As we have seen, each of YAHUAH'S Qadash Feast Days builds on the previous one in picturing for us the plan and purpose that YAHUAH has in mind for humanity. Pecach (Passover) pictures our acceptance of MashaYAH'S broken body and shed blood - our forgiveness and reconciliation with YAHUAH. Matstsah Lechem (Unleavened Bread) pictures the need to come out of chatta'ah (sin) and to grow in chen (favor) and in yada (knowledge). Through receiving the promised Qadash Ruwach (Set-a-part Spirit), we can have genuine aman (faith) in YAHUAH- far more fully understand His machashabah (plan and purpose)- and be given a measure of YAHUAH'S own character to help us overcome chatta'ah and grow in chen and in yada.
Shim'on {See'mone} Kepha (Simon Peter) reminds us of the gadol (great) and yaqar (precious) promises of YAHUAH in II Kepha 1:3-4, " According as His Mighty-like power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto chay (life) and reverence, through the yada (knowledge) of Him that hath qara (called) us to esteem and uprightness: vs. 4 Whereby are given unto us exceedingly gadol and yaqar promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Mighty-like nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Through the power of the Qadash Ruwach, YAHUAH places within us His very own nature- His character- as we yalak (walk) with Him and grow spiritually. This is what enables us to genuinely overcome chatta'ah- unlike ancient Yashar'YAH, who never received the promise of the Qadash Ruwach.
Soon after the Yowm ha Matstsah Lechem (Days of Unleavened Bread), come in the Chag ha Chamishshiym (The Feast of Pentecost or "Firstfruits"). Shemoth (Exodus) 34:22 reminds us that YAHUAH is now calling a small "firstfruits" spiritual harvest by empowering us with His Qadash Ruwach (Set-a-part Spirit) so that we can overcome and grow spiritually even though living in "this present ra (evil) age," Galatians 1:4.
In commanding the Feast of Firstfruits to ancient Yashar'YAH, YAHUAH told Yashar'YAH to bring a omer (sheaf) of the "firstfruits" of the spring grain harvest to the kohen (priest) Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:10. He was to wave this omer- in a solemn ceremony- to be accepted by YAHUAH and thus obtain YAHUAH'S brakah (blessing) on this spring harvest and spiritually depict the resurrected MashaYAH being accepted by the Abiy (Father) as the "first of the firstfruits"- the first human to be actually born of YAHUAH by a resurrection. The "waving ceremony" took place on the yowm (day) immediately following the weekly sabbath during the Yowm ha Matstsah Lechem (Days of Unleavened Bread). If we compare Mattithyahu (Matthew) 28:9 and Yahanan (John) 20:17, we will see that MashaYAH presented Himself to the Abiy after His resurrection the previous evening (I Corinthians 15:20, 23; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18).
Yashar'YAH were to count chamishshiym yowm (50 days) beginning with the yowm (day) after the sabbath: "And you shall count for yourselves from the yowm after the sabbath, from the yowm that you brought the omer (sheaf) of the wave offering: sheba (seven) sabbath shall be completed. Even unto the morrow after shbiy'iy (seventh) sabbath you count chamishshiym yowm (fifty days), then you shall bring a new grain offering to YAHUAH. You shall bring from your mowshab (habitations) two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the bikkuwr {bik-koor'} (firstfruits) unto YAHUAH," Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:15-17. Chamishshiym {kham-ish-sheem'} literally means "50" of "50th" in Hebraic. Today it is mostly known as Pentecost which comes from the Greek word pentekoste {pen-tay-kos-tay} meaning "the fiftieth day" or Harvest Feast or Feast of Weeks. By counting exactly 50 days from the designated day after the sabbath, they would always end up on that designated day seven weeks later- but not, on any particular date of the month. If chamishshiym (Pentecost) has been commanded to be kept on a particular date of the month, the Scriptures would have clearly said so- and there would be no need to "count"!
Then, on the Yowm ha Chamishshiym or "Pentecost/Firstfruits" they were to offer two "wave loaves". It was stated that these wave loaves "are the bikkuwr {bik-koor} firstfruits unto YAHUAH", Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23:17. These "bikkuwr" (firstfruit) loaves evidently pictured both the TANAK (Old Testament) and the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) people of YAHUAH - since even the Old Testament nabiy (prophets) had the Ruwach (spirit) of YAHUAH 1 Kepha (Peter) 1:10-11.
One vital lesson of the "bikkuwr (firstfruits)" is that YAHUAH is only calling out a small number of people -the "firstfruits"- in this age. As we have already stated, the early spring harvest in Yashar'YAH was a small harvest compared to the major harvest that came in the autumn.
So it is today spiritually. YAHUSHA Ha MashaYAH said "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth into chayah (life), and few there be that find it", MattithYahu (Matthew) 7:13-14. In the cepher (book) of Yahanan (John) 6:44, 65 MashaYAH warns: "No one can come to ME, except the Abiy (Father) which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the "achariyth {akh-ar-eeth'} yowm" (last day)...And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no one can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Abiy (Father)".
Strange as it may seem to millions who have been taught that YAHUAH is trying to "save" the whole world now, if the truth be told YAHUAH is trying to do no such thing! If He were, then vast billions of human beings who have lived for millennia in India, China, Africa and elsewhere would have been called to MashaYAH. But the vast majority of them lived and died never hearing the name of YAHUAH or YAHUSHA!
The Chag ha Chamishshiym or "Pentecost/Firstfruits" reminds us, shaneh by shaneh (year by year) that those few called out ones of this world today are only the "bikkuwr" (firstfruits) and that a far larger harvest of neh'-fesh (souls) will occur later - as we shall see. And as we read of the "outpouring" of the Qadash Ruwach (Set-a-part Spirit) on the first New Testament Day of Pentecost, we can be inspired that though small in number - we "called out ones" today have the power of the Qadash Ruwach to do the Work of YAHUAH, as well as overcome ourselves with help never before given to human beings.
Kepha (Peter) qara (proclaimed): "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the shem (name) of YAHUSHA MashaYAH for the remission of chatt'ah (sins); and you shall receive the gift of the Qadash Ruwach (Set-a-part Spirit). For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as YAHUAH our YAHUAH will qara (call)" Acts 2:38-39. Then we qara (read) Sha'ul (Paul's) inspired words in Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the ahab (love) of YAHUAH has been poured out in our leb (hearts) by the Qadash Ruwach who has been given to us".
And what kind of ahab (love) is this that is poured out by the Qadash Ruwach? Yahanan (John) clearly stated; "For this is the ahab (love) of YAHUAH, that we shamar His Mitsvah (keep His commandments). And |His Mitsvah are not "kabed" (burdensome, oppressivre, grievous)" 1 Yahanan (John) 5:3. Through the Qadash Ruwach (Set-a-part Spirit), we receive the ahab of YAHUAH - the kind of ahab we must have to fulfill YAHUAH's gadol ruwach Torah (great spiritual law), and build the very character of YAHUAH in us and on us. Every shaneh (year), the Yowm ha Chamishshiym (Day of Pentecost) reminds us of our unique calling and of the strength we are given through YAHUAH's Ruwach (Spirit) to make our "calling and election sure" 2 Kepha (Peter) 1:10.
References
The New King James Version of the Bible
The Scriptures: Published and Distributed by Institute for Scripture Research
The Word of Yahweh: Second Edition; Assembly of Yahweh
The New Strong's Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
The Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible
**Most of the information in this writing was taken from the book,
"The Holy Days: God's Master Plan" by Roderick C. Meredith
BACK Return to the Pastor's Desk NEXT