As we discuss the feasts (moediym) of the Spring (also called the latter rain), we need to take a look at one of the great mysteries of the gospel; i.e., the resurrection.  Can we find the foundation for this in the Torah?  Was the resurrection part of the divine plan of creation? Was the idea of the resurrection born in Babylonian paganism, or does it have an origin in the early writings?

Let’s take a look and see how this idea of the resurrection fits within the feast of Firstfruits, also called Bikkoor. Pa’al links it together early on:

Qorintiym Ri'shon (1 Corinthians) 15:19-23
If in this life only we have hope in MASHIACH, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is MASHIACH risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in A’dam all die, even so in MASHIACH shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: MASHIACH the firstfruits; afterward they that are MASHIACH’S at his coming.

The feast of Bikkoor is initially described (and prescribed) in the Cepher Vayiqra (Leviticus):

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:10-11
Speak unto the children of Yashar’el, and say unto them, When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap את eth-the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring את eth-a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: 11 And he shall wave את eth-the sheaf before YAHUAH, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Shabbath the priest shall wave it.

When we analyze the seven-day feast of Matstsah (Unleavened Bread), we must look for the regular Shabbath, and then fix Bikkoor on the morrow after that Shabbath. This varies from year to year because of the seven-day count of the week.  Here is a chart which shows how the day of Bikkoor is selected:     

              Sun  / Mon / Tues / Wed / Thur / Fri / Shbt / (Sun)

              Mon / Tues / Wed / Thur / Fri / Shbt / Sun

             Tues / Wed / Thur / Fri / Shbt / Sun / Mon

              Wed / Thur / Fri / Shbt / Sun / Mon / Tues

              Thur / Fri / Shbt / Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed

              Fri / Shbt / Sun / Mon / Tues / Wed / Thur

              Shbt / Sun / Mon / Tues / Wed / Thur / Fri

Recall that the calendar previously discussed last week contemplated the month beginning on the dark moon (a three-and-one-half hour event preceding the new moon) which would place the 15th day of the month on the full moon.

Tehilliym (Psalm) 81:3
Blow the shofar on the dark New Moon today on our solemn feast.

It is this verse which is the only verse in all of the Tanakh which gives us the means to determine the first day of the month.  The solemn feast referred to in this verse is Yom Teru`ah, the only feast which is set on the first day of the seventh month. 

Pecach (Passover) is always on the 14th day of the month, and Matstsah (Unleavened Bread) begins on the 15th, which means that Matstsah begins on the full moon.

This necessarily places the Feast of Bikkoor (Firstfruits) to occur always on Sunday, and always the first Sunday following the full moon which would mark the beginning of the Feast of Matstsah.

The Catholic Feast of Easter (now Resurrection Day) has been long-established as a mobile feast which is always fixed on the first Sunday following the full moon which occurs after the Vernal Equinox.

Does this dating sound familiar? It is completely consistent with the dating of the spring feast of Matstsah.

New moon     [Vernal Equinox]          Full Moon          Following Sunday

There is an interesting passage found in Numbers 28, where the feasts (moediym) are set forth.  There is only half a verse which references Bikkoor, and it is joined with a reference to Shavu’oth (both are directly named in the Ivriyt), and declares both to be a Shabbath (holy assembly) in which no one is to do any servile work.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 28:26
Also in the day of the firstfruits (bikooriym), when ye bring a new (chadasha) meat offering (minkah) unto YAHUAH, after your weeks (Shavu’oth) be out, ye shall have a holy assembly; ye shall do no servile work:

Restated:
And in the day of Bikkoor, when ye bring a renewed free offering unto YAHUAH, in your Shavu’oth, ye shall have a holy assembly; ye shall do no servile work:

Bikkoor is then construed as a Shabbath.  This becomes important in the gospel recitation of events in coming to the open tomb.

Marqus (Mark) 16:1-2
AND when the Shabbath was past, Miryam of Migdal, and Miryam the mother of Ya`aqov, and Shalom, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning of the Shabbath they came unto the sepluchre at the rising of the sun.

Which Sabbath? What exactly is being discussed here?

There are those who say that the Greek word - σάββατον sabbaton - found twice in this passage, also has a plural meaning; that is, it can mean shabbath (singular) or shabbathoth (plural).  If we construe this in the first instance, the verse remains true, given the understanding that Bikkoor was considered a shabbath (although it is well-disguised in scripture).

AND when the Shabbathoth (sabbaths) were past, Miryam of Migdal, and Miryam the mother of Ya`aqov, and Shalom, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning of the Shabbath they came unto the sepluchre at the rising of the sun.

The count is as follows:

So, we see that there are two Sabbaths (Shabbathoth) leading up to the feast of Firstfruits (Bikkoor); this is always the case.

What then is the timing of this visit? It is sometime on Sunday morning, the Shabbath of Bikkoor.

How certain are we that Aviyv is the first month of the year? That these feasts are to occur in the Spring?

Shemoth (Exodus) 12:2
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Shemoth (Exodus) 13:3-4
And Mosheh said unto the people, Remember את eth-this day, in which ye came out from Mitsrayim, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand YAHUAH brought you out from this place: there shall no chamets be eaten. 4 This day came ye out in the month Aviyv.

We see in Shemoth that the plagues were wrapping up during the month of Aviyv which was the month consistent with the condition of the flax and the barley.  The barley being in the ear is the Ivriyt word Aviyv.

Shemoth (Exodus) 13:31-35
And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear (aviyv), and the flax was bolled. 32 But the wheat and the rye were not smitten: for they were not grown up. 33 And Mosheh went out of the city from Phar`oh, and spread abroad his hands unto EL-YAHUAH: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. 34 And when Phar`oh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 And the heart of Phar`oh was hardened, neither would he let את eth-the children of Yashar’el go; as YAHUAH had spoken by Mosheh.

There is no other indicator in the Tanakh of how to calculate the first month.  What does it mean for the barley to ripen?

Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 1:14
And ELOHIYM said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for appointed feasts, and for days, and years:

Therefore, the lights of the heavens should foretell the time of the appointed feasts!

The ancients determined the new moon just prior to the Vernal Equinox by the star signs. As the sun approaches the Vernal Equinox, the "Pleiades" (also called Subaru) begin to fade into the brightness of the dusk at sunset announcing the approaching equinox. As the Vernal Equinox draws near, a star called Spica would be seen rising in east at sunset near the hand of Virgo. This allowed the knowledge of when the Vernal Equinox would occur, and the determination of the new moon prior to the Equinox to establish the first of Aviyv. It is the placement of Spica in the hand that is “the barley rising” or “the waving of the sheaf” to determine the first month of the year.

Firstfruits (Bikkoor) is always on the day after the Sabbath (following Sunday)

Which is the regular Sabbath

Within Matstsah

Which begins on the full moon (the 15th)

Resurrection Sunday (the first day of the week)

Is therefore ACCURATELY PLACED

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:12-13
And ye shall offer that day when ye wave את eth-the sheaf a he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering (olah – a rising smoke) unto YAHUAH. 13 And the meat offering (minkah – freewill offering) thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto YAHUAH for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.

MASHIACH is the he lamb without blemish 

The two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, made by fire is the bread

The drink offering is of wine, the fourth part of a hin.

Vayiqra (Leviticus) 23:12-13

Yahuchanon (John) 1:29
The next day Yahuchanon sees YAHUSHA coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of YAHUAH, which takes away the sin of the world.

Bikkoor required a “rising smoke”(olah) offering of a he-male lamb without blemish.

Olah (עלה) (Strong’s 5930) (feminine active participle of H5927) means a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending); usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke):—ascent, burnt offering (sacrifice), go up to.

Its primitive root is the word Alah (Strong’s 5927) עלה)) which means: to ascend, to arise (up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up), bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, shew, climb (up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart, exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up); grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light, (make) up, × mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, perfect, prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise (up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring (up), stir up, take away (up), work.

Can it be said?

Alah is the condition of the he-lamb without blemish; the Rising Smoke of the Firstfruits Offering

Alah is the condition of the ascended Mashiach from the grave

Alah is the condition of the resurrection – not a name or title.

All of the olah commanded by the Torah were fulfilled in the Resurrection and Ascension of Mashiach, which may upset many of those in Judaism.

The condition of this Resurrection and Ascension is called the Alah in the Ivriyt, which may upset many Christians.

The name by which those in Islam worship is consistent with the description of the Resurrection and the Ascension, which may upset many Muslims.  But it is also the reason why so many Muslims are coming to understand the Risen Mashiach.

As the conception was divine . . .

So the Olah was divine . . .

Eph’siym (Ephesians) 4:8-10
Wherefore he says, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

How then is Bikkoor to be celebrated?  Here is what you can rule out:

Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) – a Bacchanalian feast grounded completely in paganism.

Ash Wednesday – a Catholic practice which attempts to bring the repentance of Nineveh to an annual practice not specified, required, advised or even suggested anywhere in the Besor’oth (gospels).

Lent – a practice not found anywhere in the Besor’oth (gospels) that includes fasting and repentance consistent with the Jewish practice of fasting and praying in anticipation of the fall feast Yom Kippur (see Luke 4 for the example), but placed without scriptural authority before the misnamed feast of Easter.

Good Friday – a celebration of sorts of the day of the crucifixion of Mashiach, based upon a misunderstanding of the Sabbath language found in Matthew 28 and Mark 16.

Mattithyahu (Matthew) 12:39-40
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous nation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Yonah: 40 For as Yonah was three days and three nights in the fish’s belly; so shall the Son of A’dam be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

We see here that Mashiach will spend three days and three nights (and yes, it is quite specific) in the heart of the earth. 

Good Friday anticipates a crucifixion on Friday afternoon, which places him in the grave (or tomb) Friday evening (1); and Saturday evening (2).  Saturday (1); and Sunday (2).  Something (again) doesn’t add up!

Consider a Wednesday crucifixion: Then we have Wednesday evening (1); Thursday evening (2); Friday evening (3); and Thursday (1); Friday (2); and Saturday (3); with the Resurrection occurring at the close of the regular Sabbath and the opening of the Bikkoor Sabbath. 

Finally, let’s completely rule out the following:

Easter ham – eating the flesh (ceremonially) of the boar that killed Tammuz.

Easter eggs – celebrating the fertility of Ishtar, usually accompanied with an orgy and child sacrifice.

Easter bunny – again celebrating the pagan rite of fertility.  No scriptural authority.