Over 3000 years ago this day, the entire People of Israel stood at the foot of Mount Sinai and received the Torah. The Jewish People were the only ones to accept it willingly, declaring "We will do and then we shall listen".

Date in Hebrew calendar: 6th-7th of Sivan (May-June).
Scriptural references: Lev 23:16; Exodus 23:15-21; Acts Chapter 2.

Shavuot (or Shavuos (help·info), in Ashkenazi usage; Hebrew: שבועות‎, lit. "Weeks") is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to the entire Israelite nation assembled at Mount Sinai, although the association between the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah) and Shavuot is not explicit in the Biblical text. The holiday is one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three Biblical pilgrimage festivals. It marks the conclusion of the Counting of the Omer.

In the Bible, Shavuot is called the Festival of Weeks (Hebrew: חג השבועות, Ḥag ha-Shavuot, Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:10); Festival of Reaping (Hebrew: חג הקציר, Ḥag ha-Katsir, Exodus 23:16), and Day of the First Fruits (Hebrew יום הבכורים, Yom ha-Bikkurim, Numbers 28:26). The Mishnah and Talmud refer to Shavuot as Atzeret (Hebrew: עצרת, a solemn assembly), as it provides closure for the festival activities during and following the holiday of Passover. Since Shavuot occurs 50 days after Passover, Hellenistic Greeks gave it the name Pentecost (πεντηκόστη, "fiftieth day").

Here is a few basic facts about Shavuot:

Scripture #1: Shows the beginning point of the 50-day count, Leviticus 23:10-11. This is the day of offering Barley Firstfruits during Passover.

Scripture #2: The basic regulations for Shavuot, Leviticus 23:15-21. Count 49 days and on the 50th, it is Shavuot. This is the Firstfruits for wheat.

Scripture #3: Shavuot as one of the three pilgrim feasts, Deuteronomy 16:16.

Tradition #1: Shavuot is the day God gave the commandments from Sinai. This is based on Exodus 19:1 and following. Tradition says it was exactly on Shavuot.

Tradition #2: Reading the book of Ruth, which features grain harvest (mostly barley).

Tradition #3: Staying up all night on Shavuot Eve and reading scripture.

Tradition #4: Decorating with flowers and eating dairy dishes.

Later Development of the Holiday

Shavuot (Pentecost) traditionally has been seen in different ways. One is to see it as the concluding piece of the Passover (Pesach) season. The other is to see it as an independent festival.

Because Pentecost (Shavuot) celebrates the revelation of God at Mount Sinai, Pentecost (Shavout) would seem to be of a clearly independent nature. It is, after all, counted as one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Deuteronomy [Devarim] 16:16). Yet, beginning with the Targum (the Aramaic translation of the Scriptures from the second century), Pentecost (Shavuot) is referred to in the rabbinic tradition as Atzeret. The word atzeret in Hebrew means "conclusion." The word atzeret is used in the Bible with the festival Shemini Atzeret (Numbers [Bamidbar] 29:35) and seems to mean "remain with Me [God] another day." There is a sense, therefore, that atzeret is the final part or completion of a festival. Therefore, Shavuot (Pentecost) is seen as the conclusion to the Passover (Pesach) season.

One strong connection between Passover (Pesach) and Shavuot (Pentecost) is the counting of the omer serving as a chain that links the two festivals.

Spiritual Application (Halacha).

Because Shavuot (Pentecost) culminates with the counting of the omer for 50 days (which should be done the day following the weekly sabbath during Passover [Pesach]), Shavuot (Pentecost) is called the Atzeret or conclusion to Passover (Pesach).

Spiritually speaking (halacha), the believers in the Messiah Yeshua are on a journey out of Egypt (a type of the world’s system and its evil ways) in the wilderness (of life), awaiting our time to meet God face to face on Mount Sinai (Exodus [Shemot] 3:12).

There at Mount Sinai (spiritually), God will forever reveal Himself to us in a new and greater way. For all believers in our Rabbi Maran Yeshua, the Torah that was given at Mount Sinai represents the Word of God, the entire Bible. The believer in our Rabbi, Maran Yeshua spiritually experiences Shavuot (Pentecost) when the Holy Spirit of God (Ruach HaKodesh) reveals the Word of God to him in a deeper and more powerful way, and his understanding and desire for the Bible increases accordingly.

Chag Sameach- Shavuot