Feast of Weeks Calculated Date for 2018 & 2020

In the treatise entitled, Feast of Weeks, the point was made that if the fifteenth
day of Nisan fell on any other day than the seventh day Sabbath, the correct
calculation of the fiftieth day, Pentecost, could not be made according to the
prescribed manner in Lev. 23. We have been told that Hebrews have calculated
the fifty days in association with the day that ends the feast week, for that day is
also a sabbath, Lev. 23:6-8. This method is based upon the premise that Lev. 23
is laid our sequentially, meaning, because verses 9-21 follow the directive of the
feast week in verses 4-8, the correct method of counting is also sequential to the
lay out of Scripture. We do not fault those who have adopted this view. It is a
logical one as man would reason upon the Word of God. However, we must
declare that this method fails of what the fulfillment of the texts in verses 9-11
manifests.
When God spoke to Abram in Gen. 12, it was not until after Abram entered the
land of Canaan (vs 5) that the promise of land being given to his seed was made,
verse 7. After Lot separated from Abram, God told Abram to look in the direction
of the four cardinal points, and then He said, “for all the land which thou seest, to
thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever,” Gen. 13:15. This promise was
reiterated to Isaac and to Jacob as time passed. In Acts 7:5 Stephen declared,
“And he (Jehovah) gave him (Abraham) none inheritance in it (the land), no, not
so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he (Jehovah) would give it to
him (Abraham) for a possession, and to his seed after him.” Thus, when Joshua
led the nation of Israel into the land of Canaan it was in fulfillment of this
promise, but that was also the groundwork upon which other features of God’s
promises could be fulfilled.
Notice that in Lev. 23:10 it reads, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say
unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap
the harvest thereof….” This clearly manifests that only after they entered the
land could there be subsequent activity to bring to an ultimate conclusion what
God had promised to Abram (Abraham), “and in thy seed shall all the nations of
the earth be blessed,” Gen. 22:18. Notice too, that this concept was a repeat of
what God did to Abram in Ur: leave the land of your nativity, go to the land I
show you. After he entered Canaan, then the promise was given, Gen. 12:1-7.
What follows in verse Lev. 23:10 is, “...and shall reap the harvest thereof, then
ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: (11) and
he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow
after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
When we turn to Deu. 18:9, we read, “When thou art come into the land which
the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations
of those nations.” Following down through the context we learn what Moses told
them not to do, and he concluded that section by saying, (vs 14) “For these
nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto
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diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered (permitted) thee so
to do.” Note what follows in the next section, (vs 18) “I will raise them up a
Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his
mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall
come to pass, whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in
my name, I will require of him.” This refers to Israel’s Messiah. Note further that
section two, the promise of a Prophet, is tied to section one through the word
“hearken” which is applicable only after they entered the land.
Why is this important? In Lev. 23 the same concept is employed as that of Deu
18: after ye enter the land, information about the Messiah will follow. Therefore,
when we examine Lev. 23, we should also be looking for information about a
Messiah that would be communicated. And such we find!
“When ye come into the land...and reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a
sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest.” In Isa. 53:8 we read, “He
was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation?
for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people
was he stricken.” How does one reap grain in harvest? They cut it off, the grain
along with the stalk. And where was the grain when they harvested it? In the
field. Thus, thanks to the KJV, we have a very nice comparison of phraseology.
The grain was cut off out of the land, and so was the servant in Isa. 53.
In Lev. 23:10 specific mention was made about bringing a sheaf to the priest and
not a handful. Is this important? Absolutely! In Gen. 37:7 we read, “For,
behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also
stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance
to my sheaf.” The first thing we see here is the fact that the sheaves were in the
field. Was not that what we read in Lev. 23:10, “and shall reap the harvest
thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf…?” The second thing we notice is, a sheaf
held prominence over other sheaves. Is this not what we read in Lev. 23:10,
“...bring a sheaf of the firstfruits?” The term firstfruit(s) not only denotes after
fruit, more coming later, but also a prominence over the rest- it is first! The next
thing we see is, the sheaf “arose.” Is not that which we will read in verse 11,
“and he (the priest) shall wave the sheaf before the LORD?” Waving, according
to Strong’s (H5130) means “vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro.” (This
waving points to Yeshua’s resurrection inasmuch as His resurrection occurred on
the equivalence of the day the sheaf was waved.)
Thus far we have seen testimony from Scripture that, 1) Lev. 23 points in some
manner to the Messiah, same as did Deu. 18; 2) the fact that the sheaf was cut
off out of the land points manifestly to Isaiah’s prophecy of a suffering servant;
3) Lev. 23:9-11 is an amazing parallel of Joseph’s dream of the sheaves, wherein
one held prominence over others. Now, let’s go to the New Testament and read
from the Book of Luke. This is the account of the two disciples walking towards
Emmaus after our Lord’s resurrection earlier that same day. We read in 24:25-
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27, “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to
enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses (which includes Genesis and
Leviticus) and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the
things concerning himself.” How telling this is! The Messiah suffered first
(reaped from the field- death) followed by waving (resurrection) and standing
upright (glory) while others bow before Him. We read in Phil. 2:9,10, “Wherefore
(because he had been “reaped”) God also hath highly exalted him and given him
a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus (Yeshua) every
knee should bow...”
Therefore, what we see in Lev. 23:9-11 is the prophetic testimony of the death
and resurrection of Yeshua, Jesus. Because of this, we can now proceed to
properly calculate the fiftieth day.
When we read in the New Testament about the death of Jesus, it becomes
apparent that our Lord fulfilled the prophetic forecast of Him from the Old
Testament. One of those forecasts, prophecies, was that He should die as the
Passover Lamb. In Mat. 27:46 we read, “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried
with a loud voice...” Following the context down to verse 50, we read, “Jesus,
when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the spirit.” Note that
these two cries are also a fulfillment of the trumpets sounding in Num 10:10.
Because the trumpets sound over the burnt offerings on the first day of Feast of
Unleavened Bread; and because Jesus was a High Priest, not after Aaron, but of
Melchisedek, Heb 5:5,6; and because Jesus could not sound the trumpet over the
burnt offering, which represented him, because he would be in the grave; he
sounded prior to the beginning of the feast day, while he was still alive. See
treatise entitled, Numbers 10- The Silver Trumpets.
From Num 28:19 we learn that the burnt offering was two bullocks, one ram and
seven lambs for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, vss 17,18. From
Num 28:26-31 we learn that the yearly observance of the Feast of Weeks entailed
two young bullocks, one ram and seven lambs for the burnt offering. This is the
same as for the Feast of UB. Now, when we compare this with Lev 23, we find in
verses 17-21 that the burnt offering was one bullock, two rams, and seven
lambs. This first Feast of Weeks celebration differed from the other yearly
observances that would follow. Why?
The Passover sacrifice prefigured the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world, John 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7. That sacrifice required a perfect life for a perfect
life, thus two bullocks were offered; one to represent Adam and the other to
represent Yeshua who would replace Adam in death so that Adam could be raised
out of death at a later time. There had to be “someone” in the death state for
Adam’s sin, which punishment never ended. In Lev 23, the requirements of the
Feast of Weeks specifically stem from Yeshua’s sacrifice. The feast itself
commemorates the Church, whose existence is predicated upon the sacrifice of
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Yeshua and the waving of the sheaf. That first feast, officially fulfilled at
Pentecost in 33 A.D. with the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the waiting disciples of
Yeshua, was not hinged upon Adam’s death specifically, but by Yeshua’s death,
thus one bullock was offered. The second ram, a ram of consecration, tells us the
Church also made a vow of consecration as did our Lord. Jesus asked James and
John, “Are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink of and to be baptized with the
baptism that I am baptized with?” They answered, “We are able.” See Mat
20:22. Note that Jesus laid out two provisions or stipulations, represented by the
two rams.
Now, for the yearly observance, the requirement was two bullocks and one ram.
Thus, annually, the Church recognizes the fact that Jesus died as a ransom for
Adam, two bullocks, the bread of the memorial service; and that the Church
continues to be dead with Christ, their singular vow, thus the one ram, the cup of
the memorial service, Mat 26:26-28.
This, the slaying of the Passover Lamb, was on the fourteenth day of Nisan, at
the time of the evening sacrifice, 3:00 P.M. as we would say it today. Verse 62
speaks of the next day, which was a seventh day Sabbath, and it was also the
first day of the feast which was also a sabbath. Thus that sabbath day was a
double sabbath. This is attested to by Luke 23:56 and Luke 24:1. We read, “And
they (the women from verse 55) returned, and prepared spices and ointments;
and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Now upon the first
of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre...” It
should be pointed out: because the fifteenth day was the sabbath, as well as the
seventh day sabbath, the phrase, “Now upon the first of the week” cannot refer
to the first day of the feast week, because that was a sabbath day, and they
rested on that day. Thus, the first day of the week must refer to the sixteenth
day of Nisan, which would have been the second day of the feast.
Because of this fulfillment, not only as to events, but also as to which dates of the
calendar fell upon which days of the week, we see the pattern that is established
for us. It is this: The fourteenth of Nisan must fall on the day before a seventh
day Sabbath, so that the fifteenth day of the feast week will fall also upon the
seventh day Sabbath, which makes the sixteenth day of Nisan fall upon the first
day of the week. Here is why that is important.
In Lev. 23:15,16 we read, “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after
the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven
sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath
shall ye number fifty days...” The phrase, “Seven sabbaths shall be complete,”
means that the whole of the seven days must be included to count the sabbath,
the seventh day.
Looking at the following diagram, if the 15th day is the first day of the week, the
remainder of that week must be discarded from the counting, because it is not
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“complete.” Additionally, again if the 15th day is the first day of the week, then
when we keep the command, “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after
the sabbath,” we can only count the remaining six days, because the fifteenth
day is a sabbath. Each of the two foregoing falls short of the requirements: the
first instance, because the week is not complete, and the second instance,
because we are one day short of seven. So we see then, the only way to
correctly arrive at the proper date for the Feast of Weeks, the day of
Shavuot/Pentecost, is accomplished when the seventh day Sabbath and the
fifteenth day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, are on the same
day.
6 (7 7 7 7 7 7 7 1) = 50
15th ?
1 - 7 1 - 7 1 - 7 1 - 7 1 - 7 1 - 7 1 – 7 1 - 7 1
S S S S S S S S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Did not our Lord Jesus say unto his disciples in John 15:5, “...for without me, ye
can do nothing?” How very true that statement is in this instance. Without a
recognition of who is pointed to in Lev. 23:9-11, and without that individuals’
testimony, as given to us at His death and resurrection, we cannot accurately,
year by year, calculate the Feast of Weeks.
It should be noticed, that for the fourteenth day to fall on the day before a
seventh day sabbath, Hebrew time, in the month of Nisan, year after year, it will
require, from time to time, to 1) adjust the calendar days to make it work, 2)
adjust what day is defined as the seventh day Sabbath, 3) or “reckon” the
fifteenth day as a Seventh day sabbath for the purpose of establishing the Day of
Pentecost. Because the 14th of Nisan is synchronized by the phase of the moon
and according to the harvest of barley, to get ripe grains as firstfruits, the 14th
day may fall within the middle of the week, or anywhere else other than the day
before the seventh day Sabbath. That cannot change. The 14th day cannot be
“moved” to precede the Sabbath, because that would interfere with moon phase
and harvest readiness. The second option of adjusting what day is the Sabbath
entails the probability of having two Sabbath days within a seven day period to
make things work. This interferes with the command, “Six days thou shalt work,
but on the seventh day thou shalt rest,” Exo 34:21. The only exemption(s)
permitted of this stipulation occurs when an “appointed” feast or solemn day
occurs that also requires rest from toil. Option two, above, would not fit this
exemption. The last option is the most feasible, and the most correct. By
“reckoning” the 15th day as the seventh day Sabbath, the requirements of Lev. 23
are correctly performed, “kept,” even though the letter of the Law may not be
kept because the 15th day may not actually fall on the seventh day Sabbath.
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Some may ask, “But is not the letter of the law to be kept?” “Have ye never read
what David did, when he had need, and was ahungered, he, and they that were
with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high
priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests,
and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The
Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: therefore the Son of
man is Lord also of the Sabbath,” Mark 2:25-28. By reckoning the 15th day as the
seventh day Sabbath, Jesus becomes Lord of the Sabbath, because it was His
fulfillment of Lev. 23 that instituted the proper method of calculation. When
Israel uses this method of reckoning, they are doing so based on faith, “believing”
the 15th day is a seventh day Sabbath (when it technically is not) and by so doing
they are also fulfilling Scripture. Have ye never read, “And he (Abraham)
believed in the LORD; and He (Jehovah) counted it to him for righteousness?”
Their faith, then, is counted to them as righteousness, and by that, they are
blameless.
But you ask, “Does this pass Scriptural muster?” We assembled a time line which
incorporates Hebrew calendar time, Gentile calendar time, and the time given us
in Genesis regarding the flood of Noah’s day. The Day of Pentecost, the fiftieth,
when reckoned as above delineated, (because technically the 15th day this year,
2018, falls after the seventh day Sabbath) falls on the third day after the end of
Noah’s flood of forty days. On the Day of Pentecost, according to Numbers 10,
trumpets are blown over the peace offerings, and required peace offerings were
only offered on the first observance of the Feast of Weeks. Compare Lev 23:19
with Num 28:26-31, which gives the annual requirements. It is of great interest
to us that it was also on the third day when the trumpet sounded on Mount Sinai
in Exo. 19:16.
Num. 19:11,12 is in the midst of the account of the sacrifice of the red heifer
which was for cleansing of certain sins of the people. It is again of interest to us
that in verse 12 it reads, “He, (one who had touched a dead body) shall purify
himself with it (the ashes of the red heifer) on the third day, and on the seventh
day he shall be clean: but if purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day
he shall not be clean.” The Day of Pentecost relates to the offering of the Church,
which was cleansed from her sin on that day. As aforementioned, that day is the
third day from the end of the flood. If the cleansing is done on the third day,
then on the seventh day the man is clean. This is the same concept for the
Church, purify yourself on the third day (Pentecost) which is effected by the blood
of Jesus, and on the seventh day, the Millennial Day, in the early morning hours
of it, you, the Church shall be clean (of human defilement, because you will have
been raised to glory).
We ask, if the third day does not have significance here, then why did the LORD
God tell Hezekiah, “Behold I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto
the house of the LORD?” 2 Kgs. 20:5. Why not some other day? We could also
ask regarding Esther, who on the third day approached the King, contrary to law,
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to begin the process of reversing Haman’s wickedness, Est. 5:1. Why did she
pick that day?
Yes, we believe the foregoing method of calculating the Feast of Weeks does hold
Scriptural muster. The important question now, is, what do you believe, and
why?
Based upon the foregoing, the Hebrew date in the year 2018 for the Day of
Shavuot/Pentecost should have been Sivan 5, which began at sundown on our
May 21st. However, as was pointed out, that date is reckoned upon the 15th day
as being a seventh day Sabbath. For the current year 2020, the date for the
beginning of Shavuot/Pentecost is at sundown May 29th and continues until
sundown on the 30th, thus twenty fours hours have passed.
Original Copyright © G. Kuehmichel, March 25, April 1, 2018. Minor revision, and expanded May 9-11, 21,
2020. All rights reserved.
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