Readers -

from MJ Agee's latest Pro & Con found here:

http://prophecycorner.theforeverfamily.com/procon1603.html

I quote the following:

"Ruth 1:22 says that Naomi and Ruth "came to Bethlehem in the BEGINNING OF BARLEY HARVEST." That was Firstfruits. Then the night that Ruth laid at Boaz' feet probably was the end of the barley harvest for Boaz was winnowing barley that night. That could have been 40 days after Firstfruits. Ruth went home in the morning.

If Ruth represents the "barley" Christians, it just might be meaningful that Boaz gave her 6 measures of barley, not 7, for one represents Christ's resurrection. The 6 measures of barley can represent the 6th church, the Philadelphian Church, the ones to be raptured at the First-Trump Rapture, maybe on Ascension Day, the 40th day of waving an Omer of barley. "

checking Richard's Bible Wheel site:

http://www.biblewheel.com/GR/GR_Database.asp?SearchBy_Word=barley

shows that Ruth 1:22 is the SIXTH reference use of Strong's 8184 h meaning Barley.

Ruth's name has an Strong's gematria of 606

the second word in the Bible to have an in-text value of 606 =
Strong's 8337h meaning SIX.

the Strong's gematria value for Barley = 575

575 = 23 x 5 x 5

this seems significant to me as I associate 23 with the Bride, and Ruth is a strong type of the honorable Gentile bride.

23 is also strongly associated with those things that are saved out of the sea.

examples:

Moses (drawn out) Strong's hebrew gematria = 345 = 23 x 15

Year of Noah's Flood = 1656 = 23 x 72

Total men saved from the sea in Acts 27:37 = 276 = 23 x 12

Strong's 726g Harpazo (pluck out/up) = 989 = 23 x 43

153 fish in John 12:11 (153 NOT divisible by 23) BUT
verse number 26910 = 23 x 117 x 10

etc

so, it seems reasonable to associate Barley (harvest) with the other 23 based 'harvests', or 'gatherings'. some are dramatic salvations out of aquatic danger.