Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

Which Wheat Harvest is the Scriptural Pentecost Wheat?

The Hebrew Word for unto/until in Leviticus 23:16 is “ad”. Some people try to argue the Hebrew word unto/until/ “ad”, supports counting 50 days from the wave-sheaf instead of 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath, Leviticus 23:16. When you understand that there are TWO wheat harvests, one in the spring (about two weeks after Barley harvest) and one in the summer (about 50 days after the one in the spring), it will better help you with the word "until".

by HOIM Staff

Seeing as there are two types of wheat harvests and Pentecost is the first-fruits of the wheat harvest, it is the duty of the serious truth seekers to find out which of these TWO wheat harvest was originally used for Pentecost. One of these wheat harvests takes place in the spring around the second and third month, and the other wheat harvest takes place in the summer around the fourth and fifth month.

Leviticus 23:16 has been a major topic for those opposing the fourth month summer wheat harvest in favor of the winter wheat harvest which is sown in the fall and reaped in the springtime, about two weeks after barley harvest. They focus on the Hebrew word UNTIL and think that it supports their position -- even though the only conclusive wheat harvest found in Scripture is in the summer, NOT spring.  

Leviticus 23:15-16 says "ye shall COUNT unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto/until the morrow AFTER the seventh Sabbath SHALL YE NUMBER fifty days; AND YE SHALL OFFER a new meat-offering unto the LORD" (King James Version).

Notice it is AFTER the seventh Sabbath that you number the 50 days. 

If we were to number 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath complete, it would obviously bring us to a new meat-offering of the summer wheat harvest -- which is 50 days beyond the spring wheat harvest. But if we numbered ONE day after the seventh Sabbath complete it would obviously bring us to the spring wheat harvest. This is an absolute. The question is, how did ancient Israel number, one day, or 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete, i.e., which wheat harvest is the scripture referring to? 

If we sit Leviticus 23:16 to the side for a minute and go on to other scriptures to see how the ancient Israelites interpreted this verse, it should end the Pentecost debate forever. Scripture will interpret Scripture and the evidence is conclusive that they understood that they were to count 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath complete, and the first-fruit would be from the summer wheat harvest. Let's examine some eyewitnesses found in Scripture. 

Aaron, YHVH’s High Priest, and the children of Israel, were eyewitnesses as to how Leviticus 23:16 should be interpreted and they obviously counted 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath complete because when Aaron declared the feast/Chag to YHVH, it was in the fourth month at the time of the summer wheat harvest -- NOT the winter wheat that is harvested in the spring. This is found in Exodus 32:5 when Aaron said tomorrow is a chag/feast to YHVH and it was at the end of Moses’ 40 days and 40 nights in the mount. And on top of that, it was the exact same day that the law that YHVH had written with His own finger, was given to Moses. Pentecost commemorates the giving of the law and it was not given, signed sealed and delivered until the end of the 40 days and 40 nights. See Exodus 31:18 and Deuteronomy 9:11, for proof.  

The Prophet Joel, when referring to the outpouring of the holy spirit on the day of Pentecost/first-fruits, says that the floors would be full of wheat and the wine presses full of wine. This was fulfilled in the book of Acts where they were being accused of being drunk on the new wine. This had to be the summer wheat Pentecost because there is no new wine in the third month!  

Fenton must have understood this in his translation.

Bullinger's Lexicon says "until, as long as, marking the continuance of an action up to the time of another action." We have an action of COUNTING seven Sabbaths even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath and then we have another action of NUMBERING 50 days.

(1) The first action is to count the Sabbaths and the next action is to number 50 days. 

(2) The second thing they were to do was to number 50 days. 

(3) The third thing they were to do was to bring a new meat-offering. 

They were NOT instructed to count seven Sabbaths complete and then bring a new meat-offering. They were instructed to count seven Sabbaths complete up “unto” the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then they were instructed to number 50 days -- but not until after they counted seven Sabbaths first! They were instructed to bring a new meat-offering but not until after they numbered 50 days which numbering began after the seventh Sabbath complete. 

If the 50 day count were to begin from the wave sheaf, it would read, “even unto the morrow “after” the seventh Sabbath “shall ye bring a new meat-offering”. But YHVH does not say "shall ye bring a new meat offering after the seventh Sabbath," it says "shall ye number 50 days." 

Every count must have a beginning and ending point, and I think we all agree that the beginning point for the seven Sabbaths complete begins on the morrow after the Sabbath when the priest waves the wave-sheaf. The question is, where does this count end and the next count begin? As I have shown above, there are two counts mentioned in Leviticus 23 and they were not to offer the new meat-offering until “both” counts were completed. If we count seven Sabbaths complete and ”then” bring a new meat-offering, we are partial in the Law, but if we count seven Sabbaths complete up unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath and then number 50 days instead of one day and then bring the new meat-offering, we have fulfilled the Law. 

Leviticus 23:10-11: "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before YHVH, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it." 

Leviticus 23:15-16: "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto YHVH."

The first count goes up “even” unto/until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath and “ends”; the next count begins and goes for 50 days and the text is understood as saying, “the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number 50 days.” One reason it is to be understood this way is because the morrow after the seventh Sabbath is NOT included in the first count of the seven Sabbaths. The seven Sabbaths goes up until the morrow after and no further and then "ye number 50 days," counting the morrow, and then you bring the new meet-offering and not before. In other words, the first count goes even up to the morrow after the seventh Sabbath then stops and then you NUMBER 50 days and bring a new meat-offering after you number the 50th day.

The question is, when do we bring the new meat-offering? Is it after we number 50 days? The answer is yes! But when do we began to number the 50 days? Do we number the 50 days from the morrow after the 15th of Nisan Sabbath -- the 16th? Or do we number the 50 days from the morrow AFTER the seventh Sabbath complete? Is it one day after the seventh Sabbath complete or is it after numbering 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete? The Scripture says, “Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath complete shall you number 50 days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the Almighty” (Leviticus 23:16).

How much plainer can it get? Most people don't understand the Hebrew or English grammar. The children of Israel obviously understood it like it says (number 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath complete) because they celebrated it exactly 50 days after the seventh lunar Sabbath according to Exodus 32:5. They were to celebrate the feast unto the One that brought them out of Egypt but instead they celebrated it unto a golden calf -- saying it was the one that brought them out of Egypt (Exodus 32:4).

Another Honest Look at Leviticus 23 concerning the Count to Pentecost 

The following information will conclusively prove from Scripture -- and Scripture alone -- that there are TWO counts to Pentecost; one count is of seven Sabbaths and another count of 50 days, two separate counts

Before we look to see what the instructions in Leviticus 23 are saying, let's see what they are not saying. 

They do not say that we are to count seven Sabbaths complete and then bring a new meat-offering, as the traditional Pentecosters try to make it say. You have to count seven Sabbaths complete first and then number either one or 50 days and the following will tell which. 

Once again it does not say “even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye bring a new meat-offering,” but YHVH did say “even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number 50 days" and bring a new meat-offering (Leviticus 23:16). That is, "after the seventh Sabbath complete shall ye number 50 days," but not before and then bring the new meat-offering but not until you number the 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete

The morrow after the seventh Sabbath is not even a part of the first count because it says even “unto/until” the morrow after the seventh Sabbath complete. 

The first count of the Sabbaths ends after the seventh Sabbath is complete, on the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. This alone should prove that they are two separate counts: one brings you to the end of the seventh Sabbath and the 2nd count which “begins” on the morrow after the seven Sabbaths and brings you to the end of 50 days. 

The day following the seventh Sabbath is not a part of the first count, the first count of the seven Sabbaths ends there, and this cannot be argued against because of the Hebrew words. 

The first count consists of seven Sabbaths complete which goes up to the end of the seventh Sabbath -- which is also the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. Then the first count ends and another count begins -- whether it is a count of one day as some suppose or 50 days as the Bible says. The Bible says “count 50 days” and bring the new meat-offering, not one day. This will give the Pentecost wheat time to be ripe -- but NOT in 50 days after the wave-sheaf. 

There are three things mentioned in the instructions concerning Pentecost, 

Number one, ye shall count seven Sabbaths,  

Number two, ye shall number 50 days, 

Number three and ye shall bring a new meat-offering. 

As I have said, you do not count seven Sabbaths complete and then bring a new meat-offering, but instead you count seven Sabbaths complete up unto the end of the seventh Sabbath and then number 50 days and THEN bring a new meat-offering. The end of seven Sabbaths brings you to the starting point of the second count which consists of 50 days. The first count consisted of seven Sabbaths and then ended, the second count (correctly, numbering in the Hebrew) consists of 50 days and then it ends. That is when you bring the new meat-offering and it will be the same day that Aaron said was a chag in Exodus 32:6 -- and it will be the same day the law was given to Moses. 

The first thing they were to do is count seven Sabbaths complete.  

The second thing they were to do was to number 50 days. 

The third thing they were to do was to bring a new meat-offering. 

The Israelites were not instructed to count seven Sabbaths complete and then bring a new meat-offering -- but this is what the traditional Pentecost keepers do, they count seven Sabbaths and then bring the new meat-offering instead of numbering 50 days. The Israelites were instructed to count seven Sabbaths complete up “unto” the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then they were instructed to number 50 days -- but not until after they counted seven Sabbaths first. They were instructed to bring a new meat-offering but not until after they numbered 50 days -- which numbering began after the seventh Sabbath complete! 

If the 50-day numbering were to begin from the wave sheaf, it would read, “even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye bring a new meat-offering”. But YHVH does NOT say "shall ye bring a new meat offering after the seventh Sabbath." He says "shall ye number 50 days." 

Every count must have a beginning and ending point, and I think we all agree that the beginning point for the seven Sabbaths complete begins on the morrow after the Sabbath when the priest waves the wave-sheaf (Nisan 16). The question is, where does this count end and the next count or numbering begin? As I have shown above, there are two counts mentioned in Leviticus 23 -- and they were not to offer the new meat-offering until BOTH counts were completed. If we count seven Sabbaths complete and then bring a new meat-offering, we are partial in the Law, but if we count seven Sabbaths complete up unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath and then number 50 days instead of one day and then bring the new meat-offering, we have fulfilled the Law. 

Leviticus 23:10-16: "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.…And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the YHVH." 

The FIRST count goes up “even” unto/until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath and “ends”; the SECOND count begins and goes through 50 days and the text is understood as saying, “the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number 50 days.” One reason it is to be understood this way is because the morrow after the seventh Sabbath is not included in the first count of the seven Sabbaths. Seven Sabbaths is not 50 days -- the seven Sabbaths goes up until the morrow after and no further and THEN you number 50 days and then you bring the new meat-offering and not before. In other words, the first count goes even up to the morrow after the seventh Sabbaths complete then stops and then you count 50 days and bring a new meat-offering. The seventh Sabbath complete ends at the BEGINNING of the morrow or it is not a complete Sabbath. It is important to remember that the morrow after the seventh Sabbath is not included in the first count of the Sabbaths or the seven Sabbaths would be inexact as the Hebrew scholar Rashi explains in his commentary on this verse. 

If you check Koehler and Baumgartner's Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament you will find that AD can be a conjunction. The Hebrew word AD can have meanings that support a 50-day count after seven weeks. The following expressions in all capital letters come from their lexicon: 

"LATER IN THE FUTURE, count fifty days (AD has a future tense.)

"AND then count fifty days (AD can be a conjunction.)

"JUST BEFORE counting fifty days, count seven weeks.”

It seems the above scholars (along with Bullinger, whom I will quote shortly) understood that Leviticus 23:16 could be understood as the children of Israel understood it in Exodus 32:5. 

Not only these scholars but The Ferrar Fenton Bible actually Says, 

“You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath that you bring the wave sheaf, seven Sabbaths. They must be complete. THEN AFTER the seventh Sabbath, you shall count fifty days, when you shall present a new offering to the EVER LIVING” (Leviticus 23:15-16).

Mr. Fenton is a scholar who makes it very clear that the 50 days are numbered AFTER the seventh Sabbath and that is exactly how the children of Israel understood it according to Exodus 32:5. 

The Bullinger Lexicon says, “until, as long as, marking the continuance of an ACTION up to the time of ANOTHER 'action'. Here, followed by the Gen., until, unto, marking the terminus ad quem, and spoken both of time and place.” 

This is how I understood the words before I even saw the definition. You have an ACTION of COUNTING seven Sabbaths, even UNTO the morrow AFTER the seventh Sabbath and then ye have ANOTHER action to NUMBER 50 days; and then "ye shall bring a new meat offering unto the Almighty." If there was only ONE action of numbering from the wave sheaf, I believe the Scripture would read to number 50 days from the wave-sheaf instead of 50 days from the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. However, the first action is to COUNT seven Sabbaths and the second action is to NUMBER 50 days. Even if the morrow after the seventh Sabbath was included in the first count for the seven Sabbaths, which would make the seven Sabbaths inexact, it still teaches to number 50 days AFTER the seventh Sabbath because of the Hebrew word "shall" is ALWAYS future tense.  

Adding to the above, the word “shall” is ALWAYS future tense and this goes along with the above. "Shall ye number 50 days," in Leviticus 23:16, is future tense and besides that, "even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath complete" is 49 days -- NOT 50! If the word means up until a certain point -- but not including that point -- it would bring you to the beginning of the morrow after the seventh Sabbath was complete -- which would not be 50 days. If the word meant up until a certain point and including that point, it would make the seventh Sabbath inexact as the noted Hebrew scholar Rashi points out in his commentary on this verse. I say the verse could be understood to count seven Sabbaths up until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, and then (INCLUDING the morrow after the seventh Sabbath) shall you number 50 days and then bring a new meat-offering. Either way you want to look at it, the children of Israel understood it to be 50 days after the seventh Sabbath

Remember there is a difference between “counting” and “numbering”. Even though Strong's Concordance uses the same number for both words, they are TWO different words in the Hebrew Interlinear. There is also a difference between weeks and days. You can count seven cars and then count to 50 and then cross the street. You can count seven Sabbaths and then number 50 days and then bring the new meat-offering to the Almighty. You do not count seven Sabbaths and then number ONE day, but you count seven Sabbaths and then number 50 days -- not one day.  

The above scholars and translations are in harmony with the Chag that Aaron and the children of Israel proclaimed in Exodus 32:5 -- which was 50 days after the seventh lunar Sabbath. This, along with Leviticus 23:16, brings you to the summer wheat harvest.

These translations are also in harmony with the new wine that was present on the day of Pentecost in the second chapter of the book of Acts and as the prophet Joel prophesied in the second chapter of Joel, etc. There are no ripe grapes in the third month and neither is there a Chag mentioned in the third month of the traditional third-month Pentecost.

These scholars and these translations are also in harmony with the Pentecost summer wheat harvest in the FOURTH MONTH, mentioned by the Messiah in the book of John. 

These scholars and translations are also in harmony with the many other things that I have mentioned in the discussion of Pentecost. 

After all is said and done, it really doesn't matter how the scholars understood the Hebrew word in Leviticus 23:16. But what does matter is how the children of Israel understood it according to Exodus 32:5 and how it is confirmed in nature itself.

(Be sure to read the following articles: The Fourth-Month Wheat Harvest, and The Two WHEAT Harvests and How the Rabbis Eliminated the TRUE Pentecost!)

 

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Courage for the Sake of Truth is Far Better Than Silence for the Sake of Unity!

Hope of Israel Ministries
P.O. Box 853
Azusa, CA 91702, U.S.A.
www.hope-of-israel.org

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