Verses 15-22: the Feast of Weeks

EV 23:15-22{Then, beginning with the first Sabbath after the feast of firstfruits, the people are to count seven Sabbaths—or 49 days in all. Then, on the day after the forty-ninth day, they are to count to themselves still one more day—that is, a fiftieth day. Fifty days after the sheaf of firstfruits is waved then, the feast of weeks is to be observed. Taking place, as it does, seven weeks after the feast of firstfruits, which occurred at the time of the barley harvest, this one takes place at the time of the wheat harvest. This feast is a feast like none other among the ordinances of the Israelites and is spoken of as a "new meat offering." It is therefore typical of a new thing that Jehovah will be doing. On that day, they are to wave two loaves of leavened bread baked in an oven before Jehovah.
Fifty days after the Lord's resurrection from among the dead, something happened, the likes of which had never happened before. On that day, something came into being that never had an existence before. It was the assembly. The Spirit of God was sent down from heaven on that day and took up His abode in the believers that were gathered together in Jerusalem. His presence being in them, they were all joined together as members of one body and were joined to Christ as their Head in heaven.
Nevertheless, since, in the Scriptures, two is always the number of adequate testimony, the two loaves are a figure for the assembly not in its "one-body character," but in its "testimonial character." Also, because the two loaves are a figure for the assembly itself, there is leaven in them as well. Although the believer doesn't have his sins on him anymore, he does still have the principle of sin within himself. It's worth noticing though that, as baking stops the action of leaven in bread, even so, the believer's death with Christ is sufficient to stop the action of sin within him. They are to be baked with leaven. (See also Lev. 7:12-13.)
As we have noticed above, the Passover feast and the feast of unleavened bread are intimately associated with one another. This is intended to illustrate the connection between the death of Christ and our death with Him. Such is also the case with the feast of firstfruits and the feast of weeks. These feasts are intimately associated with one another in order to show the connection between the resurrection life of Christ and our resurrection life with Him. The feast of firstfruits and the feast of weeks then are both meal offerings, derived from that which was sown in death and brought forth again in life. They are figures therefore of Christ and of those who are His own—not in death, but in resurrection life. It is the "more abundant life" of John 10:10. (See also John 12:24; and 1 Cor. 15:36.) This is why the Passover feast and the feast of unleavened bread are both found together in one division of the chapter, while the feast of firstfruits and the feast of weeks are also both found together in still another division of the chapter.
One remark needs yet to be made relative to this feast of weeks and its two wave loaves. Connected with that feast is Lev. 23:22, which is somewhat puzzling to some minds. When the people of God reap their fields, they are neither to go back and clean out the corners of their fields nor to go back and gather up the grains that have fallen to the ground from their already harvested crops. As we have already seen, the two wave loaves are a figure for the assembly, which is God's heavenly people. These crops then are the firstfruits of that harvest from which the two wave loaves are made.
The question therefore is: Who are the crops that remain behind in the corners of the fields and those grains that have fallen to the ground? Are they a part of the assembly too? The answer is: No, they are not a part of the assembly; but, like the assembly, they are among the heavenly redeemed. After the assembly has been caught up to be with Christ in the Fathers house above, then God will again take up His ancient people, Israel. Then, when Israel's Messiah returns, to set up His millennial kingdom, all who are alive in that day and have faith will go into the kingdom and will remain a part of His earthly people.
In the meantime though, many of His saints will have died, some of them having been martyred. Accordingly, even as Christ is returning to set up His kingdom, they will be raised from among the dead and caught up to join the heavenly hosts. Then, having been thus caught up, they will join Him as He continues His descent to set up His earthly kingdom. They will forever remain among the heavenly families and will be associated with Christ as He reigns over His kingdom. Thus, throughout all the ages of eternity, they will remain a part of the heavenly throng, but not a part of the assembly. Their position will be much the same as that of the Old Testament saints, who will be raised and caught up together with the assembly at the Rapture, but without becoming a part of the assembly. (See Rev. 6:9-11; 11:2-12; and 20:4.)