The Moedim – Waving of Firstfruits “omer ha’t’nufah”

This week we come to the waving of the first sheaf of the barley harvest which was to happen during the Feast of Unleavened Bread., as instructed by the Lord in Lev. 23:9-14, commonly called the Feast of Firstfruits. It actually marks the beginning of a period of 50 days to what we call Pentecost, which is called in Scripture the Feast of Firstfruits, or Feast of Weeks (Ex. 23:16a; Num. 28:26-31; Deut. 16:9-12)

So we will explore the relationship between these festivals and their prophetic symbolism relative to Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

What was to happen? Lev. 23:9-16

Not so much a festival as an event, but accompanied by offerings

1. They were to bring a sheaf of the Firstfruits of the harvest (barley is the first crop to ripen) on the day after the Sabbath
2. The sheaf was to be waved before the Lord (in the Tabernacle or Temple as that was where the Lord dwelt and where sacrifices were offered)
3. A one year old male lamb was to be offered as a burnt offering
4. Accompanied by a grain offering (2 omers) mixed with oil and burnt (unleavened, as it was during the days of unleavened bread, so it could be burnt), and 1 litre of wine
5. They could not eat of the harvest until the Firstfruits had been brought
6. They were to mark off 50 days starting with the day they brought the Firstfruits, the day after the Sabbath, until the day after the 7^th Sabbath, and then bring the first fruits of the wheat harvest – the day we call Pentecost, but which is known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Firstfruits, or Feast of Weeks

So the whole period is actually the period of Firstfruits, marked by waving of a sheaf on day 1, and the waving of two loaves of leavened bread on day 50 (Lev. 23:20 – they could not be burnt as they had leaven in Lev. 2:11-12), but were part of the peace offering aspect of that day’s sacrifices (Lev. 7:13; 23:19)

Note that Ruth gleaned Boaz’ fields from the barley harvest to the end of the wheat harvest (Ruth 2:23) which may throw some light on the two leavened loaves – Jew (Naomi) and Gentile (Ruth) united by their relationship to Boaz (Christ). Naomi (the Jews) naturally related to Boaz; Ruth (the Gentiles) united to him in marriage.

When is it?

The next day after the Sabbath – seems clear enough, but in New Testament times there was a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees as to whether ‘Sabbath’ meant the weekly Sabbath of Passover week (Sadducees position), or the Yom Tov (high day, day 1) of Unleavened Bread (Pharisees position).

By the Sudducean interpretation, the day of Firstfruits could happen at any point during the week of Unleavened Bread. By the Pharisees interpretation, it always occurred on 16^th Nisan. By Josephus’ time, the Pharisees position was dominant, but don’t know when that became the dominant understanding, although it seems to be reflected in the Septuagint (2^nd. Cent. BC)

What saith the Scripture?

It’s interesting how the Septuagint version of the Old Testament (c. 200 BC) differs from the standard Hebrew text (the Masoretic text). While the Masoretic text clearly denotes the day after the weekly sabbath, the Septuagint text is more vague and would allow for the Pharisees interpretation:

Ref.	Masoretic text (Sadducees position)	Septuagint (Pharisees)
Lev. 23:11	next day after the Sabbath (H7676)	morrow of the first (day)
Lev. 23:15	from the day after the Sabbath (H7676)	day after the Sabbath
	Seven Sabbaths (H7676 plural)	seven full weeks
Lev. 23:16	day after seventh Sabbath (H7676)	morrow after the last week

Is it important?

Yes, for the fulfilment of the types! According to the Masoretic text, it works out like this every year:

Day 1	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Day 50
F/fruits								Shavuot
Sunday								Sunday

Which is what happened – Day 1 First day of the week during Passover, Jesus’ resurrection as the Firstfruits (1 Cor. 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.)

Day 50 also a first day of the week, the coming of the Holy Spirit to birth the church – latter Firstfruits (Jas. 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.)

The Waving of Firstfruits on Nisan 17

Nisan 17 seems to be the commonly agreed date of Jesus’ resurrection (but only fits with Crucifixion and burial on Thursday), and that date also fulfils the ‘types’ in the Old Testament – the ark resting on Mt Ararat after the judgement was complete, the manna ceasing and the Israelites eating the harvest of the land of Canaan (the corn of wheat bringing forth much fruit John 12:24). 17 is said to be the number of complete victory over the enemy – deliverance from Egypt complete by the crossing of the Red Sea, Haman was hanged on his own gallows on 17th Nisan. All happened on 17^th Nisan – the odds of just two of these events both happening accidentally on the same day of the Hebrew year (360 days) are one in 129,000. The odds of these events all happening coincidentally on the same day of the Hebrew year are one in 16 billion. Add in the Resurrection and the odds go up to one in 6 trillion!

Sefiras Ha’Omer, The Counting of the Omer

https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/days-of-the-omer a commandment “to count forty-nine days beginning from the day on which the Omer, a sacrifice containing an omer-measure of barley, was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, up until the day before an offering of wheat was brought to the Temple on Shavuot. The Counting of the Omer begins on the second day of Passover (the 16th of Nisan) for Rabbinic Jews, and after the weekly Shabbat during Passover for Karaite Jews, and ends the day before the holiday of Shavuot, the ‘fiftieth day.’”

Meaning for New Covenant Believers

• Christ – the firstfruits of resurrection – because He lives, we shall live also!
• 1 Cor. 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. V.23 Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.
• The coming of the Holy Spirit to birth the church – latter Firstfruits – next week’s topic!
• Jas. 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
• Parallel with Rom. 4:25 death and resurrection of Yeshua, giving peace with God (5:1), and the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts (5:5)
• Reaffirmed by Rom. 6:3-10 – old man dead and buried, raised in newness of life, to walk in the Spirit 8:4-6