What was the feast of firstfruits in the Old Testament?
The feast of firstfruits in the Old Testament was a harvest celebration where many stems of grain—a sampling of the coming crop—were gathered into a sheath and taken to the priest as an offering of firstfruits. It typified resurrection, pointing to Christ and the Jewish saints raised after Him.
Les explains that the feast day of firstfruits was to take not just one stem of grain but many who were all just sampling of the crop that was to come. They were brought together in a sheath and taken to the priest. He says, 'Here is my offering of firstfruits.' Les then connects this to resurrection: had Christ come alone, He would be the firstfruit of resurrection, but it's not. The Jewish saints resurrected right after Christ comprise the firstfruits. In the harvest process, firstfruits were taken out as a sampling, then the main harvest, then the gleanings last.