There are 7 Crops of Israel according to The Scriptures: Barley, Wheat, Figs, Dates, Pomegranates, Grapes, and Olives. What are the first to come due? They are the grains of Barley and Wheat. These come to beginning maturity for harvest between the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). One can argue that the most important or vital crops would be 1 and 2 and 6 and 7. Only 1 and 2, the grains of Barley and Wheat, could be stored for later use months away. Stored in barns. The other were Fruits and had to be eaten immediately. (I am calling Olives forms of fruit.) Wine or grape juice came from the Grapes. Olive Oil came from Olives. Which were the most important of the 4? There is one Great Question to be answered. What were the Staples of Life for Christ in his lifetime? They were the grains of Barley and Wheat, to crush into flour and bake into bread. Bread and Water. The miracles of food created by Christ all involved bread! He is The BREAD of LIFE. The Living Bread come down from Heaven. Bread must come from one or more kinds of Grain.
 
  In His model prayer called The Our Father, Christ prayed for ONLY one kind of food for us to pray to daily receive, from Our Father in Heaven."Give us this day our daily bread." DAILY BREAD! He does not pray for any of crops 3-7! He does not pray to give us this day our daily figs, or dates, or pomegranates, or grapes, or olives! He might as well have said to daily pray to be given our daily grain to make the bread. Give us this day our daily Barley or give us this day our daily Wheat. Of the 7, the Barley and Wheat are ALL IMPORTANT! They are the 2 which were VITALLY NECESSARY for Israel! And they are clearly linked to Firstfruits and Pentecost!
 
   There were wave offerings of the First matured grain, the Head of the Barley and the Head of the Wheat Harvests. The Barley was offered up as a sheave of barley, and the Wheat was offered as 2 loaves of leavened bread. Wave Offerings were lifted up in ceremonies of dedication, praise, and thanksgiving.
 
   All these Scriptural clues are meant to draw our focus to Spring and early Summer, ESPECIALLY to the period between the Feast of Firstfruits (His Resurrection Day and Beginning of the Harvest of Barley) to Pentecost (Shavuot with Wedding Theme and the Complete Barley Harvest and the Beginning of the Wheat Harvest). Ponder the grains of Barley and Wheat. Consider THE BREAD OF LIFE coming soon for His Eternal Body and Bride! He is the First and the Last. He is the Head. We are the Body. Maturing to Harvest! Come quickly, Lord...
 
 
With Love and Shalom,
Jean