A Wave Offering of Firstfruits

Church administration has asked that we cover some material regarding Pentecost and how it fits into the overall plan of salvation. Why?

Among certain self proclaimed Church of God “pundits” an interpretation regarding Pentecost as a representation of the resurrection has started showing up in various congregations in the U.S. and Asia. It popped up in one of the congregations I pastor about 3 years ago.

Some of you might think "oh that's interesting, I want to know more about this strange new teaching". To that I ask you to consider two principles: the Church of the Living God is the ground and pillar of the truth" ( Timothy 3:15), and scripture is not a matter of private interpretation (2 Peter 2:20).

People work around these sound principles by fooling themselves with some sketchy ideas about what constitutes the Church of God. That is why I have spent time in recent years addressing the reality of God's Church as something more that just a label for scattered believers. Also, the internet has made it easy for people to promote their personal interpretations, and to seek out other with the same ideas, and therefore blur the lines between what is considered private interpretation... "if others are persuaded by my teaching then its no longer a private interpretation".

Part of the Pentecost teaching involves discrediting the UCG interpretation of the Feast of Trumpets as the representation of the resurrection of the first-fruits. It's an argument that requires some mental gymnastics to overcome the clear statements in scripture about trumpets, the gathering of the saints, and Rosh Hashanna.

I am going to skip that since I have covered it several times in the past three years. I am going to look into one of the other angles this teaching takes; which is a re-interpretation of the wave offering that takes place at the feast of weeks. The idea that the waving of the two loaves is meant to represent the resurrection of the first fruits. There are other angles the teaching about a Pentecost resurrection takes, I just prefer to tackle each, thoroughly, by going through them one at a time.

My preference is to not give center stage to teachings we find to be in error... rather I like to lead with what we believe and teach. So let's take a good look at the real meaning of the wave offering of Pentecost.

Pentecost is closely aligned with the first coming of Jesus (which is pictured in the events surrounding Passover and DOULB). The connection is established by; 1) how the date of Pentecost is determined, and 2) by parallel actions between the two holy days... specifically performing a wave offering.

A sheaf of barley is waved before God during the DOULB and two loaves of leavened bread are waved before God at Pentecost. This obvious parallel creates a strong connection between Pentecost and the 1st coming of Jesus.... rather than to the 2nd coming of Jesus at trumpets.

The waving of something before God signifies that something is acceptable to God. It is different from a sacrifice.

The ancient ceremony of waving the first sheaf of barley during the DOULB parallels Christ's brief ascension to the Father to officially present Himself to the Father John 20:17. I say brief because He quickly goes and returns to begin doing the work of living High Priest in providing instruction and understanding.

Hebrews 10:12 Jesus was indeed accepted

We learn that His sacrifice is accepted by God as sufficient for the remission of sins. One sacrifice for all time... and for all people Hebrews 10:9-14.

Waving the two loaves on the day of Pentecost signifies the saints being accepted by the Father, even though they are not yet fully unleavened (without sin). They are acceptable as part of a body of believers… a called out assembly before Him. In spite of their ongoing sin, they are accepted by God to enter into an ongoing process of sanctification, purification, overcoming of sin, etc. ... their resurrection to spirit born life comes later, often much later.

1 Peter 1:2 one of the many works of the holy spirit is to clean you up by washing you in the word of God. The sprinkling of Jesus Blood is about the ongoing cleansing of your conscience. You are enrolled in a process of spiritual recreation.

1 John 1:7 thru 2:2 honest believers know they continue to do battle with sin. You are made part of a process. Notice again the ongoing application of Jesus' blood.

In the symbolism of the OT Pentecost ceremony (the feast of weeks), the saints are presented to God (waved) and found acceptable and permitted to boldly come before His throne Hebrew 10:19-23... notice the connection of the ongoing application of Jesus blood, and the washing.

A minor point of symbolism is that the loaves are baked, possibly representing that they are tested by fire? IE. They are to remain faithful unto the end in spite of fiery trialswhich are part of the process that makes us perfect (IE. complete) Peter 4:12-13.

Finally, the two loaves waved before God represent the saints whom God has called throughout the ages. Who entered into the process of sanctification... but have also lived and died without ever having received the eternal life and inheritance they had been promised. Instead they wait for that future day (return of Christ) when we will all be resurrected together Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.

Since I have now lain out the Church's take on this significant part of the Pentecost ceremony we can begin talking about the false ideas floating around out there.

Some have been saying that the barley wave-sheaf represents Jesus' resurrection... and that waving is about being "raised up"... implying resurrection. That same reasoning is then applied to the two loaves of Pentecost, and to the saints being raised up in resurrection. Here are some reasons why we consider this reasoning untrue:

Based on our 3 days and 3 nights timeline, having died late on a Wednesday afternoon, Christ was resurrected around the end of the Sabbath. Which is when the 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb were complete. The resurrection did not take place when the sun came up on Sunday morning... Jesus was already risen by then (as much as 12 hours).

The wave sheaf offering did take place on the Sunday morning (around 9:00 am.) Not signifying a rising up or resurrection since Christ was already resurrected about half a day before. The waving of the barley sheaf represents an event that comes after Jesus' resurrection... His being presented to God and found acceptable (Leviticus 23:11 says the barley sheaf is waved “so that it may be acceptable on your behalf”... Jesus is accepted for our benefit)

Notice that the two loaves waved during the Pentecost ceremony are baked with leaven. This is different from the grain offerings spelled out earlier in Leviticus 2. Standard grain offerings were unleavened, and burnt up on the altar Leviticus 2:11-12.

The 2 leavened loaves that are waved...  are not offered and burned up on the altar. Because of the leaven, which in biblical typology represents corruption and sin. It is not to be placed on the altar... it is not a pleasing aroma to God... it actually needs to be covered with the blood of a sacrificial life.

So, the 2 waved loaves of baked leavened bread do not represent the resurrected saints. When the saints are raised up (at Christ's return) they will be raised incorruptible, immortal, deleavened, victorious, having fought the battle to overcome the sin which leads to death 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.

The loaves represent the un-resurrected saints (saints with leavening in them).

The process of waving and being accepted does not make the loaves unleavened. They do not enter into eternal life, and full inheritance in the family of God if they are still riddled with sin? So, why and how are they considered acceptable?

We have previously looked at the acceptability of Jesus sacrifice as what makes them acceptable. That symbolism is also built into the original Pentecost ceremony…

Leviticus 23:19-20 notice that 2 lambs are waived along with the two loaves. Those two lambs are considered a fellowship offering. Along with a male goat as a sin offering.

The inclusion of a sin offering makes sense considering all we have said about the leavening still present in the loaves... the loaves (the saints) are deemed acceptable because of the sin offering. So, at every step, it is Christ's work, His sacrifice, that makes them acceptable.

The inclusion of a fellowship offering offers a different and encouraging angle:

Jesus clearly talks about being present with believers through the power of the spirit. A presence of fellowhip and solidarity…

He is with us in the flesh, or in His spirit born glorified body... He is with us through the power of holy spirit... another theme we focus on at Pentecost… a meaning the which is clearly baked into the NT understanding of what Pentecost is all about. We cover this often.

I John 4:7-13 His powerful presence within us is what brings us to victory... His fellowship with us is very much a part of the Pentecost message.

Pentecost is not a picture of the final victory over sin and death which we will experience upon resurrection.

Pentecost is a picture of the beginning of the long march to victory that is promised to us. We know that promise is good, it will come to pass, because the power of God's holy spirit has been given to us. Victory will be ours because He is in us and we are in Him. We have been placed within His Church, a body filled it with His holy spirit... so we may grow in grace, and knowledge, and love.

That's what Pentecost is about.