This is 5-Facts About Pentecost [Shavu’ot] Every True Disciple of Messiah Should Know.

Most of us who are Torah-keeping disciples of Yeshua Messiah recognize that Pentecost (aka, Shavu’ot) is one of the 7-annual, mandated Feasts of YHVH.

The practicing orthodox Jews of the world recognize the day with night-long Torah-studies, selected readings of the Tanakh (ie., books of the Old Testament), and with family meals and celebratory get-togethers.

Even churchianity recognizes Pentecost as a special day, citing it as the day the Christian and Catholic Church was officially born.

Beyond Pentecost/Shavuot being just another of the 7-annual mandated Feasts of YHVH, as a season and as a day, it is tremendously rich in spiritual meaning and significance for every true disciple of Y’shua Messiah.

Today, we will reveal and explore 5-facts about Pentecost/Shavu’ot we all should be aware of as we head into the day.

Fact 1. Pentecost [Shavu’ot] is About a Season as Much as it is About a Day

Most of you will be observing Pentecost (aka Shavu’ot) this coming S-nday, J-ne 9th. This according to the Calculated Jewish Calendar. Because I keep the observational calendar, Hilary and I will be keeping Pentecost the following S-nday, J-ne 16th.

I mentioned the reason for the disparity in dates in installment 27 of the Messianic Torah Observer. I would humbly refer you to that post for a detailed explanation of the disparity in the dates if you are so led.

Why Keep Shavu’ot?

As Torah Observant disciples of Y’shua Messiah, we keep Pentecost (aka, Shavu’ot) because Father commanded us in His Torah to keep each Feast in perpetuity. (At the very least we keep the spirit of the Feasts as the Ruach haKodesh/the Holy Spirit directs.) Why?

1. Because it pleases our Heavenly Father when we obey His commands such as keeping His Feasts at their appointed times.

2. The Feasts reminds us of Father’s Great Plan of Redemption and Salvation. They serve as rehearsals for us.

3. Our Master Y’shua and His disciples turned apostles kept these feasts. Their obedience to Torah serves the Body of Messiah as a foundation for righteous and holy living which is pleasing to the Father and is the right and proper thing for us to do.

4. Shavu’ot is the second of the 3-annual pilgrimage feasts. (I covered what a pilgrimage feast is in my post entitled, “Feast Pilgrimages to Israel.” So if you desire a more in-depth discussion on pilgrimage feasts, I would point you to that installment as well.)

Of the 7-annual feasts, the pilgrimage feasts have added importance because they required us to travel to and worship at the Sanctuary/Temple, the place where YHVH established His Name; His presence. Since the Temple no longer exists, under the auspices of the renewed covenant, we have effectively because the place where YHVH establishes His Name and presence. Thus, our keeping of the 3-pilgrimage feasts, which includes Shavu’ot, must be meaningful to us in every way possible.

(As an aside, I also posted an in-depth discussion on Shavuot last year entitled, “Keeping Shavuot—The Feast of Weeks—Pentecost—It’s Importance and Meaning to Messianic Believers Today.” I encourage you to check out that discussion which focused, as the title suggests, on the importance and meaning of the day to Yeshua-focused Torah keepers.)

Acts 2:1 and the Meaning of Pentecost/Shavu’ot

For purposes of this post, I want to briefly explore Shavu’ot from the perspective of Acts 2:1, which reads:

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place” (KJV).

Now, the AENT (Aramaic English New Testament) places somewhat of a different nuance on this verse. It’s rendering of this critical verse actually takes us in different direction than that of the KJV. Thus, the passage reads,

“And after the (fifty) days of Shavuot (Pentecost) were fulfilled, all were assembled as one” (AENT).

Do you recognize the nuance here? The AENT rendering of Acts 2:1 actually clarifies for the reader what Pentecost actually means in Luke’s accounting of the day just 10-days after the ascension of our Master to His Father in heaven. It speaks to a period of 50-days (which Jewish tradition calls “the counting of the omer”) leading up to the arrival of Pentecost, when all (ie., all of Y’shua’s disciples) were gathered together at a yet-to-be revealed location, in “one accord (ie., “homothumadon” or with one passion and purpose of mind).”

(If you desire a more in-depth discussion on the concept of the Jewish tradition of “The Days of Counting the Omer,” I invite you to listen to the first portion of my installment entitled, “10-Things You Must Do to Improve Your Understanding of the Bible.”)

Penteqostia

The Aramaic term used in this verse is “Pentaqostia,” which Andrew Gabriel Roth, author of the AENT says is a “loanword” meaning 50th-day. Pentaqostia is not a common Aramaic term. The AENT presumes that Luke wrote his account in Aramaic, effectively borrowing from Greek terminology (such as Pentecost) that is found throughout his work. Thus, Pentaqostia is derived from the Greek term “Pentecoste.” Roth contends that Luke, a Syrian-Antioch native, used the term Pentaquostia to appeal to his primarily Gentile, Aramaic-Greek reading audience.

Luke: a Most Unique Historian

Luke was a unique historian. Like his traveling partner the Apostle Paul, Luke was able to operate in both semitic and gentile worlds with the greatest of ease.

Pentecost: Both a Season and a Day

The AENT rendering of Acts 2:1 actually highlights the relevance of the 50-day “season” leading up to the feast day. And the relevance of those 50-days is recorded in Luke 24 and Acts 1. Thus the AENT defines Pentecost as a Feast composed of 50-days leading up to the mandated pilgrimage feast day.

Thus, Pentacostia is: (1) the Feast Day itself; and (2) it serves as a time marker (ie., the period of time leading up to the actual day of Pentecost).

The Date of Pentecost Each Calendar Year

As you may (or for that matter may not) know, Pentecost (ie., Shavu’ot) does NOT fall on the same day of the biblical calendar month each year.

When Father gave us instructions for Shavu’ot and Yom HaBikkurim (aka, Wave Sheaf Offering), He also gave us very strict instructions on how to determine the exact dates on which these two calendar events fall.

Now, there is a slight trick to nailing down when Shavu’ot falls. In order to determine the day when Shavu’ot falls, one must first nail down when Yom HaBikkurim (ie., Wave Sheaf) occurs. And this nailing down of the exact date of Wave Sheaf is a point of contention in our Faith Community. This is because the date of Wave Sheaf is not universally understood or agreed upon by members of our Faith Community.

(For a more detailed explanation of the Wave Sheaf Offering Day, I humbly invite you to listen/read my post entitled: “The Day of First Fruits or the Wave Sheaf Offering.”)

Determining When Wave Sheaf Falls is Critical to Determining When Shavuot Falls

The crucial element of this thing is determining exactly when Wave Sheaf falls during any given biblical calendar year. Accurately determining what day Wave Sheaf falls directly affects the date when Shavu’ot takes place each biblical calendar year.

Torah tells us when Wave Sheaf is to fall in each biblical calendar year:

“You are to count seven complete weeks starting from the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the presentation offering” (Lev. 23:15; CSB).

In order to understand this instruction, we must take in context of the overall chapter. Wave Sheaf takes place only during the pilgrimage feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread. Wave Sheaf is easily marked by the weekly Sabbath that falls during the Week of Passover/Unleavened Bread. So when that weekly Sabbath hits, we know that the very next day (ie., S-nday) will be Wave Sheaf. That day MUST fall within the Passover/Unleavened Bread week. It cannot fall outside it. And lastly, Wave Sheaf always falls on a S-nday (ie., the first day of the week after the weekly Sabbath that falls during the Passover/Unleavened Bread Week.

It is on Wave Sheaf that we begin our 50-day count (ie., 7-week count) leading to the Day of Shavu’ot (Lev. 23:16).

When we as a community follow this basic instruction of Leviticus 23:15, we by default keep Shavu’ot at its appointed time (Num. 9:2-13).

Fact-2. The Day of Pentecost [Shavu’ot] Goes By a Number of Names

One of the greatest challenges facing a new convert to our Faith has to do with learning the language of our Faith. Most of us came from some sect of churchianity. The common vernacular of churchianity is pretty easy to understand as it generally matches our western, secular language. However, when individuals move into Faith (ie., Hebrew Roots/Messianic Faith), most are met with a whole other set of names and terminologies that is totally foreign to them.

The learning curve just for the language (ie., individual words and phrases as opposed to the entire Hebrew language) often associated with our Faith can be daunting to some. But learning key terms, phrases, and names is essential to one’s ability to understand the things of YHVH as recorded in the bible.

Understanding Names and Vernacular is Important 

Important elements of our Faith such as the designation of the Feasts of YHVH can be especially challenging to the new convert. Not only does the convert have to learn what the Feasts are, when and where they fall during the biblical calendar year and their significance to their walk in Messiah, he or she must also be able to recognize the various references, names and titles given to each Feast by the various writers of the bible.

Like the other annual feasts of Yah, Shavu’ot is referenced in scripture by at least 4-distinct English names or titles:

1. Feast of Weeks—Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10.

2. Feast of Harvest—Exodus 23:16.

3. Day of First Fruits—Numbers 28:26.

4. Day of Pentecost—Acts 2:1; 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8.

Then of course there’s the name or term “Shavuot,” which is an Ashkenazi (one of two fundamental Jewish sects) Hebrew term. Sephardic Jews (the second Jewish sect) refer to the Day as Shavu’oth. Consequently you will not find Shavu’ot in most, if any, English translation of scripture.

Fact-3. Pentecost [Shavu’ot] is Chocked-Full of Key-Spiritual Meaning and Relevance

In their rawest form (ie., as they were literally prescribed and practiced in Torah and the Tanakh), the feasts served as annual reminders to us of Yah’s goodness, grace, mercy and sovereignty.

Many in our Faith contend that Torah was given to us on or around the Day of Shavu’ot, some 50-days after we were delivered from Egyptian bondage by YHVH. (I personally believe this to be true.)

The feasts also served as key historical markers in the life of ancient Israel: not only embodying our exodus from Egyptian bondage, but also the life and atoning sacrifice of our Master Yahoshua.

The 50-day/7-week period leading up to Shavu’ot matches the amount of time it would have taken us to depart Egyptian territory; trek across the Red Sea and the desert on the other side; enter into Arabia; assemble at the foot of Mount Sinai; and receive Father’s covenant and Torah (Exo. 12-20:1-17).

For the disciple of Yeshua Messiah, the 50-day/7-week period leading up to Shavu’ot is the same, allotted time frame that existed between Yeshua’s resurrection and the giving of the gift of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Acts 2.

What Happened During the 50-Days?

During this critical 50-day/7-week period:

• Yeshua makes several appearances to His disciples (Mar. 16 and Luk. 24).
• In appearing to His disciples during this time period, Master performed a number of signs/miracles in their presence (Joh. 20:30,31).
• Yahoshua gives His disciples the Great Commission (Mat. 28:18-20; Joh. 21:24,25).
• Master fully reveals the Gospel and foretells the imminent outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His disciples (Luk. 24:45-49).
• Yahoshua ascends to His Father on the 40th Day in the presence of His disciples and angels reveal His ultimate return to Jerusalem in the same manner that He left them (Act. 1:11).
• On the day Yahoshua ascended to His Father, the disciples took up residence in a rented space in Jerusalem in accordance to the instructions provided to them by Yeshua (Luk. 24:52,53).
• For 10-solid days, the disciples went to the Temple: teaching, preaching and praying (Mar. 16:20).

The disciples, by means of a makeshift lottery, selected Mathias to replace the trader Judas Iscariot. After this incident, we read nothing more about Mathias. Some in our Faith contend that the disciples acted prematurely and ignorantly, not realizing (or not having it revealed to them) that Judas’ replacement was to be Paul the Apostle. I tend to agree with that assertion.

The Feasts and Torah Are Shadows of Good Things to Come

Furthermore, the Feasts of YHVH have been described as “a shadow of the good things to come, [but] not the very image of the things” (Heb. 10:1; ESV).

I mentioned just a moment ago that I believed, along with many scholars and teachings in our Faith Community, that Torah was passed down to us by YHVH on Shavu’ot Day. Well, it would stand to reason in addition, that Shavu’ot foreshadowed the teachings, modeling and person of our Master Yahoshua our Messiah. Indeed, it goes without saying that Yeshua is the walking-talking Torah. He came down to earth from His Father above to teach us how to live and walk out Torah the way our Creator always intended us to live and walk out Torah.

Wave Sheaf Serves as our Marker for Shavuot

The Wave Sheaf Offering, which marked the start of the 7-week countdown to Shavu’ot was a shadow of Yahoshua being the “First Fruits” of YHVH’s great plan of salvation and redemption. As “first fruits,” Yahoshua ascended to His Father after His resurrection, having successfully atoned for our sins (Joh. 20:17; Col. 1:15-18; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:15-18; and Rev. 1:5,6).

And of course, Shavu’ot foreshadowed and even marked the giving of the Holy Spirit to Yah’s elect. For the Holy Spirit empowers us to live and walk out Torah the way Yeshua taught and modeled for us during His earthly ministry. The Holy Spirit (ie., the Ruach haKodesh):

• Inspires us to do the will of YHVH our Elohim.
• Empowers us to walk in the will of YHVH our Elohim.
• Comforts us in the midst of trials and tribulations.
• It enlightens us by revealing the meaning of YHVH’s eternal Word of Truth.
• And when we can’t remember what Father said about a particular thing in His Word of Truth, it brings those things to our remembrance at the proper time.
• It creates, resurrects and heals in the mighty Name of Yeshua.
• And so much more.

Fact-4. Fake-News is Attached to Pentecost [Shavu’ot]

Believe it or not, fake news surrounding Pentecost/Shavu’ot has been perpetrated upon churchianity as well as certain sectors of our Faith Community.

“Fake news” has to do with what some have termed the “Upper Room Conspiracy,” which I believe to be a very apt moniker for it.

Acts 2: 1b and 2, describe what is believed to be approximately 120 or so disciples gathered in one place in one accord on the Day of Pentecost. All of a sudden, a sound came from heaven. The sound was likened unto that of a “roaring wind” (or a “groning spirit”—Andrew Gabriel Roth—AENT). Luke records that the sound filled “all the house in which they were sitting.”

Verse 3 of the same 2nd chapter of Acts describes that this audible sound manifested itself visually as to that of “divided tongues and as fire sitting upon every one of the disciples” (AENT).

This of course was the long awaited and prophesied outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon His elect, and the token of the renewed covenant that was mediated by our Master Yeshua Messiah (Joe. 2:28; Act. 1:11-15; 2:17).

However, tradition would have us believe that this amazing miracle took place within the confines of the rented space Yeshua’s disciples procured for themselves the day Master ascended to His Father in heaven. Luke refers to this rented space as an “upper room” (Act. 1:13).

But did the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Yeshua’s 120-disciples take place in that upper room in accordance with traditional teaching?

Contextually and semantically speaking, the answer is NO.

House: A Term for the Upper Room or The Temple in Jerusalem

The point of contention here has to do with the English term “house,” or in ancient Greek, “oikos.”

Depending on how “oikos” is used by the biblical writer, it may describe a literal house, abode or structure; all the individuals forming a family; or a race or descendants.

The Rented Room

Certainly, the fact that Master’s inner circle of 11-remaining disciples rented a space in Jerusalem in obedience to Yahoshua’s instructions (Act. 1:4), especially when we filter this situation through our western mindset, Luke’s choice of the term “oikos,” translated “house” in English, would naturally lead us to conclude that the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as they sat in the upper room on the Day of Shavu’ot.

However, recall that at the beginning of this discussion, I mentioned to you that Luke was apt to borrow Greek terms in various places of his writings to describe uniquely Hebrew concepts. (eg., Pentaqostia for Shavu’ot). Truth be told, Luke’s use of “oikos” here is one of those instances.

Remember also that Luke was very familiar with Hebrew vernacular and terminology. But Luke also knew his Gentile audience. Thus he went out of his way to make his accounting of what had taken place, within a completely Jewish context, as understandable to his Gentile readers as he possibly could.

Greek Loanwords to Describe Uniquely Hebrew Things

Unfortunately, Luke’s efforts in making this purely Jewish incident understandable to his Gentile readers was not full-proof. Luke no doubt assumed that His Gentile readers would have at least a modest understanding of Jewish vernacular that he could reasonably frame within Greek/Aramaic terms (eg., “oikos” or house). However, Gentile readers who would come along, let’s say some 2,000-years later, would not have that same understanding of Jewish vernacular as some of the Gentiles of Luke’s day. Thus, we (ie., churchianity and members of our Faith Community) would be at a major disadvantage when attempting to translate and understand this and other similar passages of Scripture.

Oikos–Understanding The Term From a Hebraic Perspective

Contextually speaking, Luke’s use of “oikos” here is in no way referring to the disciples’ rented “upper room,” for a number of reasons which I’ll explain momentarily.

The term “house” or “oikos” in this passage must first be understood from a Hebraic/Jewish perspective.

House in Hebrew is “beit. Beit has the same variety of meaning as its Greek counterpart “oikos.” But like its Greek counterpart, in order to understand exactly what the writer is referring to, one must fully grasp the context in which beit is used. (Again, context, context, context is vital to an accurate understanding of scripture.)

Why Didn’t the Event Happen in the Upper Room?

Consider the following points of reason:

• Cramming upwards of 120-people (men and women) into a single room (in this case the famous “upper room”) would be spatially challenging to say the least. Unless we’re talking about an auditorium of some sort, which is not likely the type of space Luke refers to as an “upper room.”
• Having Yeshua’s female disciples hanging out in a rented room with their male counterparts over a period of days would certainly not be culturally appropriate for that time period and place.
• Luke clearly announces that the Day of Pentecost had fully arrived (ie., the 50-days of counting had been completed and the feast day had finally come). Thus, in keeping with Torah, the 120-disciples would not have likely remained holed up in their rented room. Torah required that Hebrews on Shavu’ot proclaim and convene a holy convocation at the location YHVH placed His Name/His presence. And in the disciples dispensation (ie., era), the place of worship on the Day of Shavu’ot would have been on the Temple Mount at the Temple.
• We also know from Luke’s accounting that for 10-consecutive days leading up to Shavu’ot the disciples—both the men and women disciples—spent their days on the Temple Mount at the Temple proper teaching, preaching and praying (Luk. 24:52,53). Luke describes the disciples being “at all times in the Temple.”

The Holy Spirit Was Poured Out on the Disciples While They Sat in the Temple

Given the context and taking into account the points of reason I just laid out for you, one would logically conclude that the term “house” or “oikos” as used by Luke in Acts 2 is referring to the Temple.

How so? It goes back to looking at this thing from a Hebrew perspective. Matthew, Mark and Luke refer to the Temple as the “House.” More specifically, Yeshua referred to the Temple as “The House of Prayer” and Luke records Stephen as referring to the Temple as “the House that Solomon built” (Mat. 12:4; 21:13; Luk. 2:49; Joh. 2:16,17; Act. 7:47). According to Andrew Gabriel Roth: “The Ruach haKodesh was clearly poured out in full view of those in attendance at the Temple, not in some hidden place” (AENT).

So the true story continues: that the Holy Spirit was shed upon Yahoshua’s 120-disciples in the presence of thousands of international Jews, attending and worshiping at the Temple in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount on Shavu’ot Day. And it was on that historic day that some 3,000-souls were added to the Body of Messiah.

These old and new disciples became one big family in Messiah. These—literally hundreds and thousands who stayed behind in Jerusalem—continued in the Temple daily in prayer, worship and in the breaking of bread from house-to-house.

And of course, the rest is history.

Why The Fact News Story About the Upper Room?

So why the centuries’ old fake news regarding the upper room and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Well, apart from simple ignorance of what was going on Hebraically on the Temple Mount that Day, it was probably a case of antisemitism. Indeed, as the years passed, the so-called “Church” attempted to remove every vestige of Hebraism they possibly could in response to their utter hatred of the Jews.

Sadly, this and so many other traditions of the “church” have been passed off as “Gospel Truth” because the church chose to abandon the Hebraic Roots of the True Faith once delivered.

Fact-5. Father Requires 5-Things of us on Pentecost [Shavu’ot]

Although today we cannot physically keep Shavu’ot as Torah instructs, as we keep all of Yah’s Word in Spirit and in Truth, I came across 5-basic, nonnegotiable things we must strive to do each Shavu’ot:

1. We are to proclaim a holy convocation (ie., a miqra or a sacred assembly) on the Day of Shavu’ot (Lev. 23:21; Num. 28:26). One can pretty much determine what a holy convocation (ie., a sacred assembly) looked like in ancient Israel under the auspices of the old covenant. But for us today, enjoying the tremendous benefits of the renewed covenant, it means that we must strive to assemble ourselves with other like-minded disciples of Y’shua Messiah when reasonably possible (Heb. 10:25). In convening a holy convocation on Shavu’ot, we might sing songs of praise and worship unto YHVH. We might engage in heartfelt prayer unto YHVH. Furthermore, we might engage in the reading of YHVH’s Word of Truth or receive teachings from Yah’s anointed teachers and leaders. All such activities are ordered by the leading of the Holy Spirit (aka, the Ruach haKodesh) and the needs and desires of the assembly (1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 4:12).

2. We are prohibited from doing any servile work on Shavu’ot Day (Lev. 23:21; Num. 28:26).

3. The keeping of Shavu’ot is to be a perpetual regulation (ie., an everlasting statute) down through every generation (Lev. 23:21). In other words, we are compelled by this instruction to teach our children and those who we are assigned to disciple to keep Shavu’ot each year. And these in turn must teach their children and their assigned disciples.

4. We are to rejoice on Shavu’ot Day before YHVH our Elohim (Deu. 16:11). In other words, we must view the day as a time of celebration and worship before YHVH. This may take the form of spirit-filled praise and worship activities: singing and dancing before YHVH. It may also take the form of breaking bread with our fellow-feast goers.

5. Lastly, We are to bring general and freewill offerings to our sacred assemblies as a form of worship unto YHVH (Lev. 23:26-31; Deu. 16:10). For us today, it can be in the form of financial and material gifts to ministries that feed us. As well as it may be the “fruit of our lips” uttering praise and worship unto YHVH(Heb. 13:15). Additionally, it may entail doing good deeds on Shavu’ot such as assisting those in need of our help; visiting the sick and shut-in of one’ assembly; or lending one’s physical or knowledge expertise to address a brother or sister’s nagging matter or concern. How we serve others and YHVH on Shavu’ot is only limited by our own imagination and our willingness to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Until next time, stay well and blessed fellow saints of the Most High. Shalom. Take care.