In the Hebrew text Firstfruits is plural. On Firstfruits fulfillment day Jesus alone became the singular Firstfruit body to be resurrected out of the old and into the new covenant. Others who joined His new covenant body of humanity were also called the Firstfruit singular. There was and is only one Jesus and one corporate body of Christ. Both are singular. The first century people who joined the resurrection of the dead old covenant body became part of the new covenant Firstfruit singular. There were many old creation bodies. Israel was only one of them. People who are born again today are not part of the new covenant Firstfruit. Firstfruit was the first century resurrection of Israel’s humanity. That other nations joined the one and only resurrected body was part of the mystery of the gospel.

We in the church proper are no longer considered the Firstfruit. The church is still one body of Christ taking the gospel to all nations, but the Firstfruit was 2000 years ago +. The singular seed of the Eve and the singular seed of Abraham already became the FirstFruit body of Christ. In the Greek part of the Bible, firstfruit is always singular, unless it is found in the Greek Septuagint, wherein it is plural, which confirms that the difference between the many and the one is a significant matter of eschatology, not merely a language preference or a language anomaly.

1 Corinthians 16:15

LITV ¹⁵ But I exhort you, brothers. You know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruit of Achaia, and they appointed themselves to ministry to the saints.

In this verse firstfruit is singular, yet it has reference to more than one person. This household was the first from the region of Achaia to join the body of Christ as first century firstfruit. Christ Himself is called the singular firstfruit of the resurrection just one chapter earlier. He was the only fruit harvested from the old covenant for 50 days. The household of Stephanas was not the firstfruit of the barley or wheat harvest of Israel but was the firstfruit harvested from Achaia. Part of the mystery of the gospel was that not only the 12 tribes scattered, but other national bodies would join the one new covenant body that was promised to Israel.

Galatians 3:16

CLV ¹⁶ Now to Abraham the promises were declared, and to his Seed [singular]. He is not saying “And to seeds, as of many, but as of One: And to “your Seed, which is Christ.”

Jesus was raised to the third day, from the place of the dead ones into the land of the living, which was the new covenant land. That is how He became the firstfruit in the new covenant promise. Just like when Jesus was in the old covenant, He was the only one both physically and spiritually alive in the new covenant, until Pentecost. At Pentecost Jesus gave His spiritual life to biologically living bodies in the land of promise. They were all part of the one body of Israel. Pentecost was part of the first resurrection. The rest of the spiritually dead didn’t live agin till the 1000 years were accomplished. Spiritual death here does not refer to annihilation of the spirit of a person. It refers to their Spirit to spirit relationship with God.

Both Jesus’ physical body and His Spirit to spirit relationship were restored on His resurrection day. The Holy Spirit Himself raised Jesus out from the physically and spiritually dead ones on the third day. But the suffering of His submersion into the body of the spiritually dead ones may have actually ended while He was in the spirit realm of Hades. Even though He was among the dead ones, He preached victory to the spirit-realm people in Hades, before He entered back into His biological body. It was a spirit realm victory. Besides, before His death on the cross, Jesus preached victory among His old covenant people as the only spiritually living one too.

The people in the typical land realm were also spiritually dead but not yet biologically dead. Jesus’ physical resurrection granted biological life to Him again. That’s not the death He overcame in Hades. It was a typical sign. His preserved from decay physical body came back to life the 3rd day. Jesus breathed air from the Earth’s atmosphere again for 40 more days. Pentecost brought His spiritual victory to the believers in Jerusalem who were still biologically living. The resurrection of the rest of the dead was when the millennium was fulfilled. Again, Adam’s millennium only needed 70 years for fulfillment and Israel’s typical temple rule was at or nearing 1000 years.

The flesh and blood body corporate was represented by the 12 tribes who gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. They were given spiritual life while still breathing Earth’s air in their biological flesh and blood old covenant dead body. Scattered was covenant death. Ruled by Rome was covenant death. At the marriage in the air (spirit realm of heaven) the physically and spiritually dead ones out of Hades would bypass the earth with it’s born again flesh and blood bodies (which were considered to be no longer in the flesh). All would meet together in the kingdom realm that can only be seen or entered by being spiritually born from above.

We don’t have to be born again physically as Nicodemus imagined. The biological body is not the key to entering or living in the kingdom. It is not a permanent kingdom realm body. You must be begotten by the Spirit. You must be born into a Holy Spirit generated body. The DNA body of the 12 tribes has not been preserved for a future covenant of flesh and blood. The Holy Spirit generated body of Christ is the new covenant body. The Spirit of God gives birth into the spirit realm body of the new covenant, even to His people in Hades who no longer had flesh and blood bodies. The bodies on earth did not go first to meet the Lord in the air. The new covenant is not the typical old covenant family. It is not in the flesh. The flesh and blood covenant didn’t inherit it or see it or enter it.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 – I reckon these are all first century firstfruit

YLT ¹⁶ because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, ¹⁷ then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be; ¹⁸ so, then, comfort ye one another in these words.

Jesus was both spiritually and physically resurrected. His body was uniquely preserved from corruption for His 40-day flesh and blood reappearance to His people. Covenantally He was no longer in the flesh. Scientifically, He still had a flesh and blood body and needed to breath in air to sustain it. Post-resurrection, He evidently only appeared to His own people. He did not appear to old covenant people who would remain unbelievers to the end of the old age of 1000. He appeared to unbelieving Paul to cause him to believe. His people were waiting for Him to appear a second time indicating the acceptance of the final atonement for His people but not for Himself, after He ascended to enter the real temple in heaven as the high priest with His own singular flesh and blood body (old covenant body) as the last necessary old covenant sacrifice. The flesh and blood covenant did not inherit the kingdom. The spirit realm covenant did.

In the flesh covenant Paul was a ravenous wolf from the tribe of Benjamin who became an anomaly. Benjamin’s birth had caused his mother’s death. We don’t have a single word in scripture from the mouth of Benjamin. Paul’s rebirth stopped him from trying to kill the mother church of whom he was on his way to Damascus to continue to persecute. We have more words from Paul’s mouth than any other apostle. But Paul wasn’t chosen by Jesus while Jesus was in His flesh and blood body. Jesus had spent the night in prayer in His flesh and blood body before choosing the first 12 apostles, but Paul was the last apostle personally chosen. Paul was chosen by Jesus after Jesus ascended from Jerusalem with His final flesh and blood sacrifice. He ascended to the heavenly realm real temple. He became the permanent high priest with the only sacrifice that really offered atonement for His people.

In Acts chapter 1, the ascended Lord who knows the heart was asked to chose between Barnabas an Matthias. After the 11 prayed for the Lord’s choice to be made, the allotment fell to Matthias. Paul was chosen by the Lord after Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. Paul’s allotment was Gentile territory and even more revelation from the Lord. Paul received more revelation from the Lord by way of a pre-death ascension to heaven. Paul couldn’t tell if he was in or out of his body when his ascension occurred. Whether in Hades or in Heaven, people all seem to be in mysteriously recognizable spirit-realm bodies. Stephen recognizes Jesus when Heaven opens and Saul recognizes Samuel when Samuel comes up from Sheol. There seems to be transitionally smooth flesh-realm to spirit-realm appearance that remains recognizably unique to each person.

2 Corinthians 5:16

KJV ¹⁶ Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

The spirit realm body is the more real face to face relationship. In it we know Him and ourself even as we are already known by Him.

English Standard Version 1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known

Paul was biologically dead before the new covenant consummated and the old covenant body of flesh and blood that Paul was a part of ended. Jesus opened the way for true humanity to be face to face with God. After His ascension He entered the most holy place as high priest with the last sacrifice. The face to face was the spirit realm consummation Paul was referring to as “then”.

Even at Jesus’ ascension, only would-be-born-again-ones saw His flesh and blood body disappear into a cloud. The cloud represented the not yet face-to-face in the temple. Jesus said that only those born of the Holy Spirit can actually see His kingdom. Kingdom living is a spirit-realm life lived in a spirit-realm Jerusalem. The cube shaped Jerusalem represents the most holy place face-to-face for all the people.

In the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus ruled in both the old and new covenants. We rule by the power of the Holy Spirit in the new covenant only. Jesus died to get His people out of the old and into the new so they could rule-in the new with Him. His first century people ruled, in the body of Christ, into the new age, with Him. Jewish Paul’s mission in his flesh and blood mode had to be aborted by a heavenly realm recommissioning from the new covenant King.

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

JuliaSmith ¹ And I make known to you, brethren, the good news which I announced to you, which also ye received, and in which ye stood; ² By which also ye are saved, to which word I announced to you if ye hold, unless ye believed to no purpose. ³ For I delivered to you among the first, what I also received, that Christ died for our sins, according to the writings; ⁴ And that he was buried, and that he was raised the third day, according to the writings. ⁵ And that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve: ⁶ Then was he seen by above five hundred brethren once for all; of whom the most remain till now, and some also are laid to rest. ⁷ Then was he seen by James; then by all the sent. ⁸ And last of all exactly as an abortive, was he also seen by me.

The first fruit of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 is singularly Christ. He was the first to be spiritually resurrected from Hades. His flesh and blood body was never in the spirit realm of Hades. Yet KJV renders Christ the first fruit as plural. In fact most translations render the word firstfruit in the following verses as plural.

1 Corinthians 15:20

LITV ²⁰ But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He became [past] the firstfruit [singular] of those having fallen asleep.

Jesus was the first to die and permanently come out from the place where the dead ones went to wait. He was the glorified humanity who ruled in the transition to the new covenant age. He ruled from the throne in heaven. The ruler of the old covenant sons was the spirit of that age. The sons were being disobedient by not obeying the gospel. They were called the sons of distrust, unbelief, stubbornness, disobedience or un-persuadable-ness. Paul was one of them before Jesus introduced Himself.

Ephesians 2:2

 ² in which you once walked, in accord with the age of this world, in accord with the chief of the jurisdiction of the air, the spirit now operating in the sons of stubbornness “

2 Corinthians 4:4

YLT ⁴ in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;

Jesus was the singularly complete image of God in humanity until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began to indwell the people.

1 Corinthians 15:23

LITV ²³ But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruit, afterward those of Christ at His coming.

The resurrection of Christ in verses 4,12,13,14,15,16,17,20,21 is the only resurrection that is presented as past. The resurrection of those in Christ is presented as still happening in verse 16 and then a future happening in 22 and 23. The ongoing resurrection consummated at his coming. During the transition of covenants, those who were presently in the first resurrection were not harmed at all by the second death.

Jesus’ resurrection was not complete while He was in Hades. His glorification was still not complete while He was 40 days in the land. The resurrection of His people was not complete until the 1000 years were fulfilled. Jesus’ last words on the cross were, “it is finished- accomplished, fulfilled, paid”. Yet the consummation of the resurrection was when the 1000 years were finished – accomplished, fulfilled, paid (same Greek word). It doesn’t say after the 1000 years were finished. It says “they” didn’t live again until the 1000 years were finished. “They” who had once lived, must have been those who had died and went to Hades. Who are “they” who weren’t presently part of the first resurrection?

The second they were those who weren’t alive and ushering in the age of the new covenant. They didn’t included the first century martyrs. Even though the martyrs died during the 1000 years, they died with the Holy Spirit indwelling which means they did not deny Christ as the messiah. They retained their spiritual integrity even in biological death. They were under the alter awaiting the fulfillment of the 1000 years. They were still enduring the injustice of it all. In the account of the stoning of Stephan this spiritual victory in biological death was accomplished through the Holy Spirit enablement. The fulfillment was “in just a little” while when the full number of martyrs was accomplished. Justice was imminent.

Revelation 20:4-6

YLT ⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them, and the souls of those who have been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not bow before the beast, nor his image, and did not receive the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand, and they did live and reign with Christ the thousand years; ⁵ and the rest of the dead did not live again till the thousand years may be finished; this is the first rising again. ⁶ Happy and holy is he who is having part in the first rising again; over these the second death hath not authority, but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Romans 11:16

YLT ¹⁶ and if the first-fruit is holy, the lump also; and if the root is holy, the branches also.

The lump in Romans 11:16 is the kneading. The mass of wheat dough was made holy by the firstfruit of the barley harvest. The barley malt was used to make the wheat bread rise for Pentecost. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost to make the firstfruit of the wheat harvest rise.

Romans 8:22-23

CLV ²² For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. ²³ Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body.”

The entire creation was groaning along with the Hebrew creation. The 12 tribes were the ones who gathered at Pentecost and received the firstfruit of the Holy Spirit. Paul counted himself in the created body of those born again at Pentecost even though he was born again out of due time.

Galatians 5:22-23

LITV ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³ meekness, self-control. Against such things there is not a law.

The fruit of the spirit is a singular body of characteristics like the law is a singular body of rules.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17

YLT ¹⁵ for this to you we say in the word of the Lord, that we who are living—who do remain over to the presence of the Lord—may not precede those asleep, ¹⁶ because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, ¹⁷ then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be;

When the 1000 years were fulfilled the people in Hades were raised first and then they simultaneously met with Christ (in the spirit realm) along with those still alive on earth. This was the consummation of the ongoing (first century transition of covenants) resurrection.

Romans 8

CLV ¹ Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. Not according to flesh are they walking, but according to spirit, ² for the spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of sin and death. ³ For what was impossible to the law, in which it was infirm through the flesh, did God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sin’s flesh and concerning sin, He condemns sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the just requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who are not walking in accord with flesh, but in accord with spirit.” ⁵ For those who are in accord with flesh are disposed to that which is of the flesh, yet those who are in accord with spirit to that which is of the spirit.” ⁶ For the disposition of the flesh is death, yet the disposition of the spirit is life and peace, ⁷ because the disposition of the flesh is enmity to God, for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither is it able.” ⁸ Now those who are in flesh are not able to please God. ⁹ Yet you are not in flesh, but in spirit, if so be that God’s spirit is making its home in you. Now if anyone has not Christ’s spirit, this one is not His.” ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body, indeed, is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is life because of righteousness.” ¹¹ Now if the spirit of Him Who rouses Jesus from among the dead is making its home in you, He Who rouses Christ Jesus from among the dead will also be vivifying your mortal bodies [The Hebrew body was a mortal body among many mortal bodies. It was one created body among many created bodies.] because of His spirit making its home in you.” ¹² Consequently, then, brethren, debtors are we, not to the flesh, to be living in accord with flesh, ¹³ for if you are living in accord with flesh, you are about to be dying. Yet if, in spirit, you are putting the practices of the body to death, you will be living.” ¹⁴ For whoever are being led by God’s spirit, these are sons of God.” ¹⁵ For you did not get slavery’s spirit to fear again, but you got the spirit of sonship, in which we are crying, “Abba, Father!” ¹⁶ The spirit itself is testifying together with our spirit that we are children of God. ¹⁷ Yet if children, enjoyers also of an allotment, enjoyers, indeed, of an allotment from God, yet joint enjoyers of Christ’s allotment, if so be that we are suffering together, that we should be glorified together also.” ¹⁸ For I am reckoning that the sufferings of the current era do not deserve the glory about to be revealed for us. ¹⁹ For the premonition of the creation is awaiting the unveiling of the sons of God. ²⁰ For to vanity was the creation subjected, not voluntarily, but because of Him Who subjects it, in expectation” ²¹ that the creation itself, also, shall be freed from the slavery of corruption into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” ²² For we are aware that the entire creation is groaning and travailing together until now. ²³ Yet not only so, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the spirit, we ourselves also, are groaning in ourselves, awaiting the sonship, the deliverance of our body.” ²⁴ For to expectation were we saved. Now expectation, being observed, is not expectation, for what anyone is observing, why is he expecting it also? ²⁵ Now, if we are expecting what we are not observing, we are awaiting it with endurance.” ²⁶ Now, similarly, the spirit also is aiding our infirmity, for what we should be praying for, to accord with what must be, we are not aware, but the spirit itself is pleading for us with inarticulate groanings.” ²⁷ Now He Who is searching the hearts is aware what is the disposition of the spirit, for in accord with God is it pleading for the saints.” ²⁸ Now we are aware that God is working all together for the good of those who are loving God, who are called according to the purpose” ²⁹ that, whom He foreknew, He designates beforehand, also, to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.” ³⁰ Now whom He designates beforehand, these He calls also, and whom He calls, these He justifies also; now whom He justifies, these He glorifies also.” ³¹ What then, shall we declare to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² Surely, He Who spares not His own Son, but gives Him up for us all, how shall He not, together with Him, also, be graciously granting us all? ³³ Who will be indicting God’s chosen ones? God, the Justifier? ³⁴ Who is the Condemner? Christ Jesus, the One dying, yet rather being roused, Who is also at God’s right hand, Who is pleading also for our sakes? ³⁵ What shall be separating us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? Affliction, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ According as it is written that “On Thy account we are being put to death the whole day, We are reckoned as sheep for slaughter.” ³⁷ Nay! in all these we are more than conquering through Him Who loves us. ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor messengers, nor sovereignties, nor the present, nor what is impending, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

The new husbandman is the singular head of the family of God. Just as the singular husbandman brought the fall to the Adamic body of humanity so the singular husbandman brought life to the Christian body of humanity. Jesus resurrected the Adamic church so as Christians they could rule with Him in life to the never ending age. There is one body of Christ; Jew and Gentile alike.

Genesis 3:15-16

CLV ¹⁵ And enmity am I setting between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He shall hurt your head and you shall hurt his heel. ¹⁶ And to the woman He says, “Multiplying, yea, multiplying am I your grief and the groaning of your pregnancy. In grief shall you bear sons. “Yet by your husband is your restoration, and he shall rule over you.

Adamic rule was part of the fall. It was originally a co-mission. Jesus co-missioned His people to rule in the age with Him. Abraham’s seed, as the stars of the sky and the sand of the sea shore, had to go singular to save the body of God’s people. He took the place of Adam who was the first born husband of the body that fell.

1 Corinthians 15:21-23

YLT ²¹ for since through man is the death, also through man is a rising again of the dead, ²² for even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, ²³ and each in his proper order, a first-fruit Christ, afterwards those who are the Christ’s, in his presence,

Romans 5:12-21

ECB ¹² THE ORIGIN OF SIN So, exactly as through one human, sin entered into the cosmos, and death through sin, and thus death passed to all humanity – for all sinned: ¹³ for until the torah, sin was in the cosmos: but there being no torah, sin reckoned not. ¹⁴ Rather death reigned from Adam to Mosheh, even over them who sinned not after the likeness of the transgression of Adam – who is the type of the one about to be. ¹⁵
JUSTIFICATION AND LIFE THROUGH YAH SHUA MESSIAH
But not as the downfall, thus also the charisma. For if through the downfall of one many die, much more the charism of Elohim and the gratuity in charism of one human, Yah Shua Messiah superabounds to many. ¹⁶ And not as through one who sinned, thus the gratuity: for the judgment indeed was by one to condemnation, but the charisma is of many downfalls to justification. ¹⁷ For if by the downfall of one death reigns through one; much more they who take a superabundance of charism and of the gratuity of justness reign in life through one, Yah Shua Messiah. ¹⁸ Thus as through one downfall all humanity is unto condemnation; even thus through one justification all humanity is unto justification of life. ¹⁹ For exactly as through the disobedience of one human many were seated sinners, thus through the obedience of one many are seated just. ²⁰ And the torah entered surreptitiously, so that the downfall superabound: and where sin superabounded, charism exceedingly superabounded: ²¹ so that exactly as sin reigned in death, even thus charism reigns through justness unto eternal life through Yah Shua Messiah our Adonay.