What was the procedure for offering the firstfruits sheaf in ancient Israel?
The Israelite was to go into the grain field and pluck the ripened stems individually until he had gathered enough to make a sheaf, while the rest of the crop was still a few days away. He then presented that sheaf to the priest as a wave offering.
Les explains that the Jew was to go into the grain field where only scattered stems were ripe, while the rest of the crop was still a few days away. He would pluck those ripened stems until he had a multitude and could make a sheaf. Then he would take that sheaf and present it to the priest as a wave offering. Les ties this to the New Testament, noting that everything sown in the Old Testament comes to its fruition in the New Testament. This is a picture not just of a grain harvest but of a spiritual harvest. Jesus used the analogy of fields white unto harvest, meaning mankind was ready for a spiritual harvesting. The gathering of ripening stems represents individuals, nothing compared to the whole, yet enough to make a sheaf.