Exodus 29:26-28

THE HEAVE-OFFERING (Exodus 29:26-28):

"And thou shalt take the breast of Aaron's ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before Jehovah: and it shall be thy portion. And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave-offering, and the thigh of the heave-offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons: and it shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel: and it shall be a heave-offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace-offerings, even their heave-offering unto Jehovah."

In most cases, the wave-offerings, having been moved first toward the altar, symbolizing their having been given to God, and then moved toward the worshipper, showing that God was giving it back to him for food, constituted the food of the priests "forever." This word has come up frequently regarding the Aaronic priests, but it does not mean "eternity." The Hebrew word from which "forever" comes can mean "eternity, distant future, or everlasting",[22] however, it is also used in Deuteronomy 15:17 to mean "for life." The term therefore cannot be used to deny the annulment that fell upon the whole Mosaic system in the coming of Jesus Christ.

The difference in wave-offerings and heave-offerings was merely a matter of their handling by the priests. The wave-offering was distinguished by a maneuver that was repeated, whereas the heave-offering was simply lifted up and disposed of without formality. Both were portions of the peace-offering.[23] "The waving was the more solemn process of the two: it was a movement several times repeated, while heaving was simply a lifting up once."[24]