In the third month after the Jews left Egypt, they arrived in the Sinai desert and camped opposite Mount Sinai.  Moses was then told by God to gather the Israelites together to receive the Torah (Ex. 19:1-8).  The Israelites answered, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do!"  In Hebrew, it is Na'aseh V'Nishmah, which means, "we agree to do even before we have listened."

Moses then gave the Jews two days to cleanse themselves,wash their clothes, and prepare to receive the Torah on the third day.  At the same time, Moses told them not to come too near Mount Sinai.  From early morning, dense clouds covered the peak of the mountain.  Thunder and lightning were frequently heard and seen.  The sound of the shofar (ramÆs horn) came very strong, and the top of the mountain was enveloped in fire and smoke.  The Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai stood in great awe (Ex. 19:9-19).  Moses then went up alone on the mountain, and as he neared the top, a mighty voice announced the Ten Commandments (Ex. 19:20-25; 20:1-21).

Pentecost traditionally has been seen in different ways.  One is to see it as the concluding piece of the Passover season.  The other is to see it as an independent festival.  Because Pentecost celebrates the revelation of God at Mount Sinai, Pentecost would seem to be of a clearly independent nature.  It is counted as one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Deut. 16:16).  Yet, beginning with the Targum (the Aramaic translation of the Scriptures from the second century A.D.), Pentecost is referred to in the rabbinic tradition as Atzeret.  The Atzeret in Hebrew means "conclusion."  The word atzeret is used in the Bible with the festival Shemini Atzeret (Numb. 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, Pentecost is seen as the conclusion to the Passover season.  One strong connection between Passover and Pentecost is the counting of the omer serving as a chain that links the two festivals.  Because Pentecost ends with the counting of the Omer for 50 days, Pentecost is called the conclusion to Passover.  Spiritually speaking, the believers in Jesus 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 (Ex. 3:12). There at Mount Sinai (spiritually), God will forever reveal Himself to us in a new and greater way.  For all believers in Jesus, the Torah that was given at Mount Sinai represents the Word of God, the entire Bible.  The believer in Jesus spiritually experiences Pentecost when the Holy Spirit of God reveals the Word of God to him in a deeper and more powerful way, and his understanding and desire for the Bible increases accordingly.

NEW REVELATION

One theme of Pentecost is a new revelation of God's will (Lev. 23:15-16,21).  Two notable historical events happened on this day.

1.  The giving of the Ten Commandments or the Torah.  The Hebrew word Torah, commonly translated as "law" in English, does not mean "law", but "instruction or teaching" in the Hebrew language.  By understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word Torah, we can see that the Torah was never intended, nor should it ever be understood by non-Jewish people, to mean a code of do's and don'ts.  Rather, it should be seen as God's instruction and teaching to us so we can understand Him better.

Israel came to Mount Sinai on the third day of the third month (Ex. 19:1).  The Lord visited the people three days later (Ex. 19:10-17). Therefore, the Torah was given by God in the third month of the Biblical religious calendar, which is the month of Sivan, on the sixth day of this month.  This day is exactly 50 days from the crossing of the Red Sea.  Pentecost is called the season of the giving of the Torah in Hebrew because this is the literal day that God revealed Himself to the people of Israel as they stood at the base of Mount Sinai.

2.  The giving of the Holy Spirit by God.  Jesus was resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits, as was seen in the previous study.  Fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the hearts and lives of all the believers in Jesus (Acts 1:8; 2:1-18; Luke 24:49; Joel 2:28-29; Ex.19:16; Isa. 44:3; Deut. 16:5-6,16; 2 Kings 21:4)

PENTECOST AS A MARRIAGE:  A BETROTHAL CONTRACT

One of the most beautiful images of Pentecost is that of the marriage between God (the groom) and Israel (the bride).<

In the biblical wedding service that gave (Rom. 9:4; Heb. 9:1; 1 Chron. 28:11-12), marriage consisted of two stages.  The first stage is betrothal, called erusin in Hebrew.  You enter this first stage of marriage as soon as a betrothal contract is made between the two parties.  The written contract is called a ketubah.  During betrothal, you are legally married, but do no physically dwell with your mate.  Betrothal is so legally binding that you cannot get out of it without a divorce, called a "get" in Hebrew.

In fact, by understanding the Hebrew language, we can see how betrothal is legally binding.  To God, Hebrew is the pure language (Zephaniah 3:9), and Hebrew will allow us to understand deeper spiritual truths, in the Bible that would be more difficult to understand otherwise.  The word for betrothal in Hebrew, erusin, comes from the Hebrew verb aras.  Aras is related to the Hebrew word asar, which means "to bind."  By this, we can see that the Hebrew language communicates to us that betrothal is legally binding.<

Messianic Fulfillment.  In the New Testament, we can see that Joseph was betrothed to Mary when the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would have a son named Jesus, by the Holy Spirit of God, who would be the Messiah (Luke 1:26-35).  When Joseph discovered that his betrothed (espoused) wife Mary was pregnant, he decided to get a divorce until the angel of the Lord changed his mind by appearing to him in a dream (Matt. 1:18-20).

Betrothal is mentioned in the Torah in (Ex. 21:8; Lev. 19:20; Deut. 20:7; 22:23).  The second stage of marriage is the fullness or consummation of the marriage.  This stage of marriage is called nesu-in.

In Jeremiah 2:2-3 we are told that at Mount Sinai, God betrothed Himself to Israel.

In Ex. 19, when God by the leading of Moses brought the children of Israel to Mount Sinai, God betrothed Himself to Israel.  On Mount Sinai, God gave the Torah to Israel (Ex. 20:1-21).  At this time, God was making a betrothal contract, a ketubah, with Israel.  The ketubah (or written betrothal contract, which is understood to be the Torah) represents "The book of the covenant" (marriage is a covenant) that Moses wrote prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:4,7).  The Book of the Covenant spelled out mutual obligations of God and Israel just as the ketubah spelled out the obligations between husband and wife.  So, God made a marriage contract with Israel in (Ex. 19:3-7).

In (Ex. 19:8), Israel accepts God's marriage proposal.  Israel answered in (Ex. 19:8), "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do" (we agree to do even before we have listened).

In (Ex. 19:2), Israel camped before the Lord.  The word camp in Hebrew is chanah and in this case is singular, while Israel is plural.  By this we can see that at that time all Israel had become one.  This is also a necessary requirement for marriage (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31).

The biblical wedding ceremony that God gave requires that the marriage be consummated under a wedding canopy know as a chupah.  In (Ex.19:17), Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to God and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  The word "nether" in Hebrew actually implies that the people stood underneath the mountain.  This imagery gives the understanding that the mountain had become a chupah and Israel was standing underneath the mountain or under the chupah, the place where the wedding takes place.

Every wedding will have two witnesses.  They are called the friends of the bridegroom.  One is assigned to the groom and one is assigned to the bride.  In (Ex. 19:17), Moses is seen as one of the two witnesses whose job is to escort the bride to meet the groom under the chupah (Mount Sinai). In order for the ketubah, the written contract between the husband and the wife, to be legal in consummating the marriage, it must be signed by the two witnesses, the friends of the bridegroom. Since we an see that Moses was one of the two witnesses, he had to sign the ketubah (Torah) in order for the full marriage between God and Israel to be consummated.

However, when Moses returned from being with God on Mount Sinai, he did not sign the ketubah(Torah).  Instead he broke the two tablets (ketubah), which were in his right hand (Ex. 32:19), thus not signing the ketubah which God had made with Israel.  Therefore, he did not allow Israel to enter into the full marriage.  Moses broke the two tablets when he saw that Israel was worshipping the golden calf and thus were being unfaithful in their marriage.

Spiritual Understanding.  What does the wedding mean in terms of Jesus, and what is the personal application to us?  Jesus is the groom and the believers in Jesus are the bride.  When Jesus came to the earth almost 2,000 years ago, He came so that whosoever would put their trust and confidence in Him would be wedded to Him forever.  This would include both Jews and non-Jews (John 3:16). Because Jesus came as the suffering Messiah, Messiah ben Joseph, during His first coming, He ascended to Heaven to be with god the Father until He returns during His second coming to be the King Messiah, Messiah ben David.  Today, Jesus does not physically dwell with those who trust in Him.  Therefore, the believers in Jesus are currently spiritually betrothed to Him.  We will enter the full marriage and physically dwell with Him during the Messianic age known as the Millennium. However, before we can physically dwell with the Messiah during the Messianic age on earth, the wedding ceremony when the believers in Jesus will be wedded to Him must take place.  This will take place at the beginning of the tribulation period know in Hebrew as the Chevlai shel Mashiach, the birthpangs of the Messiah.

In the biblical wedding service that God gave, after you are married, you have a honeymoon.  The honeymoon lasts a week and is known as the seven days of the chupah.  Seven days equals a week. In Hebrew, a week means a seven.  It can mean seven days or seven years (Dan. 9:24-27; Gen 29:27).  In Joel 2:16, we see the marriage of the bride (the believers in Jesus) and the bridegroom (Jesus) where the bridegroom is going forth from the chamber and bride out of her closet.  The word closet is the Hebrew word chupah, and the chupah here refers to Heaven where the previously raptured believers in Jesus have been enjoying a seven year honeymoon with Him while the earth was experiencing the tribulation.  After the seven year honeymoon, Jesus will be returning with His bride to attend the marriage supper (Rev. 19:7-14).  Then we will rule and reign with Him physically during the Messianic age known as the Millennium (Rev. 20:4).

               THE POURING OUT OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT

In (Ex. 19:19), a trumpet (shofar) was sounded.  The trumpet (shofar) that was sounded grew louder and louder.  (Ex. 19:19) says, "...and God answered him with thunder"  (Ex. 20:18) says, "And all the people perceived the thunder..."

In the book The Midrash Says, by Rabbi Moshe Weissman, the author wrote:

"In the occasion of Matan Torah [the giving of the Torah], the children of Israel not only heard the Lord's Voice but actually saw the sound waves as they emerged from the Lord's mouth.  They visualized them as a fiery substance.  Each commandment that left the Lord's mouth traveled around the entire camp and then to each Jew individually, asking him, "Do you accept upon yourself the Commandment with all the Jewish law pertaining to it?" Every Jew answered "Yes" after each commandment.  Finally, the fiery substance which they saw engraved itself on the tablets".

Messianic Fulfillment.  This same experience we just discussed that happened at Mount Sinai also occurred 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus on the day of Pentecost almost 2,000 years ago. This experience is also described in (Acts 2:1-11) and (Heb. 12:18-19).  In describing what happened in (Ex. 20:18, Heb. 12:18-19) says, "And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words..." the word "words" in (Hebrews 12:19) is the Greek word rhema, which means "an individual word."  In this passage in Hebrews, we can see the same thing that Rabbi Moshe Weissman understood happened at Mount Sinai in the first Pentecost in his commentary is exactly what did happen as seen in (Heb. 12:19). It is also what happened during the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Jesus.  At this Pentecost, the people also were as one (Acts 2:1-2; Ex. 19:2).

THE FIRST TRUMP (SHOFAR) OF GOD

One again in (Ex. 19:19), a trumpet (shofar) was sounded.  This trumpet (shofar) grew louder and louder.  The Jewish writings understand this to be the first trump (shofar) of God.  The trumpet blown by God at Mount Sinai was understood to be the first of the two ram's horns that were present on Mount Moriah during Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac in (Gen. 22).

The Jewish people understood that there are three primary trumpets (shofarim) that mark major events in the redemptive plan of God.  These three trumpets are known as the first trump, the last trump, and the great trumpet.  (Gen. 22)is one of the most important Torah readings to the Jewish people.  In some Jewish circles, it is read every day of the week except for the Sabbath.  It is also the primary Torah reading for Rosh HaShanah. The theme of the chapter includes the binding of Isaac on the altar, know in Hebrew as the Akeidah, in addition to the phrase "to be seen."  The key verse concerning the phrase "to be seen" is (Gen. 22:14), as it is written, "And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-Jireh [the Lord will see or provide]:  as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen."  (Gen. 22:4) says, "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off."

Messianic Fulfillment.  Jesus referred to this event which happened to Abraham, in (John 8:56), as it is written, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day:  and he saw it, and was glad."  What did Abraham see?  What took place on Mount Moriah?  Abraham was instructed by God to take Isaac to Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there (Gen. 22:20).  The first and second temples were built in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah (2 Chron. 3:1).  It was in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where Jesus was crucified on the tree.  Calvary (Golgotha) was located on Mount Moriah.  Abraham in (Gen. 22:4) was looking into the future and seeing that God was going to offer up the Messiah to be slain on Mount Moriah at a future time.

God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and offer him as a burnt offering, known in Hebrew as an olah.  This is mentioned in (Gen. 22:2-3,6,8,13). A burnt offering (olah) is an offering that is totally consumed.  It is freely given and done freely, willingly, and joyfully by both parties involved.  The Bible tells us that God freely offered up Jesus joyfully and Jesus was willing and obedient to His death on the tree (Phil. 2:8).  In (Isa. 53:10), it says that it pleased God to offer up Jesus.

When Abraham offered up Isaac, Abraham believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead (Heb. 11:17-19).  Abraham went willingly, joyfully, obediently because he believed God would raise Isaac from the dead.  We can see that Abraham was a type and picture of God the Father, and Isaac was a type and picture of Jesus.  In (Gen. 22:8), Abraham said t Isaac that God would provide a lamb; Jesus was the lamb that God offered to us (John 1:29).

Relating to the story in (Genesis 22), the left horn of the ram that was caught in the thicket (Gen. 22:13) is called the first trump (shofar) and the right horn of the ram is called the last trump(shofar).

The three great trumpets that mark major events in the redemptive plan of God are associated with days in the biblical calendar.  The first trump is associated with and was blown by God on the Feast of Pentecost when God gave the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:19).

The last trump is associated with and is blown on Rosh HaShanah.  The biblical name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom Teruah, which in Hebrew means "the day of the awakening blast."  This trump is mentioned by the apostle Paul in (1 Cor. 15:51-53). Because the last trump is only blown on Rosh HaShanah and because the apostle Paul specifically mentions that the rapture of the believers in Jesus will take place at the last trump, the apostle Paul was giving a clear understanding that the rapture of the believers in Jesus will happen on a future Rosh HaShanah.

The great trump is associated with and is blown on Yom Kippur.  Jesus said that He would return at His second coming at the sound of the great trump (Matt. 24:30-31).  Because the great trump is only blown on Yom Kippur and because Jesus said that He would return with the sound of a great trump, Jesus was stating very clearly that He would return on a future Yom Kippur.  Thus, the first and last trump will relate to the ram's horn in (Gen. 22).  The first trump will be the left horn of the ram and the last trump will be the right horn of the ram.  In (Ex. 19:19), the trumpet that was blown by God would be the first trump. (Cont'd on next page)