חג השבועות תשפ״ה

There is much confusion concerning when to celebrate two important days on the Biblical calendar. The first date corresponds with the very day that our L-rd Yeshua was raised from the dead. Twice the Apostle Paul called our Messiah in First Corinthians 15 by the term ἀπαρχὴ, firstfruits (See 1 Corinthians 15:20 and 23). The day is called in Hebrew רֵאשִׁ֥ית and relates to the beginning of the barley harvest. The second day is a Biblical Festival called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. Whereas the day of firstfruits begins the counting period, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) concludes this fifty day period. The term Pentecost is derived from the Greek word for fifty, relating to this fifty day period.

The Bible clearly shows a relationship between these two important days and since both the Resurrection of Yeshua and the primary event that took place on Pentecost are foundational to our faith, it is incumbent upon all believers to understand the Scriptural significance of these two days. In order to accomplish this endeavor, the primary passage which will be studied in this article will be from the book of Leviticus and chapter 23. The first day when the counting begins takes place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Bible does not give a specific calendar date for when to observe either the day of firstfruits or the Feast of Weeks; rather, there is a formula which the Law of Moses provides.

Let us thoroughly and properly study a few verses from this passage found in Leviticus chapter 23.

ט

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

“And the L-rd spoke to Moses saying,”

י

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם וּקְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־קְצִירָ֑הּ וַהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם אֶת־עֹ֛מֶר רֵאשִׁ֥ית קְצִירְכֶ֖ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

“Speak to the Children of Israel and you will say to them, for you will come to the Land which I am giving for you and you will harvest its harvest and you will bring the first sheave of your harvest to the priest.”

יא

וְהֵנִ֧יף אֶת־הָעֹ֛מֶר לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֑ם מִֽמׇּחֳרַת֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת יְנִיפֶ֖נּוּ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

“And he will wave the sheave before the L-rd for your acceptance from the day after the Shabbat, the priest will wave it.”

טו

וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמׇּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃

“You will count for yourself from the day after the Shabbat from the day you brought the sheave of the waving seven weeks, they shall be complete (weeks).”

טז

עַ֣ד מִֽמׇּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַיהֹוָֽה׃

וְהֵנִ֣יף הַכֹּהֵ֣ן ׀ אֹתָ֡ם עַל֩ לֶ֨חֶם הַבִּכֻּרִ֤ים תְּנוּפָה֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה עַל־שְׁנֵ֖י כְּבָשִׂ֑ים קֹ֛דֶשׁ יִהְי֥וּ לַיהֹוָ֖ה לַכֹּהֵֽן׃

“Until the day after the seventh Shabbat you shall count fifty days and you shall offer a new grain offering to the L-rd. The priest will wave them on bread, the firstfruits waving before the L-rd on two sheep sanctified; they shall be to the L-rd by the priest.”

*****

This particular passage begins with a very frequent statement in the Torah, “And the L-rd spoke to Moses saying,” (See verse 9). The purpose of this verse is to inform the reader that Moses is receiving direct revelation from G-d. In the next verse, verse 10, Moses is told to share this revelation with the Children of Israel. The Torah became mandatory after the Children of Israel entered into the Land of Israel. The harvest to which is being referred in this verse is the barley harvest. It takes place early in the spring and begins with a special commandment. There is a Hebrew word which relates to this harvest, it is the word עֹ֛מֶר and I translated it as a sheave. It is a requirement to bring the first of the harvest to a priest and upon receiving it the priest must wave this offering (See verse 11). This wave offering relates to the concept of victory and this provides a foundational truth concerning the resurrection of Yeshua. It is not a coincidence that His resurrection took place on this day. It is through the fact that G-d, the Father raised His Only Begotten Son from the dead that one can be assured that what Yeshua did on Passover, the day on which He was crucified and died, He achieved redemption for those who will accept His death as the full payment for their sins.  When paying close attention to verse 11, one reads that this wave offering reveals what Yeshua’s work of redemption achieved for the believer. It is stated in this verse,

“And he will wave the sheave before the L-rd for your acceptance from the day after the Shabbat, the priest will wave it.”

The Messiah’s death, and G-d’s confirmation of His work by raising Him from the dead, teach believers that we can be assured of our acceptance by G-d, as it is stated, “And he will wave the sheave before the L-rd for your acceptance”. It is only through the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua that believers can receive the absolute assurance that we will be accepted by G-d into His Kingdom. Resurrection day, known as רֵאשִׁ֥ית begins the counting of the עֹ֛מֶר. There are no dates provided in this section; rather it is the Biblical formula which must be followed to arrive at the beginning of the counting and the day which the counting concludes, the Feast of Weeks, Pentecost. The formula is not complicated and assures that the one who utilizes it will indeed observe these special days at the proper times. The formula is as follows – one comes to the first day of Unleavened Bead, the 15th day of Nissan, and then waits to the first seventh day Shabbat. The next day is רֵאשִׁ֥ית, the day the counting begins. In verse 15, one reads,

“You will count for yourself from the day after the Shabbat from the day you brought the sheave of the waving seven weeks, they shall be complete (weeks).”

It must be pointed out that Judaism understands the term מִֽמׇּחֳרַת֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת, “from the day after the Shabbat”, as referring to the High Shabbat, i.e., the first day of Unleavened Bread, the 15th day of Nissan. This means that currently, according to Judaism, the beginning of the counting is set on the 16th day of Nissan. We will see that Biblically, this is not correct. Our Scripture passages conclude with verse 16 which states,

“Until the day after the seventh Shabbat you shall count fifty days and you shall offer a new grain offering to the L-rd. The priest will wave them on bread, the firstfruits waving before the L-rd on two sheep sanctified; they shall be to the L-rd by the priest.”

If the term מִֽמׇּחֳרַת֙ הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת, “from the day after the Shabbat”  means after the High Shabbat of the first day of Unleavened Bread, then there is a serious Biblical contradiction. It states in our verse, “Until the day after the seventh Shabbat”. If the term means as Judaism interprets a High Shabbat, then the problem is that there are not seven High Shabbats during this period. The Biblical text states that we are commanded to count seven complete weeks; therefore the term Shabbat must be the regular seventh day weekly Shabbat. The next day would then be the fiftieth day or the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). This would mean that Yeshua would have been raised from the dead on a Sunday as the Scriptures state. And in addition to this, the Feast of Weeks must also be on the first day of the week. It is only this interpretation that agrees with the Bible and poses no theological contradictions.

In conclusion, the counting conveys an expectation or an anticipation which is fulfilled with the giving of the Holy Spirit on the Festival of Weeks (Pentecost).

May you have a meaningful observance of this special Festival of the L-rd!