The resurrected saints complete the firstfruits of the resurrection together with Christ.
Scripture records that these saints came out of the graves after His resurrection, not while He was on the cross. Les Feldick shows that a sheaf of firstfruits contained many stems, so these Jewish believers joined Christ as the plural firstfruits of them that slept. They were truly resurrected, never to die again.
Matthew 27:52-53 — Records the saints arising and coming out of the graves after Christ's resurrection, linking them to the event.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 — Explains Christ as the firstfruits of those who slept and the resurrection order.
Leviticus 23:10-11 — Defines the sheaf of firstfruits as many stems presented to the priest, the Old Testament background for the resurrection picture.
Matthew's gospel records that when Jesus yielded up His Spirit, the veil of the temple was torn, the earth quaked, and the graves were opened. Then, 'many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.' Paul tells us that Christ is 'the firstfruits of them that slept' and that every man will be made alive 'in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.' In Leviticus, the Lord commanded Israel to bring 'a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest' to be waved before Him.
Les Feldick corrects a common misreading of Matthew 27. Many assume the saints came out of their graves while Christ was still on the cross, but the text says they came out after His resurrection. He emphasizes that Christ had to be the first to experience resurrection; no one before Him had ever been truly resurrected. Others who were raised from the dead, such as Lazarus, simply died again. The Old Testament feast of firstfruits required a sheaf of many stems, not one stem. Likewise, Christ alone would be one stem, so the resurrected Jewish believers, who went into the holy city and appeared to many, were the additional stems that completed the sheaf of firstfruits. Though Scripture does not record their ascension, Les teaches they had to go up to glory because they were resurrected, not merely resuscitated. These saints are also the first group in the first resurrection; the rapture of the church is the general harvest, and Old Testament and tribulation saints follow later.
The graves were opened at the moment of Christ's death, but the saints themselves arose and came out of the graves only after His resurrection. Les Feldick points out that this order was necessary because Christ had to be the first one ever truly resurrected from the dead. He uses this to correct readers who think the saints emerged while Jesus was still on the cross.
Under the Old Testament, the firstfruits offering was a sheaf made of many stems of grain brought together and taken to the priest. A single stem could not make a sheaf. Les Feldick applies this to resurrection: if Christ had risen alone, He would be a singular firstfruit, but the feast pictures a plural offering. So the believers who came out of the graves after Christ provided the many stems that, together with Him, formed the firstfruits sheaf.
They went into the holy city and appeared to many. They were not restored to mortal life like Lazarus, who later died again; they were genuinely resurrected with bodies that would not die. Les Feldick reasons that because they were resurrected as Christ was, and because Christ ascended in His resurrection body, these saints also went up to heaven when He did, even though Scripture does not state this explicitly.
Paul says every man will be made alive in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's at His coming. Les Feldick maps this to the harvest: the firstfruits saints are the sampling at the beginning of the Jewish harvest; the rapture of the church is the general harvest; and the Old Testament and tribulation believers are the corners and gleanings, raised 75 days after the Kingdom is set up, completing the resurrection of the just of all the ages.
Correcting the Misreading of Matthew 27:51-53
Les corrects the common assumption that the saints came out while Christ was on the cross; the graves were opened at that moment, but the saints arose after His resurrection.
Christ Must Be First
Les explains that Christ had to be the first truly resurrected person, and that the resurrected saints, like many stems of grain, join Him to become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Resurrected, Not Merely Raised
Les shows that these saints entered the holy city and appeared to many, and because they were truly resurrected rather than raised to die again, they necessarily ascended to glory.
The Sheaf of Firstfruits
Les teaches that the Levitical sheaf was made of many stems taken to the priest, so these Jewish saints complete the plural 'firstfruits' with Christ.
The Harvest Stages
Les places the firstfruits saints as the start of the harvest, followed by the general harvest of the church at the rapture and the final gleanings of Old Testament and tribulation saints.
Resurrection Orders in 1 Corinthians 15
Les shows that Paul divides the resurrections into orders: Christ and these saints as the firstfruits, then those who are Christ's at His coming.
Christ the Firstfruits of the Dead
Les reads 1 Corinthians 15:20 to establish that Christ is the firstfruits of them that slept, and that as in Adam all die, in Christ all will be made alive.
The First Resurrection Groups
Les identifies these resurrected saints as the first group in the first resurrection, with the rapture as the largest group and Old Testament and tribulation believers resurrected later.
Matthew 27:52-53: And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
This is the central passage showing the resurrected saints and their timing after Christ's resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20: But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
This states that Christ is the firstfruits of all who have died, the foundation of the firstfruits teaching.
1 Corinthians 15:22-23: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
This outlines the resurrection order and places Christ and the firstfruits saints before the later harvest.
Leviticus 23:10-11: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
This Old Testament picture of a sheaf of many stems is the pattern Les uses to explain why the firstfruits are plural.
No. Many people misread Matthew 27, but the text says the graves were opened at that moment and the saints came out after His resurrection. Les Feldick emphasizes this because Christ had to be the first to be resurrected.
No. Lazarus was restored to mortal life and later died again. The saints in Matthew 27 were truly resurrected to immortal life, never to die again, which is why they could complete the firstfruits sheaf with Christ.
Scripture does not state it directly, but Les Feldick teaches that because they were resurrected rather than merely resuscitated, they had to go up to heaven with Christ in His ascension.
They are the first group of the first resurrection. The church-age believers at the rapture form the largest group, and the Old Testament and tribulation believers will be raised later, 75 days after the Kingdom is set up.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "First Resurrection" Really Mean? Bible Study