As Yahshua the Messiah fulfilled the Passover through His death, so He fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread through His resurrection. It was during this time when our Savior conquered death and the grave.

I have often considered which is greater – Yahshua’s death or His resurrection? I believe they are equal in importance. Without Yahshua’s death we would have no redemption from sin, and without His resurrection we would have no hope of the resurrection.

If He had never conquered the grave, we would die eternally. It is only through Him that we find the promise of redemption and the hope of eternal life. In John 11:25 Yahshua said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”

As we reviewed His death during the Passover, let us now focus on His triumph over death and proclaim that the Messiah is risen!
A key biblical concept is firstfruits. It was during the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the wave sheaf was offered, being the firstfruits of the barley harvest, Leviticus 23:10-14.

Understanding Firstfruits
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto Yahweh. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your Elohim: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.”

This a description of the wave sheaf offering. As we see from Deuteronomy 16:9 and from Jewish antiquity, including from Josephus and the Mishna, the Israelites could not harvest or eat the new grain until the wave sheaf was offered:
“Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn” (Deut. 16:9).

Ancient historian Josephus writes, “And while they suppose it proper to honor [Elohim], from whom they obtain this plentiful provision, in the first place, they offer the first-fruits of their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to [Elohim]; and, casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest. They also at this participation of the first-fruits of the earth, sacrifice a lamb, as a burnt-offering to [Elohim],” (Antiquities of the Jews, book 3, chapter 10).

The Mishna further teaches with regard to the five grains: “And it is prohibited to reap them prior to the omer offering. The Gemara asks: From where are these matters derived? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is derived by means of a verbal analogy between ‘the first’ written in conjunction with the new crop: ‘You shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest’ (Leviticus 23:10), and ‘the first’ written with regard to ḥalla: ‘Of the first of your dough you shall set apart a cake for a gift’ (Numbers 15:20). Just as the obligation to separate ḥalla applies only to bread prepared from the five grains, so too the prohibition against reaping the new crop prior to the omer offering applies only to crops of the five grains” (Menachot 70b:11).

This point is important when confirming the barley for the beginning of the biblical New Year. From the above citations, the harvest could not begin until the wave sheaf was offered.
Knowing the nature of barley, it was crucial that Israel not postpone the harvest by waiting an additional month once the barley was in Abib.

This offering consisted of the very first ripened grain, meaning that the barley had to be sufficiently mature to produce flour, which first occurs in the soft dough stage. This offering also began the count to Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks.

The wave sheaf offering occurred during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is why we count firstfruits from the Sunday within the Feast. We also know that the wave sheaf consisted of an omer of barley, roughly one-tenth of an ephah, or about five pints or a half gallon.

So how does all this relate to Yahshua the Messiah? As we see in 1Corinthians 15, Yahshua was to become the firstfruits of those to be resurrected. “But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits; afterward they that are Messiah’s at his coming.”

Here we find Paul speaking about Yahshua’s resurrection. He says that Yahshua has become the firstfruits of them that slept. When Paul uses the word “slept,” he’s referring to death or the grave. He goes on to say, “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”

As we know, the man who was resurrected from the dead was Yahshua the Messiah, our Savior. He was the first to be resurrected to eternal life. While certain believers may have been resurrected before Yahshua, none were resurrected to everlasting life as He was.

This is why Yahshua’s resurrection is special. Just as the wave sheaf was the firstfruits of the barley harvest, Yahshua was the firstfruits of mankind to be resurrected to eternal life.

We see a connection here between the wave sheaf of the Old Testament and Yahshua’s resurrection in the New Testament and why the concept of firstfruits is so important during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Remember that it was during this time when the wave sheaf was offered AND when Yahshua rose from the grave.

Yahshua the Fulfilled Firstfruits
In John 20:10-16, we see evidence of how Yahshua might have fulfilled the wave sheaf.

“Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Yahshua had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Master, and I know not where they have laid him. And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Yahshua standing, and knew not that it was Yahshua. Yahshua saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Yahshua saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.”

Several amazing incidents are seen in this passage. Mary was at the tomb weeping for Yahshua. Looking into the sepulcher, she sees two angels who ask her why she’s weeping, and she replies by saying that she did not know where they had laid the body of Yahshua. Upon saying this she turned and saw Yahshua, whom she believed to be a gardener.

There’s a lot of speculation as to why Mary did not recognize Yahshua. Some believe that Yahshua somehow concealed His appearance; others believe Mary’s view of Him may have been obscured. Either of these explanations may be possible but I tend to believe that Yahshua supernaturally concealed his appearance, as we see when Yahshua met the disciples.

Yahshua eventually called out to Mary and when she heard Him she realized it was Yahshua and said, “Rabboni,” which is to say, “Master.” Prior to this moment, she believed Yahshua was dead and that His body had been taken elsewhere. She must now have been beyond thrilled.

Just as the high priest offered the wave sheaf in the Old Testament, Yahshua, being the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, ascended to His Father to offer Himself as the new wave sheaf, John 20:17.

Timing of His Burial
We know from the Bible that Yahshua was in the tomb for three days and three nights. In Matthew 12:40 Yahshua said, “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Based on the Greek, when He said, “three days and three nights,” it referred to three full days and three full nights. “Nights” as well as “days” confirms days of 24 hours each. Most believe that our Savior died on Friday and was resurrected Sunday morning. But counting Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, it’s impossible to get three full days and nights.

So, what was the chronology of Yahshua’s death and resurrection? We find the answer in Luke 23:51-56. “(The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews : who also himself waited for the kingdom of Elohim [Wednesday/Passover]. This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Yahshua. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation [Thursday/start of Unleavened Bread], and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid [Friday]. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments [Sabbath]; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.”

As we see from this event, Yahshua was placed in the tomb late Wednesday (before sunset) and He resurrected before the end of the Sabbath, Saturday evening. Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible agrees with this: “[Yahshua] was dead for 3 full days and for 3 full nights. He was put in the grave Wednesday just before sunset and was resurrected at the end of Saturday at sunset. Good Friday should be changed to Good Wednesday. No statement says that He was buried Friday at sunset. This would make Him in the grave only one day and one night, proving His own words untrue (v 40). The sabbath of John 19:31 was not the regular weekly one, but the special sabbath of the feast.”

I Am the Resurrection
Let us transition to the importance of Yahshua’s resurrection. As we’ve already seen, Yahshua was the first to be resurrected to eternal life, and our own resurrection is dependent upon His. Without Yahshua’s resurrection, we would have no hope of our own.

In John 11:20-27, we find Yahshua speaking to Martha, the sister of Lazarus. “Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Yahshua was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Yahshua, Master, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of Yahweh, Yahweh will give it thee. Yahshua saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Yahshua said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Master: I believe that thou art the Messiah, the Son of Yahweh, which should come into the world.”

We know from the account that Yahshua resurrected Lazarus and everyone who witnessed it was amazed. But I believe the most important part of this story is what Yahshua shared with Martha: that He is the resurrection and the life.

As believers, it’s important that we recognize the source of our salvation. Without Yahshua the Messiah, our Savior, we would be without the hope of eternal life.
For me, this is the real message behind the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As Passover represents Yahshua’s death, the Feast of Unleavened Bread represents His resurrection and by extension our own resurrection.

In John 6, Yahshua said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of Elohim is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” Yahshua is the source of life for all mankind. Again, without Him, there is no hope of a resurrection or eternal life.

First Resurrection
Paul describes Yahshua’s coming and the first resurrection in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Yahshua died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Yahshua will Elohim bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of Yahweh, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Master shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Master himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohim: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Master. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

Paul begins by encouraging us not to be saddened for those believers who die or pass away. The reason is, we serve a risen Savior. Again, this is the message we find throughout the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Without Yahshua’s death and resurrection, we would have no hope. It’s only through Him that we find these promises.

Paul also describes Yahshua’s coming and the first resurrection, wherein Yahshua will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of Elohim. Some believe that Paul’s describing a secret rapture, but we see here that Yahshua’s coming is anything but a secret. Everybody in this world will know that the Messiah has returned.

Some might wonder when this will happen. The most likely time is during the Feast of Trumpets. The Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost have been fulfilled through Yahshua’s death, resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

How then are the saints resurrected? The righteous dead will be raised first, followed by the living. They will both be changed from mortal to immortal, and they will then meet Yahshua in the clouds.

Can you even begin to imagine what this moment will be like? Not only will we have immorality and new bodies, but we’ll also be with Yahshua the Messiah forever. There’s not a greater promise in this life. Everything we do in this life should be motivated by this promise.

Resurrected in His Likeness
Many of us probably don’t spend enough time thinking about this promise. I believe this is one reason the Feast of Unleavened Bread is so important: it reminds us that we follow and serve a man who conquered the grave and offers us the same hope now.

Paul also speaks about this promise in Romans 6:4-11. “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is impaled with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Messiah being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Elohim. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Elohim through Yahshua Messiah our Master.”

Here baptism represents Yahshua’s death. When we are baptized into Yahshua’s Name, we die to Him. When this happens, we are to walk in the newness of life, meaning anew in life. As believers, we’re to obey the commandments and follow the examples of our Savior.

We also find here the promise of a resurrection. Those immersed into Yahshua’s Name will share in the likeness of His resurrection, meaning we will be resurrected in the same form and body as Yahshua was with His own resurrection. As an example, as Yahshua was able to appear and disappear, I believe we too will have this same power and ability.

Paul also references sin in this passage. Even though many refuse to acknowledge or speak about sin, sin is something of which we MUST be cognizant. As disciples of the Messiah, it is our responsibility to avoid and abstain from sin. Nothing will do more harm to our relationship with Yahweh than willful and deliberate sin.

Confess and Believe
In Romans 10:9-11, Paul addresses the hope of salvation we have through Yahshua the Messiah. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Master Yahshua, and shalt believe in thine heart that Yahweh hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

I want to focus on what Paul says about confession and belief. The word confession is from the Greek homologeo and is defined by Strong’s as, “to assent, i.e. covenant, or to acknowledge.”
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines this word as: “1) to say the same thing as another, i. e. to agree with, assent; 2) to concede; 3) to profess; and 4) to praise or celebrate.”

The King James Version translates this word in the following ways: “confess (17x), profess (3x), promise (1x), give thanks (1x), confession is made (1x), acknowledges (1x).”

As believers, we must be willing to confess and acknowledge the faith we have through Yahshua the Messiah. We should never be ashamed of our faith in Him; we should stand in boldness and confidence. In Matthew 10:33 Yahshua said, “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

The word “believes” in Romans 10 is from the Greek pisteuo. Strong’s defines this word as, “to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well-being to Messiah).”

The last part of this definition is about trusting our spiritual well-being to Messiah. As we see here, belief is more than a verbal acknowledgment; it’s a deep and sincere trust in our Savior, realizing and believing that only through Him do we find remission of sins and the promise of everlasting life. It also entails following Him. This is why it’s so important that we both confess and believe in Yahshua the Messiah, for it is only through Him that we find the hope of the resurrection and life eternal in Yahweh’s Kingdom.

Hope of the Resurrection
A remarkable passage with an amazing promise is found in 1Peter 1:3-5. “Blessed be the Elohim and Father of our Master Yahshua Messiah, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of Elohim through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

Through Yahweh’s abundant mercy He has begotten us with a lively hope by the resurrection of Yahshua the Messiah. According to Thayer’s, “begotten” means, “to produce again, beget again, beget anew; metaphorically: thoroughly to change the mind of one, so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of Yahweh.”

While we believe that being born again is not complete until the resurrection, the process begins when we are baptized into Yahshua’s Name. At this time we should also have a change in heart and mind, conformed to the will of Yahweh. This undoubtedly is what Paul meant when he wrote about walking in newness of life.

Peter also speaks of the resurrection and the promise of everlasting life. He describes it as an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, which fades not away. The word “incorruptible” comes from Greek aphthartos, meaning, “uncorrupted, not liable to corruption or decay, imperishable.” “Undefiled” comes from the Greek amiantos and means “not defiled, unsoiled; free from that by which the nature of a thing is deformed and debased, or its force and vigor impaired.”

From this we discover that in the resurrection we will be free from death including those elements of nature that cause weakness or defilement of body. These promises will never fade away. All of this is based on Yahshua’s death and resurrection, without which we have no hope.

The day began with anxious expectation. Only a few days earlier Yahshua had made an extraordinary statement about this day.
We read of it in Acts 1:4-5:

“And, being assembled together with them, [He] commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, you have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.”

The disciples had misunderstood, thinking it was about the prophesied Kingdom. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Master, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power. But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Yahshua wasn’t ready to establish His Kingdom on earth then. Many more would need to be tried and tested for their desire to follow Him, eventually to take up important positions as priestly rulers. This school had only begun.

None of the disciples could have imagined what was about to happen as they were there in that upper room 2,000 years ago. As they had since their conversion, they gathered to keep this Feast known as Firstfruits or Feast of Weeks, also called Pentecost.

The Enabling Power of the Spirit
Which of them could have foreseen the dramatic transformation the events this Feast of Shabbuoth (Heb. “weeks”) would bring to his life and the lives of other believers.
They would embark on a critical part of Yahweh’s plan ultimately to bring His Kingdom to earth, with all His faithful to rule with Him. The important groundwork for that plan is set by this observance. It was at this time that the covenant with His people was ratified at Sinai. And Israel assured Him that they would do all He had said, including keeping His laws.

The Feast of Weeks provides us the ability by which the Covenant can be kept – as well as the means by which Yahweh’s message can be taken to the World – all by the giving of Yahweh’s Holy Spirit.

This is also called the Feast of Firstfruits which began that great calling to fulfill Yahweh’s plan of salvation with the called-out firstfruits of brethren.
The Feast of Weeks is unique as a multi-faceted, meaning-packed observ-ance. It is the final of the annual moedim to have had a second fulfillment in the New Testament.
Briefly, this Feast encompasses the core of the salvation plan. It gives us:

• the law to bring us in line with Yahweh’s will,
• the Spirit, not only to help us obey but also to empower His chosen to take the truth to all the world, and
• the harvest of both the natural fruit and the spiritual firstfruits for the kingdom.

Some confuse this Feast with the day of the barley wavesheaf during Unleavened Bread. The fact is, Pente-cost falls scripturally 50 days from the Feast of Unleavened Bread, not during it. Additionally, there are two different wavesheaves, one being the Passover barley, represented by Yahshua, and the other the Pentecost wheat, which depicts the saints.

Exodus 34:18-23 discusses the implication of firstfruits. The firstborn as firstfruits are a key class of people in the Scriptures.

The plan of salvation and the coming Kingdom itself are revealed in Yahweh’s seven annual Feast Days. These aren’t just ho-hum holidays kept because Yahweh had a whim. They are unlike all of man’s holidays that are here one day and gone the next with no lasting impact.

In stark contrast, Yahweh’s Feasts are jam-packed with profound, salvation truth, as well as prophetic meaning! What’s more, these holidays are com-mandments from Yahweh. They are part of His law given to all men. He says in essence, “These are My Feasts, and you will observe them if you want the blessing of salvation.”

These observances represent a great plan for His people, and when you are properly schooled in and complete the plan, you are ready for graduation.

All of Yahweh’s Feasts revolve around the harvest seasons, and it is the theme of harvest in a spiritual sense that gives these days real meaning.

John 3:13 tells us that no one but Yahshua has ascended to heaven. Therefore, He is the first of the firstfruits. He became the fulfillment of the spiritual wavesheaf offered during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Recall His cautioning Mary in John 20:17 not to touch (hold onto) Him because He had not yet ascended to His Father as the wavesheaf firstfruit offering.

Some wonder why Yahshua ascended to heaven following His resurrection and then came back to earth for 40 more days, and ascended again just before Pentecost.

The answer is so that He could fulfill the ordinance of the firstfruits offering. The firstfruits of the barley harvest with Israel was to be presented, or waved, before Yahweh on the morrow after the Sabbath within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Leviticus 23:11.

Yahweh had to accept the firstfruits before the rest of the harvest could commence. If there was a shortcoming, if it was the wrong grain, if the grain was not firstfruits or if it didn’t for some other reason meet His expectations, then He would reject it.

As the perfect sacrifice, Yahshua met all the criteria and was accepted as the firstfruits offering at His resurrection for the harvest of souls.

Judged by What We Do
All of this relates to the quality and nature of potential human firstfruits. The bride had to make herself ready. She had to meet certain expectations and qualifications. Yahshua said in Matthew 16:27 that when He comes He will reward everyone according to their works. He said the same thing in Revelation 22:12.

When the books are opened, each will be judged according to their works, Revelation 20:12. The life they lived and the obedience that they showed would have to stand the test of the law.
The barley and its firstfruits are gleaned long before other major grains. Yahshua is portrayed by the barley.

The Apostle Paul writes of this in 1Corinthians 15:22-23: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive. But every man IN HIS OWN ORDER: Messiah the firstfruits [wavesheaf]; afterward they that are Messiah’s at His Coming.”

Fifty days later the firstfruits of the human harvest is presented, depicted in the wheat harvest by the wave loaves of bread, Leviticus 23:15-21.
Finally comes the general harvest in the autumn, at the Feast of Tabernacles, also called the Feast of Ingathering.

Harvest is a central theme in all of the major Feasts. Is it any wonder that the Feasts begin chronologically with the tender ears of barley in the spring and end with the general ingathering of all the produce in the fall?

The barley had to be at a certain stage of maturity for the wavesheaf, just as Yahshua had to be spiritually confirmed to be the firstfruits in advance of the brethren. Just as firstfruits are not of ripe and dried grain, so Yahshua was not taken as an old man, but in His early 30s, at the beginning of the most productive age of an individual.

He prepared the way for us to help Him, and so He offers His Spirit for that.

In chapter 1 of Acts, Luke picks up where His Book of Luke left off, discussing the life of Yahshua the Messiah and His last act on earth at that time, called the transfiguration, vv. 1-2.
By those acts He did after His resurrection, they could not deny that He was the risen Messiah.

Had they left Jerusalem or had they not come for the Feast of Firstfruits, or Shabuoth, they would not have been present to receive Yahweh’s Spirit.

The same lesson is for us to make every effort to attend Yahweh’s Feasts.All indications are that Yahshua will return at a Feast, at a “time appointed” (moed), as Daniel 8:19 reveals.
When the woman (assembly) is carried on eagle’s wings into the wilderness, it’s for her protection; we will want to be with His people at that time. And it will likely happen when His people are gathered at an annual Feast.

But When Does Fulfillment Happen?
The first time such a thing occurred, ancient Israel as a unified body was taken into the wilderness to keep a Feast to Yahweh, as Moses explained to Pharaoh. Yahweh protected Israel from Pharaoh’s pursuing army.

Compare Exodus 19:4: “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself;” with Revelation 12:6: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of Elohim, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (3½ years).

In Revelation 12:6 spiritual Israel is:
• taken to the wilderness (just as Israel was);
• to a place prepared of Yahweh (we are commanded to keep the Feasts where Yahweh places His Name, just as Israel did);
• there the Assembly is fed for a period of time (just as we feed on Yahweh’s word at His Feasts and as Israel ate manna).

So you are gathered with the brethren at a Feast, either Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, or Trumpets and the fall Feasts – the 3 main times as potential times for Yahshua to return.

There you find protection while others who are not obedient are left out in the world to suffer from tribulation or Yahweh’s wrath unleashed on the wicked.

Yahweh always works in parallels, in duality, in type and antitype – especially with prophecy – meaning ancient and modern fulfillment.

Pentecost and a New Dimension
The Bible is such a complex collection of books that the majority of what it has in it has a parallel to something else or to another place or time.
We see only through a dark glass. We see only the tip, while the rest of the iceberg lies submerged and out of sight.

Back to Acts 1.

Yahshua continues advising the disciples in verse 5, showing that there would be a distinction, an advancement, from John’s baptism, which would begin with Pentecost and the giving of the Spirit.

In verse 6 they were looking for Yahshua to restore the Kingdom to Israel right then. His answer came in verse 7: “And he said unto them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” He didn’t say something like, brothers, you have it all wrong, the Kingdom will be the newly established church.

We read in verse 8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Power is the Greek dunamis from which we get our word dynamite. It means force. That is what the Spirit is. A force emanating from the Father and Son to help witness Yahshua throughout all the earth.

In John 1:7 we see that John came to bear witness, the Greek word is marturia. It means an active witness, not just a single display.

Too often the idea is that I must get baptized and receive the Holy Spirit for the sake of my salvation, and then there is nothing more for me to do. I’ve now accomplished what was necessary.
All the while a whole other purpose for the giving of the Spirit is ignored.

The Holy Spirit is given for a key reason, individually and for humanity as well. We are converted to Truth for a purpose, not just to do nothing. Not just to sit back and say, “Well, I’m saved,” and do nothing more.

That notion is foreign to the Scriptures. Yahweh doesn’t function that way. Yahweh is a Mighty one of activity and creativity, of work and power and purpose and function. He expects nothing less of His family of people. To get out there and get the job done of teaching the truth to the world.

Imagine Yahshua taking a day off from evangelizing. “Let’s just go to Ceasarea, Peter and James, kick back, enjoy some wine, and watch the ships come in.” Imagine Yahshua doing nothing, as the do-nothing doctrine of faith alone for salvation is negated by Yahshua’s own actions. We have a job to do and we need to be discovering, learning, and teaching it. To serve Yahweh we need to know the Book.

Tradition has provided a simplistic, superficial purpose for the Spirit.Yahweh’s Spirit is not for showboating to draw attention to oneself in charismatic displays.

The Holy Spirit is not like fire-works, something pretty to watch, something to dazzle the eyes and excite the imagination. The Spirit is given to accomplish a work, its the power of dynamite (dunamis). Dynamite moves mountains.

When you scan the whole trajectory of Yahweh’s Feast days you see a dynamic plan in operation on the most basic, personal level:
• Passover, Yahweh separates a people out from the Egypt of sin.
• This is followed by the eating of unleavened bread, rooting out the falsity from our lives and hearts and replacing it with truth.
• Then comes the Feast of Weeks, where we are empowered with the Spirit to bring others to the truth of Yahweh.
So now Yahshua prepares the dis-ciples, telling them not to go anywhere, but to be at Jerusalem where they must wait for the promise of Yahweh. That promise was the force of dunamis – active power to be used to bring a forceful witness to the world through communication, example, and miracles.

His people are a witness to the greatest power in the universe. We should never be afraid to express or speak out when it comes to who we are as His called-out people.
The danger comes in pompously turning prideful with any spiritual gift.

This Ruach haKodesh, Yahweh’s Spirit force, is manifest by the gifts it bestows, detailed in 1Corinthians 12, like wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, even just the stamina to “continue on” when discouraged or just being too tired to go any further.

Each of us is given one or more of the Spirit’s gifts when we are immersed into Yahshua’s Name.

The Gift of Tongues: Real Language
So let’s see how that promise of the Holy Spirit is fulfilled in Acts 2. Peter and the rest had been waiting in that large upper room.
This Pentecost would come nine days after his ascension to heaven.

Verses 1-2: “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” One accord means “of one mind.” These were not a group of mixed worshipers brought together to beg down the Spirit. The Holy Spirit was imposed automatically from Yahweh to the gathered believers.

Verses 2-3: “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”

In John 20:22 after Yahshua was resurrected He stood in a room with the disciples and breathed on those who were with them, giving them the firstfruits of the Spirit. That same breath of life made Adam a living man. Psalm 104:29 says that when Yahweh takes that spirit of life away we die; and again in verse 30, that He sends His Spirit and man is made a living being.

The Holy Spirit is the active force of Yahweh, and we see it in action in various ways.

The account continues in Acts 2:4-11: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” “Other” is the Greek heteros, meaning different kinds of glossa or languages.

“And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language [dialektos, dialect].

“And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? [tongue, from root dialegomai: to dispute, to preach, to reason, to speak a language].… we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of Elohim.”

Peter’s Powerful Sermon
Peter answered those who questioned the tongues’ authenticity: “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel,” 2:14.

He then recites Joel 2:28: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith Yahweh, 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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”

Peter launches into more prophecy of the earth in the final days in verse 2:19: “And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of Yahweh come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of Yahweh shall be saved.”

We find all of this after the Spirit was poured out in Acts 2. The people had asked in verse 12, what does this mean? They heard people speaking in their languages, which was amazing enough, but it was what they heard being spoken that really amazed them.

Work – Dunamis – Power
The narrative continues in verse 22 concerning the wonderful works of Yahweh that v. 11 speaks of. Peter’s words through the power of the Spirit convicted 3,000 people. Now that’s power!

This New Testament Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) was unique. It marked the genesis of a dynamic work to bring the truth to the entire world employing the active power of the Holy Spirit.

Some grow angry when they hear truth that counters what they believe. That is only because our world is solidly entrenched in layer upon layer of erroneous traditions that many have been taught to believe is true.

Only dynamite of the Spirit will loosen them from it.

This Feast has big implications. Israel had been released from Egypt at Passover, purged from past sin. Then in the Feast of Unleavened Bread that follows, they were to remove all that leads to sin in their lies.

Now at the Feast of Firstfruits they received Yahweh’s law, His blueprint for the Kingdom. At this Acts 2 Feast, Yahweh’s Spirit was given to help them obey and to take the message of salvation to the world.

What does it mean for us today?

Time to Get Active
Pentecost is a time for action. To let that Spirit in those who were immersed bear fruit by teaching others of the truth of salvation that they have never heard.

When they left that Feast the disciples began to work. The rest of Acts is a testimony to the growth of the Assembly made possible by the Spirit.

Should we not do the same? To be a part of making things happen for the sake of Almighty Yahweh? To tell friends and relatives and anyone interested in the truth about Yahweh’s salvation plan?
Pentecost is the one biblical Feast day that churchianity has not been able to deny or ignore. There are at least two reasons for this: at the center of the Feast of Firstfruits or Pentecost is the Holy Spirit sent by Yahweh on this day to those desiring to follow the Truth. Yahweh’s Spirit is an essential aspect of a True Worshiper’s life and his or her salvation.

The other reason is that church-ianity teaches that it was on this Feast day when the “New Testament church” was born in Acts 2. In doing so they acknowledge this key Feast day.

Does Yahweh allow us to decide which Feast days we choose to keep and which to ignore? If we accept one, then scripturally we must accept them all. All of Yahweh’s Holy Days come as a package to be observed, with the admonition that these are the Feasts of Yahweh (not just Feasts of Jews), Leviticus 23:4.

To argue that these special days are “Mosaic Law” and therefore are abolished is to be ignorant of the many statements in Scripture telling us that these are Yahweh’s observances, not Moses’ observances. Each has aspects of salvation tied to them.

John wrote, “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the Word which you have heard from the beginning,” 1John 2:7.

The only Word they had at the time was the Old Testament. Verse 24 continues, “Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.”

Yahshua kept every one of the Feast days. He said He had kept all His Father’s commandments and we are to follow Him, John 15:10. He did so perfectly, without fail, 1Peter 2:21-22.

The command for the Feast of Weeks is found in Deuteronomy 16:9-11: “Seven weeks shall you number unto you: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as you begin to put the sickle to the corn. And you shall keep the feast of weeks unto Yahweh your Elohim with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give unto Yahweh your Elohim, according as Yahweh your Elohim has blessed you: And you shall rejoice before Yahweh 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 Yahweh your Elohim has chosen to place His name there.”

This Feast is marked by offerings and rejoicing. It was at the time of the Feast of Firstfruits that Israel received the law at Sinai, which can be determined by synchronizing the timing of their journey in the wilderness with the timing of the Feast.

The biblical Feasts are a type of the spiritual trek we make as we come out of the world and follow the ways of Yahweh. Seeking Truth is also a wilderness adventure at times as we travel a path not well-traveled by this world.

After the 120 received the power of the Spirit, they began to teach the truth boldly and powerfully. Peter gave such a stirring message that 3,000 people sought and received baptism into the Name of Yahshua.

In their ministries Peter and John spoke with uncommon power and boldness, Acts 4:13. Miracles began happening, and these apostles had powers they never had before in their various ministries.

The Feast of Firstfruits shows us that Yahweh’s laws exist beyond physical limitations. Now the spiritual intent of obedience is emphasized. The real purpose for obedience becomes clear and a righteous attitude is made manifest.

Hebrews 8:10 says that Yahweh’s laws would be put into our minds and written on our hearts. Some may claim that this means we obey only spiritually and don’t actually do anything, like observing the Sabbath or Feasts. However, in biblical terms writing something on a heart means to obey even more closely, as heartfelt.

Let’s read Ezekiel 11:19-20: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their Elohim.” We “take to heart” Yahweh’s laws when those laws are in our hearts.

The Feast of Weeks was the kickstart for the intense spread of New Testament teachings and Truth around the world, beginning an evangelism that continues today.

Pentecost is a Greek term for the Feast of Weeks or Firstfruits. It means fiftieth. But fiftieth from what?

The starting point for counting to Pentecost comes within the Days of Unleavened Bread following the Passover. We begin with a key passage, Leviticus 23:11. “And he shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” The context of this wave sheaf day is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, vv. 6-8.

Now notice a few verses later, 15-16: “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall

ye number fifty days; and ye khall offer a new meat offering unto Yahweh.”

The count toward Pentecost is from the “morrow after the Sabbath” which falls within the days of Unleavened Bread, on the day of the wave sheaf offering. This count begins with what is called Sunday, the day after the weekly Saturday Sabbath.

The Hebrew for Sabbath here is Strong’s No. 7676, shabbath,

“intensive from shabath (7673); intermission, i.e. (spec.) the Sabbath.” Clearly we are talking about the weekly Sabbath, not a high day Sabbath.

Verses 15 and 16 mention the weekly Sabbath (No. 7676) three times. Thus, we can see that our count begins on the day after the Sabbath, which is the first day of the week, and we are to count until we reach 49 days. This is the weekly Sabbath when the week is out, and the next day is Sunday, the proper day for Pentecost.

In contrast, the “Sabbath” of verse 24 is shabbathown, a different word that refers to a high day, in this case it’s the Feast of Trumpets, not the weekly Sabbath. As we move to verse 39 we again find the Hebrew shabbathown, which refers to the High Sabbaths of the Feast of Tabemacles. According to Sfrong’s No. 7677, this means a “sabbatism or special holiday.”

Pentecost is observed on the morrow “after your weeks be out,” Numbers 28:26. The Feast of Weeks is counted “from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days,” Leviticus 23:15-16 (see also Deut. 16:9).

What all this means is that the morrow after the Sabbath cannot be the day after Abib 15, the first day of Unleavened Bread; it cannot be the 16th. The 15th is Strong’s No. 7677, which is shabbathown. Nor could it be the twenty-first day of Abib, which is also shabbathown, No. 7677.

The day to begin our count toward Pentecost has to be Sunday, the day after Saturday, the weekly Sabbath (No. 7676). This makes Sunday as day one with the count 50 days later ending on a Sunday, the proper day for Pentecost.

Had Yahweh wanted us to begin our count with Abib 16 He surely would have instructed that. Or He could have said to observe the Feast of Weeks on Sivan 6, the sixth day of the third month, as presently kept by the Jews. In that case no counting would even be needed. They allow it to float through the week instead of observing it “on the morrow after the Sabbath,” which is Sunday. It is also the time when “the weeks are out.”

Again, Leviticus 23:15 clearly says, “And you shall count from the morrow (Heb. mochorath, next day) after the Sabbath (No. 7676, weekly Sabbath) from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete.” Other translations read, “…seven weeks; they shall be complete.”

The Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society) reads “seven weeks: They must be complete: You must count until the day after the seventh week—fifty days.” If we begin the count with the weekly Sabbath, we will not have complete weeks and the morrow after the seventh Sabbath will be 51 days.

Another key point is that the day to begin the count must fall within the Feast because it is also the day the wave sheaf was presented to Yahweh, as we read in verse 15. Whether it was a sheaf at Unleavened Bread or two bread loaves at Pentecost, both were waved before Yahweh on their respective Feast, not before or afterward, Leviticus 23:20-21. The focus in verse 15 is on the day after the weekly Sabbath, and not the Sabbath. That day after (Sunday) must fall within the Feast.

It is imperative that we follow the Bible’s plain statements and not seek out writers and authorities who repeat the traditions and customs of those like the Pharisees. It is up to us to follow the Bible as closely as we can.