WHAT IS ITS SIGNIFCANCE FOR US TODAY

WHAT DOES THE CEREMONY MEAN AND WHAT DOES IT TYPIFY.

ONE OF THE MYSTERIES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE CEREMONY OF THE WAVE SHEAF.

LEV 23 V 10-14

10Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. 13And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin. 14And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

This ceremony is to be kept forever in your generations just as the Passover is to be kept forever.

The Wave Sheaf pictures Jesus Christ offering Himself to the Father on behalf of Gods people.

NOTE THE SIMILARITIES

{A} Sheaf to be waved the morrow after the Sabbath

LEV 23 V 11

11And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

{A} Christ was first seen after His resurrection on the first day of the week
 

JOHN 20 V 1-16

1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 2Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 3Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 4So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. 6Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, 7And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 8Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 9For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead. 10Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

11But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

{B} The Israelites were to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits

LEV 23 V 10

0Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 

{B} Christ is called the firstfruits, Christ is the first of the firstfruits

1 COR 15 V 20, 23

20But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

{C} The sheaf is to be accepted by the Father for the Israelites

LEV 23 V 11

11And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

{C} Christ ascends to the Father. This is when Christs God and Father becomes our God and Father.

JOHN 20 V 17

7Jesus 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.

{D} No grain to be eaten till an offering is made to God

LEV 23 V 14

14And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

{D} Christ not to be touched till He ascends to the Father

JOHN 20 V 17

7Jesus 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. 

Christ has fulfilled both the Passover and the Wave Sheaf, but only the Passover ceremony is kept by the church. The reason is revealed in scripture, and is quite amazing.

Look back to Lev. 23 v 10 read these words:

When you come into the land which I give unto you

The ceremony was not to be kept till the promised land was reached.

Joshua kept the Wave Sheaf offering when he entered the promised land.

Gods people will not keep the Wave Sheaf ceremony until they have Gods Spirit {Eternal Life} The article Eternal Life shows that God gives His spirit when He is satisfied that we have the knowledge of the Father and a proper love of the brethren. And we obey God. {at baptism we receive the down payment of Gods Spirit, it is called the Ernest of the Spirit or pledge of the Spirit.} the Holy Spirit is given much later.

EPH 1 V 13-14

13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Also see our articles God the Father revealed and Called and Chosen and Faithfull

If we reject these requirements we will also reject the Wave Sheaf ceremony.

As the day of Pentecost is counted from the day the Wave Sheaf is offered it would seem an appropriate offering would be

1. to offer ourselves to God as one of the firstfruits

2. an offering of thanks to Jesus Christ for His sacrifice 

3. an offering to God the Father for the knowledge of eternal life.

This offering should take the form of a prayer of thanksgiving as the following scripture indicates:

PSALM 116 V 17

17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD