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Chapter Six

NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES

Let’s explore several more references to the feast-day statutes associated with the apostles in the New Testament:

“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread.” Acts 12:1-2

Note: In teaching the truth about the Sabbath, Adventist evangelists have for years quoted Acts 13:14 showing that the Holy Spirit sent from God was still calling the 7th-Day Sabbath by its right name. Here, in Acts 12, the Spirit is still calling the Feast of Unleavened Bread by its right name as well. Perhaps we should be more consistent.

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” Acts 2:1

Evidently, Jesus had not told them to discontinue observing Pentecost. (Pentecost is also called the “Feast of Weeks.”)

The Feast of Pentecost was one of the three feasts each year that the males of Israel were to present themselves before the Lord. The apostles continued this practice. Notice the next three additional scriptures.

“But bade them farewell, saying I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: But I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.” Acts 18:21

“For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.” Acts 20:16 KJV

“But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.” 1 Cor. 16:8

It is true that:

“Paul did not bind himself nor his converts to the ceremonies and customs of the Jews, with their varied forms, types, and sacrifices; for he recognized that the perfect and final offering had been made in the death of the Son of God... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.” Sketches From the Life of Paul 105; 3SP 411

Paul did not bind himself to the ceremonies (the oranges) and neither should we. But, it is also clear that God’s mo’eds, His appointed times, (the apples) were still prevalent during Paul’s ministry.

Yom Kippur: Day of Atonement

“Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them.” Acts 27:9

Note: The “fast already past” was the Day of Atonement according to the SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 445, and also according to Scripture in Leviticus 16:29-34, 23:26-32. They were to “afflict their souls” on that day. The humbling (or afflicting) of souls is related to fasting. See Psalms 35:13.

Clearly, the annual Sabbaths were not only mentioned but also enjoyed by the apostles. In Acts 15:19-21 the Gentiles were reminded by the new Testament church officers to teach those statute which would be a necessary culture shock to the new Gentile converts, namely the statutes regarding idolatry, fornication, the eating of strangled meats (leaving the blood in the meat for flavor) and the outright eating of blood. Then the apostles to the Gentiles were reminded that the rest of the law could be absorbed by the Gentile converts, as the law of Moses would be read in the churches every Sabbath from then on. See Acts 15:211.

The annual Sabbaths were taught from then on, at least until the Council of Nice in A.D. 325. At that council, not only did the Seventh-day Sabbath receive a deadly blow; but, according to the well-known church history Eusebius, the annual Sabbaths were also a part of the controversy and received the same blow.

After naming several apostles, including John the Revelator (which he refers to as “luminaries”) and other first century martyrs who had kept the law, Eusebius quotes Polycrates who stood up in defense of the feasts:

“All of these kept the fourteenth day of the month as the beginning of the Paschal Festival, in accordance with the Gospel, not deviating the least, but following in the rule of faith. Last of all I too, Polycrates, the least of you all, act according to the tradition of my family, some members of which I have actually followed; for seven of them were bishops and I am the eighth, and my family have always kept the day when the people put away the leaven. So I, my friends, after spending sixty-five years in the Lord’s service and conversing with Christians from all parts of the world, and going carefully through all Holy Scripture, am not scared of threats. Better people then I have said: ‘We must obey God rather then men.’” The History of the Church. Eusebius, p. 231

In Merwin H. Abbott’s book entitled Paul the Sabbath Keeper?, the following observations regarding the above quotation can be made:

“According to the historical recorded by Eusebius, Polycrates states that significant ‘luminaries’ practiced observance of the fourteenth of Nisan ‘in accordance with the Gospel,’ and that after ‘going carefully through all Holy Scripture, God was to be obeyed rather than men.’” Paul the Sabbath keeper, pp. 24-39

Clearly, the first century believers kept the same days as did Jesus and the apostles.

Feast of Tabernacles

At this time, I have not found a reference to the Feast of Tabernacles by the apostles, so why do I include it? For two reasons:

First, the gospels show our Lord observing the Feast of Tabernacles in His day. He is always our best example. In the judgment, His people will have proven wise to have followed in His footsteps. He did nothing wrong; He made no mistakes.

“For even hereunto were ye called: Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin...” 1 Peter 2:21 22

To follow in the footsteps of Jesus is one of our greatest honors. He did attend the feast. John 7:2, 14

Second, Zechariah prophesied that the Feast of Tabernacles would be honored at a time when “the Lord shall be king over all the earth.” Zech. 14:9

Then, in the same context, Zechariah also declares that the Feast of Tabernacles will be kept after that momentous time when Jesus’ feet “… shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley...And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feasts of tabernacles.” Zech. 14:4, 16

Adventists have always applied these contextual events after the Millennium.

Another group of scholars suggest Zechariah chapter 14 will follow the close of final probation and occur before the actual Second Coming. Though I believe they are wrong, at least they do apply the feast to the future. Still others in spite of its context, say Zechariah chapter 14 has no future application at all. My suggestion is that the reader will prayerfully read Zechariah chapter 14.

Special Note: The primary objection to applying Zechariah chapter 14 to the period between the resurrection of the wicked and their final fiery reward is the necessary amount of time needed. Would there be enough time for the events described in Zechariah to take place?

The Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy both show plenty of time. Ellen White tells us that the skillful artisans among the wicked will have time to construct implements of war. She states:

“They lay their plans to take possession of the riches and glory of the New Jerusalem. All immediately begin to prepare for battle. Skillful artisans construct implements of war...” GC 664; Maranatha 338

Military leaders must teach men the art of fighting in order to “marshal them into companies and divisions. At last the order to advance is given.” GC 664

The final generation of the lost understood nuclear weaponry prior to their death. Resurrected in the second resurrection, they must be confident of better weapons than they had before, and they must build factories to produce them. On this devastated planet, they will have to start from scratch.

Years ago, when this author was studying the doctrines of Adventism, preparatory to his baptism, he asked his mentor, Elder Milton H. St. John, a very direct question. “How long will Satan and the wicked people on the earth live from the time of their resurrection to the time of their death by fire?” In other words, would they have time to build weapons, or homes, or allow a lost youth any time for life?

The answer Elder St. John gave came from Isaiah chapter 65. In that chapter, we first find the saints in the city of the New Jerusalem. Next, we find the accursed, including the accursed youth suddenly dying at one hundred years of age. After this tragic loss of life, the third event describes the righteous leaving their city dwelling, taking possession of a recreated landscape, building their country homes and planting crops on the earth made new. See Isaiah 65:18-21. Yes, there will be plenty of time for the events of Zechariah chapter fourteen.

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