In Exodus 13:8-10 we are told that God designed the festivals to be a “sign”–signal, beacon, evidence– that the participant belonged to God: “… and it (Passover) shall be for a sign unto you …. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year (forever).” Scripture reveals that the Passover and other festivals are to be kept at a set time each year, some of which entail a feast: “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me (the Word/Jesus) in the year” (Exo. 23:14). This same “Me” wrote the Ten Commandments on stone and gave them to Moses “… TO GIVE UNTO US” (Acts 7:38). Note that the Lord’s dealings with the Israelites serve as an example for the New Covenant Church (US) and were recorded for “OUR admonition/instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11). What lesson did the Lord arrange to have preserved for our admonition/instruction? The answer is summed up in one passage of Scripture: “What doth the Lord require of thee … TO FEAR THE LORD (and) TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS … TO KEEP ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS … AND HIS STATUTES WHICH I COMMAND FOR THY GOOD” (Deut. 10:12-16). This included the writings of the Old Testament prophets which, along with the writings of the apostles, formed the foundation upon which the New Covenant Church was built (Mat. 5:17/Eph. 2:20).

That the New Covenant Church (the “Israel of God”-Gal. 6:16) continued to keep God’s Holy Days is proven by New Testament Scriptures in Acts 12:3;20:6/1 Cor. 2:16,17 and Acts 27:9 where Paul and other apostles stated their desire to be in certain cities in time for Passover, Pentecost and the Day of Atonement in order to celebrate those Holy Days with the churches in those areas. Note that this was taking place many years after the establishment of the New Covenant Church. These clearly-stated Scriptures are rejected by the Counterfeit Church. Before we examine those Scriptures, let us look at the passage most often used by the false church in her unending attempt to nullify God’s Word–Colossians 2:16,17. At first glance it would appear that God has indeed declared His Holy Days null and void. However, glancing at the Scriptures invariably leads to error, and in this case, gross error. We must be careful to “STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED OF GOD” in our search for what God actually said. The passage in question reads as follows: “Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an Holy Day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come, but the body IS of Christ.” We will examine the key words and expressions in the passage by referring to the Greek language–the language of the New Covenant.

“Let no man JUDGE you.” The word “judge” in Greek is “krino,” which means to “condemn.” God’s saints are not to allow unbelievers to condemn them concerning her practices. “… in meat or drink or in respect of an Holy Day, or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days.” God’s church is not to allow the Counterfeit Church to judge or condemn her relative to her observance of His Holy Days, new moons, weekly and annual Sabbaths “… which are a shadow of things to come.” A shadow points to the actual object. The Holy Days, like saints themselves, are mere shadows of what will be in His Kingdom. Paul tells us that eye has not seen nor ear heard nor has the mind of man comprehended what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). Those who love Him obey His Commandments, including #4–the Saturday Sabbath–a festival He REestablished on Mt. Sinai (“REMEMBER the Sabbath” He had created in Eden for all men for all time). Things that now exist–God’s saints, the earth, the heavens, Jerusalem, etc.–are mere shadows of things to come.

Note the word “ARE” in the statement about shadows. Note that Paul did not say that the Holy Days, etc. WERE (had been) shadows, which would mean that they were no longer being celebrated. The use of the word “ARE” shows that THEY WERE, AT THAT TIME, BEING OBSERVED. This was some 30 years after the founding of the New Covenant Church in 31 A.D. The early church observed the Holy Days, etc. under the direction of Christ’s hand-picked, personally-taught apostles. So why are they not being observed by professing Christendom today? One word has been used by Satan to rob religious man of his potential inheritance. That word is “IS.”

“… but the body IS of Christ.” Note that the word “IS” is written in ITALICS, meaning that the word was not in the original manuscript but was placed there to make the passage conform to Catholic doctrine. The King James translators were steeped in Catholic tradition. The word “IS” is believed to have been added by a Trappist monk in the fourth century. The passage as spoken by God and written by Paul states that only “the body of Christ” (God’s true church) can judge saints relative to eating and drinking, observance of the Holy Days, new moons (from which all Holy Days are calculated) and the keeping of God’s Sabbaths (both weekly and annual). God noted in Zechariah 14:16 that one of the Holy Days–the feast of Tabernacles–will continue to be observed during the Millennium–the thousand year period following His return.

The fact that some religious people were judging the saints at Colosse for observing God’s Holy Days a generation after the founding of His church proves that His saints were indeed observing them. Otherwise, why were the detractors complaining about the church’s observance of the Sabbath days, new moons, food, drink, etc? The complainers were, as is always the case, church people–the unchurched do not care what the church does or teaches. Once again, God proves Himself right in spite of man’s vain attempts to nullify His Word. To be continued. L.J.