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Shalom,

Scripture references are from,
the SET (Stone Edition Tanach) or the CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) for the OT
and the PNT (Power New Testament) for the NT unless otherwise specified.

Acts 20:13. And, since we went on the boat before Paul, we set sail to Assos, intending to pick up Paul there: for having thus arranged he was going to travel by land. 14. And as he met us in Assos, after we took him aboard we came into Mitylene, 15. and having sailed from there, the next day we came opposite Chios, and the day after that we came into Samos, and the day after that we came into Miletus. 16. For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not lose time in Asia: for if he hastened it would be possible for him to be in Jerusalem for Shavuot.

Yawn, yawn, it reads like the old National Geographic documentaries, yawn yawn...until...!
Paul found himself in a bit of a hurry. We might even think that he was excited, about as much as a child at CHRISTmas time today.

For you to understand my logic you are going to need to learn some history.
Shavuot is also referred to as Shavu or Shavu'ot. In English we sometimes refer to it as the Festival of Weeks. It is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot see Jewish Interest for greater insight to Jewish HOLY Days). Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).

The period from Passover to Shavu'ot is a time of great anticipation. We count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu'ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks, hence the name of the festival (see The Counting of the Omer. Shavu'ot is also sometimes known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th day. The counting reminds us of the important connection between Passover and Shavu'ot: Passover freed us physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavu'ot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality.

It is very likely that Paul could have "connected the dots" about the events historically surrounding Shavu'ot. Since he was well schooled by the Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3), he would certainly have known the Jewish history connected to it. He was not present at the time but after having studied under the Apostles for a bit of time, surly we can assume that he had heard about the events of the Day of Pentecost as now recorded in Acts 2:1-4. Add this to his knowledge and anticipation for the return of Y'SHUA and we can probably infer that he may have been expecting that on this day Y'SHUA would return to take His Bride, The CHURCH. That on this day he might see The Born Again "Believers (Rom 11:13) "saved" from their physical bondage on this earth and caught up (Raptured) into the clouds with Y'SHUA to be with YHVH forever!

Another point that would in no way have been lost on Paul is that Shavu'ot celebrates "the GIVING" of The Torah, the instructions of YHVH. The Word or vow of YHVH unto mankind. The Word of YHVH which brought life to men. Knowing this may have brought him to thoughts of some of the teachings of Y'SHUA relayed to him by the Apostles where Y'SHUA said...
Jhn 14:6 Jesus said to him, �I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life: no one comes to the Father except through Me.
In other words he may have seen Y'SHUA as the living Torah, the living Promise or Vow of YHVH. He may have seen Y'SHUA as The vow made to Adam, Eve and the serpent in the garden east of Eden to bruise the head of the serpent. He may have seen Him as The Promise of YHVH made to Abraham to provide HIMself a Lamb. He may have seen Him as the Vow made to King David that his throne would never be deserted by his lineage. Paul may have seen Him as the Word given to Mary that The HOLY SPIRIT would overcome and impregnate her.

Whatever his level of understanding, he was excited!
Would this be the day, the time when the remainder of YHVH's promises about The CHRIST would be fulfilled and the world, especially the Jews, would come to know that The CHRIST was also The MESSIAH?
Would this be the Feast or Weeks?
Acts 20:16pp Paul...: if he hastened it would be possible for him to be in Jerusalem for Shavuot.
Are you excited about His coming?

Rev 21:2 Then I saw the holy city, (Is 52:1) new Jerusalem, descending from heaven, from God, prepared like a bride when she was adorned for her husband. (Is 61:10)
When YHVH's days of feasting begin, "Where will you be?"

Shalom,

Please note, as it has been pointed out to me elsewhere, that Paul knew that he had to go to Rome to suffer for his faith. This however does not exclude him anticipating the coming of The MESSIAH as well.

21:7. And we, completing the voyage from Tyre, reached Ptolmais and having greeted the brothers we stayed one day with them. 8. And the next day after we left we went into Caesarea and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5). We were staying with him. 9. And in this household there were four prophesying virgin daughters. 10. And while we were staying more days a certain prophet named Agabus (Ac 11:28) came down from Judea, 11. and when he came to us he took Paul�s belt, and after he bound his own feet and hands he said, �The Holy Spirit says these things, �The man whose belt this is, the Jewish people in Jerusalem will bind him in this manner and will give him over into the hands of the heathens.�� 12. And as we heard these things, both we and those from Caesarea were begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13. Then Paul answered, �What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am not only in readiness to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem on behalf of the name of the Lord Jesus.� (Acts 20:23) 14. And when he was not persuaded we fell silent saying, �The Lord�s will must continually be done.�
Please remember that Paul was a Zealot. He knew what YHVH wanted of him to a degree and he simply gets excited when he sees parts of it unfolding and/or confirming of the logos of YHVH. Even though he gets what most would consider a negative prophecy this excites him. It excites him because he knows that the hand of YHVH is upon him. He gets excited because to see YHVH's hand moving about him is to essentially see YHVH moving about him. It is to see an active and participating YHVH. When one sees YHVH with these eyes, one looks at what the world thinks is a hopeless scenario and discovers great hope within it.

Another point to note is even though Paul knew he had been directed to Rome, as he states here he is ready to die in Jerusalem if need be for YHVH. Thus although he knows that YHVH has set a "path" for him to head to Rome he is equally well aware that his life may end before he ever gets there. Thus as I stated in the onset it is possible that The MESSIAH could come and put an end to things long before he would ever get to the directed end of his journeys. Therefore it is possible that he was anticipating the coming of The MESSIAH to occur while he was in Jerusalem.