How is the resurrection of mankind like Israel's grain harvest?
The resurrection of mankind follows an ordered harvest pattern like Israel's grain harvest. There is firstfruits, the early ripening sampling, then the major harvest, and then the corners and gleanings. The dead are not all raised as one great group but each group in its specific company.
Les explains that Paul is saying the same thing about resurrection that is pictured in an army's organization: there is order, from the smallest company up to the division and army. Of all the people 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 their specific company at resurrection. They are not all going to come out like one great big group. Ephesians 2:5a calls Christ the firstfruits, and Les teaches that this 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, as in His earthly ministry statement that the fields are white unto harvest but the laborers are few. The human race has been harvested through the efforts of God, whether Old Testament or New. So 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 would be the corners and the gleanings.