Introduction
The Hebrew word for Sheaf is “Omer”. The Torah defines an Omer as the tenth part of an ephah (Exod. 16:36). In other words, an ephah contains 10 Omers of grain.
Leviticus 23:15-16 - You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.
The Torah’s Commandment
The Torah directs us to count seven weeks (49 days) between Nisan 16(During the Feast of Unleavened Bread) to Sivan 6 (Pentecost/Shavuot). This is known as the Counting of the Sheaves or in Hebrew “Sefirat Ha Omer.” (Lev. 23:15-16) This period marks the start of the barley harvest when the children of Israel would bring the first sheaves to the Temple to thank God for the harvest. The Priests would wave them before God (Lev. 8:27).
Deuteronomy 16:16 - Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
All of the festivals of Adonai are agricultural feasts. Passover is the barley harvest, Pentecost (Shavuot) is the wheat harvest while the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) is the fruit harvest. During the feast of Unleavened bread, barley was harvested and brought on Nisan 16 which was a minor first-fruit holiday celebration known as “Yom Ha Bikkurim” or “Reshit Katzir”. The waving of the Omer signifies the resurrection of Messiah and our future resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:20-23, Rom. 8:23, Jam. 1:18)
Interestingly, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot/Pentecost) is also a first-fruit harvest festival for wheat. Shavuot is also the day the disciples who they were the first fruits of Israel (Rom. 1:16), received the Holy Spirit which is a seal of God’s possession (Acts 2:1, Eph 1:14). Every year, after Israel commemorated the redemption by the Passover lamb on Pesach, they waited for the maturation of the wheat until Shavuot. Similarly, after the disciples received the Holy Spirit some three thousand souls were converted which is comparable to the first-fruits Israel gave (Acts 2:41). Shavuot still awaits a future fulfillment, since all who have been redeemed by the Passover lamb are counting days to the future as they mature until the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9).
Passover commemorates the initial redemption of Israel but Shavuot commemorates the fulfillment of the redemption process which resulted to Israel becoming a nation with its own laws and regulations. It was on Pentecost (Shavuot) that God gave the Ten commandments on Mt Sinai. Shavuot is a fulfillment of Passover. On Shavuot God gave his wedding contract (Torah), to Israel and also gave the disciples the Holy Spirit. In turn Israel went from being a slave nation to a free nation on both ‘Shavuots’. The Torah and the Holy Spirit gave them knowledge and power to overcome the enemy.
Therefore, Adonai commanded that every year we count the days of Omer to Shavuot to celebrate the redemption, because it was impossible for that generation alone to fathom such ‘instant freedom’. Adonai help us to count our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. (Psalms 90:12) On that first Shavuot, Israel became God’s people as they entered in covenant with Adonai at Mt Sinai, dubbed the Sinai Covenant.
Exodus 19:5-6 - Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Exodus 19:8 - All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
The Meaning of the Counting of the Sheaves
The days of the Counting of Omer provides us with an ideal opportunity for the 49 day spiritual journey to attain spiritual refinement and growth. The children of Israel also went through these 49 days before they received the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai. Spiritual growth is often compared to ascending a mountain, therefore it was necessary that that they would refine themselves to be worthy of this gift. Jewish tradition teaches that while in Egypt Israel had succumbed to 49 “levels of sin” which were 49 “levels of spiritual Impurity”. The remedy of this is Omer count which signifies the 49 “levels of spiritual purity”.
Shavuot is the culmination of Passover. The deliverance was for the sake of the revelation of the Torah. Since God is Holy and so is the divine Torah, the Israelites had to sanctify themselves before they encountered the Creator to receive His Torah.
The Messianic and Apostolic Counting of the Omer
It’s important to note that all post resurrection appearances of Yahshua took place during the days of the counting of the Omer. Luke informs us that he appeared for a total of about 40 days (Acts 1:3). He appeared five times on the first day of the week and later he appeared severally to the disciples and even taught them during those forty days before his ascension. In addition, it says that he was seen by over 500 witnesses at once (1 Cor. 15:6).
Before his ascension (which also happened during the final days of the count), he commanded the disciples not to leave Jerusalem until the fulfillment of the father’s promise (Acts 1:4, Luk. 24:49). While they waited, the disciples were not just waiting idly, they were counting the days of the Omer as they had done annually. They were examining themselves to become clean vessels which would receive the Holy Spirit. Israel received the Torah on the tablets of stone written by the hand of God (Exod. 31:18), on the other hand, the disciples received it on the tablets of their hearts written by the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor 3:3)
2 Cor 3:3 - And you show that you are a letter from Messiah delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
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