After Yeshua/Jesus rose from the grave, the Bible tells us HE walked on the earth for 40 days. These miraculous appearances by the Resurrected Savior occurred during a 40-day period called the Counting of the Omer; also referred to as the Feast of Weeks. This is the 49 days between Passover and Pentecost. The counting begins the day after Passover and counts seven weeks (49 days) to Shavuot or Pentecost which is Greek for 50th. This year Counting of the Omer in 2021 began in the evening of Sunday, March 28, 2021 (the day after Passover) and ends in the evening of Sunday, May 16, 2021.
All Israel, including Yeshua/Jesus and the 12 disciples were commanded by God in scriptures to count the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost) and on the 50th day they were to hold a one-day feast and holy assembly. This Appointed Time is established by GOD in the Bible in Leviticus 23:15-16; and Deuteronomy 16:9-16.
Leviticus 23:15-16 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
15 “‘From the day after the day of rest — that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving — you are to count seven full weeks, 16 until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to Adonai.
Then, on the last day, the fiftieth day, (Pentecost or Shavuot) the people were to present a new grain offering from their harvest to the Lord along with a celebration, a sacred assembly.
NOW remember, Yeshua was crucified on Passover and rose from the dead on the third day, which was approximately Nisan 16th, which was also Day 1 of the Counting of the Omer and the Feast of Firstfruits. Originally, the Israelites were commanded to bring their omer of barley to the Temple as a wave offering on Day 1 of the Omer; this day was also known as Firstfruits! Thus, the risen savior, Yeshua/Jesus became known as the Firstfruits offering for all of us (1 Corinthians 15:20).
It is also during this time of the Counting of the Omer that Yeshua appeared to His followers for 40 days. “ giving many convincing proofs that he was alive and spoke about the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3). This means for almost seven weeks after the resurrection, the Risen Savior Yeshua/Jesus was walking the earth, teaching His disciples and preparing them for the 50th day. The scriptures say for 40 days, they talked, walked, and ate with the Risen Savior as He taught them about the coming Kingdom of God.
Meanwhile, the unbelieving people in the Jewish world continued their tradition of the Counting the Omer as an agricultural festival of God’s earthly provision. But also, in their celebration was an expectation for the completion of the age of a universal “rest,” which is the coming of Messiah, and the Messianic Age.
The Messiah had arrived but even today many followers of Yeshua / Jesus do not make the connection to this important time of the Counting the Omer and how Yeshua/Jesus has fufilled it. During 40 of the 49 days was the time our Risen Savoir walked on the earth! Notice this is another Appointed Time commanded by God that HE used to perform great works! Living proof that Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah, the true Son of God!
After the resurrection, what did Yeshua / Jesus do in His 40 days on earth? As the days of the Omer counted down toward Pentecost, the
scriptures tell us what occurred. Yeshua/Jesus proclaimed, “eternal salvation” and taught and instructed the apostles about the Kingdom of God. He told them to stay in Jerusalem, then He ascended to heaven on the 40th day and 10 days later He sent the Holy Spirit to them in the Upper Room. It is hard for me to envision such a miraculous time on this earth with the Messiah. Literally it was a countdown to the great commission. The Bible gives us some description of these events in Matthew 28:16–20, Mark 16:14–18, Luke 24:44–49, Acts 1:4–8, John 20:19–23 and 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.
John 20:19-23 Complete Jewish Bible
19 In the evening that same day, the first day of the week, when the talmidim were gathered together behind locked doors out of fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came, stood in the middle and said, “Shalom aleikhem!” 20 Having greeted them, he showed them his hands and his side. The talmidim were overjoyed to see the Lord. 21 “Shalom aleikhem!” Yeshua repeated. “Just as the Father sent me, I myself am also sending you.” 22 Having said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Ruach HaKodesh! 23 If you forgive someone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you hold them, they are held.”
Acts 1:3 in the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
3 After his death he showed himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. During a period of forty days they saw him, and he spoke with them about the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 28:16-20, Complete Jewish Bible
16 So the eleven talmidim went to the hill in the Galil where Yeshua had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they prostrated themselves before him; but some hesitated. 18 Yeshua came and talked with them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age.”
Mark 16:14-18 Complete Jewish Bible
14 Later, Yeshua appeared to the Eleven as they were eating, and he reproached them for their lack of trust and their spiritual insensitivity in not having believed those who had seen him after he had risen. 15 Then he said to them, “As you go throughout the world, proclaim the Good News to all creation. 16 Whoever trusts and is immersed will be saved; whoever does not trust will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who do trust in my name: they will drive out demons, speak with new tongues, 18 not be injured if they handle snakes or drink poison, and heal the sick by laying hands on them.
Luke 24:44-49 Complete Jewish Bible
44 Yeshua said to them, “This is what I meant when I was still with you and told you that everything written about me in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh, 46 telling them, “Here is what it says: the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day; 47 and in his name repentance leading to forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to people from all nations, starting with Yerushalayim. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Now I am sending forth upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been equipped with power from above.”
Acts 1:4-8 Complete Jewish Bible
4 At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. 5 For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!” 6 When they were together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore self-rule to Isra’el?” 7 He answered, “You don’t need to know the dates or the times; the Father has kept these under his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y’hudah and Shomron, indeed to the ends of the earth!”
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 Complete Jewish Bible
3 For among the first things I passed on to you was what I also received, namely this: the Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 4 and he was buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 5 and he was seen by Kefa (Peter), then by the Twelve; 6 and afterwards he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Later he was seen by Ya‘akov (James), then by all the emissaries; 8 and last of all he was seen by me, even though I was born at the wrong time.
50TH DAY – PENTECOST – SHAVUOT
Shavuot is best known today as Pentecost (from the Greek word pente, meaning fifty), the day on which the disciples received God’s Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit). Shavuot is a special one-day holy convocation full of meaning and inspiration. At least three times God has used this special 50th day for milestone revelations to HIS peoples.
The Giving the Torah on Mount Sinai
(God’s Instruction)
The Giving of the Harvest at the Temple
(Earthly Provision)
The Giving of the Holy Spirit at the Upper Room
(Heavenly Provision of Spiritual Power)
So, the followers of Yeshua/Jesus waited in the Upper Room in Jerusalem praying together and continuing to Count the Omer until the 50th day arrived. In the Book of Acts, we find the rest of the story.
Acts 2:1–13 – Complete Jewish Bible
“1 The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. 5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered; they were confused, because each one heard the believers speaking in his own language. 7 Totally amazed, they asked, “How is this possible? Aren’t all these people who are speaking from the Galil? 8 How is it that we hear them speaking in our native languages? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Y’hudah, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome; 11 Jews by birth and proselytes; Jews from Crete and from Arabia. . . ! How is it that we hear them speaking in our own languages (tongues) about the great things God has done?” 12 Amazed and confused, they all went on asking each other, “What can this mean?” 13 But others made fun of them and said, “They’ve just had too much wine!”
Over the past 25 years I have made every effort to keep all the Appointed Times on the “Biblical Calendar.” Each year as I take time to observe HIS holy days, I gain a greater awareness of how these Appointed Times are a strong connection to the Heavenly Father. HIS holy days are designed to keep us focused on HIM and not the worries of this world. I will be counting the days with anticipation of the next miraculous event of GOD on HIS Biblical calendar.
