Any parent will tell you that it is an unforgettable experience to have the first-born child. Nothing compares with it. Everything is new – the first bath, the feeding schedule, the first lock of hair, the first tooth, the first crawl, the first step, the first day in school, the first graduation . . . and the list goes on.
We in God’s church celebrate what, in some passages of scripture, is called the “feast of harvest, the firstfruits of your labours, which you have sown in the field . . .” (Exodus 23:16).
We understand that the focus of this celebration and that of the fall festival referred to as “the feast of ingathering” (Exodus 23:16) refers not to literal wheat or barley but to people. God will reap his spiritual harvest in an organized manner. First, He will reap the firstfruits – the firstborn – into His family and then the remainder of humanity during Christ’s millennial rule and the Great White Throne Judgment.
The uniqueness of the firstborn goes back to the exodus. Notice what Exodus 13:12-16 says: “. . . that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
Furthermore, God instructed Israel, “You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me” (Exodus 22:29-30).
Later, He chose the tribe of Levi in place of the firstborns of all of Israel, as recorded in Numbers 3:11-13, which says, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore, the Levites shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord.’” Verses 39-43 of this chapter show that the number of males in the tribe of Levi was almost identical to the number of firstborn males among the children of Israel (with only a difference of 273).
The Levites were presented by God to His people for His service, as described in Numbers 8:5-26. “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially’” (verse 5-6). A bull was to be presented as a sin offering. Verse 13-19 says, “And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. Thus, you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. After that, the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself. I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.”
It is interesting that the Levites were presented to God as a wave offering (verses 11, 13). Now, our high priest, Jesus Christ has “. . . a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices . . . a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (1 Peter 2:5, 9). Ephesians 2:6 tells us that God has “. . . raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”
Notice how God gives festival instruction in the context of firstborns in Exodus 34:18-23 (emphasis mine) which says. “The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt. All that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. “And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. . . . And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end. Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel” (emphasis mine).
The instructions on counting and the symbolism of the firstfruits are explained in Leviticus 23:15-17, which says, “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.”
Two loaves were offered from the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, which followed several weeks after the barley harvest. These loaves represent God’s spiritual firstfruits, those who are called and faithfully obey God in this life. They represented God’s converted followers of Old and New Testament times, the “firstfruits” in God’s plan of salvation. They are not perfect – only Jesus Christ is. Yet the loaves were accepted, because a sin offering was waved with them (v. 18-20).
God’s people are referred to as firstfruits and firstborn in passages such as James 1:18, which says, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” Also notice Hebrews 12:22-23 which says, “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect”.
Revelation 14:1-5 describes a group of 144,000. It says, “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
Why are they so valued by God? They are described as having the Father’s name written in their foreheads (verse 1); God is foremost in their mind and thoughts. These have not been seduced by a false religious system (verse 4), which is depicted as an immoral woman seducing humanity (Revelation 2:20-22; 17:1-6).
The firstfruits have come out of and avoided the political and religious system that has dominated the world (Revelation 17:1-6). When they were called by Jesus Christ, they understood that they were to come out of this system (Revelation 18:3, 4).
In addition, the firstfruits “. . . follow the Lamb wherever he goes” (verse 4). They are faithfully devoted to Jesus Christ. They will allow nothing to entice them from their personal loyalty to Him. Since Jesus will use them to assist Him in bringing His knowledge to the world, it is vital that His firstfruits will forever be true to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
They “have been redeemed from among men” (verse 4). They have been purchased by God with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18, 19). Having been bought by God, they know that their lives no longer belong to them, but rather to Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20). They are now to glorify God in body and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Also, “. . . in their mouth was found no guile” (verse 5). They have learned to deal with the malice commonly found in the hearts of men. There is no deception, plotting or feigning in their actions or words. They have learned about the genuineness, sincerity and simplicity of Christ. They have, in short, come to grips with the deceit of their own hearts and have fully submitted to the pure and unspotted life of Christ dwelling in them. For these things, “. . . they are without fault before the throne of God” (verse 5).
The Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Tabernacles are presented in an agricultural context. Just as there were two seasons of physical harvesting in ancient Israel, so there would be two periods of spiritual harvesting in God’s great plan for the salvation of humanity. The harvesting will be the children of God to be born into His family.
Christ spoke many parables with harvest stories such as the sower, the wheat and the tares, the mustard seed and the vineyard. Scriptural references point to being planted, being watered, God giving the increase, being reaped, God reaping where He does not sow, abiding in the vine, pruning, fruit of the Holy Spirit, chaff being burned, etc.
The first harvest that Christ will bring to fruition – through the first resurrection will be His little flock, the two loaves, the salt of the earth, the lights of the world, His elect. Once the majority of mankind is no longer held sway by Satan the devil, under his deception and in spiritual blindness, they too will be harvested in the latter harvest during the millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who are first harvested will be the firstborn, with unique responsibilities. Eye has not seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him!
Humanly, we can experience the thrill of seeing the birth of a firstborn! Imagine God’s thrill when a family will all be born at once, raised to immortality to join our elder brother, the first of the firstborn – Jesus Christ!
