The Harvest of Wheat at Pentecost
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Topical Encyclopedia
The Harvest of Wheat at Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, is a significant event in the biblical calendar, marking the culmination of the grain harvest in ancient Israel. This feast is celebrated fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, aligning with the day of Pentecost in the New Testament. It holds both agricultural and spiritual significance, symbolizing God's provision and the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.

Biblical Foundation

The instructions for the Feast of Weeks are found in several passages of the Old Testament. In Leviticus 23:15-21, the Israelites are commanded to count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath following Passover, culminating in a sacred assembly on the fiftieth day. This day is marked by the offering of new grain to the Lord: "From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the LORD" (Leviticus 23:17).

Deuteronomy 16:9-12 further emphasizes the joyous nature of this feast, instructing the Israelites to rejoice before the Lord and to include their families, servants, and the Levites, as well as the foreigners, orphans, and widows in their community. This inclusivity underscores the communal aspect of the celebration and the acknowledgment of God's blessings.

Agricultural Significance

The Feast of Weeks marks the end of the grain harvest, specifically the wheat harvest, which follows the barley harvest that begins at Passover. This period is a time of gratitude for the abundance provided by God. The offering of the firstfruits of the wheat harvest is an act of faith and acknowledgment that the entire harvest belongs to God. The two loaves of bread offered during this feast are unique in that they are leavened, symbolizing the fullness and completion of the harvest.

Spiritual Significance

In Jewish tradition, the Feast of Weeks is also associated with the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which is believed to have occurred around the same time. This connection adds a layer of spiritual depth to the celebration, as it commemorates not only the physical harvest but also the spiritual harvest of receiving God's Law.

New Testament Fulfillment

In the New Testament, the day of Pentecost holds profound significance as the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, as recorded in Acts 2. This event marks the birth of the Church and the beginning of the spiritual harvest of souls. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit fulfills the promise of Jesus and signifies the empowerment of believers to spread the Gospel. The gathering of people from various nations in Jerusalem for the feast provided a unique opportunity for the message of Christ to reach a diverse audience, symbolizing the global nature of the Church's mission.

Theological Implications

The Harvest of Wheat at Pentecost serves as a powerful reminder of God's provision and faithfulness. It highlights the importance of gratitude and community in worship. The feast's connection to the giving of the Law and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit illustrates the continuity of God's redemptive plan from the Old Testament to the New Testament. The celebration of Pentecost invites believers to reflect on the abundant spiritual harvest made possible through the work of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the Gospel.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Exodus 34:22
And you shall observe the feast of weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 12:17
Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call to the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek
4005. pentekoste -- fiftieth, Pentecost, the second of the three ...
... year because the wheat harvest was already in process.]. Word Origin from pentekostos;
an ord. num. from pentekonta Definition fiftieth, Pentecost, the second ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4005.htm - 7k
Library

The Miracle of Pentecost and the Birthday of the Christian
... Passover with the offering of the first sheaf of the barley-harvest, and ended at
Pentecost with the offering of the first two loaves from the wheat-harvest. ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 24 the miracle of.htm

The Two Sabbath-Controversies - the Plucking of the Ears of Corn ...
... the harvest was still standing - whether that of barley or of wheat. The former
began immediately after the Passover, the latter after the Feast of Pentecost; ...
/.../chapter xxxv the two sabbath-controversies.htm

The Feast of Ingathering in the End of the Year
... the three great sacred festivals, the Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, had ... it points
on to the great harvest when God shall say, 'Gather the wheat into My ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the feast of ingathering in.htm

The Mystical Meanings in the Proportions of Numbers, Geometrical ...
... Lord's sign; [3343] and fifty, of hope and of the remission given at Pentecost;
and thirty ... For barley is sooner ripe for the harvest than wheat; and the ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xi the mystical meanings in.htm

Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth ...
... The second feast, Pentecost, occurred fifty days later, and commemorated the giving
of the law. At it the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, in the form of ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xvi jesus living at nazareth.htm

Concerning the Festivals; and How Each Day of Such Festival is to ...
... is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest. ... by the Hebrews Asartha,
which signifies Pentecost, they bring to God a loaf, made of wheat flour, of ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 10 concerning the festivals.htm

Our Lord Himself Spoke of his Return in the Language of Imminency.
... It is true the parable teaches that the wheat and the ... crop might hasten rapidly and
the harvest occur in ... thousand which were converted on the day of Pentecost. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the redeemers return/1 our lord himself spoke.htm

The Mystery of Iniquity
... him in heaven and earth." "When the day of Pentecost was fully ... to the converted Jews,
the tares sown among his wheat had produced a plentiful harvest. ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 61 the mystery of.htm

Letter v. Prayer and Fasting.
... he prayed, and God sent thunder and lightning upon them in the time of wheat harvest. ...
meeting, that the Holy Ghost came down, on the day of Pentecost, "like a ...
/.../letter v prayer and fasting.htm

There is a Definite Moment at which the Seed is Ripe...
... even so with Jesus, God's "Corn of Wheat": did He ... had enough purpose of heart to
follow on to Pentecost. ... Who can tell what harvest after harvest may be waiting ...
/.../trotter/parables of the christ-life/section 6 there is a.htm

Resources
What is a spiritual harvest and how can I achieve one? | GotQuestions.org

What is the Feast of Weeks? | GotQuestions.org

Is “you reap what you sow” biblical? | GotQuestions.org

Harvest: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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Subtopics

Harvest

Harvest of Barley, Before Wheat

Harvest of Wheat at Pentecost, in Palestine

Harvest: And of Wheat Before Harvest Time

Harvest: Celebrated With Joy

Harvest: Figurative

Harvest: Promises of Plentiful

Harvest: Sabbath Desecrated In

Harvest: Sabbath to be Observed In

The Harvest of a Time of Judgment

The Harvest of a Time when Many are Ready to Receive the Gospel

The Harvest of Barley at the Passover

The Harvest of Ripeness for Wrath

The Harvest of Seasons of Grace

The Harvest of the End of the World

The Harvest of Wheat at Pentecost

The Harvest: (Cold In) of a Refreshing Message

The Harvest: (Dew In) of God's Protection

The Harvest: (Rain In) Honor Given to Fools

The Harvest: A Time of Great Joy

The Harvest: Called The: Appointed Weeks of Harvest

The Harvest: Called The: Harvest Time

The Harvest: Failure of a Cause of Great Grief

The Harvest: Failure of a Punishment for Sin

The Harvest: Failure of Occasioned by Drought

The Harvest: Failure of Occasioned by Locusts

The Harvest: Failure of Sometimes Continued for Years

The Harvest: Fields Appeared White Before

The Harvest: Former and Latter Rain Necessary to Abundance of

The Harvest: Ingathering of Fruits of the Fields

The Harvest: Legal Provision for the Poor During

The Harvest: Men and Women Engaged In

The Harvest: Miraculous Thunder In

The Harvest: Not to be Commenced Until the First Fruits had been offered

The Harvest: Omitted in the Sabbatical Year

The Harvest: Omitted in Year of Jubilee

The Harvest: Patience Required in Waiting For

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Binders

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Called Harvest-Men

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Called Labourers

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Fed by the Husbandman During

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Often Defrauded of Their Wages

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Reapers

The Harvest: Persons Engaged in Received Wages

The Harvest: Slothfulness During, Ruinous

The Harvest: The Sabbath to Observed During

The Harvest: To Continue Without Intermission

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The Harvest of the End of the World
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