In 2025, the alignment of Passover on the weekly Sabbath, which occurs on average once every decade, impacts the timing of the Pentecost count. This count begins the day after the Sabbath within Unleavened Bread, identified as Wavesheaf Day. This year, with the Sabbath being the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Wavesheaf Day falls just after the festival. The New Testament references to Wavesheaf Day are often obscured in translations from the Greek. In Mark 16:9, the phrase "mia sabbaton," translated as the first day of the week, actually indicates the first of the weeks, marking the start of the seven-week count to Pentecost. This phrase, found in all gospel accounts of Jesus Christ's post-resurrection appearance (Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19), should be understood as the first day of the weeks, designating Wavesheaf Day. On that Sunday following the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus appeared to His disciples and ascended to be accepted by the Father as the First of the Firstfruits, initiating the count to Pentecost.

Wavesheaf Day holds significant importance as the first day in the count to the Feast of Weeks, often referred to as mia sabbaton, meaning the first of the weeks. This day, always a Sunday, marks the beginning of the count to Pentecost and is linked to the resurrected Messiah, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In Troas, during the nighttime portion of Wavesheaf Day, a notable event occurred while Paul preached: a young man named Eutychus fell asleep, fell from a third-story window, and perished, only to be restored to life by God, echoing the resurrection of Christ. Regarding the timing, a journey from Philippi to Troas took five days, arriving among the Days of Unleavened Bread, where Paul and his company stayed for seven days. They departed on Wavesheaf Day, the mia sabbaton, after the Sabbath, confirming it as the Sunday immediately following the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This placement of Wavesheaf Day outside the Feast of Unleavened Bread aligns with certain first-century practices and serves as a clear New Testament reference for the church to follow in observing the count to Pentecost.

The events in Joshua 5 concerning Wavesheaf Day are significant in understanding the timeline and adherence to God's commands. In Joshua 5:11, it is stated that the children of Israel ate the produce of the land on the day after Passover, which aligns with the beginning of the 15th of Abib during the Night To Be Much Observed. This timing indicates they were eating unleavened bread as the 15th began, in observance of a memorial of their exodus from Egypt exactly 40 years prior and the ratification of God's covenant with Abraham. There is no mention in Joshua 5 of a Wavesheaf offering occurring during the daylight of the 15th, which is the First Day of Unleavened Bread and an annual Sabbath. Such an offering is not recorded because it could not legally be made on a Sabbath, as Leviticus 23:11 specifies that the Wavesheaf must be waved on the day after a Sabbath. Additionally, the Israelites could not meet the requirements for the Wavesheaf offering since the grain had to be from seed they had planted, offered by a circumcised person under the covenant with God, and accompanied by an animal sacrifice, which Deuteronomy 12 forbids until peace was established in the land and the Tabernacle was in place. The Wavesheaf offering is not a part of the Days of Unleavened Bread but is associated with Pentecost, symbolizing a harvest, whereas the Days of Unleavened Bread focus on God's faithfulness and coming out of sin. The insistence on placing the Wavesheaf offering within the Days of Unleavened Bread is unsupported by the events in Joshua 5, as Joshua strictly followed God's law, and no scriptural basis exists for a Sabbath Passover or a Wavesheaf offering on the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

Wavesheaf Day holds significant importance in the count to Pentecost, particularly when the Passover falls on the weekly Sabbath, as it does in 2008. This day, always occurring on the day after a weekly Sabbath, marks the beginning of the seven weeks leading to Pentecost. In the accounts of Jesus Christ's appearance after His resurrection, as found in Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, and John 20:1 and 20:19, the Greek phrase "mia sabbaton" is used, literally translating to "the first of the weeks." This phrase indicates that the day of His appearance was Wavesheaf Day, the first day in the count to Pentecost, when He was accepted by the Father as the first of the firstfruits. Further insight into Wavesheaf Day is provided in Acts 20:6-7, where the same Greek phrase "mia sabbaton" appears, confirming it as the first day of the weeks. This passage describes Paul and the disciples gathering for a meal and preaching after the Sabbath, during the beginning of the count to Pentecost. The timing of their journey from Philippi to Troas, arriving in the midst of the Days of Unleavened Bread and staying seven days, places Wavesheaf Day on the Sunday immediately following the Days of Unleavened Bread. This New Testament example clarifies that it is the weekly Sabbath that must fall within the Days of Unleavened Bread, and it is acceptable for Wavesheaf Day to occur outside of those days, as demonstrated in Acts 20:7.

When the Worldwide Church of God under Herbert Armstrong changed the observance of Pentecost to Sunday in 1974, a new practice emerged concerning Wavesheaf Day. This practice insisted that Wavesheaf Day, rather than the Sabbath, had to fall within Unleavened Bread, even if it coincided with a holy day. Historically, during the time of Christ, Wavesheaf Day marked the beginning of the harvest, a critical workday for the Israelites, and was not observed on a holy day when no customary work was to be done, as instructed by God. The significance of Wavesheaf Day as the start of the harvest meant it involved labor, such as putting the sickle to the grain, which was the day to begin counting the seven weeks as commanded in Deuteronomy 16:9. This labor-intensive nature of the day contrasts with the sanctity of holy days, leading to the understanding that Wavesheaf Day should not fall on such a day. Examining the phrase "when you come into the land" from Leviticus 23:10, often associated with the Wavesheaf offering, reveals it as a general instruction for when Israel was settled in the land, not necessarily immediately upon crossing the Jordan. Other requirements modified this instruction, indicating that the Wavesheaf offering was not required in Joshua 5 on the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Additional instructions, such as those in Deuteronomy 26, show that possessing and dwelling in the land, and having a designated place for God's name, were conditions to be met over time. Further, in Numbers 15, a similar "when you come into the land" instruction for a heave offering involves significant labor like reaping, threshing, winnowing, and grinding. Assuming such work was done on a holy day for the Wavesheaf in Joshua 5 would imply a disregard for the sanctity of God's holy days. God's requirement that offerings must come from the Israelites' own labors, not from foreign hands, as seen in Exodus 23:16 and Leviticus 22:25, also suggests that the Wavesheaf could not have been offered in Joshua 5 with grain not sown by them. Thus, Joshua 5 does not support the idea that Wavesheaf Day and the beginning of the harvest could fall on a holy day. The holiness of God's annual Sabbaths remains paramount, affecting how offerings are made and ensuring they align with His sanctity and instructions.

Wavesheaf Day holds a significant place among the appointed times described as an "esem day" or "bone day," reflecting both its importance and its connection to something that came before. As a day of harvest, it embodies the core theme of reaping what was sown by one's own hand, with the Wavesheaf offering being a direct result of that harvest. This day looks back to the first recorded instance of sowing and reaping in the promised land by Isaac, marking the initial harvest by one of God's people and underlining the principle that the offering must come from one's own labor. The essence of Wavesheaf Day centers on the individual act of harvesting, distinct from priestly duties, and this fundamental meaning is at odds with the essence of a high day Sabbath. The linkage between the day of the Wavesheaf offering and the underlying harvest precludes it from occurring on the first day of Unleavened Bread, as an individual harvesting on a holy day would not align with God's intent. Additionally, Wavesheaf Day serves as a reference point for the Feast of Weeks, as without it, the timing of Pentecost cannot be determined.

The Wave Sheaf offering must be presented after the weekly Sabbath, as God clearly instructs with the definite article "the" in the Hebrew, indicating the weekly Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread. This is a rule, not to be ignored or treated as mere suggestion, for the Sabbath serves as the anchor for determining when to begin the count to Pentecost. The count starts the day after this Sabbath, on the morrow, ensuring the Wave Sheaf is offered on that day. God's command in Leviticus 23:11 emphasizes counting from the day after the Sabbath to maintain consistency each year in locating Pentecost. Using the weekly Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread as the starting point is essential, as it shifts annually based on when Passover falls, necessitating a count of 49 days plus one, or seven weeks plus one. Counting from fixed-date Holy Day Sabbaths within Unleavened Bread would always result in Pentecost falling on the same date in Sivan, eliminating the need to count, which contradicts God's instruction. The requirements for the Wave Sheaf offering are specific: it must be from the Israelites' own labors, from seed they have sown in their fields, and from their own land, not spoils or produce from a stranger's hand. It must be unblemished, accompanied by designated offerings, and presented at the Tabernacle or Temple, the centralized place where God chose to put His name. These conditions could not be met in the wilderness or immediately upon entering the land, as seen in Joshua 5, where the produce was from the stranger's hand and not from their own harvest, disqualifying it as an acceptable offering to God. Historically, various Jewish groups, despite differences, consistently used a Sabbath within the Days of Unleavened Bread for counting to Pentecost, reflecting a shared understanding of the scriptural anchor for the Wave Sheaf. There is no biblical or historical record of the Wave Sheaf being waved outside these parameters or on a Sabbath itself, reinforcing the importance of adhering to God's clear instructions without creating exceptions.

Wavesheaf Day holds a crucial role in determining the observance of Pentecost, as the fifty-day count to Pentecost begins with this day. The Church of the Great God maintains that the count should always start on the day following the weekly Sabbath that falls within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, ensuring that Wavesheaf Day is consistently a Sunday. This rule is supported by the example of Jesus, the First of the Firstfruits, who was waved before the Father by ascending to heaven on the morning of the first day of the week after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In years when Passover falls on a weekly Sabbath, causing the first day of Unleavened Bread to be a Sunday, the count begins the next day, potentially outside the Feast of Unleavened Bread, to maintain a fixed and consistent rule. Scripture does not mandate that Wavesheaf Day must occur within the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and historical records show that various Jewish groups never observed Wavesheaf Day on any type of Sabbath, always placing it on a common workday following a Sabbath. The connection between Wavesheaf Day and Pentecost is further emphasized by their shared harvest symbolism, with Wavesheaf Day marking the beginning of the harvest and Pentecost its conclusion.

God commanded the Israelites to bring a sheaf of grain to the priest as a wavesheaf offering before reaping the spring crop. This offering, waved before God for acceptance, occurred on the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The wavesheaf offering symbolized Jesus Christ, the first of the firstfruits, who willingly gave His life for the forgiveness of sins and was resurrected to eternal life, fulfilling this ancient ritual. On the day after the weekly Sabbath during Unleavened Bread in AD 31, after His resurrection, He ascended to the Father to be accepted, just as the High Priest waved the sheaf of grain before the spring harvest began. The fifty days between the wavesheaf offering and Pentecost represent the time from the founding of the church to the end of the age, when the small harvest of the firstfruits will occur.