What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "Jesus as the Firstfruits of the Departed in Relation to the Resurrection"
Answer
Jesus Christ, as the firstfruits of the departed, is the model and the guarantee for the future resurrection of all the righteous. His resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament pattern of the firstfruits offering and marks the victory over death, which guarantees the great spiritual harvest for the kingdom of God. He is the central point of the resurrection hope, because through His work and His triumph the liberation of all others from the grave was made possible.
Christ as the Antitype of the Firstfruits Offering
»Christ rose from the dead as the firstfruits of those who have passed away. He was the counterpart of the firstfruits offering, and His resurrection took place precisely on the day when the firstfruits offering was to be presented before the Lord. For over a thousand years this symbolic ceremony had been performed. ... Thus Christ, the firstfruits, represented the great spiritual harvest that was to be brought in for the kingdom of God. His resurrection is the model and the guarantee of the resurrection of all the righteous dead.«
The Presentation of the Trophies in Heaven
»The ones who had been raised were presented to the heavenly realm as trophies – patterns of the resurrection of all those who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and believe in Him. They were a symbol of the final resurrection of the righteous. The same power that raised Christ from the dead will raise His church – as His bride – ... Christ was the firstfruits of those who have passed away.«
Christ as the Firstborn of the Dead
»These expressions do not necessarily mean that He was chronologically the first to be raised from the dead; for others were raised before Him. That would be a very minor point: but He was the central and pivotal figure of all who emerged from the grave; for only because of Christ’s coming, His work, and His resurrection were any raised before His time at all.«
The Victory over Death
»Now Christ has risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have passed away. The time for Christ had come to ascend to the throne of His Father. As a divine victor, He was about to return to the heavenly courts with the trophies of victory. ... He had verified the fact that He was a living Savior. His disciples no longer needed to associate Him with the grave.«
The Resurrection as Proof Against Heresies
»If the dead do not rise, then Christ has not risen; and if Christ has not risen, your faith is null... Then also those who have died in Christ are lost. If we hope in Christ only in this life, we are the most wretched of all people. But now Christ has risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have passed away." The apostle directed the thoughts of the Corinthian brothers forward to the triumphs of the resurrection morning, when all sleeping saints are to be raised.«
Firstfruits of Christ’s Power
»When the Prince of Life came out of the grave and proclaimed: "I am the resurrection and the life," He called these saints out of the grave. ... These, said Christ, are no longer prisoners of Satan. I have redeemed them; I have brought them out of the grave as the firstfruits of My power, so that they may be with Me where I am, never to see death or experience sorrow again.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
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