SHALOM!

“A BARLEY SHEAF” is called an “OMER” in the Hebrew Language.

 

Barley is the first grain crop to come ripe in the land of Israel in the early spring, and typically it comes ripe before the wheat harvest occurs in the late spring during the time of the biblical Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.

For the first month of the biblical calendar to be called the month of the aviv, the barley must be in the aviv state of maturation. This means that the barley grain is at the least parchable or it can roasted over a fire to make it grindable.

So in the biblical calendar, if we come to the end of the twelfth month, it is necessary to go searching through the land of Israel for aviv barley. If you find it in sufficient quantities, then this marks the beginning of the first month of the new year. If you don’t find it in sufficient quantities, then you add a thirteenth month onto the end of the current year. Again, roughly every three years, a thirteenth month must be added to the biblical calendar to keep the lunar calendar (which the biblical feasts are based on) in sync with the solar calendar.

If one finds aviv barley, how much aviv barley is enough? There must be enough to make a sheaf or an omer’s worth of grain, which is a biblical measuring unit equal to about two liters. Why this amount? This is because the Torah commanded the priests to offer up an omer of barley grain on the Day of First Fruits (called the omer or first fruits offering) during the Feast of Unleavened Bread that falls during the second half of the first month of biblical calendar (Lev 23:9–14). So finding a few stalks of aviv barley in a field is not sufficient. There must be enough to make two liters worth of flour.

Now at this point in the discussion some well-meaning, Torah-pursuant people will disagree about the need to find a full omer-amount of barley on the first day of the new month. Say, for example, you find only a few stalks of aviv barley, but not enough to make an omer, won’t there be enough barley that will have ripened within two to three weeks to make an omer for the first fruits offering? Maybe, but we don’t know for certain. It’s speculation to say yes. Those who say yes are speculating that weather conditions will be such that there will be enough aviv barley to make an omer offering in time for First Fruits Day. But what if the weather suddenly turns cold, or cloudy and the barley doesn’t ripen in time after you have declared the new year? What then? What if you have declared the new year based on finding only a few stalks of aviv barley, but not enough to make an omer and all Israel is now preparing to keep the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Each family is separating out their Passover lamb on the tenth day of the first month in preparation for slaughtering it on the fourteenth day on Passover as the Torah commands. Moreover, people are making plans to travel to Jerusalem or wherever YHVH has chosen to place his name in Israel in order to keep the Passover and Unleavened Bread as the Torah mandates. What happens if, after all of this, there isn’t sufficient barley for an omer offering because the weather conditions in the land of Israel weren’t conducive for the barley to ripen? You have just thrown the whole nation of Israel into chaos. Thousands of lambs that were separated for the Passover sacrifice now have to be put back into the flock and travel plans have to be postponed for a month. All the temple preparations have to be put on hold, and all the plans that the priests and Levites have made as they were preparing to officiate at the spring feasts now have to be put on hold. The thousands of lambs that were brought to Jerusalem and sold by merchants to the Jewish pilgrims who were coming there to celebrate the feast now have to be returned to their pastures or stalled and fed for an extra month. Moreover, in ancient times people traveled by foot, and it took days to get somewhere and provisions had to be stored and transported, so postponing a trip wasn’t easy to do. Though these issues aren’t factors for modern man, they were issues when the Tanakh (Old Testament) was written, and this is the cultural context in which we are to understand the Torah’s commands. If we try to understand and apply scriptural truths outside of this context, we run the risk of coming up with a false hermeneutic and twisting the Scriptures anyway we want. It is this wrong approach to interpreting Scripture that has led the church (and rabbinic Judaism) to the place it is today with all of its unbiblical and manmade doctrines and traditions. This is something we are trying to get away from. We don’t want to leave behind the lies of the church (and rabbinic Judaism) in pursuit of biblical truth only to create our own unbiblical lies and traditions!

For these reasons, we have chosen the more cautious, less speculative approach that involves finding sufficient aviv barley to make an omer by the first of the month, rather than speculating what might be in two or three weeks.

See Leviticus 23; Matthew 9:35-38; Revelation 14:14-15

Leviticus 23:11 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

¹¹ He is to wave the omer before Adonai, to be accepted for you. On the morrow after the Shabbat, the kohen is to wave it.

Here is the full version of the Holy Scripture:

Leviticus 23:1-23 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Biblical Feasts

23 Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ² “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, and tell them: These are the appointed moadim of Adonai, which you are to proclaim to be holy convocations—My moadim.

³ “Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Shabbat of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You are to do no work—it is a Shabbatto Adonai in all your dwellings.

Pesach and Feast of Matzot

⁴ “These are the appointed feasts of Adonai, holy convocations which you are to proclaim in their appointed season. ⁵ During the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is Adonai’s Passover. ⁶ On the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Matzot to Adonai. For seven days you are to eat matzah. ⁷ On the first day you are to have a holy convocation and you should do no regular work. ⁸ Instead you are to present an offering made by fire to Adonai for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation, when you are to do no regular work.”

Bikkurim and Shavuot

⁹ Adonai spoke to Moses saying: ¹⁰ “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and tell them: When you have come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you are to bring the omer^[a] of the firstfruits of your harvest to the kohen. ¹¹ He is to wave the omer before Adonai, to be accepted for you. On the morrow after the Shabbat, the kohen is to wave it. ¹² On the day when you wave the omer you are to offer a male lamb without blemish, one year old, as a burnt offering to Adonai. ¹³ The grain offering with it should be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil—an offering made by fire to Adonai for a soothing aroma. Its drink offering with it should be a quarter of a gallon^[b] of wine. ¹⁴ You are not to eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this same day—until you have brought the offering of your God. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
¹⁵ “Then you are to count from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the omer^[c] of the wave offering, seven complete Shabbatot. ¹⁶ Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat you are to count fifty days,^[d] and then present a new grain offering to Adonai. ¹⁷ You are to bring out of your houses two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They are to be baked with hametz as firstfruits to Adonai. ¹⁸ You are to present, along with the bread, seven one-year-old lambs without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They will become a burnt offering to Adonai, with their meal offering, and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to Adonai. ¹⁹ Also you are to offer one male goat for a sin offering and a pair of year-old male lambs for a sacrifice of fellowship offerings. ²⁰ The kohen is to wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before Adonai, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to Adonai for the kohen. ²¹ You are to make a proclamation on the same day that there is to be a holy convocation, and you should do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
²² “Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the furthest corners of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Rather you are to leave them for the poor and for the outsider. I am Adonai your God.”

 

Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest (Rt 1:22).  As attested in the Gezer Calendar, the planting of grain began in the fall (c. October-November), after the rains had softened the soil to allow for plowing.  The sowing of the grain lasted for two months and was followed by two months of vegetable sowing and a month of hoeing.  The harvest begin in the early spring with flax and barley, then the wheat and early figs in late spring, followed by the summer grape and in the late summer dates and figs.  Finally, there was the fruit harvest, including the olive harvest, in the early fall.

The barley harvest in ancient Israel took place in the early spring (see the Israelite civil and liturgical calendar in the handout to lesson 1).  According to the Law, the first grain of the barley harvest was to be brought to YAHUVEH’S Temple and offered at YAHUVEH’S altar of sacrifice on the first day of the week on the Feast of Firstfruits during the holy week of the pilgrim feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:5-14).  At that time, the offerer was to present the basket with his grain offering before YAHUVEH’S altar and make a profession of faith:

The priest will then take the basket from your hand and lay it before the altar of YAHWEH your GOD.  In the presence of YAHWEH your GOD, you will then pronounce these words: “My father was a wandering Aramaean, who went down to Egypt with a small group of men, and stayed there, until he there became a great, powerful and numerous nation.  The Egyptians ill-treated us, they oppressed us and inflicted harsh slavery on us.  But we called on YAHWEH, GOD of our ancestors.  YAHWEH heard our voice and saw our misery, our toil and our oppression; and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with mighty hand and outstretched arm, with great terror, and with signs and wonders.  He brought us here and has given us this country, a country flowing with milk and honey. Hence, I now bring the first-fruits of the soil that you, YAHWEH, have given me” (Dt 26:4-10).

Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem after the men (and many of their families) had returned from attending the festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread and offering the first fruits of the barley harvest on the Feast of Firstfruits at Yahweh’s proto-Temple at Shiloh (Josh 18:1; 1 Sam 1:3). Upon their return, the entire village would have been committed to harvesting the barley crop from dawn to dusk.

 

As we already know, there are on-going plans to build the Third Temple in the Holy Land Israel. Preparations are underway for this. ABBA YAHUVEH ELOHIM has prophesied that the Holy Land Israel will experience a War just like in the Times of old, the days of King Cyrus before the Third Temple will be built. We are to pray for the SHALOM/PEACE of ISRAEL so that there will be as less fatalities and casualties as possible.

The Israelites (Levites/Leviticus Priests particularly) are beginning to re-enact ancient practices written in the Old Covenant/Testament all over again, in anticipation of the building of the Third Temple.

The BARLEY HARVEST which took place at the end of March-beginning of April 2018 (Nisan/ABIB 5778) was very significant as it was done in preparation for the building of the Third Temple.

 

A very important CEREMONY of Re-enactment of the “WAVE OFFERING” took place over the past PASSOVER weekend in preparation for the building of the Third Temple.

BARLEY Sheaves were harvested and the chaff removed.

According to “BREAKINGISRAELNEWS,” this is what was recorded:

Click here for more information…

When studying about and writing the following, I remembered this hymn.

• BARLEY HARVEST Hymn
• WAVE OFFERING Hymn
• FIRSTFRUITS Hymn
• HOLY RAPTURE Hymn

Video: Bringing In The Sheaves

During the Barley Harvest, in the Holy Land Israel, Ancient Israelites in obedience to YAH’S mitzvot (a.k.a commandments) would go to harvest SHEAVES (a.k.a “OMER” in Hebrew) of Barley and used them to make WAVE OFFERINGS before ABBA YAHUVEH ELOHIM.

This Harvest points to the Holy Rapture/Harvest of YAHUSHUA’S Bride as per Revelation 14. These will be the FIRSTFRUITS Offering of YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH who will present them to HIS ABBA YAHUVEH ELOHIM! They will escape YAHUVEH ELOHIM’S wrath (a.k.a Great Tribulation) – Luke 21:36.

During the Harvest, chaff is removed. Do you remember THE PARABLE OF THE WHEAT AND THE TARES (Matthew 3:12; Matthew 13:24-30; Luke 3:17).

PRAYER POINT SUGGESTIONS

• Pray that you will not be counted as Chaff!!!

• Pray that you will be counted worthy to escape the coming Great Tribulation as per Luke 21:36.

Other Scriptures that mention the Barley Harvest

Judith 8:1-3 Good News Translation (GNT)

Judith, the Israelite Widow

8 At that time, Judith heard about Uzziah’s decision. She was the daughter of Merari, the granddaughter of Ox and the great-granddaughter of Joseph. Joseph’s ancestors were Oziel, Elkiah, Ananias, Gideon, Raphaim, Ahitub, Elijah, Hilkiah, Eliab, Nathanael, Salamiel, Sarasadai, and Israel. ² Judith’s husband Manasseh, who belonged to the same tribe and clan, had died during the barley harvest.³ He had suffered a sunstroke while in the fields supervising the farm workers and later died in bed at home in Bethulia. He was buried in the family tomb in the field between Dothan and Balamon.

Leviticus 19:8-10 Names of God Bible (NOG)

⁸ Those who eat it will be punished because they have dishonored what is holy to Yahweh. They must be excluded from the people.

Duties of the People Toward Each Other

⁹ “When you harvest the grain in your land, don’t harvest the grain in the corners of your fields or gather what is left after you’re finished. ¹⁰ Don’t harvest your vineyard a second time or pick up fallen grapes. Leave them for poor people and foreigners. I am Yahweh your Elohim.

Ruth 2:17-3:5 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket.^{[a] 18} She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.
¹⁹ “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”
So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
²⁰ “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband.^[b] That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”
²¹ Then Ruth^[c] said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
²² “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
²³ So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth at the Threshing Floor

3 One day Naomi said to Ruth, “My daughter, it’s time that I found a permanent home for you, so that you will be provided for. ² Boaz is a close relative of ours, and he’s been very kind by letting you gather grain with his young women. Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. ³ Now do as I tell you—take a bath and put on perfume and dress in your nicest clothes. Then go to the threshing floor, but don’t let Boaz see you until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ Be sure to notice where he lies down; then go and uncover his feet and lie down there. He will tell you what to do.”

⁵ “I will do everything you say,” Ruth replied.

 

 

Sources: 

• http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/Ruth/Ruth_Lesson_2.htm

 

• https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2016/03/13/is-there-aviv-barley/