with leaven. They are the first fruits to the Lord. And you shall offer with the bread 7 lambs of the first year without blemish. One young bull, 2 rams, they shall be as burnt offerings to the Lord with their grain offering and their drink offering; offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord; then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering. And 2 male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice as a peace offering. The priests shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord with the 2 lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priests and you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation.”
And remember I explained convocation means rehearsal. Now after you read about Shavuot; then you say Holy Spirit, make it real to me. Just what we read right here we understand that it’s 50 days from firstfruits and that there are animal sacrifices. Why? Because we human’s aren’t holy and we need blood. Leviticus 17:11 says “I’ve given the blood upon the altar as atonement for sin.” It is the blood that makes atonement for sin. You know the Talmud said you cannot have Yom Kippur without blood, even though the rabbis have come up with an un-kosher alternative. You can’t have Shavuot without the blood. But I’m so grateful that 2000 years ago the Passover Lamb died for me and died for you. But there’s an interesting point here, what is this 2 loaves? These loaves by the way I’ve seen them; they’re long and they’re flat, whereas in in Passover we have unleavened bread and leaven is a type of sin. And so that represents the Passover Lamb Yeshua who did not die for His own sins because He didn’t have any but He died for our sins and for our diseases and for our pains. But this time the priest takes bread and it’s specifically says with leaven and not just bread he takes two long flat leaven loaves of wheat bread. Now why two? I believe the two refers to the One New Man that Paul talks about in Ephesians where he says that “Yeshua came to break down the middle wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles.” Those two loaves are Jews and Gentiles, God’s creation humanity with leaven. That are perverted with sin and the high priest lifts them up after the animal sacrifices so that the sins are atoned for. And those two representing Jew and gentile he starts waving as a wave offering to God. He waves them forward and he waves them backwards and he waves them up and he waves them down. And he says in Deuteronomy chapter 16 verse 9 to 12 that we are to rejoice at this festival. Why? Because we are blessing the heart of God. Because Messiah came to break down that middle wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles. But if Christian’s have one set of holidays and if Jewish people have another set of holidays and if God says “I don’t change to observe these God appointments forever.” Can you see how the devils had a field day? But there is a freedom in this I want you to do this in freedom; not in bondage. I’d rather you not observe the biblical festivals if you have to do them with a religious spirit. But this Shavuot this Pentecost that starts this evening I’ll give you just a little bit of a clue; the Jewish people were in the Synagogue and there are certain things that we must read during Shavuot and during Pentecost. One of the things we must read is Ezekiel the first chapter and guess what happens? Ezekiel has a vision; I mean he’s the first charismatic as far as I’m concerned. And in this vision Ezekiel sees a whirlwind coming towards him, and then in this whirlwind there’s fire and lightning and a flame and a glow. And does this remind you? What happened when those Jewish people came out of the temple of their early morning prayer and on Shavuot on Pentecost; the 2nd chapter of Acts? What did Paul say? “This is that which Joel was talking about.” They heard a wind and flames of fire.” They had just read this and see how you can’t understand the New Covenant without the Old. You need the Old Covenant to understand the New and you need the New Covenant to understand the Old. And you need the Jew in the Church to understand the One New Man and to complete those two loaves that bless the heart of God. You see why I love this festival because it has to do with the supernatural endowment of power with the Holy Spirit coming upon us at Pentecost and it has to do with the two loaves of the two becoming one; Jew and Gentile becoming one. And you mark my words, the greatest battle on the face of this earth right now is a battle over the supernatural.
When I first became a believer in the Messiah people were worshiping God in unknown tongues. When I went to a charismatic church and a Pentecostal Church the gifts of the Spirit were operating. People were speaking in unknown tongues; they were prophesying. And today in most Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches half of the congregation doesn’t speak in unknown tongues anymore. Out of time will pick up right here on tomorrow’s broadcast.
