Shavuot – Weeks, Pentecost
Exodus 19:1 – 20:26; Leviticus 23:15-21; Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17
Ezekiel 1:1-28; 3:12
Acts 2:1-12; 37-41
Whether you believe he’s controlled opposition or a true-blue patriot, Tucker Carlson has encouraged millions to speak the truth, even when strongly opposed by the powers that be. Tucker testifies that speaking the truth only makes him stronger, a more powerful soul to be reckoned with, every time he proclaims the truth in the face of mainstream lies and fake news.
No worry, this article is not about politics, it’s not even so much about testifying the truth, it’s about a characteristic of our Elohim that we can experience that’s even more empowering and more fruitful than speaking truth. What is the more empowering characteristic of our Messiah that we can put on and experience for ourselves?
The Power to Witness by the Spirit
After His ascension and before Shavuot, Yeshua promised His disciples a gift of empowerment for them. Yeshua told His disciples to keep the Torah by sending His men to Jerusalem for one of the three aliyah (ascension) festivals. Hear His words:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” Acts 1:8
The disciples would receive power to witness, to be in Hebrew – ‘ahd’ (Strongs #5707) spelled ‘ayin dalet.’ The two letters picture an eye looking through an open door to ‘see the door,’ to witness an event, such as people gathering together for a festival of YHWH.
The Hebrew word ‘mo’ed’ is in the family of the word ‘ahd,’ a two-letter root. Mo’ed means a festival or an appointed, fixed time (Strongs #4150).
In Paleo Hebrew, mo’ed means – what comes from, what is reproduced and what is established or fixed in time, as an event that the eye sees the door opening repeatedly. Think about a festival gathering.
The Power of Love
What would the disciples experience that many would see at the appointed time, the day of Shavuot? People from many nations of the world would witness something not new, but renewed and more powerful and prevalent than what Moses, Joshua and 70 elders witnessed on the day when the Spirit came down on them:
So Moses went out and told the people the words of YHWH. And he gathered 70 of the elders of the people and had them stand around the Tent. YHWH descended in the cloud and spoke with him. He took some of the Spirit that was on him and placed it on each of the 70 elders. It so happened that they prophesied when the Spirit first rested on them- but never again. Numbers 11:24
The number 70 in the Torah has to do with the number of nations in the world. When Jacob went down with 70 souls from Canaan to Egypt, he and his family were leaving the Land and entering the empire of the known world. During the 7 days of Sukkot, a total of 70 bullocks were commanded to be sacrificed (Numbers 29:12-32), one sacrifice bullock for each of the nations coming to the feast. Redeemed representatives of all 70 nations is a common thread between these accounts in the Torah and the Book of Acts.
Yeshua offers His Spirit to whosoever believes on Him, regardless of what nation he comes from; His blood was shed for all 70 nations, the whole world. What else can we learn about receiving the gift of the Spirit from this foundational account in the Torah?
Two men, however, had remained in the camp. The name of one was ‘Eldad’ and the name of the other was ‘Medad.’ The Ruach rested on them. They were among those listed, but they had not gone out to the Tent. So they prophesied in the camp. A young man ran and told Moses and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!” Numbers 11:26-27
The name ‘Eldad’ means in Hebrew – ‘God has loved.’ God has loved us so much that He not only sent His only begotten Son to die for us, He sent the gift of His Spirit to empower us to be more like the Messiah. This name is connected to the next by love:
‘Medad’ means ‘loving or affectionate.’ This second name establishes the love connection to the giving of the Holy Spirit to Yah’s people to be loving and affectionate.
Written twice, both names emphasize the gift of the Spirit to be characterized by His love inside and out through us. The kind of prophet Abba raises up is one walking in love.
Opposition to the Manifestation of the Spirit
But receiving and manifesting the gift of the Spirit will result in opposition, even from the religious among us. What was Joshua thinking when he told Moses to stop them?
Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses since his youth, cried out and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” Numbers 11:28
Others, poking fun, were saying, “They are full of sweet new wine!”
Acts 2:13
Somebody, even the most religious among us, can be oppositional and will try to stop the common people from speaking by the Spirit, belittling such manifestations. This kind of opposition can hinder those who would want to operate in the gift of the Spirit.
But as Paul warned us:
“Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.”
1 Thessalonians 5:19-20
But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous on my behalf? If only YHWH would make all the people prophets! If only YHWH would put the Spirit on all of them!” Numbers 11:29
Both Paul and Moses make it clear that YHWH wants all of His people speaking by the utterances of His Spirit, not just a select few in positions of religious authority.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:3-4
The will of YHWH to put His Spirit on every one of was met on His mo’ed, His appointed time, to be witnessed by all the nations. His will was obviously not just for Moses day, but for all generations to come. Peter proclaimed that promise, when he called souls being born again to come and be baptized in the Name of the Messiah Yeshua:
Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the Name of Messiah Yeshua for the removal of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Ruach ha-Kodesh. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away – as many as YHWH our God calls to Himself.”
Acts 2:38-39, TLV
The promise to be clothed with power from on high was not just for the disciples on that day, but for all people whom YHWH calls from all the nations. YHWH is not partial.
The Purpose for the Power
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
Acts 1:8a
To the Ephesians, Paul expounded on what the purpose of the power is that YHWH grants to His people, to every family on earth:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father – from Him every family in heaven and on earth receives its name. I pray that from His glorious riches He would grant you to be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Ruach (Spirit). Ephesians 3:14-16, TLV
Paul’s prayer was that Abba would empower His people by the Ruach (Spirit). This is for the same purpose that Yeshua sent His disciples to Jerusalem for – to be clothed with power from on high.
What is the purpose for the power? To strengthen us to accomplish what for Him?
So that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to grasp with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled up with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19
The purpose for inner power is to root us and ground us in His love. That’s what the Torah and the commandments do for those empowered by the Spirit: root us and ground is in the love we’re all commanded to give. Abba wants believers to have the capacity of heart and soul to begin to fathom and to know by experience how great His love truly is.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Messiah Yeshua to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Paul proclaims that the power He gives is only from the supernatural power of the Spirit. If YHWH were just to empower the flesh or the mind to do His will, He would not be able to do for us ‘far more abundantly beyond that we ask or think.’ I think you would all agree, that’s the kind of power we need to be overcomers, not merely survivors, making it through the soon-coming, great tribulation. We need His power to endure to the end.
Love is the purpose for the spiritual gifts, to show the mercy and compassion of the Messiah upon the sick to be healed, the addicts to be set free, the downtrodden to be lifted up, etc. He empowers with words of prophecy, gifts of knowledge and wisdom to encourage, to empower and instruct by His great love. Empowered to love like Him is what we need in our homes and at mo’edim, the appointed times to gather in His Name.
The Source of the Power
Now read from the haftorah portion for Shavuot for the Source of the power of the Spirit:
I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. Ezekiel 1:24-27
Could this be the sound and sights that the disciples heard and saw at the temple as recorded in Acts 2? Dr. Joe Dombeck has a fabulous teaching on how the disciples saw an open view of the Throne Room. It was at that appointed time that they received the gift of the Holy Spirit with tongues of fire along with the sound of a mighty, rushing wind.
Wings produce rushing winds, as heard in Ezekiel’s vision. The voice from Abba also sounded like an army camp going to war. An army is the most powerful force of a nation. As warriors in the army, each of us need the power of the Almighty to overcome in the battles that we are dealing with now and in battles we’ll face in the near future.
All of us need to submit to the reign and dominion of the Messiah above our heads. The ‘appearance of a man’ could be none other than the Son of Man, the Messiah Yeshua. From His radiance and splendor, He sends downward ‘something like fire.’
That is exactly what the disciples experienced on Shavuot – tongues of fire from the Messiah. David described the anointing oil coming down from the head, the Head of our great High Priest:
It is like the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. Psalms 133:2
Oil has a purpose and a function for a high priest – to burn in the menorah. Then when lamps are lit up as His empowered people on the branches of the menorah, the anointing oil feeds the fires that produce ‘a radiance around Him.’ (Ezekiel 1:27b)
How do we shine for Yeshua? What foremost should the nations see radiating from us?
The answer is in the purpose for empowerment – to be ‘rooted and grounded in love’ and to ‘know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge.’ (Ephesians 3:17,19) To show the world His great love with a greater capacity and with more power to love is the primary purpose for the power of Pentecost.
That others may know the love of Messiah,
David Klug