A month has passed since I have returned from my 7 weeks of ministry in Romania. During the Passover/Resurrection Season, I spent excellent time with the Messianic Congregation “Beit Hasdo” from Bucharest, where we celebrated Messiah in The Passover, explaining to the congregation the reason why Yeshua celebrated the Feast one day before the multitude of Pharisees and Sadducees led by the ruling of the so called High Priest. We had 90 people, some of which were new Jewish families who were quite intrigued to find out things they had never heard of in the Passover Feast. At least three of the invited Jewish families asked to know more about the great realities of the Feast. When you understand the Essene Calendar, then it is much easier to understand how and when the Feast took place. As much as John the Immerser was a part of the group of the Essenes, most probably Yeshua was also a part of the group. In the Essene Calendar both Feasts of Passover and Succoth start on a Tuesday evening, which means the beginning of Wednesday, in the Biblical understanding. Wednesday was the day of suffering and by the end of that day in the evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took His Body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb. Count now the three nights and three days. By the end of the Biblical Sabbath, He was no longer in the tomb since He had risen. So, you have three days and three nights, NO good Friday, but a very sacrificial long Wednesday.
Every single time I write a letter of Pentecost, I am reminded that this is the Birthday of the Church: Happy Birthday, Church! Pentecost is your Birthday! You see, Pentecost is an Old Feast in the Bible. At Pentecost, we received the TORAH, so I may say the First Pentecost was the Birthday of the Jewish faith. First we received the Law of the Lord, but later we received the Spirit of the Law, which means GRACE. I always love to stress that, because it is very important to understand both Covenants and the way that they relate to one another. Knowing that, we may find new avenues to bring the Good News to both the Jewish people and Gentiles alike.
The Feast of the Harvest (Ex. 23:16), The Feast of the First Fruits (Deut. 16:10, 16) or the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) is the fourth Feast among the seven Feasts of the Lord in the Bible. The fact that the Celebration of the Giving of the Torah and the beginning of the Church starts with this feast is not just another coincidence. Both the Law of God and the Law of Grace came from the same Tri-unitarian God, The Almighty One of Days, and The Lord of Israel.
Here are some tremendous comparisons between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant (Shavuot - the Feast of Weeks)
The 50th Day after Passover.
The writing of the Ten Commandments was done on two tablets of stone.
It was written by God’s finger.
3,000 people died because of their disobedience.
The Law unveils the sins of mankind, which automatically brings death.
The Letter of the Law of God.
The Glory of God shone on the face of Moses.
The people’s faces had to be veiled so they could not see God’s Glory.
The Glory of the Law passed from their hearts because of their unbelief.
Given on Mount Sinai.
The Feast of the Harvest.
The Feast of the First Fruits.
The New Covenant (The Pentecost)
The 50th Day after the Passover Lamb’s Sacrifice.
The writing of the Commandments of His Love is now on the heart and mind of His People.
It was written by the Spirit of God.
3,000 people repented and became alive.
The Grace of God, through Yeshua’s blood, brings life from death, covering our sins.
The Spirit of the Law of God.
The Glory of God shown on the face of His Son Yeshua – Jesus, our Messiah.
The people had unveiled faces so they can be changed into the Glory of His Image.
The Glory of God remains in the believer’s hearts and lives because of His Grace.
Took place on Mount Zion.
The harvest of souls blessed by His Spirit.
Believers, you are the First Fruits of Redemption!
Pray that the Lord will increase His harvest everywhere I will be ministering in the States. As you pray for us, please don’t forget to pray for our missionaries from Romania - Liliana, Cornel Rusinac and his family, Dr. Michal, in Bucharest; and also our workers from Israel - in Beer-Sheba, and in Jerusalem, and for my brother Emanuel and his family.
As the summer is here, PLEASE do not forget, we cannot do the job without your prayers and surely without your monthly financial support. I am writing to you because I know the summer months are always very slow in financial support although we need it so desperately when we are in the midst of the battle. Please have this ministry to the Jewish people first but also to the Gentiles always in your mind. We appreciate all your efforts to keep us going to do the job HE has called upon us to do.
All my love Theo Ben-Abraham Smilovici