Hope of Israel Ministries (Ecclesia of YEHOVAH):

A New Look

The Mystery of the WAVE SHEAF OFFERING Revealed at Last!

In Leviticus 23 we read, "And the LORD said to Moses, 'Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the SHEAF of the FIRST FRUITS of your harvest to the priest; and he shall WAVE THE SHEAF before the LORD, that YOU may find acceptance; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

What is this "wave sheaf" offering? What does it symbolize and represent?

Notice that it is a sheaf of the "first fruits," and it is offered to YEHOVAH God before the Israelites can harvest the spring harvest. YEHOVAH commands, "And you shall eat neither bread nor grain parched or fresh" -- that is, produce from the new harvest -- "until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God: it is a STATUTE FOR EVER throughout your generations in all your dwellings" (Lev.23:l4).

Spiritual Type and Antitype

In the book of Romans, Paul writes to Christians, saying, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, groan inwardly as we wait for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Rom.8:23).

Christians, those called of YEHOVAH God during this lifetime to serve and obey Him, out of every nation, are likened to "firstfruits" of YEHOVAH God. We have the "firstfruits of the Spirit" of YEHOVAH as a down payment, or earnest (Eph.l:4-l4) of our inheritance, as we are the ones who "should be to the praise of his glory, who FIRST trusted in Christ" (v.12).

In writing of Christians in the region of Achaia (Greece) , Paul says of them, "Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia unto Christ" (Rom.l6:5).

In the book of James we read: "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth that we should be a KIND OF FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures" (James 1:18, RSV).

In the book of Romans, Paul addresses our calling -- which is special, and unique, in the sight of YEHOVAH God. Of all people on earth, we are the few who have been given the Spirit of YEHOVAH God as a begettal, indwelling within us -- a priceless heritage and gift! Therefore "the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit which is given unto us" (Rom.5:5). Paul goes on, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. . . But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God DWELL in you. Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom.8:1-9).

How, then, does this relate to the Wave Sheaf Offering which was performed the day after the first high holy day of Passover and the weekly Sabbath in the spring?

Let's understand!

In the book The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, by Alfred Edersheim, we read of the reaping of the wave sheaf, and its presentation. At the end of the 15th of Nisan, says Edersheim, just as it was growing dark,

Notice! In the past, many have ASSUMED -- and many STILL assume -- that the Wave Sheaf Offering referred to Yeshua the Messiah, who was the offering for our sins upon the tree (II Cor.5:20). But does this make any sense, when we stop to think about it? It was accompanied by the offering of a male lamb without blemish -- which itself typified the Messiah! It was waved by the high priest before YEHOVAH God, to be accepted of the Father -- and the high priest typified the Messiah, our "high priest" in heaven (Heb.7:24-28; 9:24; 10:10). Furthermore, this "wave sheaf" was offered AFTER the sacrifice of the Messiah, our Passover Lamb (I Cor.5:7-8). The Passover lambs were slain in the afternoon of Nisan 14 -- the precise time when Yeshua the Messiah was slain for us!

Clearly, then, the wave sheaf -- contrary to what many have assumed and believed -- does NOT refer to the Messiah at all -- but rather is made possible BY the Sacrifice of the Messiah, which precedes it in time sequence! We have the following sequence of events:

1) the sacrifice of the Messiah on Nisan 14, late afternoon;

2) the holy day of Passover -- Nisan 15 (also the weekly Sabbath);

3) the next evening, as Nisan 16 began, a sheaf (bundle) of grain is selected from the field across the Kidron valley, east of Jerusalem, and cut and bundled;

4) the next morning, Nisan 16, it is prepared and waved before the LORD and accepted of Him as "THE FIRSTFRUITS" of the harvest.

Do you begin to comprehend? Do you see? The wave sheaf offering is an offering, which is a BUNDLE OF SEPARATE BARLEY GRAINS, FROM A NUMBER OF PLANTS, AMOUNTING TO AN "OMER" -- about five pints, or two and one half quarts. This offering followed the offering of the Messiah, as our Passover lamb, who paid for our sins. It was accompanied the burnt offering of a lamb -- the Messiah -- without blemish (Lev.23:12).

This Wave Sheaf Offering initiated the first of the firstfruits' harvests and was accompanied by a meal offering of grain mixed with oil and a drink offering of wine. Some Bible translations describe this offering as a sheaf being waved, however a sheaf, in its usual sense of a stalk of grain, is NOT what was waved here. In fact, the Bible does not actually refer to this ceremony as "the Wave Sheaf Offering." The Hebrew word omer, that is translated "sheaf" was actually a "measure of things dry." The very first of the firstfruits' crop offered as a "wave sheaf" offering in the Temple was, as mentioned above, about 2 1/2 quarts of barley grain that had been parched (roasted), thrashed and sieved into a fine flour. So this grain offering was very similar to other grain offerings that were waved before YEHOVAH God.

At the time of the Messiah the wave sheaf ceremony would have taken place in the following manner:

1/. The barley grain was actually cut by members of the Sanhedrin at the end of the weekly Sabbath and the First Holy Day of Unleavened Bread (they BOTH fell on the same day -- see John 19:31).

2/. The heads of grain were separated from the stalks and the removed grain was thrashed, parched with fire and ground into flour in the courtyard of the Temple that evening.

3/. The flour was then sieved until it was pure and of very fine texture (according to the Mishnah, oil and frankincense were added). From this the omer was taken.

4/. This omer was then offered early the next morning at about 9 a.m. -- the time of the morning sacrifice -- in the Temple as a meal offering waved before YEHOVAH God.

The wave sheaf itself, then, is NOT THE MESSIAH! What then is it?

The Wave Sheaf Offering, composed of MANY individual grains, offered together, made possible by the sacrifice of the Messiah, represents TRUE CHRISTIANS of the first-century Church era -- those called of YEHOVAH God out of the tribes of Israel during that age, as His "FIRSTFRUITS"!

It was offered to the Father AFTER the sacrifice of the Messiah, because there is NO WAY the Father could have accepted them BEFORE their sins were pardoned, and atoned for, and wiped away and washed away by the blood of the Messiah! But since the Messiah became their Saviour, and qualified by living a perfect life, and DIED for them on the tree, this made possible THEIR acceptance before the throne of YEHOVAH God in Heaven!

THE FIRST-CENTURY CHRISTIANS OR, AS WE WILL SEE, THE 144,000, WERE THAT WAVE SHEAF OFFERING!

What could be plainer?

The Firstfruits of YEHOVAH

Notice, now, the reason for the Wave Sheaf Offering --

Through this ancient ceremony the nation of Israel was to find acceptance (Hebrew: "delight, favor") before YEHOVAH God -- NOT the Messiah! Israel -- or the Church -- is the firstfruits of the harvest of YEHOVAH God:

The firstfruits harvests of both barley, the first crop of firstfruits, and the wheat which came later, ALL symbolize the elect of YEHOVAH God, the firstfruits of the age of the Church, both Old and New Testament saints, prior to the Messiah's second coming. Now the wheat harvest is the consummation of the firstfruits, of this early harvest of souls. The firstfruits' harvest was FULLY GATHERED IN at Pentecost where the ceremony -- at which the two loaves representing the firstfruits (Leviticus 23:16-17) were also waved before YEHOVAH God -- was both parallel to, and the fulfillment of, the Wave Sheaf Offering.

The Day of Pentecost pictures not only the age of the Church, but also its glorification at the resurrection. Grain is used to picture the resurrection of the dead -- notice!

Here we see that the resurrected saints of YEHOVAH's great spiritual harvest (both former and latter) will together make up the Body of the Messiah, and will be composed of all types of people (grain) -- as attested to by the description of the Promised Land, symbolizing the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God, found in Deuteronomy 8:8 --

So the Messiah's sacrifice, likened to the "dying" of a grain of wheat, is directly linked to a future harvest picturing the salvation of all of mankind:

The 144,000

We have seen that in the Old Testament the term "firstfruits" designated the FIRST gatherings of the crop which were presented to YEHOVAH (Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 2:14; Nehemiah 10:35). In the New Testament the Messiah, who was "the FIRST that should rise from the dead" to immortality (Acts 26:23), is called "the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept" (1 Corinthians 15:20). So, too, the FIRST converts that the apostle Paul made in Achaia (Greece) were called "the FIRSTFRUITS of Achaia" (1 Corinthians 16:15). Now, in a similar fashion, the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7:14 and 14:4, are the FIRST converts to the Messiah!

Who were these first converts? There can be no mistake about it -- the gospel went first to Israelites, and THE FIRST CONVERTS WERE FROM ISRAEL! Notice!

The second passage shows the identity of the 144,000 -- they are Israelites! The term "Israel" is sometimes used in the New Testament in such a way that it includes all believers in the Messiah regardless of race or national origin (Galatians 3:29; 6:16). However, verses that mention Israel in contrast to Gentiles clearly indicate a distinction in terms -- see Romans 1:16; 2:9 and Acts 13:45-46. There is such a contrast indicated in the passage about the 144,000.

In Revelation 7:4 we saw that the 144,000 were taken from "out of every tribe of the sons of Israel." Then, in verse 9, we read: "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues" who were also redeemed by YEHOVAH God and the Lamb -- a vast ingathering from the Gentiles. (Incidentally, the words "Gentiles" and "nations" are both translated from the same Greek word, Strong's Concordance, #1484). The 144,000 were from Israel and the "great multitude" from all nations. Because of this comparison -- 144,000 from Israel on the one hand, and a "great multitude" from among the Gentiles on the other -- it is very clear that the 144,000 were converts from Israel, Israel in the LITERAL sense of the word.

According to Revelation 14:4, the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel are the FIRST FRUITS for God and the Lamb." Notice -- the FIRSTFRUITS! Therefore, the converts from Israel in the early years of the Church -- back in the first century! -- were the firstfruits for YEHOVAH God and the Messiah and are symbolized by the number 144,000. This fits scripturally and historically. But if the 144,000 have not yet made their appearance -- as many in the churches of God maintain -- HOW could they possibly be the "first fruits for God and the Lamb"? If the 144,000 do not appear until the very last years of this age, they would be the LAST fruits instead of the first!

Let us now briefly review the Biblical evidence showing the gospel went first to ISRAEL and that the first converts to YEHOVAH God and the Messiah were indeed ISRAELITES. Now when John the Baptist introduced the Messiah, he spoke of him as "the Lamb of God" and as he who was to be "revealed to ISRAEL" (John 1:29-31). When originally sending out his disciples, Yeshua said: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL" (Matthew 10:5-6). A nucleus of believers from Israel were gathered together in the Temple on the Day of Pentecost and eventually filled with the holy spirit. Three thousand ISRAELITES were converted on that day alone -- men from ALL the tribes of Israel being represented (Acts 2:5, 36). The gospel first went out from JERUSALEM (Acts 1:8; Luke 24:47), and it went "to the Jew FIRST" and then also to the Greeks (Romans 1:16).

When Peter spoke to a multitude of Israelites in the Temple, he said: "Men of ISRAEL...God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you FIRST, to bless you in turning every one of you from your wickedness" (Acts 3:12, 26). This same principle was later utilized in the statement made by Paul and Barnabas to the Jews at Perga. Notice: "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken FIRST to you. Since you thrust it from you...we turn to the Gentiles" (Acts 13:46).

Nevertheless, there were many thousands of Jews which did accept the Messiah -- so many in fact that we read the following statement in Acts 21:20: "You see, brother, how many thousands (Greek: myriads, or ten thousands) there are among the Jews of those who have believed"!

It should be noted that the people of the twelve tribes of Israel were not lost from sight in areas that were unknown, inaccessible, or beyond the outreach of the early Church. Had this been the case, Paul could not have spoken of the "twelve tribes...as they earnestly worship night and day" (Acts 26:7).

Converts to Yeshua the Messiah came from all the twelve tribes -- though scattered away from Judea. It was to these converts that James addressed the book that bears his name: "To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion" (James 1:1). Also significant is the fact that James refers to these converts of the Dispersion as "a kind of FIRST FRUITS of his creatures" (verse 18), a perfect cross-reference to the passage about the 144,000 from the twelve tribes of Israel!

In view of the fact that there were multiple thousands of converts from ISRAEL as the firstfruits to YEHOVAH and the Messiah, it is quite possible that their number could have reached 144,000. There is also the other possibility that this number was intended symbolically; and, as such, mathematical exactness would not be required. If this was the case, the real purpose of the number was probably to contrast it with the innumerable multitude whose conversion would follow. Of the converts from Israel, the apostle John says: "And I heard the number of the sealed", but of the great multitude: "a great multitude which no man could number" (Revelation 7:4, 9). Though 144,000 is a large number, it still can be numbered. But an amount which no man could number is seen to be very, very large in comparison. There is a deep symbolic contrast here -- a contrast, however, which definitely fits the facts of history, the greater harvest being from the Gentiles.

Unfortunately, many have accepted the futurist viewpoint on Revelation without question or further study. At first look this concept seems to be correct and true; however, a closer study shows that this hypothesis is not free from numerous serious inconsistencies and problems. For one thing, the futurist viewpoint is that the bulk of the Book of Revelation has never been fulfilled. We are told, for example, that the events of the majority of the chapters will not take place until the last years of this age. But this concept completely fails to explain the opening words of Revelation which state that these things were written to show the servants of YEHOVAH God things "WHAT MUST SOON TAKE PLACE" and that the time for their fulfillment "IS NEAR" (Revelation 1:1, 3) -- NOT thousands of years into the future!

The futurist understanding about the 144,000 is that they will not be converted until the very last years of this age; whereas the Book of Revelation says the 144,000 were the "FIRST FRUITS" unto YEHOVAH God and the Lamb! Since multiple thousands over almost 2,000 years have already been converted to the Messiah, HOW could a group converted in the future possibly be the firstfruits unto YEHOVAH and the Lamb?!

Clearly, the 144,000 were those converted during the first-century Church era and are represented by the Wave Sheaf Offering before YEHOVAH.

A Careful Look at The Wave Sheaf

Edersheim explains further in his book The Temple:

What a wonderful analogy! What a wonderful comparison! What a wonderful new revelation of divine Truth!

Those who were called during the first century constituted the WAVE SHEAF offering! Those who remained FAITHFUL were the "CHOSEN" grains who constituted the wave sheaf. Others, who began with them, but fell away from YEHOVAH God, and left the Truth, and forsook the Work, were among those who were initially "selected," and cut down, to be part of the "omer," but who were later "rejected," and did not qualify to be part of the true "first fruits."

Even as the omer is baked, "parched," cooked and sifted, we too must go through trials and tests, and be prepared to qualify to be accepted of our Maker and Creator, our Father and Master. Even as the omer must also be exposed to the "wind," we also must be "tested" to see if we will remain faithful to the truth, or follow after "various winds," "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph.4:14).

If you are called now, then YOU are typified by the "wave sheaves" offered during the days of the omer count from Passover to Pentecost as one of the "grains" which compose it. These "wave sheaves" typify the entire true spiritual body of the Messiah, the "Church of YEHOVAH God," those who have the Spirit of YEHOVAH God from the first century down to this dispensation or age!

The Mystery of the Wave Sheaf

Further truth about the "wave sheaf" is revealed in the fact that the wave sheaf offered on the 16th of Nisan was only the FIRST. Beginning on that day, a wave sheaf of grain was offered every day, through the forty-nine days of the count-down leading up to Pentecost, by the Jews in ancient times. That is, a sheaf of grain was offered EVERY DAY as the people "counted the omer," offering an omer of grain daily for forty-nine days, until Pentecost!

Pentecost itself was the concluding "eighth day" of the Passover feast, completing the spring holy days and holy day season. Passover typified the DEATH of the Messiah on the tree, in payment for our sins, giving us great DELIVERANCE from sin and salvation from captivity to spiritual "Egypt." The fifty days between Passover and Pentecost typify the CHURCH AGE, and our struggle to overcome, and to prepare ourselves, to MEET YEHOVAH GOD at the second coming of the Messiah -- on Pentecost, the day YEHOVAH God came down from Heaven and touched Mount Sinai, and gave His Law to mankind. Even so, very possibly on Pentecost the Messiah may return from heaven, and then go forth to smite the nations, gathering up the nations of Israel, leading them to repentance, and leading them back to Israel, where they will become "AT ONE" with YEHOVAH God on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, or "at-one-ment"), "marrying Israel" at that time, and then celebrating the divine "Honeymoon" at and during the Feast of Tabernacles"!

The seven weeks from Passover till Pentecost, then, symbolize the Church Age, and the period of each of our lives from Baptism (when we begin our spiritual Odyssey, typified by Passover and crossing the Red Sea, leaving Egypt) until the Consummation -- Pentecost, and the Coming of our Lord and Master, our Husband from Heaven! When he comes, he will "marry" the bride -- the Church -- as in the Hebrew sense of betrothal -- and the final marriage ceremony itself is typified by the Day of Atonement, when we become ONE with YEHOVAH God in spirit and truth -- and UNITE with Him, after fasting, repentance, mourning and having all our sins forgiven -- for "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a GLORIOUS CHURCH, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph.4:25-27). The Church will then be the TRUE "THIRD PERSON" IN A HEAVENLY "TRINITY"!

As John wrote in Revelation: "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the MARRIAGE of the Lamb is come, and his bride hath MADE HERSELF READY. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints" (Rev.19:5-8).

The "Seven Weeks" of Preparation

Now notice Leviticus 23:15: "And ye shall count unto you, from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the waving offering: SEVEN SABBATHS [weeks] shall be complete." What does this mean? The Hebrew wording, "sheva' shabbatot t'miymot" is mistranslated as "seven sabbaths shall be complete" in the King James Version. Notice -- the Hebrew does not read "sheva' shabbatot tam" or "sheva' shabbatot tamam," but rather it reads "sheva' shabbatot t'miymot." Both "shabbatot" ("sabbaths") and "t'miymot" ("complete") are in the plural forms, which makes "t'miymot" ("complete") refer directly to "shabbatot" ("sabbaths"). If we believe the "sabbaths" here to be literal weekly sabbaths, then the meaning is totally unintelligible, because nothing exists in Scripture defined as either a "complete sabbath" or an "incomplete sabbath." All "sabbaths" are a contained unit of time and cannot be specified as either complete or incomplete. But, there is such a thing as an incomplete "week."

Contrary to what some church groups are currently teaching, "week" is a valid etymologically correct alternate meaning of the word "shabbat." (See the entry "Shabbat" -- Sabbath -- on page 684 in the volume Compound of Hebrew in Thousand Stem Words: Etymological Dictionary Hebrew-English, by Mayer Schachter-Haham; c1982, Kiryat-Sefer, Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel). "Shabbat" means "week" in the sense that a "week" is a "rest" or a "reduction" of unit time in relation to a New Moon ("kodesh" which means both "new moon" and "month"). In the idiomatic manner in which "kodesh" means both "new moon" as well as "month," the Hebrew word "shabbat" means both "sabbath" and "week." For instance, a valid alternate reading of Isaiah 66:23 is, "from one full month to another, and from one full week to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD," because YEHOVAH God is to be worshipped every day each month, and every day of the week -- not only on the specific days of the weekly Sabbath and the monthly New Moon!

In Leviticus 23:15, one rendering of "sheva' shabbatot t'miymot" can be "seven weeks each one complete," and expresses nothing specific in regard to the weekly Sabbath. This is the proper rendering since the plural form "t'miymot" ("complete") is used instead of the singular form "tam" ("complete") or "tamam" ("complete"). The "seven sabbaths" is not described as a single unit of complete time as would have been the case if "tam" or "tamam" were used. Rather, the usage of the plural form "t'miymot" indicates that there are as many "completes" as there are "shabbatot," which forces "shabbatot" into the alternate meaning of "weeks" instead of referring to weekly Sabbaths which are inherently and always uniformly complete units of time with no further designation necessary.

Also, the Hebrew word "tam" can mean "portion" or "cycle" in addition to "complete." In the meaning of "t'miymot" as "portions," "cycles," or "levels," we have the compounded meaning which defines for us what YEHOVAH God intended for the Israelites to do with this time in addition to simply counting the omer and harvesting grain. The "sheva' shabbatot t'miymot" meaning the "seven weeks of cycles" or "seven weeks of portions" or "seven weeks of levels" were to be used by the Israelites to prepare to meet YEHOVAH on Mount Sinai when the Day of Pentecost (Shavuot, or Weeks) finally arrived. Each one of the seven weeks corresponded to new levels of overcoming SIN and conquering our human nature!

Overcoming Human Nature

As is well known among Jewish rabbis, YEHOVAH God originally offered the holy spirit to ancient Israel upon bringing them out from the land of Egyptian slavery. This is clearly indicated within the admonition found in Deuteronomy 10:16, "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart," and by YEHOVAH's conditional Promise found in Deuteronomy 30:6, "And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live" (KJV). It was the rebelliousness of the Israelites dominated by their animal nature which prevented them from cooperating with YEHOVAH God in the spiritual circumcision process at that time in their national development. YEHOVAH gave Israel the system of animal sacrifices to instruct them to slay the base animal instincts in human nature rather than exalting the animal nature as expressed by worshipping the golden calf. Rabbi Benjamin Blech states:

Another term, "zebach," meaning "slaughter" is also rendered as "sacrifice" in the KJV. The system of animal sacrifices was instituted to teach the Israelites to "sacrifice" and "slaughter" their animal natures.

The apostle Paul also wrote about our human nature, which must be sacrificed, if we are to inherit the kingdom of YEHOVAH God. He declared: "Knowing this, that our old man [human animal nature] is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. . . . Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Rom.6:9-13).

Corresponding to the "seven weeks" or cycles of overcoming, leading from Passover to Pentecost, the apostle Paul lists the Seven Categories of Base Human Nature which we must conquer and subjugate and expunge from our lives. The Galatians were exhibiting the same traits of rebellion as had been exhibited many centuries earlier by the Israelites upon leaving Egypt. Paul listed the seven categories of human nature which fight against the spirit of YEHOVAH God. They are found in Galatians, chapter 5. Notice: "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these":

1. "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness" -- sexual sins which destructively affect one's spiritual relationship with YEHOVAH God and other people.

2. "Idolatry" -- worshipping and obeying demonic gods and wicked evil spirits, following demonic derived doctrines (I Tim.4:1-2).

3. "Witchcraft" -- the use of black magic and other occult perversions, including attempting to control the minds and thoughts of other people and depriving them of the freedom of choice. Many churches which came out of the Worldwide Church of God, like the Worldwide Church of God itself and Triumph Prophetic Ministries, attempt to practice "mind control" over the members, and threaten any who think independent thoughts, or ask questions indicating their independence of mind, with immediate disfellowshipment -- a wicked scare tactic of the devil, if there ever was one!

4. "Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife" -- these are related categories of emotional and mental attitudes of violence, and thoughts that lead to violence -- resulting in strife, destruction, and even murder. John wrote, "He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes" (I John 2:11). He added, "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (I John 3:15).

5. "Seditions, heresies" -- sins against peace and unity among true believers causing division, strife and spiritual chaos -- destroying the flock, and inflicting damage upon the work of YEHOVAH God. Sadly, we live in a time when although THE MESSIAH is NOT divided, the remnants of the end-time church of YEHOVAH God are bitterly divided, and seditions, heresies, and divisions are paramount! Paul asked the Corinthians, "Is Christ divided?" (I Cor.1:13). The answer? Of course not! But Paul also said to them, "For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren . . . that there are contentions among you" (I Cor.1:11). He added, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (I Cor.3:3). He later plainly rebuked them, saying, "I hear that there be DIVISIONS among you" (I Cor.11:18). Seditions, treasons, false doctrines, heresies -- these all spring from the fount of heresy, Satan the devil and his evil work of deception and seduction. He is still very active, seeking to devour YEHOVAH's people! (I Pet.5:8-9; James 4:7).

6. "Envyings, murders" -- sins of interfering destructively in the lives of other people; destructively interfering with another person's relationship with YEHOVAH God. James warned: "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work" (James 3:14-16).

7. "Drunkenness, revellings" -- these are sins against a person's own self and his own personal spiritual relationship with YEHOVAH God. They are signs of the lack of self-control, self-mastery, and commitment and devotion to serving YEHOVAH. No drunkard or drug addict will inherit the kingdom of YEHOVAH God (I Cor.6:9-10).

Notice, now. These seven categories of human nature must be conquered and overcome. This is why the word "shabbatot" is used in Leviticus 23:15 instead of "shavuot" -- the usual word for "weeks" -- because YEHOVAH God was emphasizing the importance of "resting" -- "desistance" -- from each of the Seven Categories of Animal Human Nature during the seven weeks culminating in "Pentecost," and YEHOVAH's Own Presence before His People at Mount Sinai, and the Giving of the Torah! Even as ancient Israel had to purify themselves, and prepare to meet with YEHOVAH (Exodus 19:10-15), since no one "unclean" could stand in YEHOVAH's Presence when He arrived on Mount Sinai, even so WE must PREPARE OURSELVES to become the BRIDE of the Messiah, whom he will marry, at his Second Coming! Therefore, the Seven Weeks or "Seven Stages" prior to Pentecost are also descriptive of the Seven Levels of Spiritual Development each one of us as individuals must go through in preparation to the coming of the Messiah!

This information should help us understand the reasons why the plural for sabbaths ("shabbatot") is used in Leviticus 23:15 instead of the usual word for "weeks" ("shavuot"). This should also help us to understand why "shabbatot" should more accurately be rendered as "weeks" instead of "Sabbaths" in this passage of Scripture.

But Why, Then, Should We Count Fifty Days?

In Leviticus 23:13, the Hebrew word for "count" is "safar." There are several different, but accurate, meanings for "safar." It is only Judaism which provides the internal history necessary to discover which meaning is intended to be understood in the Biblical text. Although "safar" can mean to count up the total in order to arrive at a sum, it can also just as easily and accurately mean to inscribe by making a mark, to enumerate, or to celebrate.

Judaism teaches that the intended meaning of "safar" in Leviticus 23:15 is "to ritually inscribe by celebrating, i.e., to inscribe by ritual celebration." Jewish author and historian Chaim Raphael, in his book entitled Festival Days: A History of Jewish Celebrations (c.1990, Grove Weidenfeld: New York), provides us with the key to rightly understanding the use of the word "safar" in Leviticus 23:15. He informs us that:

This same author adds:

It should be clear that this ritual of "counting" was performed EVERY YEAR, as a special adjunct to the Passover celebration, at which the spring harvest BEGAN, and continued for forty nine days, until Pentecost, when the spring harvest was COMPLETED! Since the spring harvest is a TYPE of the "firstfruits" of YEHOVAH's creation -- true converted people of YEHOVAH God, from the time of the patriarchs down to true Christians -- the period of time from Passover to Pentecost represents the TIME OF YEHOVAH'S SPIRITUAL SPRING HARVEST.

True Christians are they "which have the FIRSTFRUITS of the Spirit" (Rom.8:23). Paul spoke of a certain believer Epaenetus, "who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ" (Rom.16:5). The apostle James wrote, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures" (James 1:18).

At the Messiah's coming, he will MARRY the Church, the "firstfruits" (Rev.19:6-9). Thus the daily "counting of the omer" is a ritual which REFLECTS THE SPRING HARVEST OF TRUE CHRISTIANS and all the holy men and women of old who will be in the FIRST RESURRECTION, and who will "MARRY" the Messiah at his coming!

The vast, overwhelming majority of Christians do not even begin to realize or recognize this amazing, wonderful TRUTH! Every day, from Passover to Pentecost, when WE COUNT THE OMER, as we pray to YEHOVAH God, reciting, "This is the ___ day of the Omer," and continue on in our prayers, we are LOOKING FORWARD TO and ANTICIPATING JOYFULLY our coming UNION with Yeshua the MESSIAH at his coming! The daily "counting of the omer," then, beginning with the first omer, continues for forty nine days, or until Pentecost -- and spiritually symbolizes the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE CHURCH OF YEHOVAH GOD which have been "harvested" throughout the centuries and millennia leading up to the great day of MESSIAH'S COMING, when the Messiah will COMPLETE THE HARVEST OF FIRSTFRUITS, and then MARRY HIS BRIDE!

What a wonderful truth! There is far more involved in "counting the omer" than most of us have ever realized! In the words of Pogo, "We have met the Omer, and it is US!"

Jewish Sources and Testimony

According to testimony from Jewish sources: "Kabbalists regard these forty-nine days as an ascent from the gates of Egyptian impurity to the purity of Revelation" (The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, by Frank & Tautsch, p.124; c.1992, Jason Aronson, Inc.). Remember that Yeshua used the symbol of "wheat" to represent his true disciples, and the term "harvest" to represent "the end of the world (age)" in Matthew 13:29-30 and verse 39. We are therefore additionally informed that this 49-day period is a time of spiritual vulnerability for True Believers based on the physical parallel with the vulnerable conditions of the growing grain prior to the agricultural harvest: "The omer period was a time of great vulnerability, since the people's sustenance depended upon the ripening of the grain. This period also marks the spiritual ripening of the Jewish People as they prepare to receive the Torah at Shavuot" (The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols, p.123).

The "spiritual ripening" of True Disciples down through the many centuries is depicted by the offering of the "omer" (wave-sheaf) during each of the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost). However, it is Shavuot which symbolizes the "harvest" at the future Coming of the Messiah.

Just as the proper ripening of the physical grain is dependent "upon a balance of north and south winds" (ibid., p.123), the proper ripening of a True Disciple depends upon a balance of the proper environmental and spiritual influences upon him during his earthly lifetime. At the end of this vulnerable 49-day period, we arrive at Shavuot (Pentecost) which represents and celebrates "God's blessing and protection of the land and its fruit" (p.123) -- the time mentioned in Revelation 20:6: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection . . . they shall be priests of YEHOVAH God and of Messiah, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

According to the teachings of Jewish antiquity, the various interpretations about the meaning of the omer (wave-sheaf) among most Churches of YEHOVAH God (and others) are incorrect because they usually indicate the wave-sheaf as representing the newly resurrected Yeshua after his exit from the tomb. Rather, the wave-sheaf (omer) represents the journey of YEHOVAH's True Disciples on Earth down through time to the Coming of the Messiah which is represented by the Festival of Shavuot.

What, Then, about Yeshua?

What, then, about Yeshua? He is called a "firstfruit" of many firstfruits and the Firstborn of many brethren (I Corinthians 15:20; Romans 8:29). This needs to be clearly and intelligently understood! Yeshua was not a wave-sheaf separate from us or of a different species from us -- in other words, he was fully human and NOT God -- or part God and part human. He was one individual amongst many -- not a whole "sheaf" of "grains" of barley within himself!

However, since he was "the firstborn among many brethren," or the "first of the firstfruits," in the singular, then certainly in typology, Yeshua could be represented by one of the grains -- i.e., the first grain, selected in the harvest, as a type. Even as we have to undergo trials and tests, and be parched, and sifted, and exposed to the winds, so he also had to overcome the wiles of Satan (Matt.4:1-10). Even as we are tested, so he was tested by the Father and "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Heb.4:15), "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Heb.5:7-9).

The unblemished male lamb offered as a burnt offering along with the flour of the wave sheaf (Leviticus 23:12) represented Yeshua the Messiah, the OIL mixed into the fine flour (Leviticus 23:13) represented the holy spirit, given to the Messiah without measure (John 3:34), while the drink offering of WINE which accompanied the offering (Leviticus 23:14) symbolized the shed blood of the son of YEHOVAH God (Matthew 26:27-28), which cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:7).

Similarly, the designation of "firstfruits" is first of all applied to the Messiah himself, the firstfruit of the harvest of YEHOVAH God, for he is "the head of the Church" (Ephesians 5:23), "which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all" (Ephesians 1:22-23). Notice --

The Greek Text of I Corinthians 15:20 reads when literally translated: "Now but Anointed [Messiah] has been raised up out of dead ones, a first-fruit of those having fallen asleep" (The Emphatic Diaglott). The Greek noun is here in the singular form (i.e., "first-fruit"), not in the plural form as the KJV inaccurately renders it. The resurrected Yeshua was only one wheat plant among the omer of First-Century A.D. brethren. It takes a cluster (or, "little flock" -- Luke 12:32) of wheat plants to equal one "omer" during each generation of mankind. In Jewish practice, each "omer" (representing many brethren) was offered by waving -- not burned on the altar -- accompanied with a lamb of the first year (representing the Messiah) for burnt offering (to instruct Israel to destroy their lower animalistic human desires), with its meal and drink offerings (See: Unger's Bible Dictionary, article "Festivals"). The wave sheaf -- omer -- was offered with an accompanying symbol of the Messiah, but the wave sheaf did not, itself, represent the Messiah. True brethren down through history have always been accompanied by the spirit and presence of the Messiah!

The barley grain of the wave sheaf, which was chosen in advance just as the Lamb of YEHOVAH God was (before the foundation of the world -- 1 Peter 1:20), provides a wonderful picture of the Messiah who was:

* Abused, beaten and scourged by the Romans, then stoned by the Jews: as the grain was thrashed.

* Suffered fiery trial, culminating in the fiery pain of death: as the grain was parched (roasted).

* Was tested, purified and perfected by his earthly experiences, including the ordeal of his crucifixion: as the grain was sieved many times until it was pure.

The Messiah was a human being just like us, and "was made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted" (Heb.2:17-18).

He was, however, accepted by YEHOVAH God the very moment he expired on the tree.

The Wave Sheaf Offering

Many have been confused, because they have been falsely taught that the Messiah was the Wave Sheaf Offering. But nowhere does Scripture state this as a fact. It is an assumption, and leads to many problems. For example, if the Messiah was the Wave Sheaf Offering, WHY is it composed of MANY grains and barley plants?

Let us notice the proper sequence of events, as they are revealed in Leviticus 23:

l) Yeshua, as our Passover Lamb, offered himself as an unblemished sacrifice for our sins, pictured by the Passover, slain in the afternoon of Nisan 14, and partaken of at the Passover dinner at the beginning of Nisan 15. We claim this sacrifice on our behalf, symbolized by our participation in the Passover; this is step one on the path to salvation -- belief in the Messiah (Lev.23:5). This offering is accepted by YEHOVAH God the Father immediately upon its fulfillment -- not several days later!

2) The very next day, being the First Holy Day of the Days of Unleavened Bread (and also the weekly Sabbath), pictures our putting sin out of our lives (symbolized by the removal of leaven); this is step two on the path to salvation -- repentance from dead works and sin (Lev.23:6-7);

3) Then the high priest took the "wave sheaf" which symbolized the FIRSTFRUITS of the barley harvest to "wave" it before the YEHOVAH God, to be accepted. This typified the 144,000 -- the first-century Christian FIRSTFRUITS OF ZION, who became "at one with God," through the atoning sacrifice of the Messiah and their acceptance of his sacrifice on their behalf, and their beginning to obey YEHOVAH God by beginning to depart from Egypt, typified by their observance of Passover and Nisan 15. The "wave sheaf" offering meant that THEY had to first BE ACCEPTED before the rest of the HARVEST could commence! But the first-century Christians from out of the twelve tribes of Israel were the FIRSTFRUITS -- the rest of the harvest, which is typified by the wave sheaves offered during the days of the omer count, is the general harvest itself and includes all those Christians from the first-century down to our time today. The general harvest could not be reaped UNTIL the FIRSTFRUITS, the 144,000, were accepted by YEHOVAH God!

Now let's understand this, step by step!

1) The Messiah "offered himself" when he died on the Mount of Olives facing the Holy of Holies in the Temple and sprinkled his blood before the altar of YEHOVAH. Thus he "presented himself before YEHOVAH God." His offering was accepted IMMEDIATELY -- NOT THREE DAYS LATER!

2) However, before that Sacrifice could be applied to the FIRSTFRUITS, they had to first REPENT OF SIN (putting out the leaven); once they BEGAN to do this, YEHOVAH God immediately applied the sacrifice of the Messiah to THEIR sins, and accepted his sacrifice in THEIR personal behalf.

3) This having been accomplished, the High Priest (the risen Messiah) then "waved" the first wave sheaf before the Father, to be accepted by Him -- picturing the 144,000 of ISRAEL, then being offered to the Father as the "FIRSTFRUITS" of the new harvest! Similarly, this "omer" was waved each succeeding day, for forty-nine days, leading up to Pentecost! Thus all who are firstfruits down through the ages to those of us in this End-Time generation, are pictured in the succeeding wave sheaves! The wave sheaf, composed of many individual grains of barley, thus typified the many individuals among the FIRSTFRUITS OF THE CHURCH OF YEHOVAH GOD, being called and "chosen" during this age, to inherit the Kingdom of YEHOVAH God!

Thus the one-two-three step process is completed, and symbolized by Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Wave Sheaf Offering. How amazing! How wonderful! How fulfilling! How humbling!

The Mistake of Some Churches

Notice! It is very clear how the Passover/First Day of Unleavened Bread/Wave Sheaf Offering all tie closely together, every year, as a yearly celebration. However, if we divorce the wave sheaf from Passover, and place it on Sunday after the weekly Saturday Sabbath, as some Churches do, this destroys the close continuity between the Passover, Unleavened Bread, and the wave sheaf.

Due to the fact that these churches DO NOT realize the First Day of Unleavened Bread ALWAYS falls on the weekly Sabbath (see John 19:31; Exodus 16 and Joshua 5:11), such a formula actually introduces a varying and changing format which is different every year -- depending on what day of the week Passover falls in the Gregorian calendar we use today.

Writes a so-called pastor of a Church of God congregation --

If we believe that the wave sheaf should be offered on the day after the WEEKLY sabbath, as some do, then the fact of the matter is that the only time you would have three days and three nights between Passover, when Jesus died, till Saturday evening/Sunday morning wave sheaf offering, would be only on those years where Passover occurred on a Wednesday!

On all other years, the formula would fail! The three-day and three-night arrangement between Passover and the wave sheaf offering would be destroyed. On some years, where Passover was on the Sunday, the Worldwide Church of God would postpone the wave sheaf offering till the FOLLOWING Sunday, a week later! But in 1994, when Passover was on Saturday, they backed up and called that same Saturday the "Sabbath" from which the wave sheaf was counted -- the Sabbath BEFORE the Feast of Unleavened Bread even started! -- and thus they began counting the very NEXT DAY after Passover! Again, destroying any 3 day relationship which existed between the death of Christ and the wave sheaf offering!

There are a number of serious problems with the above statements:

1/. This "pastor" assumes the weekly Sabbath always falls on a Saturday. This is NOT true! The weekly Sabbath is tied to the phases of the moon and can fall on any day of the week (including Saturday) in the Gregorian calendar we have inherited. For further information, read our articles Have We Been Observing the Sabbath At the Wrong Time All These Years?, The New Moon and the Weekly Sabbath -- Side-By-Side! and From Sabbath to Saturday: The Story of the Jewish Rest Day.

2/. This "pastor" also assumes that the Messiah was in the tomb -- dead and buried -- for a total of 3 days and 3 nights, or 72 full hours. This is another fallacy! The term "three days and three nights" is an idiomatic expression from the first century that means "three days" counted inclusively -- NOT a full 72 hours! When you read the gospel accounts of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah, there is absolutely no way you can insert a period of 72 hours between the Messiah's death and his resurrection without seriously violating the Biblical accounts. For further proof on this important subject, send for the article Was Yeshua the Messiah Really In the Grave for Three Days and Three Nights?

3/. This same person also assumes (once again!) that the Messiah rose from the dead on the later afternoon of the weekly (Saturday) Sabbath -- another "idea" that is easily refuted by the Bible itself. Notice!

The gospel accounts clearly show the CLOSE relationship time wise between the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah -- a period of time that cannot be stretched out to 72 hours! Yeshua died on the Preparation Day (Nisan 14), was in the tomb all of the First Day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) and the weekly Sabbath (Nisan 15), to rise from the grave on the First Day of the Week (Nisan 16) -- the same day that the Wave Sheaf was offered to YEHOVAH God. Further information can be found in the article Was Yeshua the Messiah Really In the Grave for Three Days and Three Nights?

Obviously, there is something very wrong with our "pastor" friend's formula! The real error, however, is simple: The "wave sheaf" does not -- and never did -- represent the resurrection of the Messiah as some believe, but rather represents us, the Church, as the "first fruits from the dead" being made "acceptable" to YEHOVAH God the Father through the efforts of Yeshua our Elder Brother! The historical evidence appears to indicate that the early New Testament Church recognized the importance of what they called "Wave Sheaf Sunday"; this understanding was, however, eventually displaced to focus on both Sunday observance and Easter Sunday as commemorative of the resurrection of the Messiah. All we know from the Scriptures is that the Messiah was resurrected on THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK -- whether that equates to "Sunday" in the Gregorian calendar of today is uncertain and hard to prove.

"Touch Me Not"

There is a passage in the Book of John that gives the expositors and doctrinal scholars no end of trouble:

Many assume that the reason Yeshua told Mary not to touch him, after he had been resurrected, was because he had not yet ascended to YEHOVAH God the Father to be "accepted" of Him as our "wave sheaf offering."

Is this true? Did the Messiah disappear and ascend to heaven shortly after he was seen by Mary, and return to earth shortly afterwards, before he revealed himself to all the disciples? Let's understand this!

Writes our anonymous "pastor" friend --

We are not told, in the Scriptures.

First of all, the Messiah was NOT in the grave for exactly 72 hours -- nowhere near that long, in fact! Therefore, he was NOT resurrected on the evening of the Sabbath, and did NOT have numerous hours to lollygag around before he revealed himself to Mary! As the Scriptures clearly reveal, he was resurrected early in the morning of the First Day of the Week -- probably not long before the disciples found the tomb empty and Mary encountered the risen Messiah in the garden.

Continues our confused "pastor" friend:

The question is: Why did He tell Mary not to touch Him, and yet the disciples held Him by the feet, worshipping Him? The assumption is that between these two events, very quickly He ascended to Heaven and returned, being accepted of the Father -- so now they could "touch" Him. But is this assumption correct?

Let's examine John 20:17 in detail and see what it really says!

Notice, now, what the Messiah prayed to his Father for just before his crucifixion --

On that early morning of the First Day of the Week the Messiah, though resurrected, had yet to be exalted to YEHOVAH God's right hand. The Greek word that is translated "NOW" in John 17:5 also means "at the present time," and gives the sense of urgency -- of happening right now or very shortly -- NOT weeks into the future! This same sense of urgency is also found in Ephesians 1:20:

There is no large space of time insinuated between "He raised him from the dead" and "made him sit at His right hand." Also, in Acts 5:30: "The God of our fathers raised Jesus whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at His right hand as leader and savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

Until the risen Messiah was exalted to the right hand of YEHOVAH God, and until the Messiah -- as our High Priest -- "waved" the omer before his Father, the promised holy spirit could not be made available to those Christians of the first century, nor could they be fully reconciled to the Messiah and begin the process of salvation. This is made plain by John 7:39:

Just as the new grain could not be eaten until the wave sheaf was offered, neither could those called by YEHOVAH God begin the process of salvation until the risen Messiah had "waved" the sheaf or omer before his Father to be accepted for them. Also, until the Messiah was exalted to the right hand of YEHOVAH God, the holy spirit could not be poured out on the New Testament Church.

The reason the Messiah said to Mary "do not hold me" is because he was still in a "human" resurrected form -- just like Lazarus was when he was raised from the dead, and just like those resurrected when the Messiah died were (see Matthew 27:52-53). Lazarus and the others were resurrected to the human form they had just before they died. Resurrected and cured of whatever caused their death, they continued to live out the rest of their normal lives. The Messiah, when Mary encountered him in the garden, was in this resurrected human state. He didn't want Mary to hold him, or cling to him or get used to him in this form because shortly he was to be exalted to YEHOVAH God's right hand and to take on his new spiritual form. Yeshua didn't want Mary to get used to seeing him in his resurrected human form because it was only temporary and to be replaced with a new spiritual body that could materialize at will.

Our "pastor" friend completely ignored the statement the Messiah made in John 20:17 where he said, "go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." With a little reflection this seems like a strange thing to say at this juncture -- WHY would he have Mary tell the other disciples he was going to ascend to his Father when he had forty more days before his ascension, recorded in Acts 1:9, to tell them himself -- starting that very evening! WHY the urgency of letting the disciples know he was to ascend to his Father? Because at exactly 9:00 a.m. that morning -- the very time of the Morning Sacrifice in the Temple -- the Messiah was to appear before YEHOVAH God in Heaven to "wave" the sheaf or omer (representing the first-century Church and all those to follow) before his Father, and to be exalted to the right hand of YEHOVAH God and to take on his NEW spiritual body.

This is corroborated by Mark when he recounts the incident of the two men (Cleopas and an unknown person) walking on the road to Emmaus -- "After this he [the resurrected and exalted Messiah] APPEARED IN ANOTHER FORM to two of them, as they were walking into the country" (Mark 16:12).

Comments Ernest L. Martin, "we are told that the scars in his hands (or wrists) and feet, and the scar from the deep sword wound that penetrated his side...were allowed to remain on his GLORIFIED BODY as a proof of his identity (John 20:24-31) and probably as a reminder to all of what he accomplished for the human race" (Secrets of Golgotha, p. 200).

The Messiah's exaltation and glorification was prophesied centuries before by the prophet Daniel, who wrote --

Because the Messiah's authority was now absolute and worldwide, he could say to his disciples in Matthew 28:18 (BEFORE his final ascension in Acts 1:9): "ALL authority in HEAVEN and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." The Messiah could NOT have issued this directive to his disciples BEFORE being exalted to YEHOVAH God's right hand and receiving the power and authority to do so. Similarly, the first-century Church could NOT have carried out this directive before they were "waved" before YEHOVAH as a fulfillment of the Wave Sheaf Offering.

Yeshua the Messiah had been officially exalted to YEHOVAH's right hand and the wave sheaf -- representing the New Testament Church -- had been accepted by the Father through our High Priest and Elder Brother!

Our misguided "pastor" friend tries to put a sexual slant on the Messiah's statement to Mary by saying: "The simple answer is revealed by the Greek expression Jesus used, when He told Mary, "Touch me not." The word for "touch" in this verse is haptomai and literally means, "to attach oneself to, i.e., to touch (in many implied relations)." It is the same word Paul used in I Corinthians 7:1, where he wrote, speaking of sexual or sensual holding or hugging, and close bodily contact: "It is good for a [single] man not to touch a woman."

Such are the ways of this world -- a sexual connotation has to be applied to almost everything! The fact is, the Greek word haptomai simply means "to touch," "to lay hold on," "to embrace"; "to hurt" (Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament, by Dawson and Taylor). This word only takes on a "sexual" implication when used in a sexual context. Here the Messiah simply didn't want Mary to become too attached to him -- physically and mentally -- while he was in his resurrected human form because it was to last but a few short hours to be replaced by the glorified spirit body that was to be his TRUE and everlasting representation.

To recount the events of the day, the Messiah was

1/. resurrected from the dead "early on the first day of the week" (Mark 16:9) and "toward the DAWN of the first day of the week" (Matthew 28:1).

2/. He appeared to Mary Magdalene, in his resurrected human form, shortly after his resurrection and shortly after the two Maries entered the sepulchre (John 20:14-17).

3/. At 9:00 a.m. -- the exact time of the Morning Sacrifice in the Temple -- the Messiah entered Heaven and was exalted to the right hand of YEHOVAH God where he "waved" the omer before his Father for the acceptance of the FIRSTFRUITS.

4/. Returning to earth he appeared to the two men walking on the road to Emmaus "in another form" (Mark 16:12), i.e. in his exalted spiritual body, and later that day (the First Day of the Week) he appeared to the eleven disciples while they were gathered together and "breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the holy spirit'" (John 20:19, 22). He also told them to "go into ALL the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15).

Clearly, the Messiah rose to heaven on that same day, and returned with power and authority from his Heavenly Father.

The Messiah had originally been sent only to the "lost sheep of the House of Israel" (Matthew 15:24), among whom, for the most part, he exercised his authority (John 5:27). His exaltation to the right hand of YEHOVAH God, however, meant that the Messiah was now fully invested with the authority he had been promised and which he had often spoken about as receiving. So, after his resurrection, exaltation and return to his disciples, he could say -- "ALL authority in HEAVEN and on earth has been GIVEN to me" (Matthew 28:18). Because the Messiah's authority was now absolute and worldwide, the door of salvation was now open and worldwide:

The Wave Sheaf Revisited

Now that we know and understand that the "Wave Sheaf Offering," the omer, was offered in ancient Israel on the day after Passover and the weekly Sabbath, and then for forty nine days until Pentecost, and that this bundle of grain, parched, heated, and carefully refined and sifted, REFERS TO US -- THE TRUE FIRSTFRUITS of YEHOVAH God -- what should this mean to us?

Is this new knowledge something that we should just "take for granted"? Is it something we should just go "ho hum, what-else-is-new" about?

Does this new knowledge EXCITE us, and make us more fervent in our love for YEHOVAH God and His great Plan and Purpose? Does it make our spiritual taste buds tingle with anticipation, delight, and joyous ecstasy and wondrous jubilation and make us to thrill with happiness?

The 144,000 came first -- after the Messiah, who was the very "first" of the firstfruits, followed by the rest of those called down through the ages. Then, the rest of the harvest will follow. As Paul wrote so clearly: "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a MAN [NOT a god or half god and half man] has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power" (I Cor.15:20-24, RSV).

The Messiah was the first of the firstfruits, and his death and sacrifice makes it possible for us to be the bundle of barley grain harvested together as the firstfruits, for his kingdom. As John wrote, he has "made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth" (Rev.5:10). John added: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them . . . and they lived and REIGNED with Christ a thousand years. But the REST of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the FIRST resurrection" -- the FIRST HARVEST -- the harvest of FIRSTFRUITS! (Rev.20:4-5). "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the FIRST resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (verse 6).

We are the FIRSTFRUITS -- typified by the "Wave Sheaf Offerings" made during the days from Passover to Pentecost, the days of the omer count -- that makes possible the remainder of the HARVEST! Therefore, should we not give special HEED to our calling? As Paul wrote, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom.12:1-2).

Let us therefore "give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Heb.2:1). "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Heb.2:3). "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" (Heb.3:12-13).

Paul also wrote, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (I Cor.10:12).

Let us take heed that we do not take these wonderful truths for granted, or let them slip, or lose our grip on them. Let us strive to perfect ourselves, so that we may be worthy to be one of the "chosen" ones, who will comprise the "Firstfruits" of the Harvest to YEHOVAH God! Let us strive to overcome our human nature, and put to death our animal urges and lusts of the flesh, and strive to prepare ourselves to meet YEHOVAH God Himself and our Lord and Master, Yeshua the Messiah, at their soon coming Return!

Take heed!