Passover, Unleavened Bread, & First Fruits (Omer Count) cont’

Attended my first Pesach (Passover) Seder last night and the ceremony was made complete with Messianic understanding. Communion was special as we took the matzah and the four cups of wine that included the cup of sanctification, the cup of plagues, the cup of redemption, and the cup of praise. As He began His final Pesach Seder, Yahshua HaMoshiac shared a cup with his talmidim, and said to them,

“Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of Elohim comes.” (Luke 22:17, 18)

Today at sundown begins Chag Matzoth (Unleavened Bread) and this festival is observed for seven days. We only eat matzah during the seven days of this feast so the house has been emptied of leavened bread. No laborious work is done on the first and last days so I am at home today, having had the Miqra Kedoshim (holy convocation) last night, reflecting on the significance of these ‘appointed times’ for all generations (le olam va ed). And Elohim said,

“Then on the fifteenth day of the same month (Aviv) there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to Elohim; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to Elohim. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.” (Leviticus 23:6-8)

Easter is named after the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, the pagan goddess of fertility. The Babylonians each spring had a great pagan festival to celebrate the gifts of fertility. The focus of this festival explains many of the Easter symbols: rabbits, eggs, and new clothing. In contrast to Easter, First Fruits (Bikkurim) celebrates resurrection, a time when crops, seeming to be dead, come back bringing new life.

The Feast of Bikkurim (First Fruits) also is the beginning of the Omer Count. In Hebraic understanding, the Omer Count is the 50-day count-down that begins on this day (day after Passover) and ends on Shavout (Pentecost). The 50-day count-down represents the move from faith to belief.

Bikkurim (First Fruits) and the Omer Count

Aviv 16/April 10 – Bikkurim/Firstfruits Omer Count Begins

Aviv 21/April 14 – Last Day Chag Matzoth/Unleavened Bread (sundown)

Sivan (3rd month)/May 28 – Day 6 Shavout/Feast of Weeks (sundown)

“Then Elohim said to Moses, speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before Elohim for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to Elohim. Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to Elohim for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your Elohim, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.’” (Leviticus 23:9-14)

Inconsistent with Scripture, many, if not most modern-day Jews, do not celebrate First Fruits (Bikkurim). This could be because the festival immediately follows Passover/Unleavened Bread, is closely tied to the Temple, or because it is so intimately associated with resurrection.

“But now Moshiac has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, but a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Moshiac all are made alive. But each in his own order: Moshiac, the first fruits, after that those who are Moshiac’s at His coming.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit…And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” (John 12:23-24, 32)

Bikkurim Scripture references in the Tanach and Brit Chadasha include: Leviticus 23:9-14; Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23.

I will be posting more on the Omer Count and Shavuot (Feast of Weeks or Pentecost) as we move into the count. Remember that the 50-day Omer Count represents the move from faith to belief. Stay tuned….