Wave the Offering..

The textbook I'm using is Edward Chumney's book entitled, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah (Treasure House, Sixth Printing 2003). We begin now with a brief introduction. Introduction: The 15th of Nisan begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is a high Sabbath. It is a seven-day feast to the Lord. The day following the Sabbath during Passover is called the Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:10-11). Understanding the Festival Ceremony: 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 to be done "the day after the Sabbath." Prescribed offerings were also to be presented along with the sheaf. The Sheaf of First Fruits in the Bible God commanded the people to bring a sheaf of the harvest. The Hebrew word for "sheaf" is omer. An omer is defined as "a measure of dry things, containing a tenth part of an ephah." The definition of an omer being a tenth part of an ephah is found in Exodus 16:36. An ephah contains 10 omers of grain. Remember three times a year God commanded the people to come to Jerusalem to celebrate the festivals of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. All three of these festivals are agricultural harvest festivals. Passover is the barley harvest. Pentecost is the wheat harvest. Both of these festivals 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 harvest represents all who would put their faith, trust, and confidence in the Messiah. So, the sheaf is the first of the first fruits. Since a sheaf in the Bible is used to typify a person or persons (Genesis 37:5-11), a sheaf spiritually represents people who accept the Messiah into their hearts. 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 of all that was to follow. They were holy to the Lord. The concept of first fruits or firstborn is a major theme in the Bible. Everything on the earth, both man and beasts, was to be presented before the Lord as first fruits to Him. 1. The firstborn of both man and beast were sanctifies and presented to the Lord (Exodus 13:2). 2. The first fruits of all the earth were presented to the Lord at His altar in praise and thanksgiving (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). The 17th of Nisan--Resurrection and Salvation The theme of the festival of First Fruits is resurrection and salvation. There are several important events that 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). 3. Israel eats the first fruits of the Promised Land (Joshua 5:10-12). 4. Haman is defeated (Esther 3:1-6). 5. The resurrection of Jesus or Yeshua, the Messiah (Jon 12:24). Jesus celebrated the festival of First Fruits by offering Himself as the first fruits to all future generations (Matthew 27:52-53). Yesuah is the first fruits of the Barley Harvest He is the firstborn of Mary. He is the first-begotten of God the Father. He is the firstborn of every creature. He is the first-begotten from the dead. He is the firstborn of many brethren. He is the first fruits of the resurrected ones. He is the beginning of the creation of God. He is the preeminent One. Jesus is indeed the Most Holy One of God and is sanctified by the Father. He is the first, the choicest, the preeminent One. He is both the firstborn of God and the first fruits unto God. Jesus is the sheaf of the first fruits. Since Jesus was slain on the tree on the day of Passover, the 14th of Nisan, and He arose from the grave three days and nights after He was slain, Jesus arose from the grave on the 17th of Nisan, the day of the festival of First Fruits. In fact, Jesus is called the first fruits of those who rise from the dead. Tid bits of info Isaiah 53:9--Jesus would be buried in the tomb of the rich. Why was Jesus placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea? Arimathaea was another name for Ramah, the city of Samuel--prophet priest and judge of Israel. Ramah is FIVE miles N of Jerusalem. It's still called Ramah to this present day. In ancient times it was customary for Jews to be buried in Jerusalem. In fact, this practice is still done today because it is a traditional belief in Judaism that the resurrection of the dead will take place in Jerusalem first. In the book of Genesis, Joseph the son of Jacob, made the children of Israel take a vow that when they went to the Promised Land, they would carry his bones with them. Ramah was term that represented idolatry. Two countries were called the seat of idolatry in the ancient world: Babylon and Egypt. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was also known as Joseph of Ramah. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him when he and the children of Israel journeyed to Succoth. Therefore, Joseph's tomb in Egypt was empty. The empty tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea (Ramah), which stood for wickedness, was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9. Keep the faith. Stay the course, dear saint. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, is coming a second time, not as a Lamb but as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. For Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Pastor T.