DID PAUL OPPOSE THE KEEPING OF THE APPOINTED TIMES?

                                                  

                                               CHAPTER THIRTEEN

DID PAUL OPPOSE THE KEEPING OF THE APPOINTED TIMES?                     

                                                            

It is unfortunate that the devil has been successful in twisting the scriptures to mislead many into believing that the celebrations of the appointed times of the Lord ceased or were abolished at the cross.

That is one of the biggest lies of Satan in which he has succeeded immensely. The words of Paul in Colossians 2:16 are especially coined around to portray the wrong picture. The words of Paul may appear to suggest so from their outside appearance but when we interrogate them further we see the true picture. In our Bible studies, we must be guided by one of the cardinal rules of Bible reading which stipulates that before reaching a final decision on any biblical verse, we must “compare scripture with scripture, precept upon precept” (Isaiah 28:10).

We must bring together all the verses and statements to do with the feasts and compare them. When we do that, we find that the feasts are actually valid. Paul himself whose words are used to fight the feasts passionately and regularly observed and celebrated all the feasts of the Lord. The million dollar question is “Was it possible for Paul to criticize that which he passionately celebrated?”

Jesus himself endorsed the Festival of Pentecost which was held 50 days after his resurrection by sending the promised Holy Spirit. Jesus himself participated in the Feast of Unleavened bread on the evening of the resurrection Sunday at Cleopas place (Luke 24:30). The early Church led by Peter also kept and observed the appointed times. The evidence in the New Testament for the observation of the Lord’s feasts is actually more than that of the seventh day Sabbath.

Talking about the Sabbatical laws which justify the feasts as recorded in Exodus 23:10-17, one of the greatest teachers of the Bible has this to say in R&H, May 6, 1875, “ Christ gave Moses religious precepts which were to govern their every day life. These statutes were explicitly given to govern the Ten Commandments. These are not shadowy types to pass away with the death of Christ. They were to be binding upon men in every age as long as time should last”. This supports the view that the feasts are still binding even today.

If you look at the constitutions of world governments, you will find that they are modeled after God’s Covenant as recorded from the 20^th to the 23^rd chapter of Exodus. Even the rule of an eye for an eye is well entrenched in constitutions of all world governments. That is why God urges us to respect the authorities since in one way or the other they do his bidding since the Church cannot enforce the laws by force and the laws are also applicable to Christians and Non -Christians alike.  The following scriptures show that the early Church as well as Paul observed the appointed times passionately and regularly. (Acts 2;1, 12;3, 18;21, 20;16, 27:9. 1Corinthians 5;8, 16;8. Mathew 8;11. Mark 14;25.)

 The end-time Elijah message itself is a message to God’s Church and one wonders why Elijah must call upon a Sabbath keeping Church to “Remember the Law of my servant Moses, the decrees and Laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel” (Malachi 4:4). This must not be referring to the Saturday Sabbaths but to the feasts.