Meranda Devan Messianic Remnant

Sabbath Keeping? Festival Keeping? Should WE Keep Them?

Should We Keep The Law

This topic has stirred up controversy for several years.  Here are just a few points to consider when determining if YOU should keep them…..

First and Foremost-

  • We are not saved by the law, we are saved by faith through Jesus. (John 3: 16-18) (Eph. 2:8,9) (Acts 15:9, 11) (Romans 10:9, 10)
  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

We cannot possibly earn our way into heaven. None of us are better than the other, as we all fall miserably short of perfection, even when we try to keep the commandments.   The question isn’t about salvation or works, but rather obedience.  Should we keep the old testament laws?  Do they still apply today?

Here are a number of compelling reasons why the Sabbath, Festivals, and Food Laws should be kept today:

  1. God the FATHER (YHWH ) Rested on the 7th day of Creation Genesis 2:3
  2. God the Father (YHWH) Instructing us to keep them- putting it into the 10 Commandments. Exodus 20:8 In Exodus 31:16, 17 it says it’s observance is a perpetual (FOREVER ) Never ending covenant.

 

  1. Yeshua Kept the Sabbath Luke 4:16 and the Festivals . Why would Yeshua do away with what the Father set up? That makes no sense.  He came and was a CONTINUATION of the covenant.
  2. Yeshua’s disciples kept the Sabbath immediately after His death. Luke 53:54-56
  3. Twenty years after Yeshua’s resurrection, Paul was teaching both the Jews and the Gentiles every Sabbath. At one point for a period of eighteen consecutive months. Acts 13:14, 42-44
  4. When Yeshua returns AGAIN we will be keeping the Sabbath and the Festivals (FOREVER) for EVER. Isaiah 66:22-23

God’s marvelous plan has unfolded in these festivals and the interesting part, is they still are unfolding.

If you do not know about them, here is a quick Summary: Lev 23:

  1. The Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover represents Deliverance. It represented an important occurrence in Israel’s exodus from Egypt. But it also represents the death of a much later “Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36). The children of Israel were delivered from their Egyptian oppressors during the festival that follows the Passover ceremony. So for generations believers kept this festival LOOKING forward to the Messiah dieing for their sins. The purpose of the Passover from the beginning was to represent the future sacrifice of Yeshua, the Messiah.

When Yeshua returns to establish His Kingdom in its fullness on the earth, He will again participate in the Passover ceremony with His disciples, those who faithfully follow His teachings and example.

  1. The Feast of Pentecost OR called Feast of Weeks- The Israelites received the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone at the time of Pentecost. A special relationship between God and the community of the Israelites was sealed at this time. The Holy Spirit was given at this time (Acts 2:1-4). THEN Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Ezekiel 36:26-27 He promised to write His laws on their hearts and minds with His Holy Spirit, instead of on tablets of stone, as in the time of Moses.
  2. The Feast of Trumpets OR Rosh Hashanah God instructed Moses that “in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:24). Why remember the blowing of trumpets? What relationship do trumpets have to God’s master plan and the mission of the Messiah?The Bible reveals the significance of trumpets: The blowing of trumpets will announce the return of Yeshua.  When Yeshua will gather us up to the Great supper, just a little while later, we will return with him on Atonement, where he will reign for 1000 years.
  1. The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement was instituted to remind us that the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua, not only for individual Christians in this present age but, after He returns, for cleansing all of mankind of all sins. That atonement paves the way for Him to gather all peoples into His Kingdom during the 1,000 years when Satan is restrained from confusing and misleading them (Revelation 20:2-3). The Day of Atonement thus has a clear Christian theme.  It is traditional to wear white.
  2. The Feast of Tabernacles This festival is a celebration of God’s guidance, protection and blessings for His people. Yeshua will give those same blessings even more abundantly to the whole world when He returns and establishes His reign on earth. This festival also celebrates the birth of the Messiah, who was born just 5 miles from where this celebration was held from year to year thousands of years before His birth.  It was a dress rehearsal of the real event.   The prophet Zechariah tells us that attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles will be required of all peoples after Christ returns (Zechariah 14:16).

If the bible tells us that we are going to be observing this festival in the future, (Zechariah 14:16), doesn’t it make sense, that we are to observe it now? 

They observed it before Yeshua, when Yeshua was here, (BUT not now), yet, again when Christ returns?

We ARE to keep the festivals.

Richness can be found in the biblical festivals, yet, there isn’t any significance with Christmas, and Easter, ….as you will find when you investigate their origins.  Millions are grabbing a hold of this information, and starting to keep these holidays in record numbers. The best thing is they are EASY to keep.  You can make them your own, and create your own special memories like you do with the other holidays you have always kept.  We have thrown away the meaningless holidays for these which contain so SOOO much more significance.

It is exciting to be a Christian in these end times….

Here are some other considerations:

  • Isaiah 58:13,14 -“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot From doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honorable, And honor it, desisting from your own ways, From seeking your own pleasure And speaking your own word…….”
  • John 15:10 9″As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
  • Matthew 5: 17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
  • Acts 25:8 Paul kept the Law:8Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”