What are the days of awe? These are the days between the Festival of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These two Jewish festivals are the first of three fall Festivals that begin in September and October of our calendar. Festival of Trumpets Begins Days of Awe God gives limited instructions for the Festival of …
At the end of God’s instructions for the Festival of Weeks or Pentecost, He gives instructions for what we might call “Biblical welfare.” Leviticus 23: 22 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it …
God had told Moses to observe Pentecost from generation to generation. This is an ancient celebration, although most 21st-century Christians think Pentecost is a New Testament celebration. Leviticus 23: 20 “The priest will lift up the two lambs as a special offering to the Lord, together with the loaves representing the first of your crops. These offerings, …
Three times a year, Jerusalem filled with people as they came to celebrate the three main festivals. These were Passover/Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and the Festival of Shelters (fall Festival). God had commanded that His people meet at the Temple to celebrate these festivals. Deuteronomy 16: 16 “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three …
Pentecost symbolized a new beginning for God’s people as they left Egypt. They had moved to Egypt as families of the twelve sons of Jacob. They lived in Egypt for 430 years, most of it in slavery. As slaves, their overseers had always told them what to do. Then God came and worked through Moses …
We see a surprising and an unusual offering requirement in the Festival of Weeks. God asks for two loaves made of the flour from the new crop of wheat and made with yeast. In addition to these loaves, He also requires multiple burnt offerings, a sin offering, and a peace offering. Leviticus 23:17 From wherever you …
About fifty days after leaving Egypt, God’s people had a Mount Sinai experience. God had appeared to Moses in a burning bush on Mount Sinai as Moses was shepherding sheep. God called Moses to return to Egypt and would use him to free the Hebrew people from the Egyptians. After a short debate, God gave …
The fourth holy day of Leviticus 23 is known as the Festival of Weeks, Shavuot, or Pentecost. Why so many confusing names? It depends on the language. The English translation would be the Festival of Weeks, while the Hebrew word for weeks is Shavuot. Later, this holiday was known as Pentecost in Greek. This was …
The Apostle Paul tells us that, in the end, we have victory over death. Now this is a future event, but it has compelling implications for each of us. If Jesus did not really rise to a new life in a physical body, we might as well live for this earthly life and do as …
The First Fruit offering given at the Temple was a pledge of hope that the full harvest would follow. The people were not allowed to eat any of the new crop until the offering was made. By the time of Jesus, the Temple had specific fields that were “harvested” a few sprigs of barley at …