Here is a short summary of 10 of the reasons I believe that the feasts should be kept.
- 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.
- Because the conditions of God’s Covenant include both the Ten Commandments, and the Statutes and Judgments (read Ex 19-24, PP chapter 27). 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} 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!
- Because Jesus, who is our example celebrated them.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Because faithful Christians have kept them, even down to our day, despite persecution.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 me These are sacred days to spend with God and have Him write His law in our hearts.
“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)