| As an important holiday in ancient Israel, first fruits are mentioned in what is Shavuot, the Festival of Weeks, is also referred to in the Bible as Hag HaBikkurim, Festival of the First Fruits., which has deep physical and spiritual imagery and symbolism. The following is an informative paragraph taken from a historical source online: "One of the religious experiences connected to farming was the offering of produce in the Holy Temple. In Temple times, Jews from all over the land of Israel trekked to Jerusalem on Shavuot to offer their first fruits of the new season, giving rise to the name Chag Habikkurim, Festival of the First Fruits. This pilgrimage was one of three that were required of all Jews who were able. Shavuot, with its wheat offering in the Temple, also marked the end of a harvest cycle, which began when the barley crop was offered on Pesach. Barley was used as animal feed, whereas wheat was generally saved for human consumption. Indeed, the two offerings represent the movement from the animalistic, slave existence of Egypt (the Pesach offering) to the elevated experience of human beings created in the Divine image who enter into a relationship with God (the revelation at Sinai on Shavuot). Thus the wheat offering of Shavuot was a culmination of the Omer period in metaphysical as well as agricultural terms. Today we recall the harvest aspects of the festival through customs such as decorating with flowers, fruits and greenery, and reading the Book of Ruth. " As the Israelites observed this important feast day, it took on even more in depth symbolism in the time of the Messiah (New Covenant). The common name used to refer to this biblical holiday came known as Pentecost, which literally means to count 50. There is no biblical date for this holiday. Instead, observers are told to "count" from the day after the nearest Sabbath that falls after Passover to "50" and that is the day to be kept as Pentecost. " When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4) It is common to read the book of Esther during this important biblical holy day as this book of the Bible is all about harvesting. The spiritual implications are incredible. As a person begins to understand that the Bible commands the observance of seven annual Holy Days, he or she begins to see the flow of how the holy days fall during the year. The first Holy Day is Passover (which is a memorial, not a feast day) and the Feast of the days of Unleavened Bread, which are symbolic of the sacrifice of the Messiah, and the subsequent "putting out of sin" out of the lives of the followers of the Messiah. Pentecost marks the birthday of the Church of God documented in the first couple of chapters in Acts. The Holy Spirit came into the meeting hall and the church received promised "comforter" as Christ (Yahshua) said he would send to his followers. The most important spiritual symbolism that "first fruit" has is that it refers to the first fruits of God’s "spiritual harvest". All people who are truly called out of this world, who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, are considered by God to be his First Fruits. That means those who are the first redeemed from the earth’s people. The first harvest in the physical sense was a small harvest, not the large harvest that came later in the biblical Holy Day called the Feast of Tabernacles. Likewise, the first harvest of the people of the earth from physical to immortal life is called by God as the First Fruits. Christians realize they've been given an awesome calling, redeemed from the multitudes of the earth, to serve as the Bride of Christ in the resurrection at the Second Coming of Christ to earth to rule all nations. To Sow a Seed To sow a seed just means the physical sense to "plant a seed". The word of God uses this as a metaphor to describe the concept of working to achieve something positive…to "sow a seed". The Bible often uses symbolism associated with agricultural production because it was such an important part of ancient people’s daily knowledge, unlike the majority of people today whose concept of producing food means a trip to the local food store! In one of the parables it describes the how individuals were given a talent by God and what they did with it. As a spiritual lesson, we can use this idea to measure what we do with the gifts God gives us. Do we try to make them grow and develop them or do we do nothing with it? " A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock [are they] , which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of [this] life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep [it], and bring forth fruit with patience. No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth [it] under a bed; but setteth [it] on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. " (Luke 8:5-16) Seed time By seed time, I believe you are referring to the time when the environment, temperature and season are appropriate for the placing of seeds in the ground for their best success of growing into mature plants (whatever the species of seed). Growing up on a farm in the Midwest, we spoke of seedtime as the time when the earth was warm enough and moist enough from the early spring rains to best guarantee the "sprouting" of the seed once it was placed in the ground. Otherwise, it would simply lie buried in the soil and die. In agricultural production, first comes seedtime and then the harvest time. Springtime is the time of seeds. It is the time when life springs forth from the earth. We could associate "seed time" with the time of planting. " Thy people also [shall be] all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. " (Isaiah 60:21) " To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. " (Isaiah 61:3) Spiritually, we could say that when God places his Holy Spirit in us at the time of our repentance and baptism, it is a spiritual seed, the "beginning" of spiritual life within us. However, we can't let that "seed" just sit there and not grow, or we will be as the seeds in the ground that simply die. We must water our Holy Spirit with continued study of the "living water", Jesus Christ. We must put into practice every word of the teachings of the ENTIRE Bible to allow the Holy Spirit to grow in us. So, when the time of the harvest comes, spiritually, at the return of Jesus Christ, we will be among the "first fruits" who are the first to be resurrected (a small flock) and before the great fall harvest when all of mankind will be given the chance to come into the spiritual seeding process and be converted and eventually resurrected into the Kingdom of God. |
