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Making
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C hristian
H olidays :
Wave S he af
S unday
from a radio program by
Ronald L. Dart
What is the significance of the of grain was also called the “wave
Sunday following the crucifixion sheaf” in the King James version, and
of Jesus? Of course, all Christians was the very first of the firstfruits of
will say that they know what that year’s harvest.
that signifies, “That signifies the In Christian theology (and you
resurrection. That is the day of the can trace this with a concordance
resurrection; that’s Easter.” yourself, if you have one, just sit down
Well, hold on. This was also an and look up the word “firstfruits”),
important day in the Jewish calendar. Christ is called the first of the
It was the day of offering the firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). So
firstfruits of the barley harvest. It was this particular Sunday was important
also the first day of the countdown to both Jews and Christians in the
to Pentecost, 50 days later. You may latter part of the first century and
know that the word “Pentecost” well into the second.
actually means 50th. It is the 50th day To the Jews, it was a day of
from this particular day. the offering of firstfruits, the first
The law forbade the eating of any day of the seven weeks leading up
grain from that year’s harvest until to Pentecost, which is also called
a sheaf of the grain had been cut, the “feast of the firstfruits” or the
prepared, and presented to the priest. “feast of weeks” (Leviticus 23:15–22,
It was cut on Saturday evening, just Exodus 34:22, Deuteronomy 16:9–12,
after sundown when the sabbath was 2 Chronicles 8:13).
over and work could be done. That To Christians, it was the morning
little sheaf of grain was prepared of Jesus’ presentation to the Father
overnight and presented to God the (John 20:17) and of his first appearance
next morning (Leviticus 23:9–14). It to his disciples (John 20:19–21); and
was the “firstfruits”. This first sheaf for them, just like the Jews, it was
the first day of the seven weeks to
2) Christian Educational Ministries • May 2022
Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15–22, Acts 2).
Offering the
The symbolism of the Jewish
observance was seen to point directly
to Christ. The connection was clear
Firstfruits
and strong, right from the start, and
it was clearly seen to be so by the New
Testament writers. The early church
had not adopted a calendar different
from that of the Jews in the first century.
Now consider this carefully: This Leviticus 23:9–14
Sunday was celebrated early on as (NIV)
the day of Christ’s first appearances
after his resurrection. It was an “The Lord said to Moses,
anniversary that appeared on the ‘Speak to the Israelites and
Jewish calendar on the first Sunday say to them: “When you enter
after Passover every year.
Also consider this very familiar the land I am going to give
verse from the Bible: Matthew 28:1, you and you reap its harvest,
“Now after the sabbath, as it began to bring to the priest a sheaf of
dawn toward the first day of the week, the first grain you harvest. He
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary is to wave the sheaf before the
came to look at the sepulchre.” Now
what you should know about this Lord so it will be accepted
is that the translation is incorrect, on your behalf; the priest is
and it is out of this and the other to wave it on the day after the
references to the “first day of the Sabbath. On the day you wave
week” in the New Testament that a the sheaf, you must sacrifice as
great misunderstanding has arisen.
Literally, the expression should be a burnt offering to the Lord
“the first of the sabbaths”, and it is a lamb a year old without
plural. That’s what the Greek says. defect, together with its grain
They didn’t really use the word offering of two-tenths of an
“week” as we use the word “week”. A ephah of the finest flour mixed
Jew, in referring to a Sunday morning,
would never refer to it as the “first with olive oil—a food offering
day of the week”. For him, it would presented to the Lord, a
be the “morrow after the sabbath”, pleasing aroma—and its drink
or the “day after the sabbath”. They offering of a quarter of a hin
generally looked at everything in of wine. You must not eat any
relationship to the sabbath, and so
consequently in this expression in bread, or roasted or new grain,
the Greek it literally says “the first of until the very day you bring
the sabbaths”, in the plural. There is this offering to your God. This
no other word for “week” other than is to be a lasting ordinance
“sabbath”, and the understanding of for the generations to come,
week that goes with the sabbath is
understood by all. wherever you live.”’”
It’s a reference to a passage in
Leviticus that marks the beginning
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of the count to Pentecost. What it a singular day of the year: the first
says in Leviticus 23:15 is this, “You day of the seven sabbaths or weeks
shall count for yourselves from the leading up to Pentecost. It is an
day after the sabbath, from the day annual, not a weekly, observance.
that you brought the sheaf of the It was Wave Sheaf Sunday.
wave offering; there shall be seven Easter, as such—with its sunrise
complete sabbaths. You shall count service, egg hunts, and rabbit—
50 days to the day after the seventh has absolutely nothing to do with
sabbath, then you shall present a new Christianity. Wave Sheaf Sunday has
grain offering to the Lord.” That 50th everything to do with Christianity,
day is the day we know as Pentecost. because it is the day Jesus first appeared
This was well understood by all to his disciples after his crucifixion and
Christians in the first century, and resurrection, and it is the day when
Jewish Christians in particular were Jesus was presented to the father as the
familiar with it. It was a part of their firstfruits of the resurrection.
lives—that this day of the offering Wave Sheaf Sunday is a date on
of the wave sheaf, the first sheaf of the Jewish calendar. It’s on the day
the wave offering, was the first day after the Sabbath following Passover,
of seven sabbaths or seven weeks regardless of when the equinox takes
leading up to Pentecost. place; because, you see, the equinox
So what Matthew is really saying plays no role in the Jewish calendar.
here is, “on the first day of the weeks The reason is a very simple one: It’s
leading up to Pentecost…”. It is not a an agricultural calendar. It’s a lunar
weekly occurrence, not the first day of calendar adjusted for the time of the
a given week; it is an annual day. It’s an year for agriculture.
anniversary, this particular day is, that The problem was that the first
is being referred to in Matthew 28, and ripe barley had to be ready to be cut
everyplace else in the New Testament somewhere near the middle of the first
where it talks about “the first day of month of the year. The determination
the week” [e.g. 1 Cor. 16:2, Acts 20:7]. of when that month would be
Every place in the New Testament had to do, originally, not with the
where you see the expression “the equinox, but with the condition of
first day of the week” it is not the crops in the ground. So how does
merely referring to a Sunday, but to Christianity—how does Christ, his
ministry, his message—how does
that relate to the Jewish holiday that
More From symbolizes the firstfruits?
As we see in 1 Corinthians 15:21,
Ron Dart “For since by man came death, by
man came also the resurrection of
the dead, for just like Adam all die,
The following titles are available to
you for free in the formats listed: even so like Christ shall all be made
alive, but…” This is really fascinating,
The First of the Firstfruits every man, like Christ, can be made
The First Day of the Week? alive. “But every man in his own
Pentecost: Birthday of the Church order. Christ the firstfruits, afterward
they that are Christ’s at his coming.”
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Now, it’s a real sharp distinction
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I expect that all of this is a little between the day of the wave sheaf
confusing to people who are divorced offering, when Jesus was presented
from the land; but Israel was an to the Father as the firstborn from
agricultural society, and many of the dead, and Pentecost coming 50
C
the images the Bible days later, is the whole
draws from to explain
the plan of God are
hrist is period of time of
harvest in which we
agricultural in nature.
There were two the first live now—in which
people are being
major harvests in
Palestine: the grain of the firstfruits harvested for God.
There is this
harvest in the spring
and the fruit harvest and the saints somet imes-used
and sometimes-
in the autumn. abused scripture
The spring harvest of God are all from Revelation: “I
started with barley looked and behold
and ended with
wheat. It took place
the rest of the a Lamb stood on
Mount Zion and
between Passover and
Pentecost. Pentecost
firstfruits. with him 144,000,
having his Father’s
is also called the feast of firstfruits, name written in there foreheads,
because it begins and ends with the and I heard a voice from heaven, as
offering of the firstfruits harvest. a voice of many waters, and a voice
So it’s only natural that Jesus would of a great thunder, and I heard the
refer to the harvest as an analogy for voice of harpers harping with their
saving people. harps. And they sung as it were a
There was a day, for example, new song before the throne, before
where “Jesus appointed 70 to go out, the four beasts and the elders,
two and two before his face in every and no man could learn that
city and place where he himself was song but the 144,000 which were
planning to go, and he said to them, redeemed from the earth. These
‘The harvest truly is great, but the were redeemed from among men,
laborers are few. Pray the Lord of being the firstfruits unto God, and
the harvest that he would send forth to the Lamb. And in their mouth
laborers into his harvest’” (Luke was found no guile, for they are
10:1–2). Jesus saw his disciples going without fault before the throne of
out there preparing a harvest for God” (Rev. 14:1–5).
him when he comes. The pattern is clear! Christ is
The harvest metaphor is very the first of the firstfruits and the
strong in all of Jesus’ teachings (you saints of God are all the rest of the
find it again and again), but it’s also firstfruits. The Christian holidays
strong in all of the holidays of the of the Bible are not just Jewish
Bible. The firstfruits of Wave Sheaf holidays, they are the appointed
Sunday and Pentecost are especially times of God, times that actually
meaningful to Christians. represent his work, his plan, and all
It was James who said this: “Do the things that he is doing through
not err, my beloved brethren, every Christ. In the annual celebration
good gift and every perfect gift is of these days, there’s so much to be
from above and comes down from learned about God and his plan for
the Father of lights, with whom is man, and it’s a crying shame that
no variableness, neither shadow of Christian churches have lost touch
turning. Of his own will he begat with them.
us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of firstfruits of his Note: There is, however, one exception to
creatures” (James 1:16–18). that statement. We’ll explore that in the
Jesus is the first, but we also article “Pentecost”, on the next page.
are firstfruits, and the connection
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Pentecost from The Thread: God’s Appointments with History
a book by Ronald L. Dart
Now!
BornToWin.net
The 2022 Plan
Reading, Writing, and Responding
Our focus this year is to finish the New Testament. We started in Acts, will
move through Paul’s writings, and finish in Revelation. We encourage you to
read the daily assignment, handwrite the verses, then respond with prayer,
meditation, contemplation, and life application.
Jun 1 1 Cor 7:31–40 Jun 16 1 Cor 13:1–7
Jun 2 1 Cor 8:1–6 Jun 17 1 Cor 13:8–13
Jun 3 1 Cor 8:7–13 Jun 18 1 Cor 14:1–10
Jun 4 1 Cor 9:1–10 Jun 19 1 Cor 14:11–20
Jun 5 1 Cor 9:11–17 Jun 20 1 Cor 14:21–29
Jun 6 1 Cor 9:18–27 Jun 21 1 Cor 14:30–40
Jun 7 1 Cor 10:1–11 Jun 22 1 Cor 15:1–11
Jun 8 1 Cor 10:12–22 Jun 23 1 Cor 15:12–24
Jun 9 1 Cor 10:23–33 Jun 24 1 Cor 15:25–35
Jun 10 1 Cor 11:1–12 Jun 25 1 Cor 15:36–45
Jun 11 1 Cor 11:13–22 Jun 26 1 Cor 15:46–58
Jun 12 1 Cor 11:23–34 Jun 27 1 Cor 16:1–7
Jun 13 1 Cor 12:1–11 Jun 28 1 Cor 16:8–14
Jun 14 1 Cor 12:12–21 Jun 29 1 Cor 16:15–23
Jun 15 1 Cor 12:22–31 Jun 30 2 Cor 1:1–11
If you are interested in our Bible-in-a-Year Reading Plan, visit the link below.
www.borntowin.net/bible-reading-plan
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Radio
Broadcast Christian Educational Ministries
Whitehouse, TX 75791
P.O. Box 560
June Schedule
1st……......….Before Pentecost [Part 1] 16th...............What Is God Doing #4
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