623.“作初熟的果子归与神和羔羊”表基督天堂的初始，即承认一位神，三位一体在祂里面，主就是这位神。“初熟的果子”表示头生的，也表示先收聚的，因而表示开始，在此表示由基督徒所组成的新天堂的开始；如前所述，“神和羔羊”在此表示主的万有所出自的神性本身，和神性人，以及所发出的神性，因而表示里面有三位一体的那一位神。在此有必要说一说“初熟的果子”。在以色列教会，经上吩咐：
要将田间产物的初熟果子，就是初熟的五谷、酒、油、树上的果子，以及羊毛，献给耶和华为圣物，它们由耶和华赐给亚伦，在他之后给大祭司。（出埃及记22:29；23:10；民数记13:20；15:17-22；18:8-20；申命记18:4；26:1等）。同样吩咐：
他们要在收割节和除酵节庆祝初熟的成果。（出埃及记23:14-16，19，26；利未记23:9-15，20-25；民数记28:26-31）。原因在于，“初熟的果子”（或“初熟的产物或成果”）表示先出生，然后成长，正如婴孩成长为大人，或幼苗长成长为大树，因而它们表示所有后续发展的阶段，直到事物的完结，因为接下来的一切都存在于最初中，正如大人存在于婴孩中，大树存在于嫩苗中；由于这最初存在于其后续阶段之前，天堂和教会中的最初也一样，故“初熟的果子”（或“初熟的产物或成果”）归主为圣，并庆祝“初熟节”。在以下经文（耶利米书22:29；23:10；以西结书20:40；弥迦书7:1；申命记33:15，21）中，“初熟的果子”所表相同。
623. Being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. This symbolizes the commencement of a Christian heaven that acknowledges one God, in whom is the Trinity, and acknowledges that the Lord is that one.
Firstfruits mean something that is produced first, and something gathered first, thus a commencement, here the commencement of a new heaven formed of Christians. God and the Lamb mean here, as before, the Lord in respect to the Divine itself from which springs all else, and in respect to His Divine humanity, including the emanating Divinity, thus one God in whom is the Trinity.
We will say something here about firstfruits. In the Israelite Church people were commanded to give to Jehovah as sacred the firstfuits of produce - of every kind of grain, of oil and wine, of the fruits of trees, and of wool - and these were given by Jehovah to Aaron, and after him to the high priest (Exodus 22:29; 23:19, Numbers 13:20; 15:17-21; 18:8-20, Numbers 28:26-31).
The reason for this was that firstfruits symbolized something that is produced first and afterward grows, like a child into an adult, or a cutting into a tree, and thus it symbolized every subsequent development until the thing's completion. For every subsequent development is present in the initial one, like the adult in the child, or the tree in the cutting. And because this first development occurs before the subsequent ones, as is the case also in heaven and in the church, therefore the firstfruits were sacred to the Lord, and the people celebrated a feast of firstfuits.
Firstfruits have a similar symbolic meaning in Jeremiah 24:1-2, Ezekiel 20:40, Micah 7:1, Deuteronomy 33:15, 21.
623. 'The first-fruits of God and the Lamb' signifies the initiament of the Christian heaven acknowledging the one God in Whom is the Trinity, and the Lord as being that God. By 'the first-fruits' is understood what is born first, also what is first gathered, thus an initiament, here the initiament of the New Heaven out of Christians. By 'God and the Lamb' here, as above, is understood the Lord as to His Divine from which [are all things] and as to the Divine Human, also as to the Divine Proceeding, thus the one God in Whom is the Trinity. Here something shall be said concerning 'first-fruits.' In the Israelitish Church it was commanded that:
The first-fruits of the produce of the fields, of all grain, oil, and must, of the fruits of a tree, also of wool, should be given to Jehovah as holy, and they were given by Jehovah to Aaron, and after him to the high priest, Exodus 22:29; [H.B. 28]; 23:19; Leviticus 23:10; Numbers 13:20; 15:17-21; 18:8-20; Deuteronomy 18:4; 27 seq.
Also that:
They should celebrate the feast of the first-fruits of harvest and of bread, Exodus 23:14-16, 19, 26; Leviticus 23:9-15, 20-25; Numbers 28:26 to the end.
The reason was because 'the first-fruits' used to signify that which is first born, and afterwards grows, as a child into a man, and a shoot into a tree; and consequently they used to signify everything following until it was made complete, for everything following exists in the first, as the man in the child, and the tree in the shoot; and because the first comes into existence before the things following, in like manner in heaven and in the Church, therefore 'the first-fruits' were holy to the Lord, and 'the feast of first-fruits' was celebrated. Similar things are signified by first-fruits' in Jeremiah 24:1-2; Ezekiel 20:40; Micah 7:1; Deuteronomy 33:15, 21.
623. The firstfruits unto God and the Lamb, signifies the beginning of the Christian heaven, which acknowledges one God in whom there is the Trinity, and that the Lord is that God. By "firstfruits" is meant that which is born first, also what is first gathered, thus the beginning, in this case, the beginning of the New Heaven from Christians; by "God and the Lamb" is here meant, as above, the Lord as to the Divine itself from which are all things, and as to the Divine Human, and also as to the proceeding Divine, thus the one God in whom is the Trinity. Here something shall be said concerning the firstfruits. In the Israelitish church it was commanded that:
The first of thy ripe fruits, of all corn, oil, and must, of the fruits of trees, as also of the fleece, should be given to Jehovah as holy, and they were given by Jehovah to Aaron, and after him to the high priest, (Exodus 22:29; 23:10; Numbers 13:20; 15:17-22; 18:8-20; Deuteronomy 18:4; 26:1).
And likewise, that:
They should celebrate the feast of the firstfruits of harvest and of bread, (Exodus 23:14-16, 19, 26; Leviticus 23:9-15, 20-25; Numbers 28:26-31).
The reason was, because "the firstfruits" signified that which is born first, and afterwards grows, as an infant grows up to a man, or as a young plant grows up to a tree, and hence they signified all the subsequent stages even to the completion of the thing, for all that is to follow exists in the first, as the man in the infant, and the tree in the tender shoot; and as this first exists before its successions, in like manner in heaven and in the church, therefore "the firstfruits" were holy unto the Lord, and "the feast of the firstfruits" was celebrated. (The like is signified by "firstfruits" in Jeremiah 24:1-2; Ezekiel 20:40; Micah 7:1; Deuteronomy 33:15, 21).
623. "Primitiae Deo et Agno," significat initiamentum Caeli Christiani agnoscentis Deum unum in quo Trinitas, et Dominum esse illum. - Per "primitias" intelligitur quod primum nascitur, tum quod primum colligitur, ita initiamentum, hic Novi Caeli ex Christianis; per "Deum et Agnum" intelligitur hic, ut supra, Dominus quoad Ipsum Divinum a Quo, et quoad Divinum Humanum, tum quoad Divinum Procedens, ita Deus unus in Quo Trinitas. Hic dicetur aliquid de Primitiis. In Ecclesia Israelitica mandatum est, ut Primitiae frugum, omnis frumenti, olei et musti, fructuum arboris tum velleris, darentur Jehovae ut sanctae, et a Jehovah datae Aharoni, et post eum Sacerdoti Magno, (Exodus 22:28 (B.A. 29); 123:19; 2Numeri 13:20; 15:17-21; 318:8-20; Deuteronomius 18:4; 426:1, seq.);
tum, quod Celebrarent Festum Primitiarum messis et panis, (Exodus 23:14-16, 19, 26; Leviticus 23:9-15, 20-25; Numeri 28:26 ad fin.).
Causa erat, quia "primitiae significabant id quod primum nascitur, et postea succrescit, sicut infans in hominem, et surculus in arborem; et inde significabant omne sequens usque dum fit completum, nam omne sequens in Primo est, sicut homo in infante, et arbor in surculo; et quia hoc Primum existit ante successiones, similiter in Caelo et in Ecclesia, ideo "primitiae" sanctae fuerunt Domino, et "festum primitiarum" celebratum est. Similia per "primitias" significantur Jeremias 24:1-2; Ezechiel 20:40; Michas 7:1; 5Deuteronomius 33:15, 21.
Footnotes:
1. 28 pro "18"
2. 19 pro "10"
3. 21 pro "22"
4. 4 pro "14"
5. vii. pro "vi."