I enjoyed reading Chance’s article on “First Fruit Rapture?” Not only did he remind us we are now in the barley harvest season just like when Ruth married Boaz but this verse really stood out for me “Exodus 23:19 “... the best of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God” wow ... is there also a hidden symbolism reference to the graves being opened and the dead in Christ rise first and then we on the ground rise up and will be brought up into the heavenly house of the Lord? We are approaching Passover and the Week of Unleavened Bread. Included in this time period is the Feast of Firstfruits. In 1 Corinthians 15:20, "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." And 1 Corinthians 15:23 we learn that there is an 'order' to the resurrections. Christ being the first firstfruits of the dead to be resurrected. In Romans 8:23 we are told that we have 'the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." During the Feast of Firstfruits, the Jews were told to bring in "the best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God." Exodus 23:19 In Colossians 1:18, "He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." 16 Nissan starts the Feast of Firstfruits. Sunset 16 Nissan to sunset 17 Nissan, March 29/30. This occurs during the week of "The Week of Unleavened Bread" that starts on 15 Nissan. Passover begins on 14 Nissan, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on 15 Nissan, and Feast of Firstfruits begins on 16 Nissan. The grain of the first harvest is the barley harvest. This was planted in the winter...then it matures through winter. This feast is a reference to Christ as the firstfruits of the grave. Will we also be firstfruits to be Raptured and brought into the house of the Lord? The first resurrection was Jesus. The second resurrection will be of the believers in Christ. Might they be resurrected on the same day as Jesus? As Christ is the "head of the Church", the Church is the body - what happens to the head, should happen to the body. In reading about Ruth the Moabitess (a Gentile) she came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth laid at the feet of Boaz (a Jew) on the threshing floor when he winnowed the barley. Boaz 'redeemed' Ruth - this has been compared to the Jewish Jesus taking a Gentile bride, the Church, in marriage. It was with the barley. The son of Ruth and Boaz was Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of King David....and that line continued down to Jesus. We have had numerous letters to Doves about the High Holy Days over the years - looking at each one as a Rapture possibility. Feast of Firstfruits/Easter/Resurrection Day. Pentecost/Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Trumpets. Day of Atonement. Feast of Tabernacles. We've had letters for all of these. One day, hopefully we'll be right! And hopefully, this year! And then throw in 'the pestilence/plague' - Covid-19.... Are we there yet?? We have the firstfruits of the Spirit in us - this is what pulls us to 'the resurrection of our bodies' to be changed to immortality - our yearning for the Rapture - pulling us towards our heavenly Home to be with our Creator. Will the "order" of the resurrection of the Church/believers in Christ be on the same day that Christ was resurrected, only separated by time, some 2,000 years? Will "the best of the firstfruits" be, not just the Lord, but His Church that He comes for in the clouds? Remember, "The tombs were broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus' resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many." Matthew 27:52,53 So this has happened before on Resurrection Day! The Feast of Firstfruits! - Fair Use - How exciting! Leet it be! TR 1337? 😉 :mdrmdr: Good one! You lost me there for a moment until I googled the number to know the meaning. :yes: I wonder if Chance brainstormed that verse while wearing Ralphie’s decoder ring and drank a cup of ovaltine before ciphering the “symbolic” reference and finally cracking the code for our generation to understand? :scratch: And wouldn’t it be fun in the next life ... if the Lord sends us on treasure hunts to various planets/galaxies with riddle clues and treasure maps and we need those decoder rings as we hunt for the rare items to bring back? B-) 
