We are now in the period between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot (Pentecost).  The Lord commands us to count the days between these feasts by counting the “omer.” Omer was the measure of grain brought to the priest at the time of the Temple, as an offering of the firstfruits of the barley harvest. It is a time of gratitude but also a time of anticipation for Shavuot when the wheat harvest occurs.

Vayikra (Lev) 23:9-11

‘Adonai said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen (priest) . He is to wave the sheaf before Adonai , so that you will be accepted; the cohen is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat . ‘

Yeshua was like that sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest, like that omer of barley, delivered into the hands of the Father so that we might be accepted:

‘But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. ‘

1 Corinthians 15:20

Vayikra (Lev) 23:15-16

‘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, 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 . ‘

D’varim (Deu) 16:9-10

‘“You are to count seven weeks; you are to begin counting seven weeks from the time you first put your sickle to the standing grain. You are to observe the festival of Shavu‘ot [weeks] for Adonai your God with a voluntary offering, which you are to give in accordance with the degree to which Adonai your God has prospered you. ‘

An “omer” of grain was brought in each day, to be moved by the priest before God, and the days were counted until Shavuot. That’s where the expression “omer counting” comes from. The word Pentecost comes from the number 50 in greek, because we must count 50 days from the feast of Passover to the feast of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks.

Watch our video teachings to learn more about Shavuot:

SHAVUOT (PENTECOST) PART ONE – CHAG HAKATZIR FEAST OF THE HARVEST 

SHAVUOT – (PENTECOST) PART TWO – CHAG MATAN TORAH 

SHAVUOT AND THE JEWISH WEDDING 

As we know, Pessach foreshadowed Yeshua’s redemptive work on Calvary, the Firstfruits His resurrection, and Pentecost foreshadowed the phenomenal outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

But Lag BaOmer interrupts this count to focus entirely on other things.

WHAT IS “LAG BAOMER?”

During this period of counting the days between Passover and Pentecost, some events occurred in Jewish history in the late first century and early second century A.D. that gave rise to this tradition, but this goes against God’s intentions for our people.

The “Lag” is best represented as just two letters – “  ל“ lamed and “ג“ guimel. Together they represent the number 33 because lamed represents 30 and guimel represents 3. Until the 33rd day of the 50-day count of the Omer, rabbinical Jewish tradition imposes a time of mourning, prohibition of feasts, weddings and celebrations… and haircuts, too. But mourning ends on the 33rd day of the Omer, which is a time of celebration. There are different reasons to celebrate according to different traditions, but the two main stories are as follows:

1) One year, after Passover in the early second century, Rabbi Akiva’s disciples were struck by a plague and 24,000 of them died. However, on the 33rd day of the Omer, the plague was apparently miraculously stopped. This is one of the reasons for the celebrations.

It should be noted that Rabbi Akiva hailed Simon Bar Kochba as the Messiah. Akiva’s disciples and all patriotic Israelites were expected to support Bar Kochba’s plans to liberate Israel from Roman oppression and support him as the promised Messiah.

2) Another rabbi connected to this date is Shimon Bar-Yochai. He is seen as the patriarch of Kabbalah, a dark form of Jewish mysticism. In the sixteenth century, in the city of Tzfat, there was a movement of New Kabbalists who completely distorted the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. These Kabbalistic rabbis recommended trying to acquire spirits from the tombs of famous rabbis, and much of their practice and liturgy smacks of pure witchcraft.

Nowadays, many Jews believe in reincarnation as a direct result of this Kabbalistic movement.

Today, hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Jews gather in the Galilee at the tomb of the second-century rabbi – Shimon Bar-Yochai – on Mount Meron, near Tzfat.

They light bonfires claiming that the fire refers to the radiance which the rabbi brought to the world through his book “Zohar” which means splendor. We know from the book of Hebrews who is the true radiance:

‘The Son is the dazzling radiance of God’s splendor, the exact expression of God’s true nature—his mirror image! He holds the universe together and expands it by the mighty power of his spoken word. He accomplished for us the complete cleansing of sins, and then took his seat on the highest throne at the right hand of the majestic One. ‘

Hebrews 1:3

On Lag Baomer celebration, there on Mount Meron, they idolize Shimon Bar Yochai, to the point of taking their children to get their first haircut at the foot of the rabbi’s tomb.

This celebration is not only widespread among the Orthodox. All children in secular schools learn about Lag Baomer and meet at night to light bonfires.

The celebration of Meron must hurt God’s heart very much. There is a strange fire burning in high places, rising into the nostrils of God every year on this date.

Vayikra (Lev) 10:1-2

“But Nadav and Avihu, sons of Aharon, each took his censer, put fire in it, laid incense on it, and offered unauthorized fire before Adonai , something he had not ordered them to do. At this, fire came forth from the presence of Adonai and consumed them, so that they died in the presence of Adonai.”

A few years ago, at this Lag Baomer event on Mount Meron, the capacity was so large that 45 people lost their lives and today no insurance company covers the event.

Last year an author published an article in the Jerusalem Post criticizing this celebration.

“…one can imagine Moses watching this feast and responding the way he did when the sight of the pagan celebration at Mount Sinai’s foothills made him shatter the tablets.”

“Yet people, including Jews, want to worship what they can see, hear, smell and feel. That’s why pagans made so much of fire, and that is why fire plays such a central role on Mount Meron, where competing rabbis festively kindle bonfires separately, each for his own blind followers.

“The same pagan spirit is what makes so many people replace the Jewish journey to God and His laws with a journey to the bricks above a dead man’s bones, the bricks on which they sprinkle oil and throw candles, seeking this way not the meaning of life but the spirit of death.”

See link: The Jerusalem Post

Let’s Pray:

• Asking the Father’s forgiveness for idolatry and sorcery among our people
• Calling for the events of Mount Meron to be weakened and canceled
• May our children be kept from deception
• May the eyes of the people be opened, just as in the times of Elijah, to the point that Baal will be put to shame and our people may declare with all their hearts that YHVH alone is Lord!
• May the spirit of death be weakened and life in Yeshua be exalted in our nation!

In the sublime and wonderful love of Yeshua haMashiach