Disciples follow the lead of YeashuaYeshua Leading His Disciples (1915, artist unknown, colored)
“Count off seven weeks [shavuot] from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.” (Deuteronomy 16:9)
What were the disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) doing for seven weeks after Passover?
For the first 40 days, they sometimes talked, walked, and ate with their risen Rabbi and Messiah. And they likely did what all Jewish people were doing at that time.
They were Counting the Omer (Sefirat haOmer).
An omer of wheat could be a sheaf, which is a bundle of stalks (left) or individual grains (right).
Counting the Omer Leads to Liberty, Perfection, and Wholeness
Some Jewish authorities say an omer is a bundle of stalks (sheaves) of harvested grain. Others say it is just a small grain.
Yeshua resurrected the same day that the Jewish people were commanded to bring their omer of barley to the Temple as a wave offering. This day was also known as Firstfruits!
Firstfruits is a day to remember the Lord is our provider, so we give back to Him a portion of what He gives to us. It is also the day that Yeshua (Jesus) was resurrected, becoming the Firstfruits for all of us (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Yeshua’s resurrection was not meant to end God’s work on earth.
A rabbi reading the Torah.
On the contrary, the disciples who trained with Yeshua for more than three years now embarked on a time of waiting and preparing after His death and resurrection before beginning their new assignments. They just didn’t realize what God was planning for them.
During this time, the Jewish people were waiting, too—for Shavuot (also known as Pentecost from the Greek word pente, meaning 50).
The Torah instructs the Jewish people to count seven weeks (49 days) from the time of the wave offering until the evening of the festival of Shavuot.
“From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf [omer] of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks [Sabbaths].” (Leviticus 23:15)
Hebrew letter zayinThe modern Hebrew letter zayin (above) has the numerical value of seven. The word zayin means weapon or sword in Hebrew. This not so scholarly connection between the number “seven” and “weapon” canmore...
Seven full weeks is 49 days.
Since the number seven (sheba) in Scripture often represents wholeness, perfection, and completion, these seven weeks are significant.
For example, in six days God created the universe. But on the seventh day, His work was completed and He rested (Genesis 2:2).
Therefore, the counting of the omer for seven weeks of seven days (49 days) represents the expectation of something that will bring perfection and completion into the world.
Yeshua’s Disciples Count the Omer
Jewish people don’t literally count stalks of grain. Each night after sunset (which is when the Hebrew day begins) they symbolically count the omer as they recite a blessing. Tonight, they will say:
“Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning counting the Omer. Today is 26 days, which is three weeks and five days of the Omer.”
Before His death, Yeshua most likely counted the omer along with His disciples. And it is during this time of counting that Yeshua resurrects and appears for 40 days, giving “many convincing proofs that he was alive and spoke about the Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
The Temptation of Messiah, by William Hole depicts Yeshua casting down the devil with the sword of the Word of God after he offeredmore...
Forty is also a symbolic number — it represents preparation.
The Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years as God prepared the next generation to enter the Promised Land. And Yeshua Himself was tempted by Satan in the Judean desert for 40 days.
Now, during these 40 days after His resurrection, Yeshua set out to prepare His disciples for something big! (Acts 1:3)
First, He wanted to make sure that they knew He was alive. But they also needed to know that He was the prophesied Messiah, their Lord and God, and that they now had an important assignment to accomplish. So He makes several appearances.
Day 1: Yeshua appears to Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:16), other women (Matthew 28:9), and disciples on the way to Emmaus. He even eats with those disciples later that day (Luke 24:13–30).
Day 2: He appears to Peter (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5) as well as the apostles who are in a locked room without Thomas. He shows them His hands and feet and says, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” (John 20:19–23)
At this meeting, He opened their minds to understand the prophecies of Scriptures, telling them how “Messiah would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. …
“And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46–49)
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