Firstfruits, Secondfruit?

By Mark Farquharson

In the bible those who believe before they die have many names, like chosen, saints, and firstfruit/s. Why are believers called firstfruit/s? This is a symbol, it is used to represent something, in this case believers are fruit on trees in the farmers field. There is also other fruit on the trees, these represent the unbelievers.

Who is the farmer then? God is the farmer, he comes by the trees like any farmer and decides when it is the right time to pick the fruit. As any farmer knows fruit does not all ripen at the same time. The farmer picks that which has ripen first, or the Firstfruits and then leaves the rest to be picked when it is ready. He does not let the fruit become rotten on the tree.

God picks the Firstfruit like the farmer, and like the farmer he, has not finished with the trees or the rest of the fruit. He also leaves the rest of the fruit to ripen on the trees, the unbelievers.

Why is it that Christians do not realise that when it says firstfruit/s in the bible, it means just that, that fruit is first, and there is more to come, the second fruit. The farmer goes out again, and picks the rest of the fruit, when it too has ripened, in this case when the unbelievers have be reconciled back to God.

Every fruit on the tree needs to be reconciled, believers where once unbelievers, God waits while the believers ripen. The believers are pick of the tree when they come into the Lord’s presence, at the first resurrection.

Note in a number of translations the term used is “firstfruits” however in the CLV the term is correctly translated “firstfruit.”

Romans 8:23 Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body. {CLV}

Believers have the firstfruit of the spirit here, which means that some other group will have the secondfruit/s of the spirit.

James 1: 17 All good giving and every perfect gratuity is from above, descending from the Father of lights, in Whom there is no mutation or shadow from revolving motion.

18 By intention, He teems forth us by the word of truth, for us to be some firstfruit of His own creatures. {CLV}

Here believers are called firstfruit, which means that believers are not the only fruit. If someone is introduced as the first son, then we know that at lest there is another son.

God does things in stages, he does not do it all at once, at the same time. In the bible we are shown the order

1 Corinthians 15 21 For since, in fact, through a man came death, through a Man, also, comes the resurrection of the dead.

22 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.

23 Yet each in his own class: the Firstfruit, Christ; thereupon those who are Christ's in His presence;

24 thereafter the consummation, whenever He may be giving up the kingdom to His God and Father, whenever He should be nullifying all sovereignty and all authority and power. {CLV}

Here Christ is first and is called the firstfruit, then those who are Christ’s {the firstfruits}, then the rest. Note it says All are dying, that is everybody, and All shall be vivified {give life}, that is everybody. However there is an order first Christ, then those who believe, then the rest. However it does not mention when the rest will be vivified, it goes on to explain the consummation. The rest will be vivified before the consummation. This is explain more in the article: "How Many Resurrections"

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