Firstfruits

Dear Brethren,

Pentecost is a picture of the Church coming into spiritual perfection.  Pentecost pictures us, the firstfruits, imbued with God's Holy Spirit.  It shows the first spiritual harvest, the better resurrection that we are to be a part of.  Pentecost has a number of names - the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Firstfruits, and the Feast of Harvest.  Pentecost pictures the firstfruits who are being prepared for the Kingdom of God.

"And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labors, which thou hast sown in the field."  (Exodus 23:16)

When did Jesus Christ become the first of the firstfruits?  Was it instantly - when the Father, in exceeding great power, raised Jesus from the dead?  This is important to understand.  Jesus was not raised to Life until the completion of the Sabbath.  He became the first of the firstfruits when He ascended to His Father on the day after the Sabbath - and was accepted.  Some time transpired between being raised from death on Saturday evening, at the conclusion of the three days and three nights in the grave, and being accepted by His Father the next morning.  We are able to understand this timing and process by the instructions for the Wave Sheaf offering.  "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."  (1Corinthians 15:20)

Jesus Christ is the first of the firstfruits.  We, the called saints, are also to be firstfruits - also represented by the smaller spring grain harvest.  Those who will be in the second resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment are represented by the larger harvest of autumn - they are the latter-fruits.  We, the elect of this time, are to be the firstfruits of the first spiritual harvest into the Kingdom of God.  "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."   (James 1:18)

"And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."  (Romans 8:23)

The resurrection and acceptance of Jesus Christ came at an exact appointed time.  Our resurrection and presentation before the Father will also come at an appointed time.  The resurrection of Jesus and our resurrection are closely tied together.  Jesus' resurrection and Pentecost are closely tied together.  Have you ever wondered why we are told to "count fifty"?

"And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete.  Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days. "  (Leviticus 23:15-16)

In the Bible, the number "seven" stands for completion and perfection.  For example, God created the seven day week.  The Sabbath is the seventh day.   The millennium is the seventh one thousand year period, and so forth...  "Seven" is important in the plan of God.  But, let's go even further.  Seven times seven represents spiritual perfection.  The time period for Pentecost is complete after seven times seven weeks.

"Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou begin to put the sickle to the corn. [at the time of the wave sheaf] And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God..."   (Deuteronomy 16:9-10)

"And he [the priest] shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it."  (Leviticus 23:11)

Please notice the specific time we are commanded to begin counting.  "Begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou begin to put the sickle to the corn."  That was on a Sunday.  The priests could not put the sickle to the corn during the Sabbath.  Sunday is day # 1.  The days of the week are numbered exactly the same way every year.  The priests had to wait until the conclusion of the Sabbath - then they did two things:  They "put the sickle to the corn" and they began to "number the seven weeks".

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."  (Acts 2:1)

God  has told us to "count fifty" because this number and timing is highly significant.  Sunday is day # 50.  It is when the "seven times seven" is fully complete that the Feast of Pentecost is then observed on that fiftieth day.  Any time on the forty-ninth day would be too soon, because the seven weeks are not fully complete.  In the same way that the Wave Sheaf follows the Sabbath - Pentecost, in turn, follows the Sabbath.  Pentecost is a picture of God's called out people coming to spiritual perfection through the Holy Spirit - the first part of the spiritual harvest.

Pentecost consistently falls on a different date every year in accordance with the Scriptures shown above.  This wonderful picture is lost on the world - let's not have it lost on us, also.

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Sermon:	"Pentecost"
Sermon:	"Spirit of Pentecost"