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ישועה וגאולה אמיתית לכל ישראל

Vol. 8 No. 10  June 2003 / Sivan 5763

A Message From The Messianic Jewish Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

By the time you receive this newsletter we will be well into the counting of the Omer. In fact it will probably only be a few days before the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), June 6-8. The Feast of Shavuot is numbered fifty days after the Pesach (Passover). Scripture tells us that we are to count forty-nine days or seven weeks from the day after the Shabbat of Pesach until the fiftieth day, which ushers in the Feast of Shavuot. These forty-nine days are known as the time of the counting of the Omer.

Vayikra (Leviticus) {23:15} And you shall count unto you from the morning after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Shabbats shall be complete:

Traditionally and by rabbinical calculations, Shavuot is the "Zeman Mattan Torateinu," which means the time of the giving of the Aseret HaDibrot (Ten Commandments). According to our sage's reckoning this was the day Moshe received the Aseret HaDibrot from G-d on Har Sinai (Mt. Sinai). I am sure it is not mere coincidence that Pentecost, (Penta meaning fifty), falls on the exact same day as Shavuot.

There were forty days from Yeshua's resurrection to the day of His ascension into heaven. Prior to being caught up in the clouds Yeshua told His disciples to go and wait in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), for HaShem was going to send them the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). This took ten days and it occurred on Shavuot, exactly fifty days from the first Yom HaBikurim (Day of First Fruits), the day the barely sheaf was waved before the L-rd. It was on the first Yom HaBikurim that Yeshua rose from the dead. He was the First Fruits of the resurrection. The pouring out of the Ruach HaKodesh on Shavuot was obviously the fulfilment of the prophecy given by Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) thousands of years earlier.

Yirmeyahu {31. 31} Behold, the days come, says the HaShem, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Yehuda (Judah): {31.32} Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt); which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, says HaShem: {31.33} But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Yisrael (Israel); After those days, says the HaShem, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their G-d, and they shall be my people.

G-d wrote the Torah on the hearts of man.

Jewish tradition has injected another holiday into the forty-nine days of the counting of the Omer and that is Lag B'Omer (33rd of the Omer). The most popular explanation of the origin of this holiday concerns two men considered great in Jewish history. Both these men lived in Yisrael under extreme Roman oppression just prior to the complete destruction of the Temple in 135 A.D. One, Rabbi Akiva was a second century Jewish scholar and the other was Shimon Bar Kosiva, a self-styled leader of a small guerrilla group that harassed the Roman occupying troops.

Rabbi Akiva was thoroughly impressed with Bar Kosiva. Legend has it he was strong enough to uproot a tree with his bare hands while riding on a horse. Bar Kosiva also won impressive victories over the Romans. Because of his prowess and victories Rabbi Akiva changed Bar Kosiva's name, which means, son of the deceiver, to Bar Kochba, which means, son of the shinning star.

Rabbi Akiva made this change because he truly believed that Bar Kosiva was the long awaited Mashiach (Messiah) of Yisrael. Rabbi Akiva took Bar Kosiva's new name from this Messianic Scripture:

Bamidbar (Numbers) {24:17} I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, but not near: there shall come a Star out of Yaacov (Jacob), and a Scepter shall rise out of Yisrael, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

The Roman army eventually defeated Bar Kosiva and along with him they killed Rabbi Akiva and all His disciples. One thousand devout Jews died defending a false messiah. Needless to say and in view of the origins of this holiday it would be inappropriate for Messianic believers to celebrate it.

Our people in their continuing hope for the coming of the Go'el (Redeemer) have been all too anxious to proclaim men as the messiah.