If you have been reading the articles in the order set out by the one that I call the Pattern for Life, then the answer to this question may be obvious by now but we will explore it nevertheless, so bear with me. In short the harvest, the bride/wedding, the jubilee. I am sure that you would have seen that the only method that actually requires counting for Pentecost is when it is done from the First Omer, because that causes the timing to change when the day after the First day of Unleavened Bread is the weekly Sabbath. All other methods can be fixed. We have already looked at the highlights of the birthright. Christ of course died to leave us an inheritance in His Last Will and Testament at Passover. It (the inheritance) was redeemed by Him as the first-born at His resurrection, and shared with us for a new life in Him. The process starts with the birthright passed on to the New Creature by the Passover sacrifice. This New Creature (the resurrected Christ) has God present in it and all others like it (similar to having a common DNA) and it begins to grow accordingly. For each Christian, baptism is the type that represents this process. I covered the elements relating to this (assuming that you have been following the Pattern for Life: the redeeming Law in our hearts by the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. What does that growth lead to?

I summarise my approach to Pentecost in articles looking at what I consider to be significant elements of Pentecost.

Why would anybody want to count down to Pentecost?

The Passover is the key to all. Passover represents the sacrifice of one for all. Christ was sacrificed as the innocent lamb that caused death to pass over the house of Israel.

the Resurrection and Pentecost

How do we know that the sacrifice was accepted? Because He rose again Saturday night (by the Julian calendar) and was accepted sometime on Sunday morning (John 20:17-20). That is how we get the Bridegroom and everything else. The count begins with the Resurrection. The Bridegroom is linked to the Resurrection, which is linked to His acceptance by God (work in heaven), which is linked to the First Omer, because they were all on the same day, and that is what the waving of the Omer meant. The First Omer is HIS resurrection and temporary ascension. He was presented to God and accepted as the Messiah and Bridegroom which requires official work in heaven. Now if there is a bridegroom there must also be a bride. The bride is juvenile at first but grows to maturity by Pentecost which pictures a future event that occurs at OUR resurrection, when the Holy Spirit comes in full and we are presented as the immortal bride of Christ. There must be a bride to produce seed. I have set out a longer explanation showing that the disciples had the Holy Spirit from before in discussing baptism. We see that Christ actually gave His disciples more of the Holy Spirit before Pentecost (John 20:19-23) but it became available to all willing to become His bride (which is the same as His sheep) at Pentecost. What Christ actually said in Acts 1:8 is . . .ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Juda, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth [KJV]. He did not say that coming upon them and having it was the same thing. Notice the precursor to it with Christ.

Is Christ God

I did not have this topic originally because I just assumed that Christians knew what God was and what Christ was. I want you to explore some scriptures with me.

The person that was standing before them said this about Himself long before Pentecost. What is He saying? Is it possible to have pre-dated Abraham as flesh and blood? Was that part of him that pre-dated Abraham human? If it was still Him then how was that, i.e. how was it accomplished without part of Him being God, and hence the Holy Spirit? Was that a part of Him that only appeared years after His birth?

Who told Him who was His Father? How did He know His business? How could He go about it without the Holy Spirit?

When did Christ and the Father become one? The above scripture meant that something of the Father had to be in Him, and part of Him in the Father. Did He have that thing that was also in the Father at 12 years old? What was that thing that allowed Him to access His ancient mind?

Since God is a spirit being, all of Him is spirit. Whatever was in Christ of God had to be spirit and whatever came from Christ and was in Him had to be Spirit. Was it holy or unholy Spirit?

When did He become flesh. Was it at birth? Was it at baptism? Whomever this Word was He seems to have always had life in Him (v4) even when He was human. How was that possible? If HE became flesh then what part of Him preserved the He from before? Was it the flesh part or another part that joined with it as spirit? How could he retain whom HE was without the spirit part?

How was this thing that was in Mary holy? Was it born holy? How was that and how was it the Son of God from birth? The same thing that was born was what was called the Son of God. It did not need to change.

It seems like His Son was what was in Mary. What was in Mary was a baby. Was the baby therefore God? If the baby was God then how can God be God without the Holy Spirit?

The ancients seem to have known of this.

So I get back to my question in the caption is Christ God? Now from the scriptures there is no change in His nature throughout His life. He always had the spirit of man (that gives understanding as a man [Job 32:8] and returns to God at death [Ecclesiastes 3:21, Ecclesiastes 12:7]) and the Spirit of His Father making him both human and God. There is also this other question. When did Christ begin to believe and when was He sealed?

Now it is up to the reader to determine who Christ is to him based on what scripture says. There is no question in my mind that He was always God and was always filled with the Holy Spirit without measure, even before birth. John the Baptist knew even before he was born.

How did embryonic John know to leap? So then Luke 3:21-23 is telling us that the Holy Spirit came on Christ but Christ was already filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit just came on Him to perform a transition from one phase of the work to another.

the Holy Spirit and Pentecost

Christ began His work with the Holy Spirit coming upon Him but He had the Holy Spirit all along. It was the same with the disciples following the example of Christ. In their case they did not receive the Spirit for the first time at Pentecost either, it came upon them to empower their work as fishers of men, but they had it before. In an earlier article on baptism I pointed out how the Holy Spirit had been coming upon people all along. Notice also that the issue was power (Acts 1:8 . . .ye shall receive power. . .) and He said that there would be a public demonstration of the Holy Spirit following which they would have work to do with that power, but He had already breathed the Spirit into them (John 20:22) and they were already growing to maturity by Pentecost. They were already in the process of becoming fishers of men. That started from the beginning of Matthew. Read Matthew 4 particularly verse 19 . . . Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. That was followed at the end of Christ's ministry by the events of John 21. Peter prophetically said I go a fishing. The necessary training was complete for him to function effectively. That was by the Holy Spirit but He did not understand what kind of fishing he was about to embark on. This takes us to John 21:6 where Christ led them to a great haul of fish after they caught nothing before. The climax comes in John 21:15 . . .Feed my lambs. This was also explained by John earlier in John 10:27 where it was pointed out that Christ's sheep hear His voice and know Him. That is how Peter would fish from then on. They had grown by the Holy Spirit to the point where they could fish for men. The fishing miracle was a metaphor of his attempt to go fishing on his own compared to with Christ. He needed that power (the power that came at Pentecost) to catch and bring in the haul and expand the family. It could only be done by Christ's assistance in a new role that would come at Pentecost. The power in question was what they had asked about in verse 6 and they would get that only after the marriage. They had been His by the Spirit, John 17:9-12 [KJV], I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. [10] And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. [11] And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. [12] While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. Once He was accepted as bridegroom they became betrothed just as any Jewish betrothal, but marriage activities were limited until the wedding took place. To procreate legitimate children the wedding must be legally consummated where the same thing that happened to Mary happened to the Church spiritually and the Church began to produce holy things. The Holy Spirit came on Mary, it came on Christ, and at Pentecost it came on them.

To summarize this issue with the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit comes on people to give them power. It is task oriented. That happens regardless of whether you already have the Holy Spirit to accomplish another task. We saw that the Holy Spirit came on Bezaleel and others in Exodus 31 to give them power to construct the Tabernacle. It came on Samson. It came on Mary to give her power to produce Christ. It came on Christ to provide power to fast 40 days in a biological body and it came on the disciples at Shavuot to provide power to build the Church. None of this depended on whether or not they had already had the Holy Spirit to accomplish some other objective. We count to Pentecost in anticipation of the power to do good.

The bride

Arguably the most beautiful reason to count to Pentecost is because it pictures the marriage of Christ and the Church. Every groom counts down to His wedding day and that is what Christ does from the day that He is resurrected. As such it pictures our hope. There is no bride without a wedding. Please bear in mind however, that ancient weddings did not last just one day. The millennium is only one allegorical day and Christ was crucified just two days ago allegorically.

the wedding

The two loaves of Pentecost aptly represent Christ and his bride so counting down to Pentecost means counting down to the wedding where Christ and His bride are presented to God. Pentecost now is a picture but the full experience of Pentecost comes after the resurrection.

At the end of the age people from all over the world will become inhabitants of the Kingdom and as is shown in Revelation 19, there will be a great wedding feast. The parable also refers to how the invitation was first extended to Jews alone as their historical status required, but they scorned it and the invitation was sent out to the world, and everyone who gets it needs to take it seriously.

Matthew 22 describes the wedding feast and the importance of being clothed properly (with righteousness from keeping God's laws). It also talks about how some of us who had no hope have been offered the chance to sup with Christ.

Matthew 25:1-13 talks about the ten virgins, five of whom apparently were not counting down to the wedding and ran out of oil.

Luke 14:15-24 spends much time showing the importance of not making excuses when God sends His invitation.

Eastons bible dictionary talks about banquets in general and gives us some idea of the atmosphere.

EASTONS 1897 BIBLE DICTIONARY

BANQUET

a feast provided for the entertainment of a company of guests (Esther 5; Esther 7; 1 Peter 4:3); such as was provided for our Lord by his friends in Bethany (Matthew 26:6; Mark 14:3; comp. John 12:2). These meals were in the days of Christ usually called suppers, after the custom of the Romans, and were partaken of toward the close of the day. It was usual to send a second invitation (Matthew 22:3; Luke 14:17) to those who had been already invited. When the whole company was assembled, the master of the house shut the door with his own hands (Luke 13:25; Matthew 25:10).

The guests were first refreshed with water and fragrant oil (Luke 7:38; Mark 7:4). A less frequent custom was that of supplying each guest with a robe to be worn during the feast (Eccles. 9:8; Rev. 3:4-5; Matthew 22:11). At private banquets the master of the house presided; but on public occasions a governor of the feast was chosen (John 2:8). The guests were placed in order according to seniority (Genesis 43:33), or according to the rank they held (Proverbs 25:6-7; Matthew 23:6; Luke 14:7).

As spoons and knives and forks are a modern invention, and were altogether unknown in the East, the hands alone were necessarily used, and were dipped in the dish, which was common to two of the guests (John 13:26). In the days of our Lord the guests reclined at table; but the ancient Israelites sat around low tables, cross-legged, like the modern Orientals. Guests were specially honoured when extra portions were set before them (Genesis 43:34), and when their cup was filled with wine till it ran over (Psalm 23:5). The hands of the guests were usually cleaned by being rubbed on bread, the crumbs of which fell to the ground, and were the portion for dogs (Matthew 15:27; Luke 16:21).

Some people may object to the two loaves being Christ and the Church because they contain leaven but notice that leaven has a quality which is emphasised in the New Testament as representing the Kingdom of God.

The bride and groom need leaven for Pentecost

The most commonly recognised quality of leaven today is that it puffs up. Because this is the visible quality and represents most people's intent for using leaven we focus on it as the primary meaning, but it does not appear to be so in the Bible. It is true that pride and hypocrisy swell us up; pride because it inflates our egos and hypocrisy because it makes us appear to be more than we are, but by far the most pervasive reference is to starting small and gradually taking over everything.

These are all situations where something starts working on the inside and spreads. The association with puffing up appears to stem from 1 Corinthians 5:2 (KJV) And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. This is not a direct association with leaven although it is a poetic use of the word. The key quality is the ability to take over. This quality is shared by many evils but it is also a quality that represents God and His Church in the ages to come. According to what I understand from the Bible, leaven on its own does not mean sin, or is it a metaphor for sin, but it is a metaphor for gradually taking over. Depending on the prefix it means different things; Pharisee leaven (or Leaven of Pharisees), Herod Leaven, malice leaven, wickedness leaven or Kingdom of God Leaven. As a matter of fact this is the point of 1 Corinthians 5:8. In Old Testament times the Jews made bread by using a starter or sourdough. This consisted of some previously leavened dough in which the yeast had multiplied to an advanced stage. Before the days of unleavened bread this would have to be thrown out and a new starter would have to be cultivated after the Days of Unleavened Bread. Paul is drawing an analogy between this and what needed to be done with our nature. We need to throw out the old ways before the days of unleavened bread by the beginning of the First Day, and right after Passover when Christ is sacrificed for us. During Unleavened bread the issue is not putting out sin but rather haste, we are cultivating the Kingdom of God by our willingness to set aside comforts or conveniences in our urgency (haste) to escape from Egypt! We do not get leavened bread until the Kingdom because manna was unleavened. The Kingdom is when we get the ultimate starter dough but metaphorically the process shows that when we are completely removed from sin and in God's hands we are free to cultivate new leaven.

Without the new starter of the Holy Spirit this is virtually impossible. This process of surviving without leaven goes on until we completely escape Egypt and Pharaoh and reach our rest. While we are in the wilderness there is still a problem with leaven but now the leaven means adversity. Unleavened bread is also called the bread of affliction Isaiah 30:20 or the bread of adversity Deuteronomy 16:3, I Kings 22:27, II Chronicles 18:26. In order to overcome, as we must according to Revelation, we must have the Law written in our hearts at Pentecost. The wilderness journey is death to the world and living in Christ. The process starts with Passover, moves to us making the initial effort to abandon sin, continues with baptism or the beginning of death to the world, and we remain dead but living in Christ until we are resurrected with Joshua. Joshua is the real Hebrew name of the one called Jesus. The process ends when they cross Jordan with Joshua and begin to occupy. Ancient Israel demonstrates our plight: since in the wilderness, although they were out of Egypt, Egypt was not out of them. Christ (the Kingdom) and the Church (His people) will eventually envelop the whole world through the Spirit which came at Pentecost (or Sinai), rewriting the nature of people. Without Pentecost we are doomed to die in no-man's-land (the wilderness).

In the Old Testament leaven was associated with haste and that still stands. Haste or urgency is still a fundamental feature of the Church. Haste shows diligence and eagerness as we discussed before. It is this quality that is the focus of the vigil at Passover. The unleavened bread eaten during the feast points back to Passover, and that urgency in seeking our salvation or deliverance from sin and death but is also the reality of the days of unleavened Bread as we hasten to leave Egypt. It is also a reminder that God will bring all powers that oppose it to a sudden and dramatic end (Pharaoh's army dies in the Red Sea), but notice that Passover itself is still a leavened day. It is the point of deliverance. If we are diligent we will escape with the help of the Holy Spirit, but getting out sin just empties the bottle and without Pentecost we have no way to fill it. Pentecost gives us God's law, His way, His nature. It makes us of His kind so that two of one kind can marry. That is the reason for the leaven. It represents the earnest of the Spirit that takes over our entire being eventually. It says that a new way is taking hold in our lives that will eventually rewrite all our evil nature completely.

Sin is not in the symbolism of the two loaves at Pentecost. Leaven is but it is not sin. Leaven changes flour just like the Holy Spirit changes us for our good, or false doctrine changes us for evil. Once the bread is baked the transformation becomes permanent 1 John 3:9 whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (KJV). We will see that this is one more thing that Pentecost is about. It is about our change being made permanent.

Leaven is a picture of prosperity and rest while no leaven is a symbol of affliction. Look at how Deuteronomy 16:3 refers to unleavened bread:

It is called the bread of affliction. Is that the kind of bread that is to be associated with the wave loaves? Passover (or more precisely the Days of Unleavened Bread) has a focus of affliction Exodus 3:7 (KJV) And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows. It is the whole motivation for God bringing them out and the story behind it is one of leaving Egypt (sin) behind, and suffering affliction to reach the Kingdom. Deuteronomy 26:7-8 (KJV), And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression: 8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.  The seven days of unleavened bread represent a process of developing humility and moving towards serving God, not putting out sin; that should have already been done. People who are enjoying sin are not afflicted, it is those who have put it away and are struggling to learn a new way that suffer. If we are diligent we can hold our own, but not win until we receive the right leaven and have rest. Once we receive these we can develop and be baked permanent to be with Christ. Paul urges us to flee sin and therefore find a place to rest and develop. Fleeing and ending up in the wilderness forever is still failure as was seen to happen to all those adults that left Egypt except for Joshua.

Affliction has a purpose. It is to humble us and bring us to God.

Manasseh was king of Judah. He was the oldest of the sons of Hezekiah. The Biblical account of his reign is found in 2 Kings 21:1–18 and 2 Chronicles 32:33–33:20. He was a very evil king for most of his reign and served Assyria/Babylon. Jeremiah says of him (Jeremiah 15:3-4 [KJV]) And I will appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy. [4] And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem. In later years he came into disfavour with his overlords and was taken captive to Babylon where he repented. The extract from II Chronicles 33 above is preceded by (II Chronicles 33:11 [KJV]) Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

Bringing us to God at Pentecost is bringing us to the wedding not bringing us out of sin. That should have already been done by the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Dealing with sin is not the purpose of the wave loaves. This is not the place for an exposé on affliction since we are talking about leaven, but we know that fire also represents affliction and the refiner's fire burns to extract dross, but it does not create the precious metal below it. Another process must do that.

The fire just burns away chaff. Affliction will either get rid of evil or destroy us completely but it will not create precious metal. Unleavened bread speaks to destruction.

The focus of the wave loaves is the opposite of that. It falls into the category of Matthew 13 and Luke 13 that we find in the table above. Leaven at Pentecost pictures the new nature that has developed in us. It moves us beyond the sufferings of now;

to a glorious time beyond:

That depends on an earnest (like a starter of leaven).

In John chapter 6 Christ said that He was the bread of life. Could it be that we will become the bread of life to others?

We will interact with those in the millennium just like how Christ interacted with us: as our King and as our priest.

the Ketubah

The marriage of Israel took place on the same day that the Law was given and the same day that the two loaves were waved. Is that a coincidence? The marriage took place at Mount Sinai and was sealed in Exodus 19:8 by the words, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do, and was clearly confirmed as  historical fact by Jeremiah 3:14. The marriage contract is called the Ketubah (meaning that which is written) and is prepared and signed before the wedding ceremony just like the Ten Commandments. Remember that the Commandments were given in Exodus 20 at the start of the ceremony. More of this Ketubah is found in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 called the blessings and the cursings.

I took this clip from the article The Jewish Wedding in Bible Times by Don Ratcliff Ph.D.

3. The Return of the Groom

When groom's father gave the nod, groom and groomsmen went to bride's house, usually unexpectedly at night. "Like a thief in the night". Called out and blew ram's horn before entering house to get bride and her bridesmaids. They would be watching and waiting for him probably for several days, or even weeks, as they saw bridal chamber completed and year ended.

Groom took bride to chamber, with wedding party accompanying them through the streets. Group waited as bride and groom spent time alone together. ("yihud" means "union" or "joined"). The "groom's friend" and other witnesses wait for a signal from the groom (one source says it takes 18 minutes to nearly an hour). Context of giving evidence of virginity in O. T. Deut. 22. The couple doesn't necessarily consummate, just have opportunity (first time alone). After signal, group begins celebrating. Zola says bride and groom come out of chamber seven days later for wedding supper.

Don Ratcliff Ph.D.The Jewish Wedding in Bible Timesbibleholidays.ratcliffs.netWEB2011

A more detailed commentary was found at http://www.beingjewish.com/cycle/wedding.html (2011). The information there is germane to understanding the marriage supper of the Lamb. This event is pictured in Revelation 19-20. Marriage in the Bible was very different from what obtains in western society today. Relating Pentecost to Revelation can be challenging in that when the fulfilment of this wedding feast appears to occur, the saints have been resurrected and have been with Christ for 1,000 years.

The Hebrew custom at the time of Christ reveals that marriage took place over an extended period and had several distinct parts. First there was a marriage contract (ketubah) established between the bride and the bridegroom, this essentially perfected the marriage. It usually involved the parents of the bride and groom, especially if they were young because of the traditional dowry. Some commentaries claim that this was paid to the groom or his parents but the evidence in the Bible indicates a dowry paid for virgins (Exodus 22:16-17). This was the status of Joseph and Mary when she was found to be with child (Matthew 1:18) and extended to at least the birth of Christ (Luke 2:5, note the term espoused wife). Christ paid the dowry (penalty) for the Church.

For those who take objection to what Luke wrote it may be useful to consider Deuteronomy 22:13-29. If a man marries a woman and finds her not to be a virgin is covered in v13-21. In v22 we see what happens if a married woman has consensual sex outside of marriage. In v23-24 we see what happens if a betrothed woman has consensual sex with another man. In v25-27 we see what happens if a betrothed woman is raped. In v28-29 we see what happens if there is consensual sex between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman!

The next step usually occurred a year later. The bridegroom went to the bride's house at midnight with a torchlight parade through the streets accompanied by his male friends. The bride would be prepared for this and would have her maidens ready. They would join the parade to the bridegroom's home. We see this in the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.

The third step was the marriage supper itself, which as we saw in the extract, was protracted and might continue for days. It is believed that this is what happened with Jacob, Leah and Rebecca in Genesis 29:27 and is also illustrated by the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-2.

At some point during the supper the bride and groom would join the festivities. As indicated above this could be several days later. If we compare this to Revelation we see that the supper begins in Revelation 19 with the bride being taken to the festivities but the wedding continues until Revelation 21.

The Jubilee

The Jubilee occurred every fiftieth year and began on Atonement with the blast of the ram's horn.

It therefore began with a trump. What links the Jubilee to Pentecost is the number 50. The fiftieth marked the beginning of ease after a long period of effort. In the case of Pentecost it was the harvest and in the case of the Jubilee it was more involved. Looking at the Jubilee and atonement helps us to see what happens when we are joined with Christ at Pentecost, and go on to create a new society.

(1) It was to be a time of rest for the soil as well as people.

The book of Leviticus points out that it was to be a time of rest for the soil as well as people.

(2) Everything reverted to God.

The land and everything on it reverted to God (notice especially v23).

The distribution of the land was God's distribution. Everything will once again revert to God at Atonement. The curse of Genesis 3:17-19 was overturned.

All slaves reverted to God

(3) Everything became debt free.

You can see from the scriptures already read that debts were paid in full whether it was for people or property. Christ paid our debt at Passover but not until Pentecost does the freedom actually come.

(4)The stated purpose of the jubilee was to avoid oppression and to remember God.

They were supposed to disable oppression and to remember God (Leviticus 25:17).

HOLMAN BIBLE DICTIONARY

YEAR OF JUBILEE

...The Year of Jubilee prevented the Israelites from oppression of one another (Leviticus 25:17). It had a leveling effect of Israel's culture by giving everyone a chance for a new start. It discouraged excessive, permanent accumulations of wealth and the deprevation of an Israelite of his inheritance in the land. Families and tribes were preserved by the return of freed bondservants to their own families. Permanent slavery in Israel was rendered impossible.

Notice that it was to actively avoid oppression. Israel made it its business to make sure that people were not oppressed. This is the first step to peace. Remove oppression and there is no need for war or complaining. If we ensure that nobody is taken advantage of then peace will follow.

The jubilee gives us that elusive peace that mankind somehow cannot find. On a global scale just suppose that there was a time when all debts were released, all grudges cast aside, everyone given a new start. On a spiritual level that is what Pentecost does for us. It brings peace between us and God. All conflicts are set aside. I say that is something to countdown to and this freedom is especially true of the Firstfruits.

Pentecost is not just a rest it is regeneration. The Sabbath focuses on God's rest alone but the Jubilee adds another dimension: freedom. Physical, economic, mental and emotional freedom.

Freedom is only possible when there is no debt owed to the law. The old Israel had died (were baptized) in the Red Sea and were now living a new life free and clear of all debts. How would you know if you were free from encumbrances of a law if you did not even know the law? At Pentecost Israel was given the law and a clean slate. They were given the Ten Commandments. In the same place they were also purified of the guilt caused by the Golden Calf at an enormous cost but that was over a month later. Satan had used the Golden Calf to make them guilty of those commandments and their liberty came with a huge price tag. In the New Testament we are given the Holy Spirit which writes this law in our hearts after we are freed at baptism, when we die with Christ and are given a clean slate. We know the Law and are free of it. After this we rise to a new life in Him when we cross Jordan.

The other purpose of the Jubilee was to remind Israel of the husband that He provided for her. The next step to peace is to keep God in mind. If God is always in our thoughts then we will consider our actions in light of His will.

The Harvest

Counting down to Pentecost means counting down to the end of the first harvest when we will all be changed. The fact that there is a first harvest means that there is hope for others. There is a lot said about the harvest in God's word including the fact that both the wheat and the tares grow together, but at the harvest the tares are destroyed while the wheat is collected.

Notice some of what is said about barley, the produce of the first harvest in comparison to the wheat, which immediately followed it.

In my search to compare barley and wheat one of the articles that I found was from healthline.com, What’s the Difference Between Barley and Wheat?,  https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/barley-vs-wheat , Written by Elise Mandl, BSc, APD on July 9, 2020 — Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R.D., CDE

Macronutrients:

Minerals:

Barley can grow under harsh conditions and in poor soils where other grains would produce poorly. Nowadays it is not used as much as it once was as a food but is still a very important crop. In today's market it primarily serves as a crop for animal feed and for making malt in the making of beer, however it is also used on a smaller scale as in human consumption as pot or hulled barley, pearled barley and barley flakes.

Gluten is the main element of flour that allows us to have leavened bread. Gluten does not exist in all grains e.g. corn, but does exist in wheat and barley. Gluten is a protein complex that forms when some flours are manipulated with water. On the subject of gluten

The wisegeek website describes gluten this way in an article written by Shannon Kietzman Last Modified Date: December 31, 2020, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-gluten.htm

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a composite formed from several different proteins. It is found most commonly in wheat and other related grains, such as barley and rye. Adding texture and a characteristic chewiness to baked goods, this ingredient is used in a wide variety of other foods as a thickener and binder, flavor enhancer, and protein supplement. Some people can develop an intolerance to these proteins, however; a gluten-free diet often helps to alleviate symptoms caused by this intolerance.

In ancient times barley was eaten by people on a regular basis. The miracle of feeding the 5,000 is found in all the gospels (Matthew 14:16-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17) but it is John that gives us the critical information that the loaves were made of barley.

This miracle is of course prophetic. Each basket represented a disciple who would always be replenished to feed Jesus' sheep. The disciples would have spiritual food, such that even after they fed many, they would have more to give. The real danger to them was the corruption of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples were of the first harvest, barley. Those of the first harvest are hardier and better all around than those of subsequent harvests. As a matter of fact barley (which was used for the wave sheaf) is the hardiest of all followed by wheat. The second omer seems also to have been barley since it was brought out of their habitation to be used for the wave loaves. Significantly the three harvest periods of Israel match with three harvest periods of God: the firstfruits, the millennium and the white throne judgement.

A useful point to consider at this time is why fifty and not forty-nine. In my opinion this is because Pentecost is a beginning as well as an end. The harvest has ended on the forty-ninth day ( seven by seven) so that the saints can be offered on the fiftieth. It begins a new phase of life. The barley was brought out of their habitations so the barley harvest was complete.  This was new life coming from it. Harvest indicates death of one form (the stalk) and life from the new form (the grain) and the grain is the focus of the offering. Paul makes a similar reference in 1 Corinthians 15:36 where he shows that grain must die to produce new stalks but we also know that growing stalks are not fit to be offered, they must be cut off and die to produce food.

While all of this is interesting the main point is that the harvests were joined by Pentecost. The first harvest is the hardier one but just as nutritious. We count to Pentecost because it is when we join Christ as spirit at the end of the first harvest.

Conclusion

We have three beautiful reasons to have joy in counting to Pentecost. It is the time when the Church is married to Christ. The Church is made of all races. My article on Pentecost and Ekklesia may help with understanding that. Pentecost is a Jubilee. That means that everything reverts God and how He/They shared it. Everybody has a good share. Pentecost is the harvest of the Firstfruits when those who have been faithful are rewarded. It is a joy to count.