The observance of the early First Fruits and Yom HaBikkurim
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The fifteenth of Nisan begins Hag HaMatzah (the Feast of Unleavened Bread), which is a high sabbath, a shabbaton. It is a seven day feast to YHWH. The day following the sabbath during Passover is when we observe the early First Fruits, and start counting the omer...
(Leviticus 23:10-11).
The Feast of First Fruits can be found in Leviticus (Vayikra) 23:9-14, as it is written:
Then the YHWH 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 YHWH 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 YHWH. Its grain offering shall then be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil an offering by fire to the YHWH 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 Elohim , 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' " ~Leviticus 23:9-14
Yeshua Is the First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10-11).
The Feast of First Fruits can be found in Leviticus (Vayikra) 23:9-14, as it is written:
Then the YHWH 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 YHWH 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 YHWH. Its grain offering shall then be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil an offering by fire to the YHWH 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 Elohim , 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' " ~Leviticus 23:9-14
- Yeshua is the firstborn of Miryam (Mary) (Matthew 1:23-25).
- Yeshua is the first-begotten of YHWH the Father (Hebrews 1:6).
- Yeshua is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15).
- Yeshua is the first-begotten from the dead (Revelation 1:5).
- Yeshua is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).
- Yeshua is the first fruits of the resurrected ones (1 Corinthians 15:20,23).
- Yeshua is the beginning of the creation of YHWH (Revelation 3:14).
- Yeshua is the preeminent One (Colossians 1:18).
Yeshua is indeed the Most Holy One of YHWH and is sanctified by the Father. Yeshua is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both the firstborn of YHWH and the first fruits unto YHWH. Yeshua is the sheaf of the first fruits.
The festival of the sheaf of the first fruits is prophetic of the resurrection of Yeshua. Yeshua prophesied that He would rise three days and nights 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).
Since Yeshua was slain on the tree on the day of Passover (Pesach), the fourteenth of Nisan, and He arose from the grave three days and nights after He was slain, 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, Yeshua is called the first fruits of those who rise from the dead.
But now Messiah 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 Messiah all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits, after that those who are Messiah's at His coming.
~1 Corinthians 15:20-23~
- Yeshua first loved us, and He is to be our first love ~1 John 4:9; Revelation 2:4
- Yeshua is the first (Aleph) and the last (Tav) ~Revelation 1:8,11,17; 22:13; Isaiah 41:4; 44:6; 48:12
- Yeshua was alive the first day of the week ~Mark 16:1-6
- Yeshua was the first to rise from the dead ~Acts 26:23
Messiah's resurrection is worthy of celebration. His raising from the dead marks a pivotal point in history, and has nothing to do with eggs nor bunnies...
As the weekend of this festival approaches, there will be many who will celebrate something, possibly the resurrection of our Messiah. I believe we would do well to remember this special day that speaks of mankind's greatest hope!
Father, I pray you would teach me to celebrate it based o its shadow beginning, as described in Torah. (Lev. 23:10-15, Colossians 2:17, Hebrews 10:1) I have much to learn about this most important day... Yom HaBikkurim, The Day of First Fruits... please, keep me teachable, as You create in me a pure heart, a heart that longs to worship and obey You in Spirit and Truth... Your ways, not my own ways! Please, grant us your grace and mercy to be firmly rooted in You, that we might be built up, healthy, established in the faith... as we desire to become Your Bride... Have Your ways in our hearts and homes this most wonderfully filled with hope weekend... may we seek Your face, and continue to run the race with steady, unwavering feet, as we walk in Your truth!
