Unless I'm missing something, the Feast of Weeks (like Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits) has been fulfilled---to the letter, and on the very day of its mandate in 33 AD. The Spirit's "empowerment" described in Acts 2 is all there is to it, and I should think that's plenty significant enough. It's doubly important, however, that it marks the birth of the ekklesia as an entity distinct from Israel (though it was initially populated entirely by Israelites). The significance lies in the fact that it's one of two book-ends to the "church age." The other, of course, if the very next miqra, the Feast of Trumpets, after which Yahweh will once again deal with Israel as a nation---a la Daniel 9, the last of the 70 weeks.

kp

Hi, Robski. Yes, each of these things is symbolic of one facet or another of Yahweh's plan for our salvation. The symbols recur over and over again throught the Torah, and I've covered them in detail in The Owner's Manual. A brief summary is provided in Mitzvot #471 of what the most common sacrificial elements represent (actually, all of chapter 12 is important background information):

1. Lambs (unblemished, usually a year old, male)--symbolic of the Messiah, Yahshua, the "Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

2. Bulls--a metaphor for human power and pride leading to false doctrine, teaching, and worship.

3. Goats--symbolic of sin, missing the mark set by Yahweh.

4. Rams (male adult sheep with horns)--to atone for sin. Like lambs, rams must be unblemished, for they are symbolic of Christ.

5. Grain (fine flour, with no chaff or bran)--indicative of Yahweh’s provision for our temporal needs through our separation from the world.

6. Unleavened bread or wafers--Bread (usually fine wheat flour) baked without leaven or yeast (so it would be flat, like pita bread). The deletion of leaven symbolizes the absence of sin, and bread is reminiscent of the body of Yahshua (John 6:35).

7. Oil (i.e., olive oil, usually mixed with the fine flour)--symbolic of the Holy Spirit: the source of light, available only through the crushing of the olive, again a picture of the Messiah’s sacrifice. (see Zechariah 4:1-6)

8. Frankincense--a symbol of the attainment of purity through sacrifice.

9. Drink offerings (libations of wine, poured out upon the ground)--predictive of the blood of Christ that would be shed for our sins.

So comparing this listing with the Leviticus 23 passage, we see how most of them are present at the Feast of Weeks...

"From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain (#5) to Yahweh. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast (a twist on #6---yeast is included: it's "come as you are"), as a wave offering of firstfruits to Yahweh. Present with this bread seven male lambs (#1), each a year old and without defect, one young bull (#2) and two rams (#3). They will be a burnt offering to Yahweh, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings (#9)—an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to Yahweh. Then sacrifice one male goat (#4) for a sin offering and two lambs (#1), each a year old, for a fellowship offering. The priest is to wave the two lambs before Yahweh as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to Yahweh for the priest. On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live."

The only things "missing" from the list really aren't: the oil (#7) was to be a part of every grain offering (minha), and the frankinsense (#8) was to be added to the portion of the grain offering that was burned upon the altar. Another noteworthy symbol of the day is the Sabbath rest (even though the day had to fall upon a sunday, being the day after the seventh Sabbath from the Feast of Unleavened Bread). So the Feast of Weeks (the "Church Age") is pretty much the whole picture.

kp

Shalom All,

Imagery, shadows of things to come, symbols, etc. should now be familiar to those following this site by now. So the next question shall be, "Wazzup for Tabernacles? Bali, anyone"