Why I have decided to keep the feasts of God.

Pastor, I want to share with you a simple short summary of why I have decided to keep the feasts. Please pray before you read this and pray also my family. I do appreciate your understanding, patience and friendship.

I myself, wrestled for a long time over whether I believed that we as Christians should keep the feasts of God. All along the way, I saw evidences that God still cared about His sacred calendar and then I struggled with teachings that said that these holy days were abolished

There is very much I could get into, but my desire is to make this as simple as possible; so my purpose is not to try to be exhaustive but to give an overview of my reasons.

I will address briefly three main points:1.) Why I believe our SDA teaching that Gods holy days were included in the ceremonial law and thereby have been done away with, is wrong. 2.) Important reasons for keeping the feasts drawn from established SDA doctrine about God Law, which is eternal and perpetual.3.) Why Sister White didnt keep the feasts days or state plainly that we should keep them.

Point One: I have come to believe that our SDA position that Gods holy days (or feasts of the Jehovah) are part of the ceremonial law is incorrect.The Bible tells us plainly what was done away when Christ died on the Cross:And, behold, *the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom*; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent Matthew 27:51

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and *in the midst of the week he shall cause *the sacrifice and the oblation* to cease* Daniel 9:27

So we see that while the services and sacrifices and offerings of the earthly temple were caused to cease, Paul tells us later that this act of tearing the veil in the earthly temple was simply an object lesson of the door that has been opened into the true Holiest of All in the heavenly temple:Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. Hebrews 10:19,20

(notice how in this quote from EGW, how it is revealed that the very things that were caused to cease on earth are taken up by Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, thus showing probably more continuity to the system of sacred ceremonies then we ever knew before:

The typical shadows of the Jewish tabernacle no longer possess any virtue. A daily and yearly typical atonement is no longer to be made, but the atoning*sacrifice* through a mediatoris essential because of the constant commission of sin. Jesus is officiating in the presence of God, offering up His shed blood, as it had been a lamb slain. Jesus presents the *oblation* offered for every offense and every shortcoming of the sinner.{1SM 343.4}*so while He caused the sacrifice and oblation to cease on earth, we see they are taking place in antitype reality in heaven and if sacrifice and oblation is taking place in heaven, then why should we understand that Jehovahs sacred worship times have been abolished? These are the times when we are to gather and focus our worship at His sanctuary in heaven: see Revelation 11:1,2)

So there is still a temple in heaven, we have a High Priest there and He is also as a Lamb as it has been slain. It was the earthly sacrifices and offerings and the earthly temple that was done away.

But what about all of the statutes and judgments of the Old Testament that SDAs commonly teach are all part of the law of Moses, or also called the ceremonial law, and are done away with? Well, truly, we have not been consistent in this. We still uphold tithing as binding and Jehovahs dietary laws such distinctions between clean and unclean and Gods prohibition against eating blood

So why do we say that the feasts of Jehovah are part of the ceremonial law and have been done away with, but these other things are not?

This teaching is based on thinking that we cannot separate the sacrifices and services done at the earthly temple on the holy days from the holy days themselvesBut this is disproven by the fact that we were able to separate the weekly Sabbath from the special sacrifices done on that day in the past:The preists were to: offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in *the Sabbaths*, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD 1 Chronicle 23:31

Behold, I build an house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicateitto him,andto burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on *the Sabbaths*, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the LORD our God. Thisis an ordinancefor ever to Israel. 2 Chronicles 2:4

So SDAs were able to see that even though there were ordinances of services in the earthly temple and sacrifices to be done on the weekly Sabbath, after these earthly services and sacrifices were done away, the Sabbath still remains. But now also, as Christ does the duties of our High Priest in heaven in the heavenly sanctuary His holy worship days remain.

But we may say that, we know the Sabbath is perpetual and eternal because it is included in the Ten Commandments, not in the Law of Moses But we see evidence from the Bible that the feasts are perpetual and eternal as well:For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass,that*from one new moon to another*, and from *one sabbath to another*, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 66:22,23If we look closer at what the Bible teaches we will see that the Weekly Sabbath itself is the first feast listed in Leviticus chapter 23 which tells us about the seven feasts of Jehovah:Feasts of the Lord(Exodus 23:14-19)1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,Concerningthe feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaimto beholy convocations,eventhesearemy feasts.3Six days shall work be done: but the seventh dayisthe sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no worktherein: itisthe sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:1-3But now we come to some most important revelations I have learned that caused me to come to accept Jehovahs feasts as still binding upon man. The main thing I have come to recognize is that what we SDAs have been teaching as the law of Moses and saying that, the Law of Moses, is the same as the ceremonial law is a dangerous error.

Yes, the ceremonial law has been done away with. I have discussed earlier what the ceremonial law is: it is the services of the earthly temple and the earthly sacrifices and offerings.But to say that all the statutes and judgments that God gave us and which Moses wrote, which are not included in the words of the Ten Commandments to say that all these are part of the ceremonial law, and therefore done away, with is a grave error indeed.Listen to this from the pen of Sister White, read this and re-read it many times in the future until our eyes are opened:Precepts Given to Guard DecalogueIn consequence of continual transgression, the moral law was repeated in awful grandeur from Sinai. Christ gave to Moses religious precepts which were to govern everyday life. These statutes were explicitly given to *guard* the ten commandments. They were notshadowytypes to pass away with the death of Christ. They were to be binding upon men in every age as long as time should last. These commands were enforced by the power of the moral law, and they clearly and definitely explained that law. (The Signs of the Times, April 15, 1875[Reprinted inThe Review and Herald, May 6, 1875]) {1BC 1104.6}

The truth taught here is inescapable and this eventually led me to accept the feasts lest I reject sound counsel. This revelation corrects the SDA error that the writings of Moses are entirely the ceremonial law is therefore done away with

Very plainly Sister White shows that there are religious precepts written by Moses, which are not included in the wording of the Ten Commandments, that are binding upon men in every age as long as time shall last, which are given to guard the Ten Commandments and which are enforced by the power of the moral law and which clearly and definitely explained that law (the ten commandments).

All of this is saying that many of the religious precepts God gave to us through Moses are not ceremonial at all, but are indeed moral requirements that help us understand His law and character more fully And Sister White calls them commands: These commands were enforced by the power of the moral law, and they clearly and definitely explained that law.

And this makes perfect sense. I said earlier that we still understand tithing, dietary laws and moral prohibitions written in the law of Moses to still be binding This is revealing that we have not been consistent with our teaching about the Law of God (but I will address this more in my third point God knew this and ordained that light should come to us before the end of time).

Now after we have fully digested the teaching given above, consider again that the Seventh Day Sabbath, which is given in the fourth commandment, is the first feast of the Jehovah listed in Leviticus chapter 23 These commands are not ceremonial, but moral which is why they will endure and be kept forever, just as the Bible teaches.

The earthly sacrifices and offerings done on these holy days have been done away with, but both the Sabbath and the rest of Gods holy days remain.

Point 2: We have important reasons established for keeping the feasts which can be drawn from established SDA doctrine about God Law, which is eternal and perpetual.

Except for the fact that the Sabbath in encoded into the Decalogue of Ten Commandments, all of the *principles* SDAs give to show that the Sabbath is still binding these all apply with equal force to Jehovahs feasts His appointed times of meeting.

Think about it. In addition to saying that the Sabbath is enjoined in the fourth commandment, we continue to show the perpetual nature of the Sabbath through other proofs. We show that the Sabbath was ordained in Eden. We show that Moses wrote that the Sabbath shall be kept an ordinance *forever*. We show that God had respect unto the Holy Day by withholding the manna on the Sabbath and giving a double portion on the preparation day. We show that Jesus observed the Sabbath. We show that the apostles still worshiped on the Sabbath after Christs death. We show that there is no teaching in the New Testament that states that the Sabbath has been abrogated. And lastly we show that the Sabbath will continue and be kept as a sacred worship day in eternity in the new heavens and new earth. Now see how all of these reasons which we teach to uphold the truth that the Sabbath is perpetual and still binding upon men as a holy moral duty to Jehovah; reasons which when we teach them we expect that these reasons should be respected as having Biblical authority these very same reasons listed above as supporting the truth that the Sabbath is perpetual see now how these same reasons teach also that the feasts of Jehovah are perpetual in nature and still binding upon the worshipers of Jehovah.

1.) The feasts of Jehovah were ordained at the creation of the earth, during the first week! Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. Genesis 1:14 (The Hebrew word here translated as festivals [seasons in the KJV] is the Hebrew word Moed which means appointed times and is mostly associated with the appointed times of the sacred festivals of Jehovah.)

2.) The Lord told Moses that His sacred feasts were to be kept by believers as sacred ordinances *forever*!Passover: And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Exodus 12:14Pentecost: it shall bea statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. Leviticus 23:21Day of Atonement: it shall bea statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. Leviticus 23:31Tabernacles: And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year.It shall bea statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Leviticus 23:41

3.) Jehovah had respect unto His sacred feast day of Pentecost after Christs death and resurrection!And when the day of Pentecost was *fully* come, they were all with one accord in one place.2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts. 2:1-44.) Jesus observed the feasts (and taught there true meaning, even as He did the Sabbath):But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.11The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. John 7:10,11

On the last day, the climax of the festival (this was the Feast of Tabernacles where the Jews had a ceremony depicting the water flowing from the Rock during their wilderness sojourn), Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds,Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!38Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, Rivers of living water will flow from his heart. John 7:37,38

5.) The apostle Paul kept the feasts with new gentile converts to Christianity, outside of Jerusalem and taught the new converts to do as they have seen him do!At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. Only Luke remained with him, the other members of the companypassing on toTroasto await him there. The Philippians were the most loving and truehearted of the apostles converts, and during theeight daysof the feast he enjoyed peaceful and happy communion with them.{AA 390.4} *this shows that Paul kept not only Passover but the feast of unleavened bread as well.** Now listen to what Paul wrote to these same Philippians believers to follow: Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. *Philippians 4:9

6.) There is no teaching in the Old or New Testament that shows that Gods sacred holy days have been abolished.The commonly misunderstood verse in Colossians 2:14 holds the seventh day Sabbath in the same regard as the feasts and new moons: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or of the Sabbath day. Colossians 2:14

If in this passage of scripture Paul is teaching that the feasts are done away with, then we are also agreeing with the false teaching by many that this verse also disannuls Christians from keeping the Sabbath but that is not what Paul is teaching here.

7.) The Sabbath and the new moons (and feasts of Jehovah) shall continue to be kept as sacred worship days in eternity in His kingdom forever!For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass,thatfrom one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD. Isaiah 66:21,22Our reasonings are correct in using these principles to teach the perpetual nature of the seventh day Sabbath these principles are equally as powerful in showing that the feasts of Jehovah also, ever since their being ordained in Creation week, have continued and shall continue forever as sacred times of assembly and worship and Praising the Lamb for His great plan of Redemption which these sacred festivals explicitly teach and commemorate.

Point 3: I think it is a very good and fair question to ask why then did Sister White not teach by precept and example that the feasts of Jehovah were still to be kept. We might well conclude that if this was indeed truth, then Jesus would have told Sister White by His Spirit so that she might communicate this truth to us.

Yes, we might very well conclude that; but that is not a safe final conclusion to reach because it assumes a false premise. There is indeed a false premise that must be assumed in order to reach the conclusion that because Sister White did not teach that we should keep the feasts, therefore that means anyone keeping the feasts are in error. The false premise is that the Lord revealed to Sister White everything that we would ever need to know as Light from heaven until Jesus comes back again..

It is fairly easy to show that this is not the case. Sister White wrote much about *new light* which would come to the church and she warned us that we will need to be ready to investigate that new light and that we will be tested, even as the church in every generation past has been tested, as to whether we will recognize Jesus speaking to us and obey Him.

Sister White taught plainly that light is progressive and that the Light and revelation from Jesus would continue to grow and illuminate new duties as long as time shall last.

Of course new light, true light from heaven, would never change the foundations that have been established, but would always be in accord with the Light and revelations from the Law and the prophets that have come beforehand.

But what must be discarded always in order to accept new light from Jesus, is to remove and discard man-made traditions and errors which were not from the Lord in the first place. These are hindrances to new light and revelation and often believers stand and fight to hold onto man-made traditions and errors as though they were the commandments of God. So I admit that considering, studying, praying about and embracing what is truly new light is indeed a very difficult undertaking for the human agent. But, yet plainly, we see that the Lord has seen fit to test us in this way: New light will ever be revealed on the word of God to him who is in living connection with the Sun of Righteousness. Let no one come to the conclusion that there is no more truth to be revealed. The diligent, prayerful seeker for truth will find precious rays of light yet to shine forth from the word of God. Many gems are yet scattered that are to be gathered together to become the property of the remnant people of God.Counsels on Sabbath School Work, 34 (1892).{CW 35.1}

We must not think, Well, we have all the truth, we understand the main pillars of our faith, and we may rest on this knowledge. The truth is an advancing truth, and we must walk in the increasing light.{CW 33.2}

There is no excuse for anyone in taking the position that there is no more truth to be revealed, and that all our expositions of Scripture are without an error. The fact that certain doctrines have been held as truth for many years by our people, is not a proof that our ideas are infallible. Age will not make error into truth, and truth can afford to be fair. No true doctrine will lose anything by close investigation.{CW 35.2}

Whenever the people of God are growing in grace, they will be constantly obtaining a clearer understanding of His word. They will discern new light and beauty in its sacred truths. This has been true in the history of the church in allages, and thus it will continue to the end. But as real spiritual life declines, it has ever been the tendency to cease to advance in the knowledge of the truth. Men rest satisfied with the light already received from Gods word, and discourage any further investigation of the Scriptures. They become conservative, and seek to avoid discussion.{CW 38.3}The fact that there is no controversy or agitation among Gods people, should not be regarded as conclusive evidence that they are holding fast to sound doctrine. There is reason to fear that they may not be clearly discriminating between truth and error. When no new questions are started by investigation of the Scriptures, when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves, to make sure that they have the truth, there will be many now, as in ancient times, who will hold to tradition, and worship they know not what.{CW 39.1} Many say, If I had only lived in the days of Christ, I would not have wrested his words, or falsely interpreted his instruction. I would not have rejected and crucified him as did the Jews; but that will be proved by theway in which you deal with his message and his messengers today. The Lord is testing the people of today as much as he tested the Jews in their day. When he sends his messages of mercy,the light of his truth, he is sending the spirit of truth to you, and if you accept the message, you accept of Jesus. Those who declare that if they had lived in the days of Christ, they would not do as did the rejecters of his mercy, will today be tested. Those who live in this day are not accountable for the deeds of those who crucified the Son of God; but if with all the light that shone upon his ancient people, delineated before us, we travel over the same ground, cherish the same spirit, refuse to receive reproof and warning, then our guilt will be greatly augmented, and the condemnation that fell upon them will fall upon us, only it will be as much greater as our light is greater in this age than was their light in their age.{1888 1057.7}

Obedience to Jesus is a sufficient and pure enough motive to follow the Light He sends and to obey His voice. Especially to us who are Sabbath keepers already, we recognize that Christ always has special blessings in store for those who follow Him in the path of trust and obedience. And my family and I have discovered the same concerning keeping the sacred appointed times of Jehovah: His sacred feast days.

We have been happy and blessed since we have been convicted and are now observing these sacred times of assembly and worship. What is more, my children really love keeping the feasts This has given me a new view on the wonderful statutes of Jehovah His thoughtfulness for all members of the family!

Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants.25When you enter the land that theLordwill give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.26And when your children ask you, What does this ceremony mean to you?27then tell them, It is the Passover sacrifice to theLord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians. Then the people bowed down and worshiped. Exodus 12:24-27

These feasts are practical and spiritual ordinances of worship which our God, in love and thoughtfulness, has given us! They are not heavy drudgery. The holidays of the world are a weariness and are not blessed and sanctified by Jesus.

Remember, the Lord reserves and special blessing and favor upon his trusting obedient children His sheep who know His voice and follow Him (obey Him). This is an experience the disobedient never know in their supposed liberty from keeping His ways. The man who loves and keeps the Law of Jehovah is free in the fullest sense and in this freedom we find true rest to our souls.

Andthisshall be a statute for ever unto you:thatin the seventh month, on the tenthdayof the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all,whether it beone of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:30For on that day shallthe priestmake an atonement for you, to cleanse you,thatye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.31Itshall bea sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.32And the priest, whom he shall anoint, and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes,eventhe holy garments:33And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.34And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. Leviticus 16:29-34

Ye shall do no manner of work:it shall bea statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.32Itshall beunto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninthdayof the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. Leviticus 23:31,32

This cleansing and refreshing REST FROM OUR SINS no earthly, man-made holiday, which we have observed and honored for so long, could ever provide

I choose to keep and honor Jesus and His holy times set apart for us to worship Him in a special way, at special seasons of assembly at the temple which is in heaven (we worship there by faith, see Revelation 11:1,2). These times are also set apart as the times of our Fathers Own appointment to give us special blessings, which the faithful and obedient people of God are simply not willing to miss or do without (consider that another Pentecostal outpouring is promised in these last days, as well as final cleansing from sin). Amen.