Why is the resurrection compared to Israel's three-part grain harvest?
God views the bringing of human people unto Himself as a harvest, so resurrection follows an ordered harvest pattern. That pattern has three sequences: firstfruits, the early ripening grain; the major harvest; and the corners and gleanings. Resurrection occurs in companies, not all at once, with Christ the firstfruits.
Les teaches that Paul is saying the same thing about resurrection that an army organization illustrates: there is order and specific companies. Of all who have lived and died and will be resurrected, there is going to be an order in the resurrection, so every group will be in its specific company; they are not all going to come out like one great big group. The firstfruits is Christ, as Ephesians 2:5a says, 'Christ, the firstfruits.' That gives an inkling that we can look at the resurrections much like Israel practiced her grain harvest. God considers bringing human people unto Himself a harvest, and Scripture speaks of fields white unto harvest. The whole harvest of mankind can be likened to the three sequences of Israel's harvest: first the firstfruits, the sampling of the early ripening grain; then the major harvest; and then the third part, the corners and the gleanings.
More Questions
What are the three stages of the resurrection compared to Israel's harvest?
The whole harvest of mankind can be likened to the three sequences of Israel's harvest: first the firstfruits, the sampling of the early ripening grain; then the major harvest; and third the corners and the gleanings.