Shalom and greetings from the DFW. Trusting, hoping, and praying that this post finds you, your families, and your fellowships are well and blessed. This very short post is entitled: Shavuot-Pentecost-Feast of Weeks-Timing is Everything.
As I write and record this post on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the Day of Shavuot, known by the names Pentecost and Feast of Weeks, looms near for the Torah-honoring and observant people of the Most High God. Unfortunately, as a whole, the Torah-observant/honoring brethren are not keeping this Feast Day on the same day. And the reason for this discrepancy goes back to the pervasive calendar controversies that have plagued the Messianic community (both Jewish and non-Jewish Messianic communities) for years.
Interestingly, as it relates to calendar issues for this year, the Messianic community is not divided between just two dates for keeping Shavuot, but are actually divided between three dates, believe it or not.
The point of contention as it relates to these three-Shavuot dates has to do with two opposing interpretations of Leviticus 23.15-16:
(15) And from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering (i.e. during the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread), you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths. (16) Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days (aka the counting of the omer), then you shall bring a new grain offering to Yehovah.
The greatest point of contention has to do with how the brethren have chosen to interpret “from the morrow after the Sabbath.” Many of our Jewish brethren, both Orthodox and some Messianics, interpret “the morrow after the Sabbath” as being the day after the High Holy Day of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which falls on the 15th of the Month of the Aviv (Lev 23.6). And this understanding is reflected on the Jewish Calculated Calendar (June, 2024 / Iyar – Sivan, 5784 – Jewish Calendar – Hebrew Calendar (chabad.org) ).
Now, many within the Messianic Community (i.e. a handful of Jewish and many non-Jewish), Hilary and I included, interpret “the morrow after the Sabbath,” as the Sunday that falls within the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The “morrow after the Sabbath” being the day after the weekly Sabbath that falls within that week of Unleavened Bread.
So, how does this all fall out? Well, in simple calendar terms, those that strictly follow the Jewish (Hillel’s) Calculated Calendar, will keep Shavuot — the Feast of Weeks — beginning at sundown on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, ending at sundown on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Those that follow the Observational Calendar will keep Shavuot beginning at sundown on Saturday/Shabbat, June 15, 2024, ending at sundown on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
And the third discrepency I mentioned has to do with the Observational Calendar. Recall that certain observationalists called the start of the calendar year on March 11, 2024. These believed that the barley in the land of Israel was aviv, whereas the rest of us believed that the barley needed an additional month to mature to an aviv state. Consequently, our brethren in this group kept Shavuot on May 11, 2024.
The rest of us observed a 13th month (aka an adar bet) and the year began on April 10, 2024, a month later. And as I previously mentioned, we will keep Shavuout on June 16, 2024.
Please remember, beloved, that I only bring up this disparity so that you may be aware and understand why these discrepancies exist. Why some of us are keeping Shavuot/Pentecost on different dates. I used to be judgmental towards all those who did not keep the Feasts of the LORD on the same calendar dates we did. But Yah has done a work in me, and I now realize and recognize that we are all on a journey to the Kingdom. And the disagreements we may have as it relates to the calendar must not have any bearing on the love and respect we are to have for one another. Yeshua, when He returns, will then straighten out any lingering calendar disparities. But for now, we as the redeemed of Yah through Yeshua, our Messiah, are to walk out our Faith in fear and trembling. We do the very best we can with the help of the Holy Spirit, looking forward to the day when Israel’s final redemption occurs, and we receive and enter the Malchut Elohim — the Kingdom of God.
As always, may you be most blessed, fellow saints in training.
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