It's By My Spirit Says Yehovah: Firstfruits and the Temple of the Holy Spirit
As we move between Shavuot (Pentecost) the giving of the law and the Holy Spirit, and Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets), Israel enters the season of harvesting grapes, figs, and dates. It is also during this period that Israel remembers the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
While much attention is given to the Temple's destruction, perhaps we should ask a deeper question: Was it simply a historical tragedy, or was it also part of Yehovah's unfolding redemptive plan?
Destroy This Temple
After Yeshua cleansed the Temple and drove out the money changers, the religious leaders challenged Him:
"What sign will You show us, seeing that You do these things?"
Yeshua answered:
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:18-19)
The people assumed He was speaking of Herod's Temple in Jerusalem, but Scripture tells us He was speaking about the temple of His body (John 2:20-22).
The Holy Spirit Rested Upon Messiah
At Yeshua's baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and remained upon Him while the Father declared:
"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:13-17)
Yeshua became the perfect meeting place between heaven and earth—the living Temple where the Spirit dwelt fully.
Worship in Spirit and Truth
Before His death and resurrection, Yeshua spoke with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well.
The discussion turned to the proper place of worship: Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem.
Yeshua's answer pointed beyond both locations:
"The hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father... the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." (John 4:5-26)
Yeshua was preparing His followers for a coming reality in which worship would no longer be centered on a physical building.
The Temple of the Holy Spirit Begins at Pentecost
After His resurrection, Yeshua instructed His disciples to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father:
"You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:3-5)
Then came Pentecost.
Tongues of fire rested upon the disciples, and the Spirit of Yehovah filled them with power.
The dwelling place of God was no longer confined to stone walls.
The Spirit now dwelt within living temples.
The Torn Curtain and Access to the Father
At the moment of Yeshua's death, the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51).
Through the sacrifice of Messiah, access to the Holy of Holies was opened to all who come through Him (Hebrews 4:16).
The earthly Temple had always pointed toward a greater heavenly reality.
The Mystery of the Two Leavened Loaves
Leviticus 23:17 describes two leavened loaves presented before Yehovah during Shavuot:
"They are the firstfruits unto YHVH."
This has always seemed unusual. Why would leavened bread be called firstfruits?
Yeshua may provide the answer:
"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened." (Matthew 13:33)
Perhaps Shavuot represents the beginning of the Kingdom spreading throughout the earth through Spirit-filled believers.
The End That Marks a Beginning
Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) comes at the conclusion of the wheat harvest, yet it is called Firstfruits the time of harvesting the fruit, the figs, dates, olives, grapes and pomegrantes. Maybe the giving of the Holy Spirit, just as the law was given which was at the beginning of the nation, also have been the beginning of something new, something eternal. The kingdom of heaven coming down to earth. While the Old Covenant gave long life on the earth (Deut 4:40), the New Covenant gives life forever (Hebrews 9:15).
Maybe when the scriptures speak of the fruit of the Spirit the harvesting of the fruits that takes place during the destruction of the temple, Trumpets (Yom Teruah), Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot) could be signs of a new beginning. The same story is told while Shavuot begins with the barley harvest but ends with the wheat harvest. The better grain when compared to the barley harvest.
In the same way, Jubilee marked both the end of one cycle and the beginning of another (Leviticus 25).
The end often marks a new beginning in Yehovah's redemptive plan.
The Destruction of the Temple and the Kingdom of God
If Yeshua opened direct access to the Father through His blood, and if the Holy Spirit now dwells within believers, perhaps the destruction of the earthly Temple was not merely an ending but a transition.
The earthly Temple had served its purpose by pointing toward the heavenly reality fulfilled in Messiah. The Kingdom of Yehovah had begun moving outward through Spirit-filled people as heaven increasingly touched earth.
Looking Ahead to Trumpets
As we move from Shavuot toward Yom Teruah, we find ourselves living in the space between the giving of the Spirit and the return of the King.
It is a season of hope, expectation, and faithful service as we await the revealing of Messiah.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Yeshua Messiah." (Titus 2:13)
This leads naturally into the themes of Yom Teruah and the season of waiting, working, and watching for the return of Messiah.
Free Feast Day Resources for Children
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