Topical Bible: Seven: Weeks: The Period Between the Passover Feast and the Feast of Pentecost

◄ Seven: Weeks: The Period Between the Passover Feast and the Feast of Pentecost ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The period known as the "Seven Weeks" or "Counting of the Omer" is a biblically significant timeframe that spans from the Feast of Passover to the Feast of Pentecost, also known as Shavuot. This period is rooted in the agricultural and spiritual rhythms of ancient Israel and holds deep theological significance.

Biblical Foundation

The command to count seven weeks is found in Leviticus 23:15-16 : "From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, you are to count seven full weeks. You shall count fifty days until the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the LORD." This directive establishes the practice of counting the days from the offering of the first sheaf of the barley harvest, known as the Omer, until the Feast of Pentecost.

Agricultural Significance

In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, the period between Passover and Pentecost was crucial for the harvest. Passover marked the beginning of the barley harvest, while Pentecost celebrated the wheat harvest. This time was one of anticipation and reliance on God's provision, as the people awaited the fullness of the harvest.

Spiritual and Theological Significance

Theologically, the Seven Weeks symbolize a journey from redemption to revelation. Passover commemorates the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian bondage, while Pentecost is associated with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. This period is seen as a time of spiritual preparation and growth, as the Israelites moved from physical liberation to receiving divine instruction.

In the New Testament, this period takes on additional significance with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2:1-4 : "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of a fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

Observance and Tradition

The practice of counting the Omer is observed in Jewish tradition as a time of reflection and anticipation. Each day is counted with a blessing, marking the spiritual journey from Passover to Pentecost. This tradition underscores the importance of each day in the believer's walk with God, emphasizing growth and readiness to receive His guidance and Spirit.

Conclusion

The Seven Weeks between Passover and Pentecost serve as a profound reminder of God's faithfulness and the transformative journey from deliverance to divine encounter. This period invites believers to reflect on their own spiritual journey, seeking to grow in faith and readiness to receive God's continued revelation and empowerment.

Nave's Topical Index

Leviticus 23:15
And you shall count to you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Appendix xv. The Location of Sychar, and the Date of Our Lord's ...
... ii pp.242, 243) has collected seven passages from ... been the case if a long period
and other ... undecided, only noticing that barely six weeks intervened between ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/appendix xv the location of.htm

Faustus Fails to Understand Why He Should be Required Either to ...
... same with the feast of Pentecost, or seven weeks, and the ... always, as was typified
by the number seven, for days ... But since the close of that period during which ...
/.../faustus fails to understand why.htm

Leviticus
... priests are enjoined to distinguish between the clean ... of unleavened bread; the feast
of weeks (Pentecost) seven weeks afterwards; the ... is to be a period of rest ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/leviticus.htm

The Miracle of Pentecost and the Birthday of the Christian
... but the foreign Jews, after the period of the ... it likewise makes an essential distinction
between the Pentecostal ... as the harvest continued for seven weeks (Deut ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 24 the miracle of.htm

The Book of Jubilees
... [269] This interpretation of the phrase, "between the two ... of which the soil obtained
a period of rest ... lasted each of them seven days; seven weeks after the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the book of jubilees.htm

Chronology of the Life of Christ.
... of age, after a reign of thirty-seven years [105 ... and a source of comfort in every
period of martyrdom ... Christ's birth and passion from the seventy weeks of Daniel ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 16 chronology of the.htm

Acts XX
... making an aggregate of more than two weeks, gave sufficient ... 7. The last period of
seven days included and was ... had already been in the harbor of Troas seven days ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xx.htm

Acts II
... [64] Counting seven full weeks and one ... they have just heard no less than seven startling
propositions ... their respective places of abode during the period of death ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts ii.htm

Fifthly, as this Revelation, to the Judgment of Right and Sober ...
... to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks. ...
sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet ...
/.../xiv proposition xiv fifthly as.htm

The Shadow of Death
... for members of his own family during a period of many ... she had been cured by Jesus
of seven devils"by ... of the risen Christ ceased after, at most, a few weeks. ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/viii the shadow of death.htm