VITAL INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COUNT TO PENTECOST!

"And you shall COUNT for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath . . . there shall be 

seven complete [perfect] Sabbaths, to the day after the seventh Sabbath shall you COUNT 

FIFTY DAYS" (Lev.23:15-16).

Sefirat Ha Omer -- The Key To Being an OVERCOMER!

Why does YEHOVAH God command His people to "count the Omer" each day from Passover until 

the Feast of Weeks—or Pentecost? What is pictured by this "Omer countdown"? Here is a 

vital truth about SIN AND OVERCOMING which the end-time churches have completely missed--

the VITAL KEY to becoming a spiritual OVERCOMER!

In the book of Leviticus YHWH commands His people: "And ye shall count unto you from the 

morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf [Hebrew, omer, 

consisting of 5.1 pints of barley grain] of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be

complete" (Lev.23:15, KJV). 

Lev 23:16 ‘Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, then you shall bring a new 

grain offering to יהוה.

What is this mysterious command all about? Is this something which applies to true 

believers in the Messiah today? Or is this just something that concerned ancient Israel?  

Was it just something the priests should do?  Has it ever been explained?

What does this mean? Many people neglect this command of YHWH. They may not be aware of it. 

Or they may consider it one of the "least commandments"(Matt.5:19). But YHWH commands His 

people to COUNT THE OMER during the fifty days, from the first day of the week during 

Passover until the Feast of Weeks -- numbering off the days consecutively, as they arrive-- 

until the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost, arrives! He commands us to DO IT -- for a great 

and overriding purpose!

Why? What does the "Omer" represent? And why are we commanded to "count" it off for seven 

times seven or forty nine days, till Pentecost arrives, on the fiftieth day?

Hidden in the mystery behind the Omer count, is a vital KEY to spiritual OVERCOMING.

We will find that this count is A HIDDEN KEY OF POWER to enable us to achieve and enter 

into the Kingdom of YHWH!

The Meaning of the Omer Itself

In Leviticus 23 we read, Lev 23:10 “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and you shall say to them, ‘When 

you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-

fruits of your harvest to the priest.   ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, 
for your acceptance. On the

morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it.   ‘And on that day when you wave the sheaf, you shall

prepare a male lamb a year 
old, a perfect one, as a burnt offering to יהוה, "

What is this "wave sheaf" offering? What does it symbolize and represent? Notice that it 

is a sheaf of the "first fruits," and it is offered to YHWH before the Israelites can 

harvest the spring harvest.

YHWH commands, "And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day

that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout your generations in all your

dwellings." (Lev.23:l4).

In the book of Romans, Paul writes to true disciples and believers, saying, " And not only 

so, but even we ourselves who have the first-fruits of the Spirit,  we ourselves also groan within ourselves, 

eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. " (Rom.8:23).

Yahudi, true disciples, those called of YHWH during this lifetime to serve and obey 

Him, out of every nation, are likened to "first-fruits" of YHWH. We have the "first-

fruits of the Spirit" of YHWH as a down payment, or earnest (Eph.l:4-l4) of our

inheritance, as we are the ones who "should be to the praise of his glory, who FIRST 

trusted in Messiah"(v.12). In writing of believers in the region of Achaia, Paul says 

of them, "... and the assembly that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epainetos, who is the first-fruits 

of Achaia to Messiah." (Rom.16:5).

In the book of Romans, Paul addresses our calling --which is special, and unique, in the 

sight of YHWH. Of all people on earth, we are the few who have been given the spirit of 

YHWH as a begettal, indwelling within us -- a priceless heritage and gift!  Therefore 

" … expectation does not disappoint, because the love of Elohim has been poured out in our hearts by the 

Set-apart Spirit which was given to us. "(Rom.5:5). Paul goes on, "There is therefore now no

condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yahshua, who walk not after the flesh, but after

the Spirit. . .But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of

Elohim DWELL in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Messiah, he is none of his"

(Rom.8:1-9).

How, then, does this relate to the "wave sheaf" offering which was performed the day after

the Sabbath of Passover week in the spring? Let's understand!

Though there may be room for discussion as to the Sabbath being referred to, in the book 

The Temple: Its Ministry and Services, by Alfred Edersheim, we read of the reaping of the 

wave sheaf, and its presentation. At the end of the 15th of Nisan, says Edersheim, just as

it was growing dark,"a noisy throng followed delegates of the Sanhedrin outside the city 

and across the brook Kidron. . . .[They] emerged amidst loud demonstrations, in a field

across Kidron, which had been marked out for the purpose. They were to be engaged in a 

service most important to them. . . . The law had it, 'Ye shall bring a SHEAF [literally 

the omer] of the FIRSTFRUITS of your HARVEST unto the priest [who typified, or 

represented THE MESSIAH]; and he shall wave the omer before Jehovah [the Father], to be 

accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath shall ye wave it.' This Passover-sheaf, 

or rather omer, was to be accompanied by a burnt-offering, of a 'he lamb, without blemish,

of the first year,' with its appropriate meat- and drink-offering, and after it had been 

brought, butnot till then, fresh barley might be used and sold in the land. Now, this 

Passover sheaf was reaped in public the evening before it was offered, and it was to 

witness this ceremony that the crowd gathered around 'the elders,' who took care that all 

was done according to traditionary ordinance" (p.256-57)

In the past, many have ASSUMED -- and many STILL assume -- that the "wave sheaf" offering 

referred only to Yahshua the Messiah, who was the offering for our sins

upon the tree (II Cor.5:20). It was accompanied by the offering of a male lamb without 

blemish -- which itself typified the Messiah! It was waved by the high priest before YHWH,

to be accepted of the Father -- and the high priest typified

Yahshua, our "high priest" in heaven (Heb.7:24-28;

9:24; 10:10). Notice that this "wave sheaf" was

offered AFTER the sacrifice of the Messiah our

Passover Lamb (I Cor.5:7-8). The Passover lambs were

slain in the afternoon of Nisan 14 -- the precise time

when Yahshua the Messiah was slain for us!

Clearly, then, the wave sheaf does NOT refer to the

Messiah only -- but rather is made possible BY the

Sacrifice of the Messiah, which precedes it in time

sequence! We have the following sequence of events: 1)

the sacrifice of the Messiah on Nisan 14, late

afternoon; 2) the high day of Passover and the weekly

Sabbath; 3) the evening after the Sabbath, a sheaf (bundle) of grain is selected from the 

field across the Kidron Valley, east of Jerusalem, and cut and bundled; 4) the next 

morning, it is prepared and waved before YHWH and accepted of Him as "THE FIRST-FRUITS" of

the harvest.

The wave sheaf offering is an offering which is a BUNDLE OF SEPARATE

BARLEY GRAINS, FROM A NUMBER OF PLANTS, AMOUNTING TO AN "OMER" -- about five pints, or two

and one half quarts. This offering followed the offering of the Messiah, as our Passover 

lamb, who paid for our sins. It was accompanied by the burnt offering of a lamb --

the Messiah -- without blemish (Lev.23:12). 

The Wave Sheaf Offering, composed of MANY individual

grains, offered together, made possible by the

sacrifice of the Messiah, represents the 144,000 --

TRUE Believers -- those called of YHWH as His "FIRSTFRUITS"!

It was offered to the Father AFTER the sacrifice of

the Messiah, because there is NO WAY the Father could

accept them BEFORE their sins were pardoned, and

atoned for—and until the sacrifice of Our Savior was accepted, and our sins were wiped 

away and washed away by the

blood of the Messiah! But since the Messiah became

our Savior, and qualified by living a perfect life,

and DIED for us on the tree, this made possible OUR

acceptance before the throne of YHWH in

Heaven! 

But why, then, are we commanded to "COUNT THE OMER" or

the wave sheaf for seven times seven days, from

Passover until Feast of Weeks? Herein lies a fascinating truth. 

A Lesson from Judaism

A key to understanding this puzzle is provided in the

book The Jewish Way: Living the Holidays. Rabbi

Greenburg writes:

"The holiday of Shavuot [Pentecost] . . . celebrates

and renews the covenant of the Jewish people. In

accordance with the classical rabbinical method,

Shavuot is the time when Jews recreate the Revelation

at Sinai and then reaccept the book of the covenant.

"The reenactment of Sinai starts forty-nine days

before the event. . . [T]he countdown begins on the

first night after the Exodus. The Omer is counted

every night from one to forty-nine, by days and by

weeks. According to Maimonides' interpretation, as

soon as the Israelites were out of Egypt, they looked

forward to receiving the Torah. Maimonides views

Sefirat Ha'Omer (Counting of the Omer) as the outcome

of the extraordinary anticipation that the Jews felt

for the moment of Revelation. The Israelites COUNTED

EVERY NIGHT much like a child who counts the days

until his or her day.

"Earlier rabbinic midrash [teaching] interprets the

weeks between Passover and Shavuot AS A PASSAGE PERIOD

FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM. The Israelites came out of

Egypt saturated with Egyptian values; the forty-nine

days enabled them to 'REMOVE' THE IMPURITIES OF EGYPT

. . .

"The Omer count goes on for seven times seven days.

Seven is the number/symbol of PERFECTION in scriptural

language, as evidenced in such facts as the Sabbath is

the seventh day, the slave goes free in the seventh

year. The number forty-nine communicates

arrival at the pinnacle of PERFECTION. DAY BY DAY the

individual WORKS ON THE INNER SELF, STRIVING TO ATTAIN

THE LEVEL OF PERFECTION WORTHY OF RECEIVING THE TORAH"

(The Jewish Way, p.80-81).

Let’s consider: From Passover to Feast of Weeks pictures the

believer’s life. It is to be a lifetime spent in

overcoming. Each and every day is vital, and

important. Each day brings us nearer to the coming of

the Messiah, and the "wedding Feast" of the Lamb,

which Feast of Weeks itself pictures, and also brings us

closer to the return of Our Messiah Himself on the

Feast of Trumpets! YHWH delivered "Israel" out of

Egypt at Passover. He brought them through the Red

Sea, and through the wilderness to the foot of Mount

Sinai. And then YHWH "married" Israel on Feast of Weeks,

at Mount Sinai, when He gave them His covenant and

they accepted it (Exodus 24:1-11; Jer.3:14).

What does this picture? Passover pictures our

repentance and acceptance of Yahshua as our Messiah and

Savior. Going through the Red Sea pictures our

These things that happened to Israel were examples for us! "For 

whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning,

that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures

might have hope" (Rom.15:4). "Now these things were

OUR EXAMPLES, to the intent we should not lust after

evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye

idolaters, as were some of them . . . Neither let us

commit fornication [sexual immorality], as some of

them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty

thousand. Neither let us tempt Messiah, as some of them

also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither

murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were

destroyed of the destroyer. Now all of these things

happened unto them for ENSAMPLES: and they are written

for OUR admonition, upon whom the ends of the world

[age] are come" (I Cor.10:6-11).

The Lesson of Remembering to Count Daily the Omer

Roughly Fifty days after Passover, and the death of the

Egyptians' firstborn, Israel met YHWWH at Mount

Sinai. These fifty days are a spiritual TYPE! They

typify the believer’s escape from the kingdom of Satan

and the power of SIN [Egypt], and picture our

departing from "sin," and captivity to "sin," and

being baptized, and journeying out of sin, and

following YHWH's truth, and His commandments, and a

life of overcoming, and enduring to the end, till the

great "Wedding Day" when the Messiah comes for his

The lesson of counting the "Omer" every day, for seven

times seven weeks, or 49 days, till Feast of Weeks, or

Shavuot, "the Feast of Weeks," pictures our daily

fight to overcome -- our overcoming and keeping sin

out of our lives, till the very end! As Paul says, we

Eph 5:16 redeeming the time, because the days are wicked. "

In essence, the 50 days between Passover and Feast of Weeks

are a microcosmic "Jubilee" period, with Pentecost or Feast of Weeks 

being the "50th day" ("Pentecost" means "Fiftieth

Day"), or the anti-type of the "Jubilee Year" which is

the 50th year after seven times seven weeks of years

(Leviticus 25). Thus this 50-day period from morrow after the Sabbath at

Passover is-- a type of our day of "conversion" -- to Pentecost-- 

picturing the great Wedding Day at the coming of the Messiah -- pictures

the believer’s life during which we must prepare, qualify, overcome sin,

and root out every vestige of "spiritual Egypt" out of our

character and lives!

During these fifty days, we ought to "count the Omer"

-- each day -- and think about and meditate on

OVERCOMING and preparing to meet the Messiah and

YHWH the Father, and get ourselves READY, SPIRITUALLY, working on 

ourselves, striving for PERFECTION, so that we "may be accounted WORTHY . . .

to stand before the Son of Adam" (Luke 21:36).  Luk 21:36 “Watch then at all times, and

pray that you be counted worthy to escape all this about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Aḏam.” 

During this time period, we should be focusing our

attention on overcoming, and growing in grace and

knowledge -- praying and studying YHWH's Word, as

never before, intently, with concentrated effort and

zealous endeavor. It is and ought to be a focused,

concentrated time of overcoming!  As such, occurring at the beginning 

of YHWH's sacred year, it is and ought to be the pattern or template of 

our overcoming sin and evil throughout all remainder of the year. It is 

a "nucleus of overcoming." It sets the pattern for the entire year!

If we then fulfill the command of YHWH to "count the Omer" daily, to 

Pentecost, this helps us keep in our mind our primary duty and the 

primary meaning of these "Days of Overcoming"! And it helps us to be in 

a right frame of mind of overcoming, throughout the remainder of the 

year!

Unfortunately, end-time churches of YEHOVAH or assemblies of YHWH have 

been totally neglecting this command to count the Omer daily. They 

simply have not been aware of it—or the leaders have ignored it, and 

have not been doing it. No wonder, then, they have had such a miserable 

and terrible time when it comes to overcoming and putting

sin out of their lives!

Many have thought that the "Days of Unleavened Bread"

pictured putting sin out of our lives. However, this is

not precisely the case. The Days of Unleavened Bread

picture coming out of Egypt -- or sin. That is, they

begin with Passover and finish with final high day of Unleavened Bread. 

The passing through the Red Sea pictures Baptism Rom 6:1  What, then, shall we say? 

Shall we continue in sin, to let favour increase? 

 . 

But Baptism is merely the beginning point of the true disciple’s life! 

It isn't all finished at Baptism -- it has merely begun!

From that point forward, as the Israelites journeyed

through the DESERT, and suffered many trials and

afflictions, their journey through the WILDERNESS

pictures the believer’s life of overcoming, and

enduring, and preparing to meet YHWH at Mount

Zion! The occasion of ancient Israel meeting YHWH at Sinai, where the 

"Covenant" -- a marriage covenant -- was enacted, was an amazing type of

our soon-coming marriage to THE MESSIAH, when the RENEWED COVENANT 

MARRIAGE with him will be completed, and the Assembly (church) will 

become his spiritual BRIDE for eternity!

Again, unfortunately, the truth about the "counting of the Omer," has 

been a sorely NEGLECTED, and ignored. This truth provides a KEY--A 

SECRET TO OVERCOMING! Learning to "count the Omer" from Passover to 

Feast of Weeks teaches us and instills in us the habit of obedience; 

it inculcates in us the self-discipline to REMEMBER to "count" every day

and to keep IN MIND where we are going; it instills in us and helps to 

set within our minds and hearts our TRUE GOAL IN LIFE -- the Kingdom of 

YHWH!

Many, by not realizing this truth, and by neglecting

to count the Omer faithfully, have tended to "let

down" in their own personal "overcoming," and have

also lost sight of the vision—the quest for the Kingdom.

They have lost spiritual FOCUS. They have become entangled with the 

things of this life.  As a result discouragement, despair, and seeing 

the overwhelming trials of the "wilderness" around them, have taken 

their eyes OFF the true "end of the journey" – the KINGDOM OF YHWH!

The "counting of the Omer," the countdown to the

Kingdom, which it pictures, reminds us that there is

EFFORT required for salvation. We cannot just "coast"

into YHWH's Kingdom! We must DO OUR PART! As Yahshua

the Messiah himself declared: "Become ye therefore

PERFECT [totally mature, spiritually], even as your

Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt.5:48). As He

also stated: " Mat 6:33 “But seek first the reign of Elohim, and His righteousness, and all these 

matters shall be added to you. " (Matt.6:33).

During this time of the "Omer countdown," each year,

we must set ourselves daily to "count the Omer." It

becomes an exciting task and makes us look forward

with sheer delight and joyful anticipation to

Feast of Weeks -- a type of the coming of the Messiah and

the marriage supper. It makes the Kingdom of YHWH and His purpose come 

alive in our minds, as a scintillating, sparkling REALITY which seems 

closer at hand.

(Phil.3:13-14).

Counting the Omer helps to teach us to number our

days, and to learn wisdom, and to set priorities, and

it helps us to focus on "overcoming." If we are

willing to "get with YHWH's program," we will begin

to make much better progress in overcoming trials,

defeating sins and bad habits, and conquering

obstacles. We might be amazed how YHWH can help us make progress, and 

help us to grow in grace and knowledge (II Pet.3:18), if we put into 

practice this much ignored and overlooked commandment. Doing this also 

helps us to put our trials and tests into proper focus and true 

perspective.

How To Be an OVERCOMER

Let us study the command to count the Omer more

closely. Notice how it reveals to us the process of

overcoming and conquering the lusts and pulls of human

nature, the world around us, and our own pride,

vanity, and egotism.

The actual command states: "

"And ye shall COUNT unto you from the morrow after the

Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the SHEAF [Omer]

of the wave offering, SEVEN SABBATHS SHALL BE

COMPLETE: Even unto the morrow after the seventh

Sabbath shall ye NUMBER FIFTY DAYS . . ."

In Leviticus 23:15 in the King James Version of the

Bible, in the wording "seven sabbaths shall be

complete," why did Moses use the word "shabbatot"

(translated "sabbaths") in this passage, instead of

"shavuot" (which means "weeks"), the word used in

Deuteronomy 16:9? Why the difference? They are both

obviously discussing the same period of time. Why then

does YEHOVAH God use a different word in Leviticus

23:15 than in Deuteronomy 16:9? The answer might

surprise you!

Is there a hidden "lesson" here for us to

dig out and understand! The truth is, this is a hidden

reference to OVERCOMING! Each week pictures a process

of overcoming sin, and seven weeks (perfection)

pictures COMPLETE overcoming -- so that we are ready

to meet YHWH, and marry the Messiah, at his

coming!

Let's notice Leviticus 23:15 more carefully: The

Hebrew wording, sheva' shabbatot t'miymot is

translated as "seven sabbaths shall be complete" in

the King James Version. Notice -- the Hebrew does not

read sheva' shabbatot tam or sheva' shabbatot tamam,

but rather it reads sheva' shabbatot t'miymot. Both

shabbatot ("sabbaths") and t'miymot ("complete") are

in the PLURAL forms, which makes t'miymot ("complete")

refer directly to shabbatot ("sabbaths"). The word for

"complete" -- tamiym (Strong's # 8549) -- means

"PERFECT, without blemish." The literal words say

"seven sabbaths perfect." There are seven PERFECT

Sabbaths that fall between the day of the Wave Sheaf

Offering until day fifty of the count towards

Feast of Weeks. Now what is a perfect Sabbath? YEHOVAH

God's Holy Day -- the seventh day of the week -- of

course! An imperfect Sabbath would be man's sabbath,

such as Sunday for "Christians" and Friday for Islam.

The word tamiym is used in verses 12 and 18 in

reference to lambs offered "without blemish." Verses

15-16 literally say -- "seven sabbaths perfect they

shall be to the day after THE Sabbath [ha-shabbat] THE

seventh [ha-shebiyit] you shall number fifty

[fiftieth] day." Notice the unusual usage of the

definite article "the" (Hebrew ha). It is not just any

Sabbath that is the day before day fifty of the omer

count, but THE Sabbath -- THE seventh.

Actually, we are not instructed to count seven

Sabbaths at all. We are told that there will be seven

perfect Sabbaths on the way to a full count of fifty

days. And through the next day after the seventh

perfect Sabbath -- the First Day of the Week -- day

fifty of the count toward Pentecost is completed.

There are seven perfect Sabbaths and seven perfect weeks on the way to 

the Feast of Weeks!

In Leviticus 23:15, then, one can only correctly

render sheva' shabbatot t'miymot as "seven Sabbaths

each one perfect," expressing nothing specific in

regard to the week -- even though we can count seven

perfect weeks to Pentecost!

However, the Hebrew word tam also means "portion" or

"cycle" in addition to "perfect." Therefore, its

plural form t'miymot ( can mean "portions," "cycles,"

or "levels." Now the passage begins to become more

interesting. What is YEHOVAH God telling us here? By

using the word shabbatot for "Sabbaths" WITH the word

t'miymot meaning "periods" or "cycles" or "levels," we

have a description of a PROCESS OF OVERCOMING,

DELINEATED BY "SEVEN STAGES," or "SEVEN LEVELS" of

spiritual growth and development, each stage "perfect"

in itself! Thus we have YEHOVAH showing us that we

must OVERCOME the SEVEN aspects of HUMAN NATURE which

will tend to drag us down, and keep us from entering

His Kingdom! These seven areas of human nature we must

overcome are the seven categories of human nature

which the apostle Paul refers to as the "works of the

flesh" (Galatians 5:19-21).

In other words, by using the expression shabbatot

instead of shavuot, YEHOVAH God is showing us that

these seven "Sabbaths" picture more than just

"Sabbaths" of time as we think of them -- they are

SEVEN LEVELS OR STAGES OF OVERCOMING SIN and reaching

for perfection!

By using this expression, YEHOVAH God is showing His

people, Israel, WHAT TO DO with the seven Sabbaths

which lead up to Pentecost, in addition to "counting

the Omer" each day, and harvesting the grain of the

spring harvest every day. They are also to be working

on overcoming their human nature and getting rid of

every vestige or remnant of Egyptian impurities and

animalistic selfish human nature still clinging to

them -- in other words, marching toward PERFECTION!

There is therefore much more involved with this time.

In addition to simply counting the Omer and harvesting

grain. The sheva' shabbatot t'miymot pictures the

"seven Sabbaths of cycles" or "seven Sabbaths of

portions" or "seven Sabbaths of levels" which were to

be used by the Israelites to prepare to meet YHWH on Mount Sinai when 

the Day of Pentecost (Shavuot, or Weeks) finally arrived.

Each one of the seven Sabbaths corresponded to each

one of the Seven Categories of Human Nature, and the

word shabbatot is used here instead of shavuot because

YHWH was emphasizing the importance of "resting" --

"desistance" -- from each of the Seven Categories of

Human Nature during the seven Sabbaths culminating in

YHWH's Presence and the Giving of the Torah, in

order for the Israelites to be in as best a condition

of purification or perfection as possible, since no

one "unclean" could stand in YHWH's Presence when

He arrived on Mount Sinai.

These Seven Sabbaths or "Seven Stages" prior to

Pentecost are also descriptive of the Seven Levels of

Spiritual Development each individual must go through

in preparation to the coming of the Messiah! Each one

of the seven Sabbaths corresponded to new levels of

overcoming SIN and conquering our human nature!

The apostle Paul also wrote about our human nature,

which must be sacrificed, if we are to inherit the

Kingdom of YHWH. He declared in Romans 6:9-13:

Rom 6:13 neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to 

Elohim as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to Elohim. 

Seven Categories of SIN to be Overcome

Corresponding to the "seven Sabbaths" or cycles of

overcoming, leading from Passover to Pentecost, the

Apostle Paul lists the Seven Categories of Base Human

Nature which we must conquer and subjugate and expunge

from our lives. The Galatians were exhibiting the same

traits of rebellion as had been exhibited many

centuries earlier by the Israelites upon leaving

Egypt. Paul listed the seven categories of human

nature which fight against the Spirit of YHWH.

They are found in Galatians, chapter 5. Notice: "Now

the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these":

1. "Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,

lasciviousness" -- sexual sins which destructively

affect one's spiritual relationship with YEHOVAH and

other people.

2. "Idolatry" -- worshipping and obeying demonic gods

and wicked evil spirits, following demonic derived

3. "Witchcraft" -- the use of black magic and other

occult perversions, including attempting to control

the minds and thoughts of other people and depriving

them of the freedom of choice. Many churches attempt to practice "mind 

control" over the members, and threaten any who think independent 

thoughts, or ask questions indicating their independence of mind, with 

immediate disfellowshipment-- a wicked scare tactic of the devil. 

4. "Hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife" --

these are related categories of emotional and mental

attitudes of violence, and thoughts that lead to

violence -- resulting in strife, destruction, and even

murder. John wrote, "He that hateth his brother is in

darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not

whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded

his eyes" (I John 2:11). He added, "Whosoever hateth

his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no

murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (I John

3:15).

5. "Seditions, heresies" -- sins against peace and

unity among true believers causing division, strife

and spiritual chaos -- destroying the flock, and

inflicting damage upon the work of YHWH. Sadly,

we live in a time when although THE MESSIAH is NOT

divided, the remnants of the end-time “Churches of

God” are bitterly divided, and seditions,

heresies, and divisions are paramount! Paul asked the

Corinthians, " 1Co 1:13 Has the Messiah been divided??" (I Cor.1:13). The answer? 

Of course not! But Paul also said to them,

"For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren

. . . that there are contentions among you" (I

Cor.1:11). He added, "For ye are yet carnal: for

whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and

divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (I

Cor.3:3). He later plainly rebuked them, saying, "I

hear that there be DIVISIONS among you" (I Cor.11:18).

Seditions, treasons, false doctrines, heresies --

these all spring from the fount of heresy, Satan the

devil and his evil work of deception and seduction.

Satan is still very active, seeking to devour YHWH's

people! (I Pet.5:8-9; James 4:7).

6. "Envyings, murders" -- sins of interfering

destructively in the lives of other people;

destructively interfering with another person's

relationship with Our Father. James warned: "But if

ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts,

glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom

descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual,

devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is

confusion and every evil work" (James 3:14-16).

7. "Drunkenness, revellings" -- these are sins against

a person's own self and his own personal spiritual

relationship with YHWH. They are signs of the

lack of self-control, self-mastery, and commitment and

devotion to serving YHWH. No drunkard or drug

addict will inherit the kingdom of YHWH (ICor.6:9-10).

These seven categories of human nature must be conquered and overcome. 

This is why the word shabbatot is used in Leviticus 23:15 instead of

shavuot -- the usual word for "weeks." YHWH was emphasizing the 

importance of OVERCOMING – and becoming free from sin and the evil of 

human nature --our becoming FREE from these pulls by overcoming them

during the "seven Sabbaths " that lead up to Pentecost

-- a type of our meeting YHWH and entering His KINGDOM!

We must "rest" -- come to the point of having

"overcome" each of the Seven Categories of 

Human Nature -- in preparing to meet the Messiah at

His coming! Even as ancient Israel had to purify

themselves, and prepare to meet with YHWH (Exodus

19:10-15), since no one "unclean" could stand in

YHWH's Presence when He arrived on Mount Sinai,

even so WE must PREPARE OURSELVES to become the BRIDE

of the Messiah, whom he will marry, at his Second

Coming!

Overcoming human nature, the world around us, and the

influence of Satan the devil, is not easy. It requires

persistent, constant, energetic effort and

perseverance.

Called to a Life of "OVERCOMING"

As true followers of YHWH, we are called to a life of

"OVERCOMING." Contrary to the ideas of some, we are not already "saved" 

once we accept the Messiah. It was not all

"finished" at the cross (tree). It all just began at

the cross -- that was just the start of YHWH's Plan

and program for us!

As we meet obstacles, and face them, and overcome

them, we should never feel we "have it made," or have

"qualified," and are "worthy," because our own

righteousness is as filthy rags in YHWH's sight

(Isa.64:6). Nor should we think or assume that the

Messiah did it all for us, on the tree, and that there

is nothing we have to do but "believe." YHWH requires not a 

"dead faith" but LIVING FAITH in the Messiah! As James wrote, 

"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is DEAD, being alone (Jas.2:17). 

He adds, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without 

works is dead also" (v.26).

Our works will not "earn" us salvation. But they are

necessary as works of overcoming, and YHWH only

promises salvation to those who "overcome" (Rev.2:7,

11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Our experiencing trials, and

tests, and overcoming temptation, and sin, is the true

"sign" of a true believing disciple’s life.

The KEY to Overcoming

The apostle Paul also wrote, "Phi 1:6 being persuaded of this, that He who has begun a good 

work in you shall perfect it until the day of  יהושע  Messiah."

(Phil.1:6). Once YHWH begins to work with a person, He intends to finish

the job. However, we must believe in His promises, and trust in His love

and compassion. We must realize that all our trials are for our good. 

YEHOVAH God is our Shepherd (YHWH Roi). YHWH is

our Banner (YHWH Nissi). YHWH is our Provider,

the One who sees all our need and circumstances

(YHWH Yireh). YEHOVAH is our Father (YHWH

Avenu). YHWH is our Peace (YHWH Shalom). YHWHH

is the One who Anoints us (YHWHH Mekadishkem).

YHWHH is our Righteousness (YHWH Zidkenu).

Therefore, as David wrote so powerfully: " Psa 27:1 יהוה  is my light and my 

deliverance; Whom should I fear? יהוה  is the refuge of my life; Whom should I dread? 

(Psalm 27:1). YHWH promises to help us

in all our battles and fights and struggles to "overcome."

Notice this awesome promise YHWH makes to us,

quoted by the apostle Paul in the book of Hebrews:

"Let your character or moral disposition be free from

love of money. . . and be satisfied with your present

[circumstances and what you have]; for He (YHWH)

Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you NOR

give you up NOR leave you without support. [I will]

not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave

you helpless, NOR forsake NOR let [you] down, [relax

My hold on you]. -- Assuredly not!

"So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently

and boldly say, The YHWH is my Helper, I will not be

seized with alarm -- I will not fear or dread or be

terrified. What can man do to me?" (Heb.13: 5-6,

Those are inspiring words! YHWH says He will

not, He will not, He will not -- ever forsake us,

leave us helpless, or let us down (or fall), or relax

His grip on us! -- "Assuredly NOT!"

Whatever our position in life, we are human beings --

we are the sons or daughters of YHWH -- we are His children.  YEHOVAH is

ALWAYS still there to call on, no matter how helpless or hopeless our 

present (temporary) situation appears.

The believer’s life is to be a life dedicated to

OVERCOMING SIN and every obstacle and every roadblock

that would keep us out of YHWH's Kingdom. It is a

FIGHT to the death, spiritually!

Paul wrote to Timothy, "FIGHT the good fight of faith;

lay HOLD on eternal life" (I Tim.6:12).

Psa 144:2 My kindness and my stronghold, My tower and my deliverer, My shield, and in whom I 

take refuge, Who is subduing peoples under me. "

(Psalm 144:1).

"Counting the Omer" teaches us to get a hold of

ourselves, spiritually, and not allow ourselves to

wallow in the slough of despair and the pit of

depression and inertia. Paul says, "Prove all things,"

and, "Fight the good fight of faith" (I Thess.5:21; I

Tim.6:12). He fought against the pulls of his own

flesh, lest having preached to others, he himself

should end up a castaway, reject, and make spiritual

shipwreck (I Cor.9:24-27).

We need to get our minds focused on the KINGDOM -- set

our heart and soul on the GLORY that is set before us

#1377, dioko, and means "to pursue," by implication,

"to persecute," "follow after," "press forward."

Thayer's Lexicon gives a fuller definition, "(1) to

make a run or flee, put to flight, or drive away; (2)

to run swiftly in order to catch some person or thing;

to run after; (3) in any way whatever to harass,

trouble, molest one; to persecute; (4) without the

idea of hostility, to run after, follow after, some

one; (5) to pursue, to seek after eagerly, earnestly

endeavor to acquire."

Luke 13:24 puts it plainly. If we really desire to

receive eternal life, glory unbounded and unlimited in

the Kingdom of YHWH, then we must "STRIVE to

enter in at the strait [narrow, difficult] gate: for

many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall

not be able." 

They won't put in the required effort.  The word "strive" here means 

"strive as in AGONY"(marginal reading). The Greek word is #75, 

agonizomai, from which we get our English word "agonize." It means 

literally "to struggle, compete for a prize, to contend with an 

adversary, to endeavor to accomplish something -- to fight, labor, 

fervently, strive."

Thayer's Lexicon adds: "(1) to enter a contest;

contend in the gymnastic games; (2) to contend with

adversaries, to fight; (3) fig., to contend, struggle,

with difficulties and dangers antagonistic to the

gospel; (4) to endeavor with strenuous zeal, strive,

to obtain something."

We need to fight to enter YHWH's Kingdom. Sometimes

it may seem like a knock-down, drag-out, mismatch of

the century -- but we need to struggle onward, never

quitting, grateful that we are even permitted to be a

part of the struggle, that we have been called to such

a high and worthy calling, in the Messiah! 

We should make entering YHWH's Kingdom our Number #1 Priority-- 

"Seek ye first the kingdom of Elohim and his

righteousness" (Matt.6:33). "Whatsoever thy hand

findeth to do, do it WITH THY MIGHT . . ."(Eccl.9:10).

Yahshua put it plainly when he said, "Mat 11:12 “And from the days of Yoḥanan the 

Immerser till now the reign of the heavens is violated, and the violent seize it."(Matt.11:12). The 

word for "violent" here is biates

and means "a forcer, energetic -- violent." "Strong,

forceful, using force, violent" (Thayer's). It derives

from the word for "violence" which is #971, biazo,

meaning "to force, to crowd oneself, press, suffer

violence." Thayer's Lexicon adds: "to use force, to

apply force, to force, inflict violence on . . . 'the

kingdom of heaven is taken by violence, carried by

storm,' i.e., a share in the heavenly kingdom is

sought for with the most ardent zeal and the intensest

exertion . . . to force one's way into a thing . . .

to get a share in the kingdom of God by the utmost

earnestness and effort."

Moffatt translates Matthew 11:12 as follows: "From the

days of John the Baptist until now, they are pressing

into the Realm of heaven -- these eager souls are

storming it!" The Amplified Bible has it: "And from

the days of John the Baptist until the present time

the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and

violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize] --

a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought for with

most ardent zeal and intense exertion."

Please note that it is not those who are violent towards others, but 

those who put supreme effort into their quest that attain to the 

Kingdom.

Is it easy, like falling off a long, like the "no-law"

preachers insist? They are nowhere near the Kingdom!

Phi 2:13 for it is Elohim who is working in you both to desire and to work for His good pleasure. " 

(Phil.2:12-13). The word for "work"

here is #2716, katergazomai and means "to work fully,

to accomplish, by impl., to finish, fashion." Thayer's

adds: "(a) to perform, accomplish, achieve; (b) to

work out, i.e., to do that from which something

results; (c) fashion, i.e., render one fit for a

thing."

Many, today, are being swallowed up by the Great

Apostasy. They think it was all done "by Jesus Christ on the cross" 

long, long ago. They think they can just

"coast" into the Kingdom! It is sad; it is tragic; it

is incredibly regrettable. We must come to hate and to

abhor evil even as YHWH Himself hates and abhors it (Prov.8:13). We must

cling to and earnestly desire the things of YHWH; and then we will 

receive them (Psalm 37:4-5). We must strive to bring every thought and 

desire into captivity to the obedience of the Messiah (II Cor.10:4-5) 

by means of the spiritual weapons YHWH gives to us to use

(Eph.6:10-14; Gal.5:22-23).

Many of YHWH's people, today, are in a rut. They

have temporized and compromised for far too long. It

is time to WAKE UP, shake yourself out of the

spiritual sleep you have been in, splash the cold

water of spiritual reality in your face, and remove

the spirit of grogginess and lethargic indolence.

SHAKE yourself awake! It's time to put on your

"fighting gloves," or spiritual "boxing gloves," and

begin to make a spiritual name and reputation for

yourself, as "One who Overcomes" -- "Overcomer" --

"Prevailer with YHWH" -- "Champion of YHWH." These are

all variations of the name "ISRAEL," or "Prince of

YHWH."

There Is Another Reason to Count the Omer

In Leviticus 23:13, the Hebrew word for "count" is

"safar." There are several different, but accurate,

meanings for "safar." It is only Judaism which

provides the internal history necessary to discover

which meaning is intended to be understood in the

Biblical text. Although "safar" can mean to count up

the total in order to arrive at a sum, it can also

just as easily and accurately mean to inscribe by

making a mark, to enumerate, or to celebrate.

Judaism teaches that the intended meaning of "safar"

in Leviticus 23:15 is "to ritually inscribe by

celebrating, i.e., to inscribe to ritual celebration."

Jewish author and historian Chaim Raphael, in his book

entitled Festival Days: A History of Jewish

Celebrations (c.1990, Grove Weidenfeld: New York),

provides us with the key to rightly understanding the

use of the word "safar" in Leviticus 23:15. He informs

us that:

"In the Jewish practice, an Omer (sheaf) of the new

barley was offered to the Temple every day after

Passover to be 'waved' ceremonially by the priest. The

Omer began to be counted daily from the second day of

Passover for seven weeks, at which point the festival

of Shavuot ('weeks') was celebrated. 'Counting the

Omer' until the seven weeks were concluded became a

recognizable stretch of Jewish life with its own

traditions . . ." (p.69).

This same author adds:

"The seven-week period from Passover to Shavuot had a

ritual in which a sheaf of grain from the new harvest

was offered to the priest every day. Every offering

was COUNTED OFF DAILY until the forty-ninth day, after

which Shavuot was celebrated" (p.71).

It should be clear that this ritual of "counting" was

performed EVERY YEAR, as a special adjunct to the

Passover celebration, at which the spring harvest

BEGAN, and continued for forty nine days, until

Pentecost, when the spring harvest was COMPLETED!

Since the spring harvest is a TYPE of the

"firstfruits" of YHWH's creation -- true converted

people of YHWH, from the time of the patriarchs

down to true yahudi (believers and disciples today) -- the period of 

time from Passover to Pentecost represents the TIME OF YHWH'S SPIRITUAL 

SPRING HARVEST -- with Yahshua the Messiah, our Passover, being himself 

the "the firstfruit" [the original Greek is in the singular] from the 

dead unto YHWH (I Cor.15:20), "Messiah the firstfruit"

(verse 23); "afterward they that are Messiah's AT HIS

COMING" (same verse).

The apostle James wrote, "Of his own will begat he us

with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of

FIRSTFRUITS of his creatures" (James 1:18).

The vast, overwhelming majority of “Christians” do not

even begin to realize or recognize this amazing,

wonderful TRUTH! Yet the Jewish people have had an

inkling of it. We read in the book Living Judaism: The

Complete Guide to Jewish Belief, Practice and

Tradition:

"The sages and the mystics taught that Shavuot is the

moment of eternal commitment -- -- the MARRIAGE --

between God and the Jewish People. On Pesach

[Passover] God and the people pledge themselves to

each other. The sephirah [counting] is the period of

the COURTSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT, the time when trust and

love grow deeper and stronger. Safirat HaOmer thus

becomes not just a time for counting toward an

agricultural harvest, but a time of heartfelt emotion

and excited anticipation, as the relationship between

God and the Jewish People moves swiftly forward toward

consummation toward the WEDDING at Sinai -- the time

when God will give His WEDDING GIFT of Torah. Safirat

HaOmer is now a time not only to count the days, but

to MAKE THE DAYS COUNT, IN PREPARATION FOR THE

TRANSCENDENT MOMENT OF REVELATION" (Living Judaism,

p.177)..

At the Messiah's coming, he will MARRY the His bride, the

Rev 19:9 And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the 

Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true words of Elohim.” 

This is just as YHWH his Father "married" Israel when He came down to 

Mount Sinai on that first Pentecost, or Feast of Weeks

(Exodus 19-20; 24:9-11). 

So, the daily "counting of the Omer" is a ritual which REFLECTS THE 

SPIRITUAL HARVEST OF TRUE BELIEVERS and all the holy men and women of 

old who will be in the FIRST RESURRECTION, and who will "MARRY" the 

Messiah at his coming!

Every day, from Passover to Pentecost, as WE COUNT THE

OMER, perhaps we should pray to YHWH our Elohim to this effect: (In your

own words)

"Blessed are You, O YHWH our Elohim, who has

sanctified us by Your commandments, and who has

commanded us to Count the Omer. Today is the ---- day

of the Omer. This is the ---- week of the Omer count.

There are ---- days to go until Pentecost (Shavuot)!"

If you wish, as you count off the days, you may want to mark each day 

off on your calendar. This may also help instill in you the HABIT of 

counting off each day, without fail!

As we do this, we should remember that Pentecost

pictures our coming UNION -- OUR WEDDING -- with

YAHSHUA the MESSIAH at his Coming! This will truly be a

"transcendent moment of Revelation"!

The daily "counting of the Omer," then, beginning with

the first Omer, continues for forty nine days, until

Pentecost -- and spiritually symbolizes the

FIRSTFRUITS OF THE CHURCH OF YHWH which have

been "harvested" throughout the centuries and

millennia leading up to the great day of THE MESSIAH'S

COMING, when the Messiah will COMPLETE THE HARVEST OF

FIRSTFRUITS, and then MARRY HIS BRIDE!

What a wonderful truth! There is far more involved in

"counting the Omer" than most of us have ever

realized!