Both Jews and Gentiles have been gathering to pray – in Israel and in the UK – for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the countdown to Shavuot/Pentecost.

 

 

As part of this, a Global Day of Prayer for the Jewish world is planned for this weekend, June 8-9. Amidst all the trouble and turmoil in the Middle East right now, this is encouraging news.

 

The outpouring at the time of Yeshua occurred just ten days after his ascension to Heaven following 40 days of post-resurrection appearances to many of his disciples.

 

Just as he promised, their waiting (in prayer) in Jerusalem was rewarded – 50 days after Passover – with power from on high, which is what galvanized the Church into the worldwide powerhouse it soon became. Along with the sound of a mighty wind, the Spirit was manifested on each of the 120 disciples as tongues of fire above their heads.

 

 

Tradition has it that the Torah (the Law of Moses) was given at Pentecost because it took 50 days for the escaping Israelites to reach Mt Sinai. It certainly makes sense as the fire of God on the mountain, where the Law was first given, was now being imparted to devoted worshippers who would duly set the world ablaze through the dynamism of God’s living Law – no longer written on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts (2 Cor 3:3).
 

 

It was also the perfect means of reconciliation. For the separation and confusion of language caused by the world’s ill-advised human efforts to make a name for themselves through the Tower of Babel was now supernaturally reversed. For Jews from many different nations who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot heard the message of the gospel (of the Passover Lamb now raised from the dead) in their own language as the disciples spoke supernaturally in many different tongues they had clearly never learnt.

 

 

Shavuot also celebrates the first fruits of the wheat harvest with the Book of Ruth traditionally read as the barley harvest was in full progress when Naomi (accompanied by Ruth) returned to Bethlehem (the house of bread) from her temporary exile in Moab.

 

Ruth, the Gentile, was determined to support her Jewish mother-in-law and was greatly blessed as a result – even to becoming the ancestor of Israel’s greatest king and of the Messiah himself.

 

Such reconciliation is beautifully mirrored today in an extraordinary ‘worship tour’ of Europe in which Arab Christians and Messianic Jews glorify God as they represent the ‘one new man’ brought together through the death of Yeshua (Ephesians 2:14-16). This Israel and Ishmael Worship Tour, bringing the sound of Jewish and Arab worship to 16 cities across France and Belgium, is part of the ministry of Maoz Israel.

 

Pentecost does indeed change everything but it does require unity among believers. For those first disciples “turned the world upside down” after being empowered by the Holy Spirit in that Upper Room where they had come together ‘in one place’ to pray. And the message they carried brought reconciliation between God and man.
 

 

As for the harvest, we see another extraordinary reversal. Whereas 3,000 people died at Sinai for their idolatrous worship of the golden calf (Ex 32), the same number were added to the believers (i.e. were born again) through Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost.

 

 

Yet notwithstanding the peace beyond understanding that comes from Jesus, he also calls us to take up our own cross, which in some cases leads to martyrdom.

 

In this respect, we deeply mourn the loss of the U.S. embassy couple brutally murdered in Washington by a Jew-hating man shouting, ‘Free Palestine’. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were part of a local Messianic congregation in Jerusalem, were about to become engaged.

 

Following the fire of Pentecost, many of those first disciples continued to walk through the fire for Yeshua, suffering terribly for their faith, but it failed to extinguish the passion burning in their hearts.

 

Pray that once more in Jerusalem - and across the world - this Pentecost we may witness the dawn of a new day, both for Israel and the nations. Lord, send the fire again!