Humans Of Faith

John 20:28 Explained with 1 Chronicles 29:20

John 20:28
Thomas said to the risen Jesus: “My Lord and my God!”

1 Chronicles 29:20 (the clear parallel)
“Then David said to all the assembly, ‘Praise the Lord your God.’ So they all praised the Lord… They bowed down and paid homage to the Lord and to the king [David].”

# # # Simple Explanation:
- In the Old Testament, the people honored both God and King David at the same time. David was God’s anointed human king, not God Himself.
- Similarly, Thomas was overwhelmed with joy and honored both at the same moment:
- My Lord = Jesus (the risen Messiah)
- My God = the Father (who raised Jesus)

Just a few verses earlier, Jesus had said: “I am ascending to my God and your God” (John 20:17).

Thomas was not declaring “Jesus, you are the eternal God.”
He was praising both Jesus as the vindicated Lord and the Father as God — exactly like the Israelites did with God and David.

This fits the consistent biblical pattern: one God = the Father; Jesus = the exalted human Son and Messiah.

🙌 The Creator never defined Humanity by the sun, moon, and stars. — Humanity is defined as being created in the "image" and "likeness" of the Creator, reflecting His glory.

Bible knowledge:
The Creator is generally depicted as defining humanity by divine image, purpose, and relationship rather than by celestial bodies.

Humanity was created to stewardship the earth and reflect God's character, as depicted in Genesis 1.

Attributes: These are traits God shares with humans in a limited capacity, such as reason, creativity, love, and moral judgment.

Creator vs. Creature: God is the only uncreated, eternal being. Humans are "creatures" who depend on God for their "life and breath".

Moral Consciousness: Humans possess a conscience and a sense of "right and wrong," mirroring God's holiness.

Relational: Just as God is relational (often seen in the "Let us make man" phrasing of Genesis 1:26), humans were created for fellowship with Him and others.

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Time-Keeping: The sun, moon, and stars were set in the Firmament to serve as rulers of the day/night and to mark days, years, and seasons.

Symbolism:
While ➡️not defining human essence, the Bible sometimes uses these bodies as ➡️symbols for nations, rulers, or the house of Israel…

A Crucial Distinction:
Scriptures, such as Deuteronomy 4:19, specifically ➡️ warn against worshiping the sun, moon, and stars, emphasizing that they are servants created for the benefit of humanity and the earth, not to define or dictate human identity.

All I think about when seeing these false idol sculptors continually placed in “Gardens” is that the Bible begins in a Garden, Eden a temple sanctuary. A place where God walked and met with humanity. Man was placed in the garden to "work it and take care of it" (Genesis 2:15). A garden is a place where we should be "tending" God's creation, not erecting man-made monuments that distort the truth of who He is. It is meant to be a place of worship and appreciation of the Creator, not a gallery for humanistic, anti-God sentiments.

The Bible explicitly warns against creating physical images—sculptures, statues, or idols—that falsely represent God or replace the worship of the living God.

Scripture calls idols "teachers of lies" because they deceive people, suggesting that power or reality comes from human hands rather than from the Creator. A sculpture representing that God does not exist is the ultimate "lie" in a place dedicated to life.

Paul warns that "we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill." Using art to deny God is a direct reversal of the purpose of creation.

The purpose of nature, and all that fills it, is to declare the Glory and "invisible qualities" of God—His eternal power and divine nature.

Even if humanity is silent, the fields, trees, and heavens are meant to be "jubilant" and praise God (Psalm 96:11-12).

A man-made statue “denying” God is an intrusion of human rebellion into a space that should be celebrating God’s existence and craftsmanship.

The gardener/sculptor is meant to worship the Creator God Almighty who brought them into existence, not to create a sculpture that implies the Creator is irrelevant.

We are called to tend God's creation, not fill it with blasphemy (Gen 2:15)

Sculptures that deny God are "teachers of lies" (Habakkuk 2:18).

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For me, a Garden is a sacred space that screams of a Creator—His creativity, wisdom, and life giving. When I see something made by man that denies Him, it feels like putting a sign in a sanctuary that says 'God doesn't live here.' It feels like a wasted opportunity to honor Him with the very things He has grown. I worship my Heavenly Father Yahweh in my Garden 🪴 —filled with His Creations for sustaining a healthy life.

God provides seed for farmers to sow, which multiples into bread and harvests, representing material provision. Spiritually, Jesus Christ and the Word of God are described as the seed of life planted in human hearts to produce spiritual growth. Jesus explains that "the seed is the word of God".

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📖 Key Scriptural Contrasts with Buddhism:

* Salvation vs. The Eightfold Path: Christianity teaches salvation is a gift through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9), whereas Buddhism emphasizes following the Eightfold Path to attain Nirvana.
* The Soul vs. Rebirth: The Bible teaches that humans have a soul that is judged after one death (Matthew 10:28), contradicting the Buddhist concept of a cycle of rebirth (reincarnation).
* The One True God vs. No Creator: The Bible states there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 42:8), while traditional Buddhism does not recognize a supreme Creator God.
* Sin and Need for a Savior vs. Desires: Scripture teaches that humanity is fallen and needs a Savior (Romans 3:23), while Buddhism focuses on eliminating desire to end suffering.
* Jesus' Resurrection vs. Reincarnation: The Bible highlights that Jesus rose from the dead, providing hope of eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:3-8), which contradicts the need for endless cycles of reincarnation.

* John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (Emphasizes exclusivity of salvation).
* Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Contradicts reincarnation).
* Acts 4:12: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.".
* Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Contradicts the focus on overcoming suffering rather than sin)
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👉Buddhism Contradicts Many of the Truths of the Bible:

The Bible teaches there is a God and only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; 1 Corinthians 8:6). Buddhism’s teaching about God is contradictory and unclear. In Buddhism it is possible to believe in many gods or no gods at all.

The Bible claims to be God’s Word. Therefore, it is our guide in life for it reveals all spiritual truth (Psalm 119:105; John 14:26; 16:13; 2 Peter 1:3). Buddhism claims the teachings of Gautama, along with one’s own feelings, are the guide in this life (Proverbs 14:12; Jeremiah 10:23).

The Bible proclaims Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God (Romans 1:4; John 20:30-31). The Bible also tells us that Jesus arose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Buddhism denies the claims of the Bible. Buddhists teach that Jesus did not arise from the dead. Therefore, Buddhists deny that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God. Both Buddhism and Christianity cannot be true. One must be right and the other wrong; both cannot be true!

The Bible reveals God’s plan to save mankind through His church (Ephesians 3:8-11; Matthew 16:18; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23). Buddhists deny this is the path of salvation. According to Siddhartha, a person must follow “the eight fold path” to Nirvana. Since this is contradictory to the Bible, we know it is not right!

The Bible teaches that each one of us has a soul. Our souls are eternal. They will be judged by the Word of God at the last day (Matthew 10:28; 1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 2:16; 2 Corinthians 5:10). Buddhism, however, teaches that one’s soul is involved in a constant wheel of rebirth. It continues until one reaches “Nirvana.” The Bible teaches that once we die, we await the Judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

The only hope for this world is Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:12; John 14:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9). May God help each one of us to use every opportunity we have to teach the Gospel of Christ to those who practice Buddhism and give Buddhists the opportunity to turn to the true God and find eternal life in His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Romans 1:16).

The Bible teaches that a relationship with God Almighty should “not” be based on personal, self-defined terms because God is the Holy Creator (set apart), not a peer or a concept shaped by human preference. A biblical relationship is founded on submission to His authority, trust in His Word, and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ “Yeshua Messiah”, rather than human efforts, emotions, or personal convenience.

Counting the Omer marks the journey from the firstfruits of the barley harvest to the fullness of the wheat harvest, symbolizing a season of growth and expectation (Leviticus 23:15–17).

Yeshua’s resurrection as the “firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:20) begins a greater spiritual harvest—the gathering of people into the Kingdom.

During these days, just as crops mature, His followers are refined, taught, and prepared, reflecting His post-resurrection ministry (Acts 1:3).

The harvest reaches a powerful turning point at Shavuot, when the Spirit is given and many are brought in (Acts 2:1–4).
So the Omer reveals a divine pattern: redemption begins the work, but transformation and harvest are completed as we grow, wait, and are filled by Yahuah.

Counting the Omer is deeply tied to harvest, transition, and transformation—both physically (grain harvest) and spiritually (redeemed people becoming prepared for covenant).

When you read it in the full Biblical pattern, it becomes a powerful picture that Yeshua pleroos (fulfills) and teaches through His Resurrection, His instructions and the giving of the Holy Spirit- Yahuah's Sporit.

🌾 1. The Omer as the Beginning of Harvest

The command comes from Leviticus:

“When you come into the land… and reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf (omer) of the firstfruits…” (Lev 23:10–11)

Key idea:
The Omer = first sheaf of Barley Harvest

It marks the very beginning of the Harvest Season

It starts a count of 50 days until the Wheat Harvest (Shavuot)

Supporting Scriptures:
Exodus 23:16 – Feast of Harvest (firstfruits of labor)

Deuteronomy 16:9–10 – Count seven weeks from when the sickle begins

👉 So biblically:
The Omer period = the harvest window between firstfruits (barley) and fullness (wheat).

🌱 2. What Harvest Represents Spiritually
Harvest in Scripture is not just agriculture—it represents people.

Clear definition from Yeshua:
In Matthew 9:37:

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”

In John 4:35:

“Lift up your eyes… fields are already white for harvest”

👉 Meaning:
Harvest = gathering people into the Kingdom of Yahuah

🌾 3. Yeshua as Firstfruits (Beginning of the Harvest)
This is where everything connects.

The resurrection timing:
Yeshua rises on Firstfruits (during Unleavened Bread)

This is exactly when the Omer offering is waved

Scripture:
1 Corinthians 15:20:

“Messiah has been raised… the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”

👉 Meaning:

Yeshua = first sheaf lifted before Yahuah

His resurrection = start of the spiritual harvest

🌾 4. The 50 Days = Harvest Growth Period
Between Firstfruits and Shavuot:

Agricultural reality:
Barley harvest begins

Wheat harvest matures and completes

Spiritual parallel:
Yeshua appears, teaches, prepares disciples

Then the Spirit is given at Shavuot

Scriptures:
Acts 1:3:

He presented Himself alive for 40 days, speaking about the Kingdom

Acts 2:1–4:

Spirit poured out at Shavuot

👉 This mirrors:

Seed → growth → full harvest

🌾 5. Shavuot = Full Harvest (Ingathering)
At the end of the count:

Two loaves of leavened bread are offered (Lev 23:17)

This is powerful:

👉 Why leavened?

Represents imperfect people

Now accepted before Yahuah

Fulfillment:
At Acts 2:

Thousands are gathered

Spirit fills them

The harvest begins globally

🌿 6. How Yeshua’s Teachings Reflect the Omer Pattern
Yeshua constantly taught in Harvest language:

1. Sowing and Reaping
Mark 4 – Parable of the sower

Growth happens over time (like Omer counting)

2. First → Then Full
Mark 4:28:

“First the blade, then the ear, then full grain”

👉 That is literally the Omer process.

3. Waiting and Watching
During the Omer:

You don’t harvest everything at once

You count, watch, and prepare

Yeshua mirrors this:

Acts 1:4:

“Wait for the promise of the Father”

4. Laborers in the Harvest
Luke 10:2:

“Pray for laborers”

👉 During Omer:

Harvest requires active participation

🌾 7. The Deeper Pattern (Very Important)
The Omer reflects a repeating pattern established by Yahuah:

Pattern:
Deliverance (Passover)

Separation (Unleavened Bread)

Resurrection / Beginning (Firstfruits)

Process / Growth (Omer counting)

Covenant Fulfillment (Shavuot)

🌿 8. What This Means for You (Biblically)
Counting the Omer is not just counting days—it is:

1. Living in the Harvest Season
You are in the time between:

Resurrection power

and full Kingdom harvest

2. Personal Growth Cycle
Just like crops:

You don’t mature instantly

You are being formed daily

3. Preparation for Encounter
At Sinai:

Israel prepared 50 days to meet Yahuah

At Acts 2:

Disciples prepared to receive the Spirit

👉 Same pattern.

🔥 Final Insight
The Omer is the bridge between redemption and transformation.

Yeshua’s resurrection = firstfruits

His 40 days teaching = cultivation

The Spirit at Shavuot = harvest empowerment

The disciples = first full yield

Yeshua (Jesus) did rise, but on the Feast of Firstfruits, not Easter.

Many believers celebrate Yeshua’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, but did you know that He actually rose on the biblical Feast of Firstfruits? This feast, established by God in Leviticus 23:9-14, falls on the first day after the Sabbath following Passover—precisely when Yeshua conquered death!

Passover (Pesach): Yeshua was crucified as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), fulfilling the prophetic picture of the Passover lamb.

Unleavened Bread: The Holy Spirit begins its cleansing and sanctifying work in us once we are saved by helping us bury our flesh just as Messiah was buried.

Firstfruits: He rose from the dead, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
Paul calls Yeshua the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). His resurrection was not random—it was perfectly aligned with God’s appointed times, showing that He is the fulfillment of the Torah and the prophetic feasts.

Easter, with its Roman and pagan influences, does not reflect this biblical truth. It is filled with idolatry and pagan fertility symbols.

Returning to the Feast of Firstfruits deepens our understanding of Yeshua’s resurrection in its original, God-ordained context.

Furthermore, Yeshua rose just after sunset on the first day of the week, not at sunrise. The sunrise service is an ancient tradition of worshiping the sun, not the son.

The book of Ezekiel talks 👉against this practice—Ezekiel 8:16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Let’s celebrate the victory of our Messiah in the way God intended- not with blasphemous, pagan fertility symbols and rituals.

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The word "Easter" appears in some older translations (e.g., Acts 12:4 in the 1611 KJV) but is recognized by scholars as a 👉translation error for Pascha (Passover). Modern translations 👉correct this to "Passover".

The early church celebrated the resurrection at the same time as the Jewish Passover (14th of Nisan), often called the Christian Passover. Never Easter.

Biblical Passover and Easter are not equivalent, and the former was never referred to as the latter.

It’s a tragedy that many Christian’s today are still falling into the Easter 🐰 deception...

The word 👉Easter originates from Old English Ēastre or Ēostre, a pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn celebrated in the month of Eosturmonath (April). It is rooted in Proto-Germanic *austron- ("dawn" or "shining"), linked to the direction of the sunrise (East), representing rebirth, renewal, and spring. She is widely celebrated in modern Paganism and Wicca during Ostara (Spring Equinox).

Satan who causes the confusion and deceptions has Christian’s still putting the word Easter with symbols for Jesus. Easter is not Biblical that’s why witches celebrate Easter, at least they know who they are really worshipping and it’s not the God of the Bible.

Yeshua (Jesus) did rise, but on the Feast of Firstfruits, not Easter.

Many believers celebrate Yeshua’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, but did you know that He actually rose on the biblical Feast of Firstfruits? This feast, established by God in Leviticus 23:9-14, falls on the first day after the Sabbath following Passover—precisely when Yeshua conquered death!

Passover (Pesach): Yeshua was crucified as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), fulfilling the prophetic picture of the Passover lamb.

Unleavened Bread: The Holy Spirit begins its cleansing and sanctifying work in us once we are saved by helping us bury our flesh just as Messiah was buried.

Firstfruits: He rose from the dead, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
Paul calls Yeshua the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). His resurrection was not random—it was perfectly aligned with God’s appointed times, showing that He is the fulfillment of the Torah and the prophetic feasts.

Easter, with its Roman and pagan influences, does not reflect this biblical truth. It is filled with idolatry and pagan fertility symbols.

Returning to the Feast of Firstfruits deepens our understanding of Yeshua’s resurrection in its original, God-ordained context.

Furthermore, Yeshua rose just after sunset on the first day of the week, not at sunrise. The sunrise service is an ancient tradition of worshiping the sun, not the son.

The book of Ezekiel talks 👉against this practice—Ezekiel 8:16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Let’s celebrate the victory of our Messiah in the way God intended- not with blasphemous, pagan fertility symbols and rituals.

Biblical Foundation: Passover is explicitly commanded and observed by Jesus “Yeshua Messiah”. Not Easter.

The word "Easter" appears in some older translations (e.g., Acts 12:4 in the 1611 KJV) but is recognized by scholars as a 👉translation error for Pascha (Passover). Modern translations 👉correct this to "Passover".

The early church celebrated the resurrection at the same time as the Jewish Passover (14th of Nisan), often called the Christian Passover. Never Easter.

Biblical Passover and Easter are not equivalent, and the former was never referred to as the latter.

It’s a tragedy that many Christian’s today are still falling into the Easter 🐰 deception. Christ-mass as well is based on great deceptions. The God of the Bible takes no part in any of these man-made traditions and customs.

——
The word 👉Easter originates from Old English Ēastre or Ēostre, a pagan Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and dawn celebrated in the month of Eosturmonath (April). It is rooted in Proto-Germanic *austron- ("dawn" or "shining"), linked to the direction of the sunrise (East), representing rebirth, renewal, and spring. She is widely celebrated in modern Paganism and Wicca during Ostara (Spring Equinox).

—-

Yeshua (Jesus) did rise, but on the Feast of Firstfruits, not Easter.

Many believers celebrate Yeshua’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, but did you know that He actually rose on the biblical Feast of Firstfruits? This feast, established by God in Leviticus 23:9-14, falls on the first day after the Sabbath following Passover—precisely when Yeshua conquered death!

Passover (Pesach): Yeshua was crucified as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), fulfilling the prophetic picture of the Passover lamb.

Unleavened Bread: The Holy Spirit begins its cleansing and sanctifying work in us once we are saved by helping us bury our flesh just as Messiah was buried.

Firstfruits: He rose from the dead, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).
Paul calls Yeshua the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). His resurrection was not random—it was perfectly aligned with God’s appointed times, showing that He is the fulfillment of the Torah and the prophetic feasts.

Easter, with its Roman and pagan influences, does not reflect this biblical truth. It is filled with idolatry and pagan fertility symbols.

Returning to the Feast of Firstfruits deepens our understanding of Yeshua’s resurrection in its original, God-ordained context.

Furthermore, Yeshua rose just after sunset on the first day of the week, not at sunrise. The sunrise service is an ancient tradition of worshiping the sun, not the son.

The book of Ezekiel talks 👉against this practice—Ezekiel 8:16 So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

Let’s celebrate the victory of our Messiah in the way God intended- not with blasphemous, pagan fertility symbols and rituals.