Lesson 7

An often forgotten sacrifice is the one that took place on the third hour, of the first day of the week, after Jesus was crucified. The Wave Sheaf offering was made at 9 am, after Jesus was resurrected. Being aware of this offering helps shed light as to why Jesus told Mary not to touch him when she saw him in the dark soon after he was resurrected. Desiring to stay a pure sacrifice, he didn’t want to be touched until after he had ascended up to his father. The wave sheaf was the year’s first sheaf of grain, it was given as an offering to God. This offering announced the start of the year’s first harvest had begun. Jesus was the first to be resurrected from the dead, he was the first of the first fruits of the human harvest God has planned. Jesus was the first of his church body to be raised from the dead during this first spring harvest. The rest will be raised from the dead just as he said, when he returns for them, on the last day of humans ruling the world. Because of Adam, all people die. Because of Jesus, all people will be made alive in their proper order; those who are his when he returns, the rest of the dead at the end of the first thousand years of Jesus ruling with his saints. How do these verses fit into your beliefs? 

John 20:17 International Children’s Bible
Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me. I have not yet gone up to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them this: ‘I am going back to my Father and your Father. I am going back to my God and your God.’”

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 New International Reader’s Version
20 But Christ really has been raised from the dead. He is the first of all those who will rise from the dead. 21 Death came because of what a man did. Rising from the dead also comes because of what a man did. 22 Because of Adam, all people die. So because of Christ, all will be made alive. 23 But here is the order of events. Christ is the first of those who rise from the dead. When he comes back, those who belong to him will be raised.

Colossians 1:15-18 New Life Version
15 Christ is as God is. God cannot be seen. Christ lived before anything was made. 16 Christ made everything in the heavens and on the earth. He made everything that is seen and things that are not seen. He made all the powers of heaven. Everything was made by Him and for Him. 17 Christ was before all things. All things are held together by Him. 18 Christ is the head of the church which is His body. He is the beginning of all things. He is the first to be raised from the dead. He is to have first place in everything.

Revelation 20:5 King James Version
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.