Shavuot, or Pentecost begins tonight. It is not a feast unto itself. It is the 50th day of the Spring feasts, a jubilee; the final culmination of all the Spring feasts where the fullness of the Spring wheat harvest will be brought in. And so on Shavuot, Pentecost, we celebrate the nations being brought to God through the giving of the Holy Spirit in languages and fiery tongues of boldness and the Spirit of prophecy (Acts 2). How else can you explain the presence of mind of Peter, unpacking the prophet Joel. He saw the initial fulfillment of Shavuot, the harvest coming in, and this being a foreshadowing of the Spirit being poured out on all flesh after the Day of the Lord (Joel 2). According to the Jewish tradition, the law was given 49 days (7×7’s) after the first Passover. That’s why the followers of Yeshua were all in one room together in Jerusalem that day. It was a feast day. And they were keeping it together. It was also the day that the people were to bring in the first full wheat harvest to the temple, a harvest that would continue into the summer. That’s why the nations were in Jerusalem.
Why is this significant? Because all the Spring feasts of Wheat Harvest are ALL fulfilled in Messiah’s first coming.
Passover, the night he was betrayed. Unleavened bread, the entombment of the sinless lamb before he rose. First fruits, the resurrection of the lamb, the firstborn of the harvest of righteousness, the firstborn of the resurrection. And on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out in the new covenant of tongues of fire which would result in the fullness of the Gentiles coming into Messiah…a taste of the full harvest.
It was also the day that the people were to bring in the first full wheat harvest to the temple, a harvest that would continue into the summer.
Fifty days. Four feasts. All four fulfilled in the person of Yeshua HaMashiach pouring out the Holy Spirit for the good news of the Kingdom to go out to all nations…just as He said He would do when He went to the Father. Timed exactly to the spring festival timing. Why is this important? Because by remembering the feasts of God unto the Lord, we keep watch for the return of Messiah. He moves on His feast days.
Because when He returns, we believe we already know what will happen.
He will return and fulfill ALL the Fall feasts of the Grape Harvest.
In order, we can expect to see the feast of trumpets (Day 1-His second coming, the resurrection of the dead, and the rapture of the church to Himself after great tribulation), the feast of atonement (Day 10-judgment and presentation of the blood of the sacrificed lamb for the atoning of sins), and the feast of tabernacles (Day 15-God’s dwelling with men). For those in Messiah, we will be spared the wrath of God (the crushing of the grapes). And He will rule and reign forever. And that is the end of the Messianic feasts that we are watching for. All nations, tribes, and tongues…the redeemed from every nation, a Kingdom of priests, worshiping the Lord.
What does that mean for us today?
It means that as we keep watch, we are in the season to work for the wheat Harvest now, in the space between the first and second coming of Messiah! It means that there are fields and fields of ripe grain in the nations, peoples who need the seeds of Yeshua planted in their hearts. They will need to be discipled and baptized into the Kingdom of God. It means that the Jewish people have the opportunity to be proclaimers of the good news of Yeshua from Jerusalem. It means that we are in an age of mercy and extended world harvest, in the space between the Spring and the Fall (getting nearer and nearer. And we must work the fields until the night comes. Our work is the same as Jesus when He was on the earth, that is, to do the Father’s will and finish His work.
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” (John 4:34-38)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:35-38)
“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? 8 No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ 9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. 10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’” (Luke 17:7-10)
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:4-5)
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
When the night comes, our work in evangelism will be done. Then this will take place:
I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. Revelation 14:14-20
This is what the Lord says:
“As when juice is still found in a cluster of grapes
and people say, ‘Don’t destroy it,
there is still a blessing in it,’
so will I do in behalf of my servants;
I will not destroy them all.
9 I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah those who will possess my mountains;
my chosen people will inherit them,
and there will my servants live.
10 Sharon will become a pasture for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds,
for my people who seek me.
11 “But as for you who forsake the Lord
and forget my holy mountain,
who spread a table for Fortune
and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,
12 I will destine you for the sword,
and all of you will fall in the slaughter;
for I called but you did not answer,
I spoke but you did not listen.
You did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”
13 Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“My servants will eat,
but you will go hungry;
my servants will drink,
but you will go thirsty;
my servants will rejoice,
but you will be put to shame.
14 My servants will sing
out of the joy of their hearts,
but you will cry out
from anguish of heart
and wail in brokenness of spirit.
15 You will leave your name
for my chosen ones to use in their curses;
the Sovereign Lord will put you to death,
but to his servants he will give another name.
16 Whoever invokes a blessing in the land
will do so by the one true God;
whoever takes an oath in the land
will swear by the one true God.
For the past troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from my eyes.
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 “See, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and take delight in my people;
the sound of weeping and of crying
will be heard in it no more.
20 “Never again will there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years;
the one who dies at a hundred
will be thought a mere child;
the one who fails to reach a hundred
will be considered accursed.
21 They will build houses and dwell in them;
they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,
or plant and others eat.
For as the days of a tree,
so will be the days of my people;
my chosen ones will long enjoy
the work of their hands.
23 They will not labor in vain,
nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune;
for they will be a people blessed by the Lord,
they and their descendants with them.
24 Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox,
and dust will be the serpent’s food.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
Let’s Pray
Lord, we worship and declare Your name. Yeshua, you will come as a warrior making peace in this land, by your judgment on the wicked. Thank you for holding out your hands to the Jewish people and giving the world time to find you. Your mercy is astounding. Your patience is wonderful. We worship and declare Your great name in the nations, Yeshua. You will draw all men to Yourself. The worship of Yeshua and the prayerful watching for Your return is integrally connected to the nations being reached with the good news of who you are. In response, they will come under the covenant you offer to the Jewish people. The Jewish people are not leaving the Jewish faith, though they may be ostracized and persecuted by religious leaders, as prophesied by you. But, oh Yeshua! The Gentiles are entering what the Jewish people still have, the Messiah, the one way, truth, life!
That’s why we will see a global church that loves Israel as their older brother. That’s why we hear the nations worshiping Yeshua by name in every tongue. That’s why we have thousands of pilgrims coming and worshiping at the garden tomb, even those who do not understand their own faith are coming just to see the places, to try to be closer to you, Messiah.
Lord of the Harvest, send workers to this harvest field. We need people who have received Holy Spirit giftings of shepherding (under the chief shepherd), teaching (gently correcting and instructing under you as their Rabbi), evangelism (proclaiming explaining and mediating your good news to people by the Spirit and Word of God) apostleship (witnesses of your power and love, sent in power to the nations), prophecy (people who say what you are saying), tongues (not just for prayer but people equipped to share the gospel in other languages), mercy, hospitality, and we need massive teams of worship leaders (priests of our God ministering the spiritual temple of Spirit and Truth) to step into their kingdom purposes and begin keeping watch with constant prayer and worship in their churches and synagogues and homes and houses of prayer.
Yeshua, we will buy the oil. We will keep watch of the times, not just the feast days, not just the festivals. Keep the oil of gladness burning in our heart. Because we love you, we keep watch with you.
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Luke 12:35-40
