The word “omer” occurs five times in the Bible, which includes Exodus 16, Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 24, Job 24 and Ruth 2.
The first initial use of the word occurs in Exodus 16 when dealing with the daily gathering of Heavenly manna. An omer was a specific quantity of manna to be collected each day for each person – equivalent to about 2 quarts.
In Ruth 2, the word “omer” is used in the sense of “harvest”. The book of Ruth has many Messianic inferences as King David’s lineage is detailed throughout. The main thrust of this book is the betrothal and marriage of Ruth and Boaz which happened during the ingathering of the barley and wheat harvests. The story emphasizes the ‘engrafting” of a gentile (Ruth) into the royal lineage by her marriage to Boaz. It is also interesting to note that Boaz was a descendant of Rahab, who in fact, was another engrafted gentile. These two women–Ruth and Rahab–are mentioned by name in the genealogy of Yeshua in Matthew 1:5. So, in this case, the emphasis of the Bible concerning the “omer” is a prophetic picture of the soon coming ingathering of both Israel and the those from the nations brought together in Messiah.
It is interesting that Yeshua often referred to grain and the harvest of grain in His parables as key principles in the Kingdom of God. This is explained best in the parable of “the four soils” (Mark 4:13). Biblically speaking, “grain” was likened to the souls of men and “harvest” to their gathering (like an omer) into the Kingdom of God through faith in the Messiah. The rich and fertile “faith” was likened to an active walk of obedience to Messiah’s commandments, especially His law of sacrificial love.
For 40 days, as Judea was harvesting their fields, a wonderful fulfillment was occurring as the Good News was spreading throughout the Land. Like the daily omer, many new believers were being added to the Body of Messiah. Yeshua’s last command before He ascended was spoken to the disciples on the 40th day of counting the omer. He told them to wait in Jerusalem until the 10th day of the counting for the promise of the Spirit to empower them. According to Acts 1 and 2, on Shavuot (Pentecost) the Holy Spirit descended in supernatural power and authority on the gathered” or assembled body of believers.
Matthew 11:28 offers encouragement to those who are laboring in the harvest with the assurance of His Spirit, the major gift or promise of Pentecost.
In the recognizing of a measurement of grain for 49 days, God was conveying a picture the daily harvesting of souls. This pivotal event happened on the 50th day following the counting of the omer. God’s purpose was to grow His body and unite the world in His Spirit in all the nations. That year, on the 50th day God performed this! The continuing ministry initiated by the “First Fruit” (Yeshua) was now manifesting through 120 of His followers as three thousand more Jewish men (and their households!) from the nations were added or “gathered” into the Messianic Family of God.
In effect, the disciples were to continue the ministry of Jesus in the same power and authority by which He operated in His earthly ministry (Luke 4). The 3,000 new believers took the Good News to their nations and so, it continues, that is, the perpetual ministry of Christ, the First Fruit through His followers by the Blessed Holy Spirit.
