SIGNS, SYMBOLS, AND SIGNIFICANCE Eastertide – Counting the Omer

Resurrection Sunday was this past week. So, is Easter over? You might think so, but it is not! It is the season of Eastertide on the Christian church calendar.  Eastertide is the season of 50 days that leads to Pentecost. So why would this be important or matter? Why is counting the days significant? 

Re-read Leviticus chapter 23. Verses 10- 16 tell us that God instituted a particular offering, a wave offering, that was to be performed the day after Passover. The wave offering could be a sheaf of wheat, or it could be a portion of meat that was literally ‘waved’ over the altar and, in some instances, over the people. The wave offering was not only a symbol performed by the priests for the people, but it was also a practical food offering, or gift, for the priests and their families. Wave offerings also included bread, gold, oil, grain, and gourds (often offered as first-fruits wave offerings). That day is the first day of counting 50 days until Shavuot, or  Pentecost. 

The day after Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On this day, a sheaf of barley was designated to be tied up in a bundle and left standing in the field. The second day after Passover, the marked sheaf was cut and prepared for an offering. The third day after Passover is the Feast of Firstfruits. On this day, the sheaf of barley was presented to the Lord as an offering of dedication. Firstfruits is a picture of Jesus’ resurrection. See the symbolism of the three days? The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But the Anointed One was raised from death’s slumber and is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep in death (1 Cor 15:20). 

I found this description from David Levi most helpful: 

In the same way that Christians journey from Easter to Pentecost, the Jewish tradition counts the days from Passover to Shavuot (the Hebrew name for  Pentecost)—a time of reflection and spiritual growth. 

The commandment to count the "Omer," the days between Passover and Pentecost, ( תריפס רמועה - Sefirat HaOmer) isn't just about marking calendar days—it reveals a profound spiritual journey encoded in Biblical Hebrew. 

In Leviticus 23:15-16, God instructs: "And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath... you shall count fifty days."

But in Hebrew, the word for "count" ( סוְּפַרְתֶּם - usfartem) shares a unique 3-letter root with "sapphire" ( סַפִּרי - sappir) and "to tell a story" ( לְסַפֵּר - lesaper). This reveals that counting the Omer isn't merely numbering days—it's about adding luminous clarity to our spiritual journey and crafting our redemption story. 

Each of the 49 days represents a step in spiritual refinement. In Hebrew wisdom, these seven weeks correspond to seven dimensions of character, each with seven facets—creating a matrix of 49 spiritual qualities to develop as we journey from Egypt's slavery (Passover) to receiving God's Word at Mount Sinai (Pentecost). 

When the Israelites left Egypt, they were physically free but spiritually unprepared. The Omer counting period became their transformation journey from slaves to covenant people. 

For believers today, this same period offers a structured path to spiritual growth, moving from our personal "Egypts" toward deeper covenant relationship.1 

So in the next several weeks before the festival of Shavuot (by the way, which is characterized by grains and dairy foods – cheesecake!) I encourage you to thank God for his bountiful gifts, his faithful leadership, and all of the ways he has blessed you and filled you. Thank him for his promises. Remember to pray for Israel! Pray that he continues to watch over them and protect them. Pray that they will recognize the mighty hand of God and acknowledge Jesus as their true and only Messiah! Psalm 122:6. 

Shalom! 

Dawn S Gilmore, DWS 

www.dawnsgilmore.com 

Dr. Dawn S Gilmore https://dawnsgilmore.substack.com/ 

1 David Levi – Israel Institute of Biblical Studies. lp.israelbiblicalstudies.com (accessed 4/22/2025).