Shall We Keep the Feast Days? #1

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9966" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04600640dkesoe.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Medical Missionary Press</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#006633" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FF3300" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0033" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><B> |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Medical Missionary Press"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CC9966" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Articles"><IMG SRC="0410d0d0.png" border=0 width="13" height="13" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="7">      <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="7">      <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="13" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Shall We Keep the Feast Days? #1</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Feast Days</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>“Should we keep the feast days?”</B></div> <bR> <div> This is a question arising in the minds of some Seventh-day Adventists today. Some statements are found in the writings of God's messenger which help us to clearly answer this question, and know what God's will for us is presently. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Keeping the Passover</B></div> <div> Some very significant statements are found in the Spirit of Prophecy regarding the Passover. Before looking at these we pause to recall that Jesus instituted a memorial to take the place of the Passover. This, of course, was the ordinance of the Lord's Supper.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>ST March 25, 1880</B></I></div> <div>      “The Passover pointed backward to the deliverance of the children of Israel, and was also typical, pointing forward to Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for the redemption of fallen man. The blood sprinkled upon the door-posts prefigured the atoning blood of Christ, and also the continual dependence of sinful man upon the merits of that blood for safety from the power of Satan, and for final redemption. Christ ate the passover supper with his disciples just before his crucifixion, and the same night, instituted the ordinance of the Lord's supper, to be observed in commemoration of his death. Up to this time the passover had been observed to commemorate the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. But <I>in its place he now left an ordinance to commemorate the events of his crucifixion.</I>”</div> <bR> <div> The Passover continued to be kept by the Jewish nation who had rejected Christ as the fulfillment of the service. These unbelieving Jews did not keep the communion ordinance that Christ instituted in the place of the Passover. They continued keeping the Passover and looking for the coming Messiah to which it pointed, but did not keep the Lord's Supper which commemorated a Saviour Who had already come. Their keeping of the Passover was thus a denial of accepting Christ as the Messiah. The fact that many of the people recognized this when they accepted Christ as the Messiah is shown in the following passage.</div> <bR> <div> 12MR 418 </div> <div>      “Many who at that time united in the services of the Passover never again took part in them. Light was to shine into their hearts. The disciples were to communicate to them the knowledge that the great Teacher had come.”</div> <bR> <div> Also we read that the followers of Christ had no more need of the Passover after Christ instituted the Lord's Supper.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>LHU 31 </B></I></div> <div>      “While the institution of the Passover was pointing backward to the miraculous deliverance of the Hebrews, it likewise pointed forward, showing the death of the Son of God before it transpired. In the last Passover our Lord observed with His disciples, He instituted the Lord's Supper in place of the Passover, to be observed in memory of His death. <I>No longer had they need of the Passover</I>, for He, the great antitypical Lamb, was ready to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Type met antitype in the death of Christ (<I>Youth's Instructor</I>, May 1873).”</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>PP 539 </B></I></div> <div>      “On the fourteenth day of the month, at even, the Passover was celebrated, its solemn, impressive ceremonies commemorating the deliverance from bondage in Egypt, and pointing forward to the sacrifice that should deliver from the bondage of sin. <I>When the Saviour yielded up His life on Calvary, the significance of the Passover ceased, and the ordinance of the Lord's Supper was instituted as a memorial of the same event of which the Passover had been a type</I>.”</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>3SP 83-84</B></I></div> <div>      “The interviews between Jesus and his disciples were usually seasons of calm joy, highly prized by all of them. The passover suppers had been scenes of special interest; but upon this occasion Jesus was troubled in spirit, and his disciples sympathized with his grief although they knew not its cause. <I>This was virtually the last passover that was ever to be celebrated; for type was to meet antitype in the slaying of the Lamb of God for the sins of the world.</I> Christ was soon to receive his full baptism of suffering; but the few quiet hours between him and Gethsemane were to be spent for the benefit of his disciples.”</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>DA 652 </B></I></div> <div>      “Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. He, the spotless Lamb of God, was about to present Himself as a sin offering, that He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. 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. <I>The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever.</I> The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages.”</div> <bR> <div> We are also told that the ordinance of the Lord's Supper is to be observed more often than once a year, as the Passover had been observed. </div> <bR> <div> <I><B>FLB 302 </B></I></div> <div>      “The salvation of men depends upon a continual application to their hearts of the cleansing blood of Christ. Therefore, the Lord's Supper was not to be observed only occasionally or yearly, but more frequently than the annual Passover. This solemn ordinance commemorates a far greater event than the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. That deliverance was typical of the great atonement which Christ made by the sacrifice of His own life for the final deliverance of His people.”</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Ev 273-274</B></I></div> <div>      The symbols of the Lord's house are simple and plainly understood, and the truths represented by them are of the deepest significance to us. In instituting the sacramental service to take the place of the Passover, Christ left for His church a memorial of His great sacrifice for man. "This do," He said, "in remembrance of Me." <I>This was the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. The one was to close forever; the other, which He had just established, was to take its place</I>, and to continue through all time as the memorial of His death.--<I>Review and Herald</I>, June 22, 1897.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>DA 775</B></I></div> <div>      “Many minds were busy with thoughts started by the scenes of Calvary. From the crucifixion to the resurrection many sleepless eyes were constantly searching the prophecies, some to learn the full meaning of the feast they were then celebrating, some to find evidence that Jesus was not what He claimed to be; and others with sorrowful hearts were searching for proofs that He was the true Messiah. Though searching with different objects in view, all were convicted of the same truth,--that prophecy had been fulfilled in the events of the past few days, and that the Crucified One was the world's Redeemer. <I>Many who at that time united in the service never again took part in the paschal rites.</I> Many even of the priests were convicted of the true character of Jesus. Their searching of the prophecies had not been in vain, and after His resurrection they acknowledged Him as the Son of God.”</div> <bR> <div> The preceding statement shows that as a result of studying the scriptures, there were many who never kept the Passover again. If the Passover were to be kept, then we must conclude that they made a great mistake as a result of their study of the Scriptures. It is much more reasonable to conclude that they saw that Christ had fulfilled the Passover, and that they became believers and kept the ordinance which Jesus had instituted in place of the Passover. The disciples apparently taught them that Jesus had fulfilled the types of the Passover, as shown in the following passage.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>YI April 25, 1901</B></I></div> <div>      Many who at this time united in the services of the Passover, never took part in them again. Light was to shine into their hearts. The disciples were to communicate to them the knowledge that the Messiah had come.</div> <bR> <div> This is fully in harmony with the following statement, so simple it is plain enough for a child to understand.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>SJ 95 </B></I></div> <div>      “This was the last time that Christ was to keep the feast with His disciples. <I>It was really the last Passover that was ever to be kept</I><U>.</U> For the lamb was slain to teach the people about Christ's death; and when Christ, the Lamb of God, should be slain for the sins of the world, there would be no need of slaying a lamb to represent His death.”</div> <bR> <div> Again, how could words be more plain than those found in the following passage?</div> <bR> <div> <B>RH 6-22-97 </B></div> <div>      “The symbols of the Lord's house are <I>simple and plainly understood</I>, and the truths represented by them are of the deepest significance to us. In instituting the sacramental service to take the place of the Passover, Christ left for his church a memorial of his great sacrifice for man. `This do,' he said, `in remembrance of me.' <I>This was the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. The one was to close forever; the other, which he had just established, was to take its place, and to continue through all time as the memorial of his death.”</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Paul's visit to Jerusalem at the Passover</B></div> <div> Sometimes the scripture passage found in Acts 18:21 is used to sustain the idea that the Passover, or other feast days, were to be kept after Christ's ascension to heaven. But the following passage shows that Paul simply makes reference to the Passover as the time when Jews were gathered at Jerusalem, and he wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to mingle with them and preach Christ to them.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>AA 389 </B></I></div> <div>      “Paul greatly desired to reach Jerusalem before the Passover as he would thus have an opportunity to meet those who should come from all parts of the world to attend the feast. Ever he cherished the hope that in some way he might be instrumental in removing the prejudice of his unbelieving countrymen, so that they might be led to accept the precious light of the gospel. He also desired to meet the church at Jerusalem and bear to them the gifts sent by the Gentile churches to the poor brethren in Judea. And by this visit he hoped to bring about a firmer union between the Jewish and the Gentile converts to the faith.”</div> <bR> <div> SLP 196 </div> <div>      “Upon receiving warning of the plot, Paul decided to change his course, and go round by Macedonia, accompanied by a sufficient number of brethren to protect him. His plan to reach Jerusalem by the passover had to be given up, but he hoped to be there at Pentecost. An overruling Providence permitted the apostle to be delayed on this occasion; for had he been present at the passover, he would have been accused of instigating a riot and massacre which was caused by the pretensions of an Egyptian impostor claiming to be the Messiah.”</div> <bR> <div> The following passage indicates that Paul spent the Passover period with the believers at Philippi. </div> <div> <B>AA 390 </B></div> <div>      “At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. Only Luke remained with him, the other members of the company passing on to Troas to await him there. The Philippians were the most loving and truehearted of the apostle's converts, and during the eight days of the feast he enjoyed peaceful and happy communion with them.”</div> <bR> <div> While we do see from this passage that Paul spent the Passover with the brethren at Philippi, we don't find any clear statement telling us that the Passover was to continue to be kept, or had continuing significance for God's people. Keep in mind that under the Levitical law all the males were to go to the temple to keep the Passover. (Deut. 16:16) While it is not fully clear exactly what took place with Paul and the believers in regard to keeping the Passover, we do know that this was during Paul's final journey to Jerusalem where he engaged in certain temple rites that were not according to God's plan for him (AA 405). While we do not intend to reflect on Paul's character, we need to remember that while the Scriptures give an account of what took place we cannot allow that account to override the numerous clear statements regarding the position we are to take upon the question of keeping the Passover. We cannot allow a vague or unclear passage to take the precedence over very clear and explicit statements of instruction. Rather we must seek an understanding that harmonizes the obscure passage with the majority of clear ones.</div> <div> We also know that there were many of the Jewish believers who still clung to the forms and ceremonies of the Levitical system, somehow not recognizing that the death of Christ had brought the observance of these to an end. Even some of the leading brethren and apostles at Jerusalem still had an “anxiety to preserve a few meaningless forms and ceremonies (AA 400)” which they should have recognized had ceased to have significance.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Another Issue</B></div> <div> Another issue to be considered when studying the issue of keeping feast days such as the Passover is this: Where do we find instruction as to how they are to be kept? Quite obviously we would look especially in God's Word to find His instruction regarding in question of observances He has commanded, but we find that the instruction there specifies that there are sacrifices involved in the Passover; we find that all the males are to go to Jerusalem; we find that it is to be kept by those who have been circumcised and are part of Israel according to descent from Abraham, or by following the directions given in the Levitical code whereby a “stranger” could become a part of the congregation. Furthermore, we find that the Passover especially pertained to the descendents of the “fathers” who had been delivered from Egypt and passed through the Red Sea. The Scriptures are explicit that a major reason for the Passover ritual was to provide a compelling opportunity for the fathers and mothers to relate to their children the account of how their ancestors had been delivered from slavery in Egypt, and established as God's chosen nation. We also find that the Feast of Tabernacles was to be kept (as were many of the statutes and observances) when they were living in the land of promise (see Deut. 16:16; Lev. 23:10). When the children of Israel were in captivity, and subject to the restrictions and jurisdiction of other nations they weren't able to keep the feasts which the Lord had given in the Levitical system. When they were established in their own land, and operating under the form of national government in which they had full jurisdiction over themselves, then they were able to carry out the instructions regarding these feasts and statutes. At the time of Christ's first advent, though they were in subjection to Rome they were still able to carry out most of their rituals and services in their own land. But at times they were carried away into captivity and it was not possible.</div> <bR> <div> Today we find that those who are trying to convince us to keep the Passover and other feasts of the ancient system have decided for themselves which things to leave out, and which things to include, adapting forms and usages according to their own deciding. There is no such instruction as to how to keep these feasts on this side of the cross, as we find for the keeping of the ordinances committed to the Christian church, such as the Lord's Supper and baptism. On the contrary, our research presented here shows that there is a significant amount of instruction telling us that the observance of these things was to cease at the cross.</div> <bR> <div> Fortunately God did not leave us with some vague inferences as to how to regard the Passover and other ritual feasts of the Levitical system. We have already noted the clear statements of Inspiration regarding the fact that the observance of the ordinance of the Passover has been replaced by the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. A divinely appointed and inspired historian and prophet recorded the establishment of the Passover and its significance for the ancient people of God. In our time a divinely appointed and inspired historian and prophet has clearly delineated the Lord's instruction in regard to the observance of the ordinance and its application to God's chosen people today. And we have clear instruction about how to keep the ordinance, whether it should be observed more than once a year, and many other details. How thankful we can be for God's clear instruction.</div> <bR> <div> In all the time that I am aware of people promoting the keeping of the feast days, it remains for anyone once to find documentation, or even an inference, that God's inspired messenger ever showed a belief in the concept of keeping the feats days by observing any of them. But quite to the contrary we find her reiterating that they are not to be kept because they have passed away with the death of Jesus. Notice the force with which this is stated. Not only did this festival of the Passover pass away forever, but to continue keeping it was considered an insult by Jehovah, as shown in the next passage:</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>5BC 1139-1140</B></I></div> <div>      “This ordinance [footwashing] does not speak so largely to man's intellectual capacity as to his heart. His moral and spiritual nature needs it. If His disciples had not needed this, it would not have been left for them as Christ's last established ordinance in connection with, and including, the last supper. <I>It was Christ's desire to leave to His disciples an ordinance that would do for them the very thing they needed--that would serve to disentangle them from the rites and ceremonies which they had hitherto engaged in as essential, and which the reception of the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue these rites would be an insult to Jehovah.</I> Eating of the body, and drinking of the blood, of Christ, not merely at the sacramental service, but daily partaking of the bread of life to satisfy the soul's hunger, would be in receiving His Word and doing His will (RH June 14, 1898).”</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>“A Feast of Tabernacles”</B></div> <div> Out of 62 occurrences in the published writings of Ellen White, two refer to “every” Feast of Tabernacles (DA 589; 3SP 21), three speak of “a Feast of Tabernacles” (PP 540-541; RH 11-17-1885; 18MR 270), while the remainder refer to the ancient practice of the Jewish nation of the observance given to them by God by the term <I>the</I> feast of tabernacles. We have a similar situation in Scripture when we read about the Sabbath. For instance we read that “the seventh-day is <I>the</I> Sabbath of the Lord.” Thus when we talk about <I>the</I> Sabbath, it is clear that we are speaking of the one previously described in a singular sense. We are making clear reference to a specific, previously designated day of the Sabbath. But if we spoke of <I>a</I> sabbath day we would be making general reference to an undesignated, non-specific day. It could be any day, as was the occasion of many of the feast days. Similarly, to speak of <I>a Feast of Tabernacles</I> is to make reference to an undesignated occasion that could occur at any time rather than at a previously specified time. It is thus apparent that God's servant is making a distinction between <I><B><U>the</U></B></I> Feast of Tabernacles, and <I><B><U>a</U></B></I> Feast of Tabernacles. Reference to the Feast of Tabernacles would equate with the previously specified and designated feast which God gave, as described in Lev. 23 and other places. Reference to a Feast of Tabernacles is then a recommendation to have some type of annual gatherings of a similar nature. This can be seen more clearly as we look carefully at the two passages where this phrase occurs.</div> <div> We also note that the statements begin with the phrase “well would it be . . .”, thus indicating that this is the nature of a recommendation, rather than a clearly delineated command of God. It certainly can not be made into the nature of a testing truth or test question. We find similar terminology in other statements, such as DA 83 where it says that it would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. But it would be wrong for us to make this a testing truth, and tell those who failed to meet the requirement of an hour that they couldn't be approved by God. We cannot even define exactly how the “thoughtful hour” is going to be spent in every case. It could be spent in reading, prayer, meditation, contemplation, or any combination of these things. It might even be divided into portions during the day. It should become apparent that they more we try to make a test question out of such statements, the more we will find ourselves trying to prescribe for others.</div> <bR> <div> But let us examine more carefully the thought that we are to gain from the two statements regarding <I><B>a</B></I> Feast of Tabernacles.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>PP 540-541</B></I></div> <div>      “At these yearly assemblies the hearts of old and young would be encouraged in the service of God, while the association of the people from the different quarters of the land would strengthen the ties that bound them to God and to one another. <I>Well would it be for the people of God at the present time to have a Feast of Tabernacles-a joyous commemoration of the blessings of God to them. </I>As the children of Israel celebrated the deliverance that God had wrought for their fathers, and His miraculous preservation of them during their journeyings from Egypt, so should we gratefully call to mind the various ways He has devised for bringing us out from the world, and from the darkness of error, into the precious light of His grace and truth.”</div> <bR> <bR> <div> What is meant by “a feast of tabernacles” is seen even more clearly in the following passage:</div> <bR> <div> <B>18MR 270 </B></div> <div>      “Will you listen to the voice of Christ? Will you break away from self and respond, "We come, Lord, we come. With joy shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation"? Then shall your life henceforth be <I>a continual Feast of Tabernacles, a continual thank offering for unnumbered and unmerited blessings.”</I></div> <bR> <div> We see in this instance that the term “a Feast of Tabernacles” is not referring to continuing to keep the specification described as The Feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus, but rather to an outlook of thankfulness similar to that represented in the ancient Feast of Tabernacles. </div> <bR> <div> Similarly we can see in the statement from PP that we should have times where we gather in meetings in country settings, where we call to rememberance the way that God has graciously dealt with us, and cherish an attitude of thankfulness. Notice how the context shows this thought in ther statement as published originally in the Review & Herald.</div> <bR> <div> <B>RH 11-17-85 </B></div> <div>      In separating ourselves from the world as God's commandment-keeping people, we have experienced the power and opposition of the enemy. As we have made advance moves at the command, "Go forward," we have had occasion to rejoice that angels of God have gone before us, and prepared the way. We have, as it were, crossed the Red Sea, and have again and again realized the hand of God in our deliverance. It becomes us to call to mind these evidences of divine favor, and to offer up thanksgiving and praise that the Captain of our salvation, concealed by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, has been, and still is, leading us into all truth. </div> <div>      <I>Well would it be for us to have a feast of tabernacles, a joyous commemoration of the blessings of God to us as a people.</I> As the children of Israel celebrated the deliverance that God wrought for their fathers, and his miraculous preservation of them during their journeyings from Egypt to the promised land, so should the people of God at the present time gratefully call to mind the various ways he has devised to bring them out from the world, out from the darkness of error, into the precious light of truth. We should often bring to remembrance the dependence upon God of those who first led out in this work. We should gratefully regard the old way-marks, and refresh our souls with memories of the loving-kindness of our gracious Benefactor.</div> <bR> <div> The purpose, setting, and value of such meetings was described 3 years earlier in a statement found in Signs of the Times.</div> <bR> <div> ST 2-2-82 </div> <div>       When Israel marched out of Egypt, they made their first encampment under the shelter of green boughs at Succoth. And for more than fifteen hundred years the Hebrew nation by the command of God left their houses, and dwelt one whole week in tabernacles of green boughs, to commemorate the encampment of their fathers under the palm branches of Succoth. These seasons of sacred recreation were fraught with both physical and spiritual blessings to Israel. <I>God's people still need seasons of quiet and reflection-seasons in which the soul may undisturbed commune with its Maker. The great work which has been committed to our hands cannot be best carried forward in excitement and confusion. That calm deliberation so essential to sound judgment can often be best secured in some quiet retreat where the thoughtful mind and pure heart can be prompted by the still, small voice. These forest and mountain homes have great blessings for those who are wearied physically or mentally.</I> Wisely has an American poet counseled:-- </div> <bR> <div>           "If thou art worn and hard beset </div> <div>            With trials that thou wouldst forget. </div> <div>            Go to the fields and hills; no tears </div> <div>            Dim the sweet look that Nature wears." </div> <div>                                         Mrs. E. G. White.</div> <bR> <div> The value of such yearly convocations is also discussed in a section of Testimonies, vol. 2, beginning on page 573. (See also RH 8-2-70, article on Camp-Meetings).</div> <bR> <div> <B>The Antitypical Day of Atonement</B></div> <div> It should not require much study to observe that in the ancient system the feast days were spread out through the year. The Passover was always on the 14<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> day of the first month, the feast of Pentacost was always fifty days after the Passover, the day of Atonement was always the 10th day of the seventh month, and the Feast of Tabernacles was always the 15th day of the seventh month. Never was there an occasion when a person was keeping two of the feasts at the same time. They could not keep the Day of Atonement while they were keeping the feast of unleavened bread which followed the Passover. Neither could they keep the Feast of Tabernacles while they kept the Day of Atonement. In fact each of these feasts represented different things and would have had conflicting representations to have mingled them together. The Feast of Tabernacles was kept after the harvest was completed, and the solemn ceremonies of the Day of Atonement were past, when all the sins of the people had been blotted out. To have kept the Feast of tabernacles before the harvest was finished, and before the judgment was over, would have been to reverse God's order of events and their significance. It would have been similar to God's resting on Sunday before the work was completed, rather than on Sabbath after it was done.</div> <div> Likwewise, to attempt to keep the typical Feast of Tabernacles not only overlooks the fact that the ritual feast days and their ceremonies were terminated by the death of Christ, but it also would have us attempting to keep the Feast of Tabernacles in some form before the Day of Atonement is completed. The Feast of Tabernacles which we are to look forward to is the glad day when the judgment is over, the harvest is complete, and sin has been brought to an end. It will be similar to the descriptions in Inspiration of the great jubilee when all the righteous are free from the pains and hardships that have resulted from the world of sin.</div> <div> Instead of focusing on trying to revive the typical feast days, let us focus on the great antitypical day of atonement. The truths brought to view here are so great that when they are fully received by God's people the power of Satan will be broken.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>GC 488 </B></I></div> <div>      “Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds, that they may not dwell upon the very work with which we ought to be best acquainted. The archdeceiver hates the great truths that bring to view an atoning sacrifice and an all-powerful mediator. He knows that with him everything depends on his diverting minds from Jesus and His truth.</div> <div>      “Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour's mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful study of the word of truth. The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill. Every individual has a soul to save or to lose. Each has a case pending at the bar of God. Each must meet the great Judge face to face. How important, then, that every mind contemplate often the solemn scene when the judgment shall sit and the books shall be opened, when, with Daniel, every individual must stand in his lot, at the end of the days.”</div> <bR> <div> Satan is using every means possible to keep people from focusing on these truths of the great antitypical final atonement. Perhaps one useful method he has employed is to focus attention backward onto the ancient feast days and try to get us to keep them again.</div> <bR> <div> <B>CONCLUSION</B></div> <div> In conclusion we note again that God has clearly stated the purpose and meaning of such feasts and rituals as were observed in the Passover and Feast of Tabernacles. We see that when Jesus died on the cross God brought these feasts to an end. But we also see that He instituted the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and has instructed us to have yearly convocations where we do similarly to ancient Israel in that we recall the Lord's leading in our past, and give thankful praise and offering to Him. We saw that this is best done in the quiet and peaceful surroundings of the country.</div> <bR> <div> Also we observe that the whole ritual system was a unit, a package as it were, involving sacrifices and feast days. The religious year was made up of various services and feasts at different intervals. These types and shadows ceased when type met antitype. It was not a matter of each typical feast continuing on individually until its counterpart was introduced. Rather the whole system came to its climax when a new system of fulfillments began with Christ as the sacrifice “once-for-all.” Thus, what had been covered in repeated cycles each year in the ancient system, now was being worked out through a period of 2000 years. The sacrifice and holy place ministry with its Passover and Pentecost festivals took place during the first 1800 years. The antitypical Day of Atonement began October 22, 1844. Those to whom the antitypical Day of Atonement came were not keeping the ancient Day of Atonement; it had ceased with the death of Christ. And since two feasts are never to be kept at the same time, it is apparent that the antitypical Feast of Tabernacles takes place following the close of the antitypical Day of Atonement. As we have seen, we can have “<I><B>a</B></I> Feast of Tabernacles” spirit and meetings at times of our choosing on a yearly basis, and indeed we can make our whole life “a Feast of Tabernacles” by cherishing a spirit of praise and thanksgiving.</div> <bR> <div> We have also noted that we are in the antitypical Day of Atonement, and our attention should be drawn to the important work of Christ for us in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, and the preparation which we need to stand in the day of judgment. We need to avoid all manufactured tests such as keeping feast days, and other theories.</div> <bR> <div> Undoubtedly it is commendable if we desire to organize some yearly convocations, but it creates confusion if we call them by the names of typical feast days, which God says are not to be observed any more. And it is especially important to avoid the misrepresentation of making it appear that God requires all believers to keep a convocation on the dates that you happen to pick. None of us should try to become a conscience for people in this matter, particularly when God has not commanded in these things. It would be idolatry to do so. We must stay with the sure word of God and we cannot go far astray.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Click here </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><B><This link's target cannot be found></B></FONT><B> for the supplemental article written to answer question and objections to the position presented here.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>