The Festival of First Fruits and the Body of Resurrection

Leviticus 23:9-412:

The LORD said to Moses,

"Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.

He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath.

On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the LORD a lamb a year old without defect.

3500 ago, God set up Israelite Law through Moses that Israelites should return to Jerusalem every year in Spring Festival to observe Passover.  Observing the Passover comprises of three festivals including the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Festival of First Fruits.

During the Festival of First Fruits, the Israelites need to offer the first harvest, the first grain of harvest as a wave offering to God.

So since the ancient time, the sacrifice that pleases God should be the ripe fruits or the crops full of grains.

As a result, about 2000 years ago, Jesus was born. When Jesus was 33 years old, he became the Passover lamb according to the law of the Passover in spring time.  He fulfilled God’s plan of redemption with many holy ones raising from their tombs. Besides, during the Festival of First Fruits, Jesus also raised from the dead with his earthly body.  He is the first one who acquired the Body of Resurrection, and together he brought with him a group of holy ones who also are resurrected, mature in their faith and mission in life. With the Body of Resurrection, they got up to the Throne of God and became the first grain of the wave offering.

Matthew 27:50-53:

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.

The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.

They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

So, in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Apostle Paul revealed that in the last days, the holy ones will be like Jesus, with physical change that they can have the Body of Resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:20-25:

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Besides, in Philippians chapter 3, Apostle Paul also stated that Jesus has the Body of Resurrection, which is the model for the saints in the last days, as the first Fruits.

Philippians 3: 21:

Who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Similarly, Apostle Paul stated that again that in the last days when the horns blow just how the Israelites used to blow in every year’s Feast of Trumpets, the saints will experience what Jesus had experience and will have the Body of Resurrection. They can even get up to heaven escaping the Seven Years of Tribulation on earth.

1 Corinthians 15:50-53:

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--

in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

Thus, before the disasters at the endtime, the church and the saints will be like Jesus, that they may become the ripe fruits or the crops full of grains.  It means that during their life on earth, they are just like the wheat of the Festival of First Fruit, which they fill up their inner, and satisfy their destiny and the duties as a Christians, so as to become the first grain of harvest that God pleased.

Moreover, in the last days, during the harvest of the Feast of Tabernacles in Autumn Festival, not only do some churches become the wheat, but also have the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Just like the life of Joseph, he was always watchful even under the most difficult situation that he even completed the duty of his belief that given to him. He got ready for the Seven Years of Famine. Besides, he even helped the people around him, such as his brothers and father that he provided the answer and solution for the disaster.

So, in the last days, the churches and the saints can follow Joseph’s belief, and fulfill the mission given by God. They can become the sacrifices that God pleased, thus get up to heaven before Seven Years of Tribulation. Just like Jesus, they can have the Body of Resurrection and escape from the disasters on earth.

So, the Revival is going to happen in the last days.  According to the acoustic frequency creation, some new believers are always watchful just like the wheat being filled up inside speedily.  Thus they become the sacrifice of the first grain that God pleased.

Amos 9:13:

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills.

So, in the last days, in the wedding of the Lamb in heaven, other than Jesus, the Bible tells us that there are three groups of people.

 
1. The bride:

They are the church which know about the coming of Jesus and always be watchful and get ready. They observe the rehearsal of the Holy Communion and wait for the coming of Jesus. They even complete the Revival in the last days.

2. The Watchful Virgins

They do not sleep like other virgins, who delay in participating in the wedding of the Lamb.

3. The Guests who get ready.

Although they cannot be like the brides and the virgins to fulfill many of the missions of the Kingdom of God, still they catch up. And like the wheat that fill up their inner, and get ready to complete the basic duty of one’s belief, they still become the sacrifice that God pleased.

Matthew 22:2-10

The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a feast when his son was married

And sent out his servants to get in the guests to the feast: and they would not come

Again he sent out other servants, with orders to say to the guests, See, I have made ready my feast: my oxen and my fat beasts have been put to death, and all things are ready: come to the feast

But they gave no attention, and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his trade

And the rest put violent hands on his servants, and did evil to them, and put them to death

But the king was angry; and he sent his armies, and those who had put his servants to death he gave to destruction, burning down their town with fire

Then he said to his servants, The feast is ready but the guests were not good enough.

Go then to the cross-roads, and get all those whom you see to come to the bride-feast
And those servants went out into the streets, and got together all those whom they came across, bad and good: and the feast was full of guests

However, in the great revival in the end, some people - because of backsliding and pleasure seeking in terms of their faith - will not prepare well. They finally can’t be taken up to the lamb’s wedding.

Matthew 22:11-14

But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a guest's robe

And he says to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a guest's robe? And he had nothing to say

Then the king said to the servants, Put cords round his hands and feet and put him out into the dark; there will be weeping and cries of sorrow

For out of all to whom the good news has come, only a small number will get salvation.

If a person’s faith is unlike wheat fully filled up, God will not take him as an offering.   In addition, he is easily swept away by the wind due to inner hollowness and left in the outside darkness.

Psalms 1:4
The evil-doers are not so; but are like the dust from the grain, which the wind takes away.

Similarly, Jesus has demonstrated when he was resurrected and taken up to heaven, he was only going with those saints already passed away, act as the first fruit of the wave offering to God.  It was because his disciples just woke up from the situation of knowing God, they had failed to fulfill the responsibility in their own beliefs. 

On the other hand, Revelation Chapter 14 says, God has chosen a hundred and forty-four thousand people to preach his gospel in the disaster.  They need to be the first fruits to God as well.

Revelation 14:1-4

And I saw the Lamb on the mountain of Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, marked on their brows with his name and the name of his Father

And a voice from heaven came to my ears, like the sound of great waters, and the sound of loud thunder: and the voice which came to me was like the sound of players, playing on instruments of music

And they made as it seemed a new song before the high seat, and before the four beasts and the rulers: and no man might have knowledge of the song but the hundred and forty-four thousand, even those from the earth whom God has made his for a price
These are they who have not made themselves unclean with women; for they are virgins. These are they who go after the Lamb wherever he goes. These were taken from among men to be the first fruits to God and to the Lamb

So no matter the rapture is before the disaster or in the midst, or even in the end, we must fulfill God’s requirement, to have a resurrected body into eternality.  We must aim at becoming the first fruits to God, fill up ourselves with Christ character, complete our responsibility in faith and be the first-fruit that is God pleased.  As wrote by Apostle Paul near the end of his life.

False Prophets in the last days

Matthew 24:3-13

3.          As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

4.          Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

5.          For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

6.          You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

7.          Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

8.          All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9.          "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

10.      At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

11.      and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

12.      Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

13.      but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Who are the false prophets in the last days mentioned in these verses?

If now is the last days, has the false prophets appeared?

If you wish to avoid their deception, can you, first of all, recognize them?

Matthew 24:21-24

21.      For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again.

22.      If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

23.      At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it.

24.      For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.

Our Lord Jesus prophesied in the Bible that the false prophets in the last days will deceive the chosen ones as well!

Obviously, they will deceive Christians.

Is there anyone deceived?

If you wish to know who are the false prophets, you must first understand who the true ones are.

Our Lord Jesus is the true prophet and He explained who the false ones are in detail right after these verses. He warned those living in the last days that they must keep watch for the Lord’s coming! Actually, all who go against what our Lord Jesus said are false prophets!

Matthew 24:37-42

37      As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

38      For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

39      and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

40      Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

41      Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42      "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

These days, those who come in the Lord Jesus’ name say, “No need to alert. We don’t know when the Lord will be back or He must delay His coming.”

They are the false prophets mentioned by our Lord Jesus because what they say deceives Christians, making them unprepared and missing the chance to be caught up to heaven.

Matthew 24:44-51

44      So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45      "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?

46      It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.

47      I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

48      But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'

49      and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.

50      The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.

51      He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Peter 3:3-6 also says,

3        First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

4        They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

5        But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

6        By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

The apostle Peter also warned that scoffers will come in the last says, scoffing those who keep watch for the Lord.

Indeed, the Lord is tolerating those unbelievers before His coming, so that they can have more time to know Him.

2 Peter 3: 9-14

9          The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

10      But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

11      Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

12      as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

13      But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

14      So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

What the apostle Peter said in his letters are consistent with that mentioned by the Lord Jesus, the true prophet. He admonished those living in the last days that they must “look forward to the day of God and speed its coming”

18 They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."

19 These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

The Bible also says that those who don’t keep watch for the Lord, who follow their own ungodly desires and scoff are sensual and don’t have the Holy Spirit.

Those who don’t have the Holy Spirit always scoff those who keep watch for the Lord’s coming and become false prophets to deceive Christians in the last days.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-3

1.          Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you,

2.          for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3.          While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Aren’t there a group of people who come in His name saying that this is a day of peace and safety?

The Bible says plainly that these people can’t escape the disasters in the coming days because they don’t listen to the Lord and keep watch for His coming.

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6

4        But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

5        You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

6        So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.

Brothers and sisters, we are sons of the light. We don’t belong to the night or darkness. All things related to the Lord’s coming are plain to us because the Bible is unsealed. Both the weekly “2012 Glorious Hope” sermons and the happenings in the world these days tell us that the Lord is really coming!

Are you watchful for the Lord’s coming today? Can you distinguish the false prophets?

The Bride, the Virgins and the Guests in the Bible

When Jesus was here on Earth, he taught his disciples about the Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven. One of the most mentioned parables was the wedding banquet of Israel, which was used to compare with the rapture of Christians in the last days.

Matthew 22:1

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:

2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son

When Jesus talked about the parable of wedding banquet, he aimed at teaching us that we must have an identity and attain the qualification of rapture such that we can participate in the wedding banquet on heaven with respective roles.

Jesus once said, during the period of rapture, there would be three different types of people who would be able to attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb: the bride, the virgins and the guests.

The bride is one of the main characters of a wedding who will marry the groom, and is one of the two key persons in a wedding. In a wedding, besides the groom, the bride must be the most alert one waiting for the wedding day.  Also, the bride must also be the most beautifully dressed and the prettiest one in a wedding.

Revelation 19:7

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 21:2

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

So, the bride are the Christians who are always alert during their lifetime for the return of Jesus. They use the truth of Bible to dress up themselves during the period. They keep themselves as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Ephesians 5:25-27

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

When Jesus comes again, among the first group of Christians to be raptured are those who always stay vigilant and wait for Jesus' return. They will become the main character in the wedding. They will also reign on the heaven with God and receive the biggest heavenly rewards.

Another batch of people in the wedding banquet on heaven are the guests. In the parable, Jesus mentioned that the requirements on the guests were the least. They only need to have proper attire, which represents the righteousness of Christians. So, the guests are those who become Christians during the Great Revival before and after the rapture who are willing to leave their sins. They just meet the time of rapture when they become Christians and thus become the guests with proper attire.

Matthew 22:8-10

8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.

9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’

10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

The guests without proper attire are those who believe in God during the Great Revival but do not really repent and leave their sins and thus cannot be raptured.

Mathew 22:11-13

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.

12 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth

The last batch of people in the wedding banquet on heaven are the virgins. In the Bible, Jesus required them to be alert, prepare enough oil and stand ready for the coming of the groom at all time. The virgins represent those Christians who have been believing in God for a long time, and are even serving God.

There are three types of virgins:

The first type are those who always stay vigilant and prepare enough oil for their lamps. They represent those Christians who believe in God and serve God. They live on Earth as travelers and are always alert for the second coming of Jesus.

The second and the third types are those being mentioned in the parable of ten virgins. They are not alert and they even fall asleep.  They do not concentrate on waiting for the coming of the groom.  They do not know when the groom would come.

Matthew 25:1-5

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Though all the ten virgins have fallen asleep, there are still five of them who have prepared their oil.  When they hear the groom, they use the oil to lighten their lamps immediately and follow the groom and the bride to the wedding banquet at the father's home.

The remaining five virgins, whom the Bible described as the foolish ones, cannot go to the wedding banquet with the groom and the bride as they have not prepared their oil.

Matthew 25:8-9

8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

So, the parable of ten virgins is talking about those Christians who do not aware that Jesus may return during their life time as they have been choked by the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth or their church simply does not teach them to stay vigilant for Jesus' return.

On the other hand, those ready with oil are Christians who are willing to walk in the truth, to sacrifice and to serve. Oil means God's anointing.  In this gloomy age, those Christians lighten the lamps by the oil and stand out as a testimony.

The virgins who have prepared their oil but have fallen asleep are Christians who

love God, walk in the truth and are willing to preach the gospel and serve God though they do not know that they should stay vigilant for Jesus' return. Therefore, Jesus will let them know the signs of his return in the last minute.  They will be raptured a bit later than the bride.  Yet, the five unprepared virgins have no chance to be raptured forever.

Mathew 25:10

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

However, virgins without oil are those not only remain unprepared for Jesus' return, but also do not walk in the truth or even do evil things.

These so-called Christians and servant of God will not be raptured and Jesus will not recognize them.

Matthew 25:11-12

11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

All in all, we must be raptured if we are of the "level of the BRIDE" or be a vigilant and well-prepared virgin. The sleeping yet well-prepared virgin will be raptured a bit later.

We can then be safe from the tribulation and be able to attend the wedding of the Lamb.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6

2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.

5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

6 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 

Believe in Jesus Chirst TODAY and be prepared!