The requirements for the Wavesheaf Offering are clearly outlined in Scripture, emphasizing the importance of adhering to God's commands without creating exceptions. The offering must be from the Israelites' own labors, specifically the first fruits of what they have sown in their fields, as stated in Exodus 23:16. It cannot be from spoils of war or from a stranger's hand, nor can it be blemished in any way, ensuring that God always receives the best. The Wavesheaf must be waved before both harvesting and eating of the crop and must be accompanied by specifically designated offerings on the altar, as detailed in Leviticus 23:12-13. Furthermore, the offering could not be made while the Israelites were in the wilderness, as they could not meet these qualifications until they possessed their own land. Deuteronomy 12:5-10 specifies that the offerings, including the Wavesheaf as a national offering, were to be made at the place where God chooses to put His name, which was in the land of Israel at the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, once they had rest from their enemies. This centralization of worship, established after entering the land, confirms that the Wavesheaf could only be offered under the proper conditions, which were not met immediately upon crossing the Jordan, but only after the land was fully possessed and the Tabernacle was set up, as seen in Joshua 21:43-45. The Wavesheaf Offering also carries significant symbolic meaning, representing the pure, sinless, risen Christ ascended to the Father's right hand. Offering it from corrupt or unqualified sources, such as from a stranger's hand or land not owned by the Israelites, would be an abomination, as it would misrepresent the holiness of what it symbolizes. Therefore, strict adherence to these requirements ensures the offering remains pure and acceptable to God.

The Wavesheaf Offering, as instructed by God, carried specific requirements that the Israelites had to follow when they came into the land of promise. The phrase "when you come into the land," used in Leviticus 23:10, is a general instruction referring to Israel being in the land, not necessarily the immediate day or year after crossing the Jordan. This phrase does not stand alone and can be modified by other requirements, as seen in Deuteronomy 26, where possessing and dwelling in the land, and going to the place where God made His name abide, were necessary conditions that took years to fulfill. Furthermore, the Wavesheaf Offering marked the beginning of the harvest, a critical workday for the Israelites, and was not to coincide with a holy day when no customary work was to be done. God instructed in Deuteronomy 16:9 to begin counting the seven weeks from the time the sickle was put to the grain, indicating the start of harvest work determined the day of the offering. Additionally, God would not accept offerings of grain that the Israelites did not sow themselves, as seen in Exodus 23:16 and Leviticus 22:25, meaning only grain from their own labors was acceptable to Him. Thus, in Joshua 5, the Israelites were not required to offer the Wavesheaf, as the conditions, including the source of the grain and the prohibition of work on a holy day, were not met.

The Wavesheaf Offering holds a significant place in determining the timing of Pentecost, as the count of fifty days begins with the day the sheaf is waved before God. According to the established rule, the count must always start on the day following the weekly Sabbath that falls within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, ensuring that the first day of the count is a Sunday and Pentecost also falls on a Sunday. This pattern remains consistent even in years when Passover falls on a weekly Sabbath, causing the count to begin one day outside the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as no scriptural command requires the Wavesheaf Day to occur within this feast. Scripture, particularly Leviticus 23:10-11 and 15-16, emphasizes the importance of the weekly Sabbath within the Feast of Unleavened Bread as the marker for starting the count, rather than any other Sabbath or holy day. Historical records show that various Jewish groups, including Sadducees, Pharisees, and others, never observed Wavesheaf Day on a Sabbath, always placing it on a common workday following a Sabbath. The Wavesheaf Day is directly linked to Pentecost through the count and their shared harvest symbolism, with Wavesheaf marking the beginning and Pentecost the end of the harvest. There is no biblical mandate that Wavesheaf Day must fall within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and using Passover, which is a separate festival, as a marker for the count introduces inconsistency. The practice of beginning the count on the day after the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread aligns with the example of Jesus, the First of the Firstfruits, who ascended to heaven on a Sunday morning following the weekly Sabbath within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, fulfilling the type perfectly as commanded in Leviticus 23. This rule ensures that Pentecost's date varies annually, necessitating a count each year to observe it correctly, reflecting God's purposeful design in His commands.

There has been a subtle doctrinal shift in how the Church of God counts to Pentecost, like the cultural rebranding which switched the political colors of the two major political parties during the 2000 U.S. election. Leviticus 23 commands God's people to count to Pentecost "from the morrow after the Sabbath" culminating on the day after the after the seventh Sabbath. Historically, God's Church followed the Sadducean practice anchoring the count to the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread, with the Days of Unleavened Bread, even if the offering occurred on a holy day or a high Sabbath. In 1974, the church surreptitiously aligned itself with the Karaite practice of always putting Wavesheaf day within Unleavened Bread. Proponents tried to link Christ's resurrection with Unleavened Bread, at the cost of overriding clear, well-established, biblical commands. Unlike the change of observing Pentecost from Monday to Sunday, this additional subtle change was never explained publicly. Herbert W. Armstrong never publicly spoke or wrote about this second change. God's called-out saints must return to the original method for 1.) Scriptural integrity-the Sabbath refers to a weekly Sabbath rather than a high day. 2.) Historical and Theological Consistency-The Sadducees, who controlled the Temple at this time, used this method. 3.) Practical Faithfulness-the Wave Sheaf signals a task reserved for a workday rather than a Holy Sabbath. 4.) Guarding against doctrinal drift—just as slight changes in tradition can obscure core truths, such as Sunday worship replacing God's Sabbath, and adding requirements not found in Scripture, risks the danger of making the commands of Almighty God "of no effect." The count to Pentecost in 2025 and every year thereafter, must begin on the Sunday after the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread.