Is there a second spiritual experience after salvation - Shavuot?

Shalom, Shalom, Dear Friends!

And Chag Shavuot Sameach! Joyous Feast of Pentecost!

At sundown last evening the Feast of Shavuot began - in the Diaspora (outside of Israel) it is usually celebrated for two days - in Israel for one day. Shavuot is called Pentecost on the Gentile calendar. It is also known as the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Harvest.

It occurs 50 days after Passover (Pentecost means 50), or seven weeks from Passover, specifically after the Firstfruits of the Passover season (Shavuot - means weeks).

According to the Scripture it is a one day Feast to be celebrated with a sacred assembly and no regular work, a day to offer a new grain offering, two loaves (humanity/Jew and Gentile), presented with blood offerings. This symbolizes for us today that our finest offering of our firstfruits or ourselves is only acceptable because the offering is made with blood, covered in the blood of Yeshua.

There are many beautiful teachings that come from understanding the Feast of Shavuot - it is one of the three pilgrimage Feasts where the tribes go up to Jerusalem according to the Lord's command - it is one of His Feasts. (Lev. 23:15-17; Ex. 23:16; Num. 28:26-31; Dt. 16:9-12).

It is the second Feast on God's calendar and you cannot celebrate it unless you have already experienced and celebrated Passover. They must be done in His order.

In Jewish tradition, the Torah was given on Shavuot, 50 days after Exodus from Egypt, and it is called the "Season of the Giving of the Law" - Exodus 19:1. For us, as Messianic believers, it also represents the giving of the Spirit in Jerusalem after the Resurrection of Yeshua - Acts 2.

Which brings me to the focus of this article - if you have ever wrestled with the concept that there is more to spiritual life after the initial salvation (Passover) experience, the truth that the Lord established the next two Feasts, Shavuot and Succot, is proof positive that, yes, absolutely, there is more.

It is possible to stay just on the perimeter of faith - having been "passed over" at Passover/Pesach, but Yeshua Himself commanded that we celebrate Shavuot and wait for the Ruach hakodesh to come and fill us fifty days after His resurrection.

He specifically intended that we be filled with the Ruach and that we would celebrate the fulfillment of Shavuot and be empowered by His Spirit to not only live a life of faith and assurance of our salvation but to live a life of doing exploits for God, a life of anointing with gifts from on High. He is both Pesach and Shavuot!

So for those who say "we got all He had to give us at Salvation", I exhort you to study the Word, listen to Yeshua, seek His face and understand that there is more - He made it plain - there are at least two more steps - the next one after salvation is that you must receive the Holy Ghost and walk in the realization of not just the Feast of Passover (Pesach) but also in the realization of the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). And then there is more after that with the realization of the Feast of Tabernacles (Succot), which we can save for discussion in a later article.

But, for now, today is Shavuot, "be baptized with the Ruach haKodesh"! It is a separate experience from Pesach/Salvation. (Acts 1:3-8; Acts 2:1-47)

All Glory and Honor to Elohim, the God of Israel - Abba, Yeshua and the Ruach haKodesh!

Love and shalom,

Cathy