update – April 8th 2018
April 8, 2018
Today is the 1st day of the 1st week of seven weeks. Today is the 1st day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.
Well here it is three years since the last update. Although the appointed times of Jehovah are much clearer in my mind, I still consider myself a “babe”, when it comes to discerning when and how these times are to be observed. These last three years we have used the physical “sighting of the new moon” to calculate the beginning of the Biblical New Year. There are many web-sites to choose from to find out when the new moon is seen in the sky in Israel.
I have found Nehemia Gordon a very trustworthy source for the Hebraic perspective on the Feasts, also called God’s appointed times. I would encourage you to read his whole article ‘The Truth About Shavuot’ for a concise history of how this pilgrimage-feast has been “counted” over the ages.
The Hebrew Bible does not associate any historical event with Shavuot, although in later times it was connected with the Revelation at Sinai. The Book of Exodus says that the Revelation at Sinai took place shortly after the Israelites arrived in the Sinai Desert some time in the beginning of the Third Hebrew Month (Exodus 19:1). Like Shavuot, the exact date of the Revelation of Sinai is not specified, and it is tempting to connect the two. ~ Nehemia Gordon
Update – april 5th 2015
Today I spent the day in some serious “rabbit” holes, no pun intended. The first year we counted the 50 days from Passover to Pentecost, was mostly a learning experience for us. We found there are so many traditions surrounding Counting the Omer, Shavuot, Pentecost, Resurrection Day, First Fruits, etc., that for the most part we didn’t really include many, if any of them that first year.
Tradition
I have found it is really hard to separate what is man’s tradition from what is scripturally commanded to observe. To me it seems like there is very little that God asks us to do to observe or commemorate His holy-days. So that first year we wanted to just look at what was written in scripture.
The point of the omer count was to foretell of the giving of the Holy Spirit. It is Jewish tradition that Shavuot is a commemoration of the giving of the Torah at Sinai Exodus 19 & 20. At Pentecost that promise is fulfilled when God pours out His Holy Spirit on all those who trust in Him. Acts 2
Original post – April 8th 2012
15 Abib/Nissan 31 AD
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The women arrive at the tomb and find it empty. The stone has been rolled away and an angel tells them that Christ has already risen! (Mat 28:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1) |
Very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Looking up, they *saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he *said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.'” They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:2-8
15 Abib 1313 BC
And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children. And a great rabble went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. Exo 12:37 -38
Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” Exo 13:19
“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. Lev 23:10
‘You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. Lev 23:16
Early church history maintains that Mark was actually a scribe for Peter. So then the gospel of Mark may be Peter’s account. In Matthew’s account of the women coming to the empty tomb, they are greeted by an angel, in Peter’s account he is a man wearing a white robe. In Matthew the angel tells the women to “go quickly” and tell the disciples He is risen…Peter says “go tell His disciples–and Peter”. To me Peter is so real, so human. In the movie “Jesus of Nazareth”, the character Peter says to Jesus, “I’m just a stupid man”. At the time of the writing of his gospel, Peter had seen the risen Christ, and had been forgiven of his denying Jesus three times. But he had seen the power of God worked through Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, God had displayed that power through Peter himself, he had walked on water with Jesus, before and after the resurrection, he and the other disciples, “healed the sick, raised the dead, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons…(Mat 10:8)
And yet when he is recounting his personal eyewitness account, he seems to still feel the need to convince everyone that Jesus not only had forgiven him, but that Jesus knew Peter would need reassurance. I really think that Peter just wants to assure us that no matter how far you fall, there is always acceptance. Rejoice evermore…He is Risen!