There were three agricultural harvest festivals in which
all the Israelite males were required to present themselves before the Lord each year in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16)
The feast of Weeks was the time of the firstfruits of
the wheat harvest (Exodus 34:22)
The feast of Tabernacles was the time of the final fruit
harvest (Deuteronomy 16:13)
Boaz allowed Ruth the Moabitess to glean of both firstfruits
harvests (Ruth 2:21,23) from Israel's choicest field (Ruth 2:22)
Sheaves are representative of the Lord's people as indicated
by Joseph's dream concerning his brethren (Genesis 37:5-8)
A sheaf is the Hebrew word ("omer") which is
defined as a "measure of dry things"
An omer is one tenth of an ephah (Exodus 16:36)
which was the daily manna provision for an Israelite in the wilderness (Exodus 16:15-16)
Boaz allowed Ruth the Moabitess greater provision from
his field than required by the Law (Leviticus 19:10; Deuteronomy 24:21) by allowing her to collect ten times the daily manna provision for
an Israelite in the wilderness (Ruth 2:15-18)
In Israel, God claimed uniquely as His own the firstborn
of both man and beast (Exodus 13:2)
as well as the firstfruits of harvest (Exodus 22:29)
The feast of firstfruits is to be observed the day after
the Sabbath during the Passover week (Leviticus 23:11)
Israel's crossing of the Red Sea after three days journey
is likened to the believer's resurrection with Christ after three days in the grave (I Corinthians 10:1-4 cf. Romans 6:3-5)
PropheticFulfillment
Messiah, as the "sheaf of the firstfruits" (Leviticus 23:10),
is called:
Messiah, in resurrection reveals the unfolded Name of
Jehovah - compare His unfolded Name ("I AM, I WAS, I SHALL BE") to John (Revelation 1:18) with His folded Name ("I AM") to Moses (Exodus 3:14)
Messiah, as the Passover was crucified on the 14th day
of Nissan (Exodus 12:6)
and was raised three days later (John 2:19-21) as the Firstfruits on the 17th day of Nissan
On the 17th day of Nissan, Noah's ark rested on Mount
Ararat of the "new earth" (Genesis 8:4)
The 7th month (Nissan) of the civil calendar is actually
the 1st month of the spiritual calendar - the spiritual calendar replaced the civil calendar when God ordained
the Passover for Israel at the time of their Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-17)
On the 17th day of Nissan, israel ate of the firstfruits
of the "new land" (Joshua 5:10-12)
On the 17th day of Nissan, Haman and his ten sons (type
of Antichrist and the ten kings) were hanged (Esther 3:12-13; Esther 4:15-16;Esther 5:1,4,8; Esther 7:2,7,10)
- just as Pharaoh and his armies were also drowned on the very same day
In both cases, it was Israel's enemies who sought her
destruction that died and it was Israel that lived (type of resurrection)
Messiah Who foretold His resurrection and left an empty
tomb (Luke 24:5-8)
was foreshadowed by Joseph who foretold the "taking up of his bones" at the Exodus of the chidren of
Israel (Genesis 50:24-26) when they left an empty coffin in Egypt (Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32)
SpiritualApplication
Just as the women saw an empty tomb (Matthew 28:1-6)
- the world needs to see separated believers (II Corinthians 6:14-18) whose heavenly resurrection life is "hid by God with Christ"
from the world's earthly view and ONLY to be "revealed with Christ in glory" (Colossians 3:1-4)