Are we called to still hold the festivals written in the bible? IF we now are partakers of the promise and part of the seed, should we celebrate those festivals? To replace them with Christmas and Easter...which seems to be the christian celebration.
Someone just sent me a link to George Warnock's book 'Feast of Tabernacles'. Perhaps you've already read it, and that why you ask. However, I suspect you haven't read it yet, or, you wouldn't be asking.
[url=http://www.georgewarnock.com/feast-main.html]Feast of Tabernacles
Interesting that this book was written nearly sixty years ago. How much more the message is relevant for today, I hope you will judge for yourself.
If one chooses to do so, they are free to do so:
Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
But, the observation of those days is not an obligation under the new covenant:
Colossians 2:16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Indeed, the apostle Paul was worried over the Galatians, who thought it was obligatory under the new covenant, and a condition for their salvation. For such men he said:
Galatians 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.
Alive-to-God wrote:Someone just sent me a link to George Warnock's book 'Feast of Tabernacles'. Perhaps you've already read it, and that why you ask. However, I suspect you haven't read it yet, or, you wouldn't be asking.
[url=http://www.georgewarnock.com/feast-main.html]Feast of Tabernacles[/url] Interesting that this book was written nearly sixty years ago. How much more the message is relevant for today, I hope you will judge for yourself.
Never heard of the book until now. Perhaps I will read it. It was only a thought I have had concerning the feasts.
agree...wondering why so many feel they should follow the feasts. Suppose it is unanswerable! :-)
...wondering why so many feel they should follow the feasts.
There is something about observing a religious ritual that gives a person a sense of piety, a connectedness to a deity, if you will, for lack of a better description. One can become so dedicated about the observance of rituals that you forget the original intent. The Jews in the OT had this problem - big time.
The NT has a limited set of rituals to be observed. They are called ordinances designed to keep a person aware of a deeper principle. In and of themselves they do not impart redemption but they serve as an enabling tool to help us. And I suspect we may not know all the implications that obedience affords its observers.
My thoughts,
ginnyrose
I dont think there is any harm in celebrating the OT festivals simply for a sense of Biblical heritage, or to help your children understand the OT better... so long as we are not decieved into thinking that in doing so we are gaining favor with God, or it has anything to do with salvation.
If do so thinking it makes us more spiritual, or earns us favor or even salvation... then we are deceived.
Krispy
Agreed ginny. There are a lot of people who like to make good show in regard to outward appearences and boast in the flesh.
Celebrating the OT feasts is unnecessary:
Mt 22:37-40 Jesus replied: [color=CC3300]“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [b]All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments
Obey these commandments of God and you will have fulfilled all the law and prophets.
ginnyrose wrote:...wondering why so many feel they should follow the feasts.
There is something about observing a religious ritual that gives a person a sense of piety, a connectedness to a deity, if you will, for lack of a better description. One can become so dedicated about the observance of rituals that you forget the original intent. The Jews in the OT had this problem - big time.
The NT has a limited set of rituals to be observed. They are called ordinances designed to keep a person aware of a deeper principle. In and of themselves they do not impart redemption but they serve as an enabling tool to help us. And I suspect we may not know all the implications that obedience affords its observers.
My thoughts,
ginnyrose
good thoughts!!
KrispyKrittr wrote:
I dont think there is any harm in celebrating the OT festivals simply for a sense of Biblical heritage, or to help your children understand the OT better... so long as we are not decieved into ]thinking that in doing so we are gaining favor with God, or it has anything to do with salvation.If do so thinking it makes us more spiritual, or earns us favor or even salvation... then we are deceived.
Krispy
Good point...I think some practice it for the sake of observing, just like christians observe there days.
To me, it is a sad thing to see so many Christians involving themselves in the Old Covenant feasts.
All these feasts are fulfilled in Christ and His church... in a NEW Covenant.
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Cor. 5.7).
Pentecost was fulfilled in the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.1).
And the fulfillment of the feast of tabernacles is yet before us, the "great finale," you might say, unto which the purposes of God are leading.
I highly recommend George Warnock's book The Feast of Tabernacles to any who are questioning these things.
You can find it at [url=www.georgewarnock.com]www.georgewarnock.com
We are to move beyond the realm of types and shadows of the law into "the true," the fulfillment of all these. See Heb. 8.5, 9.24, 10.1.
Wonderful things these types and shadows speak of!
...But when the Judaizers get wind of a thread like this it generally turns sour.
Just to add some food for thought: The application of these things also applies to the practice of "tithing." Tithing was bound up in all the other ceremony of the law. True, it pre-dated the law, but, then again, so did the rest of the sacrificial system which existed prior to Moses.
True, it pre-dated the law, but, then again, so did the rest of the sacrificial system which existed prior to Moses.
KingJimmy wrote:
Just to add some food for thought: The application of these things also applies to the practice of "tithing."
Good observation, Jimmy.
...And the Sabbath, as well (Heb. 4.5).
Tagging onto the Rom. 14:6 passage already mentioned, Rom. 14:5 "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind."
Ask this same question to the Messianic Jew, or to MOST of the christian congregations in Israel, and you may be surprised. I was astonished at the number of "Messianics" who devoutly keep all of the feasts, as a form of ritualistic righteousness. The strongest of these, is Sabbath keeping, of course, but it is surely kept by Christians to the jot and tittle. It is plain Judiaizing, and in some places it is if there are two Christian Faiths, not one.
This has been taken to such extremes, that men like John Hagee actually believe in a Gentile messiah, and a Jewish one. I haven't figured out if there the same Jesus yet.
There is also a strong sentiment in Israel that magnetizes around a national identity, and an ensuing move to abolish or cripple other mechanisms that may continue dependence on any other culture. English is being minimized, as every Jew must learn Hebrew, and it is spoken less and less on a National scale.
The problem with keeping the holy days as ritual is that it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the spirit of God, or operating out of faith, or obedience in the heart, nor does it have a whit to do with the actual cross that kills our inward Adam, so evil.
It certainly has the benefits of types and shadows, which may offer deep insights into the Kingdom and the ministry of our Lord Jesus, but is utterly impotent in it's ability to change a life to learn how to love.
By the way, the Pharissee's gloried in their obedience to the sabbath and the feasts. They murdered Jesus.
The problem with keeping the holy days as ritual is that it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the spirit of God,
Good word.
I realize that many Christians feel that the festivals are unnecessary but as a history buff, I would love to know more about them. I went to my first Passover Seder three years ago and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of how Christ is represented and worshiped in each part of it. You have to experience it.
I would love to attend a church that taught the difference between the Old and New Covenants along with the purpose of the festivals WITHOUT incorporating all the LAW, but I do not know if there is such a thing!
The closest I've found is Robert Thompson's church in CA. I haven't listened to him in a while but when I did he seemed to really pull in the purpose of the feasts.
Sermonindex: [url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=522]Robert B. Thompson
An Introduction to the Works of [url=http://wor.org/Books/p/Present.htm]Robert B. Thompson
[url=http://wor.org/Books/f/feasts11.sn.htm]The Feasts of the Lord
I've studied some but if you go at the festivals with an attitude of learning more about Jesus in them, I believe you will be blessed. How could you not? (huge grin)
PS: A good sermon from his website it:
Lloyd Darlington #5141 - [b]Be a Good Slave [url=http://wor.org/audio/audio.htm]Audio Library
Lysa said:
I went to my first Passover Seder three years ago and I was overwhelmed by the beauty of how Christ is represented and worshiped in each part of it. You have to experience it.
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