Why I Believe that Christians Should Honor and commemorate the Biblical Feasts of the LORD
By Brother Michel Lankford
Principles Review/Overview
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They are Appointments that God Himself Made to gather with His People to rehearse for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. It seems vitally important, not to mention polite that those who claim to be members of the Bride of Messiah who claim to LOVE the Bridegroom to actually desire and then to SHOW UP for our wedding rehearsals (Cf. Matthew 22:1-14).
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God’s people are COMMANDED to announce and proclaim God’s Feasts and Appointed Times (Numbers 23:1-3; cf. Isaiah 56:1-8; and failure to distinguish what God has separated out for Himself is to commit acts of violence against God and and His Kingdom (Ezekiel 22:26).
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NOWHERE in Scripture are we commanded to import and adapt the festival days, the decorations, the mythologies and customs which were connected for centuries with the worship of false gods. In fact God’s people are COMMANDED NOT to do such wicked things (Exodus 32:1-10; Deuteronomy 12:1-4, 8, 29-32; Jeremiah 10:1-2; Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13; Romans 6:15-16; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 14-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Colossians 2:8; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; Revelation 14:12; Revelation 21:7-8)
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God’s Feasts and Appointed Times are NOT ONLY for the Jews or the Hebrew people, because such a false doctrine violates God’s Commandments. God’s Feasts and HIS Appointed times should observed by All people who claim to believe in and claim to belong to the Almighty Creator God who revealed Himself to Moses (Exodus 12:49; Leviticus 24:22; Numbers 15:15; Romans 11:17,19,23; Ephesians 2:11–13) Notice that WE Gentiles who receive Messiah were grafted INTO the Israel of God, so that we could learn and adopt and come into agreement with God and HIS ways. Israel was NEVER intended to be grafted into the world, so that we would all become more pagan, and look and act like the world. WE were Grafted INTO ISRAEL. Israel WAS NOT meant to be grafted into pagan worldly practices. God always called that sin. That is a KEY principle that the Church often forgets or chooses to ignore.
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Changing God’s Established times and changing God’s Laws is actually a signal of the beasts and antichrists which are in the world (Daniel 7:24-25).
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Even Paul would clearly deny that he was teaching against KEEPING God’s Feasts. He taught and practiced keeping God’s Feasts and appointed times
As it is written:
"Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8, NKJV)
God's Definition of a Feast
I've often said that a key part of discipleship is that we must define all our key terms and concepts in the same manner that Yahweh Almighty God defines things in His Word. Once again I stress this point because if we hold definitions and meanings that are different than how God defines things, we can deceive ourselves into believing that we are living righteously when God's word says that we aren't. Whether we like to admit it or not, many of our definitions and conclusions about key principles comes from culture rather than our Bibles. If we are truly honest, many of our definitions and understandings for key concepts are far more heavily influenced by Greco-Roman pagan ideas and definitions then they are by what Scripture teaches. That's simply a historical fact which any honest student of history can confirm. When we think of the term, "FEAST," the idea that our mind most often jumps to is getting around the table full of food, and eating ourselves into a food coma, and then partying and having a good time. That definition or understanding of a feast is actually a throwback to a Greco-Roman style orgy. That understanding is not a biblical concept of a feast. The word FEAST in Hebrew is Hebrew strong's #4150 (Mo'ed- singular) or Mo'edeem-plural). In Hebrew it literally means, "An appointed time of meeting for rehearsal with Yahweh."
So these are set appointments which Yahweh Almighty God Himself has set, when He GUARANTEES to meet with His people. Now, right off the bat, it seems to me that people who truly love Yahweh with their entire being and really want to be closer to Him, should never want to miss the opportunity to be at an appointment in which God guarantees to show up. Chew and meditate on that for a bit.
Let's backtrack a little bit. You remember Genesis 1:14?: As it is written:
"Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;” (Genesis 1:14, NKJV)
Most people read that verse in the English and we generally ASSUME that Almighty God put the stars in the sky so that we could be able to distinguish between the seasons of spring summer fall and winter, but that is NOT at all what it means. The word used for seasons in Genesis 1:14 is the Hebrew word (Mo'ed). So, one of the original functions for which God placed the stars in the sky was so that it would serve as a signal to all God followers so that we could identify the times which Yahweh has appointed for meeting and rehearsal with HIM. That has been a principle that God established at creation. That's a key portion of the ancient paths (Jeremiah 6:16) which believers have often forgotten, because we have been so heavily influenced by traditions of men which we have allowed to replace what Scripture says.
Proclaiming God's Appointed Times
One of the biggest myths in modern-day Christianity is that God's feasts and appointed times are Jewish feasts. It's a popular misconception, but that is not what Scripture says:
As it is written:
"And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” (Leviticus 23:1–2, NKJV)
First, did you notice that not once, but twice in the same passage, Almighty God the Creator clearly identifies the festivals that He is going to discuss in Leviticus chapter 23 as being HIS FEASTS? God declares that these are the appointed times for convocation that belong to HIM. That's a perspective that we have definitely lost through religious traditions of men.
Secondly, did you notice that we are COMMANDED to PROCLAIM God's feasts and HIS appointed times? That's the part of the Scripture that I'm trying to obey right now, by writing these words to you. I'm proclaiming and calling your attention to God's Feasts, and His appointed times for us to rehearse with Him.
Some well-meaning believers out there will say, "Hey, don't you believe that we should celebrate the birth Messiah coming in the flesh for our sake?" Of course I do! Biblically, we should be commemorating that event during the Feast of Tabernacles, which is when He was actually born. Do I believe in honoring Messiah's death on our behalf for our sins? Of course I do! However, in order to do that biblically, we should NOT imitate or copy communion traditions which were taken from worshiping a pagan god mithra, but instead we should be keeping Passover, and when we are drinking the cup of redemption after supper, we should do it in remembrance of what Jesus did, which is exactly what Messiah said to do. Do I believe in honoring the resurrection of the Messiah and Christ? Of course I do! In order to do that biblically though, we should be honoring the feast of Firstfruits, because Yeshua the Messiah is the firstfruits of the resurrection, we should not be honoring Ishtar's (Easter) Sunday.
NOWHERE in Scripture are we told to commemorate Messiah's birth at the winter solstice fesivals. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to copy and incorporate the festival days of pagan gods, the decorations used to honor pagan gods, the mythologies of pagan gods and the decorations and even the names of pagan gods. If you don't believe me, search out the history and meanings of almost every Christmas tradition for yourself. The next time you're tempted to sing Yuletide carols, do a real historical search of who Yule was, and what a Yuletide festival was! If you have any God conscience at all, once you learn the truth about these things it will literally make you ill. Nowhere in Scripture are we told to imitate copy or proclaim pagan festivals. In fact God in Scripture specifically COMMANDS us NOT to copy these things (Exodus 12:1-4, 8, 29-32; Jeremiah 10:1-2).
On the contrary, we are COMMANDED to
proclaim and declare
God's Sabbaths. We are
commanded to proclaim the
LORD'S Passover, and the
Feast of Unleavened Bread. We are
commanded to proclaim the
Feast of Firstfruits.
We are commanded to proclaim the
biblical Feast of Pentecost (not 50 days after Ishtar's Sunday, but 50 days after Firstfruits). Sometimes they coincide, but sometimes they don't, so it makes a difference.
We are
COMMANDED to proclaim the
Feast of Trumpets. We are
commanded to proclaim the appointed time of the
Day of Atonement and Judgment.
We are commanded to proclaim and
rehearse the Feast of Tabernacles, which is not only a commemoration of when Messiah was born, but it is also a rehearsal and the preparation for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, which is yet to come!!
Thirdly, did you notice that God's appointed times are to be holy convocations? They are to be set apart for sacred gatherings of God's people. Don't get me wrong, as believers who love Yahweh Almighty God, it is permitted for us to gather for praise prayer and fellowship at other times with one another as well, but we are especially REQUIRED to set apart God's appointed times and to gather especially for holy convocations during God's Feasts
Why Changing God's Feasts and Appointed Times Is SO Incredibly Dangerous
This is another understanding that is often lost by God followers because we have forsaken God's ancient paths (Jeremiah 6:16, and we have taken up the traditions of men instead of retaining and following what God specifically said, (Colossians 2:8). Believe it or not, changing or replacing God's appointed times of meeting for rehearsal with Him; is literally a characteristic of the beasts and antichrists. Don't take my word for it. Just look at what Yahweh Almighty God has already said through the prophet Daniel:
As it is written:
"The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:24–25, NKJV)
So, let's unpack the characteristics of the beasts or what is later identified in Scripture as beasts and antichrists will do. What are the characteristics that they will possess according to what God said through the prophet Daniel?:
- He shall speak boastful and presumptuous words against Almighty God. (So, we know by that fact alone that he is NOT going to be on God's side, but he will speak presumptuously against God the Most High).
- He will persecute, abuse, (some translations use the words 'wear out' the saints. So he will definitely make it harder for those who are trying to obey God's true ways to be able to do so successfully.
- He will seek to change the times that God established. He will change God's biblical calendar to try to delay God's progress in people's lives and to hinder God's influence on the world; by changing the times that people hold in observance.
- Lastly, he will seek to change God's Law. He will try to change the Torah and the influence that God's Law has in people's lives. Now, that's what the beasts will do according to what God said through the prophet Daniel.
Beloved, I BEG you to stop and think about the significance of this. Please think soberly and think biblically for a moment. When somebody speaks presumptuously contrary to what God has already said; when they say something such as, "Well God is so gracious that God is not going to care if you do X...Y....Z…," when Scripture specifically says that, oh yes God does have definite directions about those things, then is that person speaking for Christ, or are they unwittingly preparing people to be deceived, and to be more receptive to the beasts and antichrists, without realizing that that is what they're doing?
When someone says, "Well, I know that in the Old Testament, believers were required to keep God's Feasts and Appointed Times (which God said were eternal regulations, by the way), but now, because of Messiah, we are no longer required to learn and observe God's appointed times anymore, but instead we can now keep festivals that were invented by pagan rulers rather then learning and doing what God said, is that person truly speaking for Christ, or are they unwittingly setting themselves and others up to be more receptive to the antichrist? Think about it. In the light of Scripture, it's definitely a question worth asking.
When somebody tries to tell us that because of Messiah, God's Laws Commandments and Instructions no longer applies to the believers; when they say that God's Laws have changed; When they teach that we should now actively BREAK the explicit Commandments of God, and that we should now do the expressed OPPOSITE of what God has commanded us to do, because we are under grace; and they may sincerely believe it because of how they misunderstand some of the things that Paul wrote in the so-called New Testament, I have to seriously question their conclusion in the light of what God said through the prophet in Daniel 7:25. According to what God already said through the prophet, changing God's Law and His appointed times is a sign of the beasts and antichrists which are in the world. So to any Scriptural believer, that should throw up a definite red flag, shouldn't it?? Think about it.
Another reason why I seriously question the traditional Christian approach to devoutly ignoring God's feasts and ignoring God's appointed times for rehearsal with Him, is because of what God said through the prophet Ezekiel:
As it is written:
"Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27, NKJV)
Now please look at this passage very carefully what does GOD say will be the result that takes place inside a person when HE changes us, and when HIS SPIRIT comes to live inside of us? What does GOD say will be the result of that work being done in us?
- He will cleanse us from all filthiness and from all idolatry. That right there is a good place to start. When I learned that the holidays and festivals that Christians traditionally celebrate had nearly all of their origins, traditions, and beginnings from pagan religions; that it was adapted and imported from religious traditions where they worship other gods, I didn't want it anymore, because God's Holy Spirit working within me was actively cleansing me from all idolatry and filthiness.
-He will give us a new heart and a new spirit, taking out the old sinful nature. Now that is a picture of being born-again if I ever heard it. He also said that he would be putting HIS Spirit within us, and what will be the result when God does this?:
As it is written:
I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:25-27, NKJV)
This is what God says will happen when the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us. He will cause us to WALK in God's statutes, NOT abandon them. He will cause us to KEEP God's judgments NOT violate them. The Holy Spirit will cause us to DO God's Commandments, and NOT to do the opposite of what God has said.
Yes, God did speak and promise a New Testament (a New Covenant), but He was very clear and specific about what would be accomplished in the New Covenant. Yes, He would remove our sin and our guilt from us, but He would also write His Laws on our hearts and on our mind, the idea being that we would not continue to violate them (See Jeremiah 31:31-34). NOWHERE in Scripture does God promise to do away with His Laws Commandments and Instructions. In fact, He promises to do just the opposite.
Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) Himself faithfully kept God's Feasts and appointed times of meeting for rehearsal. He did not break God's Commandments (Hebrews 4:15). 29 years after Jesus died and rose again Christian believers were specifically directed to walk in every manner the way that Jesus walked (1 John 2:1-6). Jesus the Christ Messiah actively kept God's feasts and appointed times for rehearsal with the LORD, and we should walk in the same manner because that's how Jesus walked before the LORD. Yeshua the Messiah would never have violated (Deuteronomy 12:1-4, 8, 29-32; Jeremiah 10:1-2); Jesus would never have mixed in an incorporated pagan and idolatrous religious traditions and idol worship practices and behaviors together with worshiping Yahweh Almighty God. He would consider that sin and repugnant. Since Jesus did not walk that way with His Heavenly Father, we should copy what Jesus did and not mix pagan worship practices with godly worship either. When we violate that principle, we are not only violating the Old Testament, but we are actively breaking the New Testament instructions in 1 John 2:1-6 as well.
Jesus Christ Himself specifically taught that when we treat the commandments which were handed down by men as though they were just as good as obeying Commandments of God, it is offering God vain worship. Likewise, Messiah also said that when we BREAK the Commandments of God and we keep the traditions and commandments of men, that is worshiping God in VAIN (Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13; cf. John 4:24). So if we continue to break the Commandments of Almighty God, and we choose to continue obeying the commandments and traditions which were ordered by pagan Roman emperors who claimed to be Christians and if we continue to obey Roman Catholic popes and disobey the Commandments of God in order to keep man-made traditions, we are offering to God vain worship. Folks, that's not my opinion, those are the Words and Principles of the Messiah and Christ in the New Testament. If He is truly your Lord and truly your Master, and the Shepherd and leader of your soul, then what He regards as true worship versus vain worship should make a difference to you. If you do not TRULY care about applying Messiah's definitions of true worship and avoiding Messiah's definitions of vain worship; if HIS definitions do not really matter to you, then are you really allowing Him to be Lord and Master of your life in that area? It's a critical question that every Christian must face and periodically review (John 10:4-5, 27; 2 Corinthians 13:5).
"But Paul said we did not have to keep the law anymore, because we are saved by grace."
Let me say that I fully sympathize and understand how you would come to believe such a doctrine. I've been a Christian for going on 25 years and in ministry going on 20 years. I held that same traditional doctrine for about 21 years. Every traditional church I've been in has held essentially the same doctrinal error. I was taught the same way of misinterpreting Paul in Bible college, and God forgive me, I used to teach that very false idea myself, because I believe my teachers, and I figured they must know more than I do since they are getting paid to teach. Upon looking at Scripture a lot more carefully, I have come to understand that Paul was NOT teaching people to BREAK God's Commandments at all.
There are countless numbers of problems with the false doctrine that Paul told us that it was okay to do away with God's Laws and His Commandments, but I’ll only focus on the top few issues.
First, Paul is an apostle, Paul is NOT God.
An apostle is one who is sent with a message. That's what the word apostle literally means. Jesus Christ the Son of God and Messiah specifically said that a servant is NOT greater than His master, and that the one who is sent is not greater than the one who sent him, (John 13:16). So, no matter how anointed and empowered by God, Paul the apostle was, he does not have the right or authority to change or do away with what God previously Commanded, or to contradict what Jesus the Messiah already said beforehand. If a messenger contradicts the one who sent him with the message, then he is not being faithful to the one who sent him to deliver that message. Without realizing it, when we teach that Paul the apostle said it was okay to break God's Commandments because we are under grace, we are actually teaching that Paul was not a faithful and true apostle, because that is contradicting what God and Christ previously said.
Paul the apostle of grace specifically wrote that certain habits and behaviors WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God:
As it is written:
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV)
As it is written:
"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, NKJV)
Did these things suddenly become sin only after Paul wrote about them in his letters? Or were these things already sin before Paul ever wrote about them, because God had already said that these things were sin? Where did Paul get the idea that these things were wrong?
For example, we know that witchcraft, idolatry and sorcery will not inherit the kingdom of God. we just read it in the New Testament. (cf Revelation 21:8). Did witchcraft and idolatry only BECOME SIN AFTER Paul and the other apostles wrote about it in their letters, or were the apostles only repeating and restating what God had already described as being sin before hand? (Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Ezekiel 13:17–23)
We know that fornication, adultery, homosexuality and other sexual sins are sins that WILL NOT inherit the kingdom of God. We just read that in the New Testament. Did those things only BECOME SIN AFTER Paul wrote about these in his letters, or was Paul only agreeing and restating what God had already described as being sin before Paul ever wrote about it (Leviticus 20:10; Leviticus 18:1-22)
- Did these certain righteous things only BECOME righteous AFTER Paul identified them in his epistles, or was the apostle Paul merely reminding his readers of what Yahweh and the Prophets had ALREADY long declared to be righteous? Did the things which Paul identified as wickedness and sin, ONLY BECOME SIN AFTER the apostle discussed them in his letters, or was the apostle of the Lord ONLY CONFIRMING the definitions of wickedness and sin, which YAHWEH Almighty God had already long since established?
- Was Paul Immaculately conceived in the Virgin's Womb?- NO.
- Did Paul establish the everlasting Covenants of Salvation?-NO.
- Did Paul Live a sinless life of perfect Love and obedience to God?-NO.
- Was Paul Crucified to pay for the sins of all humankind?-NO.
- Did Paul Physically Rise from the dead and visit with his followers afterward?-NO.
NO... In all these things Paul was MERELY a WITNESS who testified about Someone ELSE who DID DO THOSE THINGS. He never claimed otherwise. So then why do we PRESUME to boldly DISOBEY God and to DISOBEY Christ because WE THINK PAUL told us that it was okay?? If we DISOBEY God because Paul said it was okay, then who are we ultimately exalting and worshiping as Lord and Master of our lives at that point? Paul SERVED God and the Messiah. He NEVER intended nor wanted anything he said to supersede the Father's Instructions. So if there APPEARS to be a contradiction between what Almighty God said and what Paul wrote, then whom should we obey? Just which one of them is Lord anyway?
Second, Paul denies that he was teaching against God's Law:
The second enormous problem with teaching that Paul instructed us to do away with God's Law because we are under grace, is that Paul himself denies that doctrine in his own teachings. Here are just a few examples:
- Paul clearly said that a mindset which does not subject itself to YAHWEH God's LAW is carnal minded, it is hostile against God, it CANNOT please God, and it leads to DEATH, (Romans 8:5-8). He taught this after the death and resurrection of Messiah, and he taught it to a predominantly non-Hebrew Gentile congregation in Rome.
- Paul clearly taught that the so called "Old Testament" was written for OUR INSTRUCTION (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:1-6).
- Paul Clearly taught that Christians should NOT follow or copy pagan gentile methods of worship because it is DEMONIC in nature (1 Corinthians 10:19-22).
- Paul Clearly taught Christians to KEEP Passover/Unleavened Bread (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). He did not say to replace the feast in favor of copying pagan/Mithra communion services. He said to keep Passover and unleavened bread, but to keep Messiah as the focus.
- The apostle Paul took special care to deliberately keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Acts 18:18-21). He also later said that we should imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). So guess what feasts and festivals we should be honoring as Christians?
- Paul clearly taught Timothy (A 'New Testament' Pastor), to CONTINUE walking in the Scriptures which he had learned from childhood (1 Timothy 3:14-15) When Timothy was a child, there was NO New Testament. So what was Paul telling the New Testament Pastor Timothy to CONTINUE and NOT Stop doing?- The Old Testament.
- Paul Clearly taught that we should not be deceived and led astray; that we should not follow the religious traditions of MEN (Colossians 2:8), Christianity devoutly ignores that one.
- Paul clearly taught that we had to actively SEPARATE ourselves from what Yahweh Almighty God considered unclean, and that learning to do this was REQUIRED in order to be fully accepted as a child of God (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1). Christianity devoutly ignores that one.
I could keep going but I won't. The fact is that modern Christianity only seems to honor the parts of Paul's teaching that APPEARS to suggest you don't have to honor Yahweh's Decrees, which is NOT what Paul taught at all. I Cannot Justify abandoning God's Law, because I've done the math.
Conservatively there are about 70 Verses of Scripture in the New testament that could be misconstrued as giving us permission to abandon God's LAW and to break or abandon His Commandments., because we are "under Grace."
The big problem is that there are 220 or more verses in the New Testament that clearly teach that we should KEEP the Torah. So from a sheer number standpoint it's NOT EVEN A CLOSE CALL. Even if you push the envelope of misinterpretation, the odds are at least 3 to 1 AGAINST the possibility of you being right if you abandon the instructions of Genesis to Deuteronomy, even by supposed New Testament standards.
What Paul WAS teaching was that obeying Torah DOES NOT CAUSE salvation, but truly becoming born again in Yahweh's Spirit WILL CAUSE you to overcome your sinful nature and WILL CAUSE you to OBEY Yahweh's Decrees. Obeying Yahweh does not cause salvation, but truly being born again ALWAYS causes you to Obey Yahweh's Instruction. That is the true fruit and evidence of Salvation. Paul was merely refuting a false teaching of Rabbinical Judaism which taught that obeying the law causes salvation, when it's actually the other way around. First you get saved through grace, then you obey God. The Old Testament actually taught the same thing (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Paul was just trying to bring people back to what written Scripture actually said and away from the rabbinical traditions of men. He was not encouraging lawlessness against Yahweh's Laws. He was NOT suggesting that we should not subject ourselves to God's Laws, because he knew that not subjecting ourselves to God's Law was carnal minded, it is hostile against God, it cannot please God, and it leads to death (Romans 8:5=8).
"Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:8, NKJV)
