Here are some of my notes on what the Scripture teaches is the true count to Pentecost which is 50 days "after the 7th Sabbath complete, not 50 days after the wave sheaf or 1st Sabbath.
Lev-23:16 "Even unto the morrow "after" the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto YHWh"
I have not found ANY evidence from scripture to support the traditional 3rd month Pentecost I have not even found a feast of anykind in the 3rd month or even a harvest of anykind, but below is an abundance of evidence from scripture and nature that conclusively proves a later Pentecost.
INTRODUCTION
If someone wanted to argue Pentecost in the third month, would it be asking too much for them to produce ONE scripture supporting a wheat harvest in the 3rd month "Springtime"??? After all that is what Pentecost is, first fruits of the wheat harvest.
Would it be asking too much to show where there was even a Feast in the 3rd month???
Leviticus 23:16 can be understood two ways, the traditional way is to count 50 days from the wave sheaf of the barley harvest, and another way it can be understood is to count 50 days from the morrow "after the seventh Sabbath. To prove which understanding is correct, we must turn to nature and other Scripture other than the one in question. Also see positive proof under Pentecost count at http://lunarsabbath.us/_wsn/page6.html
We know that Pentecost has to do with the wheat harvest and I challenge someone to show where there is a wheat harvest, mentioned in the Scripture, for a 3rd month Pentecost.
If someone can find a Winter wheat harvest in scriptures or a feast/Chag in the THIRD month, then there is at least a 50-50 chance that the 50 days after the wave sheaf could possibly be right, OTHERWISE IT IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION.
The reason I say 50-50 chance is because we definitely have a conclusive pinpointed "Summer" wheat harvest in the 4th month which is found over and over throughout the Scriptures and we also have a conclusive feast/Chag mentioned in the fourth month, and therefore it could be understood either way if someone can find a Winter wheat harvest or a feast/Chag in the third month, then they could argue it was 50 days after the barley sheaf/Winter wheat harvest, and we could argue that it is 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete, which would be a summer wheat harvest.
In other words if someone can produce scripture for harvesting wheat in the spring, instead of summer, then it could go either way but until someone finds a conclusive Winter wheat harvest or a feast/Chag in the third month, IT IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION. We must prove what the Scripture in Leviticus 23:16 is speaking of.
Now "If" they were no summer wheat harvest found in Scripture and you had plenty of Winter wheat harvests found in Scripture, and "If" there was a third month feast/Chag then the obvious understanding would be to count 50 days after the barley wave sheaf for the winter wheat harvest and a third month Pentecost. Simple.
On the other hand if there is no Winter wheat harvest mentioned in Scripture, (and there's not) and there's no third month feast/Chag mentioned in Scripture, then the obvious conclusion is to begin the 50 day count from the morrow after the seventh Sabbath complete and then bring the new meat offering from the summer wheat, the only wheat spoken of in scriptures. Simple
Below you will read many Scripture which will harmonize with counting 50 days "after the seventh Sabbath, not after the wave sheaf, such as when Aaron made proclamation of a Pilgrim feast/CHAG which was 50 days after the seventh Lunar Sabbath complete and the only Pilgrim Feast this could have been was Pentecost because it was in the fourth month when Aaron proclaimed this. There is no CHAG found in the 3rd month for the traditional Pentecost.
Until someone can produce a Scripture showing that there is another wheat harvest to choose from, found in Scripture of course, I see no room to debate it any other way. I know that Winter wheat is now harvested in the springtime after spring barley harvest, but did ancient Israel plant Winter wheat or only summer wheat??
All Scriptures that I have found is referring to "Summer" wheat which is sowed in the 1st month and reaped in the 4th. It would be nice to have an "example of Winter wheat in Scripture if I was going to of count 50 days after the barley wave sheaf and then bring a first fruit from the winter wheat, but since there isn't any the conclusion is obvious.
Winter wheat takes 7 months to harvest and our Saviour say's are there not 4 months then cometh the harvest, refering to summer wheat. This also explains why the wheat was not distroyed in the 1st month in Egypt, because it had not came up yet.
We can prove many wheat harvests in the "summer", throughout the Scriptures, but is there one shred of evidence for a wheat harvest in the "spring"? The answer is no, so there is no Scriptural wheat harvest in the spring, so it must be understood that Pentecost is counted from the morrow "after" the seventh Sabbath/intermission, instead of from the wave sheaf it's self.
All the males were commanded to appear before YHWH three times in the year, these three feasts centered around the three major harvests. The first one is Unleavened Bread/barley harvest, which takes place in the "springtime", or Spring feast, then the second one takes place in the "summer", at the summer wheat harvest called Pentecost or summer harvest, the first fruits of the summer wheat harvest is offered, not Winter wheat which is harvested in the "spring", two weeks after the barley, and is still in the spring season.
Every where in Scripture and history from Josephus and Philo who lived at the time of these harvest, wheat was always a summer harvest. Study these EXAMPLES closely.
#1. In the book of Josephus it tells how that it was "Summer time when the fruit of the land being almost ripe enough for reaping that Samson set fire to the fruit of the land i.e. "wheat" and grapes etc. and in the book of Judges it plainly tells that it was in the time of wheat harvest when Samson done this. Read the following from Josephus and the book of Judges.
CHAPTER 8 CONCERNING THE FORTITUDE OF SAMSON, AND WHAT MISCHIEFS HE BROUGHT UPON THE PHILISTINES
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7. (295) At this injurious treatment Samson was so provoked that he resolved to punish all the Philistines, as well as her; so it being then "Summer" time, and the fruits of the land being almost ripe enough for reaping, he caught three hundred foxes, and joining lighted torches to their tails, he sent them into the fields of the Philistines, by which means the fruits of the fields perished.
In the book of Judges Chapter 15:5 it says:
"1But it came to pass within a while after, in the "Time" of "Wheat" harvest that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, I will go in to my wife into the chamber. But her father would not suffer him to go in. 2And her father said, I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her; therefore I gave her to thy companion: is not her younger sister fairer than she? take her, I pray thee, instead of her. 3And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure. 4And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails. 5And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing "Corn" of the Philistines, and burnt up both the shocks, and also the standing "Corn", with the "vineyards and "Olives"?.
In other words the time of wheat harvest is in the summer, NOT spring. This proves that this wheat harvest is speaking of "summer" wheat harvest and not spring harvest of winter wheat. Josephus knew enough about how many foxes etc. because he knew the Scriptures, wonder why he didn't know that the wheat harvest was in the spring instead of summer? Or maybe he knew that wheat harvest in his time was in the Summer and not Spring. You Judge and remember the people knew about farming in those days, and to say whether he was a Pharisee or Sadducee makes no difference concerning the harvest and nature.
The following quote from Josephus also proves the wheat was Summer wheat and not Winter wheat
1. (323) In the meantime Herod's affairs in Judea were in an ill state. He had left his brother Joseph with full power, but had charged him to make no attempts against Antigonus till his return;for that Macheras would not be such an assistant as he could depend on, as it appeared by what he had done already; but as soon as Joseph heard that his brother was at a very great distance, he neglected the charge he had received, and marched towards Jericho with five cohorts, which Macheras sent with him. This movement was intended for seizing on the corn, as it was now in the midst of "Summer;
Notice the last verse of this quote. This is found in Josephus under:
THE DEATH OF JOSEPH [HEROD's BROTHER], WHICH HAD BEEN SIGNIFIED TO HEROD IN DREAMS. HOW HEROD WAS PRESERVED TWICE, AFTER A WONDERFUL MANNER. HE CUTS OFF THE HEAD OF PAPPUS WHO WAS THE MURDERER OF HIS BROTHER, AND SENDS THAT HEAD TO [HIS OTHER BROTHER] PHERORAS, AND IN NO LONG TIME HE BESIEGES JERUSALEM, AND MARRIES MARIAMNE
This next quote which lists the 4 seasons, proves they were known back then: Philo, On The Creation
"And in addition to the four elements the seasons of the year are also four, which are the "Caused"? of the "Generation" of animals and "Plantd"?, the year being divided into the quadruple division of winter, and "Spring", and "Summer", and "Autumn".
XVII. (53) The aforesaid number therefore being accounted worthy"
Notice he says these four seasons Winter, and Spring, and Summer, and Autumn, are cause of the generation of animals and "Plantd"?
In other words you have three harvest feasts each year, barley in the spring, wheat in the summer, and the annual fruits of the trees etc. in the autumn.
I have heard the argument that all harvest was Summer time, but that is not acceptable because Josephus says, "And in addition to the four elements the seasons of the year are also four, which are the "Caused"? of the "Generation" of animals and "Plantd"?, the year being divided into the quadruple division of winter, and "Spring", and "Summer", and "Autumn".
Bottom line is someone should have a Scripture or some kind of proof that there is a spring wheat harvest instead of a summer wheat harvest to support their 50 day count after the wave sheaf instead of 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete for Pentecost.
I can give many Scriptures and history from people that lived at this time that there is a summer wheat harvest which would have to be 50 days after the seventh Sabbath instead of 50 days after the first Sabbath.
50 days after the first Sabbath can only produce a spring wheat harvest and 50 days after the seventh Sabbath can only produce a summer wheat harvest. Which one does the Scripture teach? We know what tradition of men teaches.
It says in the book of Nehemiah Chapter 13:15:
In those days saw I in Judah some treading "wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in "sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
Nehemiah saw men treading grapes in these wine presses and the grapes are not ripe until summer and the sheaves they were bringing in had to be summer sheaves. The Winter wheat is gone by this time and so was springtime.
Our Saviour says that after four months comes the harvest. This has to be speaking of the summer wheat harvest which matures in four months. It is sown in the first month Abib/spring and is reaped in the fourth month/summer which is seven Sabbaths plus 50 days and then you can bring a first fruit from it/summer fruit. This is why the hail did not destroy the wheat in Egypt because it had not come up yet because it was planted in the first month.
In John 4: 35 it says:
"Say not ye ., there are yet four months then cometh the harvest"
Winter wheat is at least 6 or 7 months to harvest and not four months to harvest as our Saviour said it was, and as I have said, winter wheat can NOT be pinpointed in scripture and therefore is not even an option for Pentecost wheat.
John-12:24 says,
24….."Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of "Wheat" fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ….
27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ..32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33This he said, signifying what death he should die".
Once again a corn of wheat can NOT bring forth a harvest in 50 days and I can not picture our Saviour not using a true analogy. He was buried in the 1st month, same as summer wheat is and a harvest of soles was reaped 50 days AFTER a week of weeks has passed over or 50 days AFTER 7 Sabbaths had passed over. It was the same time that the Law was given to Moses.
When Aaron used the word CHAG, which is only used for Pilgrim feast, it was in the Summer time and it was 50 days after the seventh Sabbath. It was also the same day that the Law was given on Mount Sinai. Ex-32:5 and Ex-31:18
Philo says that the harvest comes after the grapes are ripe and the grapes are not ripe until summer. He also tells of some men that was keeping a prelude or for feast of the greatest feast i.e. Pentecost, 50 days after the wave sheaf. That means that the morrow after the 7th Sabbath is NOT Pentecost, but the start of the 50 day count to Pentecost.
He also says that wheat was the last of all" the grains that are sowed in the field to ripen and come to harvest. This was Pentecost wheat that he was referring to, and it has to be summer wheat to ripen last, after winter wheat. Philo SPECIAL LAWS, 11 (186)
The wheat harvest and Tabernacles are to be observed at the years end/turning (Ex34:22) and that does not happened until June 21. ( after the traditional Pentecost} In other words you have a turning March 21 and then keep Passover, in the Spring and you have another turning June 21st and you keep Pentecost, in the Summer and then you have another turning September 21 in the days of Tabernacles, in the Fall. If you try to keep the traditional Pentecost in the third month/June 6, it is not at the years end or turning, which happens on June 21. and is not in harmony with Torah Law.
When they came into the land they were to reap the harvest thereof/barley, wave sheaf, count seven sabbaths/intermissions complete, number 50 days, then bring a new meat offering from "Their" labors that "They" sowed in the field i.e. wheat.
In other words if they sowed the summer wheat in the first month when they came into the land they could reap a harvest for a first fruit 50 days after the seventh Sabbath from their labors which they sowed in the field, but NOT in 50 days from the time they sowed, for nature will not allow the wheat to mature in 50 days. Ex-23:16
There is so much proof supporting the count should began 50 days after the seventh Sabbath instead of 50 days after the first Sabbath.
Bottom line is, can anyone locate a "spring" wheat harvest for a 3rd month Pentecost? If not, maybe it is not there and is only a tradition of men.
Here are a few Scriptures to support the summer fruit/wheat harvest:
Proverbs 10:5
"5He that gathereth in SUMMER is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in "HARVEST" is a son that causeth shame.
Notice summer and harvest is synonymous.
Proverbs 26:1
"1As snow in "Summer", and as rain in "Harvest", so honour is not seemly for a fool.
Again summer and harvest is synonymous.
Isaiah 16:9
"9Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy "SUMMER" fruits and for thy HARVEST is fallen (some of harvest not spring harvest). 10And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the VINEYARDS there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no WINE in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
Notice here the summer fruits of the harvest AND the wine are connected.
Isaiah 17: 5-6
"5And it shall be as when the HARVESTMAN gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the VALLEY of Rephaim.
6Yet "Gleaning Grapes"? shall be left in IT (Valley), as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith YHWH the Mighty One of Israel".
Notice here, the harvest men gather the wheat in the Valley and What's left of the grapes they left in the Valley which proves the grapes were ripe before the harvest as Philo says; they just didn't go back and GLEAN them.
Isaiah 18:4-6
4For so the MASTER said unto me, I will take my "Rest", and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the "Heat of harvest. 5For "Afore" the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is"? ripening" in the flower,
The Tanach reads, " for the said YHWH to me: I will be at ease and I will look after my place of Foundation; like crisp warmth after the rain, like a mist in the "Heat" of the harvest. For "Before" "the" harvest, when the flower is finished and the bud turns to "Grapes approaching ripeness,"
Notice here that this is speaking of a summer wheat harvest and says "Before" the harvest the grapes are approaching ripeness". The Grapes Are Not Approaching Ripeness in the springtime.
The phrase "THE harvest" not a harvest of wheat seems to imply that there was only one major wheat harvest and that was in the summer which rules out any possibility of counting only one day after the seventh Sabbath complete.
"6They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall" "Summer" upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. 7In that time shall "The present" be brought unto YHWH of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name YHWH of hosts, the mount Zion".
I believe "The present" that is spoken of here is the first fruit of the summer wheat harvest because it shows that the present/first fruit is brought during the summer. The above and nature demands an understanding of Leviticus 23:16 to mean 50 days after the seventh Sabbath complete.
Jeremiah 8: 20
"20The harvest is past, the "Summer" is ended, and we are not saved.
This verse I shows that the harvest was in the summer NOT "Spring" because it does not say the harvest is past and spring is ended. Proven once again it is a summer harvest not Spring harvest.
Jeremiah 40: 10 -12
"10As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye "WINE", and SUMMER FRUIT, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken. 11Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; 12Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered WINE AND SUMMER FRUITS VERY MUCH.
Notice the wine/grapes and the summer fruit/wheat is in the summer time and not the springtime. By the way in Jeremiah 39:2 it explains that this was in the fourth month when the people harvested these crops.
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