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Joseph Charles Philpot J.C. Philpot Bevindelijke geschriften & prediking
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But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits 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.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22

Christ risen is the firstfruits of that mighty crop of buried dead whose remains still sleep in the silent dust, and who will be joined by successive ranks of those who die in Him, until all are together wakened up in the resurrection morn. The figure is that of the sheaf of the firstfruits which was waved before the Lord before the harvest was allowed to be reaped (Lev. 23:10, 11). This offering of the wave sheaf was the consecration and dedication of the whole crop in the field to the Lord, as well as the manifest pledge that the harvest was fully ripe for the reaper’s sickle.

The firstfruits represented the whole of the crop, as Christ is the representative of His saints; the offering of them sanctified what was still unreaped in the field, as Christ sanctified or consecrated unto God the yet unreaped harvest of the buried dead; and the carrying them into the tabernacle was the first introduction therein of the crop, as Christ entering heaven as the firstfruits secures thereby the entrance of the bodies of the saints into the mansions prepared for them before the foundation of the world.

Thus Christ rising from the dead presented Himself before the Lord as the firstfruits of the grand harvest of the resurrection yet unreaped, and by doing so consecrated and dedicated the whole crop unto God. As, then, He rose from the dead, so shall all the sleeping saints rise from the dead at the last day, for His resurrection is the firstfruits, the pledge, and the earnest of theirs.

To the reader…

These words are for those who have stood at a grave and felt how heavily the silent dust can lie upon the heart. Perhaps you know that too. Death came by man, and we all carry that sentence in Adam with us. There is nothing to gloss over there. But look at that one sheaf, waved before the Lord: Christ is risen from the dead, and He did not rise alone.

His resurrection is the pledge that the whole harvest will one day be gathered in. Those who have fallen asleep in Him do not lie forgotten; they are consecrated to God and wait for the great morning. And for you, who are still fighting and fearing, this is the question: are you in Him? Have you placed your hope in Him alone, Who as the Firstfruits has entered heaven? Then the mansion is prepared for you too, and death will not have the last word. Rejoice, then, even if it is with tears, in Him Who lives.

With warm regards,
The compilers of jcphilpot.nl