Nisan 18: Firstfruits of Resurrection — Yeshua Rises at the Appointed Time
Yeshua rises at the close of Sabbath, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits and becoming the first of many to rise from the dead. The tomb is empty. Hope is restored.
This is part of a 13 part series click here to start at the beginning.
Nisan 18 – Firstfruits of Resurrection
Yeshua rises at the close of Sabbath. The tomb is empty. Hope restored.
(Saturday evening to Sunday evening)
As the Sabbath of Nisan 17 faded into twilight, a new day began — Nisan 18, the first day of the biblical week. No trumpets sounded. No priests declared it. But in the unseen realm, eternity shifted.
This was “the day after the Sabbath” (Leviticus 23:11) — the day of Yom HaBikkurim, the Feast of Firstfruits. On this day, Israel was commanded to bring the first sheaf of the barley harvest and wave it before Yahweh — a pledge of the greater harvest to come.
And as the biblical day turned, the earth trembled. The Firstfruits from the dead had risen.
The Resurrection at the Appointed Time
Sometime after sunset — as the Sabbath ended and Nisan 18 began — Yeshua rose from the grave. Not at sunrise. Not on a Romanized “Easter Sunday.” But at the close of Sabbath, fulfilling His own prophecy:
“For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish,
so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth...”
— Matthew 12:40
The sealed tomb, once guarded by Rome, now stood open and empty.
The third day had been fulfilled. The appointed time had come.
The Women Discover the Empty Tomb
As dawn approached, the women who had followed Yeshua brought the spices they had prepared (Mark 16:1).
But the stone was already rolled away.
An angel proclaimed the truth:
“He is not here; He has risen!”
— Mark 16:6
Yeshua had already defeated death — before the sun had even risen.
Mary Meets the Risen King
Mary Magdalene stayed behind, weeping outside the tomb.
A man appeared — whom she mistook for the gardener.
But when He said her name — “Mary” — she recognized Him.
“Rabboni!”
— John 20:16
In that moment, grief turned to glory. Mary became the first witness of the resurrection — and the first messenger of hope.
More Appearances, More Revelation
That same day:
Yeshua appeared to other women and was worshiped (Matthew 28:8–10).
He walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, opening the Scriptures to show how everything pointed to Him (Luke 24:25–27).
That evening, He entered the locked room and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He showed them His hands and His side (John 20:19–20).
Firstfruits Fulfilled
Yeshua didn’t just rise. He fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits — the moed (appointed time) Yahweh established in Leviticus 23:9–14.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead,
the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:20
He was lifted from the grave as the guarantee — the pledge of the harvest to come. Our resurrection is now assured because He was raised on the day Yah ordained.
What Nisan 18 Fulfilled
Feast of Firstfruits (Yom HaBikkurim) — the day after the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:11)
Yeshua rose at the close of Sabbath, not on Sunday morning
Three days and three nights prophecy fulfilled (Matthew 12:40)
The tomb was found empty before sunrise (Mark 16:1–6)
First appearances of the risen Messiah — Mary Magdalene, the women, Emmaus, and the upper room
Yeshua becomes the Firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20)