^^^>>> these lines will *disappear* when the article is completed but I want to share this with you as I progress because TIME IS SHORT! <<<
Whether you are pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib or pre-wrath ... this article should be of interest to you. It is *possible* that ALL of us are correct to some degree, having some pieces of the puzzle but not all. Consider the three main Hebrew feasts (still observed by much of Israel today). Could it be that each harvest or feast period (spring, summer, and fall) represents three phases of one resurrection? Just as, for the Hebrews, there are three harvests in one year, so three resurrections are represented by those three harvests. Although I'm not the first to discover this idea, it surely sounds plausible! So I add my *voice* to the others before me. In my spin on this topic, I separate the potential (rapture) resurrections by the feast harvest season I believe they belong to.
If there is a *threefold resurrection*, and there may well be, then they likely correlate with the three feasts that all Israeli men of 20 years old and up were expected to be in Jerusalem for.
{Exo 23:14-17 KJV} Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.
{Exo 34:18 KJV} The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt. ... {Exo 34:22-23 KJV} And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end. Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
{Deu 16:16-17 KJV} Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: Every man [shall give] as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee.
In fact, we see three things happening in the spring: Passover, (7) Days of Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits (barley), these are all part of the first harvest that begins with the Passover meal and ends with the firstfruits harvest (wherein is the offering of the unleavened wave sheaf of barley). This entire festival represents Jesus' first coming (fulfilled in rapid succession) whereby He is the Passover Lamb, unleavened (without sin), and the firstfruit of them that slept. He is followed in resurrection by believing saints that lived before He died & resurrected (the wave sheaf offering). So, following His resurrection {which occurred on the third day (day one crucified, day two in the grave, day three resurrected) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread}, were those that He went into the bowels of the earth to redeem (Mat 27:51-53 quoted below under SPRING, and see also the parable of Lazarus and the rich man told by Jesus in Luk 16:19-31) who were also resurrected and were seen in the streets of Jerusalem briefly.
{Eph 4:8-10 KJV} Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Another interesting thing to consider is the Menorah, the seven branched candlestick that is the symbol of Israel. The first three branches represent the Spring's Feast of Firstfruits (unleavened bread wave offering); the middle "servant branch" {Jesus was Judah ben Joseph} represents the Summer's Feast of Weeks-Pentecost Harvest (two leavened loaves wave offering); and finally the last three branches represent the Fall's Feast of Trumpets through the Feast of Tabernacles (the final harvest of the year). So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the harvests & resurrections by their seasons ...
.:: SPRING ::.
- PASSOVER (PASACH)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=passover*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=unleavened+bread&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- FEAST OF FIRSTFRUITS
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=firstfruit*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Barley Harvest ~ barley is winnowed: thrown up in the air where the wind separates the barley from it's protective covering.
- Jesus is the firstfruits of many, and then
- Those that came out of the opened graves after His resurrection (unleavened wave sheaf offering)
{1Co 15:20 KJV} But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.
{Mat 27:51-53 KJV} And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
{Luk 23:39-43 KJV} And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
{Rev 6:9-11 KJV} And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled. {Could "a little season" refer to the -times of the Gentiles- which is the time counted between the Feast of Firstfruits on through to Pentecost?}
??? FIRSTFRUITS ???
Yes, notice that's PLURAL, as in ... more than one!!! In at least two phases: the first phase consisted of 1) Jesus death & resurrection; immediately followed by 2) the unleavened wave loaf offering (of the barley harvest). The second phase consists of the two leavened loaves (of the wheat harvest). These firstfruit harvests are separated by 50 days and, I believe, are in fact one and the same harvest to God since He joins them with a counting of days (omer). These *wave offerings* are the firstfruits among all of the righteous that will be resurrected, being the firstfruits of the barley harvest and then the firstfruits of the wheat harvest.
.:: SUMMER ::.
- COUNTING OF THE OMER
(50 days count from the FirstFruits offering after Passover)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/23/9/s_113009
> which also coincides with a Jubilee (50 years count) <
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/25/1/s_115001
- FEAST OF WEEKS/PENTECOST (SHAVUOT)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=feast+of+weeks&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Wheat Harvest ~ trampled over with a *tribulum* to separate the wheat from it's hard outer shell by much harsh grinding & grating under a board that had stones in the bottom: symbolic of much tribulation that every believer during the "times of the Gentiles" goes through.
2nd phase of the first resurrection: This harvest has yet to happen. It represents the awake/ready church/bride made up of both Jews & Gentiles that are saved during the "times of the Gentiles" (two leavened loaves).
The Spring & Summer feasts are ONE FEAST joined by a 50 day count (omer count) but otherwise represent the start and end of the "times of the Gentiles".
{Mat 13:30 KJV} Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. -Jesus/Yeshua {See also: the Parable of the 10 virgins in Mat 25, Mat 24, Mar 13, Luk 21, and parts of Luk 17, as space doesn't permit me to list those in their entirety and how they relate here. The "reapers" are His angels. The "tares" are the children of the wicked one (unrighteous) and they will be gathered together for war and God's wrath. But the "wheat" (the ready, righteous believers / bride / church) are gathered into heaven (His barn) by His holy angels (reapers).}
{Rom 8:23 KJV} 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.
{1Th 4:13-18 KJV} But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. {See also, 2Th 2 as space doesn't permit me to quote the whole chapter here.}
Now some might think the above scriptures are troublesome to a 2nd phase of the first resurrection but I remind you that not every believer will be meeting the Lord in the air at this time. Rather, Mat 25's parable of the 10 virgins is clear that only those that are *ready* when the bridegroom comes will get to "go in" with Him, and He will then "shut the doors", and then not long after those that weren't ready will come banging on the door to be let in and He'll say for them to "depart" because "He never knew them". The sad reality of this parable is that a good half of the church will not be ready when He comes. The good news is that for those that are ready, they will be resurrected as stated in other wheat harvest passages I've listed. Remember, only two leavened loaves are waved at this time, which will indeed be a great many people, but this is NOT the time of the full harvest (that's the 3rd phase). Please, heed the following warning and make sure you are among this summer harvest!
{Luk 21:36 KJV} Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Rev 7:9-17 KJV} After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
.:: FALL ::.
- FEAST OF TRUMPETS
https://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/lev/23/24/s_113024
- DAY OF ATONEMENT
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=day+atonement&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
- FEAST OF TABERNACLES/TENTS/BOOTHS (SUKKOT)
https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=booth*&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
Grape Harvest ~ grapes are thrown into a vat (large tub) where they are literally crushed & trampled to extract the precious juice, which correlates with wars and the wrath of man against man as well as satan (who uses willing mankind as pawns against each other), and finally God's wrath when He cleanses the earth of all iniquity and unrighteousness. These are they that are resurrected -just prior- to the 1,000 years reign of Jesus at His second coming.
3rd phase of the first resurrection: These are not among "the firstfruits" but they are among those yet to be resurrected. I believe that at the close of the "church age" (aka: "times of the Gentiles") there will be a "time of tribulation" (man caused), also known as "Jacob's trouble", in particular where God turns His attention back to Israel to deal with their idolatrous, stiffnecked, rebellious hearts regarding Jesus their Messiah. He will also be dealing with the unrepentant of all the earth, those who persist in their sins & unbelief.
{Luk 12:35-40 KJV} Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find [them] so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. -Jesus/Yeshua {This "when he will return from the wedding: that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately" implies that some believers {virgins} were not ready at a previous time {wheat harvest}, possibly referring back to the parable of the 10 virgins of Mat 25 whereby some missed His coming because they didn't have enough oil for their lamps. They are advised to be ready by the grape harvest {fall}! Read the whole chapter.}
{Rev 14:14-20 KJV} And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud [one] sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
Who are the firstfruits redeemed by Christ?
{Jas 1:18 KJV} Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
{1Co 15:23 KJV} But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. {This could mean His coming in the clouds where we meet Him in the air, or it could mean His 2nd coming, or both.}
One other mention of "firstfruits" that are sealed in their foreheads are the 144,000 spoken of in Rev 7 & Rev 14 but I'm not sure if they are sealed in their mortal bodies or if they're among one of the phases of the resurrected. I'll leave that for another study perhaps. Here's that scripture for reference sake ...
{Rev 14:4 KJV} These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
.:: Jesus 2nd coming ::.
The Fall (Grape) Harvest goes hand in hand with Jesus' second coming. I separate out the scripture below to emphasize His coming but I believe any people shown as resurrected in this section are part of the section (above) ... that harvest will happen just prior to His return. His second coming is His establishment of the Kingdom of God whereby He rules and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords for 1,000 years. When He comes it will be to *rescue* Israel at the end of "Jacob's Trouble" when Israel finally is brought to her knees and calls on Him to come. We have two NT witnesses to this statement:
{Mat 23:39 KJV} For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Jesus/Yeshua
{Luk 13:35 KJV} Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until [the time] come when ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. -Jesus/Yeshua
At Jesus' second coming, satan is bound in the bottomless pit (abyss). Jesus will usher in a time of peace and tranquility on earth, as God intended from the beginning! At this time, the Lord returns with ALL of His resurrected saints including any of the resurrected listed in this section, who will help Him govern the peoples of the world that yet remain.
{Zec 14:5 KJV} And ye shall flee [to] the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee.
{Jhn 5:28-29 KJV} Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. -Jesus/Yeshua {The resurrection of damnation is the second death of the unrighteous.}
{Act 24:15 KJV} And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.
{Rev 1:5-7 KJV} And from Jesus Christ, [who is] the faithful witness, [and] the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
{Rev 5:9-10 KJV} And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. {Something to keep in mind, one must break ALL the seals before one can read the contents of the scroll!}
{Rev 20:4-6 KJV} And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection. Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
.:: The Second Death ::.
{Rev 20:11-15 KJV} And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. {The first death is the one every human has suffered since the time of Adam & Eve, due to their rebellion and fall that has affected each and every one of us ever since. The "dead" spoken of here are not the righteous but rather the unrighteous, those that chose not to believe in Jesus and died in their sins.}
Until recently, I was a staunchly convinced *pre-wrath* kinda gal. I by no means am claiming to have all the answers but I do find the possibility of three phases of one resurrection to be intriguing! As I find time, and energy, I will continue to add scriptures where I feel they fit, as well as links to other articles I've discovered over these past couple of months. I hope I have inspired you (as others have done for me) to look into this fascinating potential. Do your own research, study to show yourselves approved.
Perhaps we'll meet in the air, maybe sooner than later, during an upcoming Pentecost (Shavuot - wheat)? Perhaps this year!? I am watching intently for a potential resurrection for this upcoming Pentecost (Shavuot) from June 11-13, 2016 but if it doesn't happen then I'll continue waiting until the Fall feasts/harvest, and if necessary on to next year! ;o}
You might be interested in another article I did ...
http://thelambswife.blogspot.com/2016/01/011116-will-jesus-come-for-his-bride.html
Maranatha Lord!
{Curly bracket comments are mine. Red letter text is Jesus speaking. Article started on June 1, 2016 and is in WIP stage.}
