Pentecost and the Two Loaves

Just as the twelve leavened loaves of "showbread" found in the Tabernacle or Temple during Shavuot or Pentecost represented the twelve tribes of Israel, so the two leavened wave loaves of Shavuot represent both the houses of Israel -- Israel and Judah. We need to declare the truth that the twelve leavened loaves of the Bread of the Presence spoke of the unity of the twelve tribes of Israel, and two leavened wave loaves speak of the current division in the two houses of Israel.

After the Israelites were "counting the omer" from the day after "the seven Sabbaths complete" till Pentecost on the 50th day, called the "Feast of Firstfruits," "Feast of Weeks," Shavuot, or "Pentecost," the high priest performed an unusual, once-only ceremony. The real significance of this ceremony has never been understood. Or, it has been completely misunderstood!

We read in Leviticus 23, in the Ferrar Fenton version of the Bible:

These two wave cakes or loaves are leavened bread. They are "the bread of the first-fruits" (Leviticus 23:20). They "shall be HOLY to the LORD, for the priest" (same verse).

Scripture reveals that Shavuot or Pentecost was established as an agricultural feast that was related to the wheat harvest. On this day a unique sacrifice was offered: The priests waved two leavened loaves of bread made from the finest of the newly harvested wheat flours. These loaves were then presented to the Holy One, but, they could not be placed on the altar, because YEHOVAH God declared that, "No grain offering, which you bring to the LORD, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to the LORD" (Leviticus 2:11).

YEHOVAH God commanded the Israelites to bring an offering from the new wheat crop to the Temple on Shavuot. It was to be brought from the choicest wheat, which would be husked, ground into flour and sifted twelve times to ensure that only the finest flour was used.

The flour was brought to the Temple courtyard, where it was baked into two loaves of chometz, leavened bread, unlike almost all other offerings in the Temple, which were either flour or matzah (unleavened bread).

Along with the two loaves, two lambs were included in the offering. The priests would wave the lambs and the loaves in all four directions and up and down, and then place the lambs on the mizbeiach (altar). The loaves were eaten by the priests.

The Talmud tells us that no offerings from the new crop of wheat were allowed in the Temple before the two loaves were brought.

These two leavened loaves could be "waved" before YEHOVAH God, but they could not be "offered up in smoke" on His altar: "As an offering of first fruits you shall bring them to the LORD, but they shall not ascend for a soothing aroma on the altar" (Leviticus 2:12). Moreover, Israel could not eat bread from the new wheat harvest until after this wave ceremony was completed. The feast was traditionally concluded with communal meals to which the poor, and the stranger were invited.

The harvest of Israelites, represented by the wheat, is a thousand years after the harvest of Israelites represented by the barley. The barley harvest is at the beginning of the Millennium which is at the coming of YEHOVAH God, and the wheat harvest is at the end of the Millennium, 1,000 years after YEHOVAH God's coming.

Who are all these people who will stand before YEHOVAH God at the END of the Millennial reign of YEHOVAH God, the Messiah and the saints? They will be the uncountable number of Israelites who lived and died in this life, who did not qualify to be in the FIRST RESURRECTION, at the return of YEHOVAH God and the Messiah -- to be a part of the "firstfruits" of YEHOVAH God! The vast majority of them never even had a chance for salvation -- they grew up, lived and died in a foreign society which didn't have the knowledge of YEHOVAH, or His truth.

They are those who lived and died in ignorance, those who never even heard the true Gospel of the Messiah during their lives! At that future time they will be "judged" according to their works, and most will be given a period of time to repent of their misdeeds in this life, to be re-educated, and to qualify for eventual salvation and eternal life! In that future resurrection, YEHOVAH God will open their eyes, show them His truth, and give them their first and only chance for salvation!

Yeshua the Messiah put the truth plainly. He stated: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the DEAD [Israelites] shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live...Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which ALL THAT ARE IN THE GRAVES shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the RESURRECTION OF LIFE" -- this is the second resurrection, which occurs at the end of the Millennium!

But notice! Yeshua goes on, concerning the REST of the dead: "And they that have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment" (John 5:25-29). The King James uses the word "damnation" here, but the Greek word means "judgment." This means that part of the Israelites who come up in the second resurrection will be JUDGED by the Messiah based on how they conduct their lives after being resurrected. Will they repent of their evil? These are those who were really evil, to the core -- perhaps like an Ahab, or Amon, or serial killers, or others who gave their lives over to do EVIL. These Israelites are what is known as the "grape harvest" in Scripture.

These Israelites will be trodden in YEHOVAH's winepress (Isaiah 63:3-14) and will be given a chance to repent, and live out their lives in the flesh, to prove whether or not they will obey YEHOVAH. Not all will be condemned! In fact, in all probability, MOST of the millions of Israel, given this first "real chance" at salvation, will probably jump at the chance, deeply repent, and eventually qualify for salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of YEHOVAH!

While the understanding of this feast has largely been lost, it is abundantly clear that the two leavened loaves depict "both the houses of Israel" -- see Isaiah 8:14:

Of all the bread offerings listed in the Bible, only the two wave loaves of Shavuot were baked with leaven. Leaven symbolizes sin, and there are two houses of Israel -- both of which have stumbled over the One who would be a "Sanctuary" to them.

The second vision Ezekiel records in chapter 37 involves YEHOVAH God commanding him to take two sticks (or trees) and writing upon one stick “for Judah and for the children of Israel and his companions [i.e., Benjamin and Levi and those who joined to the tribe of Judah],” and upon the other stick, write “for Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel [the 10 "lost tribes"] and his companions.” Ezekiel was to told to then join the two sticks together, so that they would become one stick (or tree) in his hand (verses 15–17).

How are these two nations, which separated from each other some three thousand years ago, to be rejoined into one nation? That has been the subject of much debate between both Jewish and Christian commentators for years. Some modern historical revisionists view this prophecy as having been fulfilled when the Judahites returned to the land of Israel in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah after their Babylonian captivity ended. But this interpretation leaves some unanswered questions. The book of Ezra, which chronicles the return of a remnant of Judahites from Babylon to the land of Israel, lists the numbers and tribes of those who returned. All the tribes listed were originally from Jerusalem and Judah and were from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (Ezra 2:1; 4:1; 10:9), and there is no mention made that any of the ten northern Israelite tribes joined the Judahites in resettling the land of Israel.

So far as the returning Judahites were concerned, it is likely that they considered their northern brothers lost and assimilated among their Assyrian captors and that only they were left of all the twelve tribes to resettle the Promised Land after their captivity. If this were so, this may explain why they considered themselves to be “all Israel” (Ezra 2:70; 6:17), since they considered themselves to be the representative remnant of all the twelve tribes, even though their numbers did not consist of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Furthermore, how do those who teach that the prophecy of the two sticks has already been fulfilled explain how anytime in Israel’s past history the two sticks became one nation, and how the once scattered twelve tribes of Israel were regathered from the nations of the world, and how all were resettled in their own land (Ezekiel 37:21)? Whenever in the past did all the twelve tribes of Israel completely disassociate themselves from the pollution and defilement of paganism and start serving YEHOVAH God in perfect righteousness (Ezekiel 37:23)? Moreover, has David ever been resurrected from the grave to rule over the regathered and reunited Israel as this prophecy declares will happen (Ezekiel 37:24–25)? After all, the Scriptures tells us that David is dead and buried to this day (Acts 2:29), and awaits the resurrection of the saints at the future coming of YEHOVAH God.

Ezekiel 37:23 also clearly states that, once reunited, the Israelites (the twelve tribes of Israel) will be obeying YEHOVAH’s commandments -- something that the majority of the Israelites in dispersion have failed to do to this day.

Finally, if this prophecy were already fulfilled, then we also have to explain how YEHOVAH God has formulated his everlasting covenant of peace with the regathered and reunited Israel and how He has set His sanctuary or tabernacle in the midst of them forevermore (Ezekiel 37:26–28).

Has, then, this prophecy already been fulfilled? The biblical evidence above would indicate not. The Christian commentator, Adam Clarke, commenting on this prophecy agrees. He writes that though some out of the northern ten tribes did rejoin themselves to Judah, yet no whole tribe ever returned to that kingdom, and that united they never had a king over them from that day until now. Keil and Delitzsch view this prophecy as not having been fulfilled at some time in ancient Israel’s past, but as one spanning the whole future of the people of YEHOVAH God -- even to eternity culminating with the New Jerusalem.

These Christian commentators view these prophecies of Ezekiel to be parallel to those of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:36–43). And in many other places, all of which prophesy a literal return of the people of Israel to the literal land of Israel, and also a literal return of YEHOVAH God to Jerusalem, are in line with the promises of YEHOVAH God! And the fulfillment of these prophecies corresponds with the rule of Yeshua the Messiah over his people Israel. Notice the following examples:

Christian scholars are not alone in seeing the two-stick prophecy of Ezekiel as having a future fulfillment. The Orthodox rabbinic commentators similarly believe that the uniting of the divided kingdoms of Israel is a future Messianic era (millennial) event. We must admit that the ancient Jewish sages were in disagreement as to whether all the twelve tribes would actually return to take their rightful place along side the Judahites of the tribe of Judah, or whether, over the years, enough members of the twelve tribes had assimilated into and joined with Judah to constitute a quorum representing all the twelve tribes.

Some Jewish sages took the position that Judah represented all Israel, and that the ten northern tribes would not return, while other Jewish sages viewed in a literal sense the biblical prophecies concerning the regathering and reunification of Israel. This debate continued for some time and is recorded in the Jewish writings of the Mishnah, the Tosefta and into the Talmud where it was settled in favor of a literal return of all twelve tribes from the nations to where they had been scattered.

Both houses have fallen short, and will continue to fall short as long as they are divided and antagonistic toward each other (Isaiah 8:14; John 2:22; Romans 11:25). Both the houses of Israel and Judah are plagued by leaven, meaning, they are puffed up with error. As they stand, neither house is fit to be "offered" on YEHOVAH's altar. Singularly, neither house can be a "soothing aroma" to the Holy One. Something is missing. And, something is present that keeps them from being fully acceptable to Him.

To be an acceptable offering, bread must be unleavened. So it is that both houses fall short of the glory of YEHOVAH God. The sins found in their houses are a like a stench in His nostrils and it prevents them from being fully acceptable to Him (Isaiah 65:5). Both are missing the quality of sinlessness. That quality is found only in the Messiah. He is the Unleavened Bread of Passover, and in him, both houses can be made whole, sinless.

And yet, we note that even in their leavened state, both loaves are nourishing "bread," which depicts the ability to "feed people." Both houses of Israel offer some sustaining words of life to the children of Israel. Neither house is perfect, so we should partake of that which is nourishing from each house, and ask the Father to help us move on, to the Fall Feasts, and to that perfect place of sinlessness, wherein we will be able to Tabernacle with Him forever.

Again, both loaves were acceptable to the Almighty in that they could be "waved" before Him, but in themselves, they were not fit to be a sacrifice. This shows us that, if YEHOVAH God can look upon these leavened houses with mercy, and ever seek to draw both of them to Himself, we should seek to do no less. We should have proper regard for both the houses of Israel. We also see that both loaves could be in YEHOVAH's Holy Presence, and yet not be consumed. So it is that the House of Israel and the House of Judah are imperfect, and yet are not utterly consumed by the Holy One. He sees their defects, yet He loves them and longs for them.

Shavuot (Pentecost) featured a "new grain offering" (Leviticus 23:15-16, 21), but, Israel could not partake of their new wheat harvest until after the leavened wave offering of Shavuot was fulfilled. Similarly, we will not be able to fully partake of the Bread of Life until, like YEHOVAH God, we desire the full restoration of both houses. The Messiah preached the "Gospel of the Kingdom," which included the restoration of King David's divided kingdom/house/tent. The Messiah declared that a house or kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. We therefore, need to work toward Israel's reunion. Then, and only then, will her kingdom be fully restored. Then and only then, will we see and partake of the fullness of Israel's coming summer harvest. We will experience this only when we begin to properly honor both of her houses. Then, we will fully taste of the loaves of Shavuot and be prepared to move forward.

Two lambs were offered at Shavuot, and the feast was traditionally concluded with communal meals to which the stranger was invited. This tells us that Israel's Kingdom restoration will include all who belong to Messiah's "one flock," all who sojourn with either house, be it with the House of Judah or the House of Israel (Ezekiel 37:16-22; John 10:16).

Finally, we read that, "On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well...It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations" (Leviticus 23:21). Making a proclamation, a qara, is a perpetual command for Shavuot or Pentecost. We are to proclaim, mention, publish, and preach the truth about this appointed time (Strong's word # H 7121).

But exactly what do we need to proclaim in this hour?

Just as the twelve leavened loaves of "show bread" found in the Tabernacle represented the twelve tribes of Israel, so the two leavened wave loaves of Shavuot represent both the houses of Israel -- Israel and Judah. YEHOVAH God told Moses, "You shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times." We need to declare the truth that the twelve leavened loaves of the Bread of the Presence spoke of the unity of the twelve tribes of Israel and two leavened wave loaves speak of the current division in the two houses of Israel.

The continued division of YEHOVAH's people Israel is the stench that keeps us from being acceptable in the sight of our God, and it keeps us from our much desired end-time harvest. We need to cry out about this matter. We need to repent if we are guilty, and we need to remind our brethren to repent and to forgive one another.

How can we be cleansed of this condition?

In Romans 11:16, we read: "If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too." With the Spring feast, the first piece of dough mentioned is that of Unleavened Bread, which represents the saints of the first resurrection. They are "holy" dough. We of Israel are made holy only when we abide in our Messiah. He is the Bread of Life that "came down from heaven." He is the Living Word of Life. He said, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Mathew 4:4; John 1:14; 6:48-51; 1 John 1:1; 1 Peter 1:23). He can transform us through his Father's spirit so that we can be part of the better resurrection. With the Summer wheat harvest the second lump of dough mentioned is the two leavened wave loaves of Shavuot as well as the twelve leavened loaves of the Bread of the Presence. Those of the second resurrection after the Millennium are part of that latter "lump."

YEHOVAH's Word, from Genesis to Revelation, is like bread to us. The two loaves of Shavuot represent the two covenant people who have charge over the "Two Books of the Covenant." Judah has had charge of the Old (First) Covenant or Testament and Torah, and they tend to eat only of that covenant loaf. Many of the leaders and prophets of the Old Testament claimed membership in the tribe of Judah. For example, the literary prophets Isaiah, Amos, Habakkuk, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zechariah, and Zephaniah, all belonged to the tribe.

Later, during the Babylonian Exile, the Exilarchs (officially recognized community leaders) claimed Davidic lineage, and when the Exile ended, Zerubbabel (the leader of the first Judahites to return to Yehud or Judea) was also said to be of the Davidic line, as were Shealtiel (a somewhat mysterious figure) and Nehemiah (one of the earliest and most prominent Achamenid-appointed governors of Yehud). In the time of Roman rule, all the holders of the office of Nasi (prince) after Shemaiah, claimed Davidic lineage, through Hillel, who was rumored to have maternal lineage from the Davidic line.

Ephraim, or Israel on the other hand, has had charge of the New Covenant, the covenant of the heart (Jeremiah 31:31-33), and they tend to eat only of that covenant loaf. All of the New Testament authors -- with the exception of James the Just and Jude -- were of the House of Israel. Then, down through the ages since the Messiah's death, the promulgation of the Bible has fallen in the hands of those mainly descended from the House of Israel.

YEHOVAH God has used these two houses to maintain these Books of the Covenant. However, what He really wants is to have "one loaf," He wants to have "One Book of Covenants."

Although the overseers of these two Covenants have made mistakes in the way they have presented YEHOVAH's truths, nonetheless, the two leavened loaves continue to be YEHOVAH's prescribed wave offering and neither should be unfairly disrespected.

Each feast of Israel is called a Kodesh Miqrah, a Holy Rehearsal. The feasts are anointed rehearsals for a Divine Play that tells of the salvation of YEHOVAH's people Israel. Each feast reminds us of coming stages in our salvation walk, and Shavuot is one of our stops along the way. However, we want to make it all the way, we want to make it to the end of the play, to the Eighth and Great Day of Tabernacles. And, to get there, we need to help fulfill the feast of Shavuot.

Shavuot is a day that tells of our Father's patient endurance, love, and high hopes for both the houses of Israel. Let us therefore do as we are commanded and make a Shavuot Proclamation about this truth. Let us wave two leavened loaves before Him and declare to the world the truth about Israel's coming full restoration! Notice the outcome of YEHOVAH's love for His people Israel!

We can now put together the picture and solve the puzzle and mystery of the "Two Leavened Loaves" of bread presented and waved before YEHOVAH God on Shavuot or Pentecost! The one loaf represents the House of Judah and the other loaf represents the House of Israel.

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Expounding YEHOVAH's Truth to the Modern Descendants of Ancient Israel!

Hope of Israel Ministries
P.O. Box 853
Azusa, CA 91702, U.S.A.
www.hope-of-israel.org

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