Sunday (May 31st), is Pentecost. Jewish communities for the past 7 weeks have been "Counting the Omer". (Leviticus 23:9- 21) An omer is a sheaf of grain. Since Bible days, Jews would count the days from Passover to Pentecost (a.k.a "Feast of Weeks", a.k.a. "Shavuot") in anticipation of the first spring harvest, when two bread loaves were presented to God in the Temple, the "fruit" of that harvest and that waiting. This idea is naturally carried over into the New Testament.
St. Paul tells the New Testament church how to prepare themselves to receive the Lord's Supper by reminding them that they are, in a spiritual sense, like the bread they are about to eat. In Old Testament times, two loaves of bread for the Feast of Weeks (Hebrew: "Shavuot") were presented to God in the Temple as the end-result of the waiting and counting period of the 49 previous days. That bread was made by first, crushing the individual grain husks (symbolic of physical death as well as "dying to self": I Cor. 15:35,36; Col. 3:3); second, by adding oil to the mix (symbolic of the Holy Spirit: Matt. 25:3,4,8), third, by the combination of crushing the husks, adding the oil and applying heat, individual grains began to function as a homogeneous single batch of dough, and bread is produced. The ideal for this? Acts 2:1 and of Pentecost FULFILLED by Christ: "they were all with one accord in one place."
John 12:24: Christ speak of Himself as a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies, in order to reap a harvest of much grain: the language of Shavouot (a.k.a. "Pentecost).
Romans 8:23: The Holy Spirit in believers is spoken of as a "Firstfruits" of what is yet to come: the renewal and glorification of the saints' mortal bodies.
I Corinthians 15:23: "Christ the Firstfruits" is compared to the single sheaf of spring grain waved before God in the Temple the day after Passover.
Ephesians 1:13, 14: The Holy Spirit in believers is spoken of as an "earnest" (i.e. "earnest money"); God's pledge & guarantee to complete His saving work in them.
II Corinthians 5:5: "who also hath given unto us the EARNEST [Greek: "arrabon"] of the Spirit";. Here the Holy Spirit is of as a "down-payment" and pledge of future things: (KJV)
Acts 2:1-4: "When the day of Pentecost had fully come ..." The agricultural 49 'countdown' days (7 weeks + 1 day) concluded by a Firstfruits harvest of born-again human beings.
Acts 2:5-11: Jews from all over the known world, from all the major language groups, assembled in Jerusalem for Firstfruits as the Law of Moses required. While there, some come to believe in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, then return back to their lands to spread the gospel.
Acts 1:3: " ... being seen by them during 40 days ..." From the time of His resurrection to His ascension into Heaven, it was 40 days. Ten days later, on the "Pentecost" (Greek: "Fiftieth"), the Spirit descended & reaped a harvest of souls.
Acts 1:3-5: "Wait for the promise of the Father": the NT's fulfillment of the OT's command: to count the seven weeks of 49 days plus 1 day: from the waving of the first sheaf before God in the Temple until the spring harvest of barley sheaves (a.k.a. "Shavouot", or "Weeks").
Leviticus 23:15-17: The agricultural counting of the days until the spring harvest: grains and sheaves represented Christ and the firstfruits harvest of souls in Acts 2.
Luke 24:49: "But tarry in the City of Jerusalem": Christ's command for the disciples to wait (in essence, to anticipate and count down those 50 days" of Lev. 23:15) until the Spirit comes.
Isaiah 2:3 " for out Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem .." The historical fulfillment of the Acts 2 event prophesied by Isaiah 700 years before it happened.
Ruth 1:22: The biblical context for Ruth is the spring barley harvest of Firstfruits. (a.k.a. "Shavouot") Ruth the Moabitess was joined to God's family because of her faith, not her race. A Non-Hebrew, she was Christ's ancestor. She heralds the make-up of the New Testament church.
John 12:23: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies it produces much grain." More "Firstfruits" language. Christ speaks of his death as producing a harvest, using commonly-understood words.
I Corinthians 10:17: "For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." Actually, this is Passover language, but it's relevant. Because both holidays connect. The proof of that? The "Counting of the Omer" (Leviticus 23:9-21)
Hope you see the connection!
Check out some of my other Jewish holiday posts at
http://www.scripturesdramatized.com/radio-blogs
St. Paul tells the New Testament church how to prepare themselves to receive the Lord's Supper by reminding them that they are, in a spiritual sense, like the bread they are about to eat. In Old Testament times, two loaves of bread for the Feast of Weeks (Hebrew: "Shavuot") were presented to God in the Temple as the end-result of the waiting and counting period of the 49 previous days. That bread was made by first, crushing the individual grain husks (symbolic of physical death as well as "dying to self": I Cor. 15:35,36; Col. 3:3); second, by adding oil to the mix (symbolic of the Holy Spirit: Matt. 25:3,4,8), third, by the combination of crushing the husks, adding the oil and applying heat, individual grains began to function as a homogeneous single batch of dough, and bread is produced. The ideal for this? Acts 2:1 and of Pentecost FULFILLED by Christ: "they were all with one accord in one place."
John 12:24: Christ speak of Himself as a grain of wheat that falls into the ground and dies, in order to reap a harvest of much grain: the language of Shavouot (a.k.a. "Pentecost).
Romans 8:23: The Holy Spirit in believers is spoken of as a "Firstfruits" of what is yet to come: the renewal and glorification of the saints' mortal bodies.
I Corinthians 15:23: "Christ the Firstfruits" is compared to the single sheaf of spring grain waved before God in the Temple the day after Passover.
Ephesians 1:13, 14: The Holy Spirit in believers is spoken of as an "earnest" (i.e. "earnest money"); God's pledge & guarantee to complete His saving work in them.
II Corinthians 5:5: "who also hath given unto us the EARNEST [Greek: "arrabon"] of the Spirit";. Here the Holy Spirit is of as a "down-payment" and pledge of future things: (KJV)
Acts 2:1-4: "When the day of Pentecost had fully come ..." The agricultural 49 'countdown' days (7 weeks + 1 day) concluded by a Firstfruits harvest of born-again human beings.
Acts 2:5-11: Jews from all over the known world, from all the major language groups, assembled in Jerusalem for Firstfruits as the Law of Moses required. While there, some come to believe in Christ, receive the Holy Spirit, then return back to their lands to spread the gospel.
Acts 1:3: " ... being seen by them during 40 days ..." From the time of His resurrection to His ascension into Heaven, it was 40 days. Ten days later, on the "Pentecost" (Greek: "Fiftieth"), the Spirit descended & reaped a harvest of souls.
Acts 1:3-5: "Wait for the promise of the Father": the NT's fulfillment of the OT's command: to count the seven weeks of 49 days plus 1 day: from the waving of the first sheaf before God in the Temple until the spring harvest of barley sheaves (a.k.a. "Shavouot", or "Weeks").
Leviticus 23:15-17: The agricultural counting of the days until the spring harvest: grains and sheaves represented Christ and the firstfruits harvest of souls in Acts 2.
Luke 24:49: "But tarry in the City of Jerusalem": Christ's command for the disciples to wait (in essence, to anticipate and count down those 50 days" of Lev. 23:15) until the Spirit comes.
Isaiah 2:3 " for out Zion shall go forth the Law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem .." The historical fulfillment of the Acts 2 event prophesied by Isaiah 700 years before it happened.
Ruth 1:22: The biblical context for Ruth is the spring barley harvest of Firstfruits. (a.k.a. "Shavouot") Ruth the Moabitess was joined to God's family because of her faith, not her race. A Non-Hebrew, she was Christ's ancestor. She heralds the make-up of the New Testament church.
John 12:23: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies it produces much grain." More "Firstfruits" language. Christ speaks of his death as producing a harvest, using commonly-understood words.
I Corinthians 10:17: "For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread." Actually, this is Passover language, but it's relevant. Because both holidays connect. The proof of that? The "Counting of the Omer" (Leviticus 23:9-21)
Hope you see the connection!
Check out some of my other Jewish holiday posts at
http://www.scripturesdramatized.com/radio-blogs
