ONE of the occasional questions we receive is, “How old is Messianic Judaism?” The common assumption is that Messianic Judaism is a relatively modern religion, about a half-century old. There is the mistaken assumption that Messianic Judaism is the result of merging Judaism with Christianity. They are surprised when I tell them that Messianic Judaism is older than Christianity! 

In the first two centuries, Christianity was quite pure, with very little difference between Messianic Judaism. The first ones to be known as Christians were Gentile believers in Antioch.^[1] As the number of Gentiles increased, they eventually began forming their own congregations. 

There is a process called syncretism, which is the merger of two or more philosophies, religions, parties, or principles. I assure you: Messianic Judaism is not a syncretic religion in which Judaism and Christianity suddenly joined to create a new religion. Christianity did not even exist when Messianic Judaism first appeared on the world stage! However, Christianity eventually became a syncretic religion, merging the Biblical faith with various non-biblical faiths to make Christianity more appealing to the pagan and non-Christian masses. Christians also wanted to make a separation between Judaism and Christianity in later centuries.

The Eseret HaD’varim (“Ten Commandments,” but literally “Ten Sayings”) were given to Moshe on Mount Sinai in the third month.^[2] The month of Sivan is the third month of the sacred calendar of Leviticus 23. Therefore, the Rabbis believe that the Eseret HaD’varim were given on Shavuot, and I concur.  Shavuot, therefore, is usually celebrated as the “birthday of Judaism,” because Torah is foundational to Judaism.

Shavuot (“Pentecost” or “Weeks”) is one of the Holy Days of Leviticus 23, celebrated in the month of Sivan on the modern Jewish calendar. Unlike all other Holy Days such as Yom Kippur (“Day of Atonement”), there is no exact date given for its celebration. Instead, we are instructed to begin a count of 50 days beginning the day after the Shabbat that occurs during Pesach (“Passover”). The count ends 50 days later,^[3] after the seventh Shabbat.^[4] 

The day after Shabbat is Yom Rishon (“Sunday”), which biblically begins at sunset on “Saturday” and ends at sunset 24 hours later. Rabbinically, the count begins after the first day of Passover, and ends 50 days later, which can be on any day of the week. We choose to celebrate it according to the biblical reckoning, on Yom Rishon, “Sunday.” This is also the day on which the ancient Sadducees observed it, as do also the Karaites of today.

Almost 1500 years after Moses, the outpouring of the Ruakh HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) occurred on Shavuot. You can read all about it in Acts chapter 2. Christians call this day Pentecost, based on the Greek word for 50, as it is 50 days after the Shabbat that occurs during Passover. Because of this outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, Pentecost (Shavuot) is often celebrated as the birthday of Christianity. 

One little problem: Christianity did not even exist at that time. These were all Jews and proselytes to Judaism who had come to the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) to worship God in one of the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals), as commanded in Scripture.^[5] They did not suddenly become Christians. They continued being loyal sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They continued observing Shabbat, the Holy Days of Leviticus 23, and the dietary laws. In Jerusalem alone, we learn that there were myriads (tens of thousands) of Jews who believed in Yeshua and were “all zealous for Torah (the ‘Law’)^[6].” 

As such, this wasn’t the birthday of Christianity – certainly not Christianity as it is known today. It is more correctly a movement within Judaism, which we today call Messianic Judaism.  In the First Century, it was known as HaDerekh – "the Way."

Shavuot is also a harvest festival, also called Yom HaBikkurim (“Day of First Fruits”), for the wheat harvest. There is another Yom HaBikkurim during Passover for the barley harvest. Yeshua was resurrected at the beginning of Yom HaBikkurim during Passover, the First Fruits of the Resurrection. 

During Shavuot, the Ruach HaKodesh was poured out, during the Yom HaBikkurim (First Fruits) of the wheat harvest. Three thousand brand-new Messianic Jews were immersed that day.^[7] By the way, it is obvious that the events of Acts chapter two occurred at the Temple.  Nobody else in Jerusalem had a house that would hold many thousands of people except God! And nobody else had enough mikveh baths for the tevilah (ritual immersion in water – “baptism”), except for God. 

On Shavuot, two loaves of leavened bread were waved before God in the Temple. As in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, the leavening or “chametz” is symbolic of sin.^[8] According to the Rabbis, the two loaves of leavened bread represent both Jew and Gentile – contaminated by sin – being presented to God.

The work of atonement was accomplished for us by Yeshua, as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” ^[9] This is pure grace, whereby Yeshua became our Passover Lamb. The Passover lambs in Egypt purchased freedom for the Israelite slaves. However, freedom without laws to guard that freedom would soon descend into chaos. Therefore, 50 days later, the Torah (“Law”) was given to us on Mount Sinai to protect that freedom. For this reason, Judaism teaches that Passover without Shavuot is incomplete. Therefore, another term for Shavuot is Atzeret Shel Pesach (“the Completion of Passover”).

After Yeshua finished this work of atonement on our behalf, He sent the Spirit of God to enable us to overcome sin. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances and do them.”  (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

It is the power of the Holy Spirit that enables us to live the New Covenant lifestyle described in Jeremiah 31:31-33: “I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… This is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days… I will put My Law (Torah – or “teaching”) in their inward parts and write it in their hearts.” According to Acts 5:32, “God has given the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.” 

The New Covenant was made only with the houses of Israel and Judah. It was not made with Gentiles. However, Romans 11:17-24 tells us that Yeshua grafts Gentiles into the Jewish Olive Tree. Any Gentile who refuses to be grafted into the Jewish Olive Tree has no covenant relationship with God. 

Because Shavuot is a harvest festival, it is traditional to read the book of Ruth during this holiday. Rav Michael Washer wrote, “When a Gentile accepts the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, that person is grafted in against nature into the Jewish people and becomes a partaker of the rich root of Judaism. However, this requires the same kind of forsaking the past and following that Ruth exhibited.” 

It is also traditional to read Exodus 19-20, Numbers 28:26-31, and Ezekiel 1, 3:12. And of course we like to add Acts 1 and 2 to the readings. “You shall receive power…”

Since Shavuot is a Biblical Jewish Holy Day (and a pilgrimage festival – Deut. 16:16), it should not be surprising that many myriads (tens of thousands) of Jews were gathered to worship in Jerusalem on this day. In ancient Israel, it was among the three most important festivals, the other two being Pesach (Passover) and Sukkot (Tabernacles). These were the only festivals in which the men were commanded to travel to the Beit HaMikdash (“Temple”) in Jerusalem, if they were at all able. 

Because of the importance of Shavuot, and especially the importance of this Shavuot almost 2000 years ago, Yeshua commanded His talmidim (disciples) to remain in Jerusalem,^[11] saying, “You shall be immersed with the Ruakh HaKodesh not many days from now.”

Prior to Yeshua’s ascension to Heaven, His talmidim asked Him, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”^[12] Yeshua did not criticize them in any way regarding the question. He is indeed coming back, and at that time will establish His Messianic Kingdom, and Isaiah 2:2-3 will come to pass:

Now it shall come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of YHWH shall be established… And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.” For the Law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of YHWH from Jerusalem.

Yeshua’s disciples were also good, patriotic Jews. It is only logical that they should ask Yeshua, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Israel had been under the heavy hand of Rome for several decades. They now understood that Yeshua had paid the penalty for their transgressions against God’s commandments at Golgotha, but it was now finally the time to kick the Romans out and establish the Messianic Kingdom, or so they hoped. Imagine their disappointment if they had been told that they would have to wait almost 2000 years before Israel would become an independent nation again, and even longer before the Messianic Kingdom would be established!

It would have been too much to take. We are still waiting! (Yeshua, come quickly!) Yeshua answered their question by saying...

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[1] Acts 11:20-21, 11:26.

[2] Sh’mot (Exodus) 19:1.

[3] There is the tradition of “counting the omer.” However, Scripture commands us to “count the days” in Lev. 23:16. No one that I know has 50 omers of barley that they count! So, counting the omer would be strictly symbolic.

[4] Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:11,15.

[5] D’varim (Deuteronomy) 16:16. The other two pilgrimage feasts were Pesach and Sukkot.

[6] Acts 21:20

[7] Acts 2:41.

[8] More accurately, the chametz represents pride, because it “puffs up” the bread. However, pride was the first sin of HaSatan – the Adversary. From pride came all the other sins.

[9] Yochanan (John) 1:29.

[10] Zechariah 14:16-20.

[11] Acts 1:4.

[12] Acts 1:6.