By Sam Nadler
Many people ask about the parallels between Passover and Easter. But are you also aware of the biblical feast of Firstfruits? The Feast of Firstfruits illustrates Messiah’s resurrection in light of Passover, thus disclosing the Resurrection in its proper biblical context. Firstfruits originates in the Torah of Moses, and although the command was given in the wilderness, it was not to be celebrated until the people entered the Land: Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, when you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD. Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the LORD for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine. Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.” (Leviticus 23:9-14)
The Two Firstfruits Festivals
The Scriptures speaks of two “Firstfruits” festivals, the first being at Passover, and the second fifty days later on Pentecost (Shavuot in Hebrew). During the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the end of the Sabbath which fell on Passover, people were delegated to go into different barley fields after sunset and obtain samples from each field. The barley for the Passover “Firstfruits” offering (Reishit in Hebrew) was laid together in a sheaf (an omer), and brought to the court of the Temple. There, the grain was winnowed, parched, and bruised in a mortar. The next morning after some incense had been sprinkled on the sheaf, the priest waved it before the Lord towards the four different points of the compass. He then took a part of the grain and threw it into the fire of the altar. Once the offering was accepted, the remainder of the harvest was then acceptable before God (Leviticus 23:11-14).
Firstfruits: A Type of the Resurrection
We know that Jesus, (Yeshua in Hebrew), died as our Passover Lamb, and through Him we have redemption and forgiveness (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7, etc.); the Feast of Firstfruits is observed the day after the Sabbath of the Passover week (Leviticus 23:11). Early Sunday morning when the priests in the Temple were offering up the Firstfruits of the barley harvest, our Messiah and High Priest was raised from the dead, having offered up Himself as our atonement, and in so doing, He became the Firstfruits of the rest of the harvest of believers in Him. Therefore Paul writes, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. ” (1 Corinthians15:20 – 23).
Firstfruits: A New Life
Just as Firstfruits was celebrated only after entering the Promised Land (Leviticus 23:10), so also Messiah’s resurrection looks to life beyond this ‘wilderness journey’ of struggle. This resurrection life cannot be understood while in the bondage of sin. In fact, it wasn’t until after Firstfruits was observed that the new growth of grain could be eaten. Likewise, it wasn’t until after Messiah’s resurrection that believers could fully partake of the new growth, even the new life in Him. It was only after He had been raised and ascended to the Father that we received “the Firstfruits of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 8:23). Firstfruits gave assurance that the rest of the harvest would be accepted: “He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted” (Leviticus 23:11). Firstfruits is a type of our Savior’s resurrection which guarantees our eternal hope in Messiah. The waving of the sheaf sanctified the whole harvest, “For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” (Romans 11:16) Messiah’s resurrection is proof that God accepted His sacrifice for our sins, and that the rest of the harvest is accepted in Him as well!
“He was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” (Romans 4:25)
“Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)
“And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)
“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 6:19 – 20)
Let us be sure to exalt Messiah Jesus as our Firstfruits of the resurrection, and share with others the Good News of the ‘New Life’ that we have in our Lord!
HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Excerpt from: http://wordofmessiah.org/2017/04/messiah-feast-firstfruits/
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