The God Culture: Feast of First Fruits Fact Sheet

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has produced another fact sheet which undermines his teaching about keeping the law including the feasts. This fact sheet is about the Feast of First Fruits. 

https://thegodculture.org/feast-of-first-fruits-fact-sheet/

There are a few things to look at. 

The first section is titled Purpose of the First Fruits Offering. Under this heading Tim writes:

• It represents Messiah Yahusha as the First Fruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20). Indeed others resurrected for a temporary time but only He is the First Fruits among men.

Wow. Tim gets it right. The Feast of First Fruits looks forward to Christ. He has fulfilled this feast by being the first fruits of the resurrection. 

1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Once again, just like Passover, the feast has been fulfilled in and by Jesus Christ. Therefore there is no more feast to celebrate. 

The second section is titled Spiritual Meaning in Messiah. Tim writes:

Yahusha rose as the First Fruits of those who sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

His resurrection fulfills this Feast closely associated, though not on the exact date (Abib 26), in line with the accurate calendar. Fullfill never means “passed away.” As He entrenched Himself in these Feasts, He would have to pass away for the Feast to do so.

Tim gets it right again. The resurrection of Jesus Christ fulfills the Feast of First Fruits. It's not really so amazing he gets this right because this is basic New Testament teaching. Christ fulfilled the law. It truly is hard for Tim to kick against the pricks. 

But of course Tim goes off the rails and says fulfill does not mean pass away and in order for the feast to pass away Christ would also have to pass away. He has thereby denied the consequences of what it means for the resurrection of Jesus Christ being the fulfillment of the feast of first fruits. 

Fulfill, in Greek pleroo, means to complete, to accomplish, to expire, to end, to finish. 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4137/kjv/tr/0-1/

πληρόω plēróō, play-ro'-o; from G4134; to make replete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.:—accomplish, after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply

Jesus Christ has completed and finished the law bringing it to an end. He is the end, in Greek telos, of the law. 

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5056/kjv/tr/0-1/

τέλος télos, tel'-os; from a primary τέλλω téllō (to set out for a definite point or goal); properly, the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination (literally, figuratively or indefinitely), result (immediate, ultimate or prophetic), purpose); specially, an impost or levy (as paid):—+ continual, custom, end(-ing), finally, uttermost.

End here is translated from the Greek word telos which means the goal. The law points to one goal and that is Christ. The law remains and stands condemning us showing our need for Christ which is how it operates as a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ (Galatians.) Christ brought an end to all the sacrifices of the Mosaic Law (Hebrews.) There is no more Mosaic Law for us to follow because Christ has brought it to a full end and completion. Our righteousness comes not from following the Mosaic Law but through faith in Christ alone. And that faith is a gift from God not something of our own devising. One does not simply choose to believe the Gospel. One believes the Gospel because they are chosen.

Here is what John Calvin says about those who bind people to man made laws or who wish to continue keeping the Mosaic law and encourage others to do so despite Christ having fulfilled it and which applies to Tim and all the Hebrew Roots type people. They

are a heap of Ishmaelites and filthy bastards which fight against God and all his true and right begotten children.

John Calvin, Sermons on Galatians, Sermon 30, pg 634 Old Paths Publications

Blunt words indeed which capture the seriousness of the issue at hand. Insisting on observing the Mosaic law after Christ is not a small error, it is to oppose the very Gospel. To drag believers back under the grievous yoke of bondage which is the Mosaic Law after the coming of Christ is to side with the bondwoman and her son, cast out from the inheritance. It is spiritual illegitimacy parading as restoration. The heirs of grace have no fellowship with those who reject the sufficiency of Christ and bind others to shadows that have passed away.

The next thing to look at are Tim's instructions for keeping the Feast of First Fruits.

Ways to Celebrate 

·       Read Scriptures (Leviticus 23, Deut. 26, 1 Cor. 15) 

·       Offer thanks in prayer for YHWH’s provision. 

·       Share the first of your harvest/increase with others or give to those in need. 

·       Reflect on Messiah's resurrection and what it means for your life. 

·       In tradition, the Priest would waive a sheaf of barley or wheat, and wine as a drink offering in the air, though you may have difficulty waiving a jackfruit (don’t try this at home). Offer in the air with prayer and thanksgiving. The wine would then, be poured over the alter, and not to drink. You can create an altar of your own and you can do this without an altar. 

Oh hahahaha!! Traditionally the priest waves a sheaf of barley through the air but in the Philippines they have jackfruits. Don't try waving a jackfruit through the air at home!! Hahahahaha! 

How can this man, who is so serious about the need to keep the law as a source of righteousness, continually mock the law? The waving of a sheaf by a priest is NOT OPTIONAL!

Lev 23: 9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Lev 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

Lev 23:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.

Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

If you aren't doing ALL OF THAT, then you aren't keeping the Feast of Firstfruits. It's not a joke to laugh at. The law is very clear on how to keep this feast and it's not the way Tim is saying. Without a priest, a sheaf offering, and a burnt offering there is no keeping this feast. 

Now for Tim's closing thought.

Closing Thought The Feast of First Fruits is not about agriculture alone; it's about recognizing YHWH as the source of all blessing and Messiah as the first to rise, guaranteeing our hope. Celebrate this day in sincerity, not tradition. Fixed by YHWH’s calendar. Affirmed by Scripture. Fulfilled in Yahusha. Continued in celebration forever, as always commanded.

Tim says don't celebrate the Feast of First Fruits according to tradition. What!? If you are not celebrating First Fruits according to tradition, i.e. the Mosaic Law, then your celebration is worthless. God gave a very strict and exact law for celebrating the feasts. Following Tim's invented instructions makes a mockery of the divine legislation. Of course any celebration is worthless because Jesus Christ fulfilled the feast. There is no need to celebrate the Feast of First Fruits.

The only true thing Tim says in this whole fact sheet is that the feast is fulfilled in Messiah. And because that is so we do not celebrate it anymore. Instead we worship Jesus Christ who completed and brought to an end the law including the Feast of First Fruits by being the first fruits of the resurrection of the dead.