1. First of all, because God commanded us to keep them (Ex. 23:14-17).  God's commands cannot be reversed unless He Himself changes them.  There is nowhere in the Bible where He reversed His command to keep the Feasts.  The command to keep the Feasts is contained in the laws which God gave to explain and protect the Ten Commandments (these laws are many times called Statutes and Judgments in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy). The pen of inspiration says these laws, which were given to guard the Ten Commandments, did not pass away with the death of Christ. They were not shadowy types. And it says we will be judged by these laws in the day of judgment. We believe it is a misconception to say that the Feasts are part of the ceremonial law. We have not found that either in the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy. Instead both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy include them as part of the laws that guard the Ten Commandments, called the Statutes and Judgments, which we are still required to obey.  (See the article "God's Law," and the other articles under the “Gods Laws” menu)

2. Because the conditions of God's Covenant include both the Ten Commandments, and the Statutes and Judgments (read Ex. 19-24, PP, chap. 27). The Spirit of Prophecy says, “This covenant is of just as much force today as it was when the Lord made it with ancient Israel.” (SW, 3-1-1904) It also says, “The covenant God made at Sinai is for the Israel of God for all time. Herein is revealed God's purpose for us, if we will only cooperate with Him.” {1MR 108.2} The Statutes and Judgments are part of our covenant with God and if we break them we are breaking God's Covenant. And both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy include the Feasts as part of the Statutes and Judgments. Therefore they must be part of our Covenant with God as well, and if we break them we are breaking God's Covenant too! (See the article “Our Covenant With God,”)

3. Because Jesus, who is our example celebrated them. (See the article "Should We Keep the Feasts of the Lord?"

4. Because Paul, the apostle to the gentiles, celebrated them, even with his gentile converts in gentile cities. Many times in his letters he instructed his gentile converts to follow his example and do what they had seen him do, and one of the things they saw him consistently doing throughout his lifetime was celebrating the Feasts. There are about as many verses telling us he kept the Feasts as there are telling us that he kept the Sabbath. And the Spirit of Prophecy tells us that he had been personally instructed by the Holy Spirit about the ceremonial law; he did not keep it himself and was adamantly opposed to introducing it to the gentile believers. Yet we see examples throughout his lifetime that he kept the Feasts. Therefore we must conclude that the Feasts are not part of the ceremonial law. So we desire to follow Paul's example and keep the Feasts in the way he kept them.  (See the article “Buried Treasures, Part 3,” and, "Why Christians Don't Keep the Feasts - a 3,000 year Timeline".)

5. Because the gentile churches of Asia Minor, which Paul started, continued to keep them for the next 250 years, despite persecution and threats of excommunication from the bishop at Rome. (See “Why Christians Don't Keep The Feasts - a 3,000 year Timeline”.) 

6. Because the church of Rome abolished them, just like they did with the Sabbath. (We don't believe they have the power to abolish any of God's laws.)   (See the same article as above.) 

7. Because faithful Christians have kept them, even down to our day, despite persecution.  (See the same article as above.) 

8. Because Ellen White speaks so highly of them in her writings and even says that it would be well for us to have a Feast of Tabernacles. She consistently equates them with our camp meetings and repeatedly says how necessary these Holy Convocations are to our spiritual life and how God requires us to attend them, just like He required ancient Israel to attend the Feasts three times per year.  (See the article "What Did Ellen White Say About the Feast Days")

9. Because we know from the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy that we will be keeping the New Moons and Sabbaths in Heaven. So it only seems logical that we should be keeping the New Moons here as well since God commanded them in the Bible. (See the article “New Moons”)

10. Because we see what a blessing we can receive from taking these special occasions off from our work to spend with God. Keeping the Sabbaths, Feasts, and New Moons has been such a blessing to us. These are sacred days to spend with God and have Him write His law in our hearts. (See the article "Festivals of Rejoicing".)

Are you sincerely wanting to know God's will for your life? One of the best ways to find that is to spend time with Him. We invite you to join us in keeping God's Holy Convocations and spending that special time with Him so He can write His law in your heart. Please visit the links in this article and also our other articles in the “God's Calendar” menu to the left.

If you have questions, or comments, or even if you disagree with us about anything we've put on our website, please let us know by going to our contact page and sending us a message. We would be glad to hear from you.

The Lord has told us in Colossians 2:16 not to let anyone judge us in regard to His Feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths. So we choose to enjoy these days despite the popular misconceptions about them. We are following Paul's example just like he told his converts at Phillipi to do.

“Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Phil. 4:9)

What had the Philippian converts seen Paul do on his last visit with them before he wrote this letter? He had stopped with them at Philippi for eight days to keep the Passover and the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread with them. We are merely following his example in keeping the Feasts. And we can testify that is has been a great blessing to us. So please read the articles on this website (www.seekbibletruth.org) and join us in keeping the Feasts of the Lord.

Last Updated ( Saturday, 20 March 2010 21:13 )

Statutes and Judghments:

Who was to execute the civil penalties attached to the Statutes and Judgments?

Many of the Statutes and Judgments have very serious penalties attached for those that break them. When God first gave these laws, Israel was a self governing nation. These penalties were to be executed by the judges of the land. The individual people were not to execute these penalties themselves. God commanded in the law that a person was not supposed to take vengeance for themselves. “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” (Lev. 19:18)

Ellen White says the same thing:

"It is true that the rule, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" (Leviticus 24:20), was a provision in the laws given through Moses; but it was a civil statute. None were justified in avenging themselves, for they had the words of the Lord: "Say not thou, I will recompense evil." "Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me." "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth." "If he that hateth thee be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink." Proverbs 20:22; 24:29, 17; 25:21, 22, R.V., margin.” {MB 70.2}

So no individual was justified in avenging themselves. For example, if someone hit you and broke your arm, you were not supposed to break his arm in return. But, the judge of the land was to punish him instead. You were not allowed to execute the penalty yourself; that was the job of the judges and rulers.

How does this apply to us now? Well, in very much the same way. We are not to avenge ourselves. If someone beats us up with a stick, we are not supposed to beat them up in return. But the policeman and the judges should punish such a person so they don't continue to go around beating people up.

Again, when God first gave the laws, Israel was a self governing nation, with God as their invisible leader. But things are different now. We do not live under a government run by God. Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world anymore.

“Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” (John 18:36)

So we are not to take into our hands the execution of the penalties attached to the Statutes and Judgments. We are now living under a worldly government; and God has given the duty of punishing lawbreakers to the judges and rulers of the government.

“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.” (Rom. 13:1)

The rulers and judges have been appointed by God to hold the sword of justice; they are the ministers of God to execute wrath upon those who do evil.

Again, I want to make this very clear, if you see someone breaking one of the laws given by God, you are not to execute the punishment on that person. Your duty is to go and talk with the person if you can and try to help them see what they are doing wrong. This is what God commanded in the Old Testament and the New.

“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.” (Lev. 19:17)

“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.” (Luke 17:3)

When Jesus said we should do good to our enemies He was simply repeating the Old Testament.

“If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.” (Ex. 23:4-5)

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Mat. 5:44)

Why do some of the Statutes and Judgments talk about slaves?

Well, first of all, did you know that in ancient Israel there was no such thing as a prison where criminals were incarcerated? But, “criminals were sometimes sold into slavery by the judges.” (PP, 310) They didn't stay slaves for life though. Every seven years all the Israelite slaves were set free (Deut. 15). So their term of service was limited to six years.

Think about this. If a criminal was sold into slavery to do hard labor for the next six years, would that help him reform? This seems like a much better system than our modern prisons were the inmates just sit around and watch TV all day. If they were sold into hard labor for six years that might do them a lot of good!

Also, the life of the slave was carefully guarded by the law. His master was not allowed to mistreat him. If his master so much as knocked out one tooth the slave could go free (Ex. 21:27). God also gave strict laws against capturing a man and selling him as a slave. A man who captured another man and sold him as a slave was to punished by death (Deut. 24:7).

Another way that people sometimes became slaves was because of poverty - “...in some cases debtors were sold by their creditors; and poverty even led persons to sell themselves or their children. But a Hebrew could not be sold as a slave for life. His term of service was limited to six years; on the seventh he was to be set at liberty.” (ibid.)

God gave many laws to protect the poor. It was the duty of each person in Israel to care for the poor around them and relieve them if they could (Deut. 15:7-8). So it would be an extreme case where a person became so deep in poverty that he had to sell himself or his children. And even if such a thing happened God told the Israelites that they could not treat a fellow Israelite as a slave, but they must treat them as a hired servant (Lev. 25:39-40); and, as mentioned before, they had to release them at the end of six years.

It is sad to think that a person might have to sell themselves if they became so poor, but it might actually be a blessing. Possibly such a person had never learned how to manage money; or maybe they had never learned to be industrious and work hard. Working for six years for another person might help them learn skills they never had before. After the six years were finished they might be able to support themselves and not get so deep in debt and poverty again.

God also gave laws that at the end of six years, when all the servants went free, that the master should furnish them liberally with whatever they needed to start their life new again (Deut. 15:12-15).

So even though slavery was never God's ideal, He gave laws to make the situation as good as it could be under the circumstances. The same principles of love and kindness to our fellow men still applies today, whether we have servants or not. We must still treat those who work for us with kindness, respect, and fairness.

Why does God say He gave them statutes that were not good (Eze. 20:24-25)?

“The Lord said of the children of Israel, "Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols, wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live." Because of continual disobedience, the Lord annexed penalties to the transgression of his law, which were not good for the transgressor, or whereby he should not live in his rebellion.” (1SP, 265)

“The statutes and judgments given of God were good for the obedient. "They should live in them." But they were not good for the transgressor; for in the civil law given to Moses, punishment was to be inflicted on the transgressor, that others should be restrained by fear.” (1SP, 266)

Why is the death penalty no longer carried out?

This question is mostly answered above in the section about civil penalties, but a few more quotes may help clarify even more:

“We are not under a system of mere requirements, mere justice, and unsympathizing rigor. The penalty of transgressing the law has fallen upon our Substitute and Surety, and for a time has been suspended, so that the guilty do not feel its weight; but the object of this suspension is not to teach us that its claims are over, its exactions set aside, but to attract us to holiness, to obedience. Nothing is changed except the manner of bringing men to obey the law. Obey its claims we must. The first step toward obedience is repentance. We are to see the excellence of its requirements by beholding the wrong of disobedience.” [ST 08-13-94 para. 06] p. 190, Para. 1, [1894MS].

“The Lord does not execute the death penalty on the transgressors of His law until they have heard the warning and have been given opportunity to see the fallacy of the doctrines they believe. How wonderful is His forbearance and patience! He is putting a constraint on His own attributes. Omnipotence is exerted over Omnipotence.” [18MR186.05] p. 215, Para. 6, [1902MS].

God's Holydays:

Did sister White keep the Feasts?

Ellen White many times equates the Feasts with our camp meetings. She speaks many times about all the blessings that ancient Israel received from keeping the Feasts and how we need this even more than they did. Following are some of her statements equating our campmeetings with the Feast Days:

“Anciently the Lord instructed His people to assemble three times a year for His worship. To these holy convocations the children of Israel came, bringing to the house of God their tithes, their sin offerings, and their offerings of gratitude. They met to recount God's mercies, to make known His wonderful works, and to offer praise and thanksgiving to His name. And they were to unite in the sacrificial service which pointed to Christ as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Thus they were to be preserved from the corrupting power of worldliness and idolatry. Faith and love and gratitude were to be kept alive in their hearts, and through their association together in this sacred service they were to be bound closer to God and to one another.

“In the days of Christ these feasts were attended by vast multitudes of people from all lands; and had they been kept as God intended, in the spirit of true worship, the light of truth might through them have been given to all the nations of the world.

“With those who lived at a distance from the tabernacle, more than a month of every year must have been occupied in attendance upon these holy convocations. The Lord saw that these gatherings were necessary for the spiritual life of His people. They needed to turn away from their worldly cares, to commune with God, and to contemplate unseen realities.

“If the children of Israel needed the benefit of these holy convocations in their time, how much more do we need them in these last days of peril and conflict! And if the people of the world then needed the light which God had committed to His church, how much more do they need it now!” {6T, 39-40}

“Will our brethren not come up to the feast of tabernacles?” {11MR 9.1}

“A great work is to be accomplished by our camp meetings. The Lord has specially honored these gatherings, which He has called "holy convocations." {6T 70.3} (In the Bible this phrase “holy convocations” is only applied to the Feast Days.)

“Let all who possibly can, attend these yearly gatherings....Come, brethren and sisters, to these sacred convocation meetings, to find Jesus. He will come up to the feast. He will be present, and He will do for you that which you most need to have done.” {2T 575.2}

Did Ellen White consider the phrase”camp meetings” to be a modern term for the “Feast Days”? Did she believe they were keeping the Feast Days in assembling for camp meeting? The language could sure indicate that. It seems like the early Adventists did not yet understand that they were supposed to be celebrating their Holy Convocations at the times God specified in the Law, but truth is progressive – just because they didn't yet understand it doesn't mean we shouldn't. We see many examples all through Adventist history of how truth is progressive. For example, the early Adventists were starting the Seventh-day Sabbath at the wrong time for 10 years before they discovered their mistake. They were keeping Sabbath from 6:00 pm to 6:00 pm instead of from sunset to sunset as the Bible specifies. And during all those 10 years God did not give Ellen White a vision to correct their error. God waited until the truth about it had been discovered by diligent Bible study before He gave Ellen White a vision confirming the truth of what had been discovered through careful Bible study. So we don't have any excuse for not keeping the Feasts at the times God appointed just because the early Adventists didn't. We must continue learning and growing in our understanding of truth just like Ellen White told us to. Following are a number of Spirit of Prophecy quotes explaining the more light and truth is coming and we must not reject it:

“Questions were asked at that time. "Sister White, do you think that the Lord has any new and increased light for us as a people?" I answered, "Most assuredly. I do not only think so, but can speak understandingly. I know that there is precious truth to be unfolded to us if we are the people that are to stand in the day of God's preparation." {3SM 174.1}

“When God's people are at ease and satisfied with their present enlightenment, we may be sure that He will not favor them. It is His will that they should be ever moving forward to receive the increased and ever-increasing light which is shining for them. The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel no necessity for more truth and greater light. We are living at a time when Satan is at work on the right hand and on the left, before and behind us; and yet as a people we are asleep. God wills that a voice shall be heard arousing His people to action.” {5T 708.3}

“We must not for a moment think that there is no more light, no more truth, to be given us. We are in danger of becoming careless, by our indifference losing the sanctifying power of truth, and composing ourselves with the thought, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." [REV. 3:17.] While we must hold fast to the truths which we have already received, we must not look with suspicion upon any new light that God may send.” {GW 310.4}

The last quote above was written in 1915, the year Ellen White died. So we are to expect that there is still more light coming after Ellen White's time that we as Adventists have not understood before. Indeed, she says we must have more light if we are the people who are to stand in the day of God's preparation! She says if we rest satisfied with our present enlightenment, God's favor will not rest upon us! I believe the feasts are one of these new truths that God is revealing to us at the end of time. Ellen White may not have known about it yet in her day, but she knew that more light and truth was coming. She told us it would come and that we must not reject it just because we thought we already had everything we needed. If we as a church are satisfied with our present enlightenment we may be sure that God will not favor us. Let us study with earnestness to know the truth so we shall not reject the truth God sends us.

See the articles:

• Do We Need More Light?

• What Did Ellen White Say About the Feast Days?

Maybe Paul was just trying to witness to the Jews.

Yes, he certainly was trying to witness to the Jews at every opportunity! He was also trying to witness to the Jews when he went to the Synagogue every Sabbath; but he was also doing it because God had commanded the Sabbath to be kept. Paul didn't need the Sabbath commandment repeated in the New Testament. God had commanded it once in the Old Testament and therefore Paul obeyed it. This command to keep the Sabbath still needs to be obeyed today as well. God also commanded the yearly feasts, and Paul kept those throughout his life as well. He also tried to use every opportunity to speak about Jesus to his countrymen. The Jews from all countries went to Jerusalem for the Feasts because they still thought that was where God's Name was. Paul many times went to Jerusalem as well because he wanted to meet his countrymen, but he also kept the Feasts in gentile cities with his gentile converts even though the Jews had gone to Jerusalem. So we can conclude from this that we as Spiritual Israel can keep the Feasts as well, just like Paul did.

See the article(s):

• Why Christians Don't Keep the Feasts - A 3,000 Year Timeline

Why was Paul keeping the Feasts if he was so opposed to Christians still keeping the ceremonial law?

That is a very good question. The only answer I know of is that the Feasts must not be part of the ceremonial law. Indeed, the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy tell us that they are actually part of the laws which were called Statutes and Judgments (see Ex. 21-23; PP, 311) And the Spirit of Prophecy tells us clearly that we are still required to obey these Statutes and Judgments. That explains why Paul made a regular habit of keeping them, even with gentiles.

If you want to see examples of how Paul kept the Feasts all through his lifetime, see the timeline, Why Christians Don't Keep the Feasts - A 3,000 Year Timeline.

To read more about Paul's relation to the Feasts and New Moons, see the article, An In-depth Look at Colossians 2 and Galatians 4.

Is the Seventh-day Sabbath one of God's Feast Days?

Yes! It is at the top of the list of Feast Days in Leviticus 23.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” (Lev. 23:1-3)

God gave us the Seventh-day Sabbath, plus seven other yearly Sabbaths! Let's keep them all!

Are they Jewish Feasts?

Yes, I guess in a way you could say they are. They are meant for Israel. The New Covenant is also meant for Israel! Read what it says in Hebrews 8:10! It is given to Israel and Judah. The question is, are you a part of Spiritual Israel? If you are, then the New Covenant and the Feasts are for you. But if you are still an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, and a stranger to the covenants of promise, then they are not for you.

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:12-13)

Do you want to be a part of Spiritual Israel? It is by faith that we become children of Abraham.

“Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” (Gal 3:7)

How is it that we can become part of the true Israel? You do not need to be of Jewish heritage. You do not need to live in Jerusalem. You do not need to worship in any synagogues. And you do not need to become Jewish to be a child of Abraham. It is by faith that we are accounted children of Abraham. Our Jerusalem is from above (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 21). We as Christians can be the Israel of God if we trust in Christ's righteousness to circumcise our hearts and cleanse us from sin.

“He is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit...” (Rom. 2:29)

“And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.” (Deut. 30:6)

So the Feasts and the New Covenant can be for you if you choose to be part of Spiritual Israel!

See the articles:

• How Can We Celebrate the Feasts If We Can't Go to Jerusalem?

Were the Feasts centered around the agricultural seasons of Israel?

There were two of the six annual Feasts that were harvest celebrations (Pentecost and Tabernacles) and some people have wondered if they can keep the Feasts since most of us are not farmers and the agricultural seasons here are different from those in Israel.

Actually we are all farmers – everyone who has ever accepted the gospel commission!

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.” (John 4:35-36)

We have all been commissioned by Christ to work in His fields.

The disciples had mostly been fisherman by trade, but when they gathered together to celebrate Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on them, what kind of harvest did they gather in? A harvest of 3,000 precious souls. This was the beginning of the Gospel harvest.

And when we celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, what is this celebration pointing forward to? The great in-gathering at the end of earth's history (Rev. 14:16).

So in the greater scope of things we are farmers indeed, and the Feasts of Pentecost and Tabernacles point out the agricultural seasons in the gospel work. Right now we are waiting for the “Latter Rain” to come and prepare the grain for the great harvest, when the Son of Man who sits on the white cloud will thrust in His sickle to reap the earth (Rev. 14:16)

We see this illustrated in the life of Paul. He had been a tent maker by trade, but Christ had commissioned him to enter the gospel harvest. And Paul continued to keep the Feasts as he went through one country of Asia Minor after another sowing the gospel seeds. He once wrote to the believers at Corinth that he was planning to stay at Ephesus until Pentecost (1 Cor. 16:8). Pentecost was a harvest celebration. Paul was about a thousand miles journey from Jerusalem, in a very different climate. But that didn't mean Pentecost had lost it's meaning for him. It was still a harvest celebration – a celebration of the gospel harvest that he was now reaping.

We are laborers in Christ's harvest fields as well. And as we celebrate the Feasts, let us pray for the latter rain to ripen the precious fields of grain; and let us remember that the final harvest will commence in a very short time! “Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matt. 24:44)

Should we go to Jerusalem to keep the Feasts?

The answer is, no, we no longer need to go to Jerusalem to keep the Feasts. Why? Well, first of all, we know Paul kept the Feasts in gentile cities. So it must be fine to do that. But let's dig further.

In the beginning God required the Israelites to go where He had put His Name. First this was at Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was located. Later God put His Name at Jerusalem when Solomon built the Temple. So the Israelites were required to go where God had put His name to celebrate the three annual Feasts. But when the Jews crucified Christ, God's Name forever departed from Jerusalem. Christ said, “Your house is left to you desolate.” So we no longer need to go to Jerusalem to worship because God's Name is not there anymore. Christ told the woman at the well, “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father… But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-23) And He said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20)

“Happy are those who have a sanctuary, be it high or low, in the city or among the rugged mountain caves, in the lowly cabin or in the wilderness. If it is the best they can secure for the Master, He will hallow the place with His presence, and it will be holy unto the Lord of hosts.” {5T 491}

See the articles:

• How Can We Celebrate the Feasts If We Can't Go to Jerusalem?

Are the Feasts part of the ceremonial law?

Well, the question is, are we ever told in the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy that they were part of the ceremonial law? The answer I have found is, NO. I have searched exhaustively through both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy and I have not found a single place where the Feasts are included as part of the ceremonial law (with the exception of the rites and ceremonies done on Passover night – see question about Passover below). I fact, I have found instead that both the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy include the Feasts as part of the laws called Statutes and Judgments, which the Spirit of Prophecy clearly says we are still required to obey.

In addition, Paul made a habit of keeping the Feasts throughout his lifetime, even with gentile converts in gentile cities. Paul had been instructed by the Holy Spirit about the ceremonial law. If Paul thought it was good to keep the Feasts, then they must not be part of the ceremonial law; and it must not be wrong for us to follow his example and keep them as well.

See the articles:

• An In-depth Look at Colossians 2 and Galatians 4

What about the Passover?

Ellen White makes a number of statements similar to the following:

“As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages.” (“Desire of Ages,” p. 652)

It is interesting to note that Passover was the only Feast that consisted entirely of sacrifices and ceremonies. It was not commanded as a Sabbath or a Holy Convocation like the other Feasts were. Therefore Christ instituted “in it's place” the Lord's Supper.

Imagine that you have two objects before you on the table. If you take away “Object A” and place “Object B” in it's place, where will “Object B” then be located?

In the spot once occupied by “Object A”.

“On the fourteenth day of the first Jewish month, the very day and month on which, for fifteen long centuries, the passover lamb had been slain, Christ, having eaten the passover with his disciples, instituted that feast (the Lord's Supper) which was to commemorate his own death as, "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."... p. 399, Para. 2, [GC88].(brackets inserted)

So, on the night of Abib 14 - the night on which the Jews had celebrated Passover for many centuries – Christ sat down with His disciples for a meal. He was about to replace the Passover Supper with the Lord's Supper. His disciples were no longer required to kill a lamb on that night and sprinkle the blood on their door posts. Instead, they were to celebrate the Lord's supper in place of the Passover. We still have a Feast on the night of Abib 14. We just don't sacrifice a lamb anymore.

Ellen White tells us in “Acts of the Apostles” that during his travels Paul stopped at Phillipi to keep the Passover with his converts there (p. 390). This was after the cross. Obviously Paul was not sacrificing a passover lamb and sprinkling it's blood on the door posts anymore! We can conclude that he was keeping the Lord's Supper on that night, just as Christ had instituted.

From church history it seems that it was a custom for Christians to keep the Lord's Supper on Passover night for many centuries afterward, until Constantine, together with the church at Rome, made a law commanding all Christians to observe it on Easter Sunday instead. See “Great Empires of Prophecy,” page 383, by A.T. Jones for more details.

(Note: The Lord's Supper is not restricted to only being celebrated on Passover though. It is to be celebrated often - 1 Cor. 11:26.)

See the articles:

• An In-depth Look at Colossians 2 and Galatians 4

Weren't there lots of sacrifices done on the Feast Days?

Actually, when the Feast Days and the Sabbath were first commanded at Mt. Sinai, there were not any sacrifices or ceremonies attached to them. In fact, most of the ceremonial law was not given until nine months later. “...After the completion of the tabernacle He [God] communicated with Moses from the cloud of glory above the mercy seat, and gave him full directions concerning the system of offerings and the forms of worship to be maintained in the sanctuary. The ceremonial law was thus given to Moses...” {PP 364.3, brackets inserted; see also Lev. 1:1,2}. In the ceremonial law God instructed that certain sacrifices and ceremonies be done on the Feast Days and the Seventh-day Sabbath by the priests in the temple. But when Christ died these sacrifices and ceremonies met their anti-type. Therefore there is no reason to think that we still need to do sacrifices or ceremonies on the Seventh-day Sabbath or any of God's other Feast Days. We can be certain that Paul never did any sacrifices or ceremonies when he kept the Feasts with his gentile converts (see “Acts of the Apostles,” p. 390).

See the articles:

• How Can We Celebrate the Feasts If We Can't Go to Jerusalem?

What is it that would be an “insult to Jehovah” to continue?

It is the “rites and ceremonies” which would be an “insult to Jehovah” for us to continue performing. These rites and ceremonies pointed forward to the coming Messiah, and met their antitype when He came to die as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. We should not do these things anymore. Let's look at the example of Paul. Paul knew very well what was part of the ceremonial law:

“Paul had dedicated himself and all his powers to the service of God. He had received the truths of the gospel direct from heaven, and throughout his ministry he maintained a vital connection with heavenly agencies. He had been taught by God regarding the binding of unnecessary burdens upon the Gentile Christians; thus when the Judaizing believers introduced into the Antioch church the question of circumcision, Paul knew the mind of the Spirit of God concerning such teaching and took a firm and unyielding position which brought to the churches freedom from Jewish rites and ceremonies.” (AA, p. 200)

Paul took a firm and unyielding position in regard to the ceremonial law which brought to the churches freedom from Jewish rites and ceremonies. But all through his lifetime we see instances of him keeping the Feast Days, both with his countrymen at Jerusalem and also with his gentile converts in Asia Minor. Therefore the Feast Days must not be part of the Jewish rites and ceremonies. And the logical conclusion would be that we should be safe in following Paul's example of observing the Feast Days (Phil. 4:9).

See the articles:

• An In-depth Look at Colossians 2 and Galatians 4

   

What do you think about Colossians 2, Galatians 4, and Acts 15?

We have two articles on these verses and others. Please see “An in-depth Look at Colossians 2 and Galatians 4,” “Colossians 2 and Other Objections”, and “What About Acts 15?”.

How can we keep the Feasts if we don't have a Temple?

We have a lengthy article explaining this and many other questions. The answers may surprise you! This article is titled “How Can We Celebrate the Feasts If We Can't Go to Jerusalem?”

Why do false doctrines get attached to every true reform?

The simple answer is that Satan wants to mix his errors in with whatever new truth God is sending to His people. Nearly every true reform has had fanatical people causing confusion in it's ranks. We see examples of this in the evangelism work of Paul's day, the Protestant Reformation, the Advent Movement, the diet reform, dress reform, etc. These are all true reforms, but Satan tries to push people to extremes and bring in flase doctrines among them. And the Feast Days are no exception. But the fact that Satan is trying to mix his false doctrines with the truths of Heaven does not make the truths from Heaven any less precious. We just have to learn how to recognize the error that Satan is trying to bring in amongst us and reject them.

Are the Feasts salvational?

The only way to be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ. Keeping the Feasts will not help you earn your way to Heaven. There is nothing you can do to earn your way to Heaven. All you can do is let Jesus come into your life and do His work in you. So the only way to be saved is by faith in Jesus Christ. But we must not conclude that we can relax in idleness because we are saved by faith. When you read the famous “Faith Chapter” - Hebrews 11, all the people who had faith did something – they obeyed God. So obedience is necessary. When someone asks the question, “Do I have to do it?” it usually means, “Can I get by with not obeying it and still get to Heaven?” Someone who truly loves God with all their heart and soul and mind will not ask, “What can I get by with?” but, “What can I do that will be the most pleasing to God?” It's the attitude that matters.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

If you know the Feasts are a good thing and you refuse to do it, then something is wrong.

How do you celebrate the Feasts?

God commanded the people to have a Holy Convocation on the Feast Days, so that is one thing we do – we have a special gathering to listen to preaching about God's word, to study the Bible together, and to fellowship with one another. Some of the Feast Days were also to be kept as Sabbaths, which meant that they were to do no work. So we follow God's directions and keep those days as Sabbaths. For those who are familiar with how a camp meeting is conducted, that is what we do – we have a small camp meeting. Ellen White many times equates our camp meetings with the Feasts in the Bible. So we celebrate the Feasts according to the description she gives for how the Feasts were celebrated and how our camp meetings are to be conducted. Please see the articles, “What Did Ellen White Say About the Feast Days?”, “How Should We Celebrate the Lord's Feasts?”

Please note: We do not do any ceremonies, or sacrifices, or anything of that sort on the Feast Days. Those things were part of the ceremonial law, which passed away at the death of Christ. We keep the Feasts like Paul did - we can be certain that he was not making any sacrifices or doing ceremonies when he celebrated the Feasts with his gentile converts.

Do you receive a blessing from celebrating the Feasts?

Yes, very much! We have found it to be such a blessing to keep God's festivals of rejoicing in the way that Ellen White describes them! It has helped us draw so much closer to God, to each other, and to our brothers and sisters in the Church whom we can fellowship with.

See the article “How I Saw the Beauty of the Lord's Feasts”

You may also watch an interesting documentary video we made about the Feast of Tabernacles.

General Questions:

Do you believe in becoming Jewish?

No, not in the sense of becoming like the literal Jews, who live over in Israel. The Bible does talk about spiritual Jews though. In a spiritual sense we become the children of Abraham if we have faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah (Gal. 3:7). So we do believe in being Spiritual Israelites. Every Christians who truly lives by faith is part of Spiritual Israel. But as far as the literal nation of Israel is concerned, we do not believe in going to Jerusalem, doing extra-biblical Jewish customs, or anything of that nature. We only believe in doing what is in the Bible. The literal nation of Israel is no longer God's chosen people because they have rejected the Messiah (Matt. 23:33-39; 1 SG, p. 107; Dan. 9:26). But many individuals among the Jews will be saved when they accept the Messiah and the truths of the Bible.

Should we do Jewish customs and traditions?

There is no reason to do any Jewish customs that do not come from the Bible. If customs and traditions do not originate in the Bible they are unnecessary. But we do need to obey whatever God has instructed us to do in the Bible. So that is our rule of faith and doctrine – the Bible. We are to become part of Spiritual Israel. We do this by having faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. It is by faith that we are the children of Abraham (Gal. 3:7).

Do you believe in being part of the Messianic Movement?

There are groups of people who go by the name of Messianic Christians who are teaching false doctrines. We have seen many people being led into fanaticism by these false teachings. There is always some truth mixed up with most errors, and the same is true in this case. There are things they believe that are true. It is true that Christians should be keeping the Sabbath, the Feasts, and the Statutes and Judgments. But we do not need to go to the literal city of Jerusalem; the millennium will not be here on earth; and the Jewish nation as a whole is no longer God's chosen people. We must beware of these false doctrines. If you have questions about why we believe things differently than the Messianic Movement, please contact us and we will be happy to explain further.

Last Updated ( Monday, 19 July 2010 14:33 )