From the foundations of creation, before Sinai and long before Acts 2, Shavuot has stood as an eternal witness to Yahuah’s covenant with His people. It is not merely a feast (re)introduced at Mount Sinai—it is a heavenly appointment, kept by Yahuah Himself, honored by Yeshua, and celebrated by the angels. 

According to the Book of Jubilees, this feast was observed in the heavenly realms and established as a lasting ordinance for generations long before the Torah was handed down to Moses. 

In Jubilees 6:17-22 a messenger of the Most High – an Angel – explained to Moses how Shavuot had been observed since the Creation.

For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month once a year, to renew the covenant every year.  And this whole festival was celebrated in heaven from the day of creation till the days of Noah—twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years: and Noah and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noah’s death.  And from the day of Noah’s death, his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they ate blood.  

But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the children of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain.  

And do thou command the children of Israel to observe this feast in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the feast.  For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first-fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it, celebrate it.

R.H.Charles Translation.

Shavuot is often described as a spring harvest feast or the day the commandments were given at Mount Sinai, but its meaning stretches far beyond a single event in Hebrew history. It is a divine dress rehearsal—an appointed time that reverberates through eternity. And because of this eternal significance, Shavuot holds deep relevance for all believers walking in faith today.

Many believers today are unfamiliar with Shavuot and are only vaguely aware of the biblical calendar of Yah’s appointed feast days. This gap in understanding isn’t surprising — most churches rarely teach from the First Covenant (Old Testament), leaving Shavuot and the other set-apart times feeling foreign or irrelevant to modern faith. Yet these sacred appointments were never meant to be forgotten.

Shavuot is deeply rooted in the lives of the people of the Way. The connection to the Levitical Priesthood can be found in the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs. In the Testament of Levi, a prophetic vision was given to Jacob’s son Levi concerning the priesthood, the coming Messiah, and the final judgment.

And the angel opened to me the gates of heaven, and I saw the holy temple, and upon a throne of glory the Most High.  And he said to me, “Levi, I have given you the blessings of the priesthood until I come and dwell in the midst of Israel.”  Then the angel brought me down to the earth and gave me a shield and a sword and said to me: “Execute vengeance on Shechem because of Dinah, your sister, and I will be with you, for the Lord has sent me.”  And I destroyed at that time the sons of Hamor, as it is written in the tablets of the fathers.  And I said to him, “I pray you, Lord, tell me your name, so that I may call on you in the day of tribulation.”  And he said: “I am the angel who intercedes for the nation of Israel, so that they may not be struck down entirely, for every evil spirit attacks it.”  And after these things I awoke and blessed the Most High and the angel who intercedes for the nation of Israel and for all the righteous.  And when I came to my father I found a bronze breastplate; so I put it on and fought beside my brothers against Shechem.

Testament of Levi 8:3–10 Charlesworth translation (with light modernization for readability)

It was during Shavuot that Noah was given the sign of the Covenant – a rainbow. Here is an explanation of how the rainbow, Yah’s covenant with Noah, and the timing of Shavuot intersect:

After the flood, Yahuah establishes a covenant with Noah and all living creatures:

I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth… The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between Elohim and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.

Genesis 9:13-16  

The rainbow is a sign or token of an everlasting covenant — one of peace and mercy — that Yahuah made with Noah after cleansing the earth by water. The Hebrew word for sign is ‘oth’ and can mean a signal, flag, beacon, monument, or evidence.

A deeper connection can be found in Jubilees 6 where we learn that the renewal of the covenant with Noah was made during the third month—the same biblical timing as Shavuot:

“For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tablets, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month—once a year—to renew the covenant every year.”

Jubilees 6:17-18

“For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature… as it is written and engraved concerning it, celebrate it. And do thou command the children of Yisrael to observe this feast in all their generations, for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this month they shall celebrate the feast.”

Jubilees 6:21-22

The connection point is this: the rainbow and the covenant in Genesis 9 (post-flood) align with the timing and purpose of Shavuot in Jubilees 6 — a divine appointment of covenant renewal. 

Abraham observed Shavuot in the third month as a covenant feast:

And this whole feast was written in the heavenly tablets: it was ordained and written regarding the children of Israel that they should observe it every year… [Noah] ordained it for himself as a feast forever… and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, they too observed it as a feast.

Jubilees 6:17-22 

Contextually, Jubilees 14 describes Abram offering sacrifices, and then receiving a covenant from Yahuah. The timing, while not explicitly named Shavuot, corresponds with the same calendar window (in the third month). This positions Abram’s covenant as possibly aligned with the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot.

In the fifth year of the fourth week of this jubilee, in the third month, in the middle of the month, Abram celebrated the feast of the first fruit of the grain harvest.

Jubilees 15:1

Jacob observes Shavuot:

And Jacob remembered the words which his father Abraham had commanded him, and these words were written in the book of the words of Enoch…And Jacob celebrated the feast of weeks in its season… Jubilees 44:4-5

Why all this  Matters

• The rainbow is a visible sign of a divine covenant.
• Shavuot, according to  Jubilees, is the set time appointed for the renewal of that covenant—not only for Israel but originally established with Noah and all creation.
• This shows that Shavuot’s meaning predates Mt. Sinai and has been part of Yahuah’s covenantal cycle since the beginning.

Covenant Meals in Hebrew Tradition

Covenant meals serve as physical affirmations of spiritual covenants—from Genesis to Exodus and beyond. Again, Shavuot was not introduced at Sinai—it was reintroduced, affirming an eternal pattern set in motion from the days of the patriarchs and prior.

Covenant meals serve as key markers of divine agreements throughout the Tanakh.¹ They symbolize agreement, shared destiny, and peace with Yah and one another.

In Genesis 18:1-8, when Abraham hosted three visitors with a meal just before the promise of Isaac, this act mirrored a covenant fellowship meal. Another example of this is when Moses, Aaron, and the elders ate and drank on Mt. Sinai after receiving the covenant (Exodus 24:9-11). Also, Jacob and Laban cut a covenant and shared a meal in Genesis 31:44-46. 

The Pentecost Connection to Shavuot

The events of Acts 2, often referred to as Pentecost, do not mark the beginning of something new but the powerful fulfillment of a divine appointment. Yeshua’s promise to send the Ruach is fulfilled and put on full display. Through both ‘tongues of fire’ that fell on those assembled in the Upper Room and the ability of feast goers to hear Peter’s sermon in their own tongue, it is a promise kept.

Before his ascension, Yeshua made a specific promise. 

 “And I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive…” John 14:16–17 

In an earlier chapter, Yeshua instructed his disciples to wait in Jerusalem for something major, and that something would arrive on Shavuot/Pentecost – 50 days after his resurrection.

 “…wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” Acts 1:4-5

When the Spirit came, it was unmistakable, unforgettable, and deeply symbolic:

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind…  And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as of fire…  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues…” Acts 2:2-4

Why fire? Why tongues?

Fire represents the Divine presence (think burning bush in Exodus 3, fire on Sinai in Exodus 19)

In the context of tongues or languages, what happened at Babel (Genesis 11)  is now being reversed. There, under the rulership of Nimrod, speech was divided. Here, they unite under the truth and power of the set apart Spirit. And it wasn’t gibberish. Visitors from all over the known world — devout men from every nation under heaven  (Acts 2:5) — heard Peter’s message in their own native tongues. This is next-level stuff; something significantly better, more advanced, and more impressive than what came before it or what is considered normal.

“…we do hear them speak in our tongues about the wonderful works of God.” Acts 2:11

This was a supernatural gathering, and it happened on the divinely appointed feast of Shavuot, the day when Israelites from all tribes and tongues would already be in Jerusalem.

This was not just a sign of power  — it was a signal flare to the nations.

The Day of the Lord – Foreshadowed

Peter doesn’t just explain the phenomenon—he links it to prophecy:

“But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel…  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh…before the great and notable day of the Lord come.” Acts 2:16–20

This outpouring is a foreshadowing of the Day of the Lord — the final reckoning and restoration. Here’s what that looks like:

• The Spirit is poured out as an early rain (Joel 2:23)
• Signs and wonders—like tongues, prophecy, dreams—point to divine disruption.
• A great harvest is brought in – 3,000 souls that day alone (Acts 2:41) – mirroring the 3,000 lost at the golden calf incident. (Exodus 32:28)

All of it prepares the faithful for what’s still ahead—the Day of the Lord, when justice, judgment, and restoration converge.

This Pentecost moment wasn’t the finish line. It was the ignition point, a moment that birthed the early ekklesia, honored ancient covenant timing, and previewed the tectonic shift of the foretold Day of the Lord. HalleluYah!

Ways To Observe Shavuot Today

While we reside in this earthly wilderness awaiting Yeshua’s return we can still memorialize this important day. Here are some ideas:

• Gather in community to worship and recommit to covenant faith and observance
• Take responsibility for your faith journey through regular study of the Scriptures
• Pray for a fresh anointing of the Ruach
• Review and honor covenant duties
• Ask for forgiveness and forgive others 

Shalom.

Footnotes

¹ Tanakh is an acronym, made from the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text’s three traditional divisions: Torah (literally ‘Instruction’ or ‘Law’), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)—hence TaNaKh.