Traditional Jewish congregations have only one special ritual for Shavuot – reading the Scriptures. It is studying the Word of God, discussing the Word of God, praying over the Word of God, and so on. It is because of two main acts that occurred on Shavuot when the Temple was intact which are now impossible.

The first act – is the presentation of the first sheaves of barley and fruits in the Temple. It should be noted that the Torah is stating plainly that we are to offer first things to God. Not the last. The first fruit and the best of the harvest is to be offered to God and His servants. When pilgrims would come to Jerusalem with the first fruits, people of the city came into the streets to meet and greet them, thanking God for joining all the people under His Shechina in the Holy city and the Holy Temple.

The second act – is sacrificial offerings that were a major part of the Shavuot festival. First, there were burnt offerings. Then a goat was sacrificed as a sin offering. Finally, shelamim (fellowship offerings) were presented. Only after we have surrendered and entrusted ourselves to the Lord, only after we are completely done with sin, only then the shalom of God covers us and we are able to present fellowship offerings to the Lord: offerings of mouth, offerings of friendship, offerings of prayer, offerings of worship, offerings of dancing, offerings of the Word Study, offerings of our joyous obedience to Him.

The everlasting chosenness of Israel and God’s trueness (faithfulness) to His promises.

Shavuot is a double festival to us. It’s a festival of the giving of the Word of God and of ultimate chosenness and ordination of God’s people forever. On this festival, the Ruach ha’Kodesh was poured out from the seat of heavenly glory on the 120 Jewish disciples and on their behalf, on the whole Jewish people. Some Christians still don’t understand that it was an ordination of the everlasting chosenness of Israel in the power of the Ruach ha’Kodesh.

Evidence of that is found in the book of Acts. In the 3rd chapter, we see the miracle that happened at the Beautiful Gates of the Temple: a man who was lame from birth was completely healed. He jumped, danced, and walked with the apostles into the courts. Then many thousands of men of Israel (the men who had shouted to Pilate “Crucify, crucify Him” (Luke 23:21)) came there. The Apostle Shimon-Peter preached to those who not only didn’t believe in Yeshua but opposed Him. They were responsible for handing Him to the Romans to die. And the astonishing prophetic sermon of the apostle ends with words:

Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ (Acts 3:24-25)

He plainly calls them “sons of the prophets”, and of the covenant not according to their faith in Yeshua but according to their birthright.

To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. (Acts 3:26)

Did Yeshua appear to any of the unbelieving Jews (the ones that shouted “Crucify Him!” in particular) after he had risen? Did He? No! He appeared to the disciples only, to those who had believed in Him and held on to Him, as well as His brothers. Why then the apostle says “God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him…”?

But this is a biblical perspective: if the Lord appeared to the disciples (all of them were Jewish) then He did it to the whole of Israel on their behalf. He fulfilled the promises that had been given to the Jewish people. Despite the fact that the crowd rejected (denied) Him, despite the fact the majority of the Jews had stopped believing in Him by that time, He still was true to His Jewish people. And by appearing to the disciples (who were His faithful ones) He appeared to the whole of Israel on their behalf.

We know that he appeared to more than 500 of His disciples. In the upper room, there were 120 disciples when the Ruach came down. This outpouring of the Lord’s Spirit spread over 3000 other Jews during those days. It was the first new covenantal Pentecost, the first new covenantal Shavout. And the immersion in the Holy Spirit marked a new and special affirmation of the Lord’s everlasting chosenness of Israel.

In the 2nd chapter of Acts the apostle Shimon-Peter explains that this is a promise to Israel for the End Times. When it was fulfilled, thousands of Jews who believed the apostle Peter, who were cut to their hearts because of his reproving words, who let the Holy Spirit and the living words of the prophets penetrate their hearts, realized they needed the teshuva - a true spiritual change. They said to the apostles: “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

Demonstration of power and demonstration of the Spirit – the difference between the two Shavuot festivals

All the new covenantal Jewish messianic congregations over the world and all Jewish ministries of various churches that celebrate Shavuot also affirm God’s faithfulness to Israel. By celebrating the Holy Spirit and the Word of God we affirm God’s faithfulness to Israel - to his people; the majority of which neither hear the loving Father’s voice nor see the radiation of His Glory. But God did not withdraw any of His promises to Israel.

Sadly, although it wasn’t the first time, after the first new-covenantal Shavuot the majority of our Jewish ancestors didn’t receive this grace. Even when all of Israel received the Torah at mount Sinai, they received it only outwardly. The Torah was received by Israel when it had just been physically set free from the bondage of Egypt. But the Ruach came down on the disciples on Zion after the Word of God had set them free inwardly. By Sinai, Israel received the Torah only on the outside, but God’s remnant of Israel on Zion was opened for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and received the Torah deeply within their hearts. Because they had a profound teshuva or deep repentance, and the Spirit of God had already been living in their hearts. And because the Word of God began revealing its mysteries to them – the Torah transformed not only them but many many others as well.

We know the difference between the outward and the inward. The apostle Paul separates demonstrations of the power and Spirit in 1st Corinthians 2:4. The demonstration of power is a miracle that changes people on the outside, physically and naturally. The demonstration of the Spirit is the presence of God that brings no changes but reveals the reality of heaven on earth. The presence of God allows people who open themselves up to Him and who allow the demonstration of the Spirit in order to connect with God Himself.

In Egypt, the Israelites saw miracles that no one had ever seen. The greatest miracles of all time! Yes, the apostles, Yeshua’s disciples, also saw amazing miracles that hadn’t happened in Israel for many ages. But the problem with the Jewish people was when they made the exodus from Egypt and came to Mount Sinai. They didn’t truly open themselves and allow for the demonstrations of the Spirit. The demonstrated (manifested) presence of God didn’t cut their hearts. The things that would happen in the future when the love of God descended and the demonstration of the Spirit that would penetrate the hearts of thousands of Jewish men on Zion, didn’t happen to them. The only miracle that the Jewish men on Zion witnessed was many Galileans speaking in tongues. For many people that might have been as spluttering – because most people from Judea didn’t speak anything except Aramaic and ancient Hebrew. And so many people thought that the Galileans were full of new wine. Still, it was not about the miracle (yet it played its part) but about the penetrating work of the Holy Spirit and His love.

©Boris Grisenko, the senior rabbi of KJMC