by Paul W. Puckett

There are two primary questions that arise in the current ongoing discussions. First, are the feasts or appointed times of God still in effect and do they apply to us today living in the end times described in scripture?

"On the fourteenth day of the month at even," the Passover was celebrated on the plains of Jericho. "And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan." The long years of their desert wanderings were ended. The feet of Israel were at last treading the Promised Land" (Patriarchs and Prophets 486.2)

"These types were fulfilled, not only as to the event, but as to the time. On the fourteenth day of the first Jewish month, the very day and month on which, for fifteen long centuries, the Passover lamb had been slain, Christ, having eaten the Passover with his disciples, instituted that feast which was to commemorate his own death as “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” That same night he was taken by wicked hands, to be crucified and slain. And as the antitype of the wave-sheaf, our Lord was raised from the dead on the third day, “the first-fruits of them that slept,” [1 Corinthians 15:20] a sample of all the resurrected just, whose “vile body” shall be changed, and “fashioned like unto his glorious body” [Philippians 3:21] (The Great Controversy 88 399.2).

"The LORD is no less particular now in regard to his Sabbath, than when he gave the foregoing special directions to the children of Israel. He required them to bake that which they would bake, and seethe (that is, boil) that which they would seethe, on the sixth day, preparatory to the rest of the Sabbath. Those who neglect to make suitable preparation on the sixth day for the Sabbath, violate the fourth commandment, and are transgressors of God's law" (The Signs of the Times, April 15, 1880 par. 3).

"That was a never-to-be-forgotten Sabbath to the sorrowing disciples, and also to the priests, rulers, scribes, and people. At the setting of the sun on the evening of the preparation day the trumpets sounded, signifying that the Sabbath had begun. The Passover was observed as it had been for centuries, while He to whom it pointed had been slain by wicked hands, and lay in Joseph's tomb" (The Desire of Ages 775).

"When there shall be a 'restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began' (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph's tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as "from one Sabbath to another" (Isaiah 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb" (The Desire of Ages 769.2-770).

"On the sixth day the people gathered two omers for every person. The rulers hastened to acquaint Moses with what had been done. His answer was, 'This is that which the LORD hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.' They did so, and found that it remained unchanged. 'And Moses said, Eat that today; for today is a Sabbath unto the Lord: today ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none'" (Patriarchs and Prophets 295.3).

"God requires that His holy day be as sacredly observed now as in the time of Israel. The command given to the Hebrews should be regarded by all Christians as an injunction from Jehovah to them. The day before the Sabbath should be made a day of preparation, that everything may be in readiness for its sacred hours. In no case should our own business be allowed to encroach upon holy time. God has directed that the sick and suffering be cared for; the labor required to make them comfortable is a work of mercy, and no violation of the Sabbath; but all unnecessary work should be avoided. Many carelessly put off till the beginning of the Sabbath little things that might have been done on the day of preparation. This should not be. Work that is neglected until the beginning of the Sabbath should remain undone until it is past. This course might help the memory of these thoughtless ones, and make them careful to do their own work on the six working days" (ibid., 296.1)

NOTE: Twice a year in YHVH’s calendar, the first day of a 7-day feast, or appointed time, is a Sabbath. This is on the 15th day of the month in each case, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the 1st month [Nisan], and the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles in the 7th month [Tishri]. This is typically thought of as a “high” day or Sabbath. It is the same as the 7th-day Sabbath, not separately a “feast” Sabbath, and should be regarded as such.

NOTE: Notice the specific day that the Israelites murmured; it was the 15th day of the second month, the self-same day they came out of Egypt. In the instructions, YHVH says He will give them quail after sundown, then the next day, in the morning, the 16th day, He would give them manna for 6 days; 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st. The next day is the 7th day Sabbath, and is the 22nd day of the month. If the 22nd day of the month is the 7th-day Sabbath, then the 15th is also the 7th-day Sabbath, and likewise, the 8th and the 29th.

John 12:1-8: "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always."

SIX DAYS BEFORE THE PASSOVER:

PASSOVER = 14th OF THE MONTH OF NISAN, from the 14th we subtract 6 days: 14 - 6 = 8th OF THE MONTH (A SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH).

So according to the gospel of John, the Messiah went to Mary and Martha on the 8th day of the month -- A SABBATH DAY, according to the Biblical calendar.

"The Saviour had reached Bethany only six days before the Passover, and according to his custom had sought rest at the home of Lazarus. The crowds of travelers who passed on to the city spread the tidings that he was on his way to Jerusalem, and that he would rest over the Sabbath at Bethany. Among the people there was great enthusiasm. Many flocked to Bethany, some out of sympathy with Jesus, and others from curiosity to see one who had been raised from the dead" (The Desire of Ages 557.3).

John 12:12-15: "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the LORD. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass' colt."

"It was on the first day of the week that Christ made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Multitudes who had flocked to see him at Bethany now accompanied him, eager to witness his reception. Many people were on their way to the city to keep the Passover, and these joined the multitude attending Jesus. All nature seemed to rejoice. The trees were clothed with verdure, and their blossoms shed a delicate fragrance on the air. A new life and joy animated the people. The hope of the new kingdom was again springing up" (The Desire of Ages 569.3).

NOTE: the first day of this week would have been the 9th day of the biblical month, the day just prior to the day when the Passover Lamb would have been selected (10th day), and the Jews would have conspired to kill the Messiah.

"That was a never-to-be-forgotten Sabbath to the sorrowing disciples, and also to the priests, rulers, scribes, and people. At the setting of the sun on the evening of the preparation day the trumpets sounded, signifying that the Sabbath had begun. The Passover was observed as it had been for centuries, while he to whom it pointed had been slain by wicked hands, and lay in Joseph's tomb" (ibid., 775).

"When there shall be a 'restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began' (Acts 3:21), the creation Sabbath, the day on which Jesus lay at rest in Joseph's tomb, will still be a day of rest and rejoicing. Heaven and earth will unite in praise, as 'from one Sabbath to another' (Isaiah 66:23) the nations of the saved shall bow in joyful worship to God and the Lamb" (The Desire of Ages 769.2-770).

NOTE: Passover was always celebrated on the 14th day of the 1st biblical month [Nisan], which was the 6th day of the week. The day that the Messiah lay in the tomb, the creation Sabbath, is the 15th day of the biblical month, always a 7th-day Sabbath in scripture.

Receiving New Light in the End Times

"There is to be in the [Seventh-day Adventist] churches a wonderful manifestation of the power of God, but it will not move upon those who have not humbled themselves before the LORD, and opened the door of the heart by confession and repentance. In the manifestation of that power which lightens the earth with the glory of God, they will see only something which in their blindness they think dangerous, something which will arouse their fears, and they will brace themselves to resist it. Because the LORD does not work according to their ideas and expectations they will oppose the work. 'Why,' they say, 'should we not know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?'" (The Review and Herald Extra, December 23, 1890. {Last Day Events 209.3}).

"The third angel's message will not be comprehended, the light which will lighten the earth with its glory will be called a false light, by those who refuse to walk in its advancing glory" (The Review and Herald May 27, 1890. {Last Day Events 210.1}).

"It is not God that blinds the eyes of men or hardens their hearts. He sends them light to correct their errors, and to lead them in safe paths; IT IS BY THE REJECTION OF THIS LIGHT THAT THE EYES ARE BLINDED AND THE HEART HARDENED. Often the process is gradual, and almost imperceptible. Light comes to the soul through God's word, through His servants, or by the direct agency of His Spirit; but when ONE RAY OF LIGHT is disregarded, there is a partial benumbing of the spiritual perceptions, and the second revealing of light is less clearly discerned. So the darkness increases, until it is night in the soul" (The Desire of Ages 32).

(Written January 18, 1889, from Battle Creek, Michigan to R. A. Underwood) "You seem to be surprised that I look at matters in the light that I do. You speak of the resolution that you thought ought to have passed at the General Conference. What did that resolution comprehend? It virtually said that nothing should be taught in the college but that which had been taught during the past year...." (Manuscript Releases Vol. 13, 334.1).

"I stated that I was a stockholder and I could not let the resolution pass, that there was to be special light for God's people as they neared the closing scenes of this earth's history. Another angel was to come from heaven with a message, and the whole earth was to be lightened with his glory. It would be impossible for us to state just how this additional light would come. It might come in a very unexpected manner, in a way that would not agree with the ideas that many have conceived. It is not at all unlikely, or contrary to the ways and works of God, to send light to His people in unexpected ways. Would it be right that every avenue should be closed in our school so that the students could not have the benefit of this light? The resolution was not called for" (Letter 22, 1889). White Estate Washington, D. C. May 17, 1984 (Manuscript Releases Vol. 13, 334.2).

FOOTNOTE:

[1] In several places in the writings of Ellen White, she used the term “Jewish month,” or “Jewish year.” It should be noted that this is an incorrect reference to the ownership of the lunar-solar calendar set forth in the scriptures. The calendar of scripture is given by YHVH (God) to Moses and the Israelites, and it is His calendar, that was given to the Jewish/Israelite people.

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