What does "firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" signify about resurrection order? Setting the Phrase in Context • 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” • Paul is explaining the factual, bodily resurrection of Jesus and its implications for every believer who has died. “Fallen Asleep” = Physical Death of Believers • Acts 7:60; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 use the same gentle expression. • Sleep implies temporary rest; a waking is certain. Firstfruits: The Agricultural Picture • Leviticus 23:10-11—Israel brought the very first sheaf of the harvest to the priest. • That initial sheaf guaranteed the full harvest that would follow. • It was presented to God, consecrating the whole crop. What Firstfruits Means for Resurrection Order 1. Christ rose first—historically, physically, and permanently. 2. His resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of every believer. 3. Just as the first sheaf is part of the same harvest, believers will be raised in the same kind of bodily life He now enjoys. 4. Sequence spelled out in 1 Corinthians 15:23: “But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him.” Detailed Resurrection Sequence • Step 1: Easter morning—Christ already raised (the firstfruits). • Step 2: Church age—believers die (“fall asleep”) awaiting resurrection. • Step 3: Christ’s return—“those who belong to Him” are raised (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). • Step 4: Kingdom consummation—“the end” when death itself is abolished (1 Corinthians 15:24-26). Supporting Passages • John 14:19—“Because I live, you also will live.” • Colossians 1:18—Christ is “the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” • Revelation 1:17-18—He holds “the keys of Death and of Hades.” Why This Matters for Us Today • Certainty—Christ’s empty tomb is the pledge of our own. • Continuity—our resurrection bodies will be real and physical, patterned after His (Philippians 3:20-21). • Hope—grief is transformed by the promise of reunion (1 Thessalonians 4:18). In a Sentence “Firstfruits” declares that Jesus’ resurrection is the opening act of one great harvest: He rose first; every believer will rise next, in perfect order, when He returns. |
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