I Have Not Yet Ascended: Jesus, the Firstfruits, and the Temple Revelation- A Preterist Perspective on John 20:17

I Have Not Yet Ascended: Jesus, the Firstfruits, and the Temple Revelation- A Preterist Perspective on John 20:17

When Jesus says to Mary in John 20:17, “Do not cling to me…”, it’s not just a gentle correction—it carries a sense of urgency. Jesus, as both the High Priest and the Firstfruits offering, was in the middle of a covenantal ritual.

So, Jesus tells Mary not to cling to Him—not out of coldness, but because He is on His way to present Himself in the Temple, both physically to His people and spiritually to His Father. It’s the shadow of the Levitical priesthood being fulfilled in the greater, final Priesthood of Christ.

In addition, many have taken this to mean that He was preparing to go to heaven. But the Greek word used here—anabainō—doesn’t always mean a heavenly ascension. It can also mean to go up in a more general or geographical sense, such as going up to Jerusalem.

Jesus as the Firstfruits Offering

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20:

“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

In Israel’s calendar, the Firstfruits offering was presented in the temple before the full harvest could begin. The High Priest would wave the sheaf before Yahweh on behalf of the people (Leviticus 23:10–11). It was an act of presentation, acceptance, and promise.

So what does Jesus do after His resurrection?

He doesn’t rush to heaven. Instead, He “goes up” to present Himself—alive—to His people, specifically in Jerusalem, just as the Firstfruits were physically presented at the Temple.

Anabainō: Going Up to Jerusalem

In Jewish thought, going to the Father was often tied to going up to His dwelling—the Temple in Jerusalem, the earthly symbol of God's throne.

Matthew 27:52–53 tells us that after Jesus’ resurrection, many saints were raised and appeared to many in the holy city. Jesus "going up" echoes this same action. He is presenting Himself not just to Mary, but to Israel—and more specifically, to those who would understand what His appearance meant.

1 Corinthians 15 and the 500 Witnesses

Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 15:6 that Jesus appeared to more than 500 brothers at once. Where could this have happened?

In Jerusalem. In the Temple courts.

This wasn’t a private appearance in Galilee. It was a public act of covenantal presentation—a visible, physical act that pointed back to Daniel 7, where the Son of Man comes to the Ancient of Days and receives a kingdom.

The priests—those steeped in Temple imagery—would have recognized the typology: Jesus, like the Firstfruits, is alive and being presented to God’s people before the full resurrection harvest (of the Church) is realized. Jesus' physical resurrection and the Matthew 27 saints' resurrection was a physical sign that confirmed the later spiritual resurrection occurring at the end of the Old Covenant Age, 70AD.

Earthly Shadows, Heavenly Fulfillment

This is classic Jesus. As He often does, He performs symbolic acts on earth that correspond to spiritual realities fulfilled in heaven.

He breathes on the disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22)—a parabolic act, because the Spirit would be poured out fully at Pentecost (Acts 2).

He curses the fig tree as a sign of judgment on Israel.

He cleanses the temple as a foreshadow of its coming destruction.

And here, He goes up to Jerusalem and appears to many—acting out His coronation before His people, just as the priests once presented the Firstfruits in the Temple.

Then, in the heavenly realm—unseen to the human eye—He fulfills Daniel 7, where He receives the kingdom and is seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 1:3).

Preterist Implications: Already Fulfilled

From a Preterist standpoint, these events are not future—they were already fulfilled in the first-century story of Jesus and His people.

The resurrection happened.

The kingdom was given to the Son.

The Spirit was poured out.

The old covenant age ended in 70 AD.

The symbolic acts were performed in time and space for witnesses on earth. The true spiritual realities occurred in the heavenly realm and were later manifested in the Church and judgment of Jerusalem.

Arguments against the First Fruits Theory 

1. It says ascends to the Father. Even if Jesus went to the Father at the Temple the Shekinah glory was gone, so the Father was not at the Temple.

NOTE: The Shekinah glory left between Ezekiel 8-10. However, Jesus still acknowledges it was his Father's house without the glory. See Luke 2:49 , Matthew 21:13, and John 2:16-17.

2. All throughout John, the ascension means to go up to Heaven. No other context.

NOTE: This is not true. Translators have a tendency to presuppose and conflate verses together without considering the overall context.

In this blog, the Greek word anabainō can be used "to go or rise" in other contexts not related to Heaven. Even if that was the case, in fact, the Greek allows for the following paraphrase:

"Do not touch me, because I have not yet begun the journey to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am in the process of ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

"Μή μου ἅπτου" — present imperative, suggests ongoing action being stopped; "Do not keep touching me" or "Do not cling to me."

"οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα" — perfect tense of ἀναβαίνω, implies a completed act not yet done. The phrase "have not started the process" is a paraphrastic but interpretive rendering that aligns with the idea: nothing has yet been completed.

"Ἀναβαίνω" — present tense: "I am ascending" or "I am in the process of ascending." This supports the reading as a process already unfolding rather than a future moment.

Conclusion: The Temple Saw the King

John 20:17 is about Jesus preparing to go up to Jerusalem to present Himself to His people as the Firstfruits of the resurrection, the Son of Man, and the fulfillment of the Feast.

He didn’t just rise for Mary—He rose for Israel. He let the priests and the people see what the prophets had foretold. And then, in heaven’s court, the angels saw what the saints had already witnessed: the King enthroned, the harvest begun, the covenant fulfilled.