What is All That Counting About?

Hello to my Feasting Friends!

At the time of this blog post, we are just days away from another appointed time of YHVH.

How. Exciting.

You have likely heard of this feast by one of the following names:

Shavuot, or...

Feast of Weeks, or...

Pentecost.

These all describe the same appointed time.

My personal preference is to call it Shavuot, but you call it whatever you like....Deal?

Shavuot is timed by its relationship to the Feast of First Fruits during the week of Passover. Because of that, some friends will celebrate it at slightly different times, just as some celebrate Passover at slightly different times.

You know my take on calendars by now. I say celebrate and support one another. We will know the REAL dates when Messiah returns, until then, let's walk in obedience to The Father and love for our neighbors. And if we time it just right with our friends, some of us may be able to celebrate a little bit extra!

Let us look to Leviticus 23:11 to see where to begin:

"He is to wave the omer [of the firstfruits of the harvest] before Adonai, to be accepted for you. On the morrow after the Shabbat, the kohen is to wave it."

↑ This is referring to what I believe is the Sunday after the Saturday (Shabbat) that falls during the week of Passover, and is known as the Feast of Firstfruits. I believe that it is the foreshadow of Yeshua being raised from the dead and presenting Himself before YHVH as the "firstfruits" of all who will be included in YHVH's "harvest." It is on THIS Sunday (the one I just described) that we begin the counting of the omer.

So what is an omer?

It is a unit of measurement...THE unit of measurement that was used in presenting the afore mentioned Firstfruits offering.

Moving forward, Leviticus 23:15 tells us that, "Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer of the wave offering, seven complete Shabbatot [Weeks]. Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat [Sabbath] you are to count fifty days, and then present a new grain offering to Adonai."

This is a great place to stop and discuss the different names that this feast can be called:

Shavuot -- In Hebrew, this word literally means "weeks." As the verse above tells us to count "seven complete shabbatot (weeks)" we can see why this word can describe this appointed time.

Feast of Weeks -- This is the English equivalent of the word Shavuot as described above. (For a visual of the 7 weeks, I am counting using colored sticky notes this year).

My count to 50

Pentecost -- Notice that in the verse above, the day after the seven weeks is the 50th day. Pentecost is a Greek word meaning 50. This is a nice segue into realizing that this appointed time was indeed celebrated by Yeshua's disciples after His death as recorded in Acts chapter 2 of the New Testament. Recall, that something very special happened at Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit came upon man in a mighty way!

Please take just a moment to go read Acts 2.

↑THIS is Shavuot↑

Want to hear something funny?

As a younger believer, I used to read Acts 2 and think that "Pentecost" was a location...perhaps a neighborhood within Jerusalem.

It was only after I began to read the Bible in its entirety that I came to realize that the Pentecost of Acts chapter 2, was the same as the Leviticus 23 Feast of Shavuot.

When I came to realize that, it gave me MUCH to think about and put before The Father...

I bet you've been there or may be there right now, too.

Here is what I wanted to know: If the Feasts of Leviticus 23 were "nailed to the cross" with the rest of the Torah, as I had been taught, then why were the disciples and at least 3,000 men still celebrating it after Yeshua's death, burial, resurrection, and ascension? AND why would YHVH choose to send His Holy Spirit to dwell within the hearts of His followers on that very day?

It has turned out to be a great question.

It is a question that has challenged me to evaluate my entire belief system and acknowledge that many of my beliefs prior to this question, were built on traditions and teachings...and not The Word of YHVH.

Ouch.

It hurt to look into myself and my culture that deeply, but The Father is YHVH Rapha (Jehova Rapha / Healer)...and He is in the business of healing.

My personal experience is that healing begins with obedience. Even when I don't understand...when I am obedient to what YHVH is teaching me, the healing comes.

Maybe keeping the feasts of Leviticus 23...the feasts of YHVH...is a new idea to you. Maybe there are parts you do not understand. That's okay. I will make you a guarantee....

Celebrating the appointed times of YHVH will bless you and bring healing to your heart.

Now I do not speak of healing from sickness. Please do not misunderstand.

I speak of healing from hurts...from the dark scars that living in tradition and sin have left on our hearts. I speak of the years that our eyes were not open to the richness of the ENTIRE cannon of His Word. I speak of peace...of shalom...that passes all understanding. I speak of learning how to worship a holy God in the way that He desires to be worshipped.

Healing.

Shavuot is a GREAT appointed time to begin spending with The Father.

It is simple. There is no 10 page document with complicated instructions. Just begin your count, set aside the day, and spend time with YHVH, and if possible, fellow believers. I like to read through the command to keep Shavuot in Leviticus 23 and about the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. It can be that simple.

You CAN do it!

If you wish to dig deeper, you certainly can. But don't feel intimidated or "not enough" by beginning simply.

Just simply begin. Father will meet you there...at Pentecost.

Thank you for seeking with me!

Other Blogs You May Enjoy

It Is Done!

The Sign

Resting During Difficult Times - What Can the Sabbath Teach Us?

To the One Who Overcomes

Was the Church Born at Pentecost? - Part 1

What does Yeshua Look Like?

And 603,548 Men Fell - Part 1