Shavout (a.k.a. Pentecost), Biblically referred to as the Feast of Weeks (Exo 34:22; Num 28:26; Deu 16:1-16; 2 Chr 8:13) is the Feast of the First Fruits of the wheat harvest. This is seven weeks from Pesach, the Passover (Deu 16:9). This year Shavuot falls on 14-16 May 2013 (6-7 Sivan). Most churches in Singapore celebrates Pentecost Sunday on 19 May 2013.
The church celebrates Pentecost in memory of Acts 2 which marks the day in which the Holy Spirit was poured out to the believers who were waiting in the upper room, empowering them in the fulfilling the Great Commandment given by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the fulfulment of the prophecy of Joel:
‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams;
Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,
I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit
And they shall prophesy.
‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
‘The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
– Acts 2:17-21 quoting Joel 2:28-32 (NASB)
The Jews, on the day of Shavuot, also commemorates that giving of the Ten Commandments by God to Moses for the nation of Israel. Although it is not specifically recorded in the Bible that this pivotal event happened on Shavuot, the strict oral tradition of the Jews, especially for such a significant historical event, can be reasonably considered as accurate. The giving of the Law represents that of the Word. God gave the Ten Commandments and the Law (Exo 19-20) on Shavuot.
In the Old Testament, the Word was given on Shavuot. In the New Testament, the Spirit was given on this same day. We as the church now has both the Word and the Spirit because of these two events.
This year during passover, I was impressed that 2013’s Pentecost is important as God will open up the heavens and pour out his anointing for the new season of growth for his church in greater measure.
Last Sunday, as I led worship in church remembering Shavuot, we indeed experienced a fresh outpouring and the presence of God weighed heavy in our midst. Thus I will like to humbly encourage you to also take time to come before God to ask Him to pour His Spirit afresh on you again for the next season! Grab hold of this window of open heavens and receive the fresh empowering!
