Blessing Israeli Believers June 2019

A Special Shavuot/Pentecost Message - begins at sundown June 8th

Shalom Dear Blessing Israeli Believers Friends and Partners,

It is important to remember that the Feasts of the LORD in the Hebrew Scriptures find their fulfillment in Messiah Jesus and His people (Colossians 2:16,17). Just seven weeks ago we were celebrating our Passover Lamb Messiah Yeshua during three Biblical Feasts that take place in the same seven days of Springtime: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits. First Fruits takes place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and pictures the resurrection of Messiah Yeshua! (Leviticus 23:1-14, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

Now it is time to remember and celebrate what began in the Spring Feasts. The children of Israel were to count seven Sabbaths from First Fruits. Then came the second (or fulfillment of First Fruits) and if this is confusing to you please read until the end and you will be blessed! Your

identity is pictured in this special celebration! I will addresstwo identity fulfillments in this brief letter:

1) We who are born again are a kind of First Fruits!
2) The Two Loaves are One New Man In Messiah Jesus!

Messiah Jesus is not the Easter Bunny, He is the First Fruits of the resurrection!

"But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming." (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:17-18)

The children of Israel were to count fifty days from First Fruits and then commanded to do very specific things-one of which is very exciting for you and me!

" 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.'" (Leviticus 23:15-17)

Oh please see that the children of Israel were to have nothing to do with leaven during the Passover season. That is because Messiah Jesus is our sinless sacrifice for our sins! Also, it is because we are to be reminded to live a holy life in Messiah Jesus! (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) What great prophetic fulfillment we find in the two loaves with leaven that are to be waved before the LORD at the Second First Fruits also called the Feast of Weeks-Shavuot in Hebrew-better known in our New Covenant faith as Pentecost!

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

This great day of Pentecost birthed something that is beautiful and amazing and it involves the two loaves with leaven. Three thousand Jews and proselytes were saved on that day at Shavuot-but it was just the beginning. The same outpouring of the Holy Spirit living inside sinful (leavened) men and women was not limited to the Jewish people. Jews and Gentiles had been very distinct ~ Jews were those with the Law of Moses and Gentiles were without.

Yet remember what Peter and Paul said regarding the Gentiles coming into the same faith in Messiah Jesus. Peter went to the house of a Gentile and this man, along with his friends and family, experienced what the Jewish believers did at Pentecost. Peter had to defend his actions to his Jewish brethren. Then Paul coined a term for this new kind of faith community.

Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."(Acts 11:16-18)

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:13-16)

Now, because of Pentecost-the Feast of Weeks, believers in Messiah Yeshua are eternally alive-we are a kind of First Fruits proclaiming to the world that Jew and Gentile who receive Messiah Jesus as Savior and Lord will live forever with Him-because Jesus is alive forever-we are alive forever!

And the two loaves? Jew and Gentile, temporarily in sinful bodies yet forgiven for our sins are the two loaves with leaven-a wave offering before the LORD! We who are one new man in Messiah Yeshua are the two loaves!
Oh Hallelujah for His goodness and mercy!

And having said all that, we at Blessing Israeli Believers here in the Promised Land are so thankful for so many of the two loaves-one new man-in the nations who are standing with us prayerfully and financially. We pray for you by name on a regular basis and we thank you that you stand with us on a regular basis. Truly, we are bringing in the harvest here in Israel-Oh Hallelujah and Happy Shavuot/Pentecost!

Dov Schwarz, Co-Founder, Blessing Israeli Believers