Yom Habikkurim – First fruits
Importance: High
Mood: Hopeful
Background: It is sometimes transliterated Ch’ag HaBikkurim (festival of the firstborn). Jesus was Mary’s firstborn (Matthew 1:23-25). He is the first and only begotten of the Father (Hebrews 1:6). All the rest of us are adopted. Jesus is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15). He is the first born from the dead (Revelation 1:5). He is the firstborn of many brothers (Romans 8:29). He is the firstborn of the resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). He is the firstborn of creation (Revelation 3:14). Of course, we must consider Him the pre-eminent one! (Colossians 1:18) Yom Habikkurim is also sometimes called Reshit Katzir which literally means the “beginning of the harvest” but it is often called “Firstfruits”.
There is an Early Firstfruits and a Latter Firstfruits. The Early Firstfruits occurs the day following the Sabbath after Passover. The Latter Firstfruits occurs fifty days later and is usually known as Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost). The period between the two is when we count the omer. Since we already observe the Shavuot, when we refer to Yom Habikkurim, we are referring to the Early Firstfruits.
Because work was never prohibited on Firstfruits, some don’t consider it a “real” feast day. However, Yom Habikkurim is associated with miracles throughout the Bible. Other than Passover, no other feast is mentioned more than Yom Habikkurim.
Yom Habikkurim is closely associated with the counting of the omer. In fact another name for this feast is Sefirat ha Omer.
This is a fertility feast in that Hashem reminds us that He is the one who gives us the harvest.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that the Ark rested on Mt. Ararat, bringing Noah’s family safely through the flood (Genesis 8:4). Noah and his family were the first fruit of humanity; God’s promise to rebuild us through them.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that Israel crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14). Again with the water! Those escaping slaves represented the first fruits of a great nation to come.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that we ate the first fruits of Canaan after decades of the wilderness and eating manna (Joshua 5:10-12) promising many harvests to come in the land of milk and honey.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that Haman was defeated (Esther 3:1-6). In this sense, Haman prefigures our future escape from the wicked plots of the Antichrist. The 144,000 who stand as witnesses against the world that rejected Yahweh Melek are the firstfruits for God and the Lamb during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 14:1-4).
Yom HaBikkurim also represents the resurrection of our Master. Jesus rose the first day of the week. He was the "first" of the resurrection and of those who will rise. The Feast of Unleavened bread, having begun Wednesday evening, Thursday was a day of rest (the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread), and Friday was a normal working day. This is probably when the women would have prepared the spices to embalm the body of Jesus. However, the next day was an ordinary Sabbath (the first Sabbath after the Passover); they rested, and went to the tomb the morning of the first day of the week. But the first day of the week, (Sunday) had already begun the evening before, on Saturday evening. Jesus was already risen "early the first day of the week," the Sunday morning, when the women came to the tomb. To respect the "three days and three nights" in the tomb, the Lord would have had to have risen the end of the day Saturday, before the night. The gospels say: "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week" (Mark 16: 9). This does not necessarily mean he rose the morning of the first day of the week. However, that could mean he was already raised the first day of the week, when the women came to the tomb.
This SHOULD be when we celebrate Jesus being the first one to resurrect, bringing the promise of the resurrection of all believers in the future. Unfortunately, too many Christians have transferred this idea to the pagan Easter, named after the fertility goddess Ishtar. Instead of keeping the idea of God’s gift of ripe fields and gardens, the pagan version involved sex (i.e. rabbits and eggs).
Practice: We read about or explain the Messianic significance of Yom Habikkurim. We discuss all the various miracles or wonders that happened on this blessed day and draw parallels between them. We may read the resurrection story to our children from the Life of the Master. We read Ephesians 4:24; 5:1-2 and Galatians 2:20 and discuss what the Scriptures have to say about taking off the “old man” and putting on the “new”. We’ll hang up a page with fifty squares to help us count down the days to Shavuot. We might photocopy a small picture of a sheaf of wheat and have our youngest paste one on each square each day.
Biblical support: Exodus 13:2; 22:29; 34:26; Leviticus 23:10-11; Numbers 18:12-15; Deuteronomy 18:1-5; 26:2-4; Proverbs 3:9
Mood: Hopeful
Background: It is sometimes transliterated Ch’ag HaBikkurim (festival of the firstborn). Jesus was Mary’s firstborn (Matthew 1:23-25). He is the first and only begotten of the Father (Hebrews 1:6). All the rest of us are adopted. Jesus is the firstborn of every creature (Colossians 1:15). He is the first born from the dead (Revelation 1:5). He is the firstborn of many brothers (Romans 8:29). He is the firstborn of the resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23). He is the firstborn of creation (Revelation 3:14). Of course, we must consider Him the pre-eminent one! (Colossians 1:18) Yom Habikkurim is also sometimes called Reshit Katzir which literally means the “beginning of the harvest” but it is often called “Firstfruits”.
There is an Early Firstfruits and a Latter Firstfruits. The Early Firstfruits occurs the day following the Sabbath after Passover. The Latter Firstfruits occurs fifty days later and is usually known as Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost). The period between the two is when we count the omer. Since we already observe the Shavuot, when we refer to Yom Habikkurim, we are referring to the Early Firstfruits.
Because work was never prohibited on Firstfruits, some don’t consider it a “real” feast day. However, Yom Habikkurim is associated with miracles throughout the Bible. Other than Passover, no other feast is mentioned more than Yom Habikkurim.
Yom Habikkurim is closely associated with the counting of the omer. In fact another name for this feast is Sefirat ha Omer.
This is a fertility feast in that Hashem reminds us that He is the one who gives us the harvest.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that the Ark rested on Mt. Ararat, bringing Noah’s family safely through the flood (Genesis 8:4). Noah and his family were the first fruit of humanity; God’s promise to rebuild us through them.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that Israel crossed the Red Sea (Exodus 14). Again with the water! Those escaping slaves represented the first fruits of a great nation to come.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that we ate the first fruits of Canaan after decades of the wilderness and eating manna (Joshua 5:10-12) promising many harvests to come in the land of milk and honey.
It was on Yom Habikkurim that Haman was defeated (Esther 3:1-6). In this sense, Haman prefigures our future escape from the wicked plots of the Antichrist. The 144,000 who stand as witnesses against the world that rejected Yahweh Melek are the firstfruits for God and the Lamb during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 14:1-4).
Yom HaBikkurim also represents the resurrection of our Master. Jesus rose the first day of the week. He was the "first" of the resurrection and of those who will rise. The Feast of Unleavened bread, having begun Wednesday evening, Thursday was a day of rest (the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread), and Friday was a normal working day. This is probably when the women would have prepared the spices to embalm the body of Jesus. However, the next day was an ordinary Sabbath (the first Sabbath after the Passover); they rested, and went to the tomb the morning of the first day of the week. But the first day of the week, (Sunday) had already begun the evening before, on Saturday evening. Jesus was already risen "early the first day of the week," the Sunday morning, when the women came to the tomb. To respect the "three days and three nights" in the tomb, the Lord would have had to have risen the end of the day Saturday, before the night. The gospels say: "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week" (Mark 16: 9). This does not necessarily mean he rose the morning of the first day of the week. However, that could mean he was already raised the first day of the week, when the women came to the tomb.
This SHOULD be when we celebrate Jesus being the first one to resurrect, bringing the promise of the resurrection of all believers in the future. Unfortunately, too many Christians have transferred this idea to the pagan Easter, named after the fertility goddess Ishtar. Instead of keeping the idea of God’s gift of ripe fields and gardens, the pagan version involved sex (i.e. rabbits and eggs).
Practice: We read about or explain the Messianic significance of Yom Habikkurim. We discuss all the various miracles or wonders that happened on this blessed day and draw parallels between them. We may read the resurrection story to our children from the Life of the Master. We read Ephesians 4:24; 5:1-2 and Galatians 2:20 and discuss what the Scriptures have to say about taking off the “old man” and putting on the “new”. We’ll hang up a page with fifty squares to help us count down the days to Shavuot. We might photocopy a small picture of a sheaf of wheat and have our youngest paste one on each square each day.
Biblical support: Exodus 13:2; 22:29; 34:26; Leviticus 23:10-11; Numbers 18:12-15; Deuteronomy 18:1-5; 26:2-4; Proverbs 3:9
