From PCG Signposts (signposts@pcog.org) comes this…
We are only six weeks away from the first of God’s annual festivals. These special observances remind us from year-to-year, and deepen our understanding, of God’s great plan of salvation for all mankind.
As we prepare specifically for the spring holy days, we need to keep the overall picture—God’s magnificent purpose—in mind.
God keeps that purpose in His mindall the time. We would do well to do the same.
The following is an excerpt from Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which?, by Herbert W. Armstrong. It’s a good reminder of God’s purpose and how He uses the holy days teach us all about it.
“[W]hen God gave His Church seven annual sabbaths, God, in His wisdom, had a great purpose. These days, too, were given to keep God’s children in the true memory and worship of God by keeping us constantly in the understanding of God’s great plan of redemption. For these annual days picture the different epochs in the plan of spiritual creation—mark the dispensations, and picture their meaning.
“The whole story of spiritual regeneration was, in these feast days, to be reenacted year after year continually. They have vitally important symbolism and meaning.
“It is a historic fact that any nation which ever profaned God’s holy Sabbath (weekly), has lost contact with and knowledge of the true God, and gone into idolatry. The only nation which ever did keep God’s Sabbath is the only one that kept the true memory and worship of the true God—and only when they kept the Sabbath. When ancient Israel began to profane God’s Sabbath, it began to worship idols!
“And in the same way, when in these New Testament times we have failed to observe God’s annual sabbaths we, as a nation and people, are without knowledge of God’s true plan of reproducing Himself.
“The so-called Christian churches today do not understand or teach what sin is—they do not teach that sin must be put away—they do not understand what man is, the purpose of life, the meaning of being born again, and of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit—they do not understand that God’s Church, today, is not to convert the world, but to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom as a witness, to live a life of overcoming sin, enduring unto the end, and that the overcomers shall reign with Christ, being kings, and priests, in His Kingdom.
“They do not understand that Christ is coming again, and those who preach the Second Coming fail to understand its meaning and purpose. They have no knowledge or conception of the good news of the coming Kingdom of God—the only true New Testament Bible gospel.
“Not understanding these vital steps in the true plan of regeneration, the Christian churches teach that the law is abolished. They teach the pagan doctrine of the immortality of the soul, going immediately to heaven or hell at death—and they teach that death is only life.
“And all is confusion!
“God’s feasts, or holy days, or sabbaths, were commanded to be kept year after year, and forever! We ask the reader to retain an open mind, for we shall prove that forever, in this case, means forever!
“Thus God purposed to impress the truths these ‘high’ sabbaths picture upon all the minds of His children through all time, keeping His Church in the true understanding of His plan!”
So does it make any difference which days we observe—or whether we keep them? It makes all the difference.
Learn more by reading Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which?