Law of Moses nailed to the cross in 1888
It’s been said by many of our mainstream preachers today that “The Law of Moses was nailed to the cross.”
I’d like to briefly go over some Seventh-day Adventist history regarding the Law.
Shortly before 1888 a major issue arose regarding “The Law in Galatians.” It ended up that some of our pioneers such as G.I. Butler and Uriah Smith believed that the Law of Moses was the ceremonial law alone, so they chose to nail the Law of Moses to the cross.
G.I. Butler called it “the abolished law of Moses” (G.I. Butler, “The Law in Galatians” page 41)
In 1893 when the subject of pork eating was being discussed using the statute in Deut.14:8, Uriah Smith who was also considered a major contributor to the rejection of the 1888 message given through elders A.T. Jones and E.J. Waggoner nailed the health statutes to the cross because he felt the statutes were part of the Law of Moses.
Uriah Smith said: “We believe there is better ground on which to rest [the prohibition on pork] than the ceremonial law of the former dispensation, if we take the position that that law is still binding, we must accept it all, and then we shall have more on our hands than we can easily dispose of.” {MR 852. 2.}
What was the fear of elders Uriah Smith and G.I. Butler? There were numerous articles written back and forth and almost a seeming war preceded 1888. E.J. Waggoner brought up the issue of the law of Moses in his book “The Gospel in Galatians”, which was a reply to the book by G.I. Butler called “The Law in Galatians”. In this reply, Waggoner went over the scriptures G.I. Butler used to refer to the law of Moses as the ceremonial law, and showed each place the law of Moses is used to actually have some reference to the Moral law, and then finally closed with the following.
Waggoner said:
“But there is still this distinction, that the ceremonial law was written only in the book, while the moral law was written on the tables of stone, with the finger of God, and also in a book. That the term, “the law of Moses,” does sometimes refer to the ten commandments, will be evident to anyone who will carefully read Deuteronomy 4:44 to 5:22 and onward; Joshua 23:6, 7; 1 Kings 2:3, 4; 2 Kings 23:24, 25, etc. See also Great Controversy, vol. 2, pp. 217, 218, beginning with last paragraph on page 217. On the other hand, the term “the law of the Lord” is applied to the ceremonial ordinances. For instance, see Luke 2:23, 24. Thus the terms, “the law of Moses,” and “the law of the Lord,” are used interchangeably of both laws.”(E.J. Waggoner, “Gospel in Galatians” page 35)
Light Shining in Connection with the Law in Waggoner’s Message
What did Ellen White say about Waggoner and the law?
“You k
“And for the first time I began to think it might be we did not hold correct views after all upon the law in Galatians, for the truth required no such spirit to sustain it.” {1888 Materials bk.1 p.221}
Waggoner understood that “the law of Moses” and “the law of the Lord” were the same law. He also understood that when Paul was speaking of “the law” in Galatians, as well as Romans and other books, he meant “the law of God” or “the law of Moses”. There was no distinction; they were the same law.
Have we made this mistake today in trying to distinguish between the “law of Moses” and the “law of God?”
Oftentimes I see these charts used by our modern day Seventh Day Adventist ministers, and on one side of the chart they have “the law of Moses” and on the other side of the chart “the law of God”, and they say, “the law of Moses” was “against us”. They also say, “the law of God” is “for us” on the opposite side. To a degree this is true, but what they fail to realize is that “the law of God” is “the law of Moses”, and it is witnessing against us when we break it. Another mistake is that they say it is the ceremonial law that witnesses against us, but the fact is, the moral law is witnessing against us instead.
Deu 31:24 And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,
Deu 31:25 That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,
Deu 31:26 Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.
Deu 31:27 For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
The law witnesses against us when we rebel. It is not the remedial law that would witness against us. That was performed after we rebelled. Therefore the law of Moses is not only the ceremonial law, but it is also the moral law, which witnesses against us.
Ellen White spoke about this issue. She said regarding the law in Galatians which was a major issue in 1888,
“I am asked concerning the law in Galatians. What law is the school-master to bring us to Christ? I answer: Both the ceremonial and the moral code of ten commandments.” {Ellen White 1888 1725.1}
After we violate the moral law, it teaches us that we need Christ. The law including both moral and ceremonial cannot justify us. It only points out the fact that we deserve “DEATH”, and we need to run to Christ who is the only one who could satisfy the demand of this law which was witnessing “against us”. This law is not just “the law of Moses”, it is “the law of God.” They are one and the same just as Waggoner tried to share in 1888.
The law of Moses is part of the Elijah message
When Ellen White wrote regarding the law of Moses, she said:
“From the light which God has given me it would be for our advantage to study the directions given to Israel (read Malachi 4). Verse 4 especially
“The closing words of Malachi are a prophecy regarding the work that should be done preparatory to the first and the second advent of Christ. This prophecy is introduced with the admonition, “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.” {SW, March 21, 1905 par. 1}–E. G. White: PERIODICALS / SW –The Southern Watchman -March 21, 1905 “In The Spirit and Power of Elias.)
What is it that we have not comprehended in Malachi 4 verse 4 which we need to carefully consider?
Mal 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
“The law of Moses with its statutes and judgments.” This is part of the Elijah message just before the second coming of Christ.
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
“God is now testing and proving His people. Character is being developed. Angels are weighing moral worth and keeping a faithful record of all the acts of the children of men. Among God’s professed people are corrupt hearts; but they will be tested and proved. That God who reads the hearts of everyone, will bring to light hidden things of darkness where they are often least suspected, that stumbling blocks which have hindered the progress of truth may be removed, and God have a clean and holy people to declare His STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS… The Captain of our salvation leads His people on step by step, purifying and fitting them for TRANSLATION…” (1T 332.3).
God is going to have a people to declare “his STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS.” This is what Smith, Butler and others stood up against in 1888. If you remember, Uriah Smith advised the prohibition of pork based on science rather than on the fact that the health statutes were still binding.
Ex. 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep ALL HIS STATUTES, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
So the health principles are statutes completely separate from the Decalogue (Ten Commandments). Notice in this next quote that Ellen White understood these statutes to be quite different than the Ten Commandments and they were actually given to explain and guard the Ten Commandments.
“In consequence of continual transgression, the moral law was repeated in awful grandeur from Sinai. Christ gave to Moses religious precepts which were to govern the everyday life. These statutes were explicitly given to guard the Ten Commandments. They were not shadowy types to pass away with the death of Christ. They were to be binding upon man in every age as long as time should last. These commands were enforced by the power of the moral law, and they clearly and definitely explained that law.” {RH, May 6, 1875 par. 10} –E. G. White –The Review and Herald May 6, 1875 –The Law of God.
Notes about this quote:
Statutes guard the ten commandments
These explained the moral law.
These were given to Moses.
These were repeated at Sinai indicating they existed before Sinai.
They will be binding as long as time should last.
They were not nailed to the cross and did not pass away at the death of Christ.
The Glorious Gospel Seen in the Law of Moses
In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul talks about the Jews who, when reading “Moses”, saw only a ministry of death and condemnation.
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2Co 3:7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
You’ll notice that part of this ministry of death was the ten commandments. If you are outside of Christ, they would KILL YOU. They do nothing but CONDEMN the sinner. If you refuse to walk after the spirit you are condemned, but Paul said, “there is no condemnation to those who walk after the spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
2Co.3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
2Co.3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
This was abolished by the cross of Christ; this ministration of death to whoever would accept it. Let’s remember though, that Christ was crucified from the foundation of the world(Rev 13:8), and if we read carefully the law of Moses, we would see the gospel of Christ. First note what Paul says; he says they were blinded to something.
2Co 3:13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
They don’t see it, nor do they want to read this because it condemns them. They saw nothing but a letter that condemned to death. God was the enemy and they thought, “if we sacrifice these things to God we will appease him and he will be happy.” Blind, blind, blind. “Blind, naked, and poor.” (Rev 3:17)
They could not see that God had given his only begotten son. They could not see the gospel in the writings of Moses. The vail was upon their heart.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Paul doesn’t stop in chapter 3. He keeps talking and in chapter 4 we see what they could not see when reading the law of Moses. What was hid? What was it that they were blinded from?
2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The “glory of God.” Isn’t that what the angel of Revelation 18 lightens the earth with? Is there light here that we think we have but we don’t? The Righteousness of Christ.
“…and God have a clean and holy people to declare His STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS…The Captain of our salvation leads His people on step by step, purifying and fitting them for TRANSLATION…”(1T 332.3).
Rev 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
“Said my guide, ‘There is MUCH LIGHT YET to shine forth from THE LAW OF GOD and the GOSPEL of righteousness. The message,
But the people are blinded to the glorious gospel of Christ contained in the law of Moses. Is it possible that we are getting to the LIGHT that “will LIGHTEN the earth with its GLORY?”
Act 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified THE KINGDOM OF GOD, persuading them concerning Jesus, both OUT OF THE LAW OF MOSES, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
And what is the kingdom of God which they taught out of “the law of Moses”?
In Luke 9 verse 2 we read:
Luk 9:2 And he sent them to preach THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and to heal the sick.
They were told to preach “the Kingdom of God and healed the sick”. Verse 6 tells us:
Luk 9:6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching THE GOSPEL, and healing every where.
This gospel was taught out of the Law of Moses. In Luke 24 we read an account of Jesus after he is risen walking with some men.
Luk 24:24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
Luk 24:25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luk 24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Luk 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Where did Christ teach them from? The law of Moses. The devil would love to nail these things to the cross.
What did these men say after Jesus left?
Luk
The “law of Moses” was not nailed to the cross. It is beautiful when properly understood. Jesus preached from these writings right after the cross, and so did all the apostles.
Acts 15
A controversy rose in Acts 15. Men were coming into the congregations of the Galatians and Romans teaching that you must keep the law of Moses to be justified. Since when did justification come by the law? The issue in Galatians is not whether or not we keep the law, but how we keep the law. Does justification come by “keeping the law?”
In Acts 15 they quote some of the statutes.
Act 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Abstinence from idols, fornication, and blood? Are these not “statutes” contained in “the Law of Moses?” Yes, they are. Furthermore, the gentiles are told to go to the synagogues on Sabbath to learn more of Moses’ law.
Act 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
They were not justified by keeping Moses’ law. They were to be justified by faith. However, when accepting this free gift of God’s grace, they went to the synagogues to learn more of Moses’ law with the statutes and judgments.
Rom 2:13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Doers of the law are justified. Not justified by the law, but by faith in Christ to do his good works in them. Christ will work in us.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God will do it in us. He promised. What is Paul talking about in Ephesians 2:10 when he says, “which God did ordain of old that we should walk in them?”
Deu 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
Deu 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it
This is what God before ordained that they were to walk in.
What was abolished, taken out of the way, nailed to the cross?
Now that we know “the law of Moses, with its statutes and judgments” were not nailed to the cross, what was abolished, taken out of the way, and nailed to the cross of Christ?
“And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease.” (Daniel 9:27 KJV)
“’In the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.’ In A.D. 31, three and a half years after His baptism, our Lord was crucified. With the great sacrifice offered upon Calvary, ended that system of offerings, which for four thousand years had pointed forward to the Lamb of God. Type had met antitype, and all the sacrifices and oblations of the ceremonial system were there to cease.” {GC88 327.3} -Ellen G. White -The Great Controversy (1888) Chapter XVIII -An American Reformer –p.327-328
Notice this quote; that it refers to the “sacrifices” and “offerings” as the “Ceremonial System.”
Note:
This “Ceremonial System” pointed to the cross for 4000 years.
This “Ceremonial System” existed before Moses if it pointed to the cross for 4000 years.
This “Ceremonial System” existed before Jews if it pointed to the cross for 4000 years.
This “Ceremonial System” clearly is not to be called “the law of Moses” as it is only a part of the law which was “REPEATED” to Moses.
So what did Christ “abolish” by the cross that “Israel could not steadfastly behold?” (2 Cor 3:13)
2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
Death was abolished and life was given through the glorious light of the gospel which the minds of the Israelites were blinded to when reading “the law of Moses.” Christ “abolished death.” Death was nailed to the cross. That’s why it says “sacrifice and oblation ceased.” (Dan 9:27).
Col 2:14 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;
In this verse, the word for “handwriting” is the Greek word “cheirographon”, which means a “bond” or “debt.” So, this little book of moral laws in the side of the ark is witnessing against us. Let’s look at a couple other versions of Colossians 2:14. We all owe a debt that we could never pay back for not continuing in all things written in the law, but praise God he has paid this debt as a gift to us.
(CEV) God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.
So God nailed our debt for breaking his law to the cross. He didn’t nail any of the moral law to the cross. He only nailed the debt which was against us to the cross.
This next version uses the actual words “record of debt”
(ESV) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The legal demand was DEATH. This was taken out of the way. Christ was made a curse for us, not so we could disobey God’s law, but so that we could fulfill God’s law even as he fulfilled the law (See Romans 3:31, 8:4). And here is another for further clarity.
(ISV) having erased the charges that were brought against us with their decrees that were hostile to us. He took those charges away when he nailed them to the cross.
So Jesus took our death penalty. He took our debt for breaking “the law of Moses.” This is a beautiful verse when we understand it properly. This doesn’t teach anything about nailing any of the law to the cross. In fact it tells us that every tittle of the law still needs to be fulfilled, even the penalty for breaking that law. The penalty was fulfilled by our savior Jesus Christ who satisfied the demand of the law.
Christ our “Sacrifice” was nailed to the cross, so that he took death out of the way, being nailed to the cross. He took our sins and our penalty; he was made a curse to redeem us from the curse of the law. The curse was for violating the moral law.
And yes, there was a change in the ceremonial law which we are going to get to.
Statutes that were not Nailed to the Cross
Consider this: How can we expect God to pour out His Spirit on a church that says, “We keep the commandments”, and yet nails some of the statute commandments to the cross where they don’t belong?
We have nailed more to the cross then just the penalty that was against us. We have gone so far as to nail “the law of Moses” to the cross with many of its “statutes and judgments.”
Are the Feasts Nailed to the Cross?
Now not everything is so black and white. There are 2 parts of the law, the Moral Law and there is the Ceremonial or Remedial System which was put in place after violating the moral law. But there seems to be a gray area where there are a lot of “statutes”, and some, as we’ve discovered, are still binding which could include statutes regarding health, marriage, tithing, fornication, usury. These statutes are still binding. Then there are statutes which pointed to the cross and were part of the Ceremonial Law such as “Sacrifices” and “Offerings.”
But there is a question concerning “the Feasts of Jehovah” as well as some of the other statutes that remain. Here is a quote from Pam Benton who did some research on this topic. This is what she discovered:
“Our English word statute comes from two original Hebrew words, Strong’s #2706 choq and Strong’s #2708 chuggah. According to Strong’s Lexical Aids, the definitions for both words are the same, except #2708 has the added qualifier of being permanently binding. The word statutes (#2706) most always refers to the sacrificial system and is not permanently binding. The word statutes (#2708) most always refers to the moral law, including God’s holy days in Leviticus chapter 23, and is permanently binding. Thus the original Hebrew words themselves suggest to us which statutes are permanently binding.” –Diamonds in the Sand by Pam Benton.
So looking at the Hebrew we can get a good idea of what is permanently binding and what is not.
Now, this is in no way an exhaustive study on this issue, but a very brief presentation which I pray will get us all to investigate what God has given to us, and that we might all receive the glorious light of his gospel which shines from the pages of the law of Moses, and which God will put in our mouth, and write on our heart.
Now let’s look at Colossians 2 again. There is a seeming objection to keeping the Feasts in verse 16.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Is it possible that Paul is saying let no man judge you in respect to your feast keeping, and keeping of the New Moons which are shadows of things to come?
What are they shadows of? Certainly there is still something to come which these would point forward to. Paul is speaking several years after the cross, so it is definitely not the cross that these shadows are pointing towards or else they would have been shadows of things that had passed rather than “shadows of things to come.”
Jesus talks about a wonderful time to come.
Luk 22:15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
Luk 22:16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
Jesus said he is going to eat the Passover with us when we get to heaven, so is it possible that only the Passover sacrifice, offerings, and national festival of the Jews passed away, and not the actual day? Is it possible that only the Passover sacrifice was nailed to the cross, and not the actual day?
Regarding the day, we read in Acts of the Apostles that Paul kept it.
“At Philippi Paul tarried to keep the Passover. Only Luke remained with him, the other members of the company passing on to Troas to await him there. The Philippians were the most loving and truehearted of the apostle’s converts, and during the eight days of the feast he enjoyed peaceful and happy communion with them.” {Ellen White AA 390.4}
Paul kept the 8 days of the feast. That would be the Passover day plus the 7 days of Unleavened Bread. Furthermore, he kept these with the Philippians. Paul practiced what he preached. So for him to keep the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Philippians as recorded in Acts chapter 20, he must then be telling the Colossians to let no man judge them in respect to their keeping of the Feasts, New Moon Festivals, and Sabbath Days.
“Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. He, the spotless Lamb of God, was about to present Himself as a sin offering, that He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages.” {DA 652.2}
This quote is often used to nail the feasts to the cross, but we can see here that this is referring to the Sacrifice. Notice also in that quote that it pointed to the cross for 4000 years, so although this may have been given to the Jews, it was before the Jews.
And what replaced the Passover Lamb? The Lord’s Supper was instituted in its place. This was done in remembrance of the cross, so there was a change in the law.
Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
The sacrificial system was changed from doing sacrifices that pointed to the cross, to doing something in remembrance of the cross. The Lord’s supper.
A.T. Jones documents the history of the change of the Passover Day in a couple of his books including, the book “Great Empires of Prophecy”, and how it was removed from its rightful place on the 14th day of the 1st month to changing it to Easter Sunday.
Here is what he said about the early Christians:
“The first Christians being mostly Jews, continued to celebrate the passover in remembrance of the death of Christ, the true passover; and this was continued among those who from
Notice how he says they “Accordingly” kept the “true passover day.” These were Gentiles who had turned to Christ, he says. They kept “the fourteenth of the first month”, and they kept it in “remembrance of the death of Christ.” He’s referring to “The Lord’s Supper”, and saying the same thing as Ellen White; that the Passover Sacrifice was nailed to the cross and was replaced by the Lord’s Supper.
So the Sacrifices were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14), but the Passover day remains (Colossians 2:16). A.T. Jones and Ellen White agree. The early Christians kept the feasts.
It also says, “Let no man judge you in meat or drink.” The Meat and Drink is the Lord’s Supper as Jesus explained in John Chapter 6. Let’s look at the Corinthians.
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1Co 5:8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Let us keep the feast. This is as simple as “Let us keep the Sabbath.” The Corinthians were told to keep the feasts in sincerity and truth, not in forms and ceremonies. They were told not to have fornicators and idolaters at their feasts.
What does Jude say?
Jud 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
What does Peter say?
2Pe 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
What does Ellen White say?
”Well would it be for us to have a FEAST OF TABERNACLES, a joyous commemoration of the blessings of God to us as a people. As the children of Israel celebrated the deliverance that God wrought for their fathers, and his miraculous preservation of them during their journeyings from Egypt to the promised land, so should the people of God at the present time gratefully call to mind the various ways he has devised to bring them out from the world, out from the darkness of error, into the precious light of truth. We should often bring to remembrance the dependence upon God of those who first led out in this work. We should gratefully regard the old way-marks, and refresh our souls with memories of the loving-kindness of our gracious Benefactor.” Second Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, November 17, 1885, Article Title: The Grace and Mercy of God.
This does not say “Well would it be for us to have a camp meeting.” This says “a Feast of Tabernacles.” Did she ever say the feasts were nailed to the cross? Do these feasts sound like they are “against us?”
When we read the bible, we find the words “Holy Convocations” written 3 times. You’ll find those written in Leviticus chapter 23, all in reference to the feasts.
How much more do Gods people need these assemblies and holy convocations today?
“Anciently the Lord instructed His people to assemble three times a year for His worship. To these holy convocations the children of Israel came, bringing to the house of God their tithes,
“In the days of Christ these feasts were attended by vast multitudes of people from all lands; and had they been kept as God intended, in the spirit of true worship, the light of truth might through them have been given to all the nations of the world.
“With those who lived at a distance from the tabernacle, more than a month of every year must have been occupied in attendance upon these holy convocations. The Lord saw that these gatherings were necessary for the spiritual life of His people. They needed to turn away from their worldly cares, to commune with God, and to contemplate unseen realities.
“If the children of Israel needed the benefit of these holy convocations in their time, how much more do we need them in these last days of peril and conflict! And if the people of the world then needed the light which God had committed to His church, how much more do they need it now!”(Ellen White 6T 39-40)
Again she associates the feasts with light. In the bible, the feasts are associated with the former and latter rain of the Holy Spirit. Some may object and say, “Well, Ellen White was not particularly regarding the day since she kept the feast of Tabernacles in December.” Let us also remember that the early Adventists kept the Sabbath from 6 PM to 6 PM until they had a meeting and the bible corrected their path.
Had they not rejected the light of 1888, they would have accepted what A.T. Jones said; “Accordingly the celebration was always on the true passover day — the fourteenth of the first month”; that we should be doing the same thing as this because it is what the bible teaches. We should be keeping the 8 days of the feast like Paul did, and we should be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles at the proper time.
“
There is another beautiful truth that I would like to briefly touch, and then I will close.
New Moons
“At the time of the new moon a sacred festival was celebrated in Israel.” (E.W. , PP 665)
“God teaches that we should assemble in His house to cultivate the attributes of perfect love. This will fit the dwellers of earth for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for all who love Him. There they will assemble in the sanctuary from Sabbath to Sabbath, from one new moon to another, to unite in loftiest strains of song, in praise and thanksgiving to Him who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb forever and ever.” {AG 76.4}
Rev 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The word for month in that verse is New Moon. The New Moon is a monthly feast which is celebrated in remembrance of the cross. The woman standing on the moon symbolizes her
This is not an exhaustive study on New Moons or Feasts, but is really just an introduction as there is much more light for us as a people. I understand that some may be thinking that “we have more on our hands than we can easily dispose of”, but the message of Jones and Waggoner as well as Ellen White completely harmonizes with everything I’ve presented today. I pray we are not like the Laodiceans thinking we are increased with light.
Much More Light to shine in the Law and Gospel
“There is to be in the 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 doors 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 not we know the Spirit of God, when we have been in the work so many years?” – because they did not respond to the warnings, the entreaties of the messages of God, but persistently said, ‘I am rich, and increased with goods and have need of nothing.'” Review and Herald Extra December 23 , 1890; bound Volume 2 of Review and Herald[EGW articles, pages 453 (column 3) and 454 (columns 1 and 2)]
“Things new and old were brought before us…Truths were revealed that the people were scarcely able to comprehend and appropriate…Light flashed from the oracles of God in relation to the LAW AND THE GOSPEL…which seemed to souls who were hungry for truth, as light too precious to be received.” (Review and Herald, July 23, 1889).
“Said my guide, ‘There is MUCH LIGHT YET to shine forth from the law of God and the gospel of righteousness. The message, understood in its true character, and proclaimed in the Spirit, will lighten the earth with its glory.'” Manuscript Releases,Vol. 2, 58.
So what have we learned?
- The Law of Moses is not nailed to the cross
- The law of Moses is the law of God
- In 1888 a message was sent from heaven to clarify this.
- In 1888 the spirit of the Lord was rejected.
- The glorious gospel is seen in the Law of Moses
- It can blind the eyes of the unconverted.
- The unconverted is at enmity with that law.
- The Law of Moses is part of the Elijah Message
- Their was much light to shine forth from the law after Ellen White died
- The law contained statutes which explained the 10 commandments.
- These statutes are binding forever.
- Christ abolished death and nailed it to the cross. Not the Law of Moses.
- The feasts were not Ceremonial but Moral Statutes.
- The Passover sacrifice was 4000 years before the cross. And was before Moses and the Jews.
- The Passover day was not nailed to the cross as Paul kept the Passover.
- The Phillipians, Corinthians, Colossians and early Christians were all Feast Keepers.
- Rome thought to change times and laws.
- AT Jones, EJ Waggoner, and Ellen White never spoke against the Feasts.
- We should keep the Feasts today.
- The New Moons are festivals which are meant for the purifying of the body of Christ, his Church.
See also:
Ellen White SOP Ceremonial Law
Gospel in Galatians – EJ Waggoner