Day: May 1, 2017

First Fruits

First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim).

Continuing the overview of the Spring Festivals, Gods Appointed Times. (Again this is just a basic overview and not designed to be an in depth study.)

If you are new to MMM other posts in connection to this series at:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

The 3rd Feast is called First Fruits. It is the barley harvest (Bikkurim) and is observed during the week of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah).

It will always be the day following the weekly sabbath, the first day of the week (Yom Rishon), which we call Sunday (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:9-11). On this day, sheaves of barley were waved before the Lord in a prescribed ceremony.

Biblical/Hebrew Name – Bikkurim  

English Name – First Fruits of Barley Harvest

Time of Observance – The morrow after the sabbath during Hag HaMatzah

The HISTORICAL APPLICATION OF THE FEAST of First Fruits – Crossing the Red Sea (Bikkurim)

Probable MESSIANIC APPLICATION & FULFILLMENT OF THE FEAST First Fruits   – Resurrection of Yeshua (Bikkurim)

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION ( Halacha) of First Fruits – Walking (Halacha) in newness of life (Bikkurim)

Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:9-14

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 firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. And 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 libation, 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’ “

First Fruits (Yom Habikkurim). “On the morrow after the Sabbath” following Unleavened Bread, Leviticus 23:11 schedules First Fruits, the feast for acknowledging the fertility of the land He gave the Israelites. They were to bring the early crops of their spring planting and “wave the sheaf before the Lord.”

Understanding the Festival Ceremony

When the standing ripe harvest of barley and wheat was ready to be reaped one sheaf from the standing harvest was brought to the priest. The lone sheaf was called “the sheaf of the first fruits.” The priest was then to take this one sheaf and wave it before the Lord in His house. (Where His Presence was in The Temple in Jerusalem.) This was to be done “the day after the sabbath.” Prescribed offerings were also to be presented along with the sheaf.

The Sheaf of First Fruits in the Bible

God commanded the people to bring a sheaf of the harvest (Leviticus [Vayikra] 23:10). The Hebrew word for “sheaf” is omer.

Just what is the “wave sheaf” offering, anyway? The original Hebrew word translated “sheaf” is omer. This word means “a heap” or “sheaf”, a dry measure. Says Gesenius Hebrew Chaldee Lexicon, it means “a measure of dry things, containing the tenth part of an ephah.” An omer, according to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, held about 5.1 pints.

Though one ephah, or ten omers, of barley was cut down, only one omer of flour, or about 5.1 pints of our measure, was offered in the Temple on the second Paschal, or 16th day of Nisan

This is a WHOLE SHEAF of barley — consisting of 5.1 pints, or a little over two quarts, at least! How many individual “grains” of barley would that be? There are multiple thousands of barley grains in one omer. The “omer” then was not one grain, or the grain from one plant, but many barley plants — many grains!

Three times a year God commanded the people to come to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) to celebrate the festivals of Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot).

All three of these festivals are agricultural harvest festivals. Passover (Pesach) is the barley harvest. Pentecost (Shavuot) is the wheat harvest. Both of these festivals are first fruits harvests before the final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot), which is the fruit harvest.

The harvest represents all who would put their faith, trust, and confidence (emunah) in the Messiah Yeshua (Matthew [Mattityahu] 13:39; Mark 4:26-29; Luke 10:1-12; Revelation 14:14-16). So, the sheaf is the first of the first fruits. Since a sheaf in the Bible is used to typify a person or persons (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:5-11), a sheaf seems to spiritually represent people who accept the Messiah into their hearts both Israelite and gentile.

The nation of Israel was familiar with the concept of first fruits or the firstborn. The first fruits were always the choicest, the foremost, the first, the best, the preeminent of all that was to follow.

They were holy to the Lord.

The concept of first fruits or firstborn is a major theme in the Bible. This can be seen by the following Scriptures: Exodus (Shemot) 23:16,19: 34:26; Lev. (Vayikra) 2:12,14; 23:20; Numbers (Bamidbar) 18:12-15,26; Deut. (Devarim) 18:1-5; 26:2-4,10; 2 Chronicles 31:5; Nehemiah 10:35-39; Proverbs (Mishlai) 3:9; Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 2:3; Ezekiel (Yechezekel) 44:30; 48:14; Malachi 3:8-14; Hebrews 6:20; 7:1-8.

The Seventeenth of Nisan — Resurrection and Salvation

The theme of the festival of First Fruits is resurrection and salvation. There are several important events that happened on this day in the Bible.

Noah’s (Noach) ark rests on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).

Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus [Shemot] 3:18; 5:3; 14).

Israel eats the first fruits of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10-12)..

Haman is defeated (Esther 3:1-6

The resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah (John 12:24; 1 Corinthians 15:16-20).

Yeshua celebrated the festival of First Fruits by offering Himself as the first fruits to all future generations (Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:52-53).

Jesus/Yeshua The First Fruits of the Barley Harvest

Jesus/Yeshua is the firstborn of Miryam (Mary) (Matthew 1:23-25).

Jesus/Yeshua is the first-begotten of G-d the Father (Hebrews 1:6).

Jesus/Yeshua is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).

Jesus/Yeshua is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5)

Jesus/Yeshua is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).

Jesus/Yeshua is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Cor.15:20,23)

Jesus/Yeshua is the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14).

Jesus/Yeshua is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18).    

Jesus/Yeshua indeed the Most Holy One of God and is sanctified by the Father.

Jesus/Yeshua is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both the firstborn of God and the first fruits unto God.

Jesus/Yeshua is the sheaf of the first fruits.

First Fruits Is Prophetic
 of the Resurrection of the Messiah

The festival of the sheaf of the first fruits is prophetic of the resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua.

Jesus/Yeshua prophesied that He would rise after He was slain on the tree (Matthew [Mattityahu 12:38-40; 16:21; Luke 24:44-46).

This was foreshadowed to happen in the Tanach (Old Testament) by type and shadow (Genesis [Bereishit] 22:1-6; Exodus [Shemot] 3:18; 5:3; 8:27; Esther 4:15-17; Jonah 1:7; 2:1-2).

Jesus/Yeshua arose from the grave on the seventeenth of Nisan, the day of the festival of First Fruits. This day would be the day after the weekly sabbath during the week of Passover (Mark 16:1-6). In fact, Jesus/Yeshua is called the first fruits of those who rise from the dead.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, after that those who are Christs’ at His coming (1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NAS).

It was prophesied that Jesus/Yeshua, the Messiah, would be buried in the tomb of the rich (Isaiah [Yeshayahu] 53:9; Matthew [Mattityahu] 27:57; Luke 23:51). Why was Jesus/Yeshua placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea? Arimathea was another name for Ramah, where Samuel dwelt. It is five miles north of Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In fact, this place is still called Ramah today. In ancient times, it was customary for Jews to be buried in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim). In fact, this practice is still done today because it is a traditional belief in Judaism that the resurrection of the dead will take place in Jerusalem

“For Christ, OUR PASSOVER also has been sacrificed. LET US therefore CELEBRATE THE FEAST, not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the UNLEAVENED BREAD of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

The way the feast days were set up by the Lord, the chief priests would have to offer up the sheaf of the first fruits of the harvest with a torn Veil.

Later they would hear that the Lord Jesus resurrected on the day of first fruits and would have to look at and eat unleavened bread up until the day they crucified him.

At the moment of Jesus death the veil in the temple was torn in two!

It must have made them think.

“On the morrow after the Sabbath” following Unleavened Bread, Leviticus 23:11 schedules First Fruits, the feast for acknowledging the fertility of the land He gave the Israelites.

They were to bring the early crops of their spring planting and “wave the sheaf before the Lord.”

The Spiritual Understanding of First Fruits

Spiritual Application (Halacha). A sheaf in the Bible is used to typify a person or persons (Genesis [Bereishit] 37:5-11). Yeshua will return to earth (Zechariah 14:4) during His second coming as King over all the earth. He also will bring the sheaves (the believers in Yeshua as the Messiah) with Him (Psalm (Tehillim) 126; Jeremiah (Yermiyahu) 31:9-14; Joel 3:11-13; Zechariah 14:3-5; Matthew [Mattityahu] 13:37-39; Mark 4:26-29; Hebrews 12:1; Jude 14; Revelation 1:7).

The 144,000 Jewish witnesses who witness of Yeshua during the Chevlai shel Mashiach, the birthpangs of the Messiah (also known as the tribulation/Jacobs trouble) are first fruits to God during the tribulation (Revelation 14:1-4).

Because of the blood covenant God made with Abraham when God asked if he was willing to sacrifice his only son so then reciprocally God was able to offer His only Son for everyone who will believe.

The modern church has come to call this feast “Easter,” named after Ishtar, the pagan goddess of fertility. In searching the Scriptures there is no reference to Easter as their name in the text, only to Passover Seder. Luke 22:1–24.

So here is a Brief explanation and meaning: In the fourth century 196A.D. the church leaders for various reasons brought about the changes by introducing Easter which was the celebration of the fertility goddess Ishtar in Syria and Babylon. (Todays Iraq.)

The name Ishtar was written in Greek as Istar because there is no’sh’ sound in the Greek language. Also the Greek and Latin letters for the letter I are pronounced EE, Istar became Easter when spelt with English letters. The celebration of Ishtar brought with it symbols of reproduction example eggs and rabbits. This was done to separate from Jewish groups and to make it easier for heathens to become ‘Christians’, by letting them retain the pagan customs.

The First Fruits celebration was to be over God’s replanting of the earth in the spring. It quickly became traditional and could be seen as something to be thought about in light of Jesus’s comment in Mark 7:13

‘Thus you are nullifying and making void and of no effect [the authority of] the Word of God through your tradition, which you [in turn] hand on. And many things of this kind you are doing.’

Rabbits and eggs are not bad in themselves but we know only the sacrifice of Jesus will bring salvation, indeed Jesus became our Passover Lamb and was raised from the dead on First Fruits.

And today these spring feasts celebrate that which actually occurred and also eventually, the resurrection of the entire Body of Jesus our Messiah when He returns as King! For He is neither in a crib nor on the cross or in a grave for..