Countdown to Pentecost
By
Gary Primo
April 27, 2013
There is some controversy involved in determining the correct day to observe the Day of Pentecost. The first camp believes in the Scriptural method of counting 7 Sabbaths from the wave sheaf offering (the first weekly Sabbath following the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread) to the day after the 7th Sabbath (always on a Sunday). The second camp believes in observing the Day of Pentecost on a fixed date every year, the 6th of Sivan, which can occur any day of the week upon which it lands.
Which is the correct rendering?
My belief is, when in doubt, trust the Scriptures.
The Royal Command
Ex. 23:16 - And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of your labours, which you have sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labours out of the field.
17 - Three times in the year all your males shall appear before Yahuwah Elohim.
These verses describe all three festival seasons of the year. The first is Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. The harvest mentioned here is that of the wave sheaf (first ears of green corn or grain) to wave before Yahuwah.
The second is Pentecost. That is when the first actual harvest occurs when the first crops are ready for the general population to eat. Because of their long growing season, Israel enjoyed two harvests a year.
The third includes the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day and occurs at the time of the final harvest. There is much symbolism that can be read into these passages.
The Passover (including the F of UB) represents the sacrifice of Yahushua, the putting away of sin, the victory over death and Yahushua’s promotion into the New Creation. This also represents the great door that Yahushua opened for all the rest of us to freely walk through (when we follow in the footsteps of the Messiah) to the same eternal glory that He achieved. He was the first to be harvested of all the creation. He was the wave sheaf offering.
The second harvest represents the first resurrection (of the saints to eternal glory). This will take place at the end of the 6,000 years allotted to mankind and the beginning of the 7th millennium and the one thousand year rule of Yahushua on the earth. These will be the first of all mankind to receive eternal life. Most will be resurrected from the grave but some (relatively few who are left alive) will be changed (in the twinkling of an eye) from physical to spiritual.
The third harvest represents the second resurrection of those who come through the millennial rule of the Messiah with their robes washed clean. This will take place at the end of the millennial rule of the Messiah, following the final rebellion of HaSatan and mankind. These will be raised to judgement and if they pass that, on to glory with the rest of the saints.
The Last Great Day represents the time when the Father, Yahuwah, final comes to well with His creation and the arrival of the new heavens and the new earth (spiritual in nature).
Ex. 34:22 - And you shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
The feast of weeks is what is now known as the Day (or Feast) of Pentecost. It is the day (in Acts 2) when following the resurrection to glory of Yahushua HaMashiyack when Yahuwah sent his set apart spirit to dwell with and in the followers of Yahushua. The purpose of this spirit is to help Believers overcome their carnal nature and take on the nature of the Messiah. However, there may be more to this day than most realize, as we will see shortly.
Num. 28:26 - Also in the day of the firstfruits, when you bring a new meat offering unto Yahuwah, after your weeks be out, you shall have an holy convocation; you shall do no servile work:
Following the seventh week of seven Sabbaths or the day after the seventh Sabbath is when this feast was to occur. In other words, it was to be observed on the Sunday following the seventh Sabbath.
27 - But you shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto Yahuwah; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;
28 - And their meat offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram,
29 - A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
30 - And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.
31 - You shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings.
The Manor in Which it is to be Kept
Lev. 23:15 - And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete:
16 - Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto Yahuwah.
“You shall count”! What purpose would there be in counting if the date were preset every year (same day of the same month)? One begins counting on the Sabbath day of the wave sheaf offering. The fiftieth day always follows the seventh Sabbath on the Sunday. Nowhere in the Scriptures is there a 6th day in the month of Sivan even mentioned. Since this is a set apart convocation, it is very important that it be kept on the correct day.
Deut. 16:9 - Seven weeks shall you number unto you: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as you began to put the sickle to the corn.
10 - And you shalt keep the feast of weeks unto Yahuwah thy Elohim with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give unto Yahuwah your Elohim, according as Yahuwah your Elohim has blessed you: 11 - And you shall rejoice before Yahuwah your Elohim, you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite that is within your gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which Yahuwah thy Elohim has chosen to place his name there.
I cannot see how Yahuwah could make this calculation any clearer. I mean, we all know what day of the week the Sabbath falls on, and I am quite sure we can all count to seven. Seven Times seven equals 49. Plus one equals 50. A grade school student should be able to figure it out. Yet there is always someone who believes he can elevate his intellectuality by confusing the facts so that no one else can understand them. This is exactly what the Christian faith did to justify their teachings on such heresies as the Trinity, the doing away with the law and the changing of the Sabbath from the 7th day of the week to the 1st. Confusion is the tool of HaSatan.
If counting from the annual Sabbath (1st day of UB) would not all seven of the Sabbaths be annual set apart days? That would constitute seven years instead of seven weeks of counting. Nowhere in the Scriptures is the first day of the count distinguished from the rest. They are all weekly Sabbaths.
Did Yahushua change this day when He graced the earth with His presence? He didn’t as far as my research reveals. Therefore, the doctrine of Sivan 6 must be purely the product of someone’s overactive imagination. Let’s look to the New Testament and find out.
Pentecost in the New Testament
Acts 2:1- And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
This is saying that when the fiftieth day had fully come, they were all in one place to observe it. This day was on the Sunday following the counting of the seven Sabbaths from the wave sheaf offering. I have no idea what day of the week the 6th of Sivan landed on that year, but if this feast was celebrated on any other day of the week, the disciples of Yahushua would have missed out on the receiving of the set apart spirit, and the spiritual system, known then as The Way of Yahuwah, would have simply died off and disappeared from history in a very short time.
It was that spirit that set this spiritual system apart from all the man-made religions upon the earth. It was the witnessing of the power of this spirit that drew all the Believers to this faith from both the Jews and the Gentiles. It was of the utmost importance that the Believers observed the correct day.
2 - And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 - And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 - And they were all filled with the Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The power of the spirit witnessed that they were indeed keeping the proper date. Nothing like this had ever been witnessed by anyone before. I don’t believe that any of the apostles had yet been banned from the Temple, so there is a very good chance that this event occurred in the Temple. After all, where else would they go on this set apart day? There were also many pilgrims from all the different nations where Jews dwelt. Many had been living in those nations for so long; they no longer knew the language of the Jews. To accommodate them, Yahuwah cause the disciples to “speak in tongues” so that all the visitors heard them in the language of whichever nation they had come from.
This was not at all like how some Christian churches “speak in tongues” today. They did not speak a bunch of indiscernible nonsense. They needed no one else to interpret what they were saying. Only those who did not know the language of the Jews heard them in their own language. As far as the local Jews were concerned they spoke Hebrew or Arabic only. It was more like “hearing’ in tongues, rather than “speaking” in tongues. This occurrence was like none other witnessed on the earth in the entire history of mankind.
20:16 - But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 - And it shall come to pass in the last days, says Elohim, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 - And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
This portion of the prophesy was completely fulfilled on this day. The rest of the prophesy is for the end of the age.
19 - And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 - The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of Yahuwah come:
21 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahuwah shall be saved.
These are the wonders that will occur on one future Day of Pentecost. This will be a day of fear and trembling for all who dwell on the earth at the time. Like with the plagues of Egypt, true Believers will be preserved throughout this period.
How long the earth will be in darkness is unclear. However, scientists tell us that in the event of an astral collision with earth or the eruption of one of the number of “super” volcanoes, the earth could be completely enveloped by the dust clown (fire and ash) for as long as 6 months. To escape, one must be under the protective wing of the Messiah; and observing the correct day.
1 Cor. 16:8 - But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
9 - For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.
The apostle Paul (Shaul) clearly realized the importance of observing this day properly and on the correct day. He knew which day it was because he took part in the count. Was Shaul present on the Day of Pentecost when Yahuwah sent His set apart spirit to the disciples? I imagine that he was at the temple on this special day but likely refused to believe what he witnessed. When one hardens their heart against something, it is pretty difficult to get through to them.
Therefore, the door that Paul was likely referring to was the one that Yahuwah open for him on the day he was struck blind on his way to Damascus. Yet I am sure this was the same door that Yahushua opened for the other disciples on that special Day of Pentecost.
Where would Shaul have kept this day? More than likely he would have kept it in the Temple, on the same day, along with all the other Jews. There is absolutely no evidence in the New Testament that Yahushua kept the set apart days on any other day than the rest of the Jews.
The Sivan 6 Doctrine
The root of this misunderstanding lies in the confusion between the weekly Sabbath (shabbath - # 7676) and the annual Sabbaths (Mow’ed - #4150). With any of the annual Sabbaths there are always two Sabbaths in the same week. For instance – the week of Yahushua’s sacrifice, the annual Sabbath (1st Day of Unleavened Bread) was on a Thursday (the fifth day of the week beginning at even on the 4th day). The weekly Sabbath was, of course, on the Saturday (the seventh day of the week). Yahushua was resurrected from the dead at the end of the weekly Sabbath (Saturday evening as the Sabbath was coming to an end).
When the two women went to the tomb early on the first day of the week (Sunday) Yahushua was already raised from the dead. Since Yahushua represents the wave sheaf, it only makes sense that he was “waved” at the end of the weekly Sabbath. He could not have been waved on the day following the annual Sabbath because he was still in the grave. On the Sunday He ascended to the Father to show himself approved, was judged and became the Firstborn of the New Creation. Nowhere in the Scriptures is there any spiritual significance attached to the day after the 1st Day of Unleavened bread (Abib 16).
We know that Yahushua had not received His new body as of the morning of that Sunday because he would not allow the women to touch him. This was in accordance to the Law which states that anyone touching a dead body would be unclean (spiritually unacceptable) for 7 days and were not allowed back in “the camp” until the seven days were complete. If the weekly Sabbath fell on any one of the days in between, they were not allowed to attend Sabbath services at the Temple. Yahushua was the first of the firstfruits. His victory over death was completely dependent upon His strict and absolute obedience to his Father. How can we possibly dare to think that we can attain His glory by any other means?
Those who support the Sivan 6 date do not get their “proof” from the Scripture but from commentaries, histories and dictionaries.
http://www.angelfire.com/tx4/theveryelect/page11.html
“God's simplicity does not require a complex, convoluted, tortured, and twisted doctrinal proof for any of the correct Biblical doctrines. In fact, the Bible forbids adding to its text or subtracting from its text (Deut 4:2, Prov 30:5-6, and Rev 22:19). The penalty for adding to or subtracting from the text of the Bible is the second death or removal of one's name from the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev 22:19 plus Rev 20:15). The use of books other than the Bible, such as commentaries, histories, and dictionaries, to establish doctrine is absolutely forbidden. It is absolutely unnecessary to prove a true Biblical doctrine. God does not need a bit of help from men to spell out His doctrines.”
There is no misunderstanding in the Hebrew between the annual and weekly Sabbaths.
“This scripture alone and in conjunction with the remainder of this Chapter of Leviticus is sufficient to determine when to begin the count of Pentecost. The reason that this scripture alone is sufficient is that it is the first time that the word "sabbath" is used in the scripture, it can only mean one thing. It can only mean the weekly sabbath. It cannot, in the context used, mean an annual sabbath. It is impossible for the word "sabbath", or "shabbath" [#7676] in Hebrew, to mean an annual sabbath or solemn feast, which is "mow'ed" [#4150] in Hebrew.”
Why can’t some people simply accept what the Scriptures say without trying to twist it to mean what they want it to? The Jews did this with their Talmud. The Christians have done this with their New Testament. Simply put, this is insanity, plain and simple. These people do err to their own destruction.
“The use of the Hebrew word "shabbath" [#7676] never means an annual sabbath, unless is used in combination with the Hebrew word "shabbathown" [#7677]. There are only two occasions in the entire Bible in which the word "shabbath" [#7676] is used to refer to an annual sabbath (Lev 16:31 and Lev 23:32). On both occasions it refers to the day of atonement and the day of atonement is described as a "shabbath" [#7676] of rest "shabbathown" [#7677]. This combination of words must be used to qualify the word "shabbath" [#7676] as an annual sabbath. It must be a sabbath "of rest" or "shabbathown" [#7677] or, in the Hebrew a "shabbath shabbathown". The use of "shabbath" alone can never mean an annual sabbath.”
Lev. 16:31 - It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute forever.
Lev. 23:32 - It shall be unto you a Sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.
If the intended meaning was to count from the day following the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread, should it not read “one mow’ed and 6 Shabbaths? In the case of the year that Yahushua was offered up, that would have made the Day of Pentecost one week early. No counting would have been necessary as the 50 days from the 16th of Abib would have easily been calculated as the 6th of Sivan. However, this is the only set apart annual Sabbath that is NOT given a specific day or month to be observed on. We are clearly commanded to count the 50 days from the first weekly Sabbath of the Passover week.
“In as much as the word "shabbath" [#7676] is not modified by the word "shabbathown" [#7677], its usage in Leviticus 23:15 (also in verses 11 and 16) cannot refer to an annual sabbath. Every time the word "shabbath" is used in the same verse with a word or phrase that means an annual holy day, it is distinguished from the word or phrase that signifies an annual sabbath (c.f. 1 Chron. 23:31; 2 Chron 2:4; 2 Chron 8:13; 2 Chron 31:3; Neh 10:31, 33; Is 1:13; Lam 2:6; Ez 45:17; Hos 2:11). Unless the word "shabbath" [#7676] is modified by the word "shabbathown" [#7677], it cannot refer to an annual sabbath. The use of the word "shabbath" [#7676] in Leviticus 23:11, 15, and 16 cannot possibly refer to an annual sabbath.”
When in doubt, believe Yahuwah. Man has attempted to create his own religion since he first appeared on the earth. He is NOT naturally inclined to obey Yahuwah because of Adam’s sin. It takes work to change our nature. And yet man would rather try to make Yahuwah over into man’s image than the other way around. Such is exactly what the promoters of Sivan 6 are attempting to do.
“Pentecost represents the selection of God's faithful elect. It is the selection by God of His elect, as evidenced by the fact that:
1. The Israelites were selected by God to be given the commandments, statutes, and judgments in codified form on the day of the Feast of Weeks, Firstfruits, or Pentecost (in all probability). This means that the Law of God was written on the stony tables of rock on this day.
2. The New Testament Church was given the Holy Spirit, which leads one into all truth, on the day of Pentecost in the same year that Jesus died and was resurrected (Acts 2:1-47). This means that the Law of God was written on the fleshly tables of the hearts of the church members.”
If one’s desire is to be “selected” by Yahuwah they had better be observing His annual Sabbaths (as well as the weekly) on their proper dates and in their proper manner. Disobedience means rejection of and by Yahuwah – rejection from the body of Messiah, salvation and re-birth into the New Creation. This is an easy accomplishment for man, because he has been at odds with the Creator from the beginning. If Yahuwah says black, man says white. History has repeated itself over and over, and we still can’t get it right. When are we going to learn?
Conclusion
The first five books of the Scriptures have been “signed” by Yahuwah in that His name appears in the recently discovered “Bible codes” imbedded at the beginning of the first four books and at the end (backwards) of the fifth. Once a contract is signed it cannot (legally) be altered. Any attempt to do so constitutes fraud. One cannot add to or subtract from the document. Since this is a contract with the Creator of all life, it is even more important to abide by it and adhere to its teachings.
Many have attempted to either change the words or the intended meaning of the Word of Yahuwah. All who have done so, or attempted to, have brought themselves under the penalty of the second death, from which there is no redemption.
The Scriptures were inspired and written to all of mankind. They are written so that even the simple minded can understand. In fact, the simple minded are usually more capable of understanding than the wise, because the wise (generally) cannot accept any other “god” over them but themselves. Therefore, they try to twist the Scriptures to their own understanding.
It is not to be so amongst us, brethren! We must accept the Word of Yahuwah as it is presented to us and trust that our Father knows best. We are not to question His word or His laws. Yahuwah’s intended meaning in His Word is clear and easy to understand. Yahuwah is not the author of confusion but of truth and clarity. Any attempt to alter or redefine His Word is clearly an exercise in “intellectual masturbation” (stroking one’s own ego).
This type of sin is only forgivable if the culprit truly repents and publically admits to and apologizes for his error. The blood of all who follow after his false doctrine will be on that person’s hands. Following repentance he must contact all whom he deceived and let them know of his error. We must be extremely careful in this area.
I am sure that we all have been caught up in false teachings at some point in our spiritual journey. It is all part of the learning process and the search for all truth. Of course it has happened to me, also. Therefore, I do not condemn those who follow this route. It is not for me to judge (or any of us for that matter). There is only one Judge. All we can do is encourage these potential brothers and sisters in the faith to see through Yahuwah’s eyes only.
Some simply get overly enthusiastic in their quest for all truth. They want to set themselves apart from the world but must be careful not to set themselves apart from the Body of the Messiah in the process.
Many tried to do this in the early days, placing a burden on the Believers that their forefather did not have to bare. This was done merely to acquire power and authority unto themselves. Some even withstood the apostles.
Overcoming is not something that comes natural to the human psyche. The nature of man is always enmity towards Yahuwah. Man is naturally inclined to resist the truth and the Word of Yahuwah. Therefore, we must always be self-analyzing our spiritual condition to ensure that we are in sync with and absolutely obedient to the commandments of Yahuwah.
In regards to the Day of Pentecost, the scriptural rendering for the countdown to this day is quite clear. The wave sheaf offering takes place on the first weekly Sabbath of the Passover week. This Sabbath is day one of the countdown. Seven Sabbaths must be completed and the following day, the day after the seventh weekly Sabbath, on the first day of the week, is when the Day of Pentecost must always be observed.
If any are still confused about the Sivan 6 doctrine, please take the time to do your own study into the Word of Yahuwah concerning this matter before that day arrives. It is of the utmost importance to one’s spiritual salvation.