BIKKURIM TO SHAVUOT

From resurrection to the
giving of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)

Each year around the time of Pesach the question is often asked why do we as Talmidim of Yeshua celebrate both Bikkurim (Firstfruits) and Shavuot (Festival of weeks), when neither are even mentioned by name in any English translations? The answer is a two-fold reason:-

Firstly, Bikkurim and Shavuot both feature in the life, death and resurrection of Yeshua, in a manner that is not easily recognised in scripture, but together the two appointments complete the narrative about the life of Yeshua and follow on from the events in the chronological chart in the previous panel – The sign of Yonah, see also the 3rd panel – Seven Mo’adim for more details about Bikkurim.

Secondly, Bikkurim is a Hebrew word, which has been translated as “firstfruits” in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures) and relates to the first portion of new grain that was set apart as an offering at the time of barley harvest. In the B’rit Hadashah (New Covenant) the word “firstfruits” is applied directly to Yeshua in 1 Corinthians 15:20 & 23; and then in Romans 8:23 and 11:16; also in 2 Thessalonians 2:13; and finally in Revelation 14:4. Looking at the 50-day period between Bikkurim to Shavuot in the life of Yeshua it is necessary to understand how these two Mo’adim (appointments with YHVH) relate to the Isra’el as a nation, both historically and today!

Bikkurim and Shavuot in Tanakh

In Sh’mot 23:14-17 we are told:- “Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest [Shavuot], the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering [Sukkot], at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts. Three times a year all your men are to appear before ADONAI.

That instruction was given to Isra’el while they were still at Mt. Horev (Sinai), just a few weeks before they were to enter the Land of Promise. However, because they turned their backs on YHVH, that whole generation died in the wilderness. So, YHVH gave a modified version of the same instruction to the second generation of Isra’el forty-years later in D’varim (Deuteronomy) 26:1-4, where he says:-

“When you have come to the land ADONAI your God is giving you as your inheritance, taken possession of it and settled there; you are to take the firstfruits of all the crops the ground yields, which you will harvest from your land that ADONAI your God is giving you, put them in a basket and go to the place where ADONAI your God will choose to have his name live. You will approach the cohen holding office at the time and say to him, ‘Today I declare to ADONAI your God that I have come to the land ADONAI swore to our ancestors that he would give us.’ The cohen will take the basket from your hand and put it down in front of the altar of ADONAI your God.

Both Sh’mot and D’varim focus on the presentation of firstfruits, as an offering from the harvest of the land. The instructions were given to the men of Isra’el who were instructed to provide a portion of the new season’s grain as a thanksgiving offering for the successful crop yield. It was to be their acknowledgement that their crop was a blessing from YHVH.

However, the reference to firstfruits in Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 23, turns the focus away from the three harvest festivals toward the observance of seven Mo’adim, which were the appointed times when all Isra’el had to assemble before YHVH, as directed in Vayikra 23:9-11 then 15-17:- ADONAI said to Moshe, “Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘After you enter the land I am giving you and harvest its ripe crops, you are to bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the cohen. He is to wave the sheaf before ADONAI, so that you will be accepted; the cohen is to wave it on the day after the Shabbat.... v15 “‘From the day after the day of rest — that is, from the day you bring the sheaf for waving — you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering to ADONAI. You must bring bread from your homes for waving — two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven — as first-fruits for ADONAI. (see also the 3rd panel – Seven Mo’adim for more details).

The firstfruits offering in Vayikra 23:10-11, comprised a single sheaf of barley presented to the cohen (priest) on the day after the Shabbat, which fell during the week of Matzah. That offering was known as Bikkurim (Firstfruits). It was the cohen who waived the sheaf before YHVH, so that the person bringing the offering would be found acceptable by YHVH. This was the first recorded example of a cohen interceding on behalf of a person from Isra’el.

Then, in verses 15-17, we are told that fifty days later a second wave offering was to occur. That one was to comprise two loaves of fine flour baked with leaven. This second wave offerings was to be made using fine wheat flour and was to be offered at Shavuot.

Counting of the Omer

The Counting of the Omer is the Hebrew term used to define the 50-day period between Bikkurim and Shavuot. An Omer is a measure of barley, which is eaten as the first product of the new crop during that period. Bikkurim marked the time when the barley has reached the stage of ripeness where it could be threshed and stored as mature grain. Unlike the first pickings of barley for Matzah when it had reached the ‘Aviv’ stage. Then it could only be roasted but not stored. On a spiritual level, the Counting of the Omer is considered by Rabbinical Judaism as the period between the departure from Egypt and the giving of Torah (the five books of Moshe (Moses)) as given on Mt. Horev on the day of Shavuot. By contrast Karaite Jews observe that same period from the Sunday that falls in the middle of the week of Matzah, counting fifty-days to Shavuot and the giving of Torah. Their count begins at the time of the passing through the Red Sea, which occurred four days after leaving Egypt being considered the final escape from bondage. Their count always begins on a Sunday and ends on a Sunday.

Bikkurim and Yeshua

Having established the relationship between Bikkurim and Isra’el, it is now time to focus on the relationship between Bikkurim and Yeshua. Sha’ul considers the whole process of divine restoration which will finally be brought finality in the age to come, following the return of Yeshua. On that matter he says in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23:- The fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: The Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming.

In these four verses Sha’ul brings the whole redemptive message for all mankind into full focus. The narrative begins with Yeshua himself being spoken of as the firstfruits of those who have died. Sha’ul is not only reflecting on the resurrection of Yeshua, but also his presentation to the Father on the day after his resurrection, which was Bikkurim or the 18th of Aviv in the chronological chart in the previous panel – The sign of Yonah.

After presenting himself to his Father, Yeshua returned that same evening to the Upper Room and later met with the brothers in the Galil saying to them in Mattityahu 28:18b:- “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Those words stand as proof that he had been confirmed as “God’s Redeemer” which is the meaning of his name – Yeshua. Therefore, from that day forward he had his Father’s authority over all mankind.

The outcome was later revealed in Revelation 12:7-9:- “Next there was a battle in heaven — Mikha’el and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But it was not strong enough to win, so that there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

The battle that took place in heaven after Yeshua presented himself before his Father, was a reversal of what transpired between himself and the Adversary in Mattityahu 4:8-10:- Once more, the Adversary took him up to the summit of a very high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, and said to him, “All this I will give you if you will bow down and worship me.” “Away with you, Satan!” Yeshua told him, “For the Tanakh says, ‘Worship ADONAI your God, and serve only him.’”

By presenting of himself before his Father on the day of Bikkurim, Yeshua stripped the adversary of all authority and confirmed the words of Sha’ul in 1 Corinthians 15:21-23 - For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: The Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming.

Sha’ul says – ‘But each in his own order.’ We see here yet another reflection of Vayikra 23:17 where on the day of Shavuot the Cohen Gadol (high priest) always presented the second wave offering as it says:–"You must bring bread from your homes for waving — two loaves made with one gallon of fine flour, baked with leaven, as firstfruits for ADONAI.

Yeshua in his new priestly role on Shavuot 30 CE fulfilled the requirement in Vayikra 23:17 in an entirely new and unique way. Instead of presenting two loaves of leavened bread as the Cohen Gadol normally would, he presented the Ruach HaKodesh which was poured out upon eleven Talmidim. That outpouring of Ruach symbolised their acceptance as part of his own glorified post-resurrection body.

Forty-days with His Talmidim

While the outpouring of the Ruach at Shavuot was the seal of Yeshua’s acceptance of his foundational Talmidim, the period between Bikkurim and Shavuot in the year 30 CE was also unique in another way. Because while we are not told how many times Yeshua visited with the eleven, we do know that he met with them on more than one occasion in both Yerushalayim and the Galil during the forty-days between Bikkurim and Shavuot. On each occasion their meetings took place in private, away from all other human beings. It was a unique relationship between the glorified Yeshua and his personally chosen Talmidim. There were no regular followers present, only those whom he had personally chosen.

That unique situation was confirmed by what we are told in the Gospel of Luke. In Chapter 24 Luke records the events that took place on the day of Bikkurim and the Sunday night encounter in the Upper Room when he appeared to the eleven. Later at the end of the evening he lead them out toward Beit-Anyah, just as he had done on many occasions before his death. Only this time was different as we see in the words of Luke 24:50-51:-

He led them out toward Beit-Anyah; then, raising his hands, he said a b’rakhah [blessing] over them; and as he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.

We can conclude from these verses that after his resurrection he went back and forth to and from heaven more than once, before departing for the last time. He also gave his Talmidim an assurance that they would receive the Ruach HaKodesh in Acts 1:4-5:-

At one of these gatherings, he instructed them not to leave Yerushalayim but to wait for “what the Father promised, which you heard about from me. For Yochanan used to immerse people in water; but in a few days, you will be immersed in the Ruach HaKodesh!”

The outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh at Shavuot upon his foundational Talmidim completed Yeshua’s fulfilment of the first four Mo’adim and just as there is a 130-day lapse between Shavuot and Yom Teruah, so also there has been a long lapse between the giving of the Ruach HaKodesh and the return of Yeshua. Just like the foundational Talmidim, we in the 21st century also desire to know when Yeshua will restore self-rule to Isra’el. As they asked in Acts 1:6-7:- When they were together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore self-rule to Isra’el?” He answered, “You don’t need to know the dates or the times; the Father has kept these under his own authority.

Instead of giving them a definitive date for his return he responded by giving the eleven a task for them to fulfil during the period of his absence. That task is recorded in Acts 1:8:– “you will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim and in all Y’hudah and Shomron, indeed to the ends of the earth!”

Yeshua laid that task upon the eleven on the day of his departure. It became the basis upon which the 1st century Messianic community was built as discussed in the next panel.

"This essay was written by Graeme Purdie – Founder of Talmidei Yeshua Messianic Ministry of NZ and may only be shared in full and must include this citation at all times. All scriptural references, unless stated otherwise, have been taken from the Complete Jewish Bible by David H Stern. Copyright © 1998. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Messianic Jewish Publishers, 6120 Day Long Lane, Clarksville, MD 21029 www.messianicjewish.net."