Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reveals the order of the transformation from an earthly body to a glorious spiritual body. Jesus is already transformed as the firstfruits of the barley harvest (23a). When Jesus comes again, those who put their faith and hope in him, those who belong to him, will be transformed into a body like Jesus’ (23b). What good news!
Many have said that the Old Testament does not reveal the long gap between Jesus’ glorious resurrection some 2,000 years ago, and our future glorious resurrection. They are wrong. The Mosaic law does reveal the long gap, and more, through the then-required celebration of the Israelite feasts. (Exodus 34:22-23; Leviticus 23; Numbers 9:1-14, 28:16-29:40; Deuteronomy 16:1-16)
The spring feasts were discussed in previous BDBD -Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits (aka Ingatherings) at the barley harvest (Exodus 34:22-23), and Pentecost (aka the Feast of Weeks). Jesus fulfilled and replaced the spring feasts, celebrated at the beginning of the Hebrew year, during his first coming
The other feasts are celebrated in the fall –the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22), the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus will fulfill these when he comes again. In between the spring and fall feasts is a long gap of several months where nothing happens.
The wheat harvest is our bodily resurrection from the dead when he comes again. Jesus often used wheat in parables to illustrate our resurrection (Matthew 13:24-30; Luke 3:17; John 12:23-26). Jesus concluded the Parable of the Weeds and Wheat with, “Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (Matthew 13:30) Are you wheat or a weed?
