Hello John and Doves,
Pentecost, or Shavuot,
is one of the three pilgrimage feasts of Israel.
It's a major Jewish holiday. It's also known as the
"Feast of Weeks" or "Feast of Harvest". In the Old
Testament it is referred to as the Day of
Firstfruits. Pentecost means fifty in Greek.
It is 49 days after Passover and ends the Counting of the
Omer.
Pentecost is one of the three harvest season feasts.
"The principal feasts of the Jews corresponded to the
three harvest seasons (Exodus 23:16; 34:21,22); 1) the Feast
of the Passover in April at the time of the barley harvest
(Ruth 1:22); 2) the Feast of Pentecost at the wheat harvest
(Ex 34:22); and 3) the Feast of Tabernacles at the end of
the year (October) during the fruit harvest."
https://www.bible-history.com/isbe/h/harvest/
Harvest
in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE (Bible History Online)
Paul writes about an 'order' to the harvest of souls or
the resurrection of the dead. A possible scenario for
this harvest could be - Christ is the firstfruits of those
who have fallen asleep (Passover Week). And then when
He comes - the harvest of those who belong to Him - 1) at
the Rapture when the dead in Christ will be the first to
rise (Day of Firstfruits/Pentecost) and 2) at the
harvest of the righteous during the Tribulation. Three
harvest seasons, in order.
For many years there has
been much debate on how to count the fifty days and where
to begin the count of fifty days. Some say Pentecost
is always to fall on a Sunday; some say on a Monday.
The Hillel II Jewish calendar set this day on 6 Sivan for
the Jewish people; putting an end to the 'guesswork'.
Steve offers other
verses in the Bible as evidence of Pentecost being later
than the month of Sivan, the third month of the Biblical
calendar - showing that it's more likely late in the
fourth month of Tammuz.
In relooking at the
instructions given in Leviticus 23:15-16 "And number
to you after the feast day of Pascha, from the day when
you brought the sheaf for the elevation, seven weeks;
complete they shall be. Until the day after the
seventh week you shall number fifty days, and shall offer
a mincha of the new bread unto the Name of the Lord."
Some interpret this as
there are two day count periods in these two verses:
one of seven weeks - to be complete. And one
numbering fifty days after the seven weeks. Putting
Pentecost in late June to mid July.
But most consider these
verses as describing a one day count of fifty days.
Putting Pentecost in late May or early June.
Counting this as one
count of fifty does can not explain why Peter says on the
day of Pentecost that the wine is new...it's
been newly 'packaged' and is unfermented. The grapes
were then recently harvested. And the grape harvest
season in ancient Israel is in June - after
Pentecost. "Now let's look at the major crops
after Pentecost (as it is commonly counted).
Grapes were the first major crop to ripen: "In a
good year, when the grain yield was great, threshing and
grape picking overlapped". That would be in June,
technically in spring, since summer doesn't officially
start until the solstice, June
22."https://archive.gci.org/articles/harvest-seasons-of-ancient-israel/
Harvest
Seasons of Ancient Israel | GCI Archive
This information would put Pentecost after the grape
harvest had started - in later June, at the earliest.
This year, 6 Sivan,
Pentecost, is on Friday, May 29 - starting the evening
before on May 28 and ending the evening of May 29
(on the chabad calendar).
Pentecost for Christians
is Sunday, May 31, 2020.
July 26 is a Sunday and
is the 5th of Av. Just a few days before the
infamous 9th of Av. He also talks about the
'Tractate Sanhedrin 98a Prophecy" - concerning the
elections in Israel with no government forming -
"The prophecy states that on the SABBATH afterwards the
Messiah will come and be revealed. Since SABBATH is
capitalized, I'm assuming it is a high sabbath, and the
next high sabbath is True Pentecost (July 25-26).
He further comments
about 7/26 - the number 726 in Strong's is the number for
Hapazo - "to seize, catch up, snatch away".
It is interesting that
the religious Jews stay up all night on Pentecost -
looking for a door to open in Heaven so as to receive a
special blessing. They also read the book of Ruth -
the Gentile bride marrying the Jewish groom at the end of
the wheat harvest (Pentecost).
There have been many
letters written to Five Doves over the years about
Pentecost as a possible Rapture date. Plenty of time
to search these out before Pentecost.
Maybe this year!
Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem!
Maranatha!
Chance