Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 7
- The Besorah of HaBikkurim is the Promise of Eternal Life
- The fulfillment of the Akedah of Isaac
- Job, David, Hosea and Jonah testify to the resurrection of the Messiah
- Habikkurim is the event where the Love of Adonai overcomes all!
- Green is the Color of Innocence and Humility
The Besorah of HaBikkurim is the Promise of Eternal Life:
The messianic meaning of HaBikkurim is evidence of eternal life. We know that the resurrected, glorified Messiah will never die again. Death no longer has dominion over Him. The death Messiah died to sin once for all, but the life He now lives, He lives to the Eternal Father forever.
Messiah has overcome the power of death as evidenced by His resurrection from the dead.
By His resurrection Messiah has become the Author of our Salvation. We receive eternal life through our faith in the resurrected life of the King of Glory (מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבֹֽוד). Messiah is rightly called “the Aleph and the Tav,” the first and the last because He alone has conquered sin and death. Messiah alone holds the keys to death and eternal life. Due to the Salvation of Adonai (Yeshua) now the “dead shall live and their bodies shall rise from the dust” to sing for joy (Isaiah 26:19):
יִֽחְיוּ מֵתֶיךָ נְבֵלָתִי יְקוּמוּן הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר כִּי טַל אֹורֹת טַלֶּךָ וָאָרֶץ רְפָאִים תַּפִּֽיל׃
Your dead will live;
Their corpses will rise.
You who lie in the dust, awake (הָקִיצ) and sing for joy (רַנְּנוּ),
For your dew is as the dew of the dawn,
And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
The fulfillment of the Akedah of Isaac:
The resurrection of the Messiah fulfills the Akedah of Isaac (Genesis 22). There are various midrashim that claim that Isaac actually was killed upon the altar and his blood became part of the altar’s ashes. This did not happen literally. However, it did happen figuratively. The prophetic role-play of Isaac’s sacrificial death foreshadows the actual sacrificial death of Messiah. What happened at Moriah in the prophetic narrative of Isaac’s death, that included as its participants Abrahahm, Isaac, Abraham’s servants, and the Angel of Adonai (the LORD), was exactly what historically happened between Adonai, His Son the Messiah, and the servants of Abraham.
The two servants of Abraham who accompanied him and his son Isaac prophetically represent two types of servants.
The first servant is a type of the prophets of Israel. The prophets as supernatural witnesses of the Mashiach prophesied about His death and resurrection hundreds (and in the case of Genesis 22 even thousands) of years before these events occurred. The second servant is a type of the Jewish shlicihim (sent ones; emissaries).
The Twelve Jewish Schlichim were originally all Talmidin of the Messiah.
These Twelve emissaries of Messiah were contemporary eye witnesses of the Mashiach’s actual teaching ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. After the mock sacrifice of Isaac, father Abraham then “received back His son from the dead.” This process of Isaac leaving home to die and returning home resurrected from the dead happened on the “sixth day.”
The sixth day is a symbolic reference to the joy-filled day that man (ish) and woman (ishah) were created.
The beginning of the sixth day is a reminder of the intimate “association” (chebron-חֶבְרוֹן) Adam at the first enjoyed with his Creator… However, quite to the contrary of the beginning of the day, the end of the sixth day is a reminder of how man lost his esteemed place of intimacy with Adonai through His disobedience to the His Word (the D’var HaShem). This sin occurred at the Tenth hour (approximately 4 pm) in the “cool of the day,” when the power of the sun declines and the time of darkness rapidly approaches (cf. 10th hour: Yom HaBikkurim, chapter 22; Rosh HaShanah, chapters 18, 19, 31 and 35). Fortunately this was not the end of the story.
There is a seventh day. The day of rest is destined to come.
The day of rest is destined to come through the faith of father Abraham and his descendants. Father Abraham as a prophet could supernaturally “see,” “consider,” and “perceive” events that had yet to happen in the future. He saw the day of the Mashiach, his Greater Son, and He believed in the Messiah. Father Abraham eventually learned what the role-play with his son Isaac was all about. He knew that in the fullness of time the Mashiach would come and through His atoning death and life-giving resurrection He would win back all that Adam had lost.
Within the allotted “six days” of the narrative there are two different units of time. There is a symbolic three day journey to the site (the exact place where the Mashiach was later sacrificed on Mount Moriah, meaning “Chosen of HaShem”-מוֹרִיָּה-from raáh, meaning to “see,” “consider,” and “perceive”- רָאָה) and a three day journey to return home. The narrative tells us that just as it took three days for father Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son and then afterward ‘receive back his son from the dead’ and return him to his home (Chebron), so also in three days the heavenly Father, HaShem, sacrificed His Beloved Son the Mashiach and then afterward ‘received back His Son from the dead,’ returning Him back to the land of the living and His rightful intimate ”association” with the heavenly Father (which represents His and our return to Chebron). Father Abraham, therefore, having acted out this prophecy saw the day of the Mashiach and by faith he rejoiced in it. However, you ask:
If Messiah has triumphed over the evil one then how has the restoration of all things and the golden age of Israel not yet come?
The answer is the coming of the kingdom of Adonai has been “delayed.” You ask, “How has the kingdom of Adonai been delayed?” The coming of the kingdom of Adonai, the removal of the evil one, and his replacement by the rule of the Mashiach ben David has been delayed because the majority of father Abraham’s physical descendants have yet to believe in the Mashiach. Therefore, the Messiah has returned to heaven, to the right hand of the Father, until the day when all Israel returns to the faith of father Abraham, believing in the atoning death and life-giving resurrection of Ha-Mashiach. In regard to father Abraham’s faith the Mashiach had said:
אַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם שָׂשׂ לִרְאוֹת אֶת־יוֹמִי וַיַּרְא וַיִּשְׂמָח׃
Avraham your father rejoiced to see (to “see,” “consider,” and “perceive” from ra’ah-רָאָה) My day. He saw (from ra’ah-רָאָה) it and was glad.
In regard to Israel’s past and present failure to believe in Him, the Mashiach said:
יְרוּשָׁלַיִם יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַהֹרֶגֶת אֶת־הַנְּבִיאִים וְהַסֹּקֶלֶת אֶת־הַנִּשְׁלָחִים אֵלֶיהָ כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים חָפַצְתִּי לְקַבֵּץ אֶת־בָּנַיִךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּקַבֵּץ הַתַּרְנְגֹלֶת אֶת־אֶפְרוֹחֶיהָ תַּחַת כְּנָפֶיהָ וְאַתֶּם לֹא אֲבִיתֶם׃ הִנֵּה בֵיתְכֶם יֵעָזֵב לָכֶם שָׁמֵם וַאֲנִי אֹמֵר לָכֶם כִּי־רָאֹה לֹא תִרְאוּנִי עַד־בּוֹא הָעֵת אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמְרוּ בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם ה’׃
“Yerushalayim, Yerushalayim, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I have desired to gather your sons like a hen would gather her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Listen: your house will be abandoned for you, desolate! I say to you that you will surely not see Me until the time comes that you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of HaShem!'” (ה’ בָּרוּךְ הַבָּא בְּשֵׁם)
Job, David, Hosea and Jonah testify to the resurrection of the Messiah:
וַאֲנִי יָדַעְתִּי גֹּאֲלִי חָי וְאַחֲרֹון עַל־עָפָר יָקֽוּם׃ וְאַחַר עֹורִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹאת וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶֽחֱזֶה אֱלֹֽוהַּ׃ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי אֶֽחֱזֶה־לִּי וְעֵינַי רָאוּ וְלֹא־זָר כָּלוּ כִלְיֹתַי בְּחֵקִֽי׃
As for me, I know that my Redeemer (גֹּאֲלִי) lives (חָי),
And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
Even after my skin is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I shall see the Almighty One;
Whom I myself shall behold,
And whom my eyes will see and not another.
My heart faints within me!
The prophet Job believed in the resurrection of his Redeemer (Job 19:25-27). King David foresaw the Messiah’s resurrection when he wrote (Psalm 16:10):
כִּי לֹא־תַעֲזֹב נַפְשִׁי לִשְׁאֹול לֹֽא־תִתֵּן חֲסִידְךָ לִרְאֹות שָֽׁחַת׃
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
This prophecy regarding the resurrection of Messiah is in keeping with the heavenly Father’s promise that the line of David is now established in the Mashiach and that His reign as the resurrected-glorified king will continue throughout eternity (Psalm 2:6; 89:27-28; 110:1):
וַאֲנִי נָסַכְתִּי מַלְכִּי עַל־צִיֹּון הַר־קָדְשִֽׁי׃
“But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.”
אַף־אָנִי בְּכֹור אֶתְּנֵהוּ עֶלְיֹון לְמַלְכֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ לְעֹולָם אשֶׂמור־לֹו חַסְדִּי וּבְרִיתִי נֶאֱמֶנֶת לֹֽו׃
“I also shall make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
My lovingkindness (חַסְדִּי) I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall be confirmed to him.”
לְדָוִד מִזְמֹור נְאֻם ה’ לַֽאדֹנִי שֵׁב לִֽימִינִי עַד־אָשִׁית אֹיְבֶיךָ הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃
A Psalm of David.
Adonai says to my Lord:
“Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
The prophet Jonah is a “sign” or illustration of the death and resurrection of Messiah. The prophet Hosea likewise alluded to Messiah’s resurrection (Hosea 6:1-2):
לְכוּ וְנָשׁוּבָה אֶל־ה’ כִּי הוּא טָרָף וְיִרְפָּאֵנוּ יַךְ וְיַחְבְּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ יְחַיֵּנוּ מִיֹּמָיִם בַּיֹּום הַשְּׁלִישִׁי יְקִמֵנוּ וְנִחְיֶה לְפָנָֽיו׃
“Come, let us return to Adonai.
For He has torn us, but He will heal us;
He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
“He will revive us after two days;
He will raise us up on the third day (בַּיֹּום הַשְּׁלִישִׁי),
That we may live before Him.
HaBikkurim is the event where the Love of Adonai overcomes all!
HaBikkurim is the event where love overcomes all! Because Messiah lives forever, we shall live forever!
The death, resurrection and ascension of the Suffering Messiah imparts the heavenly Father’s justification to us as a rewarding response to our faith. Once Messiah perfectly obeyed the Law and made satisfaction for sin He rendered death powerless. Therefore, the Brit HaAhavah (ברית האהבה-the Covenant of Love) overcomes the law’s verdict of death. In holy love the Messiah has overcome our Righteous Father’s wrath! Messiah is our “Strong One” (בֹּעַז) our Kinsman Redeemer, our Boaz (a type of Messiah). Messiah alone has borne in His own body the immeasurable burden of the judgment that rightfully is ours. The Messiah’s fulfillment of the law and His sacrificial victory over death is the victory of Abba Avinu’s redeeming love. The resurrection of Messiah ensures that the sacrifice of the Beloved Son (ben Yadid), made by the Righteous Father, was one where righteousness and peace have kissed each other (Psalm 85:11):
אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח וְצֶדֶק מִשָּׁמַיִם נִשְׁקָֽף׃
Loving-kindness (chesed) and truth (emet) have met together;
Righteousness (tzedek) and peace (shalom) have kissed each other (nashaku).
Green is the Color of Innocence and Humility:
The word “Abib” comes from a root word which means to be tender, green; therefore it refers to a young ear of grain, hence the name of the month Abib (later called Nisan). In the Torah green is the color of innocence and purity. *Various shades of green are the color that encircles the throne of the Eternal One. This is so because the Holy One is Innocent and Pure. He is Perfect. And it is our destiny by the Grace of the Righteous One (our Tzaddik the Messiah) to one day be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. *Emerald green is the color of the tribe of Judah, the tribe of the Mashiach.