Generally speaking, God’s Firstfruits are those who make up His tiny “remnant” who, as Jesus declared in Matthew 7:13,14, have entered His church through Jesus Himself–the Gate/ Door (Jn. 10:7,9) of the church. Though two distinct groups of people comprise His congregation, they are alike in name only. The basic characteristics of the Firstfruits are: 1) They call their church its Biblical name–The Church of God. This body is not to be confused with the religious organization that calls itself by that name. 2) The subject of the firstfruits’ message is the same as that of Jesus of Nazareth–The Kingdom of God which is His Gospel (“good news”). 3) They are ruled by the government of God headed by Jesus. 4) They realize the importance of both “headline” and “fine print” Bible study in the search for God’s Truth. 5) They understand the true meaning of justification, conversation and salvation as well as when and how each of those actions take place. 6) They understand God’s plan for the salvation of mankind per John 3:16,17.

These characteristics, among others, separate God’s Firstfruits from the other 99% of the religious group that calls itself “the church.” Because of the above-mentioned traits, Firstfruits are rejected–even hated–by “the church” because they declare and manifest God’s light (Word/Truth/Law), thereby exposing the darkness manifested by their fellow church members. Though the firstfruits and their religious opposites will, in this life, be at odds, TOGEGHER THEY MAKE UP THAT WHICH GOD CALLS “MY PEOPLE CALLED BY MY NAME.” Read Second Chronicles 7:13,14. Note how God identifies the majority of His people then and now called by labeling them as “wicked.” Read All That Glitters. Key word–Glitters. Though “the church” numbers approximately 2 1/2 billion today, only a few thousand (the Firstfruits) are members in good standing in God’s true church.

Why do the Firstfruits exist? Through much “fineprint” study we learn that those who make up the Lord’s “little flock” (Lk. 12:32)–His church (Gk.–ekklesia–“called out ones”) have been called (commanded) to live the Christ-like life in the midst of a Satan-dominated world. They are IN the world but not OF the world. As members of God’s church they are distinct FROM the worldly church in every way, so much so that the religious majority views them as “peculiar” (Titus 2:14/ 1 Pet. 2:9). I have been told by local church leaders that I have “fallen from Grace” and that I need to come to their church in order to “get saved.” What is my sin that caused me to be looked upon with distain? I BELIEVE AND OBEY GOD’S WORD. I plead “Guilty as charged.” No one hates God’s Truth like church people. And when they learn that by rejecting any part of His Word they prove that they “despise” both Father and Son (Lk. 10:16) …. You get the picture.

Firstfruits are a body of people whom God has called out of the world and the worldly church for a special purpose. They are in training to be teachers and rulers in the future world that Christ will create following His return to earth in the first resurrection–His Second Advent. In order to fulfill their assigned roles they must first be converted from human beings into actual God-like beings as described in First Thessalonians 4:13-18 and First John 3:1-3 where Apostles Paul and John explain that when Christ returns His Firstfruits will rise to meet Him in the clouds and that, following their rebirth they will know what they look like for they will “SEE HIM AS HE IS–TOTALLY SPIRIT.” This will be the result of being BORN AGAIN from flesh to spirit bodily composition. Read Born Again. Key word–Born. This transition from flesh to spirit will enable the saint to enter the Kingdom of God, for “… flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Jn. 2:1-8) where God, Christ and Their Firstfruits will live forever. Only spirit beings will be allowed into God’s earthly kingdom where there will be no need of the sun for He and Christ will provide all the light that will be needed. Read The Kingdom of God. Key word–Kingdom.

What is known by very few within professing Christendom is that there is coming a time when God will set His hand to convert every human being ever born. This will take place following the second resurrection. Read The Millennium Ends: The Second and Third Resurrections. Key word–Ends. But even then, the choice will belong to the person. Incredibly, some, we are told, will refuse the offer. The first resurrection will be the resurrection of the Firstfruits who will have qualified for the honor by living their post-conversion lives as did Jesus of Nazareth Who is called “the Firstfruits of them that sleep” (true saints who have died beginning with Abel). Read First John 2:6 and Revelation 3:21 to see who are the true saints of God who will join Him and Jesus in their earthly kingdom. Jesus said that only a FEW would qualify to enter in. MANY, He lamented, would fail to do so, though they will have died “knowing” that they would awaken in heaven (Mat. 7:13,14).

God’s true church is called “the Firstfruits of God’s salvation” (Eph. 1:11/ Rom. 11:16/ Rev. 14:4). The Day of Pentecost was originally called the “feast of Firstfruits” because it represented the creation of the church by the 120 True Firstfruits in an upper room in Jerusalem in 31 A.D. During the millennium God’s saints will teach those who will rise in the second resurrection the ways of God and about Christ’s sacrifice for their sins. They will then be offered salvation. Those who agree to obey what the Firstfruits had taught them will then be converted. This is the time referred to in Joel 2:28 when God will pour out His Holy Spirit on ALL FLESH. Understand this: ONLY GOD’S VERY ELECT FIRSTFRUITS WILL LIVE WITHIN THE WALLS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THOSE WHO COME TO THE LORD DURING THE SECOND RESURRECTION WILL LIVE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, POSSIBLY WHERE THEY LIVED DURING THEIR HUMAN LIVES. They wlll live forever in a wonderful world re-created by the Lord. Only the Firstfruits, who had fought off Satan’s temptations throughout their Christian lives will live in the presence of the Godhead in world headquarters. Those who rise in the second resurrection will not have to contend with Satan.

Here I need to explain a Biblical statement that has led people to believe that the time before Christ returns is THE ONLY TIME WITHIN WHICH MAN WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SAVED. The New Testament passage (1 Cor. 6:2 quoted from Isa. 49:8) is written thusly: “this is THE day of Salvation.” However, the original Greek text states: “this is A day of salvation.” The Catholic translators had been deceived into believing that this lifetime is the only time that salvation will be offered.

The information given above is rejected by those in professing Christendom who “know” that if one does not “get saved” in this life, one will burn in hell forever. Relative to that “knowledge” that “everyone knows” to be true, I would like to pose a question: If God is no respecter of persons, as the Scriptures declare, and if He wants all people to be saved, as the Scriptures declare, then how can billions of people be saved who have never heard “the ONLY NAME (JESUS) BY WHICH WE MUST BE SAVED? (Rom. 10:13/ Acts 4:12). Those people, many of whom are dead, went to their graves having never heard of the Bible, never heard the word “Jesus” and have no knowledge of His Law which must be obeyed in order to be saved upon His return. If He is telling us the Truth, there has to be a way for those masses of humanity to hear His Word, believe it and obey it unto salvation. There is only one way–to be taught those Words during the millennium–the thousand-year period which will follow Christ’s return to earth. Read The Millennium. Key word–Millennium. L.J.