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by Wayne Blank
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:27-29 RSV)
Our Glorious Potential
It may be a very good thing that mortal humans cannot fully comprehend the mind of God. If we could, we might be completely overwhelmed by the joy from knowing all that awaits those who are found worthy of eternal life. However, salvation doesn't just happen. It requires that a choice be made:
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live." (Deuteronomy 30:19 RSV)"The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 RSV)
Christianity has been called The Way (way means road) for a very good reason. Christianity has a "destination," and the journey requires very careful "driving." According to His own words, Jesus Christ would disagree with those who say that there are "many different roads to the same place."
"Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14 RSV)
God has given us great freedom, near complete freedom, to decide for ourselves if we will obey Him - and on the Judgment Day, God has the power to make that choice, that we have made for ourselves, happen. Our freedom to choose if we will obey Him does not however include how we will obey Him, as the Scriptures make very plain:
"Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and do many mighty works in Your Name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers.' (Matthew 7:21-23 RSV)"'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You leave the Commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men." And He said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the Commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition!" (Mark 7:6-9 RSV)
The Great Irony
The Christian-professing world largely ignores the Biblical Holy Days, God's Holy Days (although many thousands of Christians do observe them today, just as the early Christian church did without fail), and instead observe traditional man-made holidays that are called Christian. At the same time, most Jews do observe the Biblical Holy Days, while believing that the observances are an end in themselves. This is a tremendous irony - most Christians ignore them, even though God's Holy Days are about Christianity, while unconverted Jews observe them while rejecting the Christianity that the Holy Days portray. Both are missing the point of God's Holy Days!
God does nothing in vain. All of the Old Testament observances have Christian applications - that was their entire purpose, to preview what was to come in due time, and then, after their fulfillment, to serve as permanent annual commemorations to honor and remember the great event.
The spring Holy Days symbolize the events related to the First Coming of Jesus Christ:
The autumn Holy Days symbolize the events related to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ:
Fact Finder: Will the "Old Testament" Holy Days be observed by everyone after The Return Of Jesus Christ? For example, will the Feast of Tabernacles be observed, and what will happen to the nations of the earth that refuse?
Zechariah 14:16-19
