Today is a beautiful day of remembrance.
What most people know of as “Pentecost,” (Hebrew: Shabua) today we celebrate and rejoice in the promise that was delivered to Believers in Acts 2: The Gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a gift and promise still applicable to our lives today, and is a major reason that this is a holy day/appointed time that all Believers should still be celebrating today.
I hope that after reading through this study, it will deepen your perspective on the significance and beauty through a Hebraic understanding of why this is so significant to us today, as followers of Messiah.
In Acts 1:2, we see that it is written that “He (Yahusha) through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.” When He was assembled together with them, He instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem and to wait for the promise of the Father.
“For John truly baptized you with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:5
John the Baptizer said: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Matthew 3:11
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism of fire. I will wrap back around to the topic of “fire” in a moment.
The important thing to note here is that the disciples and the people who were worshipping Yahuah were not told that they would receive this baptism on Shabua (Pentecost). But this is when that promise would be fulfilled and that gift would be poured out. Think about how many people may have missed out on this blessing by not keping this appointed time.
Scripture gives explicit details on who was there, though.
According to Acts 2:9-11, there were Yahudim (translated as ‘Jews’) and proselytes, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, those who dwelled in Mesopotamia, Judaea, Cappadocia, Pontius, and Asia. There were Cretes, Arabians, and people from Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya, and strangers from Rome.
People thought it was strange when the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaQodesh) was poured out and people began to speak in their own native language where they were born. People accused them of being drunk off new wine, but Peter stood up and told them how this was a fulfillment from the prophet Joel. Peter said, “This is what the prophet Joel spoke of:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says Yahuah, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahuah.
21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of Yahuah shall be saved.’ (Joel 2:32)
Acts 2:17-21
It’s not a coincidence that Yahusha’s name literally means “Yahuah is your Deliverer/Salvation.”
This was prophetic to Yahusha’s coming. There is a reason that Peter quoted the prophet Joel in that very moment.
It’s also not a coincidence that Peter goes on to quote the Psalm, the only place in the Tanakh (Old Testament Scriptures), that prophesies of the revelation of Yahusha as our Melchizedek High Priest. This was intentional.
“Therefore being exalted to the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘Yahuah said to my Master, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool (Psalm 110:1).’”
Acts 2:33-35
It goes on to say that when the people heard these words, they were “cut to the heart.” They asked Peter, “what should we do?”
Then Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Yahusha Messiah for theremission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as Yahuah our Elohim will call.”
Acts 2:38-39
But it’s the following verses that tie in the true significance of Shabua (Pentecost):
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Acts 2:41
“And the Master added to the assembly daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:47
The key word right here is “added to.” This is very important for understanding the meaning of the word Shabua. I will also wrap back around to those two specific verses in a moment.
Now that we’ve recapped the Scriptures that detail the experience and gift and promise fulfilment of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, I want to shift your attention to the meaning of the word “Shabua.”
But let’s first start with the word “fire.”
It says in Acts 2:3 that there was an appearance of tongues of fire that sat upon each person that was gathered together for Shabua/Pentecost. John the Baptizer said in Matthew 3:11 that it would be Yahusha that would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
But what does this mean, and how does this tie into the significance of Shabua/Pentecost?
This is why an understanding of the Hebrew words are so important in helping to bring us into the depth, beauty and revelation behind why this set apart day is so significant to the Kingdom of the Most High and body of Believers today.
Scripture tells us in many places that Yahuah’s presence is a “consuming fire.”
“For our Elohim is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 12:29
“Therefore understand today that Yahuah your Elohim is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire.”
Deuteronomy 9:3
“Behold, the name of Yahuah comes from afar, burning with His anger, and His burden is heavy; His lips are full of indignation, and His tongue like a devouring fire.”
Isaiah 30:27
Yahusha, who is the IMAGE of Yahuah, is described the same way:
“And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Master Yahusha is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know Elohim, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Master Yahusha Messiah.”
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8
“His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”
Revelation 1:14-16
“For by fire and by His sword Yahuah will judge all flesh; and the slain of Yahuah shall be many.”
Isaiah 66:16
Isaiah 66 is explicitly referring to the end of days. With fire and a sword, Yahuah will judge ALL flesh.
The key distinction here is understanding that Yahuah’s “fire” is one that is going to either consume you in judgment and destruction, or refine you through tribulation and testing. Here are two examples that illustrate this distinction:
Nadab and Abihu had done something they weren’t supposed to do.
“Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before Yahuah, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from Yahuah and devoured them, and they died before Yahuah.”
Leviticus 10:1-2
Jeremiah on the other hand, kept Yahuah’s Word in his heart and it burned in him like a fire that could not be extinguished.
“Is not My word like a fire?” says Yahuah, “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:29
“But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.”
Jeremiah 20:9
The Holy Spirit (Ruach HaQodesh) is a GIFT that we are given. It is by the breath (ruach) of Yahuah that He leads us, teaches us, convicts us, and writes His word on our heart. It is kindled within our hearts like a fire, and this fire is meant to not only teach and guide us, but it is a gift that we are given that convicts and empowers us to repent and in that process it cuts, burns and purges all of the desires of our flesh. It is a consuming fire because it is to also help crucify our flesh and burn away everything that doesn’t serve Yahuah. It’s a gift, yes, but this gift comes with a lot of accountability and responsibility on our part.
Now, when you look at the word “fire” in Hebrew, there are two different ways it is used.
Asha (H801) refers to fire in regards to a “burnt offering.” In Leviticus 23:18, it details the offerings that were used as part of the set apart day of Shabua:
“And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to Yahuah, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire (asha) for a sweet aroma to Yahuah.”
Leviticus 23:18
The Hebrew letters used for asha here are:
Alaph – ox, strength, leader
Shan – teeth, consume, sharp, divide
Haa – behold, look, reveal, life
In understanding the way that this Hebrew word is used in Scripture, it makes sense that this word could be best understood as:
“Look at the strength of the leader who consumes.”
Another way the word “fire” is used in Hebrew is as.
As (H784) refers to fire in a very literal sense, meaning “fire” or “flames.”
The Hebrew letters used here are:
Alaph – ox, strength, leader
Shan – teeth, consume, sharp, divide
“The strength of the leader consumes.”
“Teeth” can be understood as a picture of one’s words. Remember, Isaiah 30:27 tells us that Yahuah’s tongue is like a devouring fire and Hebrews 4:12 tells us that His Word is sharper than a double-edged sword. You can see how this letter “shan” is indicative of sharpness, cutting, dividing, or consuming.
There is a connection here that only the Hebrew language can illustrate.
When Yahusha tells us that He is the “Alpha and Omega,” which is Greek for the “Alaph” and the “Tau,” by saying that He is the beginning and the end/the first and the last, He means it very literally.
Alaph – ox, strength, leader
Tau – Mark, sign, covenant
Yahuah has given all authority and inheritance to His Son, the firstborn of all creation, the true Seed of Abraham, in which He is the head of the body in the House of Yahuah. He is the “alaph” and the “tau” because He is the strength and leader of the covenant that is everlasting between Yahuah and His people.
With all of that being said, we lastly need to look at the Hebrew word for “Pentecost.” We have to decipher through some Greek language first, though.
Pentecost is used 3x in the New Testament Writings:
- Acts 2:1
- Acts 20:16
- 1 Corinthians 16:8
Pentecost is the term most Believers are familiar with today, but the Hebrew term to describe this set apart, annual day of celebration is “Shabua,” otherwise known as Shavuot or Feast of Weeks.
Details about this special day can be found in Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:15-22, Numbers 28:26 and Deuteronomy 16:9-12.
Because we know that there is a connection between “fire” and the gift/promise of the Holy Spirit, the connection that needs to be made can be found with a close examination of the Hebrew word for this appointed time: Shabua.
Shabua in Hebrew means “seven” or “week” or “seven weeks” depending on context. The Greek word Pentekoste is referring to this same biblical appointed time, but this word is derived from the Greek word pentekonta, which means “fifty.” There is much confusion and debate within the body on how to count to this particular day. Some count only 50 days, and some count 7 sabbaths (weeks) plus 50 days (per Leviticus 23:15-16). Now is not the time or place to get into the logistics of it, as I do not want to take away from the message of this post. I just simply wanted to address that there is a difference in interpretation on this count.
“And you shall keep the feast of weeks (shabua, H7620) unto Yahuah your Elohim...”
Deuteronomy 16:10
One of the things about the 7 appointed times of Yahuah (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shabua (Shavuot), Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)), is that they are all prophetic to Yahusha. The first 4 were fulfilled at His First Coming, and the last 3 will be fulfilled when He returns.
The reason I want to go into detail about the biblical appointed time of Shabua, is because the picture that the Paleo-Hebrew letters paint for us gives us a much deeper revelation on the significance of what the “pouring out of the Holy Spirit/baptism of fire” really meant during the days of Acts 2 as well as what it still means for us today. This is why I had to go into a bit of detail about the Hebrew understanding of “fire” first.
The Hebrew letters that make up the word Shabua (H7620) are:
Shan - teeth, consume, sharp, divide
Bayat – house, family, “in”
Uau – nail, hook, secure, connect, add, Messiah
Ayan – see, know, experience, watch, heed
Without understanding the Hebrew letter shan, and how it’s used when it comes to the Hebrew word for “fire” and its connection to the prophecy and promise of the Holy Spirit in its fulfillment, we might miss the significance that this word brings to this appointed time, which has been fulfilled through our Messiah.
Shabua means: “Know who secures the house/family by the fire that consumes.”
Again, the fire of Yahuah will either consume to seal and refine us, or consume to judge and destroy us.
Remember how I said in the beginning that the key word I wanted to focus on was “added to?”
“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
Acts 2:41
“And the Master added to the assembly daily those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:47
Who secures/adds to the family?
YAHUSHA.
Who counts the sheep?
YAHUSHA.
In other words, it could be further broken down like this:
“Know/see/experience/heed (ayan) the one (Messiah) who secures/connects/adds (uau) to the house/family (bayat) by the fire that consumes (shan) through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
THIS IS SHABUA!!
Acts 2 says that Yahusha added people to His Father’s house daily. It is the baptism of fire that is given to anyone who desires in their heart to give their lives to follow Yahusha.
Just one word can carry so much truth and revelation. That is how deep and unsearchable the riches of Yahuah’s word truly are. But this is the gift we are given because of Yahusha!! It is a fire that consumes you, refines you, disciplines you, loves on you, and gives you the ability to repent and die to your flesh so that you can see just a glimpse of the glory that is waiting to be revealed to us when Yahusha returns.
Happy Shabua!!
With Love,
Stephanie Green