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The Wavesheaf Offering
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughMost know little about the wavesheaf offering, even though it represents one of the most significant acts: the resurrection and ascension of Christ!
Was Joshua Required to Offer the Wavesheaf?
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe phrase, 'when you come into the land' (regarding offering the Wavesheaf), sounds like an absolute command, but its usage shows there may be qualifiers.

Pentecost Revisited (Part One): Counting Consistently
Article by John W. RitenbaughThe count to Pentecost should not be any different in those years when Passover falls on the weekly Sabbath — the same instructions apply.
Wavesheaf Requirements and Joshua 5
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIf Israel had offered a foreigner's grain, it would have violated Leviticus 22:25. The conditions for a wave sheaf offering were not right until Joshua 22.

Did Israel Offer the Wavesheaf in Joshua 5?
Article by David C. GrabbeFor decades, the church of God has struggled with counting Pentecost, especially in years when Passover falls on a Sabbath. Does Joshua 5 hold the key or not?
The Wavesheaf and the Selfsame Day
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe wavesheaf offering is reckoned from the weekly Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread. It had specific requirements that were not met in Joshua 5.
Offerings (Part Three)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe meal offering (grain offering) represents fulfilling our duty to our neighbor. he materials used in the meal offering symbolize Jesus' perfect character.
Offerings (Part One)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe burnt offering shows Christ giving Himself completely to God as God's portion. It represents a life fully devoted to God, which is what truly satisfies Him.
The Work of the Firstfruits
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughPentecost emphasizes the Christian's work, both in the field, his external labors, and his house, his internal labors. Being converted takes a great deal of work.
Pentecost, Consistency, and Honesty
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughHow does one count to Pentecost when Passover falls on a weekly Sabbath? If we are consistent and honest with the Scriptures, the solution is clear.

How to Count to Pentecost in 2025
Sermon by David C. GrabbeThere 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.
Holy Days: Pentecost
Bible Study by Earl L. HennThe late spring Feast of Pentecost shows the harvest of firstfruits, God's church. It is a continual reminder of our part in God's plan!
The Very Same Day
Sermon by David C. GrabbeThe 'very same' or 'selfsame' day is a memorial of a past event, typically on the same date, including several of God's appointed times and pronouncements.
Pentecost, Consistency, and Honesty
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBecause Pentecost does not have a specific date, God commands us to count from the day after the weekly Sabbath falling within the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Jesus in the Feasts (Part Two): Firstfruits
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPreviously, we may have seemed to fixate on prophecy and timelines for God's masterplan rather than Christ as the central focus. The dominating significance of Pentecost is the celebration of Christ as the Firstfruit of God's spiritual harvest, providing a model for all those who follow Him. Consequently, from the Wave Sheaf offering to the two loaves presented to Almighty God at Pentecost, the firstfruits imagery points directly to Jesus Christ, "first in time and preeminence"—and then to His disciples, then and now, who emulate Him. We do not just receive the Holy Spirit, but we are to walk as He walked, abiding in Him as branches cling to the vine, relying on His strength and example to live godly lives, using the gift of the Holy Spirit to grow into the image of Christ. Consequently, Pentecost is far more than a religious ritual or prophetic speculation, but rather it is about Jesus as the Firstfruit, the Way, and the Vine-celebrating the Feast of Weeks as accepting His leadership, His life, and His ongoing work molding us into His image.

Pentecost Revisited (Part Two): Joshua 5
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughJoshua 5 makes no mention of a harvest, an altar, a priest, the waving of the sheaf, or the offerings God commanded to accompany the waving of the sheaf.
Countdown to Pentecost 2001
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughHow does one count to Pentecost when Passover is on a weekly Sabbath, making the Last Day of Unleavened Bread the only other available Sabbath to begin the count?
Counting to Pentecost: A Simple Approach
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAccording to the Scripture, the count to Pentecost must begin on the day after the Sabbath in the Days of Unleavened Bread, even in 'anomalous' years.
God's Spiritual Harvest
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsLike Christ, we too are firstfruits, represented by the leavened loaves picturing our acceptance by the Father.
Do You Recognize This Man? (Part Four)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughFruit is a product of growth requiring knowledge, work, patience, truth (light) and water (God's Spirit). Only by remaining on the vine will we bear fruit.
Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughConfusion over time of Passover, the wavesheaf offering, and Pentecost results from making assumptions unwarranted by clear scriptural evidence.
Patience With Growth
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughFruit maturation takes time. Waiting for the fruit is just part of the story; while we wait, we must also work, including thinning and pruning.
Boaz and Pentecost
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe name of Boaz (a type of Christ) appears many times more than Ruth (a type of the church), indicating Christ's intense work on behalf of the church.
Consequences of Resurrection and Ascension
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughNeither Christmas or Easter appear in the Feasts of the Lord, but we find plenty of emphasis on the resurrection and ascension of Christ in the Holy Days.
God's Holy Days - Our Shared Vision Of Hope
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark SchindlerFrom Passover to Pentecost to Trumpets to Atonement to the Feast of Tabernacles, these days should solidify our vision of he Father, Jesus, and one another.
Do Little Things Not Count?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThose who ignore the clear biblical instructions for the wavesheaf offering with its unambiguous prohibitions risk the displeasure and judgment of God.
Psalms: Book Two (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Pentecost season generally corresponds to Book II of the Psalms, Exodus, and the story of Ruth. Major themes include exile, separation, and redemption.
Christ's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament types, slain as the Passover Lamb, resurrected with the cutting of the wavesheaf, and ascended to His Father at the time of the waving of the sheaf.
Our Affinity to Christ
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughOur lives must be totally wrapped up in Christ, exemplifying His character. As we overcome, taking the same steps as Christ did, we will receive His reward.
Our Affinity to Christ
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus has already suffered the things we have, and now serves as our compassionate High Priest and Advocate. He provides the pattern we are to emulate.
Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe church of God is not immune to the deterioration of doctrine. Minor deviations from doctrine bring about irreparable, disastrous consequences.

'After Three Days'
Booklet by Richard T. RitenbaughA scriptural explanation of the time of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, showing that He died on a Wednesday and rose from the dead on the Sabbath.