Counting of the Omer (or Sefirat Ha’omer, Hebrew: ספירת העומר) is a verbal counting of each of the forty-nine days between the Jewish holidays of Passover and Shavuot. This mitzvah derives from the Torah commandment to count forty-nine days beginning from the day on which the Omer, a sacrifice containing an omer-measure of barley, was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem, up until the day before an offering of wheat was brought to the Temple on Shavuot.
How do followers of Messiah “Count the Omer”?
The point of the omer count was to foretell of the giving of the Holy Spirit and to confirm the new covenant of God. The redemption process that began at Passover was indeed completed at Shivuot, and that completion is the revelation of God‘s love and deliverance for the whole world. Though the Jewish sages did not fathom the use of the otherwise forbidden leaven in the offering (Lev. 2:11), prophetically the waving of shtei ha-lechem pictures the “one new man“ (composed Jew and Gentile) before the altar of the Lord (Eph 2:14). The countdown to Shavuot therefore goes beyond the revelation of Torah given at Sinai and points to the greater revelation of Zion. Yeshua removes our tumah (impurity) and makes us tahor (pure) by His sacrifice as the true Passover lamb upon the Cross; Shavuot is the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit advent to those who are trusting Him. “Counting the Omer” is about being close with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) to experience and know the resurrected Lord of Glory.