The Serious Implications of the
Antitypical
Day of Atonement—Part
4
Psa 77:13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
who is so great a God as our God?
Psa 77:14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy
strength among the people.
Psa 77:15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob
and Joseph. Selah.
“As a people,
we should be earnest students of prophecy; we
should not rest until we become intelligent in regard to the subject of the
sanctuary, which is brought out in the visions of Daniel and John.”—Evangelism, pp. 222, 223.
What you are
about to discover are the most serious realizations associated with true
Christianity. God’s ways are indeed found in the Sanctuary Service which was to
be a lesson book for the redemption of His people. The lesson book has been
denigrated to the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans, only believe and rely on grace
and faith. It is safe to rely on grace and faith if the two P’s of grace are
appropriated in the life of the believer. The following grave implications are
involved. This document is but an overview of the following topics which I will
develop in-depth in a following series.
·
The Sanctuary Service
·
Implications of the Antitypical Day of Atonement since 1844,
versus the Feast Day Celebrations.
·
How sins have gone in beforehand to Judgment prior to 1844. 1Ti 5:24 Some men's sins are open
beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.
·
The fact of the God act of regeneration of the bride and all men
of all ages.
·
The Midnight Cry of 1844 to all ten virgins, Matthew 25, for
they all slumbered and slept.
·
The Investigative Judgment as taught by the Sanctuary Service in
Scripture.
·
The marriage of Christ to His bride, His church, in the heavenly
Sanctuary, before He comes.
·
The shut-door implications of Revelation 3.
·
The two P’s of grace.
·
The Three Persons of the Godhead.
Part 4—Implications of the Antitypical Day of Atonement
Versus Feast-keeping and Ceremonies of the Feasts
I promise you that this document
contains the most powerful evidence against feast-keeping that is available
from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. I promise you that the evidence
presented herein is totally irrefutable. If anyone should ever try to convince
you of the duty to keep the feasts, ask him/her to refute each and every point
of evidence in this document. That will be impossible.
Some try to maintain that it is
new light to believe that feast keeping is an obligation after the cross. They
intimate that Ellen White was oblivious to that “new light.” Were that true,
this document will also prove beyond the particle of any doubt, that Paul and
the disciples were also oblivious to the “new light,” because they clearly
taught that the rites and ceremonies were ALL types of the work of Christ and
passed away with the cross, having been replaced by the gospel of the New
Covenant.
In determining whether or not we
are obligated to keep the ceremonial law, we must distinguish between the
ceremonial law(s) and the laws relative to sacrifice and oblation. Feast
keepers maintain that the ceremonial laws are still binding, whereas the rite
of sacrifice and oblation are no longer in force.
Num 9:3 In the fourteenth day of
this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to
all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it. There were laws regarding rites and laws
regarding ceremonies. Numbers 9:3 is about the ceremony of Passover. There was
a rite, law concerning circumcision. This study will prove that the ceremonies
(feasts, special sabbaths, etc. were also included in the law of ordinances. In
other words, it was law that the Israelites must observe the rites as well as
the ceremonies.
Notice the meaning of the world
ceremonies in Numbers 9:3:
1.
statute, ordinance,
limit, enactment, something prescribed statute
http://bible.worthwhile.com/bible.php?b=num&c=9&v=0&d=9&w=0
Our objective in this study is
to prove that ALL THE CEREMONIES of the various feasts were types of the work
of Christ, and that lawful obligation to celebrate the feasts ceased at the
cross.
“All the CEREMONIES of the feast were types of the work
of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an object lesson of
redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep in memory. The slain lamb,
the unleavened bread, the sheaf of first fruits, represented the Saviour.”—Desire
of Ages, 77.
“‘The Lord Jesus the
same night in which He was betrayed took bread: and when He had given thanks, He
brake it . . After the same manner also He took the cup. . .’ 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. 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 . . The ordinance
of the Lord’s Supper was given to commemorate the great deliverance wrought out
as the result of the death of Christ.”—Desire of Ages, 652-653.
The Bible on Ordinances
Exo 18:20 And thou shalt teach
them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must
walk, and the work that they must do.
Lev 18:3 After the doings of the
land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the
land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in
their ordinances.
Lev 18:4 Ye shall do my
judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.
Num 9:12 They shall leave none
of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
2Ki 17:34 Unto this day they do
after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their
statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD
commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;
2Ki 17:37 And the statutes, and
the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you,
ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
2Ch 33:8 Neither will I any more
remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your
fathers; so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them,
according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand
of Moses.
Neh 10:32 Also we made ordinances for us, to
charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the
house of our God;
Job 38:33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven?
canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?
Psa 119:91 They continue this
day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.
Isa 58:2 Yet they seek me daily,
and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook
not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice;
they take delight in approaching to God.
Jer 31:35 Thus saith the LORD,
which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the
stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar;
The LORD of hosts is his name:
Jer 31:36 If those ordinances depart from
before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being
a nation before me for ever.
Jer 33:25 Thus saith the LORD;
If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven
and earth;
Eze 11:20 That they may walk in
my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be
their God.
Eze 43:11 And if they be ashamed
of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion
thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the
forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws
thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form
thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.
Eze 43:18 And he said unto me,
Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the
altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and
to sprinkle blood thereon.
Eze 44:5 And the LORD said unto
me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears
all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and
mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the
sanctuary.
Mal
3:7 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have
not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of
hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
Luk 1:6 And they were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord
blameless.
1Co 11:2 Now I praise you,
brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I
delivered them to you.
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his
flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to
make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Col 2:14 Blotting out
the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us,
and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:20 Wherefore if ye
be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in
the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Heb 9:1 Then verily the first
covenant had also ordinances of divine
service, and a worldly sanctuary.
Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats
and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until
the time of reformation.
“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. 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.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 539.
“The ceremonial law was given
by Christ. Even after it was no
longer to be observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true
position and value, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its
relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law
glorious, worthy of its divine Originator.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 367.
“All the ceremonies of the feast were types of the work
of Christ. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was an object lesson of
redemption, which the Passover was intended to keep in memory. The slain lamb,
the unleavened bread, the sheaf of first fruits, represented the Saviour.”—Desire
of Ages, 77.
The TYPES and CEREMONIES
Ended With Christ’s Death on the Cross
The Lord’s Supper replaced FOREVER, the system of TYPES and CEREMONIES.
The ceremonies included the various FEAST DAYS and SPECIAL SABBATH FESTIVALS.
“‘The Lord Jesus the
same night in which He was betrayed took bread: and when He had given thanks,
He brake it ... After the same manner also He took the cup. . .’ 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. 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 . . The ordinance of
the Lord’s Supper was given to commemorate the great deliverance wrought out as
the result of the death of Christ.”—Desire of Ages, 652-653.
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
“When the brethren in
Judea heard that Peter had gone to the house of a Gentile and preached to those
assembled, they were surprised and offended . . Peter laid the whole matter
before them. He related his experience in regard to the vision and pleaded that
it admonished him to observe no longer the ceremonial distinction of
circumcision and uncircumcision, nor to look upon the Gentiles as unclean.”—Acts
of the Apostles, 141.
“While the apostles
united with the ministers and lay members at Antioch in an earnest effort to
win many souls to Christ, certain Jewish believers from Judea ‘of the sect of
the Pharisees’ succeeded in introducing a question that soon led to wide-spread
controversy in the church and brought consternation to the believing Gentiles. With great assurance
these Judaizing teachers asserted that in order to be saved, one must be
circumcised and must keep the entire ceremonial law.
Paul and Barnabas met
this false doctrine with promptness and opposed the introduction of the subject to the
Gentiles. On the other hand, many of the
believing Jews of Antioch favored the position of the brethren recently come
from Judea.
Note: The same thing
is occurring today. Some believing Seventh-day Adventists, favor the position
of Adventist Jews that we must still observe the ceremonies of the feast days.
End note.
“The Jewish converts
generally were not inclined to move as rapidly as the providence of God opened
the way. From
the result of the apostles’ labors among the Gentiles it was evident that the converts among the
latter people would far exceed the Jewish converts in number. The Jews feared that
if the restrictions and ceremonies of their law were not made obligatory upon the
Gentiles as a condition of church
fellowship, the national peculiarities of the Jews, which had hitherto kept
them distinct from all other people, would finally disappear from among those
who received the gospel message.
The Jews had always
prided themselves upon their divinely appointed services, and many of those who
had been converted to the faith of Christ still felt that since God had once
clearly outlined the Hebrew manner of worship, it was improbable that He would
ever authorize a change in any of its specifications. They insisted that the Jewish
laws and ceremonies should be incorporated into the rites of the Christian
religion. They were slow to discern
that all the sacrificial offerings had but prefigured the death of the Son of
God, in which type met antitype, and after which the rites and ceremonies of
the Mosaic dispensation were no longer binding.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 188-189.
Note: Some professing Seventh-day Adventists are very slow to discern
that all the RITES and CEREMONIES of the Mosaic dispensation are no longer
binding. The CEREMONIES involved all the feast days and special sabbaths.
“Before his conversion
Paul had regarded himself as blameless ‘touching the righteousness which is in
the law.’ Philippians 3:6. But since his change of heart he had gained a clear
conception of the mission of the Saviour as the Redeemer of the entire race, Gentile as well as
Jew, and had learned the difference between a living faith and a dead
formalism. In the light of the gospel the ancient rites and ceremonies committed
to Israel had gained a new and deeper significance. That which they shadowed
forth had come to pass, and those who were living
under the gospel dispensation had been freed from their observance. God’s unchangeable law of Ten Commandments, however,
Paul still kept in spirit as well as in letter.
In the church at
Antioch the consideration of the question of circumcision resulted in much
discussion and contention. Finally, the members of the church, fearing that a
division among them would be the outcome of continued discussion, decided to
send Paul and Barnabas, with some responsible men from the church, to Jerusalem
to lay the matter before the apostles and elders. There they were to meet
delegates from the different churches and those who had come to Jerusalem to
attend the approaching festivals. Meanwhile all controversy was to cease until
a final decision should be given in general council. This decision was then to
be universally accepted by the different churches throughout the country.”—Acts
of the Apostles, 190.
“At Jerusalem the
delegates from Antioch met the brethren of the various churches, who had
gathered for a general meeting, and to them they related the success that had
attended their ministry among the Gentiles. They then gave a clear outline of
the confusion that had resulted because certain converted Pharisees had gone to
Antioch declaring that, in order to be saved, the Gentile converts must be
circumcised and keep the law of Moses.
“This question was
warmly discussed in the assembly. Intimately connected with the question of
circumcision were several others demanding careful study. One was the problem
as to what attitude should be taken toward the use of meats offered to idols.
Many of the Gentile converts were living among ignorant and superstitious
people who made frequent sacrifices and offerings to idols.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 191.
“The Gentiles, and especially
the Greeks, were extremely licentious, and there was danger that some,
unconverted in heart, would make a profession of faith without renouncing their
evil practices. The Jewish Christians could not tolerate the immorality that
was not even regarded as criminal by the heathen. The Jews therefore held it as
highly proper that circumcision and the observance of the ceremonial law should
be enjoined on the Gentile converts as a test of their sincerity and devotion. This, they believed,
would prevent the addition to the church of those who, adopting the faith
without true conversion of heart, might afterward bring reproach upon the cause
by immorality and excess.
“The various points
involved in the settlement of the main question at issue seemed to present
before the council insurmountable difficulties. But the Holy Spirit had, in
reality, already settled this question, upon the decision of which seemed to
depend the prosperity, if not the very existence,
of the Christian
church.”—Acts of the Apostles, 192.
“Once before, Peter
had reasoned with his brethren concerning the conversion of Cornelius and his
friends, and his fellowship with them. As he on that occasion related how the
Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles he declared, ‘Forasmuch then as God gave them
the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what
was I, that I could withstand God?’ Acts 11:17. Now, with equal fervor and
force, he said: ‘God, which knoweth the hearts,
bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; and put
no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the
neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?’ This yoke was not the
law of Ten Commandments, as some who oppose the binding claims of the law
assert; Peter here referred to the law
of ceremonies, which was made null and void by the crucifixion of Christ.
“Peter’s address
brought the assembly to a point where they could listen with patience to Paul
and
Barnabas, who related
their experience in working for the Gentiles. ‘All the multitude kept silence,
and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God
had wrought among the Gentiles by them.’
“James also bore his
testimony with decision, declaring that it was God’s purpose to bestow upon the
Gentiles the same privileges and blessings that had been granted to the Jews. “The Holy Spirit saw good not to impose the ceremonial law on the Gentile converts,
and the mind of the apostles regarding this matter was as the mind of the
Spirit of God. James
presided at the council, and his final decision was, ‘Wherefore my sentence is,
that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.’”— Acts of the
Apostles, 193-194.
“In this instance
James seems to have been chosen as the one to announce the decision arrived at
by the council. It was his sentence that the
ceremonial law, and especially the ordinance of circumcision, should not be
urged upon the Gentiles, or even recommended to them. James sought to
impress the minds of his brethren with the fact that, in turning to God, the
Gentiles had made a great change in their lives and that much caution should be
used not to trouble them with perplexing and doubtful questions of minor importance, lest they be discouraged in
following Christ.
The Gentile converts,
however, were to give up the customs that were inconsistent with the principles
of Christianity. The apostles and elders therefore agreed to instruct the Gentiles by
letter to abstain from meats offered to idols, from fornication, from things
strangled, and from blood. They were to be urged to keep the commandments and
to lead holy lives. They were also to be assured that the men who had declared
circumcision to be binding were not authorized to do so by the apostles.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 195.
“As a result of their
deliberations they all saw that God Himself had
answered the question at issue by bestowing upon the Gentiles the Holy Ghost; and they realized that
it was their part to follow the guidance of the Spirit.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 196.
“Not all, however,
were pleased with the decision; there was a faction of ambitious and
self-confident brethren who disagreed with it. These men assumed to engage in
the work on their own responsibility. They indulged in much murmuring and
faultfinding, proposing new plans.”—Acts of the Apostles, 196.
“Jerusalem was the
metropolis of the Jews, and it was there that the greatest exclusiveness and
bigotry were found. The Jewish Christians living within sight of the temple
naturally allowed their minds to revert to the peculiar privileges of the Jews
as a nation. When they saw the Christian
church departing from the ceremonies and traditions of Judaism, and perceived
that the peculiar sacredness with which the Jewish customs had been invested
would soon be lost sight of in the light of the new faith, many grew indignant with Paul as the one who
had, in a large measure, caused this change. Even the disciples were not all
prepared to accept willingly the decision of the council. Some were zealous for the ceremonial law, and
they regarded Paul with disfavor because they thought that his principles in
regard to the obligations of the Jewish law were lax.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 197.
“The broad and
far-reaching decisions of the general council brought confidence into the ranks
of the Gentile believers, and the cause of God prospered.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 197.
“When Peter, at a
later date, visited Antioch, he won the confidence of many by his prudent
conduct toward the Gentile converts. For a time he acted in accordance with the
light given from heaven. He so far overcame his natural prejudice as to sit at
table with the Gentile converts. But when certain Jews who were zealous for the
ceremonial law, came from Jerusalem, Peter injudiciously changed his deportment
toward the converts from paganism. . The church was threatened with division. But Paul, who saw the subverting influence
of the wrong done to the church through the double part acted by Peter, openly
rebuked him for thus disguising his true sentiments.” —Acts of the Apostles,
197-198.
“Peter saw the error
into which he had fallen, and immediately set about repairing the evil that had
been wrought, so far as was in his power. God, who knows the end from the
beginning, permitted Peter to reveal this weakness of character in order that
the tried apostle might see that there was nothing in himself whereof he might
boast. Even the best of men, if left to themselves, will err in judgment. . this record of the
apostle’s weakness was to remain as a proof of his fallibility. . The history of this departure from right
principles stands as a solemn warning to men in positions of trust in the cause
of God, that they may not fail in integrity, but firmly adhere to principle.
The greater the
responsibilities placed upon the human agent, and the larger his opportunities
to dictate and control, the more harm he is sure to do if he does not carefully
follow the way of the Lord.”—Acts of the Apostles, 198-199.
“In his ministry, Paul
was often compelled to stand alone. He was specially taught of God and dared
make no concessions that would involve principle. At times the burden was
heavy, but Paul stood firm for the right. He realized that the church must
never be brought under the control of human power. The traditions and maxims of
men must not take the place of revealed truth. The advance of the gospel
message must not be hindered by the prejudices and preferences of men, whatever
might be their position in the church.
“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.”—Acts of the Apostles, 199-200.
“These false teachers were mingling Jewish traditions with the truths
of the gospel. Ignoring the decision of the general council at Jerusalem, they urged upon the Gentile converts the
observance of the ceremonial law.
“The situation was
critical. The evils that had been introduced threatened speedily to destroy the
Galatian churches.
“Paul was cut to the
heart, and his soul was stirred by this open apostasy on the part of those to whom he had faithfully taught
the principles of the gospel. He immediately wrote to the deluded believers, exposing the false theories
that they had accepted and with great severity rebuking those who were departing from the faith.”—Acts of the
Apostles, 383-384.
“From every quarter
were coming accounts of the spread of the
new doctrine by which Jews were released from the observance of the
rites of the ceremonial law and Gentiles were admitted to equal privileges
with the Jews as children of Abraham. Paul, in his preaching at Corinth, presented
the same arguments which he urged so forcibly in his epistles. His emphatic
statement, ‘There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision’
(Colossians 3:11), was regarded by his enemies as daring blasphemy, and they
determined that his voice should be silenced.”—Acts of the Apostles, 390.
“In the earlier years
of the gospel work among the Gentiles some of the leading brethren at
Jerusalem, clinging to former prejudices and habits of thought, had not
co-operated heartily with Paul and his associates. In their anxiety to preserve a few meaningless forms and ceremonies,
they had lost sight of the blessing that would come to them and to the cause
they loved, through an effort to unite in one all parts of the Lord’s work. Although desirous of
safeguarding the best interests of the Christian church, they had failed to
keep step with the advancing providences of God, and in
their human wisdom attempted to throw about workers many unnecessary
restrictions. Thus
there arose a group of men who were unacquainted personally with the changing
circumstances and peculiar needs met by laborers in distant fields, yet who
insisted that they had the authority to direct their brethren in these fields
to follow certain specified methods of labor. They felt as if the work of
preaching the gospel should be carried forward in harmony with their opinions.”—Acts
of the Apostles, 400.
“The liberal
contributions lying before them added weight to the testimony of the apostle
concerning the faithfulness of the new churches established among the Gentiles.
The men who, while numbered among those who were in charge of the work at
Jerusalem, had urged that arbitrary measures of control be adopted, saw Paul’s
ministry in a new light and were convinced that their own course had been
wrong, that they had been held in
bondage by Jewish customs and traditions, and that the work of the gospel had
been greatly hindered by their failure to recognize that the wall of partition
between Jew and Gentile had been broken down by the death of Christ.
“This was the golden
opportunity for all the leading brethren to confess frankly that God had
wrought through Paul, and that at times they had erred in permitting the
reports of his enemies to arouse their jealousy and prejudice. But instead of
uniting in an effort to do justice to the one who had been injured, they gave
him counsel which showed that they still cherished a feeling that Paul should
be held largely responsible for the existing prejudice. They did not stand
nobly in his defense, endeavoring to show the disaffected ones where they were
wrong, but sought to effect a compromise by counseling him to pursue a course
which in their opinion would remove all cause for misapprehension. . ‘Do
therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they
may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were
informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest
orderly, and keepest the law.’.
“The brethren hoped
that Paul, by following the course suggested, might give a decisive
contradiction to the false reports concerning him. They assured him that the
decision of the former council concerning the Gentile converts and the
ceremonial law, still held good. But the advice now given was not consistent
with that decision. The Spirit of God did
not prompt this instruction; it was the fruit of cowardice. The leaders of the church in Jerusalem knew that by
non-conformity to the ceremonial law, Christians would bring upon themselves
the hatred of the Jews and expose themselves to persecution. The Sanhedrin was
doing its utmost to hinder the progress of the gospel.
Men were chosen by
this body to follow up the apostles, especially Paul, and in every possible way
to oppose their work. Should the believers in Christ be condemned before the
Sanhedrin as breakers of the law, they would suffer swift and severe punishment
as apostates from the Jewish faith.
“Many of the Jews who
had accepted the gospel still cherished a regard for the ceremonial law and
were only too willing to make unwise concessions, hoping thus to gain the
confidence of their countrymen, to remove their prejudice, and to win them to
faith in Christ as the world’s Redeemer. Paul realized that so long as
many of the leading members of the church at Jerusalem should continue to
cherish prejudice against him, they would work constantly to counteract his
influence.
He felt that if by any
reasonable concession he could win them to the truth he would remove a great
obstacle to the success of the gospel in other places. But he was not
authorized of God to concede as much as they asked.”—Acts of the Apostles, 403-405.
“The apostle showed that religion does not consist in rites
and ceremonies, creeds and theories.
If it did, the natural
man could understand it by investigation, as he understands worldly things.
Paul taught that religion is a practical, saving energy, a principle wholly
from God, a personal experience of God’s renewing power upon the soul.
“He showed how Moses
had pointed Israel forward to Christ as that Prophet whom they were to hear;
how all the prophets had testified of Him as God’s great remedy for sin, the
guiltless One who was to bear the sins of the guilty. He did not find fault with their observance of forms
and ceremonies, but showed that while they maintained the ritual service
with great exactness, they were rejecting Him who was the antitype of all that
system.”— Acts of the Apostles, 451-452.
“The slaying of the Passover lamb was a shadow
of the death of Christ. Says Paul: ‘Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.’
1 Corinthians 5:7. The sheaf of first
fruits, which at the time of the Passover was waved before the Lord, was
typical of the resurrection of Christ. Paul says, in speaking
of the resurrection of the Lord and of all His people: ‘Christ the first
fruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.’ 1 Corinthians 15:23.
Like the wave sheaf, which was the first ripe grain gathered before the
harvest, Christ is the first fruits of that immortal harvest of redeemed ones
that at the future resurrection shall be gathered into the garner of God.
“These types were fulfilled, not only as to the
event, but as to the time. 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 which was
to commemorate His own
death as ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ That same night He was
taken by wicked hands to be crucified and slain. And as the antitype of the
wave sheaf our Lord was raised from the dead on the third day, ‘the first fruits of
them that slept,’ a sample of all the resurrected just, whose ‘vile body’ shall
be changed, and ‘fashioned like unto His glorious body.’ Verse 20; Philippians
3:21.”—Great Controversy, 399.
“God’s people, whom He
calls His peculiar treasure, were privileged with a two-fold system of law; the
moral and the ceremonial. The one, pointing
back to creation to keep in remembrance the living God who made the world,
whose claims are binding upon all men in every dispensation, and which will
exist through all time and eternity. The
other, given because of man’s transgression of the moral law, the obedience to
which consisted in sacrifices and offerings pointing to the future redemption.
Each is clear and distinct from the other.
“From the creation the moral law was an essential part
of God’s divine plan, and was as unchangeable as Himself. The ceremonial law was to answer a
particular purpose in Christ’s plan for the salvation of the race. The typical
system of sacrifices and offerings was established that through these services
the sinner might discern the great offering, Christ. But the Jews were so blinded by pride and sin that but
few of them could see farther than the death of beasts as an atonement for sin;
and when Christ, whom these offerings
prefigured, came, they could not
discern Him. The ceremonial law was glorious; it was
the provision made by Jesus Christ in counsel with His Father, to aid in the
salvation of the race. The whole arrangement of the typical system was founded
on Christ. Adam saw Christ prefigured in the innocent beast suffering the
penalty of his transgression of Jehovah’s law (Review May 6, 1875).”—6 Bible Commentary,
1094-1095.
“The types and shadows of the sacrificial service, with
the prophecies, gave the Israelites a veiled, indistinct view of the mercy and
grace to be brought to the world by the revelation of Christ. To Moses was
unfolded the significance of the types and shadows
pointing to Christ. He saw to
the end of that which was to be done away when, at the death of Christ, type
met antitype. He saw that
only through Christ can man keep the moral law. By transgression of this law man
brought sin into the world, and with sin came death. Christ became the
propitiation for man’s sin. He proffered His perfection of character in the
place of man’s sinfulness. He took upon Himself the curse of disobedience. The
sacrifices and offerings pointed forward to the sacrifice He was to make. The
slain lamb typified the Lamb that was to take away the sin of the world.
“It was seeing the
object of that which was to be done away, seeing Christ as revealed in the law,
that illumined the face of Moses. The ministration of the law, written and
engraved in stone, was a ministration of death. Without Christ, the
transgressor was left under its curse, with no hope of pardon. The ministration
had of itself no glory, but the promised
Saviour, revealed in the types and shadows of the ceremonial law, made the
moral law glorious.”—1 Selected Messages, 237.
The Rites and Ceremonial
Ordinances Such as Passover that Foreshadowed Christ, no Longer Possess any
Virtue
None of the RITES AND CEREMONIES of the Feasts can make the comers to
them perfect. Only the gift of the Holy Spirit soul of the life of Christ
indwelling the soul of man can do this.
“In this ordinance [of
the Lord’s Supper], Christ discharged His disciples from the cares and burdens
of the ancient Jewish obligations in
rites and ceremonies. These no longer possessed any virtue; for type
was meeting antitype in Himself, the authority and foundation of all Jewish ordinances that
pointed to Him as the great and only efficacious offering for the sins of the
world.”—5
Bible Commentary, 1139.
“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.’ 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.”—Evangelism, 273-274.
“Paul desires his
brethren to see that the great glory of a sin-pardoning Saviour gave
significance to the entire Jewish economy. He
desired them to see also that when Christ came to the world, and died as man’s
sacrifice, type met antitype.
“After Christ died on
the cross as a sin offering the ceremonial law could have no force.
Yet it was connected with the moral law, and was glorious. The whole bore the
stamp of divinity, and expressed the holiness, justice, and righteousness of
God. And
if the ministration of the dispensation to be done away was glorious, how much
more must the reality be glorious, when Christ was revealed, giving His
life-giving, sanctifying, Spirit to all who believe?”—6 Bible Commentary, 1095.
“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 passover had been observed to commemorate the deliverance of the
children of Israel from Egypt. It had been both commemorative and typical. The type had reached the antitype when
Christ, the Lamb of God without blemish, died upon the cross. He left an ordinance
to commemorate the events of His crucifixion. . Here our Saviour instituted the
Lord’s supper, to be often celebrated, to keep fresh in the memory of His
followers the solemn scenes of His betrayal and crucifixion for the sins of the
world. He would have His followers realize their continual dependence upon His
blood for salvation.”—3 Spiritual Gifts, 225,
227-228.
“There were those in
Paul’s day who were constantly dwelling upon circumcision, and they could bring
plenty of proof from the Bible to show its obligation on the Jews; but this teaching was of no consequence at this time;
for Christ had died upon Calvary’s cross, and circumcision in the flesh could
not be of any further value.
The typical service and the ceremonies connected with it
were abolished at the cross. The great antitypical Lamb of God had become an
offering for guilty man, and the shadow ceased in
the substance. Paul was seeking to bring the minds of men to the great truth for the
time; but these who claimed to be followers of Jesus were wholly absorbed in
teaching the tradition of the Jews, and the obligation of circumcision.”—6
Bible Commentary, 1061.
Christ has Swept Away Every
CEREMONY (FEAST—FESTIVAL) of the Ancient Type
“We can know far more
of Christ by following Him step by step in the work of redemption, seeking the
lost and the perishing, than by journeying to old Jerusalem. Christ has taken
His people into His church. He 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. The Lord requires of His people spiritual sacrifices
alone.”—Review, February 25, 1896.
To be Treated With Great
Respect Even After it was no Longer Observed
“The gospel of Christ
reflects glory upon the Jewish age. It sheds light upon the whole Jewish
economy, and gives significance to the ceremonial law. The tabernacle, or temple, of God on earth was a pattern of the
original in heaven. All the ceremonies of the Jewish law were prophetic,
typical of mysteries in the plan of redemption.
“The rites and ceremonies of the law were given by
Christ Himself, who, enshrouded in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of
fire by night, was the leader of the hosts of Israel; and this law should be treated
with great respect, for it is sacred. Even
after it was no longer to be observed, Paul presented it before the
Jews in its true position and value, showing its place in the plan of
redemption and its relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle
pronounces this law glorious, worthy of its divine Originator. That which was to be done away was glorious, but it was not the law instituted by God for the government of His
family in heaven and on earth; for as long as the heavens shall remain, so
long shall the law of the Lord endure.”—6 Bible Commentary, 1095.
“In the place of the national festival which the Jewish
people had observed, He instituted a
memorial service, the ordinance of feet washing and the sacramental supper, to
be observed through all time by His followers in every country. These should ever
repeat Christ’s act, that all may see that true service calls for unselfish
ministry.”—Evangelism, 275-276.
“There is no discord
between the Old Testament and the New. In the Old Testament we find the gospel
of a coming Saviour; in the New Testament we have the gospel of a Saviour
revealed as the prophecies had foretold. While the Old Testament is constantly
pointing forward to the true offering, the New Testament shows that the Saviour
prefigured by the typical offerings has come. The dim glory of the Jewish age
has been succeeded by the brighter, clearer glory of the Christian age.”—6
Bible Commentary, 1095.
“In almost every church there were some members who
were Jews by birth. To these converts the Jewish teachers found ready access,
and through them gained a foothold in the churches.
It was impossible, by
scriptural arguments, to overthrow the doctrines taught by Paul; hence they
resorted to the most unscrupulous measures to counteract his influence and
weaken his authority. They declared that he had not been a disciple of Jesus, and had received
no commission from Him; yet he had presumed to teach doctrines directly opposed
to those held by Peter, James, and the other apostles. Thus the emissaries of Judaism succeeded in alienating many of the
Christian converts from their teacher in the gospel. Having gained this point, they induced them to return
to the observance of the ceremonial law as essential to salvation. Faith in Christ, and obedience to the law of ten commandments, were
regarded as of minor importance. Division, heresy, and sensualism
were rapidly gaining ground among the believers in Galatia. “Paul’s soul was
stirred as he saw the evils that threatened speedily to destroy these churches.
He immediately wrote to the Galatians, exposing their false theories, and with great severity
rebuking those who had departed from the faith.”—6 BibleCommentary, 1108.
“But there is a law
which was abolished, which Christ ‘took out of the way, nailing it to His
cross.’ Paul calls it the law of commandments contained in ordinances.’ This 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. Paul and the other
apostles labored to show this, and resolutely withstood those Judaizing
teachers who declared that Christians should observe the ceremonial law.”—Signs of the Times,
September 4, 1884.
Note: All the Feasts and Ceremonies, to include special Sabbaths, were
part and parcel of the ceremonial law. Some feast-keepers try to make capitol
of the fact that the word ceremonial is not found in the Bible. That is a true
fact, but it is also a nit-picking fact because the Bible does refer to the
laws as pertaining to CEREMONIES, and they are merely CEREMONIAL LAWS!
Num 9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it
in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all
the ceremonies
thereof, shall ye keep it. End note.
“Paul . . . describes
the visit which he made to Jerusalem to secure a settlement of the very
questions which are now agitating the churches of Galatia, as to whether the
Gentiles should submit to circumcision and keep the ceremonial law. This was
the only instance in which he had deferred to the judgment of the other
apostles as superior to his own. He had first sought a private interview, in
which he set the matter in all its bearings before the leading apostles, Peter,
James, and John. With far-seeing wisdom, he concluded that if these men could
be led to take a right position, everything would be gained. Had he first
presented the question before the whole council, there would have been a
division of sentiment. The strong prejudice already excited because he had not
enforced circumcision on the Gentiles, would have led many to take a stand
against him. Thus the object of his visit would have been defeated, and his
usefulness greatly hindered. But the three leading apostles, against whom no
such prejudice existed, having themselves been won to the true position,
brought the matter before the council, and won from all a concurrence in the
decision to leave the Gentiles free from the obligations of the ceremonial
law.”—6 Bible Commentary, 1108.
“The Jews refused to
accept Christ as the Messiah, and they cannot see that
their ceremonies are meaningless, that the sacrifices and offerings have lost their
significance. The veil drawn by themselves in stubborn unbelief is still before
their minds. It would be removed if they would accept Christ, the righteousness
of the law.
Note: Some
Feast-keepers might try to use the above statement to say that the ceremonies
included only sacrifices and offerings. That is a deception, for this document
proves that one of the most important CEREMONIES was PASSOVER. This is an
important statement that says that ALL THEIR CEREMONIES ARE MEANINGLESS, as far
as being obligatory upon the Christian today is concerned. End note.
“Many in the Christian
world also have a veil before their eyes and heart. They do not see to the end
of that which was done away. They do not see that it was only the ceremonial law which was abrogated at the death of
Christ. They claim that the moral law was nailed to the cross. Heavy is the
veil that darkens their understanding. The hearts of many are at war with God. They are not subject to His law. Only
as they shall come into harmony with the rule of His government can Christ be
of any avail to them. They may talk of Christ as their Saviour; but He will
finally say to them, I know you not. You have not exercised genuine repentance
toward God for the transgression of His holy law, and you cannot have genuine
faith in Me, for it was My mission to exalt God’s law . . . .
The moral law was never a type or a shadow. It existed
before man’s creation, and will endure as long as God’s throne remains. God could not change
or alter one precept of His law in order to save man; for the law is the
foundation of His government. It is unchangeable, unalterable, infinite,
and eternal. In order
for man to be saved, and for the honor of the law to be maintained, it was
necessary for the Son of God to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. He who
knew no sin became sin for us. He died for us on Calvary. His death shows the
wonderful love of God for man, and the immutability of His law.”—6 Bible
Commentary, 1096-1097.
“This was an important
era for the church. Though the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile
had been broken down by the death of Christ, letting the Gentiles into the full
privileges of the gospel, the veil had not yet been torn away from the eyes of
many of the believing Jews, and they
could not clearly
discern to the end of that which was abolished by the Son of God. The work was
now to be prosecuted with vigor among the Gentiles, and was to result in
strengthening the church by a great ingathering of souls.”—Story of
Redemption, 303-304.
“The death of Jesus Christ
for the redemption of man lifts the veil and reflects a flood of light back
hundreds of years, upon the whole institution of the Jewish system of religion.
Without the death of Christ all
this system was meaningless. The Jews reject Christ, and therefore their whole
system of religion is to them indefinite, unexplainable, and uncertain. They attach as much importance to shadowy
ceremonies of types which have met their antitype as they do to the law of the
ten commandments, which was not a shadow, but a reality as enduring as the
throne of Jehovah. The death of Christ elevates the Jewish system of types and ordinances,
showing that they were of divine appointment, and for the purpose of keeping
faith alive in the hearts of His people.”—6 Bible Commentary, 1097.
“Paul . . . fully
comprehended the difference between a living faith and a dead formalism. Paul still claimed to
be one of the children of Abraham, and kept the Ten Commandments in letter and
in spirit as faithfully as he had ever done before his conversion to
Christianity. But he knew that the typical ceremonies [conducted at the Temple in
Jerusalem] must soon altogether cease, since that which they had shadowed forth
had come to pass, and the light of the gospel was shedding its glory upon the Jewish
religion, giving a new significance to its ancient rites.
“The question thus
brought under the consideration of the council seemed to present insurmountable
difficulties, viewed in whatever light. But the Holy Ghost had, in reality,
already settled this problem, upon the decision of which depended the
prosperity, and even the existence, of the Christian church. Grace, wisdom, and
sanctified judgment were given to the apostles to decide the vexed question.
“Peter reasoned that
the Holy Ghost had decided the matter by descending with equal power upon the
uncircumcised Gentiles and the circumcised Jews. He recounted his vision, in
which God had presented before him a sheet filled with all manner of
four-footed beasts, and had bidden him kill and eat; that when he had refused,
affirming that he had never eaten that which was common or unclean, God had
said, ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.’ “He said, ‘God,
which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as
He did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the
disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?’ “This yoke was
not the law of the Ten Commandments, as those who oppose the binding claim of
the law assert; but Peter referred to
the law of ceremonies, which was made null and void by the crucifixion of
Christ. This address of Peter brought the assembly to a point where they could
listen with reason to Paul and Barnabas, who related their experience in
working among the Gentiles.
James bore his
testimony with decision—that God designed to bring in the Gentiles to enjoy all
the privileges of the Jews. The Holy Ghost saw
good not to impose the ceremonial law on the Gentile converts; and the apostles
and elders, after careful investigation of the subject, saw the matter in the
same light, and their mind was as the mind of the Spirit of God. James presided at
the council, and his final decision was, ‘Wherefore my sentence is, that we
trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.’
It was his sentence
that the ceremonial law, and especially the ordinance of circumcision, be not
in any wise urged upon the Gentiles, or even recommended to them. They saw that
God Himself had decided this question by favoring the Gentiles with the Holy
Ghost, and it was left for them to
follow the guidance of
the Spirit.”—Story of Redemption, 306-309.
“The Jews were so
exacting in regard to ceremonial purity that their regulations were extremely
burdensome. Their minds were occupied with rules and restrictions and the fear
of outward defilement, and they did not
perceive the stain that selfishness and malice impart to the soul.
Jesus does not mention this ceremonial purity as one
of the conditions of entering into His kingdom, but points out the need of
purity of heart.”—Mount of Blessing, 24.
“They held, and still hold, the mere husks, the
shadows, the figures symbolizing the true. A figure for the time appointed,
that they might discern the true, became so perverted by their own inventions,
that their eyes were blinded. They did not realize that type met antitype in
the death of Jesus Christ. The greater their
perversion of figures and symbols, the more confused their minds became, so
that they could not see the perfect fulfillment of the Jewish economy,
instituted and established by Christ, and pointing to Him as the substance. Meats and drinks and
divers ordinances were multiplied until ceremonial religion constituted their
only worship. “In His teaching, Christ sought
to educate and train the Jews to see the object of that which was
to be abolished by the
true offering of Himself, the living Sacrifice.”—Fundamentals of Christian
Education, 398.
“Christ’s death and
resurrection completed His covenant. [See first half of Daniel 9:27.] Before this time, it
was revealed through types and shadows, which pointed to the great offering to
be made by the world’s Redeemer, offered in promise for the sins of the world.
Anciently believers were saved by the same Saviour as now, but it was a God
veiled. They saw God’s mercy in figures.
The promise given to
Adam and Eve in Eden was the gospel to a fallen race. The promise was made that
the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent’s head, and it should bruise
His heel. Christ’s
sacrifice is the glorious fulfillment of the whole Jewish economy. The Sun of
Righteousness
has risen. Christ our
righteousness is shining in brightness upon us.”—7 Bible Commentary, 932.
Thoughts on THE FEAST
OF TABERNACLES by Vance Ferrell
There are several interesting facts about the feast of tabernacles. It was also called the
feast of ingathering, tents, or booths. (For more information, see 2 Chron
8:13; Ezra 3:4; Zech 14:16, 18-19; Jn 7:2. Also see Ex 23:16; Lev 23:34-36,
39-43; Deut 16:13-15; 31:10-13; Neh 8:1-18.)
• It is the only one of the yearly feasts that, so far, has been totally
unfulfilled. This is because it is a type which comes after the day of
atonement, and prefigures the Second Advent. It is truly a gathering for Advent
believers.
• We are encouraged to keep something like it today. We are told that it
should be a season of rejoicing. The emphasis, presented to us, is more on
gathering together to sing and converse together, rejoice and encourage one
another than to listen to sermonizing.
• Although it can be kept today, we are not commanded to do so. In
addition, we are not told that, if kept today, it has to occupy a certain
number of days or at a certain period of time. Thus, a yearly gathering, of
some sort, with fellow believers would suffice. (The original began on the 15th
of the seventh month [Tisri], and lasted seven days; later 8 days.)
It should be noted that we are never told to keep the
typical feast of trumpets or the day of
atonement. That is because we are today
living during the antitype. We are now to be engaged in the antitypical work of
spreading the final message everywhere while putting away sin and preparing our
lives for the final atonement, when the Judgment passes to our names (see
Great Controversy, chapter28; “The Investigative Judgment”)
“In the seventh month
came the Feast
of Tabernacles, or of ingathering. This feast acknowledged God’s bounty in the products of
the orchard, the olive grove, and the vineyard. It was the crowning festal
gathering of the year. . This feast was to be pre-eminently an occasion of
rejoicing. It
occurred just after the great Day of Atonement, when the assurance had been
given that their iniquity should be remembered no more. At peace with God, they now came
before Him to acknowledge His goodness and to praise Him for His mercy. The
labors of the harvest being ended, and the toils of the new year not yet begun,
the people were free from care, and could give themselves up to the sacred,
joyous influences of the hour. Though only the fathers and sons were commanded
to appear at the feasts, yet, so far as possible, all the household were to
attend them, and to their hospitality the servants, the Levites, the stranger,
and the poor were made welcome.
Note by Ron: There are
Adventist legalists who would consider any thankfulness for a goodly harvest as
celebrating the pagan Thanksgiving. End note.
“Like the Passover,
the Feast of Tabernacles was commemorative. In memory of their pilgrim life
in the wilderness the people were now to leave their houses and dwell in
booths, or arbors, formed from the green branches ‘of goodly trees, branches of
palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook.’ Leviticus
23:40, 42, 43. “The first day was a holy convocation, and to the seven days of
the feast an eighth day was added [in Neh 8:18], which was observed in like
manner.
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.
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. 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.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 540-541.
Note by Ron: The wise suggestion of Ellen White (above) should not be
confused with any command to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles the way the
Jews did anciently. To interpret otherwise, is to make Paul, the disciples of Christ, and Ellen White contradictory. End
note.
“The Feast of
Tabernacles was the closing gathering of the year. It was God’s design that at
this time the people should reflect on His goodness and mercy. The whole land
had been under His guidance, receiving His blessing. Day and night His
watchcare had continued . .
This feast was not
only the
harvest thanksgiving, but the memorial of God’s protecting care over Israel in the wilderness.
In commemoration of their tent life, the Israelites during the feast dwelt in
booths or tabernacles of green boughs. These were erected in the
streets, in the courts of the temple, or on the housetops. The hills and valleys
surrounding Jerusalem were also dotted with these leafy dwellings, and seemed
to be alive with people.
With sacred song and
thanksgiving the worshipers celebrated this occasion. A little before the feast
was the Day of Atonement, when, after confession of their sins, the people were
declared to be at peace with Heaven. Thus the way was prepared for the
rejoicing of the feast.”—Desire of Ages, 447-448.
“The people of Israel
praised God at the Feast of Tabernacles, as they called to mind His mercy in
their deliverance from the bondage of Egypt and His tender care for them during
their pilgrim life in the wilderness. They rejoiced also in the consciousness
of pardon and acceptance, through the service of the day of atonement, just
ended.
But when the ransomed
of the Lord shall have been safely gathered into the heavenly Canaan, forever
delivered from the bondage of the curse, under which ‘the whole creation
groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now’ (Romans 8:22), they will
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Christ’s great work of
atonement for men will then have been completed, and their sins will have been
forever blotted out.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 542.
“The time chosen for
the dedication [of the rebuilt temple] was a most favorable one—the seventh
month, when the people from every part of the kingdom were accustomed to
assemble at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast was
pre-eminently an occasion of rejoicing. The labors of the harvest being ended
and the toils of the new year not yet begun, the people were free from care and
could give themselves up to the sacred, joyous influences of the hour.”—Prophets
and Kings, 37.
Is it possible that,
following the death of Christ, if we today observe any ceremony pointing to the
death of Christ, we crucify Him twice (Hebrews 6:6 refers to returning to
sinful habits: “They crucify . . the Son of God afresh”)? Moses’ great sin was
striking the rock twice (PP 418:1). After the first time (PP 411), he was only
to speak to it.
Symbolic rites and observances, expressive of certain thoughts or
sentiments.
Biblical and Rabbinical Ceremonies. http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4180-ceremonies-and-the-ceremonial-law
The Mosaic
law expressly states that certain ceremonies are to serve as "signs"
and "memorials": (a) Circumcision is enjoined as "ot
berit" ("a token of the covenant betwixt me and you," Gen. xvii.
11). (b) The Sabbath is to be "ot" ("a sign between me
and you throughout your generations," Ex. xxxi. 13, 17; Ezek. xx. 17, 20).
(c) The Passover feast "shall be for a sign [ot] unto thee upon
thine hand and for a memorial between thine eyes" (Ex. xiii. 9). (d)
Connected therewith is the redemption of the first-born to be a "token
upon thine hands and for frontlets between thine eyes" (Ex. xiii. 16).
According to rabbinical traditions, there are: (e) The putting on of the
phylacteries or Tefillin
prescribed in Deut. vi. 8, xi. 18, "Thou shalt bind them for a sign [ot]
upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes." (f)
The placing of Mezuzah
upon the doors (Deut. vi. 9, xi. 20): "Thou shalt write them upon the
doorposts of thine house." (g) The Ẓiẓit,the
fringe upon the borders of the garment, is also enjoined for the purpose
"that ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the
Lord" (Num. xv. 39).
In fact, all
the festivals are to be "remembrances" of God's deliverance and
protection of the people of Israel (Deut. xvi. 3, 12; vi. 24; Lev. xxiii. 43);
the paschal lamb, the maẓẓah, and the bitter herb on Passover, and
the sukkah and the four plants of the Feast of Tabernacles (Ex. xii. 8; Lev.
xxiii. 40 et seq.), being the significant symbols. Similarly, the
erection of the sanctuary and the sacrificial worship therein must be counted among
the ceremonial laws, and no less so the dietary laws (Ex. xxii. 30; Lev. xi.;
Deut. xvi. 3-21), as symbolically emphasizing the idea of Israel being God's
"holy" or priest people.
To these,
Pharisaic Judaism added a number of new ceremonies, among which may be
mentioned the kindling of the lights, the blessing over the wine (see Ḳiddush
and Habdalah)
for Sabbaths and festival days, and the blessing of the Moon.
Ceremonies
are the impressive part, the poetry of religion. They invest life at its
various stages and periods with "the beauty of holiness." The need of
such has been all the more felt by Judaism since images or signs representing
the Deity have been scrupulously shunned; and the home and every-day life of
the Jew was to be sanctified no less than the Temple, the ancient domain of the
priest. But exactly as the pomp of ritual called forth the protest of the
prophet against "the work of men learned by rote" (Isa. xxix. 13,
Hebr.), so there was a danger lest the multitude of forms might crush the
spirit, wherefore many haggadists and writers, like Aristobulus and Philo,
attribute symbolical meanings to Biblical ceremonies. Medieval mysticism also,
from Baḥya and Naḥmanides down to Isaac Luria, endeavored to imbue
the old ceremonies with new spirituality; while the liberal spirit awakened in
Italy in the seventeenth century found its echo in Leon de Modena's attack on
ceremonialism in his "Ḳol Sakal."
Continued in Part 5
An Overview https://omega77.tripod.com/dayofatonementimplications.htm
Part 1: https://omega77.tripod.com/dayofatonementimplications1.htm
Part
2 https://omega77.tripod.com/dayofatonementimplications2.htm
Part
3 https://omega77.tripod.com/dayofatonementimplications3.htm