The Feast of Weeks (Greek, Pentecost; Hebrew, Shavuot)
is celebrated on the 50th day following the Feast of firstfruits - the day after a period of seven sabbaths (weeks)
following the weekly Sabbath of the Passover week (Leviticus 23:15-16)
The initial historical observance was Israel's encounter
with God at Mount Sinai after 50 days from Israel's crossing of the Red Sea
The "church in the wilderness" represented the
firstfruits of the redeemed from Egypt (Acts 7:36-38)
God betrothed (espoused) Israel to Himself (Jeremiah 2:2-3)
in marriage at Mount Sinai on Shavuot (Pentecost) - Jeremiah 31:32
God's betrothal contract with Israel was that if Israel
would keep the covenant of the Law then He would make them His peculiar treasure above all the peoples of the earth
(Exodus 19:5-6)
Israel agreed by saying that "all that the Lord hath
spoken will we do" (Exodus 19:7-8)
Hebrew ("Na'aseh V'Nishma")
English ("we agree to do BEFORE we have listened")
They agreed to obey what they had NOT heard despite their
past "murmurings" concerning His care for them (Exodus 15:24; Exodus 16:2-3; Exodus 17:3)
Israel was an unfaithful wife under the conditional Old
Covenant of the Law, which is why He will make Israel a faithful wife under the unconditional New Covenant of His
Spirit (Jeremiah 31:31-34)
God served Israel her divorce papers for her unfaithfulness
to Him under the Law (Jeremiah 3:8,20)
God will betroth Israel as a faithful wife to Himself
forever via the impartation of His Spirit to her (Hosea 2:16-23 cf. Ezekiel 36:22-28)
PropheticFulfillment
The Day of Pentecost was fully come or literally "fulfilled"
with the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4)
The time for that fulfillment was 50 days from the resurrection
of Messiah as the "firstfruits of them that slept" (I Corinthians 15:20 cf. Leviticus 23:15-16)
Messiah privately instructed His disciples concerning
the Kingdom of God for 40 days after His resurrection until His ascension into Heaven (Acts 1:3,9)
Messiah told His disciples to wait at Jerusalem after
His ascension "not many days" (10 days) for the fulfillment of "the promise of the Father"
(Acts 1:3-5)
"to be endued with power from on High" (Luke 24:49)
"after the Holy Spirit is come upon you" (Acts 1:8)
Jews from "out of every nation under heaven"
were gathered together at Jerusalem (Acts 2:5,9-11) on this Day of Pentecost to hear the Word of the Lord in their "own
language" (Acts 2:6)
and in their "own tongue" (Acts 2:8)
- some were "amazed" (Acts 2:7,12)
and some "mocked" (Acts 2:13)
Pentecost was one of three feasts (appointed times) when
every Jewish male was required to be present at the Lord's sanctuary in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16)
Just as the Lord scattered the nations with the "confusion
of tongues" (Genesis 11:6-9) prior to Abram's call (Genesis 12:1-3), so the Lord gathered Abraham's seed together with the "gift of
tongues" at Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4)
in anticipation of Messiah's Kingdom when ALL peoples will annually come to Jerusalem and worship Him (Zechariah 14:16)
and speak a "pure language" again (Zephaniah 3:9-10) in praise of Him (Zephaniah 3:14-15)
Peter addresses the "amazement" (Acts 2:7,12)
and "mockery" (Acts 2:13)
of his hearers by reminding them that his companions are NOT drunk with wine seeing it is only morning (Acts 2:14-15),
but rather are filled with the Spirit according to the prophecy concerning the "last days" (Acts 2:16-18 cf. Joel 2:28-29)
Messiah's earthly ministry was associated with the "last
days" of prophecy (Hebrews 1:1-2) as was the miraculous sign witness of the Pentecostal era (Hebrews 2:3-4)
Peter charged Israel that they had wickedly crucified
the One of Whom God had openly approved with "miracles and wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22-23 cf. Matthew 11:2-6)
Peter proclaimed to Israel that Messiah was to be raised
up to sit on David's throne (Acts 2:29-32)
Peter testified that from His exalted position at the
right hand of God (Psalms 110:1) - Messiah had "shed forth" His Spirit upon His disciples
to bear powerful witness of His resurrection as Israel's Messiah (Acts 2:33-36 cf. John 16:7-11)
The true Pentecost brought forth the firstfruits of Israel's
repentance concerning the murder of their Messiah resulting in the salvation of 3000 souls (Acts 2:37-41),
which stands in marked contrast to the first Pentecost when 3000 were slain (Exodus 32:26-28) for Israel's rebellion in her idolatrous worship of the golden calf
(Exodus 32:1-6)
Thus is demonstrated the contrast between the "letter
of the Law" and the "Spirit of life" - "the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life"
(II Corinthians 3:6)
Spiritual Application
The Feast of Weeks included a new meal offering (Leviticus 23:16)
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread and in the regular
meal offering - the bread was to be baked with NO leaven (Exodus 12:17-20; Leviticus 2:1-5)
The new meal offering at the Feast of Weeks was to include
two loaves which were to be baked WITH leaven (Leviticus 23:17)
The two leavened wave loaves represent the sinful divided
kingdoms of Israel and Judah, which will one day be rejoined into one holy nation by Messiah (John 10:16 cf. Psalms 79:13; Ezekiel 37:16-17,22-24)
The two tenth deals (parts) of fine flour speak of the
refining process, which happens to the wheat when it is grinded and crushed into fine flour (Leviticus 23:17)
The "trial of faith" for the remnant in the
Day of the Lord is likened to the refining of gold "tried in the fire" (I Peter 1:7
cf. Zechariah 13:8-9)
The "Judgment Seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10-12 cf. II Corinthians 5:10)
is described as a "fire" which shall reveal the believer's works - either as "gold, silver, and
precious stones" which will "abide" or as "wood, hay, and stubble" which will "burn"
(I Corinthians 3:13-15)
The refining process (sanctification) is effected via
the crucible of "sufferings" for the Lord and His earthly people (Hebrews 2:10-11; Hebrews 12:1-2) as well as for the Lord and His heavenly people (Romans 8:32-39)
The leavened wave offerings were "holy to the Lord
and for the Priest" (Leviticus 23:20) just as redeemed sinners have been sanctified to God thru the Lord
Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 23:5-6; II Corinthians 5:20-21)
The Feast of Weeks was to be a harvest of free will offering
and rejoicing before the Lord (Deuteronomy 16:9-11)
So was the manifestation of His grace to Israel at Pentecost
(Acts 4:32-33)