If you’ve been following what’s been going on in Israel recently, you most assuredly join with us with hearts that are broken as we keep praying for the safety of our friends, family, all the ministries and the body of Messiah.
We care for every person and we are pleading for God’s mercy on the innocent, no matter what background or nationality. Of course, we also realize that this unrest is nothing new, Israel has endured unrest for centuries!
One lesson we can learn is how God revealed His character through Biblical feasts. He was preparing His people for what was to come. One example would be Shavuot and Pentecost -in fact, Pentecost IS the Biblical holiday of Shavuot!
Our friends at The Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (FIRM) just published a wonderful article on this very topic.
God commanded His people to celebrate Shavuot (“Weeks”) 7 weeks (or 50 days) after Passover. This was the day when the Torah was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. After 430 years of bondage, God led the Israelites out of Egypt. And then, on Sinai, Moses brought to the people specific instructions on how to love God, worship Him, and walk with Him.
Fast forward to the Book of Acts where the Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. Today, we celebrate Pentecost as the day God poured out His Spirit. If you pause for a moment, you may start to wonder, is Pentecost… Jewish?
Pentecost comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth”, referring to the fiftieth day after Passover.
Jesus and his disciples were Jewish. They observed Biblical holidays, and Shavuot called for believers to gather in Jerusalem. In the Book of Acts, we read: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they [disciples] were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1).
God poured out His Holy Spirit on all those gathered and changed history forever: tongues of fire, rushing wind, speaking in many languages! Now, that’s what you call a FEAST!
During this season of Shavuot or Pentecost (whichever you prefer), reflect on God’s Word. Reflect on the first Shavuot when God revealed Himself to the Israelites on Mount Sinai. And then, the Shavuot centuries later, when the Spirit of God equipped 120 disciples of Jesus to speak the Gospel to the nations of the earth.
The Apostle Peter quoted words of the Jewish prophet Joel who literally foretold this happening: “It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams” (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17).
Despite the violence and tension in Israel, we can continue to trust God’s timing and his unifying spirit in our lives.
Read this engaging article below from https://firmisrael.org/learn/shavuot-pentecost-tongues-fire-70-languages/
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