Pentecost and the Whole House of Israel • What is Shavuot? | Shavuot and Jesus | The Lost Tribes

Pentecost and the Whole House of Israel • What is Shavuot? | Shavuot and Jesus | The Lost Tribes

This Bible teaching from Founded in Truth Fellowship, delivered by Matthew Vander Els, explores the deep connections between the Jewish festival of Shavuot and the Christian celebration of Pentecost. It delves into the historical context of Shavuot, its prophetic significance in the Old Testament, and its ultimate fulfillment in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2.

The Jewish Roots of Pentecost: Shavuot

The teaching begins by establishing that Pentecost, which occurred 50 days after Passover, is the Greek name for the Hebrew festival of Shavuot, meaning "weeks." Shavuot was one of the three major pilgrimage festivals in the Jewish religious calendar, alongside Passover and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). During these festivals, the Israelites were commanded to travel to Jerusalem and bring first fruit offerings to the Lord as a sign of gratitude for the harvest.

Deuteronomy chapter 16 describes these three pilgrimage festivals, highlighting that Shavuot took place in the summer and involved offering the first fruits of the wheat harvest. This festival was observed 50 days after the offering of the first barley harvest during Passover week, hence the name Pentecost, derived from the Greek word for fifty. The speaker emphasizes the significance of this offering, explaining that in an agrarian society, the harvest was essential for life, and a successful harvest was seen as a direct blessing from God. Bringing the first fruits was an act of thanksgiving for God's faithfulness in providing rain and sustenance. This practice is presented as the root of the modern tradition of tithing, where a portion of one's provision is given back as an expression of gratitude.

The celebration of Shavuot was a time of joy, dancing, and a sense of divine peace. Families would create beautiful baskets to carry their offerings to the temple in Jerusalem, highlighting the importance and celebratory nature of the event. The speaker suggests that modern society might have a harder time fully grasping the profound gratitude associated with these harvest festivals, given our less direct connection to agricultural cycles.

Prophetic Promises and the Kingdom of Israel

The teaching then shifts to the Old Testament prophecies concerning the future of Israel. After the reign of King Solomon, the unified kingdom of Israel split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. Both nations fell into idolatry and disobedience, leading to their eventual exile by the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. During this period of exile, prophets like Hosea, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Malachi arose, carrying messages of repentance and future hope.

The prophecies spoke of a time when God would regather the scattered Israelites and restore the kingdom under a shepherd king from the lineage of David. Ezekiel chapter 34 depicts God as the ultimate shepherd who would rectify the failures of the earthly kings and care for his people. Verse 23 of Ezekiel 34 specifically mentions that David would be the shepherd, raising the question of whether this refers to the historical David or a future descendant with divine authority. The speaker clarifies that the prophets often united human royalty with divine control, indicating a future king from David's line who would rule with God's authority.

Ezekiel chapter 37, with the vision of the valley of dry bones, further emphasizes the promise of restoration and resurrection for the defeated and scattered people of Israel. Verse 24 of Ezekiel 37 reiterates that a descendant of David would be king over them, uniting them under one shepherd and establishing an everlasting covenant of peace. These prophecies instilled hope in the exiled Judeans for a future return to t