Lesson: Wave Sheaf and the Count to Pentecost (No. CB137

Lesson:

1. Read through the paper Wave Sheaf and the Count to Pentecost (No. CB137) unless it is read as a sermonette with the children present.

2. Children’s questions are in bold. This is a general review of the material covered in the lesson.

Q1. Why is Wave Sheaf important in the plan of Eloah?

A. Besides being a part of the Passover Feast and a mandatory part of God’s Law, the Wave-Sheaf offering represents the day Jesus Christ, our Messiah ascended to God the Father. It also begins the fifty day count to Pentecost.

Q2. Where in the Bible do we find direction for keeping Wave Sheaf?

A. The instruction is found in Leviticus 23:9-16 (see memory verse above).

Q3. Do we now only keep the physical aspects, the letter of the law?

A. No, since Messiah’s sacrifice and the giving of the Holy Spirit we are not to just keep the letter of the law, or the physical interpretation. The spiritual intent of the law matters too (Mat. 5:21). It is much harder for us to try to control our thoughts than just not act out in a wrong way.

Q4. Who was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8)?

A. Jesus Christ, or Messiah fulfilled the symbolism of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Q5. For the Wave Sheaf the priest waved a sheaf of the first fruits of barley. What did that symbolize?

A. We know from 1Cor. 15:20-23 the first of the first-fruits of the barley harvest is Messiah. The wave sheaf pointed us to God the Father’s acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Wave Sheaf offering.

1Cor. 15:20-23 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. (RSV)

Q6. Is Wave Sheaf a Sabbath?

A. Wave Sheaf is a very important date yet it is not a Sabbath unless the 15th or 21^st of Abib falls on the first day of the week (Sunday). It always falls on a Sunday between the 15th and 21st of the first month.

Q7. What is the significance of Wave Sheaf?

A. It serves as the marker for the beginning of the count to Pentecost and we remember it is the day Messiah ascended to his Father’s Throne and was accepted as the perfect acceptable sacrifice.

Q8. How many weeks are there in the count to Pentecost?

A. Seven. We start the count on Wave Sheaf which falls on the first day of the week, Sunday, and count seven perfect Sabbaths. (7x7=49 days). The next day would be the 50th day, the Day of Pentecost.

Q9. Does Pentecost fall on a specific date each year (like the 10th day of the month)?

A. No, Pentecost is the only feast that is not on a pre-set date on Eloah’s Calendar. One must watch and count 50 days from Wave Sheaf to be able to keep Pentecost on the correct Sunday. That makes this weekend a double Sabbath.

Q10. In the first year of the Exodus, what were the Israelites doing during the period from the Passover to Pentecost?

A. During the 50 days between the Passover and Pentecost, the Israelites journeyed from Ramses to Mt. Sinai.

Q11. What day of the week do Wave Sheaf and Pentecost always fall on?

A. Leviticus 23:10-14 clearly tells us the sheaf is waved on the day after the Sabbath (or Sunday) during the days of Unleavened Bread. Remember, there are only 7 days of Unleavened Bread; therefore, wave sheaf always occurs on the first day of the week, Sunday, during the days of Unleavened Bread.

Q12. What year was Messiah crucified and when did he rise from the dead?

A. Christ was our Wave Sheaf Offering. Christ died for us on Wednesday the 14^th of the First month (Abib) in 30 CE. He was laid in a tomb right before sundown on Wednesday evening. When it got dark that night it was time for the Passover meal. He was in the tomb for three days and three nights, therefore he was resurrected late on Sabbath before the first day of the week occurred.

Q13. What is the name of this 3-day period when Messiah was in the grave?

A. The 3 days that Messiah was in grave are referred to as the Sign of Jonah.

Matthew 12:39-40: But he answered and said unto them, an evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: (KJV)

Q14. What day of the week did Messiah rise from the dead? When did he ascend or go up to his Father’s throne?

A. Christ was resurrected from the dead late on the weekly Sabbath. He ascended, or went into heaven at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning, the same time the Wave Sheaf offering was being waved by the High Priest. Jesus Christ was accepted as the perfect sacrifice. Every year during the Feast of Unleavened Bread we keep the Wave Sheaf Offering church service at 9 a.m. on Sunday, in memory of this event.

Q15. What was the Comforter that was going to be sent to the Church?

A. Messiah promised God would send the Holy Spirit which he called the Comforter (Jn.14:16,26; 16:7).

Q16. When did Eloah give His Holy Spirit to the Church?

A. On the day of Pentecost in 30CE, Eloah poured out His Holy Spirit on the Church.

Q17. As the elect, do we have to follow the example that Jesus Christ set for us?

A. We, as the elect, the Church, now work with Joshua the Messiah in bringing the gospel to the world. We need to be willing to lay down our life for our brothers and be a light to the world. The elect of Eloah, make up the second harvest at Pentecost, which is the wheat harvest.

Q18. Who gave up both their spiritual and physical existence to redeem all of mankind and the fallen Host?

A. Jesus Christ willingly gave up his spiritual existence to come to earth and live as a human being. He also gave up his physical life and became our Wave-Sheaf offering to redeem not only all mankind, but also the fallen Host.

Q19. During the days of Unleavened Bread are we trying to remove all the leaven of malice and wickedness, guile, and negative thoughts and actions?

A. Yes, the days of Unleavened Bread show we have to remove the leaven of malice and wickedness and all sin, where possible and replace it with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1Cor 5:8).

Q20. Do we need to keep the full Feast of Unleavened Bread?

A. Yes; it is important that we keep the full Feast of Unleavened Bread including the Lord’s Supper, Wave Sheaf and the seven days of Unleavened Bread, that we become de-leavened of the former self and sin, and can proceed to Pentecost to receive the Holy Spirit and be leavened by the power of God.

Activity Options:

Paper Sequence 1-50 (example attached)

Each child that can count is provided a pencil and worksheet with the numbers 1-50 that are scrambled all over the paper. Before handing out the worksheet, review the simple facts about the count to Pentecost, i.e. how many days from Wave Sheaf to Pentecost; how many perfect weeks etc. For the younger children, have them start from number 1, draw a line to 2, 3, etc. to 50. For older children or those that want a challenge: have them start and from number 1, draw a line to 2, 3, etc. to 50 yet in addition circle every 7 and multiple of 7 and place a small number by the circled 7 and begin the count of 7 perfect weeks. Therefore: 7 would be circled and have a 1 by it, 14 would be circled and have a 2 by it etc. until you reach 49, which would be circled and have a 7 by it.

When the first child reaches the end, reward him/her by counting 50 M&Ms or other small candies and placing them in a baggie for the child. This will help encourage the other children who are struggling and/or giving up.

Once completed, discuss with the children how much easier Eloah makes things for us by keeping the numbering of the days in the exact order with the days of the week and Sabbaths being the count to seven perfect Sabbaths. Talk about how the scrambled numbers are more like Satan’s way of life. He tries to mix everything up and confuse us and makes things very hard and frustrating.

Movement Sequence 1-50

Supplies: 50 sheets of paper or paper plates numbered 1-50. (The ideal material is something that does not slip if planning on using the game multiple times and also to increase the safety.) Typically the markers are all the same colour to increase the challenge of the activity, yet one could propose that 7, and the multiples of 7 all be blue. The processing then would need to include how the addition of colour assisted the activity.

The 1-50 disks are scattered in an area enclosed by a yarn boundary or sides of a room allowing only a 3-foot entrance. Children can be divided into teams; at least 2 teams are necessary. The object of the game is that each team member must touch at least 5 numbers; the numbers must be done in the correct sequence; if they touch a number out of sequence their team is out. The fastest time is the winner.

Variation: Eloah’s Feasts

7 pieces of paper: each paper states one of Eloah’s Annual Holy Days: First day of Unleavened Bread (15th), last day Unleavened Bread (21st), Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, 1st day of Tabernacles, Last Great Day. The game would be played the same way as the movement sequence 1-50.

For younger children pictures can be placed on the card to represent the days of the Feast.

Once most of the children have the order correct, other Feast days can be added, such as: New Moon/beginning of the 21 Days of Sanctification, fast for the simple and erroneous, lamb set aside, deleavening home, deleavening temporary dwelling, Lord's Supper/Death of the Lamb service, Night of Watching/first day of Unleavened Bread, Wave Sheaf, 2nd day of Unleavened Bread, 3rd day of Unleavened Bread, 4th day of Unleavened Bread, 5th day of Unleavened Bread, 6th day of Unleavened Bread, last day of Unleavened Bread, Sabbath of Pentecost, and all the days of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day.

Clothes pins pick up

Clothes pins, traditional clip type, are numbered 1-50 with a permanent marker. Children run to pick up the clothes pins or scavenger hunt is done to find the clothes pins. Once they are located they are placed in the correct order. This can also be done with the days of Eloah’s Feasts.

Bead Counter:

Using 7 blue beads, 1 purple bead, and 42 white beads have the children make a Count to Pentecost tool. Anchor the first white bead to the end of a string or yarn. Place a total of six white beads and the seventh will be a blue bead. This represents the first week in the count to Pentecost. Continue this pattern six more times. The 50th bead is purple and represents the Day of Pentecost. (This is also the pattern for counting the years in the Jubilee).

Supplies:

Clothes pins, permanent coloured markers, 50 sheets of paper or 50 paper plates. String/yarn for each child at least 2 feet in length, 42 white beads, 7 blue beads and 1 purple bead for each child, scissors to cut off extra yarn.

Close with prayer.

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