The key to understanding what "First-fruits" means is in the old testament.
Ezekiel 20:40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them
in the land, serve me: there will I accept them,
and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your
holy things.
ie ... they are sacrificial offerings.
Revelation 14:4 These are they which were
not defiled with women; for they are
virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the
firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
So clearly First-fruits are people
The key to understanding this verse in Revelations is ...
The same thing is said three times.
Not defiled: means, not corrupted = PURE
Virgin: means free of impurity or stain = PURE
First-fruits means exactly the same thing = PURE
(seed)
So lets look up PURE and see what we find there?
PURE
: unmixed with any other matter
: free from dust, dirt, or taint
: spotless, stainless
: of pure blood and unmixed ancestry
: homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters
Interestingly there is another word which links up with PURE and holds similar meanings to VIRGIN
WHITE
: free from spot or blemish
: free from moral impurity
Well that is interesting isn't it?
Anyway let's see if we can find this PURE person in the bible apart from Jesus of course.
Song of Solomon 4:7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
Song of Solomon 5:9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou
fairest among women?
How about we look that word up?
FAIR
: clean, pure
: not dark - fair skin
flawless quality
Similar meanings again ... OK lets look for more about this woman ... is there more?
Song of Solomon 6:9 My dove, my
undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her.
Song of Solomon 6:10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning,
fair as the moon, clear as the sun, ...
Well it could just be my prejudice showing here but I think the last verse cleared up that FAIR in that case was referring to the woman being WHITE.
Black people are certainly not "fair as the moon." There is only one race on the planet that fits that description.
OK but what is interesting about this woman is what is said about her apart from this and NO I do not believe this is simple poetry, there is far more
going on in this chapter ...
Song of Solomon 4:12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
Song of Solomon 4:15 A fountain of gardens,
a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon.
Song of Solomon 4:16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into
his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.
( the garden is the woman)
Song of Solomon 7:2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat
(bread) set about with
lilies.
(womanly entrances)
Song of Solomon 8:2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the
juice of my pomegranate.
(this is said by the woman - pineal gland?)
Simple poetry I think NOT ... I think it goes with these verses in JOHN
John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him
a well
of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
I said in the beginning I thought
perhaps it was select white women because of the clues I found ... there I have spelt out the clues, once
more...
Getting back to this verse
Revelation 14:4 These are they which were
not defiled with women; for they are
virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb
whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the
firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
If the first fruits are true to the type of Jesus (the lamb) and they are sacrificed, do we see this anywhere else apart from the symbolism of Jesus
on the Cross of course?
Indeed we do ...
Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood
a Lamb as it had
been slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
"EYES" relating to openings in the body?
Another references to "EYES" is here and they certainly are within the body ...
Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him;
and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night,
saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
edit on 5-7-2011 by AprilSky because: format