Tag Archives: Feast of Weeks

Why Count the Omer?

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It’s a biblical command:

And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to YHVH. (Lev 23:15–16)

Other than the fact that YHVH commands us to do so, why do we count the omer each day as we count down 49 days or seven weeks to the Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavuot) or Pentecost? What can we learn from fulfilling this command?

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  • We are counting down with excitement and anticipation the 49 days until Shavuot, which is the anniversary of our forefathers receiving YHVH’s instructions in righteousness (the Torah) at Mount Sinai. For us, it’s like experiencing the joy of receiving the Torah all over again for the first time.
  • We are counting down with excitement and anticipation the 49 days until Shavuot, which is the anniversary of our forefathers receiving YHVH’s instructions in righteousness (the Torah) at Mount Sinai. For us, it’s like experiencing the joy of receiving the Torah all over again for the first time.

    Each person individually is to participate in the counting of the omer, since the Torah commands us to “count for yourselves” (Lev 23:15). This teaches us that each individual is to count down with anticipation the days toward Shavuot — the anniversary of the day that YHVH gave his Torah to Israel. Each person should be excited about receiving the Torah — YHVH’s divine instructions on how to live abundantly both physically and spiritually. YHVH gave his people 49 days to prepare themselves to meet him on this momentous occasion. The children of Israel met YHVH at Mount Sinai and were given the Torah, and the early book of Acts believers met YHVH in the upper room on the day of Pentecost when they received the Holy Spirit and had YHVH’s Torah written on their hearts. We celebrate this anniversary each year when we count the omer. This further teaches us that as the counting of the omer is an individual experience, even so, obedience to the Torah is an individual experience. Each of us must obey YHVH’s commandments, and YHVH will eventually judge each of us individually on how obedient we were in keeping his laws, which will determine our level of rewards in his kingdom (Matt 5:19; 16:27; Rev 22:12).

  • We are counting down with anticipation seven weeks until Shavuot, which is the anniversary of the disciples of Yeshua receiving the power of the Holy Spirit (Heb. Ruach HaKodesh) on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. On this day, the Torah was written on their hearts thus empowering them to love Elohim and one’s fellow man more fully by keeping his Torah commands both in the letter and in the spirit (heart and mind).
  • We are counting the omer in anticipation of the late spring wheat harvest in the land of Israel, which occurs at Shavuot. Most of us aren’t wheat farmers, but there’s still a spiritual lesson to be learned from this. The wheat harvest is a picture of the spiritual harvest of souls during this age, and our need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped with its powerful gifts to more effectively reach out to those around us with the message of the gospel and the kingdom of Elohim. Yeshua has commissioned us to help bring that spiritual harvest of people into his kingdom.
  • The counting of the omer is about spiritual refinement. When the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt, they became defiled with the ways of that pagan nation. At Shavuot, the Israelites become a holy nation before YHVH and become the bride of YHVH in a spiritual sense.  On Passover, the Israelites came under the blood of the lamb, which is a picture of their sins being cleansed by Yeshua, the Lamb of Elohim. This was accompanied by their putting leaven out of their homes, which is a biblical metaphor for sin — something we must put out of our lives. On the next day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they left Egypt — called the Exodus. This is a picture of leaving  the world and sin behind as we set out on a journey to meet Elohim and to become his holy and righteous people. It’s about going from spiritual slavery to sin, the devil and this world to become Elohim’s chosen people.

Here is the blessing for the counting of the omer:

Baruch atah A-donai E-loheinu Melekh Ha-olam asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al S’firat Ha-omer.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to count the Omer.

To help you count the omer, print off a monthly calendar that conveniently has each day of the omer count listed on it. Go to http://hoshanarabbah.org/calendars.html

 

The Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai on Pentecost

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On Pentecost (Heb. Shavuot), YHVH gave his chosen people the Torah. Also on Shavuot, YHVH “married” Israel (Ezek 16:1–13) when he formulated a covenantal agreement with her to which she agreed when she said “I do” three times (Exod 19:8; 24:1–8). The Torah was the basis of that covenant, or the marriage vows, if you will, to which Israel swore allegiance.

Moses' shining face

YHVH gave his people the words of life to live by, but because of the hardness of their hearts they were not able to be faithful to his Torah. Like a wife who says “I do” in response to her wedding vows, but cannot remain faithful to her marriage covenant, so Scripture likens Israel to such a woman who became a spiritual harlot (Ezek 16:14–34).

In spite of Israel’s apostasy and spiritual whoredoms, YHVH had made promises to Abraham and to his descendants that were unconditional in nature. Whether Abraham’s descendants remained faithful to YHVH or not, YHVH’s promises to Abraham were inviolate. Though the Israelites had violated the vows they made to YHVH at Mount Sinai, he revealed to the ancient Hebrew prophets that he would eventually formulate a second renewed covenant with Israel, and this time he would pour out upon them his Spirit and write his Torah-laws in their hearts (Jer 31:31–33; 24:7; Ezek 11:19; 36:25–27).

On Passover at the last supper, YHVH-Yeshua betrothed himself to Israel all over again (Matt 26:28; 1 Cor 11:25). As a seal or pledge of this betrothal, he promised to send to his Continue reading →

 

Understanding Pentecost (Pt 2)

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Shavuot is the third festival in YHVH’s cyclical parade of annual sacred appointed times. It is also known as the Feast of the Harvest of the First Fruits (Exod 23:16), Day of First Fruits (Num 28:26) and the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot (which is Hebrew for weeks, Exod 34:22; Deut 16:10, 16; 2 Chr 8:13). Shavuot falls fifty days “from the day after the [weekly] Sabbath” (NKJV) that falls during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and hence the derivation of the name Pentecost (meaning “to count fifty”) as recorded in the Testimony of Yeshua (or New Testament/NT, Acts 2:16).

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YHVH through his Torah (the law of Moses) instructed his people that Shavuot was…

  • a day of rest where laborious or servile work was prohibited (Lev 23:21)
  • a commanded assembly (Lev 23:21)
  • a time when the priests offered up offerings and sacrifices (Lev 23:18–20)
  • a time when all males were to bring the tithes of the increase of their income (Exod 23:14–17; Deut 16:16)
  • a time when the priests were to offer up as a wave offering to YHVH two loaves of leavened bread made of the freshly harvested wheat (Lev. 23:17)
  • to occur where YHVH would place his name and all were to go there to celebrate it (Deut 16:11)
  • a time of rejoicing (Deut 16:11)
  • to be forever (Lev 23:21)

An Agricultural Festival With Prophetic Implications
Ancient Israel was an agricultural society that had a spring harvest of grain and a fall harvest of fruit. The spring harvest consisted of the smaller barley harvest, which began during the Days of Unleavened Bread, and the much larger wheat harvest occurring fifty days later at Shavuot. Both the barley and wheat harvests were prophetic pictures symbolizing new life and new creation, and both were presented to YHVH by the priests for his acceptance—a sheaf of barley on First Fruits Day on the Sunday during Hag HaMatzot (the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Lev 23:10–11), and two loaves of leavened wheat bread on Shavuot (Lev 23:17).

On First Fruits Day, the priests of Israel would raise the newly harvested barley and wave it Continue reading →

 

New Video: The Feast of Pentecost Unveiled

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Many people have only  a vague understanding of Pentecost, even though some churches have incorporated this term into their name. The early church celebrated this biblical feast, so why don’t we?

What are the deeper implications of this biblically commanded assembly?

In this video, learn how Pentecost relate to the grace of Elohim, the former and latter rain, the bride of Yeshua, YHVH’s instructions in righteousness and the second coming of Yeshua.

 

 

Understanding Pentecost / The Feast of Weeks

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The Feast of Pentecost or Feast of Weeks  (Heb. Shavuot) is nearly upon us. This year it will occur on Sunday, May 19. Over the next few days, I will be posting some information on this third of seven biblical feasts of YHVH Elohim.

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In the roughly 49 days between Passover (Pesach) and the Feast of Pentecost (Chag Shavuot), a momentous spiritual dynamic occurs. This period of time is comprised of forty-nine days or seven days of seven weeks, which is seven times seven—the biblical number for complete or full perfection. Add one day and you arrive at Pentecost. Fifty is the biblical picture of jubilee picturing redemption from the enslavement to this world.

Historically, the children of Israel were redeemed from their sins by the blood of the lamb on the first Passover in Egypt. At this time, YHVH betrothed himself to Israel (Exod 6:7). YHVH then led them out of Egypt into the wilderness, and on Shavuot he married them at Sinai (Exod 24 cp. Ezek 16:8; Jer 2:2; 31:32). At the same time, YHVH gave them his Torah, which was their ketubah or marriage vows.

Shavuot is a picture of the bride of Yeshua the Messiah coming into full maturity spiritually and coming to marriageable age. She has gone from being a spiritual child and slave in Egypt to becoming the fully mature spiritual bride and queen of the King of the universe.

At the time of Yeshua, he betrothed himself to both houses of Israel on Passover. Then, on Pentecost, he then sent his Spirit, the Comforter, as a seal of this covenant. He hasn’t married this bride (that’s you and me) yet — something that occurs at his second coming. In the mean time, he has placed her in a 2000-years-long wilderness to get ready for him — to fall in love with him (to love him by keeping his Torah commands; John 14:15) by receiving his Torah into their hearts.

In the end times, he’s going to bring his bride (the saints) out of the wilderness of Babylon (called the Second Exodus), and they will repent of their Torahless ways. We are now getting ready for this day.

Understanding the prophecies of the Bible that speak of these end-time events, and understanding who the principal players are (the two houses of Israel) is the key to insure that we’re ready for our Messiah — that we’ll be wise and not foolish virgins who have our lamps full of oil (the Torah and Spirit of Elohim).

Shavuot, along with Passover (Pesach) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) are three times each year when YHVH commands his people to gather together to celebrate before him (Exod 23:14–17).

Stay tuned. There’s more to come on this subject!

 

Counting the Omer—The Story of Your Life

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 From the Depths of Slavery to a Kingdom of  Priests

Every detail in Scripture is for our learning and edification. All the examples of the past are for our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Cor 10:11; Rom 15:4). Everyday, YHVH is uncovering the prophetic mysteries hidden in the Scriptures that are being revealed to those who diligently seek him by diligently studying to show themselves approved as a workman rightly dividing YHVH’s Word (2 Tim 2:15).

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YHVH’s command for us to count the omer as a countdown to the Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavuot; Gr. Pentecoste, Lev 23:15–16) memorializes the Israelites’ journey from spiritual babyhood to adulthood. During this 49-day count, Israel ascended from out of the depths of slavery and suffering in Egypt, was baptized in the Red Sea, and then arrived at Mount Sinai—a place of a spiritual standing before YHVH as a kingdom of priests (Exod 19:6). It was there that YHVH gave them his instructions in righteousness—the Torah on Shavuot. This period represents Israel’s passage from slavery to freedom. They came out of slavery permeated with the leaven—the sins, values, and pagan concepts—of Egypt leaving it all behind as pictured by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. YHVH gave Israel 49 days to overcome and to get rid of the impurities of Egypt, and to  become the nation Israel—a holy priesthood and the bride of YHVH. There, at the foot of Mount Sinai, YHVH wanted them to become his ambassadors to this world of his heavenly kingdom and truths.

The counting of the omer is the story of our lives also. It pictures our going from bondage to Continue reading →