Feasts of the Lord as prophecy: Weeks (Shavuot)

The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) occurs fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits, in the month of Sivan (Lev. 23:15). This Feast is called Shavuot which in Hebrew means “sevens,” referring to the seven weeks (“seven sevens”) or 49 days from First Fruits to Shavuot. It is also called Pentecost in Greek due to the fifty (“pente”) days between the two Feasts. It is one of three times annually when Jews were required to travel to Jerusalem to be in the presence of God, the other two times being the Feast of Passover in the spring and the Feast of Booths in the fall. There are two rabbinical traditions associated with the Feast of Weeks. The first is that Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Law and presented it to the Children of Israel on this day. Secondly, it is believed that Enoch was both born and translated on this day.

“You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. ... The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the Lord; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleanings of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’” (Leviticus 23:15-22)

The Feast of First Fruits observed fifty days earlier during the Passover Festival involves the priest performing a “wave offering” to the Lord. The wave offering involved a sheaf of newly harvested ripe grain (barley), symbolizing the first fruits of the coming harvest, being waved before God in thankfulness for a successful harvest (Lev. 23:9). The Feast of First Fruits is prophetic in that it represents Jesus who died, and rose again on that very day, the first fruits of many more who would die and live again (I Cor. 15:20-23). During the Feast of Weeks, the priest would once again perform a wave offering to the Lord in thanks for a successful wheat harvest. This time however, the priest was to wave two loaves of bread before the Lord. These two loaves would be made from wheat flour (Exodus 34:22) instead of barley, and they would contain leaven (yeast). The Feast of Weeks is prophetic in that fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down and began to indwell in believers, just as Jesus had told the disciples. This signaled the start of what is known as the “church age.” Some 3000 people were saved that day and became Christ Followers. A “wave offering” was presented to God by the Holy Spirit of two “leavened loaves” (Acts 2:1-41).

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? ... we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” ... Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls." Acts 1:1-41

The two leavened loaves of wheat are also symbolic. In the Bible, many times barley is symbolic of the Jews, God’s chosen people (Ez. 4:9-12, Judges 7:13, Ruth, Job 31:40, Jn. 6:9-13). Wheat is many times in the Bible symbolic of Christ followers (Job 31:40, Ez. 4:9-12, Ruth, Mt. 3:12, Mt. 13:25-30, Lk. 3:17). The two loaves are wheat, representing the inclusion of non-Jews into God’s redemptive plan for His chosen people the Jews. The wheat is fine flour which has been finely ground, sifted several times, and then baked. This represents the purification process that we as sinners go through in becoming part of the Body of Christ. The leavened loaves of bread also represent the “Mystery” mentioned so many times in both the Old and New Testaments... Jews and Gentiles together as God’s chosen people, in one Body.  

The loaves are leavened, which is an important detail. Leaven, or yeast, is typically seen as symbolic of sin throughout the bible. Every reference Jesus makes to "leaven" is in reference to sin or corruption. All other sacrificial offerings presented to the Lord, as prescribed in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, specifically prohibit the inclusion of leaven. "No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the LORD." Lev. 2:11. Leaven is an agent that through corruption causes dough to rise or "puff up", just as the original sin (pride) caused Satan to puff up and seek to place himself above God. The sin of Adam and Eve was also pride, as they sought to become like God and know good and evil. “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen. 3:5. This is what the leaven in the two loaves of bread of the wave offering represent, the presence of sin within those who are Christ Followers (Jews and Gentiles) who make up the Body of Christ. However, that body (loaf) now purified (justified and sanctified) by Christ's redemptive act of sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

The importance of there being two loaves is also prophetic I believe. I think that the two loaves represent 2000 years of the Church age, the time from Pentecost and the giving of the Holy Spirit until the time of the Rapture, when both the church and the Holy Spirit are removed from this Earth. There is another story in the bible which includes loaves of bread, but this time they are specifically noted as barley loaves. Jesus performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5000, using a young boy’s lunch which consisted of 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. This miracle is prophetic in that the 5 barley loaves represent the "Jewish age" and the "church age" is represented by the two fish (Christians), as we know that the fish symbol was symbolic of Christ followers in the early church and even today. The 2 fish represent the 2000 years of the church age. The 5 barley loaves represent the 5000 years of the "Jewish age", that period of time when God's actions on this earth are focused on His chosen people. There are 4000 years from Adam and Eve until the time of the Messiah, and then another 1000 years in the millennial kingdom after the seven years of the tribulation are completed. And we note that when the meal is finished, and they gather up the leftovers, there are no fish left, only pieces of the barley loaves. Likewise, there will be no Christians left after the rapture, and God's focus during the tribulation and millennial kingdom will once again return to His Chosen People, the Jews. It is interesting to note that as mentioned, Enoch is traditionally believed to have been born and translated (raptured) on Shavuot. Could it be that Enoch is a type of the church, in that the church age began on Shavuot at Pentecost and will end on Shavuot with the rapture (translation) of the church? This makes perfect sense to me.

In Matthew 24, Jesus says “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Jesus is speaking of the Tribulation period, and the end of the age. But, it can also apply to the rapture just as easily. We as Christ Followers are told to watch for His coming back for us, and to remain awake, watching for the signs of His soon return. But, no one knows the exact day or hour. Likewise, no one really knows when the Feast of Weeks actually is. The date is set based on the date of Passover, but that date is just a date chosen to observe the feast, the 14th of Nisan. The actual day when Passover is to be observed is after the barley crop is fully ripened, as detailed in Deuteronomy 16:9. When the barley was fully ripe, the harvesting was to begin, and 49 days after that was the observance of the Feast of Weeks (Lev. 23:15). If barley represents the Jews, only God knows when they will be fully "ripened" and ready for harvest. Only God knows when the "fullness of the Gentiles" is as well. When both of these times are declared by God, the rapture of the Church will occur.

It is also Jewish tradition to read from the Old Testament book of Ruth during Shavuot. The story of Ruth involves a Jewish woman (Naomi) whose husband and sons die. She returns to her hometown and her daughter in law who is a Gentile (Ruth) stays by her side and returns with her. There, Ruth finds favor in the eyes of a distant relative (Boaz) of Naomi. In the end, Boaz redeems the land of Naomi to himself, takes Ruth as his bride, and provides Naomi with restoration. Boaz returns to Naomi her land, her family, and her future. The entire book of Ruth is symbolic of Jesus (Boaz) redeeming all creation (the land), and providing for the salvation of the Gentiles and the Jews (Ruth and Naomi). The entire story of Ruth occurs during the Feast of Weeks, during the wheat harvest. It is truly prophetic that the Jews would read this story each year in the Synagogue during Shavuot, not realizing that it is foretelling their own future redemption by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Christ the Messiah will redeem His chosen people and provide restoration of their future and creation.

The Spring Feasts of Passover are prophetic, detailing the Messiah's death and resurrection. The Fall Feasts of Booths are also prophetic, detailing the Tribulation and the return of the Lord, and the Millennial reign of the Messiah from Jerusalem. I am convinced that the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) is also prophetic. It details the church age, lasting for 2000 years, beginning at Pentecost with the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church and ending at the rapture of the Church when the Holy Spirit is removed from the world. I also believe that both of these events occur on the actual day of the Feast of Weeks. For now, we continue to watch, waiting and hoping for His soon return for His bride.