What are the days of awe? These are the days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. These two Jewish feasts are the first of three fall feasts that begin in September and October of our calendar. Feast of Trumpets Begins Days of Awe God gives limited instructions for the Feast of …
At the end of God’s instructions for the Feast 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 …
Many 21st century Christians think Pentecost is a New Testament celebration. But God had told Moses to observe Pentecost for generations. 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, which are holy to the Lord, belong …
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 Feast of Shelters (fall feast). 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. Then they lived in Egypt 430 years, most of it in slavery. They had always been told what to do by their overseers. Then God came and worked through Moses …
We see a surprising and an unusual offering requirement in the Feast 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 many 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 go back to Egypt and He would use him to free the Hebrew people from the Egyptians. After a short debate, …
The fourth holy day of Leviticus 23 is known as Feast of Weeks, Shavuot, or Pentecost. Why so many confusing names? It depends on the language. The English translation would be Feast of Weeks, while the Hebrew word for weeks is Shavuot. Later this holiday was known as Pentecost in the Greek language. This was …
The Apostle Paul tells how 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 just live for this earthly life and do as …
The First Fruit offering given at the Temple was a pledge of hope that that 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 …