The wave sheaf offering
In this article we will look to Scripture for the meaning of this event and attempt to remove the confusion surrounding it’s timing and the counting to the day of First-Fruits (Pentecost). Lets begin our study in the Tanakh, where the observance is commanded.
Leviticus 23:9-14
9And YHWH spoke to Mosheh, saying, 10“Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11‘And he shall wave the sheaf before YHWH, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it.
Here we see the Eternal commanding this observance by His people. It is a first fruits offering. The Sabbath referred to is not specified, it is not referred to as a Sabbathown (a special Sabbath), so we still are not clear as to which Sabbath is being referred to.
12‘And on that day when you wave the sheaf, you shall prepare a male lamb a year old, a perfect one, as a burnt offering to YHWH, 13and its grain offering: two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to YHWH, a sweet fragrance, and its drink offering: one- fourth of a hin of wine.
Here we see the physical offerings that the Almighty requests. A sheaf of the first-fruits is waved before YHWH, the significance of the sheaf is its newness, it is the very first of the first-fruits of the harvest. Note the perfect male lamb offering. Lets look to Exodus 12:3-5 for additional insight.
3Speak to all the congregation of Yisrael, saying, On the tenth day of this month each one of them is to take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the beings, according to each mans need you make your count for the lamb. 5Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats.
Here we see that the Passover lamb is also a lamb without blemish, just as the wave offering lamb. Later we will see the significance of this and relate it to the timing of the wave offerring.
14‘And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Eternal commands this observance throughout the generations. Later we will see if we must observe this command today. Now lets look to the apostolic writings for more information.
Messiah Yah'shua the ultimate sacrifice for mankind
1Corinthians 15:20-23
20But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, and has become the first-fruit of those having fallen asleep. 21For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a Man. 22For as all die in Adam, so also all shall be made alive in Messiah . 23And each in his own order:Messiah the first-fruits, then those who are of Messiah at His coming,
This scripture refers to the Messiah as the first-fruit of many men to be raised to incorruption. Those who follow in the footsteps of Messiah, those who love the Almighty Father of all creation, and keep His commands and right-rulings will all be raised to be as him. Please note that the writer refers to Messiah Yah’shua as being a man and not as G_d.
If we accept Messiah Yah’shua as our Passover, then we should also accept him as the first-fruit offering that occurs during the days of Unleavened. When we accept Messiah as our first fruit offering to the Eternal, the timing and significance becomes much clearer. Lets look to the timing of the Passover and the days following to help us determine when the wave offering was observed, and when we are to begin our count to the next commanded observance “The Feast of First-Fruits” otherwise known as “Pentecost”.
John 19:28-31
28After this, Yah’shua, knowing that all had been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be accomplished, said, “I thirst!” 29A bowl of sour wine stood there, and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and held it to His mouth. 30So when Yah’shua took the sour wine He said, “It has been accomplished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
31Therefore, since it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the stake on the Sabbath – for that Sabbath was a high one – the Yehudim asked Pilate to have their legs broken, and that they be taken away.
Here we see that the First High day of Unleavened was approaching fast and that the Messiah must be taken down from the stake and laid to rest before the high Sabbath began. As a side note we see that the followers of Messiah Yah'shua did not think or feel that the Sabbath and Festival commands of the Almighty were done away with by his death.
John 20:1
And on the first day of the week Miryam from Magdala came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.
Here we see the resting place of Messiah was found to be open on the day after the weekly Sabbath. If we believe the Messiah and His sign of Yonah, we know this takes place three days after His being laid to rest. Which is three days after the first High day of Unleavened. As a side note we see that though it was early morning and still dark that this day is refered to as the first day of the week. This confirms our calendar study in the Passover article that shows us that the days begin at the going down of the sun.
John 20:11-17
11But Miryam was standing outside by the tomb weeping. Then as she wept, she stooped down to the tomb, 12and saw two messengers in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Yah’shua had been laid. 13And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “Because they took away my Master, and I do not know where they laid Him.” 14And having said this, she turned around and saw Yah’shua standing, but she did not know that it was Yah’shua. 15 Yah’shua said to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?” Thinking He was the gardener, she said to Him, “Master, if You have carried Him away, say to me where You put Him, and I shall take Him away.” 16 Yah’shua said to her, “Miryam!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Yah’shua said to her, “Do not hold on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’ ”
Here we see that the Messiah had not yet risen to the Father. He had not yet become the first-fruit of all mankind. Using Leviticus 23 as our Tanakh source we now can see that the sacrifice of the perfect lamb of the wave offering and first fruits offering occurs in the morning on the day after the first weekly Sabbath following the first High day of Unleavened. Please note that Yah'shua refers to the Eternal as his Mighty One in this Scripture. Notice also that Yah'shua also refers to his followers (disciples) as brothers.
Lets look at a calendar of the timing as shown to us in the Apostolic writings to help us understand this observance.
Notes on the Wave/first-fruits offering:
The symbolism of the wave offering is the ascension of Messiah Yah’shua to our Father as first of the first-fruits.
The timing of the ascension to the Father of Messiah Yah'shua, and the sacrifice of the unblemished first-fruits lamb occurred at the same time. Just as the timing of Messiah Yah'shua giving his life for mankind occurred at the same time as the unblemished Passover lamb was sacrificed.
The first day of the week that occurs after the first High day of Unleavened is the day we are to count from for the Feast of First-Fruits.
The Passover sacrifice has ended due to Messiah Yah'shua giving his life for us, it makes perfect sense that the wave offering sacrifice has also become unnecesary.
We are the physical temples on Earth until the coming of Messiah, our daily sacrifices (keeping the Eternal’s commands and suffering for the truth of the Eternal and the Messiah) are welcomed by the Almighty Creator.
The single male lamb without blemish is a commanded sacrifice on only two set apart feast dates. One being the Passover lamb and the other being, the Wave Offering lamb. The significance of this is obvious to anyone who searches the Truth of the matter.
1Peter 1:18-22
18knowing that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your fathers, not with what is corruptible, silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Messiah, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, 20foreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, but manifested in these last times for your sakes, 21who through Him believe in Elohim who raised Him from the dead and gave Him esteem, so that your belief and expectation are in Elohim. 22Now that you have cleansed your lives in obeying the truth through the Spirit to unfeigned brotherly love, love one another fervently with a clean heart,
Shalom & Agape in YHWH’s precious name
