Before We Begin
A Word to Those Coming from Christianity
If you are coming from a Christian background, you may have heard that people who follow the Torah do not believe in the Holy Spirit. Some have even been told that without believing in Jesus, a person cannot receive or be led by the Holy Spirit. This teaching is going to show you, directly from the Hebrew Scriptures, that this simply is not true.
The Spirit of YaHoWaH is not a New Testament idea. It did not begin in the book of Acts. It was moving, working, leading, and speaking thousands of years before the first century. From the very first chapter of the Bible, the Spirit of God was already there.
Let us look at what the Hebrew Scriptures actually say.
Foundation
What Do We Mean by "The Holy Spirit"?
Before we go further, we need to understand the original Hebrew words.
In Hebrew, the phrase is Ruach HaKodesh. Breaking it down:
Ruach (רוּחַ)
Breath, wind, or spirit
HaKodesh (הַקֹּדֶשׁ)
The holy, or of holiness
Ruach HaKodesh
The Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Holiness
Ruach Elohim
The Spirit of God
Ruach YaHoWaH
The Spirit of YaHoWaH
These all refer to the same thing: the active presence and power of YaHoWaH moving in the world and in people. This is not a concept invented by the New Testament. This language and these ideas come directly from the Hebrew Scriptures, from the Torah and the Prophets.
Who
Who Is the Spirit of YaHoWaH?
The Spirit of YaHoWaH is the active presence and power of YaHoWaH Himself moving in the world. It is not a separate being. It is not a third member of a divine council. It is YaHoWaH at work.
Think of it this way. When you breathe, your breath is not a separate person from you. It comes from you. It is part of you. It expresses your life. That is the closest picture we have of what Ruach HaKodesh means. It is the breath, the wind, the moving power of the Most High.
Iyov (Job) 33:4
"The Spirit of God hath made me; and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life."
Tehillim (Psalm) 139:7
"Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?"
Notice something important here. YaHoWaH's Spirit and YaHoWaH's presence are used in parallel. They are not two different things. The Spirit IS the presence of YaHoWaH. Wherever the Spirit of YaHoWaH is, YaHoWaH Himself is there.
What Not
What the Spirit of YaHoWaH Is NOT
Before we go deeper, let us be clear about what the Hebrew Scriptures do not teach about the Spirit of YaHoWaH.
Four Common Misconceptions
1. The Spirit of YaHoWaH is not a separate God or a third divine person. This is a doctrine called the Trinity, which developed centuries after the Hebrew Scriptures were written. You will not find it in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). The Tanakh is clear: there is one God, YaHoWaH, and His Spirit is the extension of His own presence and power. Deuteronomy 6:4 — "Hear, O Israel: YaHoWaH our God is one YaHoWaH."
2. The Spirit is not something you can only receive through speaking in tongues. The Hebrew Scriptures show hundreds of people being led, filled, and used by the Spirit of YaHoWaH. Not one of them spoke in tongues. The idea that tongues is the necessary evidence of receiving the Spirit comes from a specific Christian tradition, not from the Tanakh.
3. The Spirit is not something you can only receive through the laying on of hands. While we do see the Spirit transferred through touch in some cases, we also see it come directly from YaHoWaH upon people with no human involvement at all. He gives it as He chooses, to whom He chooses.
4. The Spirit of YaHoWaH is not dependent on belief in any human being. The prophets, judges, kings, and servants of YaHoWaH in the Tanakh walked with the Spirit of YaHoWaH centuries before the first century. The Spirit of YaHoWaH was never conditioned on belief in any person. It was always about the relationship between YaHoWaH and His people.
When
When Did the Spirit of YaHoWaH First Appear?
This is one of the most important questions to answer, because many Christians assume the Holy Spirit is primarily a New Testament story. The answer from the Tanakh is clear: the Spirit of YaHoWaH was there at the very beginning of all things.
Bereshit (Genesis) 1:1-2
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."
Before there was light, before there was land, before there was any living thing, the Spirit of God was already moving. Creation itself was carried out by the Spirit of YaHoWaH.
Tehillim (Psalm) 104:30
"Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth."
Iyov (Job) 26:13
"By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent."
The Spirit of YaHoWaH is woven into the fabric of all creation. This did not begin in Acts chapter 2. It began before there was a world to stand on.
Where
Where Does the Spirit of YaHoWaH Operate?
The Spirit of YaHoWaH does not operate in just one place or in just one way. The Tanakh shows us the Spirit at work across all of creation and in every area of life.
In Creation
As we saw in Genesis, the Spirit was present at the creation of the heavens and the earth. YaHoWaH breathed into man and gave him life. The life in every human being comes from the breath of YaHoWaH Himself.
In Individuals
The Spirit of YaHoWaH moved upon specific people to empower them for specific tasks. We will look at many of these stories in the next section.
In the Nation of Israel
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 63:10-11
"But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. Then he remembered the days of old, Moses, and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he that put his holy Spirit within him?"
This passage is remarkable. It shows that the entire nation could grieve and resist the Holy Spirit, and it connects that same Spirit all the way back to Moses and the Exodus. The Holy Spirit was at work long before any New Testament writing was ever penned.
A Promise of Greater Outpouring
Yoel (Joel) 2:28-29
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit."
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 36:26-27
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
Notice what YaHoWaH connects His Spirit to here. He says His Spirit will cause His people to walk in His statutes and keep His judgments. The Spirit of YaHoWaH does not lead people away from Torah. It leads people deeper into it.
What
What Does the Spirit of YaHoWaH Do?
The Spirit of YaHoWaH is not limited to one function. The Tanakh shows us the Spirit doing many things in many different ways.
It Gives Life
Bereshit (Genesis) 2:7
"And YaHoWaH God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
It Gives Wisdom, Understanding, and Skill
Shemot (Exodus) 31:1-3
"And YaHoWaH spake unto Moses, saying, See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship."
Bezalel was a craftsman. He built the Tabernacle. And YaHoWaH said He filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God to do it. The Spirit of YaHoWaH does not only work in preachers and prophets. He gives wisdom, skill, and creative ability for whatever task He calls a person to do.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:2
"And the spirit of YaHoWaH shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of YaHoWaH."
It Empowers for Leadership
Bamidbar (Numbers) 11:16-17
"And YaHoWaH said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel... And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone."
The Spirit of YaHoWaH rested on Moses so powerfully that YaHoWaH could take from that same Spirit and distribute it among seventy leaders.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 27:18
"And YaHoWaH said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him."
Joshua was already a man in whom the Spirit lived before Moses ever laid a hand on him. The Spirit came first. The laying on of hands came after.
It Speaks Through Prophets
2 Shemuel (2 Samuel) 23:2
"The Spirit of YaHoWaH spake by me, and his word was in my tongue."
This is King David speaking. The words David wrote in the Psalms were not just his own poetry. They were spoken by the Spirit of YaHoWaH through him.
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 2:2
"And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me."
How
The Spirit of YaHoWaH at Work in People
This is where many people are surprised. They are familiar with the miracles described in the New Testament writings, but they are not aware of what the Tanakh records. The Hebrew Scriptures are full of people moved by the Spirit of YaHoWaH to do things that had no natural explanation.
Bezalel — Artistic and Creative Excellence
YaHoWaH filled this craftsman with the Spirit of God to build the Tabernacle. The Spirit of YaHoWaH touches all areas of human work and creativity, not just preaching or prophecy.
The Seventy Elders — Communal Prophesying
Seventy ordinary men. The Spirit of YaHoWaH came upon all of them at once, and they prophesied. Two of them, Eldad and Medad, were not even at the appointed place but the Spirit still found them and they prophesied in the camp. Moses said he wished all of YaHoWaH's people could be prophets. This happened long before Acts.
Bamidbar (Numbers) 11:25
"And YaHoWaH came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease."
Samson — Supernatural Physical Strength
Shoftim (Judges) 14:6
"And the Spirit of YaHoWaH came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand."
Shoftim (Judges) 15:14-15
"And the Spirit of YaHoWaH came mightily upon him, and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burnt with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands. And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith."
One man. One jawbone. One thousand soldiers defeated. Ropes burned off like thread. The Spirit of YaHoWaH made that possible.
Gideon and Othniel — Called and Equipped for Battle
Shoftim (Judges) 3:10
"And the Spirit of YaHoWaH came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and YaHoWaH delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand."
Shoftim (Judges) 6:34
"But the Spirit of YaHoWaH came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him."
These were not trained military commanders. They were ordinary men. But when the Spirit of YaHoWaH came upon them, they were transformed into leaders who could accomplish what seemed impossible.
Elijah — Outrunning a King's Chariot
1 Melachim (1 Kings) 18:44-46
"And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of YaHoWaH was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel."
1 Melachim (1 Kings) 18:12
"And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of YaHoWaH shall carry thee whither I know not."
King Ahab was riding in a chariot pulled by horses. Elijah ran ahead of him on foot and arrived first. That is not something a human body does on its own. And those around Elijah knew the Spirit of YaHoWaH could move and transport him at any time.
Ezekiel — Physically Transported by the Spirit
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 3:12, 14
"Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing... So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of YaHoWaH was strong upon me."
The Spirit of YaHoWaH physically lifted and transported Ezekiel. This is not a metaphor. This is a real, physical experience described in detail.
Ezekiel — The Valley of Dry Bones
Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 37:9-10
"Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith YaHoWaH God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army."
The Spirit of YaHoWaH gave life to a valley of dead bones through the word of a prophet. Creation, restoration, resurrection of what was dead.
A Sobering Truth
Can the Spirit Be Withdrawn?
This is one of the most sobering truths the Tanakh teaches about the Spirit of YaHoWaH. It can be grieved. It can be resisted. And it can be taken away.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 63:10
"But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."
The children of Israel grieved and vexed the Holy Spirit through their rebellion and disobedience. This matters. It tells us the Spirit of YaHoWaH is not neutral about how we live.
1 Shemuel (1 Samuel) 16:14
"But the Spirit of YaHoWaH departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from YaHoWaH troubled him."
King Saul lost the Spirit of YaHoWaH because of his persistent disobedience and rebellion. The Spirit was not permanently attached to him regardless of his behavior.
Tehillim (Psalm) 51:11
"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."
This is King David, after his sin with Bathsheba. He was not asking for something he had never had. He was crying out to YaHoWaH not to remove something he knew he could lose. This prayer only makes sense if the Spirit of YaHoWaH can be withdrawn. It is also one of the most personal and honest prayers in all of Scripture.
Why This Matters
Addressing the Misconception Directly
Some within Christianity have taught that you cannot have the Holy Spirit unless you believe in Jesus, or unless you have spoken in tongues, or unless someone has laid hands on you. We want to address this clearly and directly.
Every person you have read about in this study lived before the first century. They did not have a New Testament. They did not pray in the name of Yeshua. They did not speak in tongues. And yet:
- Moses was so full of the Spirit that YaHoWaH could distribute portions of that same Spirit to seventy others.
- Bezalel was filled with the Spirit of God to build the most sacred structure in Israel's history.
- Samson was empowered by the Spirit to defeat armies and tear apart a lion with his bare hands.
- Elijah was empowered by the Spirit to outrun a king's chariot and be transported by the wind of YaHoWaH.
- Ezekiel was physically lifted and carried from place to place by the Spirit of YaHoWaH.
- David wrote Scripture by the Spirit. Micah, Isaiah, and every prophet spoke by the Spirit.
The Spirit of YaHoWaH was moving long before any of the requirements added by certain Christian traditions. The Tanakh makes it clear: what YaHoWaH looks for is a heart turned toward Him, ears willing to hear, and a life willing to walk in His ways.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 66:2
"For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith YaHoWaH: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word."
That is the heart YaHoWaH is looking for. And that is the heart His Spirit will rest upon.
The Spirit of YaHoWaH is not a Christian concept. It is not a New Testament invention. It is one of the oldest and most consistent themes in all of Scripture. From the first breath of creation to the promise of a future outpouring, the Ruach HaKodesh has always been the active, moving presence of YaHoWaH in the world.
To walk in Torah is not to walk away from the Spirit. It is to walk directly toward the One from whom the Spirit comes. And it is the Spirit itself, according to Ezekiel 36:27, that empowers us to walk in His statutes.
You do not need to choose between Torah and the Spirit. In YaHoWaH's design, the two were never meant to be separated.
Sarah-Naviah Lewi · Co-Leader, Teacher, Writer, and Publisher
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