It took 50 days (49 + 1) in order for Yisrael to reach their destination at Mt. Sinai. The number 50 in Torah has to do with jubilee. It is a time when the captives are set free and all debts are cancelled.
The people of Yisrael in that seven week period had become a holy nation. It is also the time of the first (spring) of two annual harvests. YHWH called His nation His Am Segulah or Treasured People. It was there at Mt. Sinai that YHWH offered His Torah to Yisrael and they accepted.
It was with a great display of lightenings and thunderings (lit. torches and voices in Hebrew) that YHWH brought Yisrael to be His betrothed bride. The restoration of the Whole House of Israel (12 Tribes) is today in great need of transformation. As we look out on the landscape of the Messianic restoration it almost looks like an impossible hope that Yisrael might ever become ONE nation again. However, what is impossible with men is most definitely possible with YHWH! So as we enter this Omer count today, let us with great faith believe that what YHWH did for Yisrael of old, He will again do for Yisrael today. It is written and prophesied in YHWH's word that the Taberncacle of David will again be raised up. Yet it will not be with the ingenuity and strength of men. No! It will be by His Ruach! Please read over the following instructions on counting the Omer with heart felt kavanah/intensity as you count and pray for YHWH to do a great work of transformation for you and the remnant of the Whole House of Israel. Cry out for your own heart, and for Israel as a whole. May YHWH hear our cry and answer us. O Abba YHWH, know our thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting. (Tehillim/Psalms 139:23-24)
Basics Of The Feast Of HaBikurrim/Firstfruits
“Then Yhwh spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before Yhwh for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to Yhwh. Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths {of an ephah} of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to Yhwh {for} a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your Elohim, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings"
First let’s regress a bit and look at one of the opening verses of this chapter. Here we find YHWH speaking to Moshe about the Feasts which all of Yisrael were to celebrate. The very first Feast is a weekly celebration. It is known as Shabbat. “For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to Yhwh in all your dwellings.” Vayikra/Leviticus 23:3 NASB)
This weekly Feast becomes the foundation upon which all the rest of the Feasts of YHWH are built. It is a declaration by YHWH Himself that sets apart, makes holy, a particular day of the week. In their essence, all days of the week are no different than any other. However, when the Creator designates that a particular day is to be an exception, then it makes that day special in and of itself. For all Yisrael, the weekly Shabbat is to be considered a major point of convergence in our faith. It sets us apart from all the other nations. It reveals our trusting faithfulness to our Elohim. The rabbis say it is the wedding ring for Yisrael. It shows that all Yisrael surrenders itself to the will and purpose of YHWH our Elohim in a spirit of love and obedience to His Loving Instructions..
Then, we pick up a new train of thought with verse four. This I believe is a very important point. YHWH first explains to us what a Shabbat is. Then He gives to Moshe His order for the further celebration of His seven Feasts. Within the context of these instructions YHWH again sets apart certain days within those celebrations as Shabbaton or High Shabbats/Sabbaths which in essence are annual in nature. These rest days, because they are contained in a passage that expresses a new train of thought, should be viewed as different from the weekly Shabbat. I will give further clarification for this shortly. For the moment, simply mark the point that the annual Shabbats of these seven moedim are different than the weekly Shabbat upon which they are built. The commonthread is what makes these [Shabbats] different is that YHWH Himself has singled them out, set them apart, and therefore they are holy.
YHWH tells Moshe that Yisrael was to begin celebrating the Feast of HaBikkurim/Firstfruits - when you enter the land (vs. 10a). They are further told and reap its harvest (vs. 10b). So we know when the time to celebrate HaBikkurim was to begin for Yisrael. It was to begin at the time of the spring harvest. The crop that is harvested at the beginning of spring is barley. It was the first plant that came to fruition at this time in Yisrael. YHWH commanded that a sheaf (Omer) of the barley crop be cut down and brought to the High Priest. In turn, the High Priest would wave the sheaf before YHWH. Then a measure, an omer, of the barley was beaten and sifted until it was pure, and it was presented to YHWH as an offering of blessing for the barley harvest. We are now about to approach the first point of contention surrounding this whole process.
When was the sheaf to be waved?
Which Shabbat Is Being Referred To?
I believe most doctrinal errors find their entrance through a very simple means: the failure to adhere to good hermeneutics or laws of interpretation. Hermeneutics is the means of arriving at the proper intended meaning as put forth in all written works. Without these principles or guidelines, then we are open to the subjective whims of any one who may want to inject their own personal biases and ideas. Somehow, when it comes to the Scriptures these guiding principles are ignored and excused simply by saying, The Spirit led me. However, if we want to know the Truth, then the simple use of good hermeneutics coupled with the leading of the Ruach HaKodesh is imperative.
This is exactly the difficulty, I believe, we are facing here in our study. I personally believe, much of the confusion could be avoided if we simply stay within the guidelines of good hermeneutics. If you understand that the verses containing the weekly Shabbat (vs.s 1-3) here in Vayikra/Leviticus chapter 23 are one thought: then a new thought begins at verse 4; it should be quite clear that it is logical to leave the previous verses behind and start focusing on the thoughts contained in this new passage. If we ignore this progression of thought, then we end up confusing the context of the passage beginning with verse 4. We fail to understand why YHWH put the weekly Shabbat at the head of this chapter. The weekly Shabbat is a day that He singles out from all the rest of the days of the week. As we have said, until YHWH does this, there is no difference between one day and another. When YHWH chooses a day and calls it a Shabbat, then that act sanctifies that day. It becomes holy or set apart. Why did YHWH do this?
Within the verses following YHWH’s declaration of the weekly Shabbat, He is about to set apart some other days. These will become holy too, but there is a main difference. The weekly Shabbat is connected to the time and space of this present world. It is a sign that points toward YHWH’s great Shabbat; the reign of YHWH on earth in His millennial kingdom through the Mashiach. It is a sign post placed in time to let us know something greater is in view than just a day of rest. The Shabbats contained within verses 4-22 are what is called Hebraically, Shabbatons or High Shabbats/Sabbaths [annual]. These holy convocations find their origin outside the dimension of time and space. The rabbis say, they come from the eternals of Adonai. We will pick up on this a little later. Our point is that there are two different types of Shabbats referred to in this chapter.
How do we know which Shabbat is being addressed? We simply apply the laws of hermeneutics. YHWH expresses one thought in the opening of this chapter that covers three verses. It is the weekly Shabbat. Then in verse 4 He begins an entirely different thought. Now in applying the laws of interpretation/hermeneutics we must not go outside this section beginning at verses 4-22 to obtain the meaning of things spoken within this passage. We must simply let Scripture interpret Scripture. The only reason we would need to do otherwise is if there is nothing within the parameters of these verses that explains or defines the usage of words found therein. Now let us ask, “Is there information given within these verses that will allow us to determine what kind of Shabbat is being referred to in the verse at hand?” The answer is YES!
“Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Yhwh; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to Yhwh. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work” (Vayikra/Leviticus 23:6-8 NASB)
All we have to do is look at verses 6-8 and we will find our answer. Most all Biblical scholars (Jewish and Christian) agree that the holy convocations being spoken of here are to be understood as Shabbats. Though not a weekly Shabbat, they are nonetheless Shabbats because YHWH set them apart as days in which common work is not to be done. By definition, this is a Shabbat. These Shabbats associated with the Feasts of YHWH are Shabbatons or High Shabbats [annual]. Every thing from verse 4-22 can be defined from within these parameters. So, the Shabbat referred to in verse 11 is the Shabbaton and not the weekly Shabbat. The timing of the waving of the barley sheaf is the day AFTER the first Shabbaton that began the Feast of Unleavened Bread! Putting The Timeline Of The First Three Feasts Into Perspective YHWH has a particular order in which the Feasts are designed to flow. First we have Pesach or Passover. It happens on Aviv 14. Immediately following the sundown of Aviv 14 starts the Feast of Unleavened Bread (HaMatzot) erev Aviv 15. This also begins the first instance of YHWH instituting a Shabbat separate from the weekly 7th day Shabbat. This other Shabbat is a Shabbaton or a High Shabbat [annual]. At sundown on Aviv 15 begins the eve or erev of Aviv 16. This is the start of the Feast of HaBikkurim/Firstfruits. It is the time when the barley sheaf (Omer) is brought to the High Priest and he waves it. On that evening, which is Hebraically the start of the day of Aviv 16, after the waving of the sheaf, begins the 50 day (49 +1) period of counting the Omer. The end of this counting process will culminate in the final spring Feast, which is Shavuot or as it also known, the Feast of Weeks. This is a very simple mode of progression. However, I believe the further confusion comes as a result of certain texts that are used in the translation from which most modern Bibles originate. Here is a case in point, the Masoretic Texts’ use of Sabbath to point to the time when the Omer count begins. The Masoretic Text is the translation from which most Bibles today are based. However, the Septuagint, which pre-dates the Masoretic Text, seems to make the understanding of the original intent of the Hebrew clearer. Upon the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are some of the oldest manuscripts of the original texts available, they too agree more with the Septuagint in many instances than with the Masoretic Text. This should not be taken to mean that YHWH’s Word contains errors. The problem comes in arriving at clarity when using translations of the originals. Sometimes one translation may make things clearer than another. This point will become clearer below. Counting The Omer: Is It The Counting of Shabbats or Weeks? Almost all Bibles using the Masoretic Text use the same words to describe the process of counting the Omer. The focus is on the counting of weekly Shabbats. “You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the SABBATH, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete SABBATHS. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh SABBATH; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.” (Vayikra/Leviticus 23:15-16 NASB- emphasis mine) The first Shabbat found here in verse 15 can be understood by using the same principle we did to understand the Shabbat in verse 11. It is a Shabbaton, not the weekly Shabbat. However, if we make the first Shabbat of verse 15 to be a weekly Shabbat, then you simply count seven complete weekly Shabbats, and then add one day and you arrive at the Feast of Shavuot. I believe this creates another issue in regards to the necessity of actually counting the days of the Omer! The immediate problem, at least contextually, is the first Shabbat is not a weekly Shabbat, as I believe has already been pointed out. The contextual intent is that the first Shabbat of verse 15 is to be understood as a Shabbaton. However, if that is true, then what about the second Shabbat in the verse? Are we to count seven weekly Shabbats? If the second Shabbat is a Shabbaton, does that mean we are to count seven of those? That’s impossible because there aren’t seven Shabbatons within that 50 day period. Is there something we are missing? Let’s take a moment and ask a question that may help clarify this issue. At the end of the fifty day period of counting the Omer, what is our destination? The Feast of Shavuot, right? Now, let’s ask another question. What is another name of the Feast of Shavuot? It is the Feast of Weeks. Did you see that? Read it again. It is F-E-A-S-T O-F W-E-E-K-S. It is NOT the Feast of Shabbats or Shabbatons. Then why are we counting SHABBATS? (see Devarim/Deuteronomy 16:9-10- Shavuot is called Feast of Weeks) Again, I believe it is because the Masoretic Text poorly interprets the meaning of the original Hebrew text to be weekly Shabbats. The fact is it should be WEEKS that we are counting. I will show this possibility from two sources. First I will quote from the Septuagint. “And you shall number yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day on which you will offer the sheaf of the heave offering, SEVEN FULL WEEKS. Until the day after the last WEEK you shall number fifty days, and shall bring a new grain offering to the Lord.” (Leviticus 23:15-16 Septuagint-emphasis mine)from the day after the Shabbaton of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. However, that’s irrelevant, because we are counting days of WEEKS not weeks of Shabbats when we count the Omer. The 50th day of the counting of the Omer, according to the above texts, is the day immediately following the final day of the SEVENTH complete WEEK. Again, WEEKS seems to make more contextual sense because our destination is the Feast of Shavuot, also known as the Feast of WEEKS.
The Necessity Of Counting The Omer
One important problem, if we use the method of counting weekly Shabbats, is it actually reduces the necessity to obey YHWH’s command to count the Omer daily. In reality, you wouldn’t have to count days by counting Shabbats; you would simply count seven weekly Shabbats. Then you add a day and you’re at Shavuot. That method would also make Shavuot fall on the same week day every time. Guess what day that is? Sunday! It would seem to me with all that YHWH has done in this restoration to reveal the pagan practices that have been added to the worship habits of the house Ephraim; somebody would at least take a moment to consider the possibility that there is something suspect about a practice that ALWAYS has a SUNday emphasis.
However, unlike the first three of the spring Feasts, Shavuot, the last one, has no set date. That’s because to get there it seems YHWH intends for us to COUNT! The dates NEVER change for the first two Spring Feasts. They are always Aviv 15, and 22.. While those dates are static, the actual day of the week upon which they fall does change. Therefore you MUST count the 49 days + 1 in order to arrive at the right day for the celebration of Shavuot. To end right, you must start right.
Moedims are shabbats
“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and {that} they might be taken away. So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first man and of the other who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.” (Yochanon/John 19:30-33 NASB)
The Meaning And Purpose Of The Feast Of HaBikkurim
Why all the confusion that surrounds this Feast? It’s because it points to the promise of resurrection. hasatan (may his name be blotted out forever) made a terrible mistake when he allowed our blessed Master Yahwshua to be put to death on that execution stake. He was completely clueless to the wisdom with which YHWH was working out His redemptive plan. Had he known, he would have done all that he could to keep Him off that stake. Instead, he put Him there, and made sure our blessed Master died. The moment Yahwshua breathed His last breath the damage was done. Now hastan’s only hope was to keep Yeshua in that grave. But he failed there too. Rav Sha’ul uses seven Greek words in his letter to the Ephesians to describe how much power it took to raise Yahwshua from the dead. All of hell was intent on holding Him in that grave. The fact is, that Yahwshua HaMashiach was raised just as Aviv 17 was about to end and Aviv 18 was about to begin. Aviv 17 day would have been on Saturday, the weekly Shabbat the year of these festival dates. The erev of Aviv 18 would have begun on that Saturday after sundown. So, just as the light of Aviv 17 was giving way to the darkness of erev/eve of that Saturday evening Aviv 18; just in that twinkling of the moment between the change of the Hebraic days our Master Yeshua arose from the grave…ALIVE!
Also, in biblical numerics, 17 is a product of the number 14 which = salvation + the number 3 which = resurrection. The number 17 is the biblical number for victory! The number 16 is the product of the number 8 which is doubled. The Hebrew letter chet is given the numerical value of 8 in Gematria. This is the practice of assigning numerical values to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
* "shabats" has many meanings in hebrew: seventh day of the week, weeks , seven-day periods, annual holy days (moedim).