The Jews had a day of thanksgiving to God for the first fruits of harvest. This was held on the day after the Passover. This harvest was primarily the barley harvest.
The Jews also had a day of thanksgiving to God for the first fruits of harvest 50 days later. This day was known as Pentecost. This harvest was primarily the wheat harvest. The wheat harvest celebration was known as the “latter first fruits.” This is because it was the second main harvest, and God required first fruits in sacrifice for it.
Barley was known as the grain of the poor. It made a bread of less quality than wheat. Wheat was preferred. During the early first century, the Romans took almost all of the wheat from Palestine and used it throughout the Roman Empire. The Jews had to settle for the poorer barley grain. Thus, at the time of Christ, wheat was especially valued.
This brings us to the Day of Pentecost when the church was established. God had let it be known that something special would occur in the “last days.”
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of this ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3)
The writer of Hebrews (1:2) says that God has spoken to us through His Son in “these last days.” Peter on the Day of Pentecost told that Joel had prophesied that the Holy Spirit would be given in the “last days” (Acts 2:17).
Thus, in the “last days” on the Day of Pentecost (the celebration of the “latter first fruits”), God established the church. The first fruits of God’s kingdom came through baptism on the Day of Pentecost (2:41).
The Book of Hebrews talks about how the New Law is so much better than the Old Law. The first fruits of the New Law were valued like the wheat of the latter first fruits. It is not that the first fruits of the Old Law were not valued by God, but the salvation coming through the New Law (the blood of Christ) was what the Old Law could not give. This is why Christ said in Luke 8:28, “…but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he,” speaking of John the Baptist.
I am glad we are the under the New Law. I am glad that we have salvation through Christ. Study your Bible. Obey God, and if any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
