MY SCRIPTURE STUDIES

My Scripture Studies
Seek God. Engage with His voice in the Bible and start in the beginning.

June 12, 2011

Do as the Disciples - Count the Omer!



In my Scripture studies I discovered why the disciples knew why they recorded Jesus ascended on the 40th day.

They were counting up to the appointed Feast of Weeks. In Hebrew, it is Shavuot and because of the counting we also call it Pentecost, it's described in Leviticus 23:15-16. There Almighty God tells us to count seven weekly Sabbaths from Passover and then on the 50th day of counting up we arrive at The LORD's appointed day.

On the 50th day Shavuot is celebrated as the day of the outpouring of the Spirit and the Torah from the fire atop Mount Sinai. That's connected to the outpouring gift of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem 50 days after Yeshua's resurrection and that day is called First Fruits in the Bible.

Think about it, if we count the Omer we "get to" do what the disciples did nearly 2,000 years ago!

There was a God reason they were instructed to stay in Jerusalem. 

It's well worth repeating: they knew Yeshua ascended on the 40th day after His First Fruits day resurrection because they were counting...
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3
There's a hidden story here. The period of forty days included the second Passover, a month after the first. 

How do we know? 

Check out Numbers 9:9–13. There we discover that God gives a second chance for Passover. During the first year of the Exodus, some were unable to participate in the Passover so they asked Moses to inquire of God on their behalf. In His love and mercy, Almighty God agreed and declared the Pesach Sheni which points toward the character of our Creator for the willing heart. 

God gives us a second chance.

And the 40 days? It's really simple, the disciples were counting the Omer days. 

They were keeping the word of The LORD. After Yeshua's life gift, in resurrection He appeared to His disciples and many others over a forty-day period during the precious time of Counting the Omer up to the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost).

The disciples were faithful. 

They were keeping the word of God declared in Leviticus 23:15-16 at Sinai some 1,500 years earlier. They were counting just as Yeshua had admonished them to do (see Luke 24:44-49 and Acts 1:4). 

If they had not stayed in Jerusalem in obedience, they would have missed out on the outpouring gifts of the Holy Spirit on the 50th day and the world today would be a much different. 

Had they not counted the Omer, it's likely you would have never heard of Jesus, His disciples or the comforter, the Holy Spirit of God.

Thankfully, the Jewish disciples were faithfully counting the (Sefirat HaOmer) days up to Shavuot and following the example given to them!!!
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:3-4
You too can do what the disciples did and count up to the celebration of the outpouring of the Spirit of God in Jerusalem.


Just count to the 50th day of God's Shavuot !!


It's a huge part of each Passover season celebration and Yeshua shows us there's much more to come in God's times and seasons. 

The Spring Feasts points us to the death of the Passover lamb and the salvation of the first born sons of Egypt to the day of proclaiming the Ten Commandments. They show us the count to the God's covenant at Mount Sinai and anointing of God's Holy Spirit on the disciples in Jerusalem described in Acts 2.

Yeshua says there's more to come at the time of restoration of the kingdom to Israel?

During the Omer count to Shavuot, our Creator God shows us that He gives everyone a second chance at life through Messiah's resurrection. That is the Omer wheat harvest of mankind. 

This amazing promise is embedded in the message of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13. The second chance is also shown in the Pesach Sheni (the Second Passover noted in the instruction and teaching from God recorded in Numbers 9:1-14.

After the first and second Passover, the next Biblical Holiday season follows the summer Shavuot. It's in the fall. It starts with Rosh Hashanah, aka the Day of Trumpets. But this commentary's focus is about the importance of the Omer count because is a key part of our celebration as we got to participate in God's plan. 

As noted, Shavuot represents the Biblical counting for the Jubilee (Yovel) year. The Bible tells us the Jubilee is the appointed time of release and return. In a way it represents the revival of Eden - the fallen garden and the restoration of the Kingdom of God on earth. The Jubilee shows us the promise of restoration and the future resurrection of the dead no matter what Sadducees say. 

It will be the Jubilee of the King of the Universe!

Back to counting the Omer, it is called Sefirat Ha’omer in Hebrew. It is the counting of seven Sabbaths and each of the forty-nine days after the first Sabbath following Passover. It includes seven weekly Sabbaths. Leviticus 23 tells us how to count but there has been confusion for thousands of years of tradition.

Believe it or not, the Omer count confusion is seen an ancient conflict between the Pharisees and the Sadducees during the Maccabean era. Their conflict is also noted in the New Testament in Matthew 22:23-28 as the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection.

The key to understanding the story in Matthew is that Yeshua quotes from the Torah, which the Sadducees accepted as the basis for their theology. Notice He did not get caught up in the controversy between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, instead He focused on the words of the Torah and that's what we all need to do.

Leviticus tells us that the day after Passover is a “Holy Convocation” or “mikra” in which, like the weekly Sabbath no labor, no work is to be done. Think about this, if vocation or work was done, some would miss the convocation, but no one is to miss a convocation that God declares eternal.

Just look for yourself in Leviticus 23:15-16, the verses tell us to count beginning with a Sabbath.

During the Omer count, we can count like a disciple to the Day of Shavuot and with each day of counting, we are rehearsing in the growing expectation of what THE BIG DAY of Shavuot plays a big part in the Kingdom of God.

The Bible tells us the Omer count is an eternal instruction. That is a teaching direct from our Creator. In our so called modern day, we need to take a step back to re-read the Bible with the Omer Count in mind. When we do that from the heart of a true disciple, we get to realize that it was on the 1st day of the Omer count that the King of the Jews appeared in the garden to Mary Madeline alive and well.

That day, Jesus got to work and did what He always did, He taught the meaning of Torah.

It occurred on the road to Emmaus. By the way, that road is still known today in Israel. It's none other than Highway 1 and it traverses from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The ruins of the ancient village of Emmaus are still there.

That day during the Omer count, Jesus (Yeshua) showed Himself in the upper room to the disciples.

On the 40th day of the Omer count, Yeshua ascended to the right hand of God after His stern command to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father:
To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with [them], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, [saith he], ye have heard of me. Acts 1:3-4
Shavuot is one of the big three appointed calendar days in God's word that points toward the Jubilee restoration resurrection. The ultimate appointed place to appear on these three pilgrim festival days of holy convocation described in Leviticus 23 is in Jerusalem. 

The reason: God chose that city as the place to put His name on the Temple (Mount Moriah) on Zion, "my holy hill." 

Jerusalem will be the capital city of King Messiah who will return to rule not only Israel but the nations. You can read about that in Zechariah 9:9-10 and Zechariah 14:16-17. Jerusalem, and the Jewish people are the focus of God’s prophetic plan seen in His Feast Days.

The Omer count should not be forgotten, so do it. We all have the same instruction countdown of 49 days from First Fruits Day to the Feast of Weeks. It's a time to remember the journey from slavery and suffering in Egypt to baptism in the Red Sea, and then at Mount Sinai standing before The LORD to become citizens of the kingdom of God and a royal priesthood to the planet.

Shavuot is a part of the gospel of God plan. It's the 50th day appointed in time before the coming days of tabernacling with God. It goes without saying if you say you follow Messiah, follow Him. In the Bible the number 50 points to redemption. Back in the day in Israel, all financial debts were forgiven every seven years called the Shemitah cycle. Not only that every seven years, people stopped sowing and planting to let the land rest.

After seven Shemitah the 50th was the year of jubilee when indentured servants were set free, debts were forgiven and land was returned to its original owners. That message should point you to the backstory of the Jubilee hidden in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:5-15 to rely on God and live in His image...
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Shavuot is a special day that God instructs us to not work so that we can all gather before Him and be empowered by His Spirit.

It is a day of celebration of His Spirit (Ruach), the wind and life breath of our Creator. The word Ruach means wind, breath, mind and Spirit. In the beginning, Elohim God breathed life into Adam, 2,000 years ago He gave the gifts of the Spirit.

One gift of God's Spirit given that day to the disciples reversed the confusion of Babel. Those that were there in Jerusalem from other lands were able to understand. 
And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 
Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. Acts 2:7-11
That gift of language called tongues was given so the faithful could spread the Gospel to all nations.

God is all knowing, He knows the end from the beginning. When He gave His instruction of counting the Omer, our Creator God knew many nations would hear what they needed to hear that day in Jerusalem. People from all around the Roman Empire at the time of Yeshua kept the faith and went to Jerusalem in obedience. Because they honored the word of God, they received a great blessing and returned home after Shavuot spreading the gospel of the Kingdom.

That day was part of the restoration plan of God found in His instruction manual we call the Bible.

Imagine if people had not come to the place God chose to put his name. Imagine if the disciples thought Jews hung the Torah of God on a cross. Imagine if the disciples had not stayed in Jerusalem faithfully counting...  this the world would not know of King Messiah. Acts 2:1-4 tells us:
"When the day of Pentecost [Shavuot] arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Each disciple gathered there in Jerusalem that day became "like" the burning bush, gifted by the fire of the same Holy Spirit that Moses saw. 

Shavuot was a reversal of the confusion at the Tower of Babel recorded in Genesis 11:1–9 when God confounded their speech so that they could no longer understand. 

The purpose of the gift of tongues was so the message of Messiah could be understood to begin to re-unite the world in faith by the power of the Spirit of God so that: "it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ Acts 2:21

Shavuot is a powerful witness that God's power and His Spirit will restore life as it once was in Eden with the ultimate gift of eternal life.  

Did you know that Shavuot is the only appointed day that God asks His people to actually count "up"? It is a big day and the 7 day, 50 day count proves He does not change. That is important. The key to understand this is to know that God gives us His teaching and instruction because He loves us. 

Nothing is by chance or happenstance in the Bible. God's timing for His appointments is sovereign and everlasting.

Because of His unfailing love - God never changes His mind. He has a plan and He will keep it. Our Heavenly Father teaches us some simple guidelines about how we are to live, worship and obey Him. 

The only concept of change is that you and I need to change so that we can repent and return to "the faith which was once delivered." (Jude 1:2-3) 

It's the original message of the deceiver to fall for the lie that God does not mean what He says or that He changes His mind. Don't listen to that message any longer. Perhaps one day Shavuot may mark the coming day that those in Jerusalem call out for Messiah and cry out like Ruth:
"Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!" Ruth 4:14 NIV
Don't fall for the lie, be a part of the plan and participate in the plan of God. Don't just read the Bible, do it and be blessed!

Almighty God tells us that He has set the timing of the "big three" unchanging, eternal holy days in Jerusalem. They are Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) and Tabernacles (Sukkot). They are the appointed days God instructs Israel to appear before Him. Thankfully today, many people are coming to realize His appointed festivals are critically important to honor as they point to the harvest, the final ingathering.

The truth is they help us demonstrate our love for God in the celebration of worship He asks of all of us because all Scripture is written about the mystery of the revealing of the Messiah, in His word - - from Genesis to Revelation.

Perhaps like me, you are now learning that drawing nearer to the presence of God is indeed done by walking in the step and rhythm of our Creator. He instructed us to walk with Him in the annual appointed "cycle" of His eternal rehearsal days. They are His Feast Days, He set them forth as our instruction so that we can "be near" to Him at the appointed time in God's plan of salvation and restoration.

Can you just imagine for a moment what would have happened if the disciples ignored the ancient instruction verified by the words of Jesus to stay in Jerusalem?

They would have missed out on the blessing and gifting of the Holy Spirit!!

Jesus the Messiah, the one whose Hebrew name is Yeshua (it means "Savior") is the fulfillment of the Passover (crucifixion), Unleavened Bread (grave) and the FirstFruits (resurrection). He is the reason for counting the omer.

As Genesis 1:14 says, the sun and moon were created for signs, appointed times, days and years. They are always in sync with His creation of greater and lesser light by His timepiece, the moon, in the 1st Biblical lunar month called Abib. Passover is always on the 14th day after the new moon so the moon is nearly full, unleavened bread is the 15th day count and first fruits the 16th and the 7th day of the Passover week is a “mikra”, a holy convocation and it is always on the 20th day of the Hebrew month.

It’s amazing that the Messiah's appointed covenant week matches the cycle of the creation story. Day one light.. the light of the world was there hung on the tree for all to see, day two He separated the firmament, His body was put behind the stone separated from others and on day three the seeds and fruit burst forth just like the first fruits of Messiah as He rose victorious over death into new life through is resurrection.

Yeshua-Jesus is the "firstborn" through the power of resurrection. We are first taught about the firstborn by the symbols seen in Exodus 22:29: "Thou shalt not delay [to offer] the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me."

According to Random House Dictionary (2010) the definition of a "cycle" is:
1. any complete round or series of occurrences that repeats or is repeated.
2. a round of years or a recurring period of time, esp. one in which certain events or phenomena repeat themselves in the same order and at the same intervals.
Like the laws of physics God's word does not change. Physics defines a "cycle" as:
a.) a sequence of changing states that, upon completion, produces a final state identical to the original one.
b.) one of a succession of periodically recurring events.
c.) a complete alteration in which a phenomenon attains a maximum and minimum value, returning to a final value equal to the original one.
Understanding this is important because FirstFruits is very special in the significance and "eternal" meaning of the cycle of the Passover season of The Lord's appointed feasts held "every" spring at the beginning of the grain harvest season. FirstFruits is representative of the eternal cycle of the appointed time of thanksgiving for God’s provision and salvation. It will be the fulfillment of the the promise of restoration to the original relationship that God intended for us.

It is well beyond our comprehension, but He will accomplish our restoration to live set apart and near to Him through resurrection.

Leviticus 23:9-14 institutes the symbol of resurrection through the instruction of the "first fruits" offering described in the Bible. God instructed His people to bring a sheaf of grain to the priest, who would wave it before the Lord along with a burnt offering, a meal/grain offering, and a drink offering. The teaching of Deuteronomy 26:1-10 gives us even more information on this great day.

Our joy is to seek understanding and truth in God's word. We may not be able to catch a plane to Jerusalem today, but we can in Spirit!! Like John said: God's commandments are not grievous. There's no burden in showing God you love Him! (1John 5:1-3)

The Scriptures constantly give us visible and physical symbols of our Creator's invisible spiritual truth that we can relate to from God's creation.

The offering of the first fruits of the spring barley harvest represents the promise of God for eternal life and it leads to the Day of Shavuot and eventually the first wheat harvest. Messiah Yeshua's resurrection is represented by the barley harvest of grain of First Fruits. We can read in His word about the coming  harvest, it is the harvest of wheat. There is a separation from barley and the fall wheat harvest of grain. Regretfully, there are unbelievers, those that reject God altogether and because sin they cannot survive in God's presence. This is represented in Scripture by the pulling out of the "tares" - the weeds.

The picture of the final fall harvest in the Bible is amazing. Incredibly, both barley and wheat contain the eight (8) essential amino acids that are regarded as essential for human life! They are: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine, and lysine.

In all of Scripture the number eight (8) signifies a new beginning and eternity. According to BibleStudy.org "It is 7 plus 1. Hence it is the number specially associated with Resurrection and Regeneration, and the beginning of a new era or order."

Numbers are important in Scripture, so are the pure metals. In Scripture fifty (50) equates with "deliverance" and silver represents "redemption". Have you ever noticed this?
And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD [some part] of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: an homer of barley seed [shall be valued] at fifty shekels of silver. Leviticus 27:16
Even the most obscure verses of the Bible alludes to Messiah! Truly, God's word is amazing - every word has a meaning and purpose!!

For example, the three symbols of the First Fruit offerings are: 1) a burnt offering = the crucifixion death, 2) a meal/grain offering = Messiah's body given as the unleavened bread of life, and 3) a drink offering = Messiah's life blood given as a covering and atonement for sin. But unlike the burnt sacrifice of a lamb or heifer, The Messiah lives as the First Fruits of eternal life. He has victory over death through his resurrection. By His own words we know:
I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1:18
Here's another interesting example. Just after His resurrection on the third day following Passover which is called First Fruits, we see some unusual instruction that is tied to Leviticus 23.
"Yeshua saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God." John 20:17
Many have read the story of the road to Emmaus and it's worth repeating.

Following Passover, after walking a few miles outside of Jerusalem, two disciples who had not yet heard of the resurrection met Yeshua whom they did not recognize in the physical glory and form of His resurrected body until He interpreted the ancient Scriptures for them. They only recognized Him after He related how He  is hidden within the stories, words and symbols of the Torah. The five scrolls penned by Moses that so many today call the Old Testament... the very Word and Bible Yeshua always read and taught from. This "Word", the Scriptures are the bread of life. It is not "old" - and there's no mold!!

It just so happens that the two disciples understood the "Word"when they entered a home to have a meal, and with the giving of "the bread" and "meat", they understood who He was as their eyes were "opened" to the "truth" which is seen in the stories and symbols of the Scriptures Yeshua explained to them.

"All" Scripture is full from the front cover to the back of God's eternal spiritual truths. Truth from God becuase He does not change. The Creator describes Himself as the One that was, is and will be.

Think about it, if either the law of physics, which were spoken into existence by God at creation were to change or if the instruction of God were to change, then the heavens, the earth and life itself would implode and cease to exist. That is why Yeshua (Jesus) told all of us plainly about the truth of the Scriptures He taught from.

The perfect One said:
"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:18
The "Jot" is representative of the letter "Yod", which is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alephbet. The "tittle" is the small decorative spur or point on the upper edge of the yod.

The meaning of this passage is very clear and straightforward: Not even the smallest Hebrew letter or even its decorative corner will ever disappear from God's own "spoken" Word until all is fulfilled. The point is: Nothing changes with God... so we need to keep counting!

Only when heaven and earth are restored by a renewed heaven and earth will the words of the Lord be accomplished and only then will His Word be fulfilled in every detail even to the very letter of every word. We can see this "revelation" described in Revelation 21:1-7:
"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, (the Aleph and Tav) the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.""
Here we see God's words are trustworthy and true. So, we can understand and "see" the story of the road to Emmaus is tied to Shavout.

Walking a few miles outside of Jerusalem, two disciples met the Master whom they did not recognize until He interpreted the Scriptures (the bread of life = Torah) for them in relation to the true understanding of Who He really is (meat = truth) hidden within the words and writings of the so-called "Old" Testament... the Bible Scriptures that He read and taught from. The same hour, the two disciples walked back in obedience and returned to Jerusalem announcing the resurrection to the others. Then Yeshua (Jesus) appeared again and commissioned them to preach repentance and forgiveness to all. He told them to stay in Jerusalem "until you are clothed with power from on high". Just think about it, the disciples knew to count the days to Shavout.

His instruction to stay in Jerusalem matched the instruction of the seven Sabbath day counting of the omer.

Have you ever wondered how the the disciples knew to gather together on Pentecost Day?

It was the 50th day, the day following the 7 weeks, the 49 days of counting the omer, the day called Shavuot, the day that had been celebrated for nearly fifteen hundred years by the people of Israel that were faithfully following God's eternal teaching and instruction, His Torah.

That's why there were thousands from around the world gathered there in Jerusalem at that moment listening to Peter (Kepha) talk to the great assembly filled by the Spirit. Kepha comes from "keph" כְּף and it means rock, hollow of a rock but Kepha was no longer hollow, he was filled with the Spirit.

In fact, just as 3,000 of Israel died at the scene of the golden calf (see Exodus 32:28); 3,000 were redeemed that great day (see Acts 2:41-42) as they listened to the witnesses speaking to them in their native languages, their tongues. In the same manner, the 12 "nations" of Israel and the sojourners with them gathered together to hear the voice of God declare the Ten Commandments from the fiery cloud above them on Mount Sinai 3,500 years ago.

So too, people gathered 2,000 years ago at the Temple Mount to hear with one voice - the word of God declared by the disciples, each in the native speech of the people that were gathered in from nations. The King James called this "tongues". It was a miracle from the cloven tongues of fire. This is what the story of speaking in "tongues" was all about. Mark 16:17 gives us the last promise given by the voice of Messiah. This was the sign, the gift given by the fire and Spirit of God so that all men could hear the truth in that day that began when Peter preached:
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Yeshua of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

Men [and] brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

This Yeshua hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Yeshua, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Messiah. Acts 2:14-36
Before this great 50th day, our Savior Yeshua (Jesus) told His disciples something worth repeating in this study once again:
"And he said unto them, these [are] the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the Torah of Moses, and [in] the prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke 24:44-49
This comes from the unchanging instruction given regarding determining the exact day of Pentecost which was first given some 1,500 years before His disciples would participate in its fulfillment of reality at Pentecost. Can you imagine what would have happened on this day which is known in Hebrew as Shavuot if the disciples had not counted the 49 days? No wonder God instructed that seven Sabbaths are to be counted day by day.

They would have all missed the giving of the fire of His Spirit on the day God spoke the covenant of the Ten Commandments. Why? His word is unchanging, God means what He says when He says it!

The are great parallels to the account of the book of Acts and Exodus:
· God came down to Mount Sinai and the Holy Spirit came down on the disciples.

· God came down in fire at Sinai and the Spirit came down as fire on the disciples.

· God came down in fire at Sinai and there was sound of lightning and thunder on Sinai and there was a sound of rushing wind on the disciples.

· God spoke the Ten Commandments and the disciples spoke in languages or tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
When God speaks we need to listen and do what He asks or we will miss His blessing. God instructs us to count the days up to Shavuot.
"And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath... Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord." Leviticus 23: 15-16
God told Moses that He will make His people a set apart (holy) people called out to be a priest to all nations, He keeps His eternal promises:
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the Earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of Priests, and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." Exodus 19:5-6

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8
If we just look, we can see that the book of Leviticus gives the prophecy and the story of the Acts of the Apostles records the promise in the faithful counting by the disciples up to the day of Pentecost "when it was fully come":
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them." Acts 2:1-3
You need to know the counting is like the jubilee of counting of time until Shavuot (Pentecost) which is the 50th day.

Counting of the Omer is called Sefirat Ha'omer in Hebrew. It is the acknowledged time counting of seven Sabbaths and each of the forty-nine days between the set apart appointed days of Passover and Shavuot. Shavuot or Pentecost as it is called by so many today is known as the Feast of Weeks. It is the Feast of the seven weeks of counting. It got its name from Leviticus:
"And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Sabbath, from the day on which you bring the Omer offering, seven complete weeks they shall be; until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days... And you shall proclaim that very day a holy festival" Leviticus 23:15-21
During the counting, we all privileged to "count" to the Feast of Shavuot and with each day we are actually participating in "adding to" the growing expectation and anticipation of what THE DAY of Pentecost actually represents. At the Exodus, it was His voice from the fire on the mountain giving His Torah, His wisdom as seen with the fire of Mount Sinai and at Messiah's time it was the giving of His blessings and gifts by His Spirit like a mighty wind as seen through the cloven tongues of fire.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
During the daily Counting of the Omer in years past, many have started their days by reading a verse from King David's Psalm 119.

Just imagine the previous 49 days in the life of the Israelites as they stood below Mount Sinai. They had come from from Egypt (which means confusion), they had seen the plagues and they made the sea crossing. Everyone had to be anticipating the moment of their meeting at Sinai, the mountain of God. Can you just imagine that perhaps you too may be privileged to see the plagues (tribulation) and take the journey across the sea to Israel, to the Mount of Olives to meet with The Lord at His return to the place of His name - Jerusalem?

Each day of counting has a special meaning. Just consider day five of the counting to Pentecost/Shavuot because in the Hebrew language, letters are also used to not only spell but to count. The Hebrew alef-bet starts with 1) Aleph, 2) Bet 3) Gimel, 4) Dalet and 5) Hey. The letter Hey = five.

The ה HEY, or the 5th day's verses are: Psalms 119: 33-40. So give it a try reading the Psalm of David in a manner that allows you to review and reflect on your life and path of separation from the ways of confusion, the ways of the world to be near to God:
HEY ה

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.
Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.
Establish Your word to Your servant,
Who is devoted to fearing You.
Turn away my reproach which I dread,
For Your judgments are good.
Behold, I long for Your precepts;
Revive me in Your righteousness.
Every year, at every Passover we are reminded of the greatest gift ever given to mankind--the gift of Salvation. In Hebrew, that would be translated "the gift of Yeshua", the Hebrew name of Jesus.

We are asked by The Almighty to count the 49 days-and then present ourselves ready for His Spirit of fire on the 50th day, enabling us to proclaim His gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth!!
"And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow of the Sabbath, from the day on which you bring the Omer offering, seven complete weeks they shall be; until the morrow of the seventh week, you shall count fifty days... And you shall proclaim that very day a holy festival" Leviticus 23:15-21
So teach [us] to number our days, that we may apply [our] hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12
Read God's Word, listen to His voice and you will find the destination He is leading you toward. The Omer Count as a pointer to the Jubilee Year of release.

So, if you do not yet feel God calling you to His appointed Sabbaths, today may be the beginning. A beginning in which God is calling you out to return the Torah and be set free. That is why you are reading this. The appointed time is now:
Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Zechariah 1:3

Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Malachi 3:7

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. Jeremiah 24:7
Since the beginning, His words ARE unchanging AND true so... come out of Egypt, out of the confusion and chaos, come out of the slavery to sin, circumcise your heart, obey His voice, walk in His ways... But never simply take my word or anyone else's, get a second witness from the Scriptures. Open and study God's word and let it be your witness for truth as you consider His appointed Feast Days.

The Feasts of The LORD have their prophetic fulfillment in Messiah Yeshua. They are God's rehearsals for Messiah's promised appointments with mankind.
I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 8:11 NIV
What does this all mean? 

It's time for you to repent and return to God's voice, return to hear and do His word and walk in the faith of His Kingdom path so that you can ready your lamp for your coming assignment. 

It means we need to know "Who is the One Called Jesus.

Consider a prayer: Please, God guide me by your Spirit as to what I should hear and do.

It's time to repent and return to God's voice, return to hear and do His words and walk in the faith of His Kingdom path so that you can ready your lamp for your assignment. 

Stretch out your hand, and take from the tree of life, and live forever.

Open a Bible, read it, listen to God's voice and do Yeshua's teaching about the forever jots and tittles. 

You can learn how the things which are written in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Psalms are concerning Messiah and you can teach others to live life like Jesus, it's love in God's way:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:16-17
Today is the time, open your eyes if you're dead in your own valley of dry bones.

Look up and you'll recognize Messiah from Abraham's promise passed on to Isaac and Jacob as written by Moses in the Torah. You can see Him too in the Prophets and the Writings.

Repent and walk your Emmaus Road with Messiah. Study the Scriptures He taught every Sabbath that are filled with doing life God's way in the Kingdom, and tell others about Him. Be a gatekeeper until the house is complete.

Do it now! Do as the Disciples Did and Count the Omer !!!

Shalom.