As a Christian, one might rightly point out that gentiles are not under the yoke of the Law of Moses. In Acts 15, a gathering of the Apostles of Christ and the elders of the Church took place. According to verse 5, a certain group of Christian Jews from the sect of the Pharisees, responded to the declaration of the conversion of the Gentiles, and said: “That it was needful to circumcise them [the Gentiles], and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
But after Peter, Paul, Barnabas and James spoke on the matter, they agreed, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, this was not necessary for a Gentile follower of Jesus Christ. So they sent an epistle (a letter) and a personal envoy to the Gentiles, to tell them they were NOT UNDER THE YOKE OF THE LAW, as we are taught in verses 24, 28 amp; 29: “Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain [Jewish Christians] which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:” . . . “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.“
So then, you may ask, as Gentiles, why burden ourselves with the Jewish Feasts?
As a Christian, do you support Israel? Do you believe what God teaches in Genesis 12:3, “And I will bless them that bless thee [Israel], and curse him that curseth thee: . . . ” Or in Romans 11:11, where we are taught? “ . . . salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them [Israel] to jealousy.” Our mission is clear: we are to bless and support Israel with material blessings and with spiritual love – the love of Christ.
God did command those born as Jews to keep the Feasts, with this command found throughout Leviticus concerning all the Feasts, “It shall be a statute forever in your generations:”
So, if the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob commanded the Jews to keep the Feasts, and we tell the Jews that we worship the same God, they simply don’t believe us. Why? We don’t keep the Feasts. If you want to convince a devout Jew that you have this amazing relationship with the same God, a relationship so intimate that it provokes them to jealousy, so that they seek Jesus Christ as the true and only Messiah of the world, THEN KEEP THE FEASTS! Especially if you are called to a ministry to support Israel!
Concerning the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:34-43) God told Moses the reason for this Feast was so “That your generations may know that I made the Children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” All Feasts have a special meaning to God; and they are a foreshadowing of Christ’s final act of atonement for sin on the Cross. The Feast of Tabernacles is a reminder from God that He delivered the Jews from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. It should also be a reminder for gentile Christians that He delivered us from the bondage of sin, and its eternal death sentence of being forever separated from God.
So Keep the Feast of Tabernacles, not because you have to, but because God deserves the honor of your praise and thanksgiving for your salvation from bondage and spiritual death. Keep the Feast of Tabernacles to honor Israel, the nation of the patriarchs and the Author and Finisher of your faith. Keep the Feast of Tabernacles to provoke Israel to Jealousy, so that, while they are worshiping and honoring the God of Abraham, Isaac amp; Jacob for seven days in their tabernacles, they might seek the One True Messiah. Why do we want that? Did God “cast away” the Jews from a personal relationship with Him forever? No. God forbid! According to scripture, He did hardened their hearts and blind them towards belief in Jesus Christ, because most of them rejected Christ. But this is not permanent. Romans 11:15 says it all: ”For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”
OK, IF YOU MISSED IT, WAKE UP! What Paul is telling us here is clear. When the Jews seek and receive Jesus, WE GET THE RESURECTION! LIFE FROM THE DEAD! CHRIST COMES BACK! We Gentiles were given faith in Jesus Christ and the salvation of our souls for a reason . . . to provoke the Jews to jealousy over our relationship with God, only possible through Jesus Christ, our Jewish Messiah!
It’s not an issue of salvation. It’s an issue of obedience and blessings. Help take away one of the biggest stumbling blocks of all, that’s keeping Jews from seeing Jesus in us . . . Keep the Feasts!
I think the King James version says it best in Romans 11:25, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.”
Many translations say it’s a “full number” of gentiles that must be reached before Israel awakens. That may be true, and only God would know that number. I for one believe God may also have another meaning for us in this scripture. The word “fullness” in the King James comes from the Textus Receptus’ Greek word, pléróma. It’s Strong’s definition is fullness, a filling up. “. . . until the filling up of the Gentiles” is an accurate way to say it. This can mean many things, not the least of which may be the “filling of the Holy Spirit. I personally believe the fullness of the Gentiles may come when we recognize, and embrace, our Jewish roots, and begin to bless Israel with the love of Christ. How can we bless them? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalms 122:6). Go to Israel during the Feast of Tabernacles. Keep all the Feasts! Buy Israeli products. Be a blessing to God by being a blessing to Israel. God will bless you. It’s His promise!
