First Fruits and the Harvest of Souls
Hi Friends,
I hope everything is well with you. I want to share with you two visions that I received recently. I hope you will see the revelation as I saw it. I came to a new understanding and appreciation of the goodness of God.
Dough and a Spoon
I saw a large serving spoon scoop out a smooth rounded portion of dough from a mound of bread dough sitting on the table. The dough on the spoon was placed on the table perhaps 20” away. The dough came off the spoon in a perfectly spoon shaped ball. It looked like a very large egg. Then the hand holding the spoon repeated the same action. The spoon scooped up another portion of dough from the batch and placed the ball of dough directly next to the first one.
An Assortment of Red and Orange Colored Pencils
Next, I saw a collections of colored pencils that were sharpened, ready to use, in somewhat of a random display. Like, a full clump of grass, or a natural bouquet, with the tips pointing upwards and outwards. All of the pencils were varying shades of red and orange.
What the Visions Mean:
The Dough
I am quite familiar with various types of dough because I make breads. Traditional breads are made with yeast added to the flour to cause the bread to rise. The yeast feeds upon the flour and produces a gas. The gluten in wheat, made of two proteins, gives the dough an elastic quality, which allows the dough to stretch and capture the gas bubbles as they form. Alcohol is a by product of this process, called fermentation.
Sourdough bread uses the yeast found in the air. By feeding the yeast for several weeks, produces a starter. Once the colony of yeast is plentiful enough to cause fermentation, and the bread to rise, you can make a loaf a day from half of the starter and an equal amount of flour, while continuing to feed the other half. Some sourdough starters are many years old.
Quick breads which rise with baking powder, and have a more cake-like texture, like banana bread or corn breads, rise by a chemical reaction which produces CO2. Wheat is generally added to corn and other flours for best results. The gluten in wheat helps to hold the bread together, making it less crumbly.
Flat breads like roti are made without yeast. These rise because the water in the dough produces steam. The dough for roti are rolled out very thin, but rise to look like a spotted turtle shell, or a Mylar balloon which has a seam around the perimeter. As soon as they leave the heat, they deflate immediately. (They don’t always rise perfectly, but it is exciting when they do!)
What kind of dough was the dough in the vision? Well, frankly, like none of the above. It was not like a yeast dough, because it wasn’t puffy. It wasn’t a quick bread, because it was not like a batter. It wasn’t like a sourdough starter which tends to be runny and shiny. And it wasn’t like a flatbread dough which pulls out like taffy, and sticks to everything. Yet I knew it was dough for making some type of bread.
If I had to choose what it was most like, I would say it was most like a yeast dough, because it kept its shape better. None of the other doughs would have been able to look like a large egg. All the other doughs would have immediately flattened out.
What is so significant about yeast? It represents sin.
When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, they had to leave in a hurry, before Pharaoh could change his mind. “During the night he summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me.’” Exodus 12:31-32
“So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing.” Exodus 12:34
“With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt, and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.” Exodus 12:39
In effect, God was separating them from Egypt, which was a separation unto him and away from the pagan culture of sin.
God further instructed them that each year they were to “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.” Exodus 12:17
But I believe that the vision was speaking of two feasts: The Feast of First Fruits and The Feast of Weeks, other wise known as Pentecost. Both of these feasts have a New Testament significance.
God gave instructions to the Israelites that when they entered the promised land and reaped the first harvest. They were to eat none of the grain, until they gave the priest a sheaf of grain to present before the Lord as a wave offering. At the same time, they presented a burnt offering of a year old lamb and a grain offering of two-tenths of a ephah of fine flour mixed with oil. This took place on the first day after the Sabbath, (a Sunday).
Counting off fifty days from this day, was the day of Pentecost meaning fifty. It was the day when they were to present on offering of new grain to the Lord. They were to bring two loaves of bread made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour and yeast. This was a wave offering of first fruits. Along with this offering was a burnt offering of seven male lambs, a young bull and two rams, and a drink offering of a fourth of a hin of wine. These were burned as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.
A sacrifice of a male goat was made as a sin offering. Two lambs were for a fellowship offering. Then the priest was to take two, one year old lambs present them along with the bread of first fruits as a wave offering
In the vision, I had seen two portions of dough. And because this dough maintained the shape of the spoon (egg shaped), I believe it was a dough with yeast. So I believe that the dough represents the two loaves of bread that were given as the wave offering during the Feast of the First Fruits. The significance of an egg, is that it contains a new life, so it represents the idea of the new life we have in
Christ. Paul writes to the Romans, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Romans 8:22-23
Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit within us as a first fruit, or the first measure given to us as we are destined to attain sonship and the promise of a new, perfect, and imperishable body. The groaning he speaks of is the groaning of our spirits which have become more in tune with the Holy Spirit. We feel grieved by the pain and suffering in the world caused by sin, and we long for our eternal home where we will be united with Christ. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelations 21:4
Jesus, the Messiah or Christ, was sent to us by the Father as the first fruits of those who will follow him. “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
So the Holy Spirit is given as first fruits for us, as we anticipate the manifestation of our full redemption, and Jesus is first fruits for those who will be raised from the dead. But looking at this next passage, we see that believers are also a first fruits offering to God and to the Lamb: “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads…… They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” Revelation 14:1 and 5
In the vision, the person using the spoon to create two smaller pieces of dough, I believe is the Lord. For we give ourselves to God as a “living sacrifice, wholly and pleasing to God.” Romans 12:1 And he responds by giving us the Holy Spirit to be our counselor and guide, and Jesus as the Lamb of God, as an offering to atone for the sins of the world.
In the vision, the two portions of dough were taken from the whole and set at distance. This is the act of separation, which I believe is God’s work in us. This act of separation is called sanctification. It is the Holy Spirit within us that causes us to want to please God and stand apart from the world and its values. Sanctification is the act of “setting apart for God” When I first saw the vision, I was reminded of this scripture: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” Acts 13:2
So as the Holy Spirit commissioned Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for his work, the Lord wants to send us. “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers…” Hebrew 2:11-18
If we love God and are called according to his purpose, we will choose to be separated unto him. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15
The Red and Orange Colored Pencils
I believe that the red and orange pencils represent fire. In the Bible there are several types of fires: There is a fire of judgment and wrath seen in the Lord sending burning sulfur down upon Sodom and Gomorrah.
There was the pillar of fire which represented the presence of God among the Israelites in the wilderness. And the burning bush which also represented God’s presence when he spoke to Moses.
There was the fire that displayed God’s power in the “showdown” between the prophets of Baal, and Elijah the prophet of the Lord Most High.
There was also the fire that came to rest upon each of the disciples while they were in the upper room of Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost.
This last fire, representing the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the fire that I believe the pencils represent. This fire appeared on the Day of Pentecost also known as the Feast of Harvest. This is the same day upon which the two loaves of bread with yeast would be presented as a wave offering in thanksgiving for the harvest. On this day, we see the first fruits of the Holy Spirit being poured out upon people. This was the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy:
“In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will out out my Spirit in those day, and they will prophesy.” Acts 2:17-18
Remember that before the disciples experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they did receive the Holy Spirit and were born again.
“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw he Lord. Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Received the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” John 20:19-23
When Jesus breathed on them, they received the Holy Spirit. They became born again, born of the Spirit. They were given a commission: “I am sending you.” And he gave them authority: “If you forgive anyone his sins they are forgiven.”
He appeared to them over the course of forty days, and “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’” Acts 1:4-5
If you remember Jesus died on Friday before the Passover began at sundown. He was raised on the third day which was Sunday. Passover, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread, began on the 14th of Nissan, and lasted for 7 days. The Feast of First Fruits, began on the 16th of Nissan and so both feasts were celebrated together.
Jesus became the Lamb of God, by shedding his blood on the cross, setting people free of the sins that would condemn them to the second death or hell. His sacrifice was finished just before sundown on the beginning of Passover. The Jews were celebrating Passover remembering that their ancestors killed a lamb and marked their door posts and lintels with its blood. By doing so, the angel of death would pass over their homes and only kill the first born of those in Egypt, who did not have the blood on their posts and lintels. So we refer to Jesus as the Passover Lamb, or as John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:2
Just two days later, it would have been the 16th of Nissan, which would have been the Feast of First Fruits, a Sunday. Jesus first appeared to the disciples on the first day of the week, the Sunday after the beginning of Passover. This was the day that Peter, John and the women discovered the empty tomb. It was this day that Jesus was raised from the dead. It was the Feast of First Fruits. His resurrection on that day, declared to the world that he was the first fruit of those who would also be raised to life with him.
Then 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits, would come the Feast of the Harvest, or Pentecost. After Jesus appeared to the disciples during the next 40 days, he was taken up into heaven. And then just 10 days later, was the Day of Pentecost, or the Feast of Harvest.
On that very day, in an upper room, with the doors locked, the disciples waited for the promise of God. Suddenly the sound of a violent wind filled the place, and flames of fire rested upon each of the disciples. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues!
With great boldness they spoke of the wonders of God to all those in Jerusalem who had come to celebrate the feasts. Each person heard the word of God in their own language! They spoke with such power and anointing that 3,000 people came to the Lord that very day!
These people that gave their hearts to the Lord that day were born again. They represented the beginning of the Church and were the first fruits of the harvest of men! It was God’s plan to time things so perfectly, that the dates and the Feasts aligned. The Feast of Harvest became the harvest of souls!
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” Luke 10:2
The Lord wants to build his church and we know that when there are signs, wonders and miracles, the gospel goes forth and spreads quickly. He wants us to seek God for the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. He wants the church to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Speaking in tongues is the sign that tells the believer that he or she has received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. We are encouraged to seek him for these gifts of the Spirit, especially the greater gifts.
However, by various visions, the Lord has been showing me, that the Church is unprepared. The Church is somehow unaware of the need to studying the word and spend time in prayer, because without prayer and fellowship with God, without knowing his word, we become powerless and easily lead astray. We need to have a real experience of God too. We need to be in close communion with him, who gives us the power to overcome the enemy of our souls.
I know that every Christian does not experiences the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, but I can’t imagine what my life would be without it. I hope and pray that everyone of you seeks God for more and more of Him!
As I was praying and writing, I really was impressed by how God had orchestrated times, and circumstances to bring all the major events and feasts to align. We see God in such a small way, when he establishes his will with just a word. We need to look to him, the next time we begin to worry. Perhaps our problems and difficulties will seem so small by comparison. We need to see that his plans are perfect and his timing is perfect. So we simply trust him and rest! “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
AMEN!
If you would like to receive an email notification of upcoming posts, please go to the contacts page and send me an email. I will not share your address with anyone.
