Sunday 21 September 2014

God's Set Times

God has appointed times, seasons, days and hours - but it doesn't mean we are required to celebrate the ancient Jewish Feasts as if that were still possible. 

In the ancient past:

He brought Israel into Canaan when the iniquity of the Amorites was full. After the predicted 430 years in a land that was not theirs.

He gave Israel set times for appointed Feasts.

After the set period He restored their captivity.

In the past:

In the fulness of time God sent forth His Son. When the time was fulfilled. Daniel's 70 weeks.

Christ died on the day of Passover.

He was raised at the time of the Firstfruits.

The Holy Ghost was poured out when the Day of Pentecost was fully come.

In the future:

God has appointed a day in which He shall judge men through Christ Jesus.

Of that day and hour knoweth no man, nor angel, not even the Son of Man, but the Father only.

It is not for us to know the times and seasons which the Father has placed in His own hands.

How about in the present?

Now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation.

Hear His voice while it is called Today.

All days can be esteemed alike, Paul said. Let no one judge you regarding any particular day.

God doesn't require us to celebrate Old Covenant Feasts. 

We may focus our thoughts on the truth a Feast foreshadowed, at a certain time of the year; the Spirit may even lead us to, even unknowingly to us. But that's not the same as requiring us to "keep the Feast". We don't have to eat or blow a shofar or any such thing on a set day.

Those activities were set for Israel while they were still under the Law. The shadows were fulfilled not by annual set-Feasts but by major events (such as the cross, the resurrection, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the future day of judgment) and also fulfilled by our daily enjoyment of it or hope of it, and perhaps by being led by the Spirit to focus specially on those themes at a time which corresponds with the ancient feast-time, though this could happen without a believer necessarily even being aware of the dates. In any case it wouldn't be called, "Keeping the Feast" in the sense that the Torah and Tenakh meant it.






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