The Meaning and Time of First Fruits—Wave Sheaf Offering
First Fruits marked the beginning of the cereal grain harvests in Israel. Barley was the first grain to ripen of those sown in the winter months. For First Fruits, a sheaf of barley was harvested and brought to the Temple as a thanksgiving offering to the Lord for the harvest. It was a representative of the barley harvest as a whole and served as a pledge or guarantee that the remainder of the harvest would be realized in the days that followed. First Fruits was an early spring feast, the third in the Jewish festive cycle. On the Hebrew calendar, it occurred on after the weekly Sabbath during the days of unleavened bread. Scripture did not specify the actual calendar date of First Fruits, but merely prescribed its time of observance to be “on the day after the Sabbath.” Thus, the chronology of the Passover season consisted of:
* Passover – Nisan 14
* The Feast of Unleavened Bread — Nisan 15–21
* The First of First Fruits — Nisan16
The second day of Unleavened Bread was also First Fruits, a day simultaneously shared by both holidays.
Tell Israel to bring a sheaf of the First Fruits to the priest, when you shall come into
the land and reap a harvest.
The priest shall wave the sheaf before Jehovah to be accepted for you (Leviticus 23:11).
He shall wave it after the Sabbath (the sixteenth of the first month).
On that day you shall offer a lamb of the first year without blemish, for a burnt
offering to Jehovah (Leviticus 23:12).
A sheaf (Heb. omer, meaning “measure”) was to be brought to the priest at the Temple who would wave it before the Lord for acceptance. There were also to be accompanying sacrifices: an unblemished male lamb of the first year, a drink offering of wine, and a meal offering of the barley flour mixed with olive oil (both Crushed corn and olives)
The people were forbidden to use any part of the harvest in any way until after the FIRST FRUITS were offered to the Lord. To neglect these First Fruits offerings (or any others) was considered robbery of God according to Scripture.
Christ was resurrected shortly after sundown on the Sabbath – And Appeared to Mary early Sunday morning —Saying Don’t Touch me – For I have not yet Ascended to my Father, The Single Unleavened Wave sheaf had not yet Ascended.
