[Study adapted from the video “Rosh HaShanah 2022“, from the series Feasts of the First Month.]
In this series, we are going to talk all about the feasts of the first month. We have some studies on the Passover (Pesach) that we are going to incorporate into this new video series as well. This way we will have all the feasts of the first month right together. Also, we are including Pentecost in this series because the Pentecost is effectively an extension of the Wave Sheaf Offering.
Welcome and congratulations! It is time for celebration! Because we have the barley reports in for Rosh HaShanah, 2022. As of March 5th, 2022, it is time for the head of the new Hebrew calendar year. And this is the same calendar that was kept in the days of Moshe (Moses) in the wilderness and also in the first century with our Messiah and King, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Later in this chapter, we are going to take a look at some photographic evidence from a believing sister (Becca Biderman) who lives in the land of Israel. She reports that there is plenty of barley that will be aviv (medium dough) on Yom HaNafat HaOmer, the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering. And so we expect Yom HaNafat HaOmer to take place this year on March 20th, 2022. It is important to offer it this month because there is no way that barley will survive until April 17th, 2022, the next possible date for the Wave Sheaf offering. And we will take a look at the photographic evidence at the end of this chapter. But based on the stage of barley and the new moon seen on March 4th, 2022, we are declaring Rosh HaShanah, the head of the year for 2022.
Some people I know might say, “Oh, new-year, new-smear. Barley-schmarley. Who cares, right?”
Well, no. Really, this is something I believe that we all need to care about very much. Because this is something that Yahweh wants. And as we saw in our Ancient Hebrew Marriage studies, Yahweh’s feasts effectively serve as dates between the Bridegroom Yeshua and His bride, Nazarene Israel. And when I stop to think about how He has taken a bag of dirt like me and all of us and is trying to groom, train, and mold us over millennium into a people that is worthy to be a Proverbs 31 bride for Him and His Son, it just really evades my comprehension. And so, if there is anything that I can do to please Yahweh, I want to do it. Especially if it is showing up to His feast party that He just wants us to celebrate at the same time as He is celebrating the feast! How wonderful is it that He just wants us to be there with Him? That is all He wants. He wants us to show up when He says and to do the things that He says. And that is certainly not too much for the King of the universe to ask.
Now, I realize that the barley and the calendar can seem like a very complex issue and that it takes time to study it out. But to not show up when the King of the universe says, “I want you to be here on this day doing these things. And we are going to mold and train you to become a bride worthy of My Son”, or perhaps to show up a month late (like many, many groups are doing), is really like standing Yeshua up. Can we imagine that He is standing there waiting for us on the corner and we do not show up for another month? Repeatedly, year after year? How likely is it for Him to keep the wedding date with us? I think not too likely.
So, we want to start the same calendar year at the same time He is starting His calendar year. Because can two walk together unless they be agreed? No, they cannot. They must be in agreement in order to walk together. So, we need to agree with Him on when His calendar year begins. And considering the fact that these are dates with our Husband Yeshua, it is important to get the head of the year right. Because if we get the head of the year right, all the rest of the calendar dates are going to align correctly. Meaning, all of the rest of our dates with our Husband are going to flow from the head of the year. In other words, if we recognize Rosh HaShanah (the head of the year) at the right time, then the Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles), all of the feast days, are going to line up in their correct seasons. And then how happy we are going to be to be there with Yahweh!
As important as that is, everything boils down to one single question. It is a complex calendar issue and arriving at this question is not easy. But it all boils down to details that hinge on one thing. The decision of when to declare (recognize) the head of the year all depends on when we are able to present Yahweh with the very first full sheaf (the firstfruits) of aviv barley in all the land of Israel.
If we are looking at the moon and we know that we can present those firstfruits 15 to 21 days later, on the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering (Yom HaNafat Omer), then that is the head of the year, and we should recognize it as such. I am going to say this again in a couple of different ways, just to help people grasp it. On the day we sight the first crescent sliver of the new moon from the land of Israel, if our trained barley observers tell us that yes, we will be able to present Yahweh with the very first sheaf of aviv barley firstfruits in all the land of Israel 15 to 21 days later on Yom HaNafat HaOmer, then the priesthood should recognize and declare that new moon day as the new moon day of Rosh HaShanah, the head of the year. Conversely, if on the day we are physically sighting the new moon from the land of Israel, as it was seen on March 4th, 2022, our trained observers tell us that no, we are not going to be able to present Yahweh with the very first sheaf of aviv barley firstfruits in all the land of Israel 15 to 21 days later, on the day of Yom HaNafat HaOmer, then the priesthood should not declare or recognize Rosh HaShanah. Basically, the whole thing comes down to whether we can or cannot present the presentation sheaf (wave sheaf) on its day.
We need to understand this, this is what the whole thing boils down to. If we will be able to present the first full sheaf of aviv barley firstfruits to Yahweh on Yom HaNafat HaOmer, 15 to 21 days after the new moon, then we should declare the head of the year. And if we cannot do that, then we should not declare the head of the year. Very simple equation.
We are going to talk about a whole bunch of issues before we talk about the photographic evidence at the end of this chapter. And I just need to speak to the people that really want to please Yeshua and who really want to get this thing right, deep in their heart. I want to talk to the people who want to be His Proverbs 31 bride and who are willing to make the effort.
One of the reasons that things get so confused every year is that, sadly, most of the barley search teams happen to have a Karaite (Sadducee) spirit. I say this because they teach a Karaite (Sadducee) doctrine. We will talk more about that through this study. And, to say this with respect and love, it becomes a real problem. Because some of the Messianic barley search teams are regurgitating and even defending the Karaite doctrine. So, really, they are parroting the teachings of the Karaite spirit and that becomes a problem. Because a lot of believers in Yeshua, a lot of Messianic, a lot of Ephraimites, and a lot of Two-House believers are being misled and getting turned on to this Karaite (Sadducee) doctrine, which Yeshua specifically said to be aware of. We are going to see the reasons why Yeshua said to be aware of it coming up.
I believe there is a real danger in “drinking from all fountains”. There are a lot of people in our culture that will eat whatever is in front of them. They will eat junk food, candy, soda, just whatever kind of food. They do not care if it is GMO, or if it is modified, or if it is polluted. They do not care if it is grown in toxic soil. They just take all kinds of food into their bodies. And as a result, they wonder why they get cancer and why they have bad health.
Well, in the same way, there are many people who do not take care with the spiritual food they take into their bodies. They do not guard their gates. They do not guard what they watch, they do not guard what they hear. Yet a lot of people take pride in the concept of drinking from all the fountains.
There are a lot of people who believe, “Oh no, I can listen to the rabbis. I can listen to the Karaites. I can listen to this group, that group, and some other group. I know they are wrong on these other points, but it is going to be okay. Because I have the wisdom to sort all this out.”
And as a result, we have seen some people end up with some really bad spiritual health. For those who have ears to hear, getting sick like that can really cause you to miss the wedding feast. That is something we do not want to do. So, I would warn everyone to be aware of something called “interfaith” search efforts. There are a lot of people that claim they are just looking at the scientific data and deciding for themselves. That is not what it is. We are going to take a look at that in just a moment.
We need to remember that this is the end-times. And we have seen that the Roman Catholic church has their ecumenical movement where they are trying to bring everyone back to the Roman Catholic church. Well, guess what. The New World Order also has their subtle interfaith efforts. They host certain gatherings for Christians, Messianic, Ephraimites, whoever is going to listen. And if we are going to talk and be real about things, the purpose of these interfaith efforts is to first see who they can separate from the correct doctrine. And then, once you take the first step off the cliff and you have been separated from the correct doctrine, then ultimately, they want to see if they can separate you from your love for Yeshua. And there it happens; they steal your crown.
And we have seen Karaites conversion ceremonies. They do not publicize them anymore, but they still happen. So, word to the wise, we really need to guard all of our gates.
Just as a question, do people realize that the New World Order is an interfaith faith? And realizing that the New World Order is an interfaith faith, what do we think about these interfaith search efforts? It is just something to consider. For those that want to know the full truth and are willing to study to show themselves approved, we have an entire video and transcript series all about the aviv barley and Rosh HaShanah in which we cover all the details. That study, Establishing the Head of the Year, can be found free of charge on the Nazarene Israel website. We also have the videos posted on the Nazarene Israel YouTube channel.
In Establishing the Head of the Year, we step through all of these various subject areas in detail. We cover some seven or eight topics so that you can know effectively, with respect, why we believe the Karaite doctrine is wrong and should be absolutely avoided, and also what the correct doctrine is. So, please look for that. I want to say this in love. We are certainly not looking to cause problems or dissension, but we need to speak the truth in love for those of our people who want to know and for those of our people who want to listen. We understand that the Karaites do not believe in Yeshua. We get that. The Karaites did not like Yeshua in the first century and they do not like Him now. These interfaith search efforts are something to think about, concerning the New World Order and how they operate.
Respectfully and in love, you could call the Karaites brethren, but they use a completely different model for the Wave Sheaf. To speak the truth in love, it is based on an anti-Yeshua spirit. And they do not believe in Yeshua, they do not like Yeshua. Therefore, they do not see the wave sheaf as being symbolic of Yeshua. And this causes them to interpret the same data in a completely different way. And I need to talk about this.
I was voted most scientific in my high school graduating class. Now, you would think that if you are going to look at the scientific data and I am going to look at the scientific data, that you and I are both going to draw the same conclusions from the same scientific data, right? Well, you have certain groups of scientists that, when they look at earth’s weather patterns, some believe in global warming while other people believe there is no global warming happening. And then scientists look at the evidence and some believe in evolution while other ones do not believe in evolution. So, we know that our belief systems influence our philosophy, and our philosophy then influences what we think, how we behave, what we do, and how we act. When we believe something, our beliefs impact our interpretations very much. Likewise, whether we believe on Yeshua or do not believe on Yeshua impacts those facts and our interpretations. We can look at the same data and draw completely different conclusions. And we are going to see evidence of this in this study.
If you are of a mind to study and have time, I would encourage everyone to check out our study, “The Error of Harvestable Fields”. It is a little bit thick of a teaching, but a very fruitful a very rewarding teaching. The Karaites have a doctrine that is called “Harvestable Fields are Required by Yom HaNafat HaOmer”. Some believe even earlier than that. But what they are saying is that they have to have whole fields of harvestable barley ready on the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering. And you may think that it is okay and that it is just their idea. But if you follow this doctrine out, you are going to see that it requires a completely different definition of aviv barley from the true definition of aviv barley in Strong’s Concordance because they are looking for the barley to be harvestable. We talk more about that in “The Error of Harvestable Fields”.
We go by the standard Strong’s definition where the barley needs to be tender, green, and young. We talk about that in a number of our videos. They are defining aviv barley as harvestable barley, so their aviv is much harder, drier, browner than our aviv barley. And it takes about an extra week for the barley to progress to that point. Now if you think about that depending, upon where the barley falls with regard to the new moon, that can hypothetically make their feast fall a month later than our feast. It is very easy to understand that. So, that is a small problem.
A much bigger problem is that the “Harvestable Fields Theory” also requires whole fields of barley to be aviv or harvestable. Someone did the calculation. I mean, they are talking thousands of acres of barley they require to be harvestable. Because their doctrine is that they first need to see these whole fields of barley that will be harvestable so that they can bring in the harvest and then bring a sheaf of that harvest to the priesthood later and pretend that later sheaf is the firstfruits of their barley (when there is really nothing first about it). And, as we show in “The Error of Harvestable Fields”, they let the true firstfruits of barley fall to the ground and be lost. Think about that from a spiritual perspective, considering that the barley firstfruits represent Yeshua and they let the firstfruits of barley fall to the ground and be lost.
The problem, in a calendar sense, is that it can take them (on average) about an extra month to declare the new year. So, we are trying to present on the first wave sheaf. We want to bring the first wave sheaf of barley to Yahweh. They want to wait until they have whole fields of barley so that they can bring in a very large part of the main crop before they will declare the barley to be aviv. And that takes about an extra month because the barley in Israel ripens over about a two-month span more or less again depending on the year, so it takes them about an extra month to get to the place where they are willing to say that the barley is aviv. So, on average, their feasts run four, maybe five weeks later than ours depending on the year, the weather, and those kinds of things.
If you follow the Karaite calendar, as there are also some Messianic groups that regurgitate and defend the Karaite doctrine, you are going to see that on average they are going to celebrate their feasts about a month later than we are. And they are saying aviv and we are saying aviv, but it is two totally different conditions and two totally different avivs. Because we are basing ours on the first fruits symbolic of Yeshua and they are basing theirs on the whole harvest. A totally different thing.
Now, if that was not enough, wait, there is more! On top of all that, as if that was not enough, some of the Karaites want harvestable fields on Rosh HaShanah itself, on the day the new moon itself. Elsewise they are not going to declare Rosh HaShanah. So, they are going to declare it even two weeks earlier (15 to 21 days earlier) even though the barley is going to continue maturing during those 15 to 21 days. And again, one of the big problems that generates is that this guarantees that the true firstfruits of barley, symbolic of Yeshua, are going to be on the ground by the Yom HaNafat HaOmer.
So, if you are following the Karaites or the Messianic, just understand what you are doing from a spiritual perspective. Yeshua says loud and clear for us to beware the leaven (the doctrine) of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. If you are following the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, basically you are allowing the true firstfruits of barley to fall to the ground. Think and pray about that from a spiritual sense. You will see that it is true. But again, this also means that those who are following this Harvestable Fields Karaite doctrine are celebrating their feasts, on average, a month or more later than we do. It could hypothetically even be two months, depending upon how the new moon and the barley harvests fall out, especially in an extreme year like we had last year, in 2021.
But now think about all this. How would you like to keep a Karaite doctrine that requires you to redefine the term aviv differently from the Strong’s definition? In other words, how would you like to just ditch the Strong’s and say I am not going to listen to Strong’s I am going to listen to the Karaites, even though Yeshua says to be aware of their doctrine? And how would you like to keep this calendar doctrine if it means that you are going to keep the feasts (dates) with your husband a month (or more) later than you should keep them? And if you were Elohim, what would you think if the fiancé for your Son showed up a month (or more) late every year for the dates that you set with her? Would the marriage still be on? Or would the marriage be cancelled? Something to think and pray about for those of you who love Yeshua.
Oh, wait! If that was not enough then there are even more problems. In our study, “Let’s Not Break Deuteronomy 16:9” as well as a number of places, we showed that the Karaites insist that you can break, disregard, or not worry about Deuteronomy sixteen, verse nine. Because they say that you can cut the firstfruits of your crop without starting the omer count. And I have tried dialoguing with them, I have tried talking with them, I have tried soft shoeing it with them. It does not work. They cannot hear it because they have a different spirit that denies Yeshua HaMashiach. The Karaites will insist that it is okay. And we show in this study that is expressly prohibited by Deuteronomy sixteen, verse nine.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:9-10
9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself;
begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the [standing] grain.
10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to Yahweh your Elohim…”
Deuteronomy sixteen, verse nine states that you begin count from the time you begin to cut. From the time you begin to cut, you begin your omer count. Karaites claim, “No, that only pertains to the main harvest, it has nothing to do with the firstfruits. The firstfruits can either fall to the ground or they can be cut and set aside. The omer count does not begin”.
If you would like to know the full details, I would encourage you to watch or read “The Error of Harvestable Fields”. And if you really want to “go for gold” and to know the inner details of where the Karaites error on this, then I would like to encourage you to watch or read, “Josephus, the Talmud, and the Omer”. But if you just want to know what the main issue is without going into all the details, then I recommend “Let’s Not Break Deuteronomy 16:9”. Because this just shows what the Karaites are doing and gets a little bit into the how and the why. But mostly, it shows what it is that they are doing wrong.
Well, that is about the Karaites. Now, on top of that, as if that was not enough, we have Messianic groups that are parroting, regurgitating, repeating, adhering to, and defending the Karaite’s doctrine. And they are also adding and subtracting things to Yahweh’s Torah while they pretend that they are not. Once again, you try to talk and to communicate with them. If or when they do respond, they do not want to hear about it. We have attempted to communicate both the Karaites and with the Messianic.
Here is one thing I would say to anyone who loves Yeshua. I know that these matters can be difficult to study out. I know it can be challenging at times. But I would say that it is very important to do your own research and know these matters for yourself. You need to be able to give a reason for what you believe. Because when you get to the judgment, Elohim is going to say, “Why did you do what you did? I want you to account for everything you did and account for everything that you did not do.”
And if you say, “Well, Norman said…”, that is not good enough. Elohim is going to be like, “Did you read my book? did you do what my book said?”
And if we did not read His book and we did not do what His book said, that is not going to be good enough. We need to realize that we have Messianic groups that are adding things to Yahweh’s instructions (Yahweh’s Torah) that Yahweh does not command anywhere. And some of these things are so wild and so far out there that you just have to wonder where they got these rules. Where and how did they come up with these things?
For instance, some of the Messianic groups are adding things regarding the equinox. We have another study on “Where is the Equinox Commanded?” which explains why the equinox is not commanded. They are calling it the Equilux. Equinox and Equilux are the same thing. Equinox means equal parts night and day. Equilux means equal parts of day and night. Do you know what I am saying? Equinox, Equilux, same exact thing. It is twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness, or twelve hours of darkness and twelve hours of light. We have one of the Messianic leaders who claims that Equilux is from Yahweh and equinox is of the devil. How does he figure that twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness is from Yahweh, but twelve hours of twelve hours of night and twelve hours of day is from the devil?
I mean, things that just do not make any sense. Meanwhile, people are just soaking it up. They are just like, “Wow, this is so great! Thank you so very much for posting these reports!”
Check out the study, “Did Ancient Israelites Qualify their Barley Fields?”
Here is something more. They are adding rules on how to qualify a field. In other words, if they do not like your field, if it is too hilly or if there are rocks, they are going to throw it out. You cannot use it. Even if some of the fields they throw out are fields that Scripture tells us were historically used.
They add rules about bird migrations. All kinds of things. And you try to talk to them, “Where did you get all these rules about bird migrations?” But they just they add all sorts of rules that Yahweh never gives, even though Yahweh strictly prohibits doing that. They are adding the Equinox, the Equilux, they had a requirement for Spring. It must be after the equinox. Just all sorts of additions. And these additions also cause the head of the year to be delayed by, on average, about a month. And it is not supported in Scripture.
You really have to ask yourself what it is about this. Why do people want to take the focus off of Elohim and His commandments? We are here to teach Yahweh’s commandments and to help people understand and obey Yahweh’s commandments. Why would you want to modify Yahweh’s commandments? Why would you want to take the focus off of Elohim and His commandments and put them on you and your commandments? I do not understand this. But again, we try to talk to them, and we only get hot, hostile responses.
Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:2
2 “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your Elohim, which I command you.”
The precise problem here is that if we add or take away from Yahweh’s commandments, they are no longer His commandments. Now they are our commandments. And to modify Yahweh’s commandments and to justify in Yeshua’s name, ouch! There are a lot of people following these Messianic search groups. So again, if you are thinking about interfaith operations or about drinking from all the fountains, consider the source. That is an old saying.
Now, in Nazarene Israel, we recognize that the wave sheaf is symbolic of Yeshua, and we are told that everything in Scripture is symbolic of Yeshua. That is the whole point. We are trying to establish a global unified kingdom (a single unified ministry) for Yeshua. That is the whole point of the operation. Everything points to Yeshua. One of the basic rules in Scripture that we see even from the beginning is that first, we are going to deliver unto Yahweh the firstfruits of our crops to honor Him, and then He is going to set our crops apart and bless us. And then we can harvest our crops. Very simple relationship. First, we present Him with the Wave Sheaf. Then He blesses us and sets the harvest apart. And then we can harvest our crops. Simple. It is not easy getting there, but it is a very simple operation.
Josephus tells us this is exactly how it was done back in ancient times, in his book, Antiquities of the Jews. Meaning, this is stuff Judah has been doing for a very long time, as it was written near the end of the first century.
“…they offer the first-fruits of their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to God [sic]; and, casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest.”
[Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews, Book 3, Chapter 10, Verse 5.]
In his book, Josephus is talking about the wave sheaf. And he clearly says that they take a “handful” of the ears, meaning that you do not need entire harvestable fields. Again, we just need the first wave sheaf, we do not need harvestable fields. So, they take a “handful” of the ears and “dry” them. We talk in our other studies about how the term aviv means “tender, young, and green”. It is still moist barley, so it has to be dried before it can be turned into flour. Well, there is nothing moist about the Karaite’s so-called firstfruits which are harvest-ready barley. And then Josephus also says that it is “after” the wave sheaf that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest.
Once again, it is the same pattern. First, we bring Yahweh our offering to honor Him. Then Yahweh sets our harvest apart and blesses us. Then we can bring in the crop. And that is the opposite of what the Karaites and the Messianic do. The Karaites and the Messianic want to harvest first, then bring Yahweh some random sheaf that has nothing to do with the firstfruits. Because the firstfruits are already on the ground.
We see this same basic pattern reflected all throughout Scripture.
Yochanan (John) 20:1, 17
1 Now the first day of the week, Miriam HaMigdalit went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb…
17 Yeshua said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.’ “
Yeshua was saying, “I have not yet been presented to My Father as the Wave Sheaf. I have not been presented yet. I have not yet been lifted up or ascended. But go to My brethren and say to them I am ascending. I am going to be presented to My Father and your Father, and to My Elohim and your Elohim.”
We see the same witness in First Corinthians chapter fifteen, starting in verse twenty.
Qorintim Aleph (1 Corinthians) 15:20-23
20 But now Messiah is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive.
23 But each one in his own order: [first] Messiah the firstfruits, [and then] afterward those who are Messiah’s at His coming.
Once again, we see Mashiach is the firstfruits. And this is very important, “in his own order: [first] Messiah the firstfruits, [and then] afterward, those who are Messiah’s at His coming”. That is the point. First Messiah the firstfruits was presented in the first century. And then afterward, those who are Mashiach’s at His coming, at the end of the age. It is the same basic pattern. First, we present the Omer. First, Mashiach was offered up. Then we can bring in the harvest at the end of the age. And this is what the Karaites deny.
Mattityahu (Matthew) 13:39
39 “The enemy who sowed [the tares] is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the messengers [angels].”
Hitgalut (Revelation) 14:15
15 And another messenger came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
Yeshua is presented in the first century to prepare for the harvest at the end of the age. and again in revelation Mashiach was offered up in the first century. Then, at the end, now it is time for the harvest.
The same basic pattern goes all the way back to the beginning, to B’reisheet (Genesis) chapter four, starting in verse three.
B’reisheet (Genesis) 4:3-5
3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Qayin [Cain] brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to Yahweh.
4 Hevel [Abel] also brought of the firstborn [bekorah] of his flock and of their fat. And Yahweh respected Hevel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Qayin and his offering. And Qayin was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Qayin brought an offering, nothing special. Not the firstfruits. Just some random offering from the middle of the harvest, just like the Karaites offer. He brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to Yahweh whereas Havel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat (their finest).
We talk about the word bekorah (firstfruits) in our study “First Fruits? or False Fruits?”, as well as in a lot of our other teachings. Very important distinction. And we see that Yahweh respected Havel and his offering because he brought the firstfruits, but He did not respect Qayin and his offering because he just brought some random part of the harvest, like the Karaites do.
Well, self-explanatory. The thing we need to understand is that the Karaite’s firstfruits is nothing but a random sheaf from the middle of the harvest. It does not have anything to do with being the first of the firstfruits. Because whether they do it on purpose or not, they let the firstfruits, symbolic of Yeshua, fall to the ground and be lost. And that is because they want to delay the new year. They are not interested in bringing the very first sheaf. Because of their confusion and their misunderstandings of Joshua chapter five and this kind of thing, they want to delay things about a month, until it is the start of the main harvest. We talk about that in “First Fruits? or False Fruits?” We will talk about it again when in the studies on the Wave Sheaf (Yom HaNafat HaOmer).
With that understanding brothers and sisters, congratulations, praise Yah! It is now time for Rosh HaShanah 2022! So, Rosh HaShanah sameach. Happy New Moon Day! We will have aviv barley by the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering, Yom HaNafat HaOmer. And, in fact, we are probably going to have aviv barley by next week, the second week of March 2022. We base that on a believing sister we have in the land of Israel, Becca Biderman.
This report came in on the 28th of February. Sister Biderman found numerous fields of barley around Beit She’an that were in the late “worm” to the early “soft dough” stages. We will talk all about this. That stage is about eight days away from aviv. In other words, from the 28th of February, this barley needs eight more days to be aviv. And we have fifteen to twenty-one days after the new moon of March 4th to bring the firstfruits of aviv for a wave sheaf offering. We will take a more detailed look, but we have ample time for this barley to become aviv.
Barley inspection near Beit She’an, Israel, 2022. Becca Biderman.
Above is one image of sister Biderman’s February 2022 barley inspection near Beit She’an, Israel. Take a look at how the barley is laying over. Basically, the barley has now become top heavy. You can see those grain heads, but the grain heads get heavy, the wind blows, and the barley begins to lay flat.
Barley inspection near Beit She’an, Israel, 2022. Becca Biderman.
As sister Biderman says, this is one of many fields like this. There are a whole bunch of fields in and around Beit She’an. And she is going to go back and reinspect them this next coming week.
Becca Biderman inspecting barley near Beit She’an, Israel, 2022.
The barley heads have enough development, and they are heavy enough to where they are pulling the barley to one side. It is not at the aviv stage yet and she did not say eight days for aviv stage. That is my interpretation. Biderman is very careful with her statements.
Becca Biderman inspects barley heads near Beit She’an, Israel, 2022.
Here Becca is inspecting, you can see the barley heads.
Barley heads inspection sample near Beit She’an, Israel, 2022. Becca Biderman.
Here we have four heads of barley. And again, these are between the late “worm” and the early “soft dough” stages. So, they are not very plump, they are not yet full. But you can see that the plant has already flowered, it has already been fertilized, the seed pods have already closed, and you already have substantial development going on in the head. We will take a look at a chart in just a moment. But because it is between the late worm and early soft dough stages, it is my interpretation that we have maybe about eight days to go from the day of sister Biderman’s February 28th report for this barley to enter into the aviv stage. She is talking about going out to inspect again at the start of next week and she expects to find aviv barley next week. That looks completely correct to us. Sister Biderman, very knowledgeable on the barley.
Close up of barley head inspection sample near Beit She’an, Israel, 2022. Becca Biderman.
This is more of a close-up of one of Biderman’s grain samples. This is in the dough stage. The way you can know that is by taking a look at the grain. When the dough has been cut with the fingernail and it holds the cut, you know that it is in the dough stage. And aviv barley is “medium dough” stage. So, we are very, very close to aviv. That barley will be aviv before the Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering, Yahweh willing.
If you want to know more details, we have a study in Establishing the Head of the Year called, “Aviv Barley Simplified”. If you go through that study, it will take you through all the stages of barley development and growth in some detail. You will know and then the barley confusion will be over for you. That will be a day of celebration because then the confusion will no longer affect you.
But once barley flowers, is pollinated, and closes up the grain heads, it develops very rapidly. That only takes about two and a half weeks. It only takes about seventeen to eighteen days for a pollinated flower to reach the stage called the aviv for medium dough. And our belief is that this is when the farmers would begin to harvest, using ancient sickle methods. Because there is less shattering when you harvest at the medium dough stage. And the barley is as developed as it is going to be at the medium dough (aviv) stage. We explain all that in “Aviv Barley Simplified”. But here is a chart to help visualize this.
Taking a look, in place number one it says, “Anther opening and fertilization”. You have the flower opening and being fertilized, and now the flower is closing up and forming a seed pod. Over the next days, the plant is then going to pump fluid into that seed pod. This is what is known as the “water stage”. If you were to take that seed pod and tear it open, you would see what looks like a bunch of water. Then, over time, the barley also starts to pump starch into that seed pod. Now you have more and more starch being pumped into the fluid and by day eight it forms what is called the “milk stage”. If you were to now take that barley seed pod and tear it open, it would be what looks like milk in there. Nothing substantial, just a lot of milky fluid.
Well, the barley is still going. It is still pumping starch into that seed head, into those seed pods. And now, by the time you reach day 10, 11, or 12, you are going to end up with what you call the “worm stage”.
Now, this chart is from the University of Wisconsin, and it is for average barley, in an average field, in an average year, which does not really exist. Every field is different, every barley plant is different, and every year is different. But on average and over time you can get a general idea of some averages. You still need to have someone experienced out there, in the land of Israel, to physically inspect. But there are some averages that can be known.
So, around day 11, you are starting to reach the end of the worm stage. And now you are starting to move into the dough stage. Now if you tear the seed pod open you are not going to see any more water or slime, no more liquid.
Now, on day 14, you are going to see something that resembles a soft bread dough. You are going to be able to cut it with a fingernail and it is going to maintain the cut. This, when there is no more slime, would be the “soft dough stage”. Then give it maybe three or four more days, and on day 17 and 18 it becomes what we call “medium dough stage”. That is aviv barley. Because now enough starch has pumped in and there is going to be no more starch. That grain is as developed as it is going to be and from that time forward it only gets drier.
Now, the Karaites are going to wait another week or so beyond that. Again, you would have to study it out and take a look at their thing. But the Karaites are going to wait into the “hard dough” or even the “very hard dough” stages and then claim that barley as aviv. We talk about that in other places. But really, aviv on day 17 or 18, that is a very special time. Because that is when the seed becomes viable as seed. And we talk about that in “Aviv Barley Simplified”.
Becca Biderman’s report indicated that there was ample late “worm” to early “dough” stage barley on the 28th of February 2022. On the 4th of March, the new moon was physically sighted from the land of Israel. Praise Yahweh! That means Rosh HaShanah begins as of March 4th, 2022, with the day of Rosh HaShanah being on the 5th, coinciding with the Shabbat. Becca did not say this. Becca only gave her report on the 28th of February and said that she expects to see aviv barley by the next week. She said it could possibly be as soon as the first day, but she did not say it would be for certain. I do not want to misquote her; she is very careful with her words, and I do not want to say anything that is against her words. But I just took a look at this chart by the University of Wisconsin which is created for an average barley plant in an average year, in an average field, with average weather. Again, every year is different, every field is different, every barley plant is unique. But there are some things we can know on average.
The late worm stage corresponds approximately to the 10th or the 11th day from fertilization. And then to get to the aviv stage on the 17th or 18th day following fertilization, you just add seven or eight days. So, to be safe, I added eight or nine days, just to err slightly on the side of caution. And so we end up with an estimate that looks very similar to the one Becca Biderman is giving. She expects to see it aviv barley at the start of the second week of March. That is also when we expect to see it based on her report. We have full confidence in her abilities. We do not know another qualified aviv barley witness in the land of Israel who understands the same standards as she does. It is too bad; she is presently our only witness. All the other aviv barley witnesses have different standards, requirements, and interpretations. But we feel very comfortable with this. Because if we take a look from the 7th or 8th of March, that gives us perhaps twelve or thirteen more days to the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering on March 20th. And that is more than enough time. In fact, the timing is perfect, it really could not be any better.
We are going to take this same chart and we are going to expand it some. We see the same data on the 28th of February. Becca Biderman reports ample or plentiful barley in between the late worm or the early dough stages. And then four days later, you come to the sighting of the new moon of Rosh HaShanah on March 4th, coinciding with the Shabbat. And then we expect to see aviv barley sometime at the start of the next week. That is a safe, fair statement.
Now that barley that Becca inspected needs to be offered this month. It needs to be offered at this potential Wave Sheaf Offering on the 20th of March. Because that barley will not make it to the next potential wave sheaf offering date of the 17th of April. One thing about barley is that it only stays in the head for so long. Barley really wants to grow and then by the time it flowers it wants to flower and produce fruit very quickly, and then it wants to drop that fruit very quickly. Because it does not want animals to come along and eat the fruit. Now, with some trees, like an apple tree, there is a hard seed. If an animal comes along and eats the fruit, the animal carries the seed somewhere else and deposits it with a nice bit of fertilizer, you might say. And there is no harm done to the seed. But the barley seed is very soft. It does not have a fruiting body with a hard seed, it only has a very soft seed. So it does not want to get eaten because it will not survive the digestive tract, it will not survive the process of being eaten. That is why barley does not stay in the head very long. And that is why Yeshua tells us that when the time for the harvest has come, the wise farmer immediately puts in the sickle. Because the barley is not going to stay in the head. The barley does not stay on the plant.
The date of March 20th is just about perfect. Take a look at the two weeks marked in yellow. If you wait much longer than the 20th, all that barley is going to be on the ground, at the very latest, by the end of that two-week period. There is no possible way for it to survive and last in the head until the next possible Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering on the 17th of April. It simply will not make it. That is another reason why we have to declare this month as the new moon of the aviv barley wave sheaf offering. Because it simply will not make it to the 17th of April.
I want to again speak the truth in love. This fact will not bother the Karaites or those Messianic groups who follow the Karaite theology. Because again, we are talking about the spirits involved. You could say that they want those firstfruits of barley to go on the ground (even though they are symbolic of Yeshua) because they are trying to delay the harvest until the main body of the crop. You could say that they are delaying for the main body of the crop, but in a spiritual sense you might also say that they want those very firstfruits of barley, symbolic of Yeshua, to go on the ground. If you know what I am saying.
We have spoken with these other barley search teams about this, specifically some Karaite teams. And they will insist and swear up and down, “No, no, no! You are misunderstanding Deuteronomy chapter sixteen, verse nine. It does not say that. No, you can harvest that barley and set it aside. Just as long as you do not eat of it. Just as long as you set it aside and not eat of it. You can harvest your barley; you can put the sickle to the standing grain, and it does not begin the omer count.”
Well, it does begin the omer count. And if you have questions on that, again, I encourage you to watch or read “Let’s Not Break Deuteronomy 16:9”. Because Deuteronomy sixteen, verse nine is very specific that we begin the omer count when we begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. We begin to count when we begin to cut. When we begin to cut that is when we begin to count. It is a very simple operation, very simple procedure. If you have questions on that, please study “Let’s Not Break Deuteronomy 16:9”.
We really have no choice. That barley will be on the ground. And if we were farmers in ancient Israel and that was our barley, we would not want to break Deuteronomy sixteen, verse nine. And we would not want to lose our crop. So this is the month.
I would just like to add a special appeal to the barley observers, just to bring some clarity and reduce the confusion that is going on in the barley movement. Because I personally do not believe that the barley movement is well served by the confusion that is going on. So, just an appeal to the observers can you please state in your reports what you would like to see? We want to understand what you believe because we understand that the theology impacts the reporting. In other words, if you believe harvestable fields theory then your definition of aviv is very different than if you believe that the Wave Sheaf is symbolic of Yeshua.
And I know that certain people are watching our studies because they respond subtly in the things that they post and this kind of a thing. So, can you please pray about it and state in your reporting; do you want to see one sheaf of aviv barley by Yom HaNafat Omer? Because if you say that then we will understand that you are looking for a tender, green, and young sheaf that is in keeping with the Strong’s definition. Or are you looking for aviv in terms of harvestable fields by the day of Yom HaNafat Omer? Because that is going to tell us that you want an aviv that is much harder, much drier, and much browner than the Strong’s definition. Or do you perhaps want harvestable fields by Rosh HaShanah, before you will even declare the month as the head of the new year, Rosh HaShanah? So that when you say there is or is not aviv then we will all know what it is that you are saying. We will know that you are saying there is no aviv because you do not have whole harvestable fields, and we will also know that your definition means hard, dry, and brown. Or do you believe some other combination? The reason I am asking this is because right now, inspectors are saying aviv or no aviv. But the people do not know the difference and it is causing a ton of confusion.
So if you could all please quickly, briefly state whether you follow “Aviv by one sheaf by Yom HaNafat HaOmer standards”, or “Aviv or not aviv by harvestable fields standards” “by Yom HaNafat HaOmer” or “by Rosh HaShanah”, I believe that will begin to help people understand what it is that is being said and it is going to take a lot of the competition out of this thing. It is going to bring peace and calm to the barley community. And peace, clarity, and calmness are all very desirable things It will help us to understand who you are and what you want.
For those of you who agree with Nazarene Israel’s position and who want to be Proverbs 31 bride, you want to study to show yourselves approved. I would recommend our video series on Establishing the Head of the Year. And again, we take the position that one sheaf is required for Yom HaNafat HaOmer.
We have a number of videos in the series. “Aviv Barley Simplified” is our primer. If you want to know the basics but, in some detail, that is a good one to start with.
“First fruits? or False Fruits?” is going to show the difference between wave sheaves. Whether you have a single wave sheaf of tender, green, and young aviv barley in keeping with the Strong’s definition, or you want whole harvestable fields that are harder, drier, and browner which are not in keeping with the Strong’s definition.
For those of you who want to understand what the Karaites are doing, I would recommend “Let’s Not Break Deuteronomy 16:9”. There you can see our refutations to the argument that it is okay to disregard or break Deuteronomy chapter sixteen, verse nine and that you can secretly cut your firstfruits and lay them aside without the omer count beginning. That is all covered in that study.
“Where is Spring Commanded?” points out that there is no requirement in Scripture for the equinox. People were still not grasping this so we did another study, “Where is the Equinox commanded?” There is also no Equilux commanded.
For those who really want to know all the details, I would recommend “Josephus, the Talmud, and the Omer”. That is going to get deep into understanding. That is going to show why the Karaites say they do not follow the Talmud and yet why they secretly do follow the Talmud, contrary to their protestations.
I would also recommend “The Error of Harvestable Fields” for anyone who really wants to know why the Karaites are misunderstanding and misinterpreting Joshua chapter five. They are leaping to assumptions, we have tried to tell them about it, they do not want to know.
And then finally, for those who want to know what the Messianic groups are doing and why they are doing it, I would recommend the study “Did Ancient Israelites Qualify Their Barley Fields?” There you can see some of the antics and some of the escapades that are requiring bird migrations, requiring Equilux while condemning an Equinox, and these kinds of things. That is a very interesting study right there.
So, congratulations. Praise Yahweh for His time of renewing on Rosh HaShanah 2022. I would like to close with a prayer.
Father Yahweh, we just thank You so much for everything that You are doing, Father. We love You; we thank You so very much for calling us out of the nations. Thank You so much for calling us back to study and obey Your Torah, Father. There is not a single one of us here that is worthy of all the mercies that You are taking upon us. We ask that You please work with us, please take away anything in us that You find that is not pleasing. Please help us to hear Your voice. Please help us to hear and obey Your Spirit, Father. Please lead us and guide us in all things by Your Spirit. Because we want to become Proverbs 31 brides, Father. We want to be the faithful remnant. We want to be the ones who are serving You, even though we are entering the end-times, even though times are getting harder. And Father, we just thank You so very much for this time of renewal. Not a single one of us here is worthy to be a bride for Your Son and there is no way we can possibly become a bride worthy for Your Son. But Father, we ask You to please keep working with us and please continue Your great patience with us, just as You gave Your promise to the patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov. Father, please continue to work with us so that Your word is fulfilled. So that the people can see that Yahweh Elohim keeps His word. And Father, thank You so much for calling us to keep Your feasts. We know that the timing is so very important, Father. Father, please help us to keep Your feasts when you want to keep them and the way You want us to keep them. Father, we thank you for all these things. We ask you in Yeshua’s name, Amein.
Praise Yah. Praise Yah for His set-apart year. Father, we just thank You for this time of renewal. Father, please lead us and guide us in all things by Your Son’s Spirit. In Yeshua’s name, Amein.