Friends, you should drill down a little deeper and research on how Shavuot originally represented Israel being married to God at Mt Sinai. We know that Israel was married to God because He says so here ...
{Jer 31:31-33 KJV} Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
And, many, many times He calls her {Israel/Judah} an harlot as she's strayed from Him into idolatry. Bearing these things in mind, then Shavu'ot (the 50th day after Pentecost) at some point in the future likely also represents the Bridegroom, Jesus/Yeshua, coming for His *ready* bride, the church ... just as when He married Israel at Mt Sinai but didn't come for her again until His first coming.
Shavu'ot ... -shavu- means "weeks" (as in counting the Omer of 7 days x 7 weeks = 49 days and then the following 50th day is a holy day to the Lord); the -'ot- at the end indicates "feminine plural". Counting from the day after Passover up to the 50th day of Shavu'ot is done annually in Israel. However, what if the bigger picture is years rather than days? By that I mean, instead of 7x7=49 days of a year, the Long Count (as I call it) would be 7x7=49 years and then the Jubilee year is the 50th? Could thinking about this in a Long Count actually represent the bride of Christ who should be ready to go after what I call -the Long Count of 40 Jubilees- being that 50 is the number of days (years) in a Jubilee multiplied by 40 Jubilees equals 2000 years?
In Lev 25 https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/25/1/s_115001, we see the account of a land Sabbath and then a Jubile(e) afterward. The days counted from Passover until the 50th day, which is Shavu'ot, is called "the counting of the Omer" in Israel. It is a count from the firstfruits of the barley harvest up to the wheat harvest. What if this *counting* also represents a Long Count (as I call it) of thousands of years? As I said, looking at the *big picture* ... after all, we are living in the days of the greatest harvest, that of souls, in the HIS-story of mankind. The counting of the Omer, as well as the land sabbath years concluding in a jubilee are both significant in my Long Count theory. Let's look at Lev 25:8-13 ...
{Lev 25:8-13 KJV} And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth [day] of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout [all] the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather [the grapes] in it of thy vine undressed. For it [is] the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.
And then we are promised that the Lord would return sooner as we see here ...
{Mat 24:22 KJV} And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
{Mar 13:20 KJV} And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
This shortening could represent either His coming sooner for His bride, sooner than the 50th day, perhaps more like the 40th day as in the day He ascended He will return in like manor ... or ... it could represent His returning sooner for the nation of Israel lest she be completely destroyed during Jacob's Trouble (the great tribulation). I lean more toward this meaning of coming sooner for His bride whom I think are the chosen/elect, see a previous article here http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/01/010616-is-2017-ad-significant-to.html
Looking at part of Mat 24 where the Lord says (giving us a *clue* as to when He will return) the following ...
{Mat 24:36-39 KJV} But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Now, before we try to figure this timing out, let's consider our calendar is NOT the same as the biblical calendar. The 2nd month (when Noah entered the Ark) for Israel is not February as it is for us. Here's a short article that will explain it ... http://www.apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=2&issue=773&article=2019. As the article explains, the true 2nd month is March-April by our calendar. So somewhere between March-April is the true first month, April-May is the true 2nd month, May-June is the true 3rd month, and so on. This could bring together not only similar days to that of the days of Noah, but also IF the first recorded Shavu'ot (Israel at Mt Sinai hears God) occurred in the month of April-May then we can expect it to happen similarly for us. I haven't figured out the *math* on this yet, perhaps I'll tackle it another day. And again, some believe the Jews have miscalculated up to a month further so we could be looking at May-June sometime in the future for the Lord to return for His bride.
As we see in Mat 22 https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/mat/22/1/s_951001, Jesus speaks in a parable of how He was betrothed to the nation of Israel and He came (1st coming) to bid them to the wedding supper but they would not come ...
{Mat 22:8 KJV} Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
NOTICE: "The wedding IS ready", it has been ready for 2000 years! "They that were bidden" was Israel, which was mostly Judah by this time. But He did say He came for the lost sheep of the house of Israel in Mat 15:24, I do believe He was referring to the spiritually lost of both Israel & Judah since He preached in both kingdom lands, and beyond. Since the called would not come, He then sent His servants to go bid others (Gentiles) to come. At some point in the future He will come back and again extend His hand to those of us waiting for Him to come to the wedding supper ... yet, Israel again will not be ready!
Let's turn our attention to Luke where Jesus says something peculiar in speaking to His apostles ...
{Luk 12:35-36 KJV} Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
The "lights burning" is very reminiscent of the wise virgins (Mat 25) ready to go! Also notice, He says "they may open unto him immediately", not "you" (the apostles, but rather others). According to Jesus, He is returning from a wedding and He expects that when He comes thereafter "they" may open unto Him immediately. This implies that He came beforehand and took a bride (the church, wise virgins), but that others (Israel, foolish virgins) were not ready ... again!
Then we see this question from Peter, and Jesus' response regarding those that were ready ...
{Luk 12:41-44 KJV} Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom [his] lord shall make ruler over his household, to give [them their] portion of meat in due season? Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
The "faithful and wise steward" is akin to the ready, wise virgins of Mat 25 https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/mat/25/1/s_954001. And then Jesus says what will happen to those that are not ready ...
{Luk 12:45-47 KJV} But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not [himself], neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes].
(Mat 25:10-12 KJV} And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
The above passages indicate that some will be ready when He comes, and others will not be ready and since the door is shut those not ready will be "beaten with many [stripes]" ... they will have to go through the great tribulation. Those that are ready will not have to go through the great tribulation. It seems to me that we need to keep the church (when I say church I mean believing Jews & Gentiles) and the state of Israel (those that, for the most part, don't believe Jesus is God's Son) separate as God will be dealing with them after He's removed the church, in particular any believer that is sealed by the Holy Spirit will be taken to be with Him while national Israel, and those remaining on the earth, will suffer great tribulation. Why do I believe the church may be removed for a period of time while national Israel goes through the great tribulation, otherwise known as Jacob's trouble?
{Jer 30:7 KJV} Alas! for that day [is] great, so that none [is] like it: it [is] even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
{Isa 26:20 KJV} Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.
{Zep 3:8 KJV} Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination [is] to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, [even] all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
{Mat 24:21 KJV} For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
When I speak of Rachel & Leah, they were the two brides of Jacob (who was later renamed by God to Israel). Jacob served seven years to marry Rachel but the girls' father gave him Leah (you can read more about this from Gen 29 onward). The point is, Jacob (Israel) being a type of the Lord, got Leah (Church) before his intended bride of Rachel (Israel). The sisters are a type of the Church & Israel ... both Brides. One ready (Church), one not ready (Israel). Every *story* we read in the bible is a type, or shadow, of things to come. This is why we cannot separate the Old Testament/Covenant from the New Testament/Covenant. Jesus is still fulfilling the Old, the New is a witness and testimony of such. The Lord has not changed, what He decreed will come to pass.
I feel the LORD has given me an *epiphany* on this subject, a parallel to compare to as it were, in that: when Jesus/Yeshua came into Jerusalem - just a couple of days before He would be crucified, to present Himself as their (Israel's) Bridegroom/King the first time - He was coming to take Israel (Rachel) for His bride, but they were not ready/willing (Mat 22:3-8). When He comes the 2nd time He'll take the Church (Leah), the believers of the "times of the Gentiles" (Mat 22:8-10, Mat 25). Israel (Rachel) will again not be ready and the door will be shut, she will have to go through Jacob's trouble! It may well be another "seven days" (years) of serving before the Lord gets to come for Israel (Rachel) again, at which time He will come to save her from utter destruction and will take His rightful place in Jerusalem as King to rule & reign on this earth for 1,000 years!
I have come to think of Shavu'ot as the best timing for Jesus/Yeshua to come for us, His *ready* bride. I'm not dogmatic about it but by my studies this is the most logical reasoning since we're still in the "time of the Gentiles" where it was opened to us with the Holy Spirit being given as our betrothal gift. I believe these end times will close with the consummation (redemption) at this same time, on the 50th day after an upcoming Passover, which is Shavu'ot, possibly as early as the 40th day (sooner than later) in honor of His own ascension into heaven. This is why the counting of the Omer is so significant, but also we have to look at it from the bigger picture, that being, our current time frame as the "age of grace", or the "times of the Gentiles" (some 2,000 years +/-).
.:: And now, for a brief interlude ::.
Remember, to God a day is as a thousand years ... 2,000 years to us is only two days to God ...
{2Pe 3:8 KJV} But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
And for those of you that have always wondered ... why did the bible say that Adam & Eve would die the *day* they fell from grace. Well, they DID die within that 1,000 year day! Adam died at 930 years old, 70 years shy of ONE GOD DAY. Think of what eternity means, AND more importantly ... where you want to spend it ... in light of this! Heaven ... or hell? Your choice, as it's been from day one. The tree of Life (God's ways) or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (satan's worldly ways), you are in ultimate control whom you choose to believe and where you will spend eternity.
Back to the subject at hand ...
The coming of the Holy Spirit, in my honest opinion, has not fulfilled the middle branch of the menorah (the times of the Gentiles), rather, He (the Holy Spirit) is our betrothal gift/promise, like an engagement ring, the gift given us at the time of our confession to make Jesus/Yeshua our Lord & Savior, thus our Bridegroom. The Holy Spirit IS the *seal* of every believer, and anyone that has Him IN them will be resurrected/taken as we see in Mat 25's the parable of the 10 virgins. It may well be that those that are NOT ready are the nation of Israel (whom I think is represented by Rachel), as well as any other UNbeliever in Jesus, while at least half of the church IS ready (represented by Leah), again, see Mat 25.
{2Co 1:22 KJV} Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
{Eph 1:13 KJV} In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ...
{Eph 4:30 KJV} And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
As for the Hebrew *Fall Feasts*, I believe they are still very relevant but perhaps more for national Israel than Gentiles believers. I believe the church age begins, and ends, on the same day, Shavu'ot ... but in a Long Count of thousands of years that we've called the "age of grace" and the bible calls the "times of the Gentiles". I will be intently watching from Pentecost to Shavu'ot for the arrival of my beloved Bridegroom. If not this year then we'll move forward and watch to see how the fall feasts go in Sep/Oct.
The Jewish calendar has Shavu'ot for 2016 as: June 11-13. However, if they're dating isn't accurate it could be plus or minus a month or thereabouts, time will tell. The key is to be WATCHING and always *ready* ;o}
I had written briefly on this subject before, here's that link ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2015/05/051615-shavuot-epiphany.html
And I'd given a brief mention of this subject here also ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2015/11/110615-porters-watchmen.html
Here's some links from a friend of mine, Helena Lehman of The Pillar of Enoch Ministry ...
http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2016/01/my-hope-in-coming-rapture-despite-dire.html
http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-rapture-may-not-be-on-feast-of.html
http://pillarofenoch.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-parable-of-wise-and-foolish-virgins.html
Here are some other website links relating to Shavu'ot ...
Interesting, note how they say that Shavuot at Mt Sinai was the birth of Judaism ... and yet Pentecost (& Shavuot) is also the birth of the church. Two leavened loaves perhaps?
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html
https://prophecywatchers.com/the-mystery-of-pentecost/
https://web.archive.org/web/20150503125222/http://www.prophecyinthenews.com/the-pentecost-prophecy/
https://twelvebooks.wordpress.com/2011/03/31/mar-31-2011-j-r-church-wrote-his-last-article-for-the-magazine-of-april-about-the-rapture/
http://www.theseasonofreturn.com/DOES_SCRIPTURE_SUPPORT_A_PENTECOST_RAPTURE_VER_1.docx.pdf
http://separationtruth.com/resources/Pentecostal+Rapture+new.pdf
http://royalheir.blogspot.com/2013/05/shavuot-pentecost-rapture.html (part 1)
http://royalheir.blogspot.com/2013/05/shavuot-pentecost-rapture-part-ii.html (part 2)
http://royalheir.blogspot.com/2013/05/shavuot-pentecost-rapture-part-iii.html (part 3)
http://royalheir.blogspot.com/2013/05/shavuot-pentecost-rapture-few-final.html (part 4)
http://www.jerusalemcornerstone.org/resources/articles_main-page/shavuot-marriage-of-ruth-and-boaz
http://www.feastsofthelord.com/live/biblical-feasts/pentecost/
http://jewishroots.net/holidays/shavuot-pentecost/shavuot-pentecost-holiday-page.html
https://www.facebook.com/22738684968/photos/a.86889944968.20323.22738684968/10150552757849969/?type=3
Here are some video links ...
https://youtu.be/7ugvJSYnXXI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X-JJdzxPJw
I watched this playlist, interesting that in Hebrew the first two letters of Genesis are BR (pronounced BAR, or BER) and it means SON ;o}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbHhtl13lBM&index=1&list=PLVXH1_3_2UO_TwNdsUh2rzGwo5cvyknhx
I know, I have
elsewhere discussed how the church will go through the tribulation but
will not suffer God's wrath ... and I do still believe that in the Long Count scheme (the past 2000+/- years) of things ... I'm just not sure how it all fits together and I don't think anyone else knows for sure either. Unlike others, I'm not insisting that you believe ME because *I'm right* and everyone else is wrong. I'm simply sharing my findings as an FYI and hoping you are Berean enough to do your own research as well. In the timing of things, on God's divine calendar, which is NOT our current Gregorian calendar, in these end of days, there may be a short period of time from the time the church is resurrected (the Lord appearing in the clouds) until the Jews are forced to call on Jesus at which point He will return to rule & reign on this earth for 1000 years (the Lord's second coming). It seems to me that these are two separate events for two separate peoples (believing Gentiles & Jews vs national Israel & the world). Everyone else's writings would also be speculation since -no man knows the day nor the hour-. I write these things for you (and me) to keep in mind while we wait on the Lord's return. I am certainly no expert ... I am just a mere *Porter* watching the door http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2015/11/110615-porters-watchmen.html ... the
point is to be watchful with me!
Think of these "end times" as yourselves walking down a path, you see something up ahead but can't make it out until you are *close enough*. As time goes by, and you get closer to your destination, things begin to come more
sharply into view. I didn't really see the light of Shavu'ot
before my previous writings and so now I need to work on how this fits in with all the rest. How things will come together in the future is like a giant puzzle that takes much time & research to put together ... I know I have many of the pieces but I'm unsure of where they all fit at the moment, I am still working on it though!
Rather than dismiss any of what I've said, I would
recommend you keep it all in your heart, perhaps you can put the pieces together before I do, and let's continue to watch for Jesus.
One thing we believers ALL know, He is coming ... and ... in my honest opinion (IMHO), the time is much sooner than most believe!
Thanks for reading! Be blessed in Jesus' name ;o}
{03/15/16-This page was revised to correct a few typos and to clarify some areas I felt needed such. Curly bracket comments within scriptures are mine. Blue text is God speaking in the OT; Red text is Jesus speaking in the NT.}
