Yom Bikkurim 2020
(Day of Firstfruits 2020)
Yom Bikkurim is a reminder of God as El Hanne Eman, our Faithful God. It is a reminder of Yeshua’s Resurrection and His faithful promise of our own eternal resurrection.
Day of Firstfruits (Yom Bikkurim): "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the First Fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before Yahweh, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after Shabbat the priest shall wave it." Leviticus 23:10-11
Yom Bikkurim marks the beginning of the grain harvests in Israel. Yom Bikkurim always comes on the day following the Sabbath after Pesach. In other words, the Day of Firstfruits always occurs on the Sunday after Passover. But it does not always happen on the 16th of Abib (Nisan), because of the Jewish calendar). However, the Sunday after Pesach in 2020 is in fact Abib 18. (This is also the same day Easter falls on this year in 2020).
In the year that Yeshua bought mankind’s Redemption on the cross, it was only three days until Firstfruits that year. Yeshua rose from the dead on the Day of First Fruits, making Him the Firstfruits from the dead (1Corinthians 15:20)!
Sunday, Abib 16, was the first day of the week and a workday for the Hebrews, a workday to commence the barley harvest. Yom Bikkur was a national celebration by Israel of the Firstfruits of the barley harvest. A sheaf of barley is not only a thanksgiving offering to Yahweh, it represented the entire barley harvest and served as a pledge of faith in God that He will bring the rest of the harvest in. So the agricultural significance of Firstfruits was this first reaping of the barley harvest in the springtime month of Abib, just as the barley became ripe.
If we take a look at the Hebrew word for barley, which is seorah we find something very interesting. The root word of seorah, is sa’ar, which means whirlwind. So barley is what comes out of the whirlwind. In the Scriptures we read that God, God’s Voice, or His wrath or fury comes out of the whirlwind (at least 16 times). This tells us that the whirlwind is in fact, God. Therefore, Barley comes from (or out of) God - a grain from the Heavens!
Abib, which is thought to mean Springtime, is an agricultural reckoning, as well as the first month of God’s year (Exodus 12:2). It was the first moon that was going to come to fullness after the spring equinox. This celebration of the Firstfruits of the barley harvest had special meaning for the people of Israel as they began the Hebrew calendar for the year a couple of weeks prior, and gathered together for the Spring Appointed Seasons.
The very first Yom Bikkurim wasn’t celebrated exactly the same way as it was the second time, and thereafter. In fact, it wasn’t a celebration at all, for it was a part of the Pesach (Passover)––the night God Passed Over the houses which had the blood on their door posts and lintels. Those Firstfruits, the Firstborn of each family, were spared because they reminded God of His Covenant with them (by the blood). But the firstborn of Pharaoh’s households were not saved, they died when God sent the destroyer over Egypt.
Note: the Hebrew word for firstfruits and firstborn is the same, which is bikkur––the English words are interchangeable wherever you find them.
In the first three Spring Feasts we see the redemption story of Yeshua (Jesus), as it emerged into history nearly two thousand years ago. As we will come to see, Yeshua accurately perfected, down to the minutest detail, all four of the Spring Feasts, as well as Yom Kippur.
Messiah Yeshua was crucified on Pesach, Abib 14, and was taken down from the cross the evening just before sunset, as Shabbat began at sundown that same day (Mark 15:42; John 19:31). Yeshua could not be left on the cross on Shabbat. He was in the grave by sunset as the 15th day of Abib began (when Matsot began. (Since the many changes to God’s Way began about three hundred years before He was born, in Yeshua’s day, the day began in the evening for the Hebrews.)
As mentioned previously,Yeshua completed and perfected Yom Bikkurim, meaning He rose from the dead on Yom Bikkurim, completing the prophetic picture that the Spring Feasts pointed to––His work of Redemption: death (Pesach), burial (Matsot) and Resurrection (Yom Bikkurim). Thus, making Yeshua the firstfruits from the dead (1Corinthians 15:20 & 23).
Celebrating Yom Bikkurim
• Yom Bikkurim is not a day off from work, and it isn’t really a feast day according to the Bible, but since it falls in the midst of the holy season of Unleavened Bread, you can have a special meal.
• Include a special vegetable dish with barley (see recipe below) in celebration of Yom Bikkurim (Day of Firstfruits) with this meal, as well as eating matsah.
• Sharing this meal with Yeshua is in honor of Him, we remember what He did on this day, rising from the dead, defeating death and giving us the promise of eternal Life in Him––this is the true Resurrection Day! (Acts 2:24-25 & Psalm 68:18, 110:1)
A Menu for Yom Bikkurim
Leg of Lamb, Lamb Steaks or Lamb Sirloin Chops
Green Salad with (first) fruits
Unleavened bread
Barley Vegetable Medley
Grape Juice or Wine
Dessert
Barley Veggie Medley Recipe
1 cup fresh or frozen peas (or corn)
1 cup cooked barley (soaked at least 1 hr before cooking)
1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup sliced baby carrots
1/2 cube veggie bouillon (or broth seasoning)
1/2 tsp. basil 1/4 tsp. oregano 1/8 tsp. pepper
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (Italian spiced)
yield: about 6 servings
Bring 1 1/2 cups water to boiling. Stir in peas (corn), barley, onion, carrots, bouillon, basil, oregano and pepper. Return to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and drain water out. Put back on heat and add tomatoes. Cook and stir about 1-2 minutes more.
Updated February 28, 2021
At-a-glance Chart
(See complete Detail below Chart)
Yom Bikkkurim
(Day of Firstfruits)
(March 28, 2021)
Celebrated
Abib 15, 5993
March 3, 2019 Still working on this page, but it should be done soon!
