Greg Wilson (7 May 2017)

Omer Count Day 21

 

The true Church is associated with the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). 
 
This harvest feast is symbolic of two things:  (1) the gift of the Holy Spirit to Abraham's spiritual children in Isaac, the children of promise; and  (2) the future resurrection of the dead in Christ and translation of the living in Christ.

The Lord commanded, "ye shall count" from the day of the "sheaf of the wave offering" seven Sabbaths numbering the 50th day.   On the 50th day, the grain harvest feast was celebrated with two baked loaves of bread in the "two loaf wave offering" unto the Lord.  As the priests lifted up the first fruits sheaf of grain and the first fruits baked loaves of bread, God received them up figuratively.  Jesus went up at First Fruits.  The true Church goes up at Pentecost.

As Christ was resurrected and transformed with a glorified body figuratively represented as the "sheaf of the wave offering", so we too, full of His Spirit, when God transforms our bodies into the likeness of His glorified body, we shall be resurrected and transformed figuratively as the "two loaves of the wave offering".

The image of the "sheaf of the wave offering" and the "two loaves of the wave offering" are pictures of the resurrection of righteousness in Christ.   Both offering are lifted up unto God, who has receive and will receive the offering.

We have been given the "earnest deposit of the Spirit" as a guaranty,  a first installment as it were, against the final payment, the "redemption of our bodies".  Pentecost is a two-step purchase transaction.  Both aspects of the completed purchase are Pentecostal transactions.

These two harvest feasts celebrate resurrection and lifting up to God figuratively first and then literally on a date certain.   As Christ fulfilled the Spring Festivals of the Lord in Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits on the literal days, we should expect the Lord to complete the Feast of Weeks on the 50th day in the year of His appearing.  The offerings are figurative, but the days are literal.  God is the God of patterns.   Encourage one another with these words! (1 Thessalonians 4:18)

Is this not a great reason to COUNT!   The command to count is full of expectation.  It is the HOPE OF GLORY!   Day 21 and counting.