HOW I CAME TO EXAMINE AND ACCEPT THE HOLY DAYS
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Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,
Professor of Theology and Church History,
Andrews University


(Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi is a professor of church history and theology at
Andrews University, a school in Berrien Springs, Michigan, sponsored by the
Seventh-day Adventist Church. Dr. Bacchiocchi is author of several books and
numerous articles about the Sabbath and other biblical topics, including the
definitive From Sabbath to Sunday, in which he establishes beyond reasonable
question the non-Biblical, anti-semitic causes for the second-century
church's switch from observing the Sabbath to observing Sunday. This
monumental work is based on the doctoral research Bachiocchi did where, as the
first non-Catholic to graduate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in
Rome, he received a gold medal from Pope Paul VI for graduating summa cum
laude. Vincenzo Monachino, S.J., Chair of the Church History Department,
praised the research for its "rich content, the rigorous scientific method,
and the vast horizon with which it has been conceived.")


	Scholars are not known for changing their views, especially on doctrine.
Thus it will come as a surprise to many that I have changed my views on the
continuity and relevance of the Holy Days for Christians today. Let me share
with you briefly how this change came about during this past year.
	At the Jubilee 95: Friends of the Sabbath convention held in Southern
California last May 28 and 29, John Merritt, M.D., medical director of a
hospital in Laguna Hills, Calif., and a former board member of Ambassador
University, asked me if I would speak on the annual feasts as well as the
weekly Sabbath.
	The request caught me by surprise, because he had invited me to speak on
the Sabbath and not the Holy Days. Moreover I have argued in my book The
Sabbath in the New Testament that the annual feasts of Israel were part of the
ceremonial services of the temple that came to an end with the sacrifice of
Christ at the cross (page 183).
	I felt that presenting such a view publicly would only alienate those
who had come to the convention seeking for a word of reassurance on the
continuity of the feasts. For these reasons I declined to speak on this
subject.
	Dr. Merritt did not give up on me. He encouraged me to pursue the study
of the feasts and offered me the opportunity to share my conclusions, whether
favorable or unfavorable to the feasts, at a similar convention to be held at
the end of this month in San Antonio, Texas. I accepted the challenge,
fearing, however, that my conclusions would prove to be disappointing to those
Christians who believed in the continuity and value of the biblical feasts.
	Because I am free from teaching commitments at Andrews University from
June to December, I have devoted every spare moment of these seven months
researching and writing God's Festivals in Scripture and History, which is
scheduled to come off the press Dec. 21.
	This is the first of a two-volume project. This first volume deals with
the spring festivals; namely, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and
Pentecost. The second volume, which is scheduled for publication by December
1996, will examine the fall festivals: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of
Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles. 
	The many requests I have received for an early release of this study
have encouraged me to divide this project into two volumes. 


Surprising discoveries

	This research has been full of surprising discoveries for me. A first
surprise was to find considerable interest in the relevance of Israel's feasts
for Christians, not only among Messianic Jews who wish to retain their Jewish
religious heritage, but among those Christians who wish to rediscover their
Jewish roots. An example of the latter is the book Celebrate the Feasts in
Your Home or Church, by Martha Zimmerman, a Lutheran educator. The author
offers creative suggestions on how to celebrate the seven feasts of Israel
with a Christian perspective in a home or church.
	A second surprise was to find a significant interest in the feasts of
Israel among Seventh-day Adventist members and scholars. In every church in
which I presented my seminars during the latter half of 1995, I met some
fellow believers who had been studying, and in some cases privately observing,
the annual feasts.
	Similarly, at Andrews University I found several colleagues keenly
interested in the study of the feasts. In fact, some of them have been
observing the feasts privately for many years. 
	A third surprise was to find supportive statements for the observance of
the feasts in the writings of Ellen G. White, cofounder of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. For example, she comments on Acts 20:6 ("We sailed away from
Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread"): "At Philippi Paul tarried to
keep the Passover . . . 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" (The Acts of the Apostles, Mountain
View, Calif., 1960, pages 390, 391. Emphasis supplied).
	Mrs. White acknowledges also the importance of Pentecost for Paul when
she writes that he shortened his stay at Ephesus, because "he was on his way
to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost" (Redemption: or the Teaching
of Paul, and His Mission to the Gentiles, Battle
Creek, Mich., 1878, p. 65).
	The implication of these statements is clear. Ellen White believed that
Paul celebrated the Feasts of Passover and Pentecost.
	In her book Patriarchs and Prophets, Mrs. White devotes a whole chapter,
"The Annual Feasts," to the subject. Reflecting on their value for Israelites
and Christians today, she writes: "Well would it be for the people of God at
the present time to have a Feast of Tabernacles-a joyous commemoration of the
blessings of God to them. As the children of Israel celebrated the deliverance
that God had wrought for their fathers, and His miraculous preservation of
them during their journeying from Egypt, so should we gratefully call to mind
the various ways He has devised for bringing us out from the world, and from
the darkness of error, into the precious light of His grace and truth" (The
Story of Patriarchs and Prophets, Mountain View, Calif., 1958, pp. 540, 541).
	In this statement Mrs. White clearly recommends the observance of the
Feast of Tabernacles by the church today. 


A wrong assumption

	The greatest surprise was to discover that I was wrong in assuming that
the annual feasts came to an end with the sacrifice of Christ, simply because
they were connected with the sacrificial system of the temple. I came to
realize that the continuity or discontinuity of the feasts is determined not
by their connection with the sacrificial system, but by the scope of their
typology.
	If the feasts had typified only the redemptive accomplishments of
Christ's first advent, then obviously their function would have terminated at
the cross.
	But, if the feasts foreshadow also the consummation of redemption to be
accomplished by Christ at His second advent, then their function continues in
the Christian church, though with a new meaning and manner of observance.
	It came as a pleasant surprise to discover that the typology and
function of the feasts reach beyond the cross to the ultimate consummation of
redemption. The typology of Passover, for example, was initially fulfilled
when Christ, the true Paschal Lamb, was sacrificed to deliver us from the
bondage of sin. Yet there is still a future and ultimate fulfillment of
Passover at the end, when Christ will deliver His people from the great
tribulation and invite them to participate in "the marriage supper of the
Lamb" (Revelation 19:9).
	Christ Himself pointed to this future fulfillment of Passover when He
said: "I have earnestly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer;
for I tell you I shall not eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of
God" (Luke 22:16).
	In this statement Christ makes it clear that the ultimate fulfillment of
Passover will be at the end with the establishment of God's Kingdom.
	Another example is the typology of Pentecost, which was initially
fulfilled, as shown in chapter 6 of the book, when Christ was resurrected as
the Firstfruits of redeemed humanity and poured out the early rain of the Holy
Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to launch the Christian mission. Yet, like
Passover, Pentecost will be ultimately fulfilled at the end, when the Lord
will pour out the latter rain of the Holy Spirit for the final harvest of the
earth (Revelation 14:15, 16).
	The principle of "fulfilled and yet-to-be fulfilled" applies to the
Sabbath as well. Elsewhere I have shown that the Old Testament Sabbath
typologies of rest and liberation were initially fulfilled at Christ's first
coming and will be ultimately fulfilled at the consummation of redemption to
be accomplished at His second coming (Samuele Bacchiocchi, Divine Rest for
Human Restlessness, Rome, 1980, pages 134-145).
	In His inaugural address in the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4:18),
Christ proclaimed Himself to be the fulfillment of the Sabbath typology of
redemption (Luke 4:21). Yet Sabbath-keeping "remains for the people of God"
(Hebrews 4:9), because the ultimate fulfillment of the Sabbath rest and
liberation will take place at Christ's second advent.
	The realization that the typology of the feasts, like that of the
Sabbath, was initially fulfilled at Christ's first advent, but will be
ultimately realized at His second advent, caused me to take a fresh look at
the continuity and desirability of Israel's festivals for the church today. 
	This new inquiry was spurred also by the realization that the feasts of
Israel were organized in two cycles, around the spring wheat harvest and the
fall fruit harvest. The spring festivals of Passover, Firstfruits and
Pentecost foreshadow the redemption accomplished by Christ's first advent.
	On the other hand, the fall festivals of Trumpets, Atonement and
Tabernacles point to the ultimate (eschatological) restoration to be realized
at the second advent. Since the fall festivals typify such end-time events as
the final judgment, the final disposition of sins, the return of Christ and
the celebration of God's salvation by the redeemed, their meaning and function
must of necessity continue, because their antitypical fulfillment still lies
in the future. These considerations led me to reexamine the meaning, value and
relevance of the feasts of Israel for the church today. 


A way to enrich church worship

	It soon became evident in my mind that the biblical festivals can enrich
church worship by focusing during the course of the year on the redemptive
accomplishments of Christ's first and second advents. We cannot preach the
whole Bible in one sermon. We cannot celebrate the whole story of redemption
in one Sabbath. A church calendar patterned after the calendar of Israel can
help us to do justice to all the important salvific acts of God.
	Many pastors go for years without taking their congregation through the
central truths of the history of redemption: Christ's suffering and death, His
resurrection, ascension, inauguration of His heavenly ministry, His sending of
the Holy Spirit, the final judgment, Christ's second advent, the punishment of
unpenitent sinners and the final restoration of this world.
	A church calendar patterned after the religious calendar of Israel
challenges pastors and members every year to explore more fully each of these
fundamental truths of the plan of salvation. It can also serve as a deterrent
against the temptation to use the Sabbath religious services to promote
various kinds of secular agendas. 
	At a time during which many churches are seeking to bring about worship
renewal by introducing into their church services jazz, drama, theatrical
preaching and noisy congregational responses, a church calendar that focuses
on the great truths of salvation challenges us to foster worship renewal by
seeking for a deeper understanding and experience of what Christ has done, is
doing and will do for us.
	The celebration of the great saving acts of God commemorated by the
annual feasts can bring about worship renewal by making our worship experience
God-centered rather than self-centered. 


Limited hope

	It would be presumptuous on my part to assume that many Christians
inside and outside my own Seventh-day Adventist Church will be persuaded by
this study to adopt the observance of the biblical festivals in addition to
that of the weekly Sabbath. History teaches us that holy days cannot be easily
changed or introduced without causing considerable controversy. It is not my
intent to engender controversies, rather to stimulate a new inquiry into the
relevance of the biblical festivals for us today. 


The need for a new inquiry

	A new inquiry is needed because many Christian churches today still
suffer from the radical antifeast attitude of the Puritans, who swept away all
religious holy days except Sunday. The Puritans viewed the church calendar,
which was filled with saints' days and Marian feasts instituted by the Roman
Catholic Church, as indicative of the apostasy into which the church had
fallen. To rid the church of all the pagan superstitions that had become part
of the popular piety, the Puritans did away with all the annual holy days.
They believed that other days would compete with, rather than enhance, the
observance of the Lord's Day.
	The festivals of the Old Testament, however, do not detract from the
weekly Sabbath, but add importance to it, since they are patterned after it.
	The effect of the Puritans' rejection of all annual holy days, including
Passover and Pentecost, was the secularization of the calendar. Gradually a
new nationalistic calendar was developed that celebrates, not God's saving
acts, but national heroes or events: Washington's Birthday, Independence Day,
Mother's Day, Labor Day and Veterans' Day.
	Even Thanksgiving, which is celebrated in November at about the same
time as the harvest festival of Tabernacles, is detached from its biblical
roots and viewed exclusively as an agricultural festival. By making our
primary feasts nationalistic rather than theological, we have fallen into a
cultural pattern that subordinates the Christian faith to nationalistic goals
and aspirations.
	We do not need to fear the agricultural feasts of the spring and fall
harvests of the Old Testament, because it is good and proper to thank the Lord
of the harvest. Why should Thanksgiving be celebrated as a secular holiday
when we have biblical reasons for observing it as the Feast of Tabernacles?
"Indeed," to use the words of James Jordan, "how do we dare to keep it out of
the Church?" (Christianity and the Calendar, Niceville, Fla., 1988, page 97).
	More important still, we do not need to fear the soteriological cycle of
the biblical feasts, because they provide us with a marvelous opportunity to
rejoice in the specific works of God and Christ for our redemption. That God's
calendar was perverted with the worship of saints and Mary and pagan practices
is not a valid reason for rejecting its proper use.
	For some Protestants, it seems more important to be unlike Rome than
true to the Bible. To respect the soteriological cycle of the biblical feasts
does not mean to fall into legalism, but to listen to the teachings of the
Word of God. 


God revealed in human time

	To appreciate the value of the biblical festivals for today, it is
important to remember that the heart of the biblical message is that God has
revealed Himself in human time by creating, redeeming and ultimately restoring
His creatures to a harmonious relationship with Him. The Christian faith is
rooted in the belief that God has acted in human history. The biblical
calendar recognizes this and seeks to relate all time to the redemptive
purposes of God.
	The major events of the first advent of Christ are commemorated by the
spring festivals and those related to the second advent by the fall festivals.
As the major redemptive accomplishments of Christ pass in review perennially
during the course of the year, they keep us constantly mindful of all that the
Lord has done and is doing for our sakes.
	While it is true that God does not reserve the communication of His
grace to specific days, it is also true that God uses time to reveal Himself.
He invites us to make ourselves free and available for Him at certain times so
that we can experience more freely and fully the awareness of His presence,
peace and grace in our lives.
	A church calendar is more than an annual cycle of recurring festivals.
It provides an opportunity to experience afresh what God has done in the past,
is doing in the present and will do in the future. It enables us to take the
time that God has created and offer it back to God through Jesus Christ, who
has redeemed it.
	The redemptive acts of God are commemorated in the Bible weekly through
the Sabbath and annually through the feasts. The latter fulfilled three basic
functions that are still relevant for Christians today.
	First, the feasts commemorated the past mighty works of God.
	Second, they anticipated the future divine deliverance.
	Third, they motivated the people to live in the present obediently
before a holy God. These functions are still relevant for Christians today, as
I have shown in my book. 


Value of the annual feasts

	There is a prevailing skepticism today about God. Many think that God is
dead or at least indifferent to what is happening in the world. This
prevailing skepticism could well have been facilitated by the widespread
abandonment of the Sabbath and annual Holy Days. 
	Skepticism can be an outgrowth of forgetfulness. Neglecting the Sabbath,
the memorial of creation, can lead people to become skeptical about their
divine origin and destiny.
	Neglecting Passover, the memorial of redemption, can lead people to
become forgetful and skeptical about God's provision of salvation through
Christ's atoning sacrifice.
	Neglecting Pentecost, the memorial of the outpouring of the early rain
of the Holy Spirit to launch the Christian mission, can lead people to become
skeptical about the outpouring of the latter rain to complete the Christian
mission.
	Neglecting the Feast of Trumpets, the reminder that we must all appear
before the judgment seat of God (2 Corinthians 5:10), can lead people to live
morally irresponsibly.
	Neglecting the Day of Atonement, the reminder of the final redemptive
act of Christ who will cleanse His people and dispose of their sins at His
second advent (Hebrews 9:28), can lead people to despair of any solution to
the sin problem that affects mankind.
	Neglecting the Feast of Tabernacles, the reminder of God's past
providential leading, can lead people to doubt God's ability to lead us to the
promised land.


Feasts keyed to seasons

	It is significant that though the feasts of Israel were primarily
theological, commemorating specific saving acts of God, they were keyed to the
spring and fall harvest seasons. God placed the celebration of the annual
feasts in conjunction with the spring and fall harvests, because these seasons
could fittingly represent great spiritual truths. God uses physical
experiences to help us conceptualize and internalize spiritual realities.
	The physical rest of the Sabbath, for example, helps us to apprehend and
experience the spiritual rest of the Savior. The bread and wine of the Lord's
Supper enable us to symbolically accept the broken body and shed blood of
Jesus.
	One cannot help but appreciate divine wisdom in planning for Passover,
the feast of redemption, to occur at springtime. The reviving of the earth at
springtime provides the ideal setting to celebrate Passover, which
commemorates the springtime of Israel's history, when God delivered the people
from Egyptian oppression, and the springtime of grace, when Christ was
sacrificed to deliver us from the bondage of sin.
	"Every year at Passover," writes Alfred Edersheim, "God reminds us of
the new life that has come to us through Christ's death by setting before our
eyes the spring when nature, which had been seemingly dead, bursts into bloom"
(The Temple, Its Ministry and Services, London, 1874, pages 178, 179).
	Similarly, the completion of the harvest season in the fall provides a
fitting occasion to celebrate the Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement and
Tabernacles, all of which point to the future spiritual harvest of the
redeemed that Christ will gather in at His second advent. We can say that the
spring and fall festivals are like a compass whose needle always points to
Christ.
	Today most people no longer live in an agrarian society like that of the
ancient Israelites, yet all are still responsive to seasonal changes. Spring
is still the time of new beginnings that can remind us through Passover and
Pentecost of the new life that has come to us through the redemptive
accomplishments of Christ's first advent.
	Similarly, the fall is still the completion of the harvest season, which
can remind us through the fall feasts of the consummation of redemption to be
accomplished by Christ's second advent.
	In His wisdom, God has keyed the unfolding of the plan of salvation to
the spring and fall harvest seasons for pedagogical purposes. The beginning of
the harvest in the spring and the completion of the harvest in the fall can
serve as constant reminders of the redemption accomplished at the first advent
and yet to be consummated at the second advent. 


Procedure and hope

	The procedure I have followed in my research consists of two major
steps. First, I have traced the annual feasts historically from the Old
Testament into the New Testament and through the early church.
	Second, I have used the survey as a basis for reflecting on their
continuity and manner of observance today. 


The witness of the early church

	In formulating my conclusions, I have tried to be sensitive to the
witness of those early Christians who sought to be faithful to the teachings
of the Word of God.
	Practically all the books I have read dealing with the feasts ignore the
witness of the early church. Yet a study of the observance of the feasts in
early Christianity can help us understand what factors caused many Christians
to change the biblical Holy Days into pagan holidays.
	I believe that this is the area in which perhaps my research makes the
greatest contribution. Being a church historian by training and profession,
and having spent many years of my life investigating the change from Sabbath
to Sunday in early Christianity, I welcome this opportunity to extend my
investigation to the change of the annual feasts.
	It is my fervent hope that this new research on the Holy Days may enrich
the worship experience of those who are willing to take time during the course
of the year to celebrate the great saving acts of God. 


* * * * * * * *

God's Festivals in Scripture and History can be ordered for $15 postpaid from
Biblical Perspectives, 4990 Appian Way, Berrien Springs, Mich. 49103. To
obtain a quantity discount on orders of the book, call (616) 471-2915. 

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Christian regards

Samuele Bacchiocchi, Ph. D.,
Professor of Theology and Church History
Andrews University
4990 Appian Way
Berrien Springs, MI 49103
samuele@andrews.edu