Prophetically, the holiday of Shavuot, with its theme
of first fruits, carries with it numerous applications or fulfillments.
Generally, the Bible applies the concept of first fruits to the people
of God. Like first fruits, the people of God are chosen, designated,
choice, and special.
Specifically, Israel is referred to in Scripture as God’s first fruits. “Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the first fruits of his increase; all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord” (Jer. 2:3). Just as people were not to eat the first fruits of the new harvest because they were holy to the Lord, so too Israel is holy to the Lord and is not to be attacked or devoured. Those who did eat of the first fruits (apart from the ritually cleansed priests) were punished (Lev. 22:10–16). Likewise, those who harm God’s ancient people Israel will also be punished (Gen. 12:3).
Believers in the church age, both individually (1 Cor. 16:15) and collectively (Jas. 1:18), are also called first fruits. Finally, the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel who will be sealed during the Tribulation period (Rev. 7:4) are described as first fruits (Rev. 14:4).
Most importantly, the prophetic theme of first fruits is applied in the New Testament to the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. In Him, the ultimate meaning and purpose for the ritual of first fruits is explained and fulfilled. The Apostle Paul said of Jesus, “But now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive; But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Cor. 15:20–23).
In context, Paul cleared up a question that was troubling the Corinthian believers. The problem was whether or not there really is a resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:12). Paul answered that the dead most definitely will be resurrected. To prove his point, Paul pointed to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If the Messiah has not been resurrected, contrary to what had been proclaimed, no one else will be resurrected (1 Cor. 15:14–18). But Jesus was raised from the dead, and therefore those who believe in Him will likewise be raised from the dead.
God raised Jesus from the dead, not just physically, but spiritually (1 Pet. 3:18). Jesus was made alive in spirit and body. He became the first fruits of those who would be resurrected, not only in their bodies but also in their spirits, as they placed their faith in Him (Col. 2:13). This is the underlying theme of the Feast of Shavuot, the Day of First Fruits. Beginning with waving the omer and climaxing with waving the two loaves, offering the first fruits represents new life, resurrection, and life from the dead.
The omer typifies the resurrection of Jesus. It was an unleavened meal offering. In Scripture, leaven is symbolic of sin; thus, an unleavened offering represents that which has no sin. Just as the omer was unleavened, so Jesus the Messiah was without sin and was therefore raised from the dead, “according to the spirit of holiness” (Rom. 1:4).
As with most meal offerings, the omer was mixed with oil and frankincense. The only meal offerings that did not have oil and frankincense were those associated with sin (Lev. 5:11). In the Bible, oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit, and frankincense is symbolic of communion with God through prayer. In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see both the working of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11) and communion with God the Father through prayer (Heb. 5:7). The presence of these two elements in the offering and resurrection of Jesus Christ further attests to His sinless life.
The omer also typifies the resurrection of Jesus in the timing of its presentation to the Lord. As seen earlier, the Pharisees believed that the omer should be waved before the Lord on the 16th day of Nisan, the second day of Passover, regardless of the day of the week. The Sadducees also believed that the omer should be waved during the Passover week, but only on Sunday. The correct view is debatable, but the indisputable fact is that Jesus died at the beginning of Passover week and was resurrected on Sunday during Passover week, fulfilling the types of both the Passover lamb and the omer first fruits.
As the omer typifies the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the two loaves as first fruits typify the birth of the church. The word church literally means called out ones. In the New Testament it primarily refers to that group of people, whether Jewish or Gentile, who have experienced a spiritual regeneration, or new birth as a result of placing their faith in Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. At the very moment of their new birth, they are united with Him through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). Together these believers in Christ constitute an assembly of people called out to form a spiritual union, known in Scripture as the body of Christ, with Jesus as the “head” (Eph. 1:22–23).
When the Bible speaks of the church, it is not referring to a building, a place of worship, or a denomination. Church buildings are merely places where local, smaller manifestations of the larger, universal assembly of believers meet for worship. The church is not made of brick and mortar; it is made of people who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and have been united in Him through His Spirit.
This union began on the day of Pentecost, the day when the two loaves—the first fruits—were waved before the Lord. Along with the followers of Jesus, devout Jews “out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5) had gathered at Jerusalem. They were the pilgrims who had come to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it 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…Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:1–4, 6).
On the day of Pentecost, God performed a miracle as a sign or indication that He was doing something new. Followers of Jesus were given the ability to speak in other languages so that they could proclaim the good news of the Messiah to Jews from all nations. This proclamation of God’s Word in foreign languages was not only a fulfillment of prophecy (1 Cor. 14:21–22), it was an event that especially grabbed the attention of Jewish worshipers on Shavuot. According to Jewish tradition, when God gave the Torah at Mount Sinai on the day of Pentecost, He did so speaking in all the languages of the world—70 in number. Hearing Jesus’ followers miraculously speak in other languages, particularly on the day of Pentecost, naturally caught the ear of observant Jews familiar with that legend.
The preaching of God’s Word on Pentecost resulted in the spiritual resurrection of three thousand souls (Acts 2:41). It also revealed a secret that had not been disclosed before that day: God planned to establish a new entity called the church, wherein Jews and Gentiles could have equal access to God with no distinctions between them. “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him” (Rom. 10:12; cp. Eph. 3:1–6).
The story of Ruth, read in the synagogues on Shavuot, is a beautiful picture of the way in which God invites both Jews and Gentiles to come to Him through the Messiah. Jesus Himself said, “I am the good shepherd…and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (Jn. 10:14–16).
Even though two loaves were waved before the Lord on the day of Pentecost, they were considered one offering. They were presented in a state of unity, their particles having been baked and joined together to form a new whole. In the same way, the church is composed of two separate groups of people—Jews and Gentiles—joined together to make one new entity. “But now in Christ Jesus ye [Gentiles] who once were far off are made near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both [Jews and Gentiles] one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances, to make in himself of two one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby, And came and preached peace to you [Gentiles] who were afar off, and to them [Jews] that were near. For through him we both [Jews and Gentiles] have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Eph. 2:13–18).
The Berlin Wall separated East Germany from West Germany for years, but when it came down, the two countries became one. In the same way, but in a much greater sense, the wall of division separating Jews and Gentiles has been torn down through the work of Jesus Christ, enabling God to forge the two groups into one body (Gal. 3:28).
This does not mean that the church is perfect. On the contrary, just as the two loaves on Shavuot were baked with leaven, symbolic of the presence of sin, so too the church contains leaven or sin from which it will not be completely purified until Jesus returns. Those who would discredit the whole body of Christ because of the failures of a few would do well to remember that the church is not made up of perfect saints; it is made up of sinners saved by the grace of God.
There are two other prophetic aspects of the Feast of Shavuot. The first deals with the time between Pentecost and the holiday that follows it on the Jewish calendar, the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah. There are almost four months between the two, longer than any other span separating major biblical festivals. The prophetic implication is that this elongated interval pictures the period of time in which we now live, known as the church age, which is seen as a parenthesis in God’s program for the nation of Israel.
The remaining prophetic aspect of the Feast of Shavuot deals with its place in the future Millennial Kingdom of Jesus the Messiah. The Scriptures do not specify that Shavuot will be observed during that period, although it may be included in those feasts mentioned in Ezekiel 45:17. There also is a reference to bringing first fruits at that time (Ezek. 44:30).
 Bruce Scott holds a B.A. in Bible from Grace College of the
Bible,
Omaha, Nebraska and a M.Div. from Central Baptist
Theological Seminary
in Plymouth, Minnesota. He is a Bible teacher and preacher
with The
Friends of Israel in Minnesota.
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