Why Don't LDS Celebrate the Israelite Holy Days?

[JVW]

As far as I'm aware there are 7 feasts that were commanded in the Bible for Israel to observe (Leviticus 23): passover, unleavened bread, first fruits, pentecost, trumpets, atonement, & tabernacles. Every feast points to Jesus Christ. As far as I'm aware, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored by an Ephraimite, and every member of the church is an Israelite. The LDS church has no special festivals, holidays, or feasts. There have been some pageants in Utah historically (no longer held), Pioneer Day is pretty big in Utah, Christmas has been made special for a number of decades, and recently there has been a larger emphasis on Easter.

It seems to me that, because the church regards itself as Israel, that it would be a natural fit to celebrate or even "restore" the ancient Israelite feasts (I use the word "restore" as a tongue-in-cheek joke here). And I believe it would help strengthen anyone's faith in Jesus Christ to observe the Israelite Holy Days. I have spent time searching online and haven't been able to find any reason why we don't celebrate these days. Interestingly enough, they are brought up and mentioned in relation to church history when it's convenient, as if they have any meaning to the lay member (e.g. Joseph received the gold plates on the feast of trumpets).

There are some incredibly well-read, scholarly people on this forum and I'm hoping that people who are much smarter than I am can address this question and help me gain some understanding. Thank you.

[JVW]

On a close tangent, this topic ties into one of general confusion I have about what Jesus meant when He said that He "fulfilled the law". So we don't have animal sacrifice anymore, but we revere the 10 commandments. So we pick and choose what laws we regard out of the Law? We don't keep the 7 feasts, but the very first holy day mentioned in Leviticus 23 is the Sabbath, which we observe every week and have an incredibly strong emphasis on? Etc.

[LoudmouthMormon]

2 hours ago, JVW said:

The LDS church has no special festivals, holidays, or feasts.

I get what you’re saying, but we remain really big on Christmas and Easter. 

Every few years, my ward will get together and our Jewish convert will put on a Passover Seder for us.  It’s an evening of learning about the Passover, and how the things translated over into Christ and the new covenant. And then the cultural Hollys decked out like old Jerusalem, and the kids all show up. Costumes.
 

I used to hang a mezuzzah from my door, but was never visited by a Jewish person, and therefore had no one to show it to.

Last Christmas I participated in a effort for non-Jews and non-Israelis to display the menorah in support of Israel.

But yeah, no we do not follow feast calendars laid down in the Old Testament.

[InCognitus]

Apparently the feast days still have some meaning to the Lord and the restoration of the gospel, since Joseph Smith received the Nephite plates on September 22, 1827, the annual day when Jews throughout the world celebrated the symbolic beginning of Israel’s final gathering on the Feast of Trumpets.   (See Ensign, January 2000:  "The Golden Plates and the Feast of Trumpets")

[Stargazer]

2 hours ago, JVW said:

On a close tangent, this topic ties into one of general confusion I have about what Jesus meant when He said that He "fulfilled the law". So we don't have animal sacrifice anymore, but we revere the 10 commandments. So we pick and choose what laws we regard out of the Law? We don't keep the 7 feasts, but the very first holy day mentioned in Leviticus 23 is the Sabbath, which we observe every week and have an incredibly strong emphasis on? Etc.

The Law of Moses (LoM) is not part of the Ten Commandments (10C). The commandments predated the LoM, and are the basic law under which all humans are expected to live. The Jews (i.e. the Israelites) do not expect that non-Jews follow the LoM in order to go to heaven, but they must follow what are called the Laws of Noah -- which were given traditionally to Noah. The 10C are simply put, a restatement of the Laws of Noah.

Whereas the LoM only apply to the Christ fulfilled the LoM, but there's nothing to fulfill when it comes to the 10C. It happens that the LoM provides more detailed direction concerning the basic commandments.

In human terms, the statutes enacted by a legislature are the basic law, but in order to administer the basic law, executive departments enact regulations that govern how the laws are to be administered. These regulations can and do change from time to time even if the basic underlying law did not change.

If you're wondering about the Laws of Noah, here's the Wiki explanation:

Quote

In Judaism, the Seven Laws of Noah (Hebrew: שבע מצוות בני נח, Sheva Mitzvot B'nei Noach), otherwise referred to as the Noahide Laws or the Noachian Laws (from the Hebrew pronunciation of "Noah"), are a set of universal moral laws which, according to the Talmud, were given by God as a covenant with Noah and with the "sons of Noah"—that is, all of humanity.

The Seven Laws of Noah include prohibitions against worshipping idols, cursing God, murder, adultery and sexual immorality, theft, eating flesh torn from a living animal, as well as the obligation to establish courts of justice.

According to Jewish law, non-Jews (gentiles) are not obligated to convert to Judaism, but they are required to observe the Seven Laws of Noah to be assured of a place in the World to Come (Olam Ha-Ba), the final reward of the righteous. The non-Jews that choose to follow the Seven Laws of Noah are regarded as "Righteous Gentiles" (Hebrew: חסידי אומות העולם, Chassiddei Umot ha-Olam: "Pious People of the World").

And, as stated, this Basic Law cannot be fulfilled, for it is eternal -- at least within this universe.

[ZealouslyStriving]

Remember that the Restoration is ongoing. We know from Zechariah 14 that Tabernacles will be kept.

[CV75]

4 hours ago, JVW said:

As far as I'm aware there are 7 feasts that were commanded in the Bible for Israel to observe (Leviticus 23): passover, unleavened bread, first fruits, pentecost, trumpets, atonement, & tabernacles. Every feast points to Jesus Christ. As far as I'm aware, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was restored by an Ephraimite, and every member of the church is an Israelite. The LDS church has no special festivals, holidays, or feasts. There have been some pageants in Utah historically (no longer held), Pioneer Day is pretty big in Utah, Christmas has been made special for a number of decades, and recently there has been a larger emphasis on Easter.

It seems to me that, because the church regards itself as Israel, that it would be a natural fit to celebrate or even "restore" the ancient Israelite feasts (I use the word "restore" as a tongue-in-cheek joke here). And I believe it would help strengthen anyone's faith in Jesus Christ to observe the Israelite Holy Days. I have spent time searching online and haven't been able to find any reason why we don't celebrate these days. Interestingly enough, they are brought up and mentioned in relation to church history when it's convenient, as if they have any meaning to the lay member (e.g. Joseph received the gold plates on the feast of trumpets).

There are some incredibly well-read, scholarly people on this forum and I'm hoping that people who are much smarter than I am can address this question and help me gain some understanding. Thank you.

Perhaps the original feasts were types for events and things to come, the meaning (not the purpose as described in scripture) now lost. For example, as noted above, Rosh Hashanah may have been a type for the events of September 27, 1827, which heralded the period of repentance (aka Restoration) preparatory to the Second Coming of Christ.

[rpn]

Some members do.   I participated in multiple Jewish holiday celebrations during my years at BYU.

[Calm]

8 hours ago, JVW said:

Interestingly enough, they are brought up and mentioned in relation to church history when it's convenient, as if they have any meaning to the lay member (e.g. Joseph received the gold plates on the feast of trumpets).

Early Saints came mostly from a low church style of worship and it has continued in our daily worship as evidenced by our often blah chapels.  We get stuck in traditions even when we have warnings against them.

Now temples are more Israelite in that we have chosen to fill them with fine workmanship, etc as well as ritual.

[JVW]

20 hours ago, CV75 said:

Perhaps the original feasts were types for events and things to come, the meaning (not the purpose as described in scripture) now lost. For example, as noted above, Rosh Hashanah may have been a type for the events of September 27, 1827, which heralded the period of repentance (aka Restoration) preparatory to the Second Coming of Christ.

I have heard people discuss the idea that the Holy Days are like a calendar along with solar and lunar eclipses. I personally believe that the Second Coming will happen exactly on a Holy Day, whenever it does happen. And I believe a number of great events will occur on Holy Days in the future as well. God is remarkable in what He does with the stars and celestial signs, it's almost as if He knows the end from the beginning.

[JVW]

19 hours ago, rpn said:

Some members do.   I participated in multiple Jewish holiday celebrations during my years at BYU.

That's nice. I wish the Israelite church did as well b/c there is a barrier for entry to become involved in the feasts. Like imagine if the temple ceremonies existed with the Jews, and we could participate in them if we wanted to, but the LDS church didn't officially support them so we had to figure out our own garments, temple clothes, and how to even do anything related to the ceremony. It'd be a high barrier and many people wouldn't participate without official support.

[Stargazer]

1 hour ago, JVW said:

I have heard people discuss the idea that the Holy Days are like a calendar along with solar and lunar eclipses. I personally believe that the Second Coming will happen exactly on a Holy Day, whenever it does happen. And I believe a number of great events will occur on Holy Days in the future as well.

I believe you may be right. And this may have been mentioned already, but I'll just run it past you here in case you didn't see it...

At Passover, the celebrants of the Seder leave the house's door open and reserve a seat at the table for Elijah, who is expected to herald the coming in the Messiah.

The LDS teaching is that the Malachi prophecy of the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5,6) was fulfilled on 3 April 1836, when Elijah visited the prophet and founder of the church, Joseph Smith, along with Oliver Cowdery, in the Kirtland Temple as a resurrected being. This event is chronicled in Doctrine and Covenants 110:13–16. This experience forms the basis for the church's focus on genealogy and family history and belief in the eternal nature of marriage and families. 3 April 1836 was the date of that year's Seder.

1 hour ago, JVW said:

God is remarkable in what He does with the stars and celestial signs, it's almost as if He knows the end from the beginning.

Which is probably why there were celestial signs placed as decorative elements on some of the early LDS temples. The Nauvoo temple, for example, featured sunstones and star stones.

[InCognitus]

2 hours ago, JVW said:

I have heard people discuss the idea that the Holy Days are like a calendar along with solar and lunar eclipses. I personally believe that the Second Coming will happen exactly on a Holy Day, whenever it does happen. And I believe a number of great events will occur on Holy Days in the future as well. God is remarkable in what He does with the stars and celestial signs, it's almost as if He knows the end from the beginning.

You seem to be up on this sort of thing, so you may already be aware of this, but I found it interesting a few years ago that there was a lot of talk about biblical signs being fulfilled with the celestial event that occurred on September 23, 2017, where it was said (according to the EarthSky website at the time): 

Quote

... the sun will be in the zodiac constellation Virgo — “a woman clothed with the sun”. The moon will be at the feet of Virgo — “with the moon under her feet”. The ‘nine’ stars of the zodiac constellation Leo, plus three planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), will be at the head of Virgo — “on her head a crown of 12 stars”. The planet Jupiter will be in the center of Virgo, and, as the weeks pass after September 23, Jupiter will exit Virgo to the east, past her feet, so to speak — “She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth”. Jupiter is the largest of the planets, the “king” of the planets, so to speak — “She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod”.

I didn't think much about that event at first until I read (in the same article) that the same celestial event occurred on September 22, 1827, which coincided with the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah and when Joseph Smith retrieved the plates from the hill, as commanded by the angel Moroni (see also https://www.deilataylor.com/signs-of-september/, and https://thirdhour.org/blog/faith/september-23rd-sign-heavens/, but the latter site appears to be in maintenance mode at the moment, so here's the WayBack Machine version:  https://web.archive.org/web/20220709092225/https://thirdhour.org/blog/faith/september-23rd-sign-heavens/)

I'm still not sure what to make of that, since the same event also happened in the years 1483, 1293, and 1056.  But the occurrence at the time of the Book of Mormon coming forth can't be a coincidence.  

What is of more recent interest is the meaning of the September 2017 event (if it has a meaning).  Some have speculated that the 2017 event marked the end of the times of the gentiles being fulfilled.  Of course President Nelson became our prophet right after that in January 2018 and has continually emphasized the importance of the gathering of Israel in all of his ministry and especially since becoming the president of the church (such as in his appeal to the youth in the Worldwide Devotional for Youth on June 3rd, 2018).  

I certainly don't have those answers, but the signs are quite intriguing. 

[Pyreaux]

On 8/1/2024 at 10:38 AM, JVW said:

As far as I'm aware there are 7 feasts that were commanded in the Bible for Israel to observe (Leviticus 23).

It seems to me that, because the church regards itself as Israel, that it would be a natural fit to celebrate or even "restore" the ancient Israelite feasts.

I have many Messianic Jewish friends who support observing the Sabbath and the Feasts. I'll consult my notes of some counter points to their claims. The commandments are relative, commands in the Law of Moses was a unique law to Israelites, as a punishment for their forefather's sin with the golden calf, which other nations are not under (Gal 3:8, 13, 19, 24-25). The Jews teach the Laws of Moses, the Feasts and Sabbaths and Kosher laws were not commanded to be practiced before Sinai, and that it should not be practiced by other people unless you are or becoming an Israelite "The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers" (Deut 5:3). He gave them the Sabbaths as anti-exploitation laws to remind the Israelites that they were once slaves (Deut 5:15) and to not eat unclean animals (Deut 14:2-21)

Other people were to obey the Seven Noahide Commandments which includes the Gentile working days "shall not cease" (Gen 8:22) and all animals were "meat" (Gen 9:3). And if a Gentile observes the Law of Moses, like the Sabbath, they are breaking the commandments (Talmud, Sanhedren 58b; Exodus Rabbah 25:11; Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:21).

Though the laws, Sabbaths and Feasts were deemed an "everlasting covenant", it does not mean they are enduring, everlasting covenants break (Isa 24:4-6; 33:6), nor is it infinite, everlastings begin and end (Psa 103:17). Infact, because of Israel's Apostasy by corrupting the "Sabbaths" and the "Feasts" so much that God could not "away with [endure]" them (Isa 1:13-14) It was prophesied that God will cause Israel's "Sabbaths", "new moons" and "feast days" "to cease" (Hosea 2:11). So, God sent Israel to Babylon, where they'd have no sabbaths or feasts for 75 years. The scriptures kept in the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran tells us that the Babylonian Jews were apostates, altering scripture and going astray with feasts and sabbaths (1 Enoch 89:73; 93:8; Jubilees 1:14; Damascus Rule, CD III:13-14). As proof, they point out that the Jews that returned from Babylon came back with the Babylonian Calendar, a Lunar 354-day year Calendar, instead of a Solar 365-day year Calendar like in Enoch and Jubilees, therefore all of their Feast Days are all on the wrong days (4Q 320-30). Today's Orthodox Jewish Calendar was not established until the 4th Century A.D. with no proof their Feasts nor Sabbaths are even on the correct days. The Jews had extra Sabbaths, some back to back.

Even Jesus seems to imply the Jewish Sabbath was not the true Sabbath. While constantly breaking the Sabbath by working, once his only defense was, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17). Jesus makes no indication that the disciples should rest on the Sabbath, and but had them all openly disobey the Mosaic Law to not prep nor cook (Exo 16:23; 34:21; 35:3; Num 15:32-36), it was not an "extra" law, and he broke it and taught others to do likewise.

Another instance, he says King David broke the Law of Moses when he ate the Shewbread (1 Sa 21:3-6), for the Davidic King. "the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Mark 12:8; Luke 6:1-5). The Laws come forth from the Davidic King, and they even decide which days are holy (1 King 12:32-33; 2 King 23:21-22). Jesus started his ministry by issuing a new set of laws that supersede all of Moses' laws. He didn't destroy the Law, He's "fulfilling" the expectations of it. The Sermon on the Mount is the Law called by James the "law of liberty". "Ye have heard" Moses says X, but "I say" Y.

I have more notes, like the details of the Higher Law, how Gentile converts are not in bondage to the Law of Moses to have regard for and serve a day, the Judaizer heretics, how the old vanishes away, the rise of the first day.

Edited August 2, 2024 by Pyreaux

[Dario_M]

I feel like this has nothing to do with our belief. Yes the plates where from Egypt but still. We are no isrealites (btw Isreal is not in Egypt) We are Mormons. 

If i think about Isrealites i think more about the Jewish people. That's more likely. I'm not a Jew. I'm a Mormon you know.

Edited August 3, 2024 by Dario_M

[JVW]

On 8/3/2024 at 2:30 AM, Dario_M said:

I feel like this has nothing to do with our belief. Yes the plates where from Egypt but still. We are no isrealites (btw Isreal is not in Egypt) We are Mormons. 

If i think about Isrealites i think more about the Jewish people. That's more likely. I'm not a Jew. I'm a Mormon you know.

Have you received your Patriarchal Blessing yet? When one is baptized and confirmed a member of the church they become a member of the 12 tribes of Israel and their lineage is declared in their Patriarchal Blessing. The Church is Israel (not the nation, but the people).

[JVW]

On 8/2/2024 at 5:52 PM, Pyreaux said:

I have many Messianic Jewish friends who support observing the Sabbath and the Feasts. I'll consult my notes of some counter points to their claims. The commandments are relative, commands in the Law of Moses was a unique law to Israelites, as a punishment for their forefather's sin with the golden calf, which other nations are not under (Gal 3:8, 13, 19, 24-25). The Jews teach the Laws of Moses, the Feasts and Sabbaths and Kosher laws were not commanded to be practiced before Sinai, and that it should not be practiced by other people unless you are or becoming an Israelite "The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers" (Deut 5:3). He gave them the Sabbaths as anti-exploitation laws to remind the Israelites that they were once slaves (Deut 5:15) and to not eat unclean animals (Deut 14:2-21)

Other people were to obey the Seven Noahide Commandments which includes the Gentile working days "shall not cease" (Gen 8:22) and all animals were "meat" (Gen 9:3). And if a Gentile observes the Law of Moses, like the Sabbath, they are breaking the commandments (Talmud, Sanhedren 58b; Exodus Rabbah 25:11; Deuteronomy Rabbah 1:21).

Though the laws, Sabbaths and Feasts were deemed an "everlasting covenant", it does not mean they are enduring, everlasting covenants break (Isa 24:4-6; 33:6), nor is it infinite, everlastings begin and end (Psa 103:17). Infact, because of Israel's Apostasy by corrupting the "Sabbaths" and the "Feasts" so much that God could not "away with [endure]" them (Isa 1:13-14) It was prophesied that God will cause Israel's "Sabbaths", "new moons" and "feast days" "to cease" (Hosea 2:11). So, God sent Israel to Babylon, where they'd have no sabbaths or feasts for 75 years. The scriptures kept in the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran tells us that the Babylonian Jews were apostates, altering scripture and going astray with feasts and sabbaths (1 Enoch 89:73; 93:8; Jubilees 1:14; Damascus Rule, CD III:13-14). As proof, they point out that the Jews that returned from Babylon came back with the Babylonian Calendar, a Lunar 354-day year Calendar, instead of a Solar 365-day year Calendar like in Enoch and Jubilees, therefore all of their Feast Days are all on the wrong days (4Q 320-30). Today's Orthodox Jewish Calendar was not established until the 4th Century A.D. with no proof their Feasts nor Sabbaths are even on the correct days. The Jews had extra Sabbaths, some back to back.

Even Jesus seems to imply the Jewish Sabbath was not the true Sabbath. While constantly breaking the Sabbath by working, once his only defense was, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17). Jesus makes no indication that the disciples should rest on the Sabbath, and but had them all openly disobey the Mosaic Law to not prep nor cook (Exo 16:23; 34:21; 35:3; Num 15:32-36), it was not an "extra" law, and he broke it and taught others to do likewise.

Another instance, he says King David broke the Law of Moses when he ate the Shewbread (1 Sa 21:3-6), for the Davidic King. "the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath" (Mark 12:8; Luke 6:1-5). The Laws come forth from the Davidic King, and they even decide which days are holy (1 King 12:32-33; 2 King 23:21-22). Jesus started his ministry by issuing a new set of laws that supersede all of Moses' laws. He didn't destroy the Law, He's "fulfilling" the expectations of it. The Sermon on the Mount is the Law called by James the "law of liberty". "Ye have heard" Moses says X, but "I say" Y.

I have more notes, like the details of the Higher Law, how Gentile converts are not in bondage to the Law of Moses to have regard for and serve a day, the Judaizer heretics, how the old vanishes away, the rise of the first day.

Thank you for this in-depth response. I would enjoy reading any other notes you may have if you'd be willing to message them to me or email them. All of this is very interesting to me and has been hard for me to understand in my personal studies.

[Dario_M]

5 hours ago, JVW said:

Have you received your Patriarchal Blessing yet? When one is baptized and confirmed a member of the church they become a member of the 12 tribes of Israel and their lineage is declared in their Patriarchal Blessing. The Church is Israel (not the nation, but the people).

I have been baptized and recieved the holy ghost. And recieved the Aaronic priesthood. 

Edited August 9, 2024 by Dario_M

[JVW]

10 hours ago, Dario_M said:

I have been baptized and recieved the holy ghost. And recieved the Aaronic priesthood. 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/patriarchal-blessings?lang=eng

Quote

Every worthy, baptized member is entitled to and should receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired direction from the Lord.¹ Patriarchal blessings include a declaration of a person’s lineage in the house of Israel and contain personal counsel from the Lord. ... It does not matter if a person’s lineage in the house of Israel is through bloodlines or by adoption. Church members are counted as a descendant of Abraham and an heir to all the promises and blessings contained in the Abrahamic covenant. ... Patriarchal blessings are sacred and personal. They may be shared with immediate family members but should not be read aloud in public or read or interpreted by others. Not even the patriarch, bishop, or branch president should interpret it.

This may be the most recent talk given in General Conference on the topic, so it's still a relevant topic that church leaders care about. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04/44yamashita?lang=eng

[Durangout]

We do to some degree.  What do you think we are doing when we hold Gen. conf. in the spring and then in the fall?

[Stargazer]

On 8/3/2024 at 12:52 AM, Pyreaux said:

Even Jesus seems to imply the Jewish Sabbath was not the true Sabbath. While constantly breaking the Sabbath by working, once his only defense was, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17). Jesus makes no indication that the disciples should rest on the Sabbath, and but had them all openly disobey the Mosaic Law to not prep nor cook (Exo 16:23; 34:21; 35:3; Num 15:32-36), it was not an "extra" law, and he broke it and taught others to do likewise.

I believe that what Jesus was breaking was the Rabbinical/Pharsaic Sabbath, which was man-made. 

[Pyreaux]

22 hours ago, JVW said:

Thank you for this in-depth response. I would enjoy reading any other notes you may have if you'd be willing to message them to me or email them. All of this is very interesting to me and has been hard for me to understand in my personal studies.

Okay, first point in my notes, is dealing with whether God can change, specifically if he can change his mind, more specifically change his mind about the Law of Moses and the Sabbath.

Changing God's Mind

When the Christianity became the religion of Rome, the Greek Platonic Philosophers (the Intellectual community) of Rome had long abandoned their pantheon of embarrassingly human-like gods for a philosophically perfect god called, "The One".

"Socrates and Plato held that (God is) The One, the single self existent nature... all variety of names point immediately to mind. God therefore is mind.. that is to say what is purely immaterial and unconnected with anything passable" (Plutarch, in Eusebias, Preparations for the Gospel 14:16)

This desire to believe in a single being devoid of any human qualities, one that is impassable, devoid of emotions are the ideas that influenced the Council of Nicea to formulate the Trinity doctrine. The Trinity dictates that the three persons in the Godhead are all made out of one indivisible substance, this substance cannot change at all. It is without body, parts or passions. He cannot change in emotion, and He cannot change His mind.

That is the Philosopher's god, not the God the Bible describes. The Bible has a God who loved, was jealous, he forgave, became wroth, etc. If he is a God that does not change in himself, and is impassable, how can we possibly engage with Him? With an impassible God, no appeal could be made to Him, for He has no sympathy in our struggle, He is not glad about our success, neither disappointed in our failure. How could prayer change His mind or actions? Didn't God send Jonah to condemn Nineveh to destruction, but through Nineveh's prayer and fasting, "God repented", "He did it not", did not what "He said that He would do" (Jonah 3:10). Did not God want to destroy Israel and make a nation out of Moses, until Moses, "besaught" God, so then God "repented of the evil, which he thought to do" (Exo 32:10-14).

Whenever the Bible explains God's unchanging nature, it is nothing like the Greeks describe in an absolute sense. Instead, it describes a God that is consistent, honest, just and merciful (*** 1:2; Num 23:19; 1 Sa 15:29). In contrast to men, God keeps his promises even though men break their promises (Isa 40:28; Exo 34:9-10). Not even the scriptures are subject to finality.

Jeremiah wrote a book, which was later burned, rewrote, and then "added" upon (Jer 36:32). Jeremiah preaches against the finality of the Laws of Moses as a replacement for revelations from Prophets which can supersede the Law, especially because the Law keepers, the lying pen of scribes would alter the scriptures (Jer 8:8-9) and falsely claim that following their edition of the Law will cause Jerusalem to prosper (Jer 27:9), while rejecting the "word [davar] of the Lord", he means the spoken oracles, the prophets. The scribes seeks to alter and thus control the words in scriptures, and outlaw all new words and innovations that deviate from the written words, thus the scribes sought to execute the prophet Jeremiah for saying that Jerusalem will not prosper, it will fall (Jer 26:1-19)

The Higher Law of Christ

The Sermon on the Mount consists of Matthew 5–7, which features the teaching of Jesus on a variety of subjects; as a new Moses, Jesus come out of Egypt, worked signs and wonders, and meet with Israel on a mountaintop where He amplifies his new law that was not a simple repeat of Moses’ law, but Jesus emphatically says the opposite and expands upon it. “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:28-29)

What James called the Law of Liberty. "Blessed" are the poor in spirit (Mat 5:3; Jas 2:5), the mourners (Mat 5:4; Jas 4:9), the meek (Mat 5:5; Jas 3:13), those who hunger for righteousness (Mat 5:6), the merciful (Mat 5:7; Jas 2:13), the pure in heart (Mat 5:8; Jas 4:8) the persecuted (Mat 5:10), the reviled falsely (Mat 5:11).

Thou shalt not be angry with thy brother (Mat 5:21-24; Jas 4:11), do not lust (Mat 5:25-30; Jas 4:1-4), do not divorce (Mat 5:31), the Laws of Moses were not from the beginning (Mat 19:4-8) they are now changed. Do not make irrelevant oaths (Mat 8:38-39; Jas 5:12), do not return evil for evil (Mat 5:38-39). Love your enemies (Mat 5:44-46). Be perfect (Mat 5:48; Jas 2:22; 3:2). There is noticeably no encouragement to obey the Sabbath.

Preform your alms (righteous acts, ordinances) in secret (Mat 6:1-4). Pray in secret (Mat 6:5-6), pray not with vain repetition (Mat 6:7; Eccl 5:2), fast in secret (Mat 6:16). Many other doctrines of Christ were kept secret from the public (Mat 13:10-17). There were also some doctrines he did not even impart to the Apostles while he was with them. The gospel was only sent to the House of Israel, not other people (Mat 10:6; 15:24).

Twenty years after Christ's ascension, Peter received the 'Vision of the Unclean Animals', it was interpreted to mean, to Peter's surprise, that God was not a respecter of persons, and that Cornelius, an uncircumcised Gentile, without following a single kosher law or without observing a single Sabbath, was somehow worthy of a Christian baptism. Peter by divine vision and angel knows Gentiles can join the church without becoming Jewish first (Acts 10:11-15). There were Christians that are not Jews at all. Peter is later confused about how to inter-grade the two groups.

Another Gospel, the Gospel of Circumcision

After Peter's vision, Saul is then converted and sent to the Gentiles to preach to them as Paul. The converted Pharisee Jews from Jerusalem, Peter's mission field, entered into Paul's mission field, they were teaching the Gentile Christians "another gospel" than the gospel Paul was teaching them, the "law of circumcision" (Gal 2:7). They thought that even after their baptisms without circumcision, they should still get circumcised and obey the laws of Moses like they did (Act 15:5). Peter was responsible for this, in fact, when Peter was sitting with the Gentile Christians and then the Pharisee Jewish Christians arrived, he separated himself to sit with them as the Law of Moses commands they separate. That is when Paul, "withstood him to the face", he argued openly (Gal 2:11 (3-11)). This caused so much disruption that the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem to create a unified position (Act 15). Paul was right, Gentiles don't need to obey the Law of Moses.

To the Galatians

Eventually, the Laws, the things God wants and expects of us, can be changed, added upon, even after Christ's ascension, while divine authorities lived. Gentiles dont need to follows the Laws of Moses to enjoy full fellowship in the church. the Law of Moses is not a privilege, it is a "curse" (Gal 3:13), "the law... was added" due to Israel's "transgressions" (Gal 3:19). To serve as a strict "schoolmaster [paidagogos (G3807) a tutor, but without the idea of instruction, but of discipline, pais (3816) a boy that is beaten, paio (G3817) to beat]" until Christ brought his law, now "we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (Gal 3:24-25).

To observe the Sabbaths, moons and feasts was "bondage", so "where unto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and years" (Gal 14:9-10). "Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Gal 15:1).

To the Romans

Paul wrote to the Romans concerning Judaizing disputes there. The Jews were not better than Romans because they obey the Law of Moses, because according to Christ's law, all have sinned, even the most perfect Jew (Rom 3:9). The Law of Moses was good at exposing the Jew's sins, but as Christians "we are delivered from the law", it can only now serve if it is adhered to more liberally, "spiritually" (Rom 7:6, 14). The "Law of the Spirit" freed us from the Letter of the Law of Moses (Rom 8:1-10). The Romans will not obtain righteousness by obeying the Law of Moses, but by Christ's "Law of Righteousness" (Rom 9:31-33). Unlike the Law of Moses, the Law of Love does not return evil for evil (Rom 12:17), but love your enemies (Rom 12:17). To "Love one another", is to "fulfill the law", for by this love, they won't kill, steal, lie, covet or "any other commandment, it is... Love thy neighbor" (Rom 13:8-10).

Lastly, the Sabbaths and feasts and Kosher laws are of no obligation to the Romans, "Let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth, for God hath received him", "Let... one man... esteemeth every day alike," and if he "regardeth not the day" he is still "acceptable to God" (Rom 14:3, 5-6, 18).

To the Colossians

Paul sent a letter to the Colosse, where it seems the Merkabah Jews converted to Christianity, known as the 'Colossian heretics' (Col 2). You see, it was the Merkabah who believed that angels mediate between God and men (Col 2:8, 15, 18; 1:13) and in visions the informed their beliefs (Col 2:8). Which means these are not Pharisee Jews. The Merkabah beliefs could co-exist with Christian beliefs, except they believed in strict obedience to the Law of Moses, the Feasts, new moons, and Sabbath laws, kosher laws and demanded converts to be circumcized (Col 2:11).

Paul tells the Colossians, "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" (Col 2:16-17). The Sabbath was a sign pointing Israel to a Millennial Rest that Christians will not enter in to until Christ returns (Heb 4, 9-11 (the last "rest"); Gen 2:2). It is not an obligation (Gal 4:9-10; Rom 15:5).

To the Corinthians

The Jewish Christians still attended the synagogues on the Sabbath (Act 7:2) while Paul had the Gentile Troas assemble every, "first day of the week [eis mian Sabbatton]", the first sabbath of the week, to "break bread" (Act 20:7).

Paul's Breaking of Bread was clearly a religious ordinance Paul called the "Lord's Supper" (1 Cor 11:20-26). As the Jewish Christians became excluded form the synagogues on the Sabbath, they began to meet with the Gentiles on the first day also (1 Cor 16:2). It was in Jewish Enochian literature that they called the first day, "the Lord's day" (Rev 1:10; 2 Enoch 28:5; 33:1-2). Another type for a future, Millennial "day of the Lord" (2 Pt 3:10). The bread the Gentiles ate was the bread prophesied of in Malachi, the Gentiles will one day offer up a pure temple shew bread (Mal 1:17, 11).

To Timothy

Ten years after the Jerusalem Council, while it settled whether Gentiles need to be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses, it did not settle whether the Jews still need to, that was left alone, until Paul returned from his third mission to Jerusalem, and finds that the Jewish members were still "zealous to the Law" (Act 21:20) so later Paul will write to the Hebrews, but first he wrote to Timothy.

Paul writes to Timothy of those in Ephesus teaching ascetics, "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats", as bad, because "every creature of God is good... for it is sanctified by the word of God [Act 10, Vision of the Unclean Animals] and prayer" (1 Tim 4:1-5). "The Law is good", however, "the law is not made for a righteous man [a Christian] but for the Lawless and disobedient [the Israelites of old that sinned]" (1 Tim 1:8-9)

To the Hebrews

Paul writes to the Hebrews, explaining to them with scriptures, why they, the Hebrews/Jews, should not observe the law of Moses. How Christ is greater than the prophets and the angels (Heb 1:4-2:18), so we should "more earnest heed" things Christ said (Heb 2:1-4). Christ is greater than Moses (Heb 3:1-6). Since the Israelites were punished for not obeying Moses (Heb 3:7-19) reason we should be listening to Christ (Heb 4:1-2).

Concerning the Sabbath rest, "God did rest on the seventh day" and "there remainith a rest for the people of God". Paul proceeds to use the word "rest" 7 times as "[katapausis, to rest from labor]", but in verse 9 it is "[sabbatismos]" and contextually it means an ultimate day of rest. The Second Coming's Millennium is the rest that still remains for the Christians. The Sabbath was a type of that rest, which Christian shall not enter until Christ returns (Heb 4:2-3; 9:28), as a "shadow of things to come" (Col 2:16).

Christ was the High Priest after Melchizedek, a priesthood far older and superior to Aaron and Levi (Heb 7:1-12). He issued a Law that is better than the Law of Moses (Heb 5:1-7:28). There are new priests to administer a new law, "the priesthood being changed [metalithemenes (G3346)], there is made of necessity a change [metathesis] also in the law" (Heb 7:11-12).

By "change", he doesn't mean it is gone, it means it's been "placed differently". A Higher superseding law that needs a higher priesthood (Heb 7:16). Simply obeying the Law of Moses could not make the Israelites "perfect", complete, or rather, it could not initiate the Israelites into the priesthood for themselves (Heb 7:19; 2 Cor 3:7-14). The Law of Christ is spiritual higher (turn the other cheek) (Mat 5:20-48) and it can make us "perfect" (Mat 5:48). The Law of Moses was carnal (eye for an eye) (Heb 7:16) so it had to eventually change (Heb 7:18). Thus, the Old "Testament [Covenant]" of Moses has been superseded by a New Testament/Covenant (Heb 8:6-9:28) and everything that is old "is ready to vanish away" (Heb 8:13)

Edited August 9, 2024 by Pyreaux

[Pyreaux]

1 hour ago, Stargazer said:

I believe that what Jesus was breaking was the Rabbinical/Pharsaic Sabbath, which was man-made. 

That is a common idea, but wrong, if you read my scriptural references, you'll read in Books of Moses that cooking food, prepping food, gathering food, gathering firewood, is totally a Law of Moses punishable by death.

[Stargazer]

2 hours ago, Pyreaux said:

That is a common idea, but wrong, if you read my scriptural references, you'll read in Books of Moses that cooking food, prepping food, gathering food, gathering firewood, is totally a Law of Moses punishable by death.

Yes, I do recall that one of the first instances of someone breaking the Sabbath was a guy who was gathering sticks to make a fire, and he was executed. 

 

[2BizE]

There also aren’t Jewish rituals found in the Book of Mormon, which was written by Jews…