First Fruits

[20] But the fact is that Christ (the Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep [in death]. [21] For since [it was] through a man that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the resurrection of the dead [has come]. [22] For just as in Adam all people die, so also shall all in Christ be made alive. [23] But each in his own rankand turn: Christ (the Messiah) [is] the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s at His coming. AMP

So let’s go to the very beginning and see how God put forth the foundation of that truth in His word, through the very words “In the beginning”. In Hebrew those three words are B’reisheet. The Hebrew for the letter B’ can mean “in” or “by” and reisheet can mean beginning. However in Lev.23:10 reisheet is also translated as “firstfruits”

Lev.23:10 [10] Tell the Israelites, When you have come into the land I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits ( Strong’s 7225 reshith) of your harvest to the priest.

In the first scripture in the article: I Cor. 15:23 they give Yeshua the title or name Firstfruits. So you could translate Gen1:1 as “For the Messiah” or “By the Messiah” God created the heavens and the earth. Scripture is supposed to confirm itself right? Col.1: 15-16 tells us.

[15] He (Yeshua/Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [16] For by Him all things were created,both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Okay but there is more. The first two letters in the word B’reisheet form the word Bar which means son but also means grain. You can find it in the old testament in Daniel 3:25 as son and in Genesis 41;49 as grain. However the most amazing connection comes in the Gospel of John12: [23] And Jesus *answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. [24] “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

So we can we can pull this together to reveal in the beginning Yeshua created all things and He is also the grain of the firstfruits offering. He is all about the harvest of souls to eternal life with Him. In fact God is all about the harvest all His Feasts are connected to the Harvest. From the very beginning the Lord has been pointing the way for us to be His sons and daughters through the death of His only son and the victory of His resurrection.

God has set all His Feasts up to reveal the joy He longs for through the Harvest. The barley harvest is the first major harvest in Israel. It is the harvest tied into the Feast of Firstfruits.

Each harvest in Israel has three phases: first fruits, general harvest and gleanings. First fruits also have three phases. Marking, gathering and presenting. God wanted to make it very clear to us that Yeshua represented His firstfruits offering for us.

The first phase of marking was when the first maturing barley was chosen and it was marked with a red cord. According to historic documentation the timing of when the disciples of the Sanhedrin were in the field choosing the barley; that was the time Yeshua was being tried by the high priest Caiaphas.

The second phase was to bind the chosen sheaf. At the time the Sanhedrin disciples were binding the sheaf for the first fruit offering, the Roman soldiers were binding Yeshua for the Cross.

Here are the instructions in Leviticus.

Lev 23: [10] Tell the Israelites, When you have come into the land I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest[11] And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, that you may be accepted; on the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it [before the Lord].[12] You shall offer on the day when you wave the sheaf a male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the Lord.

At that time Yeshua not only became the firstfruits to be waved before the Lord at His for acceptance at His resurrection; He was the Passover lamb without blemish for a burnt offering to the Lord.

He arose again during the week of unleavened bread on the very Feast of Firstfruits which was on the next day after the Sabbath. He became the firstfruits of the harvest of souls for the inheritance of His Father.

Until the first sheave of the barley harvest was brought before the Lord as a first fruit offering the rest of the harvest was not kosher, it was not clean it was not acceptable. But now through Yeshua’s death and resurrection we are made clean and accepted by the Father.

James 1: [18] And it was of His own [free] will that He gave us birth [as sons] by [His] Word of Truth, so that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures [a sample of what He created to be consecrated to Himself].AMP

Have a Blessed Resurrection Sunday He IS RISEN!!