Dear Doves,
I finally got around to reading Pastor Riley’s interesting Passover post about the possibility of the Rapture on the Feast of Firstfruits, 3 days after the first day of Passover, and was struck by a connection to something I just read in Hebrews 12:18-26 which calls the Church the Church of the Firstborn:
“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
Now, it is fitting that Jesus was resurrected on the Feast of Firstfruits because He was a first: “And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18 In order to be a firstfruit you need to be the first of something. Jesus was the first to be resurrected from mortality into immortality. After the Rapture we too will join the category of firstborn from the dead. So it would be fitting if we too were resurrected on the Feast of Firstfruits like Jesus, who may have established the pattern for a future resurrection event on that feast day. If so, the Church of the Firstborn may also be called the Church of the Firstfruits.
In this time of modern plagues, it is not hard to hope that this Passover season will be prophetically significant. But no matter what the season we always have hope:
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:13-14.
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter1:2-9.
“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8: 22-25.
I don’t know if the Church of the Firstborn will be resurrected and offered to God like a harvest of firstfruits on the same feast day that Jesus was resurrected. (“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:18.) It would be fitting if those who have been “born again” and are the firstfruits of those who will be born of the Spirit will be presented to God as a firstfruits offering on the Feast of Firstfruits, but time will tell.
I would like to wish everybody a blessed Easter as we groan and hope for the resurrection of our bodies.
Maranatha.
– Lisa Taylor