You shall count for yourselves -- from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving (Feast of 1^st Fruits)-- seven sabbaths, they shall be complete.  Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days... Leviticus 23:15-16

Note:  Passover is on the 14^th day of Nissan, followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread starting on the 15^th day; a Sabbath continues for 7days, and followed the next day by the Feast of First Fruits (i.e. “from the day after the sabbath”).  

Note:  The 1^st day of each month is determined by viewing the first sliver of a new moon; which is always a biblical Sabbath day (Saturday).  Therefore the Feast of First Fruits / Easter and the Feast of Weeks / Pentecost are always on a Sunday.

          See Biblical Feasts Outline of events &  Sabbaths link.

The Festival of Weeks (Shavuot / Pentecost) is celebrated in the summer, and is the second of the three major festivals, each celebrated for 7 days, all with historical, agricultural and spiritual significance.  The other two are the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which includes Passover & First Fruits / Easter) in the Spring, and the Feast of Tabernacles / Sukkot, celebrated in the Fall; preceded by the Feasts of Trumpets and Atonement.

Agriculturally, the Feast of Weeks / Shavuot (Pentecost) commemorates the time when the summer first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is the second of three harvest festivals. 

Historically for Jews, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as the Festival of the Giving of the Torah (in lieu of celebrating the Feast of Weeks without a temple).

The counting of days starts from the Sabbath day following the feast of Passover / Crucifixion through to the feast of Shavuot / Pentecost is

7 weeks of 7 days + 1 day (50 days) ;

Shavuot / Pentecost is always 50 days later in the 3^rd month; on the 6^th day of Sivan – a Sunday. 

This period is known as the Counting of the Omer. An omer is a unit of measure (a 1-day serving size of grain / manna during the Exodus). On the second day of Passover, in the days of the Temple, an omer of barley was cut down and brought to the Temple as an offering. This 1 day of grain offering was referred to as the Omer.

The counting is intended to remind us of the link between Passover & Shavuot / Pentecost.

Passover commemorates deliverance during the Exodus, as well as commemorating Jesus’ offering of Himself as the sacrificial Lamb as spoken by Abraham:  “And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb ...” Genesis 22:8.   50 days later the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot / Pentecost) commemorates the giving of the Holy Spirit; or the giving of the Torah to the Jews as practiced today.  

It reminds us that the redemption from slavery was not complete until we receive the Torah (Law) as a Jew, and were empowered by the Spirit of God as a Christian.

The counting reminds us of the important connection between Passover and Pentecost / Shavuot in the following ways:

-         Redeemed physically from bondage as a Jew.

-         Redeemed us spiritually from our bondage as a Christian.

-         By the giving of the Torah on Shavuot as a Jew.

-         By the giving of the Spirit on Pentecost as a Christian.

-    Redeemed spiritually from idolatry and immorality thru His Law as a Jew.

-         Empowered us with His Spirit as a Christian to proclaim Gods’ gift of salvation.

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Feasts are Solemn Appointed Times with the Lord; Lev. 23:1-4. 

                        See “Feasts Prophetic Hermeneutics” 

The First 4 Feasts  “Appointed Times”  Fulfilled by Jesus 1^st Coming:

Passover                       aka              Good Friday  /  

                                                        Jesus Crucifixion

Unleavened Bread         aka              Pursuit of Holiness  /  

                                                        To be without sin

First Fruits                     aka              Easter  /   Jesus Resurrection

Feast of Weeks             aka              Pentecost  / 

                                                        Gifts of the Holy Spirit   

                                                        as Jesus had Promised

The Last 3 Feasts  “Appointed Times”  to be Fulfilled in Jesus 2^nd Coming:

Feasts of Trumpets       aka      Tribulation  / Day of the Lord

Feast of Atonement      aka      Day of Judgment

Feast of Tabernacles    aka      The New Heavens / New Earth / New Jerusalem 

The Hebrew word translated "Feasts" means Appointed Times.  According to De.16:16, God commands us to keep His Feasts (in light of the New Testament), and appear before the Lord with thanksgiving “forever” Ex. 12:14.

“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the Feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My Feasts.  Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.  These are the Feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.”  Lev. 23:1-4

Feasts and Sabbaths are called "Holy Convocations" in Scripture.  That is to say, they are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for "Holy Purposes".  

These “Feasts / Holy Convocations", are also a combination of celebratory commemorations of God’s providence fulfilled in the past, and the continued fulfillment of His remaining covenant promises for the future.

To fully understand the Feasts, one must first understand the full meaning and implications of the Sabbath as a time of oneness with God;  a foreshadowing of that which is to come. 

In celebrating the Sabbath (1day in 7; 24 hours – sundown to sundown).  The Sabbath is a foreshadowing of the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan exemplified in His 7 Feasts. 

It is a time completely devoted to being with God.  

                       See Sabbaths link.

"IF you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and  the Lord's holy day honorable,  and  if you honor it  by  not going your own way  and  not doing as you please  or  speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The mouth of the Lord has spoken.  Isaiah 58:13-14 

God commands that we keep every sabbath & feast day holy (in light of the New Testament).  These are "Holy Convocations"; that is, they are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for "Holy Purposes" in preparation for an eternity dwelling with Him!  Rev. 21:1-3

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Note below the numerical sequencing relationship in God’s ordained plan; specifically in the correlation / foreshadowing the Year of Jubilee / Millennial Kingdom by Pentecost.

                        7 day week ending on a Sabbath

7 weeks of 7 days + 1 day (50 days);  from the Feast of Passover to the Feast of Weeks / Shavuot / Pentecost.  

7 years culminating in a Sabbatical year

7 Sabbatical years of 7 years culminating on the 50^th year at the

Year of Jubilee. 

7 months of 7 feasts ending on the ultimate Sabbath, the Feast of Tabernacles

70 periods of 7 (Dan. 9:24-27); 

     First and Second coming of Christ / Messiah prophecies

70^th period of 7 years prophecy of the “End of the Age” (Dan. 9:24-27)

70 years symbol of Completion