Hello John and Doves,

First of all, I would like to apologize for my English, my knowledge is very limited, so I have to use an automatic translator. I believe you will understand what I want to share.

The Church traditionally connects the Feast of Weeks with the Feast of Pentecost. I have written about this before, but I believe it is important to talk about it again. I have found that there is great resistance among Christians to understand this difference and to stand against the tradition of the Church on the teachings of the Bible. It seems that the devil is extremely keen to hide when the Feast of Pentecost actually is. However, this feast is important for Christians because on that day the Church was born by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It is also likely that the Rapture of the Church will be associated with this feast.

Today's Church determines the Feast of Weeks (and therefore the Feast of Pentecost) by counting 50 days from Nisan 15. This counting according to the Bible does not apply to either the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost.

According to the Bible, the Feast of Weeks begins to be counted from the day when the sickle is first put on the grain. This is always before the beginning of the Feast of Passover. From that day, seven weeks are counted - 49 days. The Feast of Weeks is very clearly described in the Bible: Deut 16:9,10; Deut 16:16; Num 28:26; Ex 34:22; 2 Chron 8:13.

According to the Bible, the Feast of Pentecost begins to be counted from the day of firstfruits, i.e. from the second day after the Sabbath, i.e. from Nisan 16, when seven full weeks are counted. A full week means that it starts counting from Sunday (day 1) to Saturday (day 7), it must be counted only in one month. If it is at the turn of the months, then the week cannot be counted. In a future post I will illustrate this graphically. 

It follows that seven full weeks are approximately 59 days. At the same time, the Sabbaths that are part of these seven full weeks are counted. Then, from the day after the seventh Sabbath, 50 days are counted - Lev 23:15,16.

Therefore, it is written in Acts chapter 2 that the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 50th day on the feast of Pentecost, when the disciples were also accused of being drunk with new wine. The feast of Pentecost therefore falls on the period from late July to early August. At this time, new wine is already available in Israel. There cannot be new wine in the spring. The feast of Pentecost is on a different day each year, because it is connected by calculation to the feast of Passover. According to the Bible, the feast of Pentecost cannot be called the feast of new wine or set the same date for each year. 

In the book of Revelation, the Christians in the Philadelphia church are commended for keeping and loving the Word of God. Therefore, they will be spared the judgment that is coming upon the whole world. It is characteristic today that many prioritize their knowledge and use the Word of God to fit their revelations.

If you find that any of the above is not in harmony with Scripture, I would be grateful for your attention. 

Thank you for your patience in reading and please think seriously about the Bible texts that teach about these two independent feasts.

Detailed Bible teachings on these feasts are below.

Jesus bless you
Petr (Moravian Church)

pe.otevrel@seznam.cz

The difference between the feast of weeks (Shavout) and the feast of Pentecost

According to the Bible, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) and the Feast of Pentecost are two distinct feasts that are different: in the way of counting, the time of the beginning of the counting, the way in which sacrifices are offered, and in the way of celebrating.

The feasts are different from each other in the following ways:

1) in the way of counting - The origin and method of calculation differ:

Feasts of weeks according to the Deuteronomy 16:9

and feast of Pentecost according to the Leviticus 23:15-16

2) What a sacrifice is made:

Feasts of weeks according to the Deu 16:10

       and feast of Pentecost according to the Lev 23:17-20

3) in the way of celebrate:

Feasts of weeks according to the Deu 16:11

       and feast of Pentecost according to the Lev 23:21

to point 1:

Mind the difference between the beginning and the way of calculating:

Feast of weeks (Shavuot) is calculated:

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. (Deu 16:9)

Only seven weeks (not complete) are counted, and the calculation begins from the day the barley harvest begins (the grain harvest begins with the barley harvest). This usually happens before the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This holiday is always in the spring.

 

And Feast of Pentecost is calculated:

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 shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. (Lev 23:15-16)

The counting begins at the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. First, seven full weeks are counted (it does not correspond to a mere sum of 49 days), and then another 50 days are added, which brings us to the time of summer.

to point 2:

on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) the following sacrifices are made:

And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: (Deu 16:10)

Other offerings (sacrifices) offered are listed in detail in Num 28:26-31; in particular, they differ in that they do not sacrifice leavened bread, but only white flour mixed with oil (and also differ, for example, in the numbers of some sacrificed animals).

in contrast, on the Feast of Pentecost the following offerings (sacrifices) are made:

Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. (Lev 23:17-20)

to point 3:

the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) is – in contrast to the Feast of Pentecost – a pilgrimage holiday:

Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: (Deu 16:16) 

and on the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) – in contrast to the Feast of Pentecost – God commands them to rejoice (it is much harder to rejoice at the beginning of the harvest than at the end, when everything is done):

And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there. (Deu 16:11)

Other differences:

In the New Testament in Acts 2:1 in Greek original is said: And when the fiftieth day came...

It follows that some counting of fifty days must have been completed. That's exactly how it is in Lev 23:16. In contrast, the counting of the Feast of Weeks does not include any counting of fifty days.

            The Feast of Pentecost is mentioned in the New Testament in three places (Acts 2:1, Acts 20:16 and

1 Cor 16:8), but the Feast of Weeks is not mentioned in it. We know that Paul left his missionary service in Asia Minor and hurried to reach Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Feast of Pentecost). (Acts 20:16)

            The names of these two feasts in the Hebrew original:

The name of the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) comes from a Hebrew word shabuwa`, which means: seven, period of seven (days or years), week (for this see Strong's number H7620).

The name of the Feast of Pentecost comes from the Hebrew word chămishshîym, which literally means fiftieth (for this see Strong's number H2572). In the New Testament there is a Greek word Pentecost [pentēkostē], which literally means the fiftieth day (for this see Strong's number G4005).