The Firstfruits

The rapture is the harvest of the firstfruits. “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” Read James 1:18 and Rev. 14:4. The firstfruits are spared the dark nights and severe storms of autumn. The firstfruits are the finest fruits. Actually it is Jesus who is the firstfruits. “But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” 1 Cor. 15:23.

This agrees with the pattern we have in the old covenant. “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.’” Read Leviticus 23:10-17.

This was the Passover feast, and Jesus is the first sheaf, the firstfruits of God’s plan of salvation. He consecrated the new way and is our Forerunner, having entered within the veil. He is the firstborn among many brethren. Rom. 8:29. “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.” Heb. 1:5. Jesus was truly a wave offering. He was set free from the earth and people. He was waved before His Father’s countenance.

The Jews were to count seven weeks from the Passover until Pentecost. Then they were to present to the Lord an offering of the new grain. “You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.” Lev. 23:16-17.

On the day of Pentecost, the 120 were in the upper room, and we can say that, in a manner of speaking, they were waved before the Lord. Just as the fine flour was a fruit of the sheaf, so these people were a fruit of Jesus’ finished work. They were the firstfruits. However, the firstfruits will not be completely ripe until the rapture, because the fine flour was first to be baked with leaven making two wave loaves—the Jews and the Gentiles.

Leaven usually represents sin; but the kingdom of heaven is also likened to leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it was all leavened. Matt. 13:33. The old leaven must be cleansed out so that we can become a new lump of dough, because Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed. 1 Cor. 5:7-8. There could be no leaven in the house at the time of the Passover. “For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.” Ex. 12:15.

Jesus purged out the old leaven. In Him, God condemned sin in the flesh. Rom. 8:3. The old man was crucified with Him. The leaven, the manifestations of the old man, had to cease. A new era had begun. This is why the month Abib was to be the first month of the year for the Jews. Ex. 12:2. Now they had to eat unleavened bread for seven days, which is why Jesus said to the apostles, “But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49. They had to wait for the new leaven to work. The old leaven was cleansed out, and now they had to wait quietly in prayer until they received the promise. There they were on the day of Pentecost, and Jesus endued them with power from on high. They were filled with the new leaven—the Holy Spirit—and now they could begin to work. Now the flour could be baked with leaven until it was completely leavened. This applies to each individual’s salvation as he partakes more and more of divine nature, as well as to all those who will be a part of the bride. When this work is finished, the day will come when those who have fallen asleep in Christ will arise first, and we who are alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the clouds. Then all three measures of flour—spirit, soul, and body—will be thoroughly leavened. 1 Thess. 5:23. They have become two wave loaves—free from the earth and from people—firstfruits for God and the Lamb.

This work is still not finished, which is why the Lord has not yet come. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us.” “Consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation,” and let us hasten the coming of the day of the Lord by holy conduct and godliness. 2 Pet. 3:9-15.