One of the BIGGEST problems associated with the argument that we are obligated, and should return to the keeping of the Feast Days is that Every one of them required the offering of a Blood Sacrifice (see Lev. 23:37). The problem with this should be obvious! Should we, could we, return to the offering of Animal Sacrifices and Burnt Offerings without DENYING our Lord (the object to whom all those Typical Sacrifices pointed) in the process?! Does anyone really think that we ought to resume these Sacrifices? And if not, then HOW could we return to the Keeping of these Feast Days while not, at the same time, performing them as the LORD prescribed? Are we to simply ALTER them so as to leave out the SACRIFICES? And if we are free to do that, why shouldnt we Alter any other of the LORDS Commands? It is a FEARFUL thing to presume to Alter that which the Lord has commanded and claiming the authority to do so smacks of Blasphemy, arrogance, and Pride! Another problem with our Returning to the Keeping of the Feast Days is that Three of them (The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Weeks [Pentecost], and the Feast of Tabernacles) required the Men of Israel to gather at the place [God} should choose (Duet. 16:16), which eventually became the Temple in Jerusalem . If we are going to Keep the Feast Days as the Lord required, are we going to start making these pilgrimages? And if not, why? I also believe that those Seventh-day Adventists who would urge a return to the observance of the Feast Days of the Ceremonial Law do so at the risk of tremendous hypocrisy. If we are to Keep the Ceremonial Law “in part” (that is the Feast Days), are we not also obligated to Keep the Law in “WHOLE”? If we are still obligated to keep the Feast Days, are we not also obligated to keep the other Ceremonial Rites, such as “circumcision”? And if this is the case, then aren’t we forced to contradict and set-aside the testimony of Paul: “For I testify again to every man that is circumcised [that is, according to the Law], that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace….For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:3-6). Does not “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9)? If, as Seventh-day Adventist, we believe that God gave inspired testimonies to Ellen White -- Are not those who would urge the return to the Keeping of the Ceremonial Feast Days (or any part of the Ceremonial Law) forced to deny or contradict the clear testimony given to Mrs. White in regard to keeping these things? Ellen wrote: ” “He [Christ] has swept away every ceremony of the ancient type. He has given no liberty to restore these rites, or to substitute anything that will recall the old literal sacrifices.” (RH, February 25, 1896). Some people argue that JESUS KEPT THE FEASTS -- so we should too! This argument shows a lack of depth. Jesus DID attend many of the Feasts in Israel -- but He did so PRIMARILY so that He could reach HIS PEOPLE with the TRUTH about HIMSELF. But Jesus did NOT faithfully attend all the Feasts, or even all of the REQUIRED feasts. In Desire of Ages Mrs. White reports that Since the healing at Bethesda He [Christ] had not attended the national gatherings and that He Himself seemed to be indifferent to the service (DA p. 450 -- see also p. 451 ...for many months He had been absent from the feasts). Obviously, if this is true, then this argument can hold no water. Interestingly, those who urge that the Feast Days should still be kept, also usually urge other uniquely Jewish things upon us – such as referring to God and/or Christ only by their “Proper” Hebrew Names (i.e. usually “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” and sometimes simply “Yah” for the Father, and “Yahshua” or “Yeshua” for Jesus) – something that none of the Apostles did (though all were Hebrew) when they wrote their Gospels and Epistles. They used the Greek names Theos (God) and Iēsoús (Jesus). Jesus Himself often referred to God as “patḗr” or “abbá” (meaning “Father”) and did not stick to a strict use of the Hebrew names for God. Even in the use of the name “Yahshua” there is a problem – no such Hebrew name exists. If one were to be strictly true to the Hebrew one would need to use the name “yehôšua” or “Yahoshua”. This emphasis on returning to the use of Hebrew Names is, quite frankly, simply another way in which many people are getting caught up in the Letter of the Law and slipping into a return to the not-so-subtle legalistic Phariseeism of the past. None of the Apostles taught that we should return to Judaism either in Speech or Action. Ellen White also made no such suggestion and, in fact, both the Apostles and Ellen White gave explicit instructions to the contrary. I fear that those who advocate a return to either the Jewish “Rites” or to the strict use of the proper Hebrew names for God and/or Christ, do so only through a denial of inspired testimonies to the contrary. However sincere, this type of denial can only be called Hypocritical. One cannot claim to be being faithful to the Word of Inspiration AND reject Inspiration at the same time! I am NOT suggesting that if a person uses the proper Hebrew names for God or Christ that they are doing anything wrong. Nor am I suggesting that if one personally finds the keeping of some aspects of the Ceremonial Feasts helpful and edifying that they are wrong to do so (e.g. setting aside specific times for a joyous commemoration of the blessings of God to them) – as long as they are fully aware of the significance of these things, and so long as they understand that; “of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such a high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man….[for] now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises...Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” (Heb. 8:1,2,6,9-13). A person may privately do many things that they find spiritually significant without being “wrong” in doing so (the Lord reads the Heart). But to urge and propagate these things (i.e. the return to the Keeping of the Feast Days) upon others as an obligatory statute of God for His Remnant People most assuredly is wrong. If we were to urge the Keeping of the Ceremonial Feast days (and/or the use of the Proper Hebrew names for God or any other thing) upon others without a clear New Covenant directive to do so, where should we stop? Should we also return to “Stoning” children who are disobedient towards their fathers? Should we return to wearing Jewish attire? Should we start making pilgrimages? Should we all move to Palestine? Should we reconstruct the Temple? Should we return to making blood sacrifices? I do not doubt the sincerity of those who are urging a return to the keeping of the Feast Days -- but how many Sincere Jews were there in Christs day who rigorously held to the ceremonies and Missed the true meaning of those ceremonies? When we get too caught up in the Symbols and the Rituals and the Ceremonies, we miss the substance to which these things actually pointed. We make the same mistake that the Jews of old did by making the strict and rigid observance of the Type (or Shadow) the important thing when, in reality, the Truth and the POWER are actually found in the Substance of the Anti-type. In other words, it is that which was Symbolized by the Type and that to which the Type pointed that contains the Secret and the Power of the Christian Life. And isnt that why Christ said of the Jews of His day, And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this peoples heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (Mat. 13:14,15)? The bottom line is that there is NO support (Biblical or otherwise) for our returning to the keeping of the Ceremonial Feast Days. Such a “return” would amount to a Denial of Christ and His antitypical fulfillment of these “ordinances”. It pains me to be so brutally straightforward, but any such denial of Christ can only be done at the Peril of one’s soul. “Let every man be persuaded in his own mind” (Rom. 14:5) concerning these things, but let no-one conclude that the celebration of these literal Feast Days in any way makes us more “Faithful” to God – or earns us any favor in His eyes. Paul described these Ceremonial Sabbaths as shadows of things to come, but the substance is of Christ (Col.2:17). He also admonished us to Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage (Gal. 5:1). Mrs. White also made several strong statements regarding the Ceremonial Feast (besides the one quoted earlier) such as these: ...the ceremonial law ceased to be of force at the death of Christ (ST July 29, 1886). She states that the ceremonial law, given by God through Moses, with its sacrifices and ordinances, was to be binding upon the Hebrews until type met antitype in the death of Christ as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Then all the sacrificial offerings and services were to be abolished (ST September 4, 1884). And this very powerful statement: ...the rites and ceremonies which they [the disciples] had hitherto engaged in as essential...the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue these rites would be an insult to Jehovah (RH June 14, 1898). Thats pretty clear isnt it??? Having said all this, however, should in no way discourage us from digging deeper into these Typical Ceremonies and Feasts in order to discover the deeper Spiritual meaning and significance that each of these has for us. Since Christ Himself was the originator of the Jewish system of worship, in which, by types and symbols, were shadowed forth spiritual and heavenly things (ST January 2, 1893 and 7BC p. 933:1) -- We may safely conclude that we have much to learn. This study has by no means exhausted the meaning or the antitypical fulfillment of the great Ceremonial Feasts – and I am confident that the “Lessons” that they have to teach us will, no doubt, add much to our personal Spiritual walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to our understanding of the Great Plan of Redemption. ”Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 09:38:42 +0000
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