Scriptural Authority for the Holy Days

Every nation observes patriotic holidays, and these are special days that kind of remind a nation of where it's come from, where it's going, a little bit of its history, important events that happen in its past. And they often provide a continuity between a nation's past, present, and future. And usually, citizens can understand why it is that they do certain things, or why they have these celebrations. But on the other hand, these same citizens sometimes don't understand or seldom understand about the days of which they worship God, the days in which they worship and honor God.

The non-biblical roots of some of these religious practices, like we heard about in the first message today, the non-biblical roots are not always understood. And yet often, they're quietly ignored and often included in their celebration. And as a result, some people usually assume that the popular observances, such as Valentine's Day or Easter, which is coming up in a few weeks, or Christmas, that they serve as true representation of God's religious festivals. And yet, God's Word doesn't mention them anywhere in Scripture.

You won't find Valentine's Day. You won't find Easter. Oh, I guess it's listed in the old King James Version in one Scripture, but it's mistranslated, and it was corrected in the New King James Version from Easter to Passover. But you won't find Easter. You won't find Valentine's Day. You won't find Christmas. The Bible doesn't record them, and the Bible doesn't record their observance at all. And you would think, if they had the importance that they seem to have today because they're everywhere you look, that they have today, that someone, one of the writers of Scripture, would have recorded it somewhere, someplace.

You would think, for example, Luke would have recorded in the book of Acts that we stayed overnight in Troas until Valentine's Day. Or, we sailed on to Philippi and stayed overnight at Easter at Troas. There's nothing like that at all. Not in the Scripture at all. So let's talk a little bit about the Holy Days today. You know, it's not going to be too long from now, about two months from now, that we'll begin the Spring Holy Day season. We'll begin to rehearse the seven Holy Day festivals of God. So where do we obtain the authority to observe the religious days that we do?

Where do we obtain the authority to observe the religious festivals that we do? Now, we in the Church of God observe the Holy Days of God. And as we're getting closer, I thought it'd be a good time to rehearse a little bit about why we do what we do. The title of the message today is, Scriptural Authority for the Holy Days. We're going to address a few questions and attempt to answer them as we go along the message today.

And some of those questions include the following. Are the Holy Days to be observed by the Church of God today? Are they to be observed? Are they required under the New Covenant? Are they commanded to God's people under the New Covenant? Are they required for salvation? Does God expect them, us to do it?

And what examples do we have set for us in Scripture? What examples do we have in Scripture? So we're going to try to address those questions as we address the title here, Scriptural Authority for the Holy Days. And so the key, brethren, I think most of us understand, is that the Scriptures are the standard that we go by. The Scriptures are the standard that we go by. It's where we look to God for our authority.

It's His Word to us. It's His inspired Word to us. Let's start with 2 Timothy 2, verse 15. 2 Timothy 2, verse 15. Now, the last time that I spoke here, we talked about the last piece of armor, which is the sword, which is the Word of God.

And it's powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, which can divide bone and marrow. It's like a fine-tuned instrument. It's powerful, and yet it has the ability to, like a surgical instrument, to divide. And divide rightly. And we talked about the Scripture here in 2 Timothy 2, verse 15, that we are to rightly divide the Word of truth. So Scripture is what we rely on for truth. And it needs to, of course, be rightly divided. Let's read here. It says, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God. So we have a responsibility, don't we, with God's Word and the sword, and the way that we wield it, that we be diligent to present ourselves approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed.

And it would be a shame, wouldn't it, if we found out that we had wielded God's Word incorrectly? You know, we have a big responsibility, all of us do, as part of the Church of God, which is the pillar and ground of the truth. And so we carry a major responsibility. And notice, need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

So again, that's a big responsibility, and the understanding that can be wrongly divided. So we go about it soberly and prayerfully in trying to understand what God would have us to do.

Let's turn over one chapter to 2 Timothy 3, verse 15. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 15. Because we'll see it through the Scriptures, that they are able to make us wise to salvation. And that's what we all want to be part of the Kingdom of God, part of the family of God. Let's read what it says there. And it says in that from childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation. God's Scriptures are powerful, and they're able to make us wise for salvation through faith, which is in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Word of God. And so we see that Scriptures are the standard that we go by, and what we rely on. Sometimes the Scriptures teach us through direct command. It's very clear what God specifically says. And sometimes the Scriptures teach us through example, which is also a way of teaching. It shows us by illustrating what's right and what's wrong. So it can be direct command, where it's God-breathed and it's written down, or we can see the example of others that were godly men. It shows us by illustration.

So we're going to take a look at both methods here as we begin to go through here. Direct command and by example, of what days the Bible commands, or what God commands, through Scripture. You know, there are some people out there, and some of them are from our former affiliation. I'll just ask a question. How many were a part of the worldwide Church of God back in about 1995, 1994-95? Okay, there are several.

And so those of you that have gone through some of the things will have a very good understanding of what I'm referring to. And for those of you that have not, there was a time when that particular Church, which we were a part of, believed pretty much what we believe today when it comes to the Holy Days. And then they changed their mind. The leadership began to teach that it was no longer required to be observed, whether it be the annual Holy Days or it would be the Sabbath. And they point out that if you look at human history, for approximately 2,500 years of human history, there is no mention of an annual Holy Day in human history and Scripture. That from the time of Adam to just prior to the Exodus of God's people out of Egypt, not a single word is mentioned regarding the Holy Days. Our response to that, brethren, that this does not mean that there were no Holy Days for the first 2,500 years of human history, because prior to the Exodus, God dealt with human beings personally. He dealt with them personally. He dealt with them individually. He explained to them His plan. He explained to them His standards, and He explained to them His laws. They sat with God. They talked with God. And they walked with God. And He dealt with several of them individually. Let's look at a few examples of that. Well, let's list a few. Adam. God talked personally with Adam, didn't He? And with His wife. And Abel. And Cain. God talked to them personally. Let's turn over to Genesis 5 and verse 22. Genesis 5 and verse 22. We're going to see here that there was a man by the name of Enoch. And do you remember from Scripture how many years Enoch walked with God? Well, let's take a look. It's here in Scripture. So let's take a look at it. Genesis 5 and verse 20. We'll pick it up in verse 21 for the context. It says, Enoch lived 65 years and he begat Methuselah. And Methuselah, by the way, was I think the longest living human being. But that's beside the point here. But verse 22, and he begat Methuselah after he begat Methuselah. Verse 22, Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Now that's a long time, isn't it? To be walking with your Creator, talking with Him, learning from Him.

And we're going to refer to a Scripture in a moment that talks about some of the things that God revealed to Enoch during some of those walk of 300 years. Now, I haven't even been alive for 60 years. And here, Enoch walked with God five times as long as I have existed over five times as long. 300 years. What about Noah? God personally and individually dealt with Noah. And what about Abraham? God personally dealt and talked with Abraham.

Let's go over to Genesis chapter 26 and verse number 2. Genesis chapter 26 and verse number 2, where we'll pick up the context here. He said, the Lord appeared to him. He had conversations with Abraham. He appeared to him and said, don't go down to Egypt. But live in the land which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land and I will be with you and bless you.

For to you and your descendants I'm going to give these lands. I will perform the promise or the oath which I swore to Abraham, your Father. And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven. And I will give to your descendants all these lands, and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

So he's talking to Abraham's son, Isaac. And notice verse 5, because Abraham obeyed my voice, he kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. No, brethren, Abraham's a good example of what I'm referring to here, that God dealt personally with some of these people. It says here that Abraham obeyed my voice, kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. Now we don't know everything that God discussed with Abraham. We don't.

It's not written here in Scripture. But what we do know is it's obvious that he discussed his laws with Abraham, isn't it? And it's obviously that he not only discussed his laws, he discussed his commandments. And he discussed his statutes. And he discussed his way of life. And notice as it says in verse 5, and Abraham obeyed. He obeyed.

He obeyed God's voice, he kept his charge, his commandments, his statutes, and his laws. They discussed things as well. And we know we talked about Isaac. We referred to him a little bit here in this context in Genesis 26. And God personally dealt with Jacob. He personally dealt with Joseph. He personally dealt with Job. He personally dealt with Moses and his brother Aaron. You know, over this period of approximately 2,500 years, it's not recorded that he dealt with very many people personally. About a dozen. For 2,500 years. About approximately a dozen people.

Well, let's notice also, I mentioned we talked about Enoch, the God walked with him for 300 years. Let's notice in the example of Enoch in this regard. Let's turn over to Jude, chapter 3. Jude, chapter 3. Surprising scripture here that talks about Jude. And some of the things that God must have revealed to him.

Jude, we'll pick it up here. In verse 3, I think I said chapter 3. There's only one chapter. Jude, verse 3. Jude was writing to God's people.

He said, Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you, to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. So he was going to write about something else, but he realized that he needed to change what he was going to write about. Verse 4, for certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation. Ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into license or lewdness, and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let's jump to verse 12. These are spots in your love feasts, and while they feast with you without fear, they're serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds, laid autumn trees without fruit, and twice dead, pulled up by the roots.

They're raging waves of the sea. They're foaming up their own shame, and they're wandering stars, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Now, let's focus on verse 14 and 15. Now, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, okay, this is part of during that 2500 year period. The seventh from Adam prophesied about these men, also saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of His saints to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds, which they have committed in an ungodly way, and all of the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against God. Wow! Wow! There's a lot here. Look at what Enoch understood here in verses 14 and 15.

It says, He prophesied of these people that were going to come at this time, way into the future. How would He have known that? God and Him talked about it. And look what else He understood. Not only did He prophesy about these people and the problems that we would face because of them. Notice verse 14, it says, The Lord's going to come. He knew of the second coming of Jesus Christ. He hadn't even come the first time.

He knew of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Notice in verse 15, He knew that Jesus Christ would judge all. That Christ was going to be the judge. And He was going to judge all. A notice of their ungodly deeds. Enoch knew there were standards to live by. Ungodly deeds. Unlawful deeds. He knew. You know, God almost revealed more to Him personally than is recorded in a good part of the Old Testament. That God told Enoch personally. But then God's plan began to change. It began to progress.

He had promised Abraham that there was going to be a multitude of descendants. And they would grow into a nation and then a multitude of nations. And God was going to be with them. God eventually His plan began to change and He chose Israel. Let's notice Exodus 4 and verse 22. Exodus 4 and verse 22.

We'll pick it up in verse 21 of Exodus 4. It said, The Lord said to Moses, When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Verse 22, Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn. Well, there's a lot to this concept because God was going to start a family. In fact, He was going to start, He calls Israel His son, interestingly enough. And He says, Not only is He my son, He is my firstborn son. And so you can almost see the tie-ins a little bit with Jesus Christ being the son of God, being the firstborn among many brethren, being the example of the Israelites, as we heard in the sermonette, was they were to be a model nation so that the other nations could see what God was like and the blessings that came with His way of life. Of course, they didn't fulfill their role very well. But Jesus Christ did, of course, as the firstborn son of God. But He says, Israel is my son. So God chose Israel. And it was His intention that He would begin to work with a nation. That would be a sample nation. Verse 23, So I say to you, Let my son go, that he may serve me. But if you refuse to let my son go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn. When God chose Israel, it was about three million people. He had His servants begin to write down and record His laws. So no longer was it going to be He was speaking with people personally. And a few things, general things, were written down. Now He wanted specific things written down. To record His laws, to record His commandments, to record His religious festivals, and the way that God wants to be worshipped. Why? Why did God do that? Well, it's a little bit different when you're dealing with 12 or a few more and three million. God wanted to make sure there'd be no misunderstandings. God wanted to make sure it would be clear. God wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any confusion.

You know, I can give a message today with 35 people here, and based on what I say, there could be a multitude of opinions on what I interpreted, of what I said. Just cheering it with a ear. But now, this would be written down. This would be written down. And it would be God breathed, and it would be inspired by God Himself. Now let's notice something. God begins to tell them, His people, this three million people, about His feast days.

Let's turn over to Exodus 5. Exodus 5 and verse number 1. Now, this is before that they have entered into the Old Covenant. Because there's an argument among many Christians out there, including our past affiliation, that everything that had to do with the Old Covenant was wiped out when the New Covenant came in. And only those things that were restored in the New Covenant should be part of the New Covenant. There's a thought out there. But let's notice that all of this is happening prior to the Old Covenant being instituted. In fact, the Old Covenant wasn't instituted with God's people, Israel, whom He chose, until chapter 19 of Exodus.

And we'll cover that in a moment. Then let's go all the way back to Exodus 5 and verse number 1. It says, Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. So God is calling them to the wilderness for a feast. And Pharaoh said, Who's the Lord, that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I don't know the Lord, and neither will I let Israel go.

Well, let's fast forward now to Exodus chapter 10. So God introduces a Holy Day, a festival. And let's take a look at what it has to say in Exodus chapter 10 and verse number 7. Then Pharaoh's servant said to him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? So they're saying, you know what, Pharaoh? This man Moses and the people are a snare to us.

That's not going well. And they're counseling their leader of their country, Pharaoh. How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Don't you yet know that Egypt is destroyed? So there's a lot of things that have happened from Exodus chapter 5 to Exodus chapter 10.

So Moses and Aaron, verse 8, were brought again to Pharaoh. And he said to them, Go serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones that are going? And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, and with our sons and with our daughters and with our flocks and our herds. We will go, for we must hold this feast to the Lord. So God has commanded us to keep this feast, and we're going to go.

And we must keep it. Now let's fast forward a couple of chapters to Exodus chapter 12. Again, long before the old covenant has been instituted. Exodus chapter 12. We'll pick it up here in verse number 3. Speak to the congregation of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons.

According to each man's need, you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. And now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, and then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.

We're talking about the Passover, aren't we? We're talking about the first festival that's listed in Leviticus chapter 23, where all seven festivals are mentioned. This is before the Old Covenant even takes place.

And God is revealing this Passover festival.

Let's jump to verse number 12.

And I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am the Lord.

Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are.

And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

So this day shall be to you a memorial, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.

You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting covenant.

This is before the Old Covenant.

This Passover is instituted where God commands his people that he is chosen to keep this feast.

Then verse 15 starts talking about the next festival, the days of Unleavened Bread, all before the Old Covenant. Seven days you shall eat Unleavened Bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. Whoever eats leavened bread from the first day till the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

The first day is a holy convocation. On the seventh day a holy convocation. No work shall be done.

Verse 17, you shall observe it, the feast of Unleavened Bread. For on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance.

And he goes on to talk about the days of Unleavened Bread. For this is all before the Old Covenant.

Now God began to make them aware of these festivals of His before Israel even reached Sinai.

These were God's feasts before they entered into the Old Covenant.

Let's turn over to Exodus 19 and verse 4, and that's where He begins to enter into an agreement with them that they would be His people and that He would be their God.

That He would bless them. He promised to perform certain things for them. And He expected them to perform certain things for Him.

But they had an agreement. That's what covenant means. An agreement. It's a contract. Exodus 19, and we'll pick it up here in verse 4.

He said, you have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings, and I have brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine.

Sounds like 1 Peter, where he's talking about the 1st century church when it started, and the New Testament church would be a special people.

We've entered into a New Covenant, in a sense, with God. But this is an Old Covenant that they're entering into here. The Old Covenant.

Verse 6, and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel. So Moses came. He called for the elders of the people, and He laid them all these words which the Lord had commanded, and all the people answered together, and they said, all that the Lord has spoken we will do.

So they said, we realize God's going to bless us. We realize He's going to make us a holy people, a kingdom of priests, an example to other people, and we're willing to do this if He's willing to do that for us.

And they said, all that the Lord has spoken we will do. So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. So they entered into a covenant, an agreement, called the Old Covenant.

Brother Nephi's priests, of course, were part of the Old Covenant. They were prior to the Old Covenant, but they were part of the Old Covenant. Let's notice Exodus 23. This is after they've entered into the Covenant.

Exodus 23 and verse 14, we'll see here that the feasts were definitely included as part of the Old Covenant.

Exodus 23, we'll pick it up in verse number 14.

It says three times, You shall keep a feast to me in the year. You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you at the appointed month of a bib, for in it you came out of Egypt, and none of you shall appear before me empty. And the feast of the harvest, the first fruits of your labors. We're talking about the feast of weeks or Pentecost here, which you've sown in the field. And the feast of ingathering, another name for the feast of tabernacles at the end of the year, when you've gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.

Let's go back to Leviticus chapter 23. This is also part of the Old Covenant. This is a section of Scripture that we often quote in reference to the Holy Days, because they're all listed here in this particular chapter. Leviticus chapter 23, in verse number 1, it's a familiar section of Scripture here. It's an important section of Scripture.

Of course, a lot of people, Christian religions feel that, or denominations feel that these days were meant for the Israelites, for the Jews. We don't see it that way because of what's written here.

We feel that they're actually all about Christ, and they all have a Christian attachment to them.

So let's take a look at what it says here. The short passage found here in Leviticus chapter 23. It says, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them concerning the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocation. These are my feasts.

So they're God's feasts. They're not the Jewish feasts. They're God's feasts.

Now, a little bit is lost in this translation of this particular text. Not a lot, but a little. But a closer rendering, it could be translated this way.

And God spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, Concerning the appointed times of God, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my appointed times.

Let's notice the emphasis here of the Scripture here that we've been reading here.

Well, according to the text, these feasts belong to God. They're His feasts.

And they are actually appointed times of God. They're appointments.

Now, the word translated feast is the word moed, which means appointed times. Now, the question is, when did these appointed times become the appointed times of God? When? Was it when Moses gave them to Israel?

Or was it before that? You know, it's a small point, but God did not say, These shall be my appointed times from this time forward. He said, These are my appointed times.

Let's go back to Genesis 1, verse 14. There's another incident here where the use of the word moed is used. It's found in Genesis 1, verse 14. Genesis 1, verse 14.

Genesis 1, verse 14.

God tells you and I there, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs, for seasons, for days, and for years. But if you look this up in the original Hebrew, how this could be written is let them be for signs and for appointed times and days and years. You know, this really does suggest there are appointed times, religious festivals in mind, if you will, right from the start.

Right from the start. And there's really no reason to suppose there were not.

You know, Revelation 13, verse 8, I'll just refer to it. You can turn there if you like. It talks about the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. This was all planned.

God's a storyteller, and he's telling his story. And he's written a lot of the story before it actually began to be implemented. He thought these things through. They designed, they planned, they blue printed, they thought about extenuating circumstances, they thought about the fact that man would most likely sin. And there would need to be a Lamb, a sacrifice that would be made to satisfy the penalty for living an unrighteous life, for transgressing a righteous law.

It says they're the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

God had all these things in mind. He's telling us his story, and he's thought it through ahead of time. You know, history is really his story when we come right down to it.

Brother, let's turn over to Hebrews chapter 8, verse 10. Hebrews chapter... Oh, wait, I'm getting ahead of my story here. Let's not turn the air. Not yet, we're going to. So, Brother, we've seen that God did explain his commandments, his laws, and his statutes to a few individuals, and then began to write it down for the nation of Israel. And the Holy Days were included as part of the new... excuse me, as part of the Old Covenant. So now the question is, are they to be observed in the New Covenant? Are they to be observed under the New Covenant? You know, traditional Christianity has made a basic assumption that everything mentioned in the Old Covenant was done away. And only those things mentioned in the New Testament are to be observed today. I say it as an assumption because really, the Ten Commandments were included in the Old Covenant. No question about that. But it can be demonstrated that they existed prior to the Old Covenant. Let's take a look at one example of that in Genesis 39, verse 9. Genesis 39, verse 9.

Remember the story of Joseph? He was sold into slavery. He went into Egypt. He worked, served in the household. I believe it was Potiphar, and Potiphar's wife was interested in Joseph.

And he was refusing her advances. And during one of the confrontations here in Genesis, chapter 39, verse 9, it says, There is no one greater in this house than I, speaking to the wife, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Now, how did he know that that would have been wickedness? You know, adultery wasn't mentioned until Exodus, chapter 20, part of the Old Covenant. How did he know that this, to take another man's wife, sexually, would have been a sin against God unless God had either told him or had told his father or his grandfather and it passed down from one person to another? Adultery is not mentioned until Exodus, chapter 20, as part of the Ten Commandments. And there are other commandments also that are enumerated prior to the Old Covenant. Further, and it can also be demonstrated that these, the Ten Commandments are, of course, enumerated throughout the New Testament as well.

The principles of the Ten Commandments and God's laws are eternal. They describe God's nature.

They describe how God Himself lives. They describe His love. They describe the way that He gives and the way that He lives.

Let's notice Psalm chapter 19, in verse number 7. Psalm chapter 19, in verse number 7.

It states here that God's law is perfect. Psalm chapter 19, verse 7, I'm reading from the New King James Version.

It says, the law of the Lord is perfect. You know, if we look up that Hebrew word perfect, it means without blemish. It means entire. It means complete. It means sound. It means without spot.

It means undefiled. It means whole. It means upright. It can be translated. This word, Hebrew word, which is pronounced tamim, it can be translated all those different ways.

The law of the Lord is perfect and it changes people. Notice as it says, it converts the soul.

It helps us. It changes us. Converting means to turn back. It means to restore. God's law has the ability to be involved in that process. The testimony of the Lord is sure in making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure and enlightens the eyes. You know, Psalm chapter 119 talks about David's thought about God's law and how it changed him and how he loved it. And God's law contains eternal principles.

It would most definitely be part of an Old Covenant. It would most definitely be part of a New Covenant. It will be a part of the millennium and beyond. It was part prior. God was teaching it to Abraham, to Enoch, and they were sharing it with their families.

Let's turn over to Hebrews chapter 8 in verse 10. Now we can turn there.

These laws and commandments existed prior to the Old Covenant.

And they're part of the Old Covenant. And they're part of the New Covenant.

Turn to Hebrews chapter 8 verse 10. Let's notice what it has there because it starts to talk about these moral laws, these principles of God, not only are going to be written in a book or written on stone, but they're going to be written as part of our hearts and our minds and our character.

Hebrews chapter 8 in verse 10. This is a New Covenant context here, this scripture.

He says in Hebrews chapter 8 in verse 10, For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord.

God says they were under an Old Covenant, I'm going to bring them to a different covenant.

This is a covenant that I will make with the house of Israel, with the house of Judah. It's future here. He says I will put my laws in their mind.

Wow! Now we're taking it a step further. It's part of who they are, part of how they live.

And I will write them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

So we know that the laws of God are going to be part of the New Covenant.

We're going to take a look at the time that we've got left. We're going to take a look at four different New Covenant examples here that are given in scripture, which is our standard, which is what we look to, that would have to be called New Covenant examples.

Four examples that are given in scripture, and we're going to see what days that they observed.

The four examples are going to be Jesus Christ. We're going to look at what days He observed.

The second example we're going to take a look at is going to be of the New Testament church.

What basically, what's written in scripture. What days, religious days, did the New Testament church observe. We're going to look at the example of Paul and his teachings, and how he lived, and what days that he observed. And then we're going to look at the example of the millennium, and what holy days will be observed in the millennium. So let's begin with Jesus Christ.

Now some will say, right off the bat, I'll try to take him out of the equation by saying, well, He lived under the Old Covenant. So anything He did, we can't take into account.

They'll say His example is obsolete. He lived under the Old Covenant, and He had to keep those days.

Well, let's take a look at Hebrews 13. Hebrews 13. We're in Hebrews here. Let's go over a few scriptures.

Hebrews 13 and verse 8. It says, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

And He hasn't changed. He's the same. And you know, Paul, how did he live his life? If this is true, if Jesus Christ was under the Old Covenant, we can't take into account everything that He did. Paul later said in 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 1, imitate me the way that I imitate Christ. Follow me the way I follow Christ. Well, let's see how Paul lived then, since he was under the New Covenant.

What days, religious days did he observe? Well, Jesus Christ's teaching are considered by many, including us, to be New Covenant teachings. That he came from the Father with a message.

That was very important. That was going to be part of a New Covenant message that Jesus Christ came. We consider His teachings to be New Covenant teachings.

Are we saying that His example then is not a New Covenant example?

If His teachings are New Covenant, then His example is not New Covenant?

Let's turn over to Luke 2 and verse 40. Luke 2 and verse 40.

You may have heard the thought of, you know, if we were to replace all of the different references of the Holy Days in the New Testament with either Easter or Christmas, would Christianity today be relying upon those Scriptures to say that we ought to do those Holy Days of Christmas, Easter, or Valentine's, and yet we see throughout Scripture those names or words are not used even once, and we have these Holy Days that God has revealed pre-Old Covenant, Old Covenant, and we'll see His New Covenant. Luke 2 and verse 40. Get over there and join you. Luke 2 and verse 40. Let's look at the example of Jesus Christ. It says, When the child grew and he became strong in spirit, and he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. He's only 12 years old, but already people can see there's something special about him. And verse 41, And his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. Well, they didn't miss. They went every year and they took Jesus Christ, who's 12 years old at this time. Verse 42, And when he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. So this is a feast that they observed. Verse 43, When they had finished the days, as they returned, the boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. Remember the story? His parents didn't know where he was. And you know, at first they thought he was with family. They had kind of a trust among their family, but when they asked all the other family members, nobody had seen him. Well, then they got worried. So they went back. They returned to Jerusalem, verse 45, seeking him. Now it was after three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers. For they went up every year to celebrate the feast of the Passover.

Now was Jesus Christ ignorant as a child of what days that He felt He should observe? No, He went along with it. In fact, He had such understanding, I suppose, He could have relayed to them, you know what? This isn't always going to be kept. This isn't always going to be kept. There's going to be a new covenant when He was talking with the teachers and the educators that were there sitting in His midst. He's sitting in their midst at the temple. They were astonished by His understanding and His answers, but He never brought anything like that up. Let's turn over to John 2, verse 23. John 2, verse 23. It says, now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He did. So Jesus Christ, now He's older now, He's starting to grow up and He's still going to Jerusalem. He travels from Galilee to Jerusalem to go to the feast. Let's jump over to John 4, verse 43. John 4, verse 43. Now after two days, He departed from there and He went to Galilee, so He goes back into His home region there. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So He was going back and He knew that He wasn't going to receive much honor there. So when He came to Galilee, verse 45, the Galileans received Him because, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they had also gone to the feast.

So Jesus Christ is keeping the feast, and even those from His home country that were not going to honor Him, they said, but I saw some of the things that He did there, so we ought to be willing to receive Him. We know He's the Son of Joseph and Mary, and He's got His brothers and sisters, but we saw some of the things that He did too, so they're going to receive Him. And notice, they saw Him do the things in Jerusalem at the feast, verse 45, for they had also gone to the feast. Let's go over to John, chapter 7. We'll see Christ's custom throughout His life was to attend the festivals. John, chapter 7, we'll pick it up in verse number 2. Now, the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand, so here we know now it's in the fall of the year. The Feast of Tabernacles is very close, and let's jump to verse number 8. And He's talking about with His brothers. We'll pick it up here in verse 6. His brothers didn't believe in in verse 5, and Jesus said, My time has not yet come, but Your time is always ready. The world cannot hate You, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil. You go up to this feast. I'm not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come. So when He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. But when His brothers had gone up, then He went up to the feast. Not openly, but as it were in secret. And then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and they said, Where is He? And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, He's good, others said, No, He's not. He deceives the people. However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews. Now in the middle of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple, and He taught. So here's an example of Jesus Christ going up to the Feast of Tabernacles.

Let's jump to verse number 37. And on that last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood, and He cried out, and He's saying, If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. And He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living water. But He spoke concerning the Spirit, for those whom those believing in Him would receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. So here He was here for the Feast of Tabernacles, and He rose up on the last day, and He spoke these words. Let's go over to Matthew 26 and verse 1. Matthew 26, we'll pick it up here in verse number 1. And if all these Scriptures would have been saying, Jesus was going up to keep Easter. Jesus was going up to keep Christmas. You know, these are all things that, of course, people would be looking at to provide proof for why they do what they do. But none of that is there. These are all the very same festivals that God has talked about from the beginning. These are His feasts. He has no other feasts, other than these, seven, that we know from Scripture. Matthew 26 and verse 1. Now, it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these things, that He said to His disciples, You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered to be crucified.

So, He's talking about the upcoming Passover, and this is the last Passover that He will keep with His disciples before His crucifixion. And let's jump to verse number 17. It says, Now on the first day of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to Him, Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover? And He said, Go into the city to a certain man, and say to Him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand, I will keep the Passover. And that word, keep, is observed. It's where it's listed many times throughout the New Testament, where Paul says, I'm going to keep this feast, I'm going to observe this feast. It means that it's a religious festival that you're going to observe. And Jesus said, I will keep the Passover at Your house with My disciples. And it goes on to say that they prepared the Passover, and then they sat down, verse 20. When evening had come, He sat down with His twelve disciples. Brethren, when it talks about some of the Scriptures where it says, There's no evidence that Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem for every festival in every year. Our past association has said, There is no evidence that Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem for every festival in every year. But what does the evidence show? What when we do see in Scripture, when it is mentioned, He goes. He goes. And there's no mention of any other holidays. There's only mention of when He observed something, He observes those seven holy days. Let's take a look at another example. The New Testament Church. We've covered the example of Jesus Christ. Let's look at the New Testament Church. Acts 2, verse 1. This is after Jesus' resurrection.

It mentions the festival of Pentecost in this context here. Acts 2, verse 1. When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord and in one place. Further, I got a question. Why would God start the New Testament Church on the day of Pentecost if He was going to do away with the festival of Pentecost? Why would God start the Church on a feast day, on the Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out?

Let's jump to Acts 12. We'll see another mention of the festivals of God in Acts 12. We'll pick it up here. The reason I wanted to bring out this Scripture is because this is the only place in the Old King James translation in verse 4, if you've got the Old King James on the table in front of you, this is the only place that the word Easter is mentioned in the Old King James Bible. Verse 4 says, So when they arrested Him, they put Him in prison, they delivered Him to four squads of soldiers to keep Him, intending to bring Him before the people after Passover. The New King James Version correctly translated. It's the Greek word pasha, which means Passover. Every other place in the New Testament, it's translated Passover. For some reason, the Old King James translated this particular verse as Easter. Does anyone have the Old King James on the table in front of you? So every translation you have, does it say Passover? With what you have? Okay. I wanted to point that out. Let's jump to Acts 16 and verse 9. Acts 16 and verse 9.

Well, brethren, I think this is important because the context here is that this is after Acts 15. Remember, that was the Jerusalem Conference, which our former association basically said that that's when it was decided that not only was circumcision not necessary, but money of the laws of God. Many of the holy days of God didn't need to be observed, and the Sabbath of God didn't need to be observed anymore. Because of Acts 15, that's where that decision was made. Well, let's get beyond that to Acts 16 and see what was happening. Acts 16 and verse 9. It says, Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we set a straight course to Samothris, and the next day came to Neapolis. And from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony, and we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day, we went out to the city, to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made. And we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. So here we have a Sabbath day, where Paul is going down to meet with people that are trying to understand Scripture. And it talks about some of the people he met, and some of the people that eventually came into the church. This, again, is probably about a year after the Jerusalem Conference in 49 AD. This is probably happening approximately 50 AD. Let's jump to Acts 18, verse 20. Acts 18, verse 20. Paul is returning to Antioch here. Acts 18, verse 20. And when they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent. They said, could you please stay? We'd like you to stay longer. He said, nope. I can't agree to do that, because there's something I've got to do. Verse 21, but he took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem. We're talking about one of the seven festivals of God here. And it says, I must keep. That's the Greek word, which means, I am going to observe for religious reasons. This is three chapters after Acts 15. And Paul says, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem. But I will return to you again, God willing. And then he sailed from Ephesus. So he left, because he wanted to be in Jerusalem. He wanted to keep the feast in Jerusalem. I want you to notice what the worldwide church of God said about this particular verse. This is what they said about this particular verse, number 21. And I'm quoting, However, he may have wanted to be in Jerusalem, because there would be a large crowd of people to preach to. The text doesn't tell us his motives. I think the text does tell us his motives. It says he wanted to keep the feast. Let's go to Acts 20, in verse number 6. Acts 20, verse 6. It says, But we sailed away from Philippi after the days of eleven bread. And in five days joined the metroes, where we stayed for seven days. He's in a Gentile area. He's in a Gentile area here, and he's talking about the days of eleven bread. They didn't leave until after the days of eleven bread were concluded. Just another place where the Scripture is mentioned here. Much of the New Testament example of the church here has to do with Paul. Remember how Paul said, Follow me as I follow Christ, as Paul is keeping these days. We saw in Acts 16, verse 13, he was at the Sabbath, meeting with people down by the river. We see it in Acts 18, verse 21, he kept the feast.

We see Acts 20, verse 16, it's Pentecost. Let's turn over to 1 Corinthians 5, verse 6. 1 Corinthians 5, verse 6. Now, this book was probably written, probably no earlier than 54 AD, so again, we're five years past the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15. This is probably written around 54 AD, maybe a little later.

Pick up the context here. 1 Corinthians 5, verse 6. The Corinthians were a Gentile people, and the church had started in Corinth, and Paul is working with them. It says, Your glory is not good, don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you are truly unleavened. Now, history shows that this book was written at about the time of Passover in the Days of 11 Bread. He says, Your glory is not good, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you are truly unleavened, for indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast. Let us observe the feast. This is in the context of the Days of 11 Bread in Passover to a Gentile people. It's written to a Gentile church, and he mentions that they had been unleavened. Well, they had physically been unleavened. They put the leaven out of their homes, but they weren't spiritually unleavened. He says, Since you are truly you are unleavened, but purge out that old leaven, for indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Verse 7, Therefore, let us keep the feast. Verse 8, Not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but let us keep this feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. We're starting to kind of talk about writing it in our hearts a little bit, keeping it literally yes, but understanding that it has to be internal as well. They were unleavened physically, but they weren't unleavened spiritually. And so, he's trying to get the message to them and to us as we read. He says, Let us keep the feast.

Now again, our former affiliation states, and I quote, Christianity is a continuous festival, a celebration of the salvation that we have in Christ. Brethren, where does it say that in the Bible? Where does it say that in the Bible? It doesn't. If Scripture is going to be our standard, which it needs to be, we have to rely on the Word of God. When we look at the Word of God, it doesn't say that. In fact, the example in Scripture is of literal feast days being observed. Literal feast days being observed in Scripture. Let's notice 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23.

A few chapters over. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23. Paul had conversations with Jesus Christ. Somehow, some way, Jesus Christ either spoke to him in a vision, he talks about another place, he went up into the third heaven, and things were spoken to him there. He was an apostle of God. He wasn't like the twelve apostles that sat with Jesus Christ day by day and had a chance to listen and learn what he had to say. But Jesus Christ spoke to him personally through various means, visions or otherwise. Here's what he says. Verse 23 of 1 Corinthians 11. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you. Paul says, what I'm about to tell you, Jesus Christ has told me. The Lord has told me. So what I'm going to deliver to you, I received from him. He says that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it. And he said, take eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. And in the same manner, he also took the cup after supper and he said, this is the cup in the New Testament in my blood. This as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you drink this bread, or eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. And therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup in an unworthy manner is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and then so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Passover under the New Covenant. Passover, days of unleavened bread. 1 Corinthians 5, Pentecost. Brethren, they're all there here in the New Testament. Now this would have been a prime opportunity for Jesus Christ to say, okay Paul, I'm talking to you now about the Passover, but I want to talk to you about a few other days as well. And by the way, a lot of these days do not need to be observed anymore. I've died, I've fulfilled them all, none of them need to be observed anymore. No inkling at all in Scripture of that. None. At any of God's holy days, which are His days, we want to embrace them and make them ours as well, because He's called us. No hint that any of those days have been done away. 1 Corinthians 16.

Pick it up in verse number 5. 1 Corinthians 16.

I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia, and it may be that I will remain or even spend the winter with you, and that you may send me on my journey wherever I go. For I do not wish to see you now on the way, but I hope to stay awhile with you if the Lord permits, but I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. Now, I want to stay there until Pentecost is over, and then I'll move on. It's just a way of saying, I suppose, it's a time, you know, I'm going to stay there, but it's a specific day. He could have said, I'm going to stay until fall, or I'm going to stay until this midsummer, but he said, I'm going to stay there until Pentecost. And again, he's writing to a Gentile church. And prior to this time, I probably hadn't really known much about the holy days of the Israelites, maybe from afar, but had not personally experienced them, they are experiencing the days I'm 11 bred, in 1 Corinthians 5, as we talked about. So now he mentions Pentecost.

Brethren, why include all of this in the writings to a Gentile church? It was a perfect opportunity for him to make it clear that these things didn't need to be observed anymore. Let's look at the fourth example. We talked about Christ as an example. We talked about the New Testament Church as an example. We talked about Paul as an example. Let's look at the example of the millennium. Surely, by the millennium, when the New Covenant comes in for some of the other nations of Israel and Judah, then only New Covenant days will be observed. Surely. This is the time of the New Covenant. Let's look at Jeremiah 31, where he touched on in Hebrews 10, which references this scripture. But let's go back to the scripture that was quoted, Jeremiah 31, verse 31.

Talking about a New Covenant here.

Brethren, he said it's going to have to go further than what it did before.

It's going to be a part of them. Let's notice Zechariah 14.

This is the time when Jesus Christ returns.

David reigns over them. Jesus Christ is there. He's king of kings.

Zechariah, 2nd to the last book of the Old Testament. Zechariah 14.

Let's set the context here of what's happening. This is a future time.

Pick it up in verse number 3 of Zechariah 14. It says, "...then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations." It's a time that he's returning. He's going to reclaim the earth for his dominion.

"...The Lord will go and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle, and in that day his feet will stand in the Mount of Olives." Notice, and we'll see it here in a moment, he's there with his saints. But let's read on, "...which faces Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two." The latter part of verse 5 says, "...thus the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you." So we know this is the second coming of Christ with the firstfruits.

"...It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light that the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the Lord." And then we go on to verse number 8, "...in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them towards the eastern sea, half of them towards the western sea, and both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth." So those living waters are talking about his Holy Spirit. And the fact is that God is going to be king over all the earth, and in that day it shall be, there's only going to be one God.

And his name, one, won't be other false gods. So what's going to be happening in this context?

It's all part of the New Covenant here.

It goes on here and says in verse number 16, "...it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth don't come up to Jerusalem to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain." So the Feast of Tabernacles is going to be observed in the Millennium.

Verse 18, "...if the family of Egypt won't come up and enter in, they shall have no rain.

They will receive a plague, which the Lord strikes the nations that don't come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And this shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." So, brethren, in conclusion here, God has ordained the festivals.

They were part of His plan, really, from the beginning.

From beginning to the end, it's a plan to have a family, to raise a family of spirit beings, and it shows how He's going to do it. Every step of the way, it's for all of mankind, to remind them, to teach them, to show them His plan of salvation and deliverance.

And we have these four examples of Jesus Christ Himself, of the New Testament Church, of Paul, and of the Millennium. They all mentioned the Holy Days. We see them being observed, and we don't see anything else being observed at all, in all of Scripture, which is our standard.

And so, since they were kept by Israel, since they were kept by Christ, since they were kept by the New Testament Church, and they were kept by Paul, then shouldn't we observe them today?