Counting the Omer (Sefirat HaOmer) is the verbally counted 49-day period of anticipation linking the Feast of Firstfruits (Passover season) to the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). While Passover celebrates the initial liberation from physical slavery in Egypt, the Counting of the Omer represents the spiritual journey of refinement required to receive God’s law at Sinai. It transforms a mob of ex-slaves into a kingdom of priests. In the New Testament, this period aligns perfectly with the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus and the disciples’ time of “waiting in Jerusalem” for the promise of the Father—demonstrating that true freedom requires both the blood of the Lamb (Passover) and the power of the Spirit (Pentecost).
Quick Facts
- Name: Counting the Omer (Hebrew: Sefirat HaOmer)
- Meaning: “Counting of the Sheaf”
- Duration: 49 Days (Seven complete weeks)
- Start Date: Day of Firstfruits (Nisan 16 / Day after Passover Sabbath)
- End Date: Day before Pentecost (Sivan 5)
- Key Command: “Count off seven full weeks” (Leviticus 23:15)
- Agricultural Context: The bridge between the Barley Harvest and Wheat Harvest
- Spiritual Theme: Anticipation, refinement, growth, waiting
- New Testament Parallels: The 40 days of Jesus’ appearances + 10 days of waiting in the Upper Room
Name Meaning
“Sefirat HaOmer” translates to “The Counting of the Sheaf.”
- Sefirah: Meaning “counting” or “numbering” (related to the word Sapphire or brilliance).
- Omer: A unit of dry measure, specifically the sheaf of barley offered on the first day of the count. The name implies that one must make every day “count” or shine with purpose.
Biblical Era / Context
Time: Late Spring (April–May). This is the “grain season” in Israel.
Setting: Originally, this was an agricultural countdown. A farmer would watch his wheat crop mature with anxiety and hope, counting the days until the harvest could be secured at Shavuot.
Cultural Context: In later Jewish history, this period took on a tone of semi-mourning due to a plague that killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva during the Omer count (stopped on the 33rd day, Lag BaOmer). However, biblically, it was a time of ascending excitement toward the revelation of God.
Key Rituals & Requirements
The Daily Count: Each evening for 49 nights, a blessing is recited, and the day is verbally numbered (e.g., “Today is day 33, which is four weeks and five days of the Omer”).
The Wheat Preparation: The count begins with Barley (animal fodder, representing the raw, unrefined state of the slave) and ends with Wheat (human food, representing the refined, mature state of the free man).
Refining Character: Spiritually, the 49 days correspond to the 49 stations of the wilderness journey. Tradition views each week as an opportunity to refine a specific character trait (kindness, discipline, humility) in preparation for standing before God.
Main Life Events (History & Fulfillment)
The Trek to Sinai: The Israelites left Egypt on Nisan 15. They arrived at Mount Sinai in the third month (Sivan). The roughly 50-day journey was a period of shedding “Egyptian” habits and learning to trust Yahweh with manna and water.
The Post-Resurrection Ministry: Jesus rose on Firstfruits (Day 1 of the Omer). For 40 days (Acts 1:3), He appeared to the disciples, “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” This occurred during the Counting of the Omer.
The Ascension & Waiting: Jesus ascended on the 40th day. He commanded the disciples to “wait” in Jerusalem. They waited in the Upper Room for 10 days. 40 + 10 = 50. The Holy Spirit fell exactly when the Count of the Omer was completed (Pentecost).
Major Relationships
Barley & Wheat: The agricultural bookends of the count.
Passover & Pentecost: The spiritual bookends. Passover is the betrothal (engagement); Pentecost is the marriage contract (Ketubah/Torah). The Omer count is the engagement period of anticipation.
Jesus & The Spirit: Jesus (the Firstfruits) initiates the count; the Spirit (the Harvest) concludes it.
Notable Passages
Leviticus 23:15-16: “From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath…”
Deuteronomy 16:9: “Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.”
Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Often associated with the spiritual discipline of the Omer).
Acts 1:3-4: “After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days… On one occasion… he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised…’”
Legacy & Impact
Spiritual Discipline: The Omer teaches that spiritual freedom is not instant; it is a process. Leaving Egypt took one night; getting Egypt out of the Israelites took 49 days (and eventually 40 years).
Lag BaOmer: The 33rd day of the count is celebrated as a minor holiday in Judaism (bonfires, weddings), marking the cessation of the plague on Akiva’s students and celebrating the light of mystical Torah revelation (Zohar).
The Christian Calendar: The period between Easter and Pentecost mirrors the Omer. It is historically a time of “mystagogy”—teaching new converts the deeper mysteries of the faith now that they have been baptized.
Symbolism / Typology
7 x 7 (Perfection): Seven is the number of completion. Counting seven sevens (49) represents total, perfect completion. The 50th day represents the realm of the supernatural—the Jubilee, the release, the Spirit.
Ascent: The count moves upward. It symbolizes the ascent of the soul from the impurity of Egypt to the holiness of Sinai.
Active Waiting: The command is not just to “wait” 50 days, but to “count” them. This implies active participation. We do not passively wait for God’s power; we actively prepare our hearts for it.
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