Steadfast
02-16-2007, 04:09 PM
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
With the Memorial around the corner, I thought it might be refreshing to consider the following:
The festivals under the Mosaic Law Covenant were important events and are prophetic of so many things that occurred/will occur under the New Covenant. One of these is the Festival of First Fruits that pointed to Christ.
Here is some interesting information taken from Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah:
The fifteenth of Nisan begins Hag HaMatzah (the Feast of Unleavened Bread). It is a seven-day feast to the Lord. The day following the sabbath during Passover is called the Feast of the First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10-11).
The feast of First Fruits can be found in Leviticus 23:9-14, as it is written:
"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. 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 ..'
My comment: Interesting point that a male lamb, without defect, would also be offered on the same day.
Understanding the Festival Ceremony
The observance was carried out in this manner: When the standing ripe harvest of barley and wheat was ready to be reaped, the celebrant would take one sheaf from the standing harvest and bring it 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. This was done 'the day after the sabbath.'
There are three festival agricultural harvest festivals that God commanded the people to keep at Jerusalem. They are Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) and Tabernacles (Sukkot). Passover is the barley harvest. Pentecost is the wheat harvest. Both of these are first fruits harvests before the final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the festival of Tabernacles, which is the fruit harvest.
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 Seventeenth of Nisan Resurrection and Salvation
The theme of the festival of First Fruits is resurrection and salvation. Several important events happened on this day in the Bible.
1. Noah's ark rests on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).
2. Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus 3:18; 5:3,14).
3. Israel eats the first fruits of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10-12) .Manna.
4. Haman is defeated (Esther 3:1-6) who is a type of the false Messiah.
5. The resurrection of Jesus (Yeshua), the Messiah (John 12:24; 1 Corinthians 15:16-20).
Jesus celebrated the festival of First Fruits by offering Himself as the first fruits to all future generations (Matthew 27:52-53).
Jesus is the First Fruits of the Barley Harvest
1. Jesus is the firstborn of Mary (Matthew 1:23-25).
Matthew 1:23-25 (NWT) Look! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, which means, when translated, 'With Us Is God.'
2. Jesus is the first-begotten of God the Father (Hebrews 1:6).
Hebrews 1:6 (Murdock) And again, when bringing the first begotten into the world, he said: Let all the angels of God worship him.
3. Jesus is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).
Colossians 1:15 (King James) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn<sup></sup> of every creature.
4. Jesus is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5).
Revelation 1:5 (DRB) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood
5. Jesus is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).
Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
6. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Corinthians 15:20,23).
1 Corinthians 15:20, 23 (ASV) But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.
7. Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14).
Revelation 3:14 (DRB) And to the angel of the church of Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, who is the beginning of the creation of God.
8. Jesus is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18).
Colossians 1:18 (LITV) And He is the Head of the body, the assembly, who is the Beginning, the First-born out of the dead, that He be preeminent in all things.
Jesus is indeed the Most Holy One of God and is sanctified by the Father. Yeshua is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both firstborn of God and the first fruits unto God. Jesus is the sheaf of the first fruits.
Love, :Love:
Steadfast
With the Memorial around the corner, I thought it might be refreshing to consider the following:
The festivals under the Mosaic Law Covenant were important events and are prophetic of so many things that occurred/will occur under the New Covenant. One of these is the Festival of First Fruits that pointed to Christ.
Here is some interesting information taken from Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah:
The fifteenth of Nisan begins Hag HaMatzah (the Feast of Unleavened Bread). It is a seven-day feast to the Lord. The day following the sabbath during Passover is called the Feast of the First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10-11).
The feast of First Fruits can be found in Leviticus 23:9-14, as it is written:
"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. 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 ..'
My comment: Interesting point that a male lamb, without defect, would also be offered on the same day.
Understanding the Festival Ceremony
The observance was carried out in this manner: When the standing ripe harvest of barley and wheat was ready to be reaped, the celebrant would take one sheaf from the standing harvest and bring it 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. This was done 'the day after the sabbath.'
There are three festival agricultural harvest festivals that God commanded the people to keep at Jerusalem. They are Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot) and Tabernacles (Sukkot). Passover is the barley harvest. Pentecost is the wheat harvest. Both of these are first fruits harvests before the final harvest that was to come at the end of the year during the festival of Tabernacles, which is the fruit harvest.
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 Seventeenth of Nisan Resurrection and Salvation
The theme of the festival of First Fruits is resurrection and salvation. Several important events happened on this day in the Bible.
1. Noah's ark rests on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).
2. Israel crosses the Red Sea (Exodus 3:18; 5:3,14).
3. Israel eats the first fruits of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10-12) .Manna.
4. Haman is defeated (Esther 3:1-6) who is a type of the false Messiah.
5. The resurrection of Jesus (Yeshua), the Messiah (John 12:24; 1 Corinthians 15:16-20).
Jesus celebrated the festival of First Fruits by offering Himself as the first fruits to all future generations (Matthew 27:52-53).
Jesus is the First Fruits of the Barley Harvest
1. Jesus is the firstborn of Mary (Matthew 1:23-25).
Matthew 1:23-25 (NWT) Look! The virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son, and they will call his name Immanuel, which means, when translated, 'With Us Is God.'
2. Jesus is the first-begotten of God the Father (Hebrews 1:6).
Hebrews 1:6 (Murdock) And again, when bringing the first begotten into the world, he said: Let all the angels of God worship him.
3. Jesus is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).
Colossians 1:15 (King James) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn<sup></sup> of every creature.
4. Jesus is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5).
Revelation 1:5 (DRB) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood
5. Jesus is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).
Romans 8:29 (ESV) For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
6. Jesus is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Corinthians 15:20,23).
1 Corinthians 15:20, 23 (ASV) But now hath Christ been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of them that are asleep. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ's, at his coming.
7. Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God (Revelation 3:14).
Revelation 3:14 (DRB) And to the angel of the church of Laodicea write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, who is the beginning of the creation of God.
8. Jesus is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18).
Colossians 1:18 (LITV) And He is the Head of the body, the assembly, who is the Beginning, the First-born out of the dead, that He be preeminent in all things.
Jesus is indeed the Most Holy One of God and is sanctified by the Father. Yeshua is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both firstborn of God and the first fruits unto God. Jesus is the sheaf of the first fruits.
Love, :Love:
Steadfast