1 Corinthians 15:20-28
20 But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
21 For since by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him.
28 When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.
As the First Fruits of Those who are Asleep
The Feast of First Fruits
Paul describes Christ’s resurrection by saying that He “has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” Behind this expression stands the Feast of First Fruits described in Leviticus 23:10-11. (1) This feast was the third of the four spring appointed festivals. It was celebrated on the day after the first Sabbath following the Passover (present day Sunday). (2) During this feast, the Israelites brought the first sheaf of their harvest to the priest, who then waved it before the Lord. The “first fruits of the harvest” referred to here were the first sheaf of the barley harvest. Barley was harvested before wheat. (3) The Feast of First Fruits foreshadows the resurrection of Christ. Christ was crucified during the Passover, and on the third day, the first day of the week (Sunday), He was raised from the dead. In this way, the Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled.
Applications for us
The fact that Christ was raised as the first fruits means that there will be a resurrection to follow. Paul explains it in this way: (1) In Adam, all die. (2) But in Christ, all will be made alive. (3) The order is this: first, Christ, the first fruits; then, those who belong to Christ will be raised. The resurrection of believers will take place at the time of Christ’s return. (4) After that, Christ’s reign will be established. This refers to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom on the earth. (5) At the end of the Millennial Kingdom, death, the last enemy, will also be abolished and Christ will hand over the kingdom to God the Father. This scene is described in Revelation 20. Death is abolished at the time of the Judgement of the Great White Throne. The truth of the resurrection is not something invented by human beings. It had already been foretold in the Lord’s appointed feast, the Feast of First Fruits, and was fulfilled in Christ. Because Christ has been raised, we too will be raised. How blessed are those who have the hope of the resurrection in Christ!
Today's prayer
Father God of Jesus Christ, I have the hope of the resurrection. Beyond that, I have been given the hope of the Millennial Kingdom and the hope of Your eternal kingdom. I thank You from the bottom of my heart for the blessing of being one who believes in Christ. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.