God's Calendar - The Feast of the First Fruits

The feast of firstfruits is the third of the special feast listed in Leviticus 23. We have already studied two aspects of this particular feast, recorded here in Leviticus 23:9-14. First of all, we've learned to give God our best. At the beginning of the harvest, they took a sheaf, presented it to God, in token that the whole harvest belonged to him.

Secondly, we discovered that the feast of Firstfruits pictures to us the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This event took place on the day after the Sabbath following Passover, which means it was on the first day of the week. Our Lord Jesus arose from the dead on the first day of the week. 1 Corinthians 15:20, but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. There is going to come a day when Jesus will return, and he's going to call to himself those who have trusted him. Now, some of God's people have died, many of God's people have died. The body has been buried in the ground like a seed, but one day there's going to be the harvest. He has completely conquered death, and one day there's going to be a glorious reunion with our Savior and with those who have gone before.

Now there are two other practical lessons that we want to learn from this feast of the firstfruits. The third one is this: We have the assurance of heaven. Now that's important. We know we are going to heaven because the Holy Spirit of God is the firstfruits in the life of the believer. Romans 8:22-23. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our body.

In Romans 8, Paul is writing about victory, telling us how to walk in victory. And he admits that there is suffering in this world. Verse 18 of Romans 8, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. You see, God does not take away suffering. In fact, being a Christian could intensify suffering. Rather, he transforms suffering. He says the suffering that we endure today is going to usher in glory when Jesus Christ comes back. All of creation is groaning, groaning and travailing in pain. This, of course, is the result of sin. There was a time when all of creation was just glorifying God and praising God, but then man sinned, God cursed the ground, and creation, ever since the fall of man, has been in travail and pain. When is this going to end? It's going to end when Jesus Christ comes. We're waiting, along with creation, we are waiting for the adoption, that is the redemption of our body.

When you trusted Christ as your Savior, your spirit was redeemed. You were set free from the guilt and the penalty of sin. As you walk with the Lord, you experience even greater freedom, the freedom of obedience, the freedom of glorifying God. But one of these days, the body is going to be redeemed. Now, meanwhile, what do we do? Is this just pie in the sky by and by? Is this some sort of a religious sedative that we take? We are suffering, we're going through difficulty, and we just simply say, "Well, the Lord's going to come back someday," and so I'll look ahead.

Well, there's more to it than that. Romans 8:23 tells me that we have the firstfruits of the Spirit. We're told in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 that the Holy Spirit has sealed us, and the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. Firstfruits of the Spirit simply means the Holy Spirit today is the beginning of the harvest. Now, many of us are enjoying, I trust, the fruit of the Spirit, not just the firstfruits of the Spirit, but the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians 5, love and joy and peace, and that whole beautiful cluster of spiritual graces. The firstfruits of the Spirit simply means what the Holy Spirit is doing now is a foretaste of heaven.

The Lord Jesus has not returned yet. We are not in heaven yet. We are going through times of suffering and difficulty, problems, concerns. What is the answer? The answer is the firstfruits of the Spirit. Now you and I are looking forward to going to heaven. Does it mean we're going to hasten the process by not taking care of ourselves? No, that would be that would be sinning. But we are looking forward to Jesus coming back and taking us to himself. We see so much trouble and turmoil in this world. You say, "Well, brother Wiersbe, you're an escapist." No, I'm not. While I'm in this world, I'm enjoying the firstfruits of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ. That's what he's going to do in heaven someday. And so right now I can experience the glory of Christ. The Holy Spirit of God enables us in our praise and worship. We're going to worship the Lord in heaven, and the Holy Spirit enables us to do that now. The Holy Spirit of God enables us to fellowship with God's people. The love of the Holy Spirit draws us together. And in heaven, we're going to fellowship together. There may be somebody in your church you don't want to talk to. You bypass them, you avoid them. Well, you can't avoid them in heaven. Better learn to get along with them here on earth as much as possible. The Holy Spirit of God gives to us a foretaste of heaven. He is the firstfruits in our lives. And so as you walk with the Lord, and as the Holy Spirit of God ministers to you, you enjoy heaven on earth. And that makes it possible for us to overcome suffering and pain and bereavement and trial. Instead of complaining, we rejoice and look forward to seeing all of this suffering one day turned into glory.

Finally, the believer is a part of the firstfruits. In Romans 16:5, we read these words: Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. The assemblies in Rome met in various house groups. Greet my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Asia unto Christ. Did you know that when you were saved, you became firstfruits? In James 1:18, we read: Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. When you were saved, you became firstfruits. What does that mean? You are the beginning of the harvest.

You see, when he called his friend Epaenetus the firstfruits of Asia, he's saying this: we won this person to Jesus Christ, but that was only the beginning. He turned around and he won other people to the Savior. You see, you and I are saved that we might increase the harvest. Our Lord Jesus met a wicked woman at a well one day. The record is in John 4. And he won her to salvation. She became the firstfruits. Because she went back into the city, she bore witness of her faith in Christ, and lo and behold, the whole city turned out to hear the Lord Jesus, and many of them trusted him as Savior. They begged him to stay and teach them more of the word of God. You see that woman was the firstfruits. She was the beginning of the harvest.

You say, "I'm the only saint, I'm the only believer in my family." Well, that's an opportunity, isn't it? You are the firstfruits, the harvest ought to follow. You say, "I'm the only believer in my my factory or in my office, or in my school." Well, that's an opportunity for you. You are the firstfruits, and the harvest is supposed to follow. The thing for us to do is just to give ourselves to the Lord. Just like that Old Testament priest, he took those firstfruits and waved them unto the Lord in dedication. We ought to give ourselves to the Lord and say, "Now, Lord, I'm just the firstfruits. There are no other Christians in my office, no other Christians in my family or my school or my neighborhood. But you help me, please, to be a witness that I might win others. I want to be the firstfruits, leading to the harvest." He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. I know it's not easy to be the only Christian in your office, or the only Christian on your campus, or in your neighborhood. It's not easy, but it's a great opportunity to see God work in and through you to bring a harvest.

This then is the meaning of the feast of the firstfruits. God deserves our very best. Give him the best, not the leftovers. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the firstfruits of them that slept, and one day he shall return and claim his harvest. He has conquered sin and death, and we belong to him.

The feast of Pentecost is the fourth of the special events recorded in Leviticus 23. 50 days following firstfruits, the day of Pentecost or the feast of Pentecost occurred. You'll find the record in Leviticus 23:15-22. And ye shall count unto you from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering, seven Sabbaths shall be complete. Even unto the next day after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number 50 days. The word Pentecost means 50. And ye shall offer a new meal offering unto the Lord.

Let's pause at this point. You'll notice that it was the 50th day, and this would put it on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day. If you're counting seven Sabbaths, and the next day after that Sabbath, you're going to be on the first day of the week, the Lord's Day. The feast of firstfruits commemorates our Lord Jesus raised from the dead on the first day of the week, and the feast of Pentecost commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first day of the week. By his resurrection and by his sending of the Holy Spirit, our Lord has consecrated the first day of the week in a very special way.

Now you'll notice in verse 16 of Leviticus 23, that the priest was to offer a new meal offering. You see, the experience of Pentecost brought into the world something new, the church. God had always had his people on this earth, no question about that. But the church is a very special people. Jesus said, "I will build my church." And we're going to see how special the church really is. Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenths parts. He goes on to explain that they shall have fine flour, baked with leaven. This is rather interesting, because the Jews were not to bring their offerings with leaven. We discovered that leaven is a type or a picture of sin. And yet these two loaves were to be baked with leaven. Also, a number of sacrifices were to be offered.

Of course, all of this is a picture of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The burnt offering pictures complete consecration. He gave himself completely. The sin offering, of course, speaks of our Lord Jesus dying for our sins. And the peace offering, the fact that Jesus through his death has made peace with God. Well, all of this was to be presented to the Lord, and they had a holy convocation on that particular day.

Now, of course, the fulfillment of all of this is in Acts 2, the coming of the Holy Spirit of God at Pentecost. And if you put together Acts 2 and Leviticus 23, you'll see some beautiful lessons about the Holy Spirit of God. First of all, we want to notice that the Holy Spirit came. Now, this is the interesting thing about Pentecost, the unique thing about it. The Holy Spirit came. That's his first activity at Pentecost. Acts 2, and when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they, meaning the apostles and the other believers, were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

First of all, the Spirit came. Now, this does not mean that the Holy Spirit had not ministered on earth before Pentecost. The Holy Spirit of God worked in creation, Genesis 1, the Spirit of God brooded upon the face of the waters. The Holy Spirit of God empowered men of God to do service. The Holy Spirit came upon Samson. The Holy Spirit came upon different men of God, judges and kings and warriors and workers to accomplish his purposes. And of course, the Holy Spirit of God had worked in the life of Christ. So the Holy Spirit of God had ministered in creation, had ministered in the history of the Jewish nation, had ministered in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. But now the Holy Spirit of God was going to come in a very new and special way.

In John 14, our Lord Jesus tells us about this new and special ministry. Verse 16: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. You'll notice this is an interesting statement: he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. The Holy Spirit dwelled with the apostles in the person of Jesus Christ.

But now, says the Lord Jesus, it's all going to be different. First of all, he's going to live in you. The Holy Spirit of God who has been dwelling with you and empowering you and enabling you is now going to dwell in you. Secondly, this dwelling is going to be permanent. You see, the Holy Spirit of God had come upon men temporarily in the Old Testament era. He would come upon someone for a special work, and then he could depart. And someone may say, "Well, why did the Holy Spirit do all of this sooner?" Because God has his calendar.

Now here's the explanation. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified. You see, God has his timetable. First, the Lamb was slain, that's Passover. Then the Lamb raised from the dead, that's the feast of firstfruits. Now, 50 days later, the Lord Jesus Christ sends the Holy Spirit. He could not send the Holy Spirit until he was glorified. And of course, he could not be glorified until he was crucified. And so his glorification involved being crucified, being buried, being raised from the dead, and then ascending back to heaven that he might send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came, and he came right on schedule.

Now secondly, the Holy Spirit baptized. We hear a great deal these days about the baptism of the Holy Spirit of God. In Acts 1:4-5, we read these words: And being assembled together with them, Jesus commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John, meaning John the Baptist, truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. This promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. And John the Baptist announced that the Lord Jesus Christ, who was greater than John, would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Would you notice that Jesus said nothing about the baptism of fire? John the Baptist had said he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Now, my own personal conviction is that baptism of fire is a future baptism of judgment that's going to come upon this earth for those who have rejected the Savior. Our Lord said nothing in Acts 1 about a baptism of fire, but he did talk about the Holy Spirit baptizing the believers. Now this baptism is important, or it would not be found in all four gospels and also in the book of Acts.

Now literally, the word baptize means to submerge, to immerse, but figuratively it means to be identified with. And the Holy Spirit, when he came at Pentecost, identified the believers with their glorified Head, the Lord Jesus, and formed the body which is the church. Now, there had already been believers on earth, we know that. The apostles were there, there were 120 in the upper room. But they had not yet been united in a spiritual unity. So the Spirit baptized, this meant that the believers were united in a spiritual unity, identified with their glorified Savior in heaven.

Now this explains why at Pentecost, the priest brought two wave loaves. You see, at firstfruits, they brought a sheaf, individual grains. But at Pentecost, these grains had been ground, they had been made into flour, they had been baked into two loaves, and they had leaven in these loaves. Now, of course, the loaves speak of the corporate body, the church. Not individual grains. Sheaves at firstfruits, loaves at Pentecost. Because now the believers had been united.

Well, why two? Because you'll find in the book of Acts that in chapter 2, the Jews were baptized into the body of Christ, and in chapter 10, the Gentiles were baptized into the body of Christ. This baptism experience covered several years because the Jews at Pentecost were baptized, the believers, and then the Gentiles in Acts 10. Why was there leaven in these loaves? Because there's sin in the church. The church is not perfect. God recognizes the fact that there is leaven, there is sin in the church. There are some of you who think that because the church is not perfect, you're going to stay away from it. You've heard the old saying, "Well, I'm not going to go to church, there are hypocrites in the church." And the answer is, "Well, there's room for one more." None of us is perfect. The church is not made up of perfect people, the church is made up of imperfect people on their way to heaven. And so at Pentecost, the church was born, and we are a part of that wonderful fellowship because we have trusted Christ as our Savior.