Do Seventh-day Adventists Keep Feast Days?

Question:

I have heard some people teach that we, as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, should keep the feast days. Is this true?

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Answer:

The feast days are a part of the Levitical ceremonial system. In other words, it came into existence when the children of Israel were at Mount Sinai. Paul referred to this ceremonial system by various terms, such as “the handwriting of ordinances,” “the law of commandments contained in ordinances,” “the law,” and “the commandment”:

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Col. 2:14.

“Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.” Eph. 2:15.

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Heb. 10:1.

Paul shows that “the law” was only to exist until the Seed, the Messiah (Christ), which the rites pointed to, “should come”: “Therefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.” Gal. 3:19.

Writing after the time of Christ, Paul uses a strong word, “disannulling,” to show how decidedly the Levitical ceremonial law is no longer in effect: “For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” Heb. 7:18. Disannul means to make void, cancel, abolish, nullify, to make of no value. The Spirit of Prophecy says: “As the Bible presents two laws, one changeless and eternal [the Ten Commandments], the other [ceremonial law] provisional and temporary, so there are two covenants.” PP 370.

Thus there is also a covenant that is timeless, which is the “new” or second covenant, and a “first” or old covenant that is provisional and temporary: “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. . . . In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” Heb. 8:7, 13.

When the Seed, Christ Jesus, came, the Levitical priesthood had to change, and if the priesthood changed, the ceremonial law also had to change to make way for a different priesthood: “If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” Heb. 7:11-12.

Thus both the priesthood and the ceremonies performed by those priests had to change at the same time. One aspect could not change without the necessity of the other changing at the same time. Thus, in order for Christ to become our Great High Priest after the order of Melchisedec, the Levitical priesthood and the ceremonies performed by it had to change, i.e. to be removed: “For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling [cancelling, abolishing] of the [ceremonial] commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” Heb. 7:17-18.

To observe the feasts, which were a part of the ceremonial system instituted at Sinai, is to reject Christ as our High Priest. One cannot keep the Levitical ceremonies without also rejecting Christ as our High Priest and the work that He is currently performing. The old covenant of ceremonies cannot be kept and at the same time believe in the new covenant High Priest. “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?” Heb. 10:29.

“In this ordinance [the Lord’s Supper], Christ discharged His disciples from the cares and burdens of the ancient Jewish obligations in rites and ceremonies. These no longer possessed any virtue; for type was meeting antitype in Himself, the authority and foundation of all Jewish ordinances that pointed to Him as the great and only efficacious offering for the sins of the world. He gave this simple ordinance that it might be a special season when He Himself would always be present, to lead all participating in it to feel the pulse of their own conscience, to awaken them to an understanding of the lessons symbolized, to revive their memory, to convict of sin, and to receive their penitential repentance. . . . It was Christ’s desire to leave to His disciples an ordinance that would do for them the very thing they needed—that would serve to disentangle them from the rites and ceremonies which they had hitherto engaged in as essential, and which the reception of the gospel made no longer of any force. To continue these rites would be an insult to Jehovah.” RH, June 14, 1898.

This is very clear. If we believe that Christ is our Great High Priest and He has paid the penalty of our sins, we must not keep these rites that merely pointed toward Him; otherwise we insult God.

However, we can use the ancient ceremonies to learn and teach lessons, but not to observe them: “The ceremonial law was given by Christ. Even after it was no longer to be observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true position and value, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious, worthy of its divine Originator. The solemn service of the sanctuary typified the grand truths that were to be revealed through successive generations. The cloud of incense ascending with the prayers of Israel represents His righteousness that alone can make the sinner’s prayer acceptable to God; the bleeding victim on the altar of sacrifice testified of a Redeemer to come; and from the holy of holies the visible token of the divine Presence shone forth. . . .” PP 367.