Now That Armstrongites Kept The Feast Of Tabernacles, Why Did They?

The "Fall Holy Day Season" just passed for Jews and the Armstrongite Churches. 

Now is a good time to review Armstrong's  error of placing Old Covenant practices into New Covenant Christianity. A good time to see what the TRUTH is about the Old Testament Feasts of the Lord. A good time to learn what Jesus taught on this subject.

 After beginning to understand the concept of Grace and  Faith in Christ for salvation and what the New Covenant meant for true believers in Christ it seemed too simple. It was eventually easy to shed the burden of the Law under  Armstrongism. This understanding did not come to me all at once but over a long period. As I wrote in my letter found on this blog "Unraveling Armstrong's Doctrinal Errors - A Personal Journey" I had grown up in the Worldwide Church of God. From 1963 when I attended my first Feast of Tabernacles with my Mother and two younger brothers in Jekyll Island, Georgia until 2010 when I finally severed ties with the United Church of God I felt there was a great degree of hypocrisy in the doctrines of the church. I was able to read and grasp the concepts of the Old Testament Festivals of God at a very young age and the instructions for their observance. One need only read with an open mind Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16 and see Herbert W. Armstrong, while claiming God "Commanded Christians" to observe these days the church fell FAR short of actually fulfilling these requirements. After all what was the Apostle Paul writing about in Galatians 3:10, " For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, "Cursed is EVERYONE who does not continue in ALL THINGS which are written in the book of the law to do them," Armstrong certainly then fell under the curse of the law and brought his church under the same curse as well.

Within the Churches of God that found their beginnings in Armstrongism and base their theology on these false doctrines still prepare their annual festival cycle around this toxic soup that Armstrong brewed from some elements of an abolished old covenant and elements of the new covenant. Some Elders and members of these groups will read this blog, and they do read, with contempt and think, heresy, apostate!


But the Apostle Paul warns all those who reject Grace and Faith in Jesus Christ and count themselves unworthy for salvation and more so those who teach doctrines of men that cut their membership off from salvation by going back to the Abolished Covenant and rejecting the New Covenant, THE ONLY COVENANT OF LIFE THROUGH CHRIST.


Here is one of many Bible Study passages for those who believe salvation comes from keeping, or pretending to keep, the Old Covenant Festivals that were given to ancient Israel. Paul is warning the Christians in Galatia against Jews who were bringing a very similar false doctrine to what Herbert W. Armstrong taught. False for Christians then and now.

Galatians 3:25(NIV)
 ¹ You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. ² I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?^{[a] 4} Have you experienced^[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵ So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? ⁶ So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{[c]  7} Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^{[d] 9} So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
 ¹⁰ For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”^{[e] 11} Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”^{[f] 12} The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”^{[g] 13[h] 14} He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”
 ¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[i] meaning one person, who is Christ. ¹⁷ What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.  ¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. ²⁰ A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.
 ²¹ Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²² But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
²³ Before the coming of this faith,^[j] we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.  ²⁶ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 




In this all important excerpt from Paul's letter to the Galatian church which was made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians CLEARLY STATES the Law of Moses including the Annual Festivals, including ALL of the Ordinances that were abolished at the cross ( Col. 2:14) were ONLY INTENDED UNTIL CHRIST,THE SEED ARRIVED. Verse 19; "...until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come."


Christ was the END OF THE LAW, as Paul writes in Romans 10:4. There is no purpose in attempting to keep Old Testament Feasts that actually cut believers off from Christ and are left fallen from Grace. Paul told the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Galatians 5:1-7 that were being taught FALSELY that they had to keep the Law of Moses for salvation that they, "should NOT become entangled AGAIN in a YOKE OF BONDAGE, which came directly from the Jerusalem Decision (Acts 15:10).


Some Armstrongites would argue, "but Christ kept the Feasts!" But when? Christ kept them during his lifetime. That was under the Old Covenant that He came to fulfill (Matt 5:17-18) and was passing away (Heb. 8:13). Jesus Himself taught that these physical, Temple based rituals, passed away at His coming. His own words in John 4 at the Well of Jacob in Samaria tells the story of the END of the Old Covenant Statutes and Ordinances and the beginning of the New Covenant. 

John 4:21-26;

  ²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

 ²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

 ²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

As the Apostle warned then and now;   
                     "...who hindered you from obeying the truth?" 

As a religious writer, I am not affiliated with any church or religious denomination. I am an independent disciple of Christ adhering to the teachings of the original Church of Jerusalem founded by the Apostles. What I write is taken directly from the Holy Bible. I use several  modern translations and find the concept of salvation through Grace clear in most translations. My writings are not taken from any other writings with the exception of critically analyzing the doctrines or teachings of  religious organizations from their own literature offered to the public. 

I grew up in the World Wide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) and have diligently compared the teachings and doctrines of that organization to the Bible and have found their doctrines and teachings terribly flawed. When compared to All of the New Covenant teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles,  Armstrong's teaching are in direct opposition to those of Jesus Christ. Much of what HWA taught falls into the category of pure blasphemy.

James Malm, the Shininglight Blog Writer Has Shared Blindness

Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you can find helpful information here if you are searching for Biblical understanding like me. I welcome your comments.

Today I visited the TheShiningLight Blog to gather some ideas for my blog article. There is always a wealth of biblical error waiting to be corrected so it only took a couple minutes of reading to find a topic.

James Malm is the writer and a strong proponent of Armstrongism which rejects the true doctrines of Jesus Christ and the New Covenant (which they would disagree with). Armstrongism, as I refer to it, is a technically flawed theology created by the late Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA) which blended Old and New Covenant Biblical practices while labeling it Christian.

In a James Malm Bible study published on the 2nd of August, 2012 titled "The Building of the Temple, Zecheriah Part 4 - I found one of his usual biblical contradictions. This is very typical of those trained by Armstrong and his followers, which James is one. The theology they practice is actually what I term "versology." A cut and paste form of religion that takes many different verses cut out of context from both old and new testament writings and weaves them into a patchwork of  contradiction and confusion.  The Churches of God (COG's) as I will call them here for continuity sprang from the 1995 split in the Worldwide Church of God. The founder HWA died in 1986 and the new leaders began to change many original teachings at a rapid pace. These numerous splinter COG's groups that left in 1995 for the most part retained the original teachings while the main group dropped most of the Old Covenant teachings.

The numerous but tiny COG's that clung to Armstrongism teach that God commands the keeping of the old covenant festivals listed in Leviticus 23. I grew up in Armstrongism and as a member was obligated to keep these holy days or feasts as they were called. The teachings on this within the COG's are duplicitous. While they teach Christians that these days must be kept they in no wise actually observe them other than the supposed dates. In fact these groups ignore Jesus Christ's own teachings and reject  His Sacrifice by rejecting the New Covenant in His shed blood. The new Covenant is rejected so therefore they are in all actuality Anti-Christ churches.

James Malm falls prey to this same flawed theology advocating the teachings adamantly. In his blindness, he can quote the scriptures that plainly prophecy the end of the Old Covenant and the beginning of a New Covenant but gloss over it as if it was not there - utterly blind. 

As example, here is his own explination of  Zechariah's prophecy of "Beauty" which James' claims is the Messiah;

"Beauty a prophecy of Christ

Jesus Christ bring called Beauty; and his death breaking the Mosaic Covenant between him and Israel. Only the humble understood this and follow4e into the New Covenant. (SP- "4e" should be me)

11:7 And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
11:8 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me.
11:9 Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
11:10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant which I had made with all the people."

The highlighted text above is James' own explanation of the ending of the Old Covenant and the Beginning of a New Covenant at the death of the Messiah but completely glosses over that and continues promoting the observance of the Feasts of Leviticus 23 in his blog articles.

James ignores Jesus and the new covenant. Jesus Christ stated clearly in John 4 that there would be no more Temple Worship but spiritual worship instead.


<sup>John 4:19-26;

19</sup> “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.  
²⁰ Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
²¹ “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.  

²² You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 

²³ Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  

²⁴ God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

²⁵ The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
²⁶ Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

That made observance of the Feasts of Lev 23 an impossibility since they were required to be observed at the Temple. At least three could be observed nowhere other than at Mt. Ebal in Samaria (Joshua 8:30-33) and no other place on earth 
( Deuteronomy 12:14). Later King David moved the Altar to Jerusalem.

But this error is not a new one. The Apostle Paul battled the same type of false teachings and false teachers that came from Jerusalem to Asia where Paul was baptizing many Gentiles and raising up many Christian churches. Many Jewish convert taught that the new Christians among the Gentile churches must be circumcised and obey the Laws of Moses known as the Torah like the Jews did. This was untrue as the new covenant did not require these things for salvation through Christ. Paul called these false teachers and warned, 


"You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Read the entire passage here: Galatians 5:5-12 


I can only hope and pray that those who teach these lies and lead the sheep astray would repent or do as Paul suggested, 

" As for those agitators, I wish 

they would go the whole way 

and emasculate themselves!" 

It is obvious that the Apostle Paul took this heresy very seriously - so do I and pray false teachers like James Malm will repent before it is too late for them and their followers. This is the reason I left to begin my own biblical research - I finally came to admit, I too had been deceived...

WHAT IS A TRUE CHRISTIAN?

The question "What is a true Christian" has been asked countless times throughout the two thousand plus years since Christ founded His church in Jerusalem. It has been preached on, written about and contemplated  by those seeking to live a Christ centered life. There are many views and there are many different Christian denominations, sects and cults that teach a variety of things each believes necessary to be considered a true Christian and required to obtain salvation and eternal life. That is the Christian objective based upon the promise given by Jesus Christ of eternal life in His kingdom.

Many Christian churches teach many similar things. They have doctrines that have been passed on from the original Apostles. Then some churches have vastly different doctrines. Some Christian Churches hold to Old Testament teachings and blend them with New Testament teachings. These have a hybrid sort of  religion that is legalistic, neither old or new covenant theology and require many rituals and observances of the law they claim brings righteousness.

Amid religious confusion many may be discouraged from seeking the true answer to our question, "What is a true Christian," while it is actually quite easy to find. For the moment, ignore all of the noise coming from the corporate religious community that uses mass media to disseminate their religious views and ask for your money. Ignore your own pastor for a bit and go to the source where the true Shepherd has left us His answer. Jesus gives believers what He expects of us in the pages of our own Bibles. But we may need to dust them off and have a look for ourselves to see if what we are being told is the truth. Do not just assume what we are being told is the "gospel" truth, because all to often, it is at best half truth. And as Benjamin Franklin stated; "Half a truth is often a great lie."


Let us then begin in the Gospels to find the answer that Christ Himself gave in the sheep and goats story found in Matthew chapter 25 verses 31 through 46.

The Sheep and the Goats
³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. ” (NIV)

Jesus is teaching here a continuation of the Ten Commandments from the Old Covenant given at Mt. Sinai in Exodus chapter 20 that commanded the Israelites to do no harm to their neighbors. But He is also magnifying the old covenant laws into the form of a new commandment which says, " Love your neighbor as yourself."  And in effect He is telling us that by doing good to our neighbor we are likewise doing good to Him.  This is the answer to a utopian society when every man looks to the needs of his neighbor. Not a government, but every one individually living this way. There would be no stealing and  no coveting, all would be a good neighbor to others in their community.

So Who Is My Neighbor?

A man asked Jesus the question, "who is my neighbor." Jesus answered this man with a parable of the Good Samaratin found in Luke chapter 10 verses 25 through 37;


²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” ²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’^[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d]”
²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii^[e] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”


So the question is not, "who is my neighbor"  that I must do good to, but that you must BECOME that good neighbor to others by YOUR actions. Also of interest was that a priest who knew the law and teachings of the Old Testament walked on by refusing to offer help to his fellow country man who had come from Jerusalem. Then a levite, a man, like the priest, well educated in the Torah and Judaism passed him by.  Then a Samaritan, a man considered a "dog" by the priest and the levite and unclean in their eyes had shown love and was a good neighbor to the man. 

Jesus is teaching a very important lesson here. No matter what your religious affiliation, if any. What church or denomination you may belong to - being a professing Christian - is nothing without actions. The priest and the levite held high positions of power and authority in Judaism and served at the Temple in Jerusalem, but neither one were a neighbor to the man who lay half dead along the road. So their religion was of no use in the eyes of Jesus.

              ...to be continued

DEFINITIONS ARE IMPORTANT FOR LOGICAL DEBATE TO OCCUR

This my post on Face Book today in a group of present and former WCG/COG members I though might be beneficial to my readers.
 
When we debate the issues of the Law here it seems to me that some hold different understandings of terms and definitions. Many use the terms; law, covenant, statutes, ordinances, commandments, and judgements correctly but also more often incorrectly. Sometimes terms that are synonymous are used against others to support a particular position. I feel this is partly why there is so much circular action leading to stalemate. The other part may be emotional attachment to our personal belief system that clouds reason.

The way I like to explain these various terms is by using a comparison, an analogy if you will, comparing the Old Covenant to a Promissory Note and the Mortgage that secures the payment of the underlying note. If anyone has had a mortgage they know they had to sign a promissory note and the mortgage. The mortgage is obviously a contract and I want to focus on that document to make my point.

A Mortgage is a contract as stated. The definition of the word contract is synonymous with covenant. A mortgage may have any number of terms and conditions that are also referred to as covenants or promises contained within the mortgage. The covenant that God offered to Israel on Mt. Sinai was actually a covenant in relation to property rights or ownership. Here is a definition from Law.com; "...Covenants can be concurrent (mutual promises to be performed at the same time), dependent (one promise need be performed if the other party performs his/hers), or independent (a promise to be honored without reference to any other promise)."

From the definition above the covenant that God made with Israel in 1400 B.C. was a "dependent" covenant. If God performed His promises then Israel would perform theirs. God kept his promise to Abraham and gave Israel the land inheritance, then Israel had to obey their promises to stay there. The promise given to Abraham was that the land would be a perpetual covenant, IF they obeyed. The terms contract and covenant are the same. There are different kinds of contracts just like there are different kinds of covenants. The contract that contained the law was a: bilateral contract; "n. an agreement in which the parties exchange promises for each to do something in the future. "Susette Seller promises to sell her house to Bobby Buyer and Buyer promises to pay Seller $100,000 for it." This is distinct from a "unilateral contract," in which there is a promise to pay if the other party chooses to do something. "I'll pay you $1,000 if you'll stop smoking." (Law.Com) Jacob made a unilateral contract with God, Jacob asked for safety and then he would give ten percent to God if God choose to perform first. The contract that God offered Israel was a bilateral contract in that if one party (God) performed their promise then the other party (Israel) would perform theirs. The differences are only academic in nature.

Statutes, Ordinances, and Law are each synonyms. Each of these terms can be used individually, as Moses did often, or interchangeably. All contained within the Covenant or mortgage. The violation of any one breaches the entire covenant.

The term Statue is generally referring to a national law while ordinances are more local.
statute
"n. a federal or state written law enacted by the Congress or state legislature, respectively. Local statutes or laws are usually called "ordinances." Regulations, rulings, opinions, executive orders and proclamations are not statutes."

A Commandment is not the particular law, statute or ordinance in question but the act or power to mandate a law.
com·mand·ment
noun
1.a command or mandate.
2.( sometimes initial capital letter ) any of the ten commandments.
3.the act or power of commanding

Judgements are the part of administrating the terms and conditions (or laws) to determine if an action or failure to act has violated a law and caused a breach.
judg·ment;
noun
1. an act or instance of judging.
2. the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; good sense; discretion: a man of sound judgment.
3. the demonstration or exercise of such ability or capacity: The major was decorated for the judgment he showed under fire.
4.the forming of an opinion, estimate, notion, or conclusion, as from circumstances presented to the mind: Our judgment as to the cause of his failure must rest on the evidence.
5. the opinion formed: He regretted his hasty judgment.
 
Contracts/Covenants have a set of terms and conditions. Getting back to the mortgage, the terms and conditions are covenants or promises to perform certain acts. For example The first is to make a payment of an exact amount on a designated date. If the payment is not made then the entire covenant is considered breached and the mortgagee can foreclose and take the property. All of the terms and conditions do not need to be violated to cause a breach, just one. Other failures individually that can cause a breach of the contract may be a promise to keep hazard insurance in force or pay all property taxes or maintain the property. Analogous to the Old Covenant either side could breach the covenant. We know that God fulfilled everything He promised in the covenant he made by the words of Joshua in Joshua 23: 14, And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. Know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one thing of them has failed.

15 But just as all good things which the Lord promised you have come to you, so will the Lord carry out [His] every [warning of] evil upon you, until He has destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

16 If you transgress the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, if you serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land He has given you. 

At this juncture in around 1440 BC all the covenants that God had made with Israel He had fully kept. Now the rest was up to them, and verse 15 and 16 refers to the blessings and cursings that would accrue to them if they failed to keep their covenants. It would be righteousness for them if they were careful to observe all these commandments. Some here like to use the argument that the Law is still in force today just as it was in the time of Israel in the Promised land. That is a specious or fallacious argument for the following reasons.

1)The Laws comprised the numerous terms and conditions of the Covenant God offered to Israel only. They ratified it on Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim in Shechem in the land after they arrived at the spot that would be the center of religious worship for several hundred years.

2) The breaking of just one of the terms was enough to breach the whole covenant. God went to great length to make this clear in Deut. 27 known as the blessings and cursings chapter.
 
3) The individual laws that included the Decalogue were NOT severable or separable, meaning no individual law or group of laws could be excluded by either party without express permission of the other. God stated, "If you do not carefully observe ALL of the words of this law...or you shall be plucked off the land you go to possess...Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples...and you shall never see it again." Deut. 28:58-68.
 
4) From 770 BC until around 600 BC God gave Israel, who were divided into the North and South Kingdoms, final warnings against breaking the covenant. Their continual weakness of turning to foreign gods and idolatry finally got them ejected once and for all from the land. The Egyptian, Persian, Assyrian and Babylonian nations served to fulfill God's warning to eject and scatter the Israelites. He did this while Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and many minor prophets were sent over and over to warn them of the coming judgement but many of the Kings of Israel failed to heed the dire warning. Some prophets were sent during the captivity. At this time God is told Israel that he would make a new covenant not like the old one. Jeremiah chapter 31 reveals God's plan of reconciliation. But it is NOT by a breached covenant that no longer exists. Paul, was a legal expert in Torah and details of the Old Covenant which he lived under and practiced. Pharisees were lawyers of the day and would have known the terms I discuss above in great detail. They prosecuted violations of these terms and conditions, the numerous laws contained in the covenant. He uses the same terminology "..the law of commandments contained in ordinances." ( Eph. 2:14) Also Paul says, "And I testify (as in a court room) again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to KEEP THE WHOLE LAW." One single term violated means a breach of the covenant and foreclosure on the property. (Gal. 5:3)

To conclude: The laws are terms and conditions of the covenant (old covenant) made with Israel. When one single law (term or condition) is breached the entire covenant or contract is thus breached. If someone tells you that the laws are to be obeyed today, ask "which ones can be excluded" and still keep the old covenant? If God says that ALL must be kept then that is what must be taught and performed if you claim that covenant is to be kept. By definition it is impossible to keep or fulfill a contract without keeping ALL of the laws within it as I have proven. The Apostle Paul  verifies the same. Hebrews chapters 8-10 likewise verifies this identical concept. The problem arising when anyone attempts to lead people back to the Old Covenant is it, in theory,  places those who follow this specious and fallacious reasoning back under the curse of the law. Jesus specifically died for us becoming the curse of the law. To teach otherwise is to reject that free gift - which is shear folly. Even if we wanted to the Covenant has been foreclosed and is there by nullified and no longer exists.

What is worse is this preference of an obsolete covenant rejects the New Covenant and the Mediator of the New and better covenant offering Jesus as the truth and the life.

Jesus said, "They prefer the old wine because they say it is just fine." They therefore reject the new wine that God offers, the new covenant is not the same as the other.

THE UNITED CHURCH OF GOD - ANOTHER BOOKLET PROMOTING FLAWED ARMSTRONG THEOLOGY

The United Church of God (UCG) has just published a new booklet titled God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind downloadable from their website. As an attempt to entice the reader to read this booklet they offer some challenges on their web site. The following is another glaring example of why they have no business teaching others about Christianity. While they try to prove that the Old Testament Festivals commanded for ancient Israel found in Leviticus 23 are relevant to New Testament Christians they as usual set up an erroneous premise that undermines their entire thesis.
Review their challenge below that appears on their Website and see if you can find the errors. (Text in blue is taken from the UCG website and  booklet)

God's Festivals in the New Testament

The New Testament records Jesus Christ, the Apostles and the Church keeping the Holy Days.

1. Passover

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover.
See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament:
Matthew 26:2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
See All..., 17-19 Mark 14:12-16 [12] And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
[13] And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
[14] And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
[15] And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.
[16] And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

See All... Luke 2:41-42 [41] Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
[42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

See All...; 22:1, 7-20 John 2:13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
See All..., 23; 6:4; 13:1-30 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 [23] For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
[24] And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
[25] After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
[26] For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
[27] Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
[28] But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
[29] For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

See All...

2. Feast of Unleavened Bread

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:6-8 [6] And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
[7] In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
[8] But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament: Matthew 26:17 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
See All... Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
See All... Luke 2:41-42 [41] Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
[42] And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

See All..., 22:1,7 Acts 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
See All... 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 [6]leaveneth the whole lump?
[7] Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
[8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

See All...

3. Feast of Pentecost

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:15-22 [15] And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
[16] Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
[17] Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
[18] And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
[19] Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
[20] And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
[21] And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
[22] And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament: Acts 2:1-21 [1] And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
[2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
[4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
[5] And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
[6] Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
[7] And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
[8] And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
[9] Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
[10] Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
[11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
[12] And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
[13] Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
[14] But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
[15] For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
[16] But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
[17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
[19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
[20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the LORD come:
[21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

See All...; 20:16 1 Corinthians 16:8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
See All...

4. Feast of Trumpets*

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:23-25 [23] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[24] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
[25] Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament: Matthew 24:30-31 [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[31] And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

See All... 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 [16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

See All... Revelation 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
See All...

5. Day of Atonement

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:26-32 [26] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[27] Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
[28] And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
[29] For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
[30] And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
[31] Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
[32] It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament: Acts 27:9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
See All...

6. Feast of Tabernacles

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:33-43 [33] And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
[34] Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
[35] On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
[36] Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
[37] These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
[38] Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
[39] Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
[40] And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
[41] And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
[42] Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
[43] 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.

See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament: John 7:1-2 [1] After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
[2] Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

See All..., 8, 10, 14

7. The Eighth Day (sometimes called the Last Great Day)

Commanded in Old Testament: Leviticus 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
See All...

Observed by Jesus Christ, the apostles or the Church in the New Testament:
John chapters 7-9

*Although the Feast of Trumpets is not mentioned by name in the New Testament, the theme of the day—the sounding of trumpets announcing Jesus Christ's return—is mentioned by several New Testament authors as noted in the references.

If you have not figured it out yet here is your first  clue: What is the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament? See it yet? 

Your second clue: Is the New Testament synonymous with New Covenant? Apparently the UCG writer believes it is and there is the answer.

The New Testament and the New Covenant are NOT synonymous. The premise the UCG uses is wrong.

The flawed premise they use in attempting to prove that the seven feast days commanded in Leviticus 23 for ancient Israel apply today is that Jesus and the Apostles kept them in the New Testament so they are also required to be observed by New Covenant Christians. And then they refer to proofs found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books record the life and times of Jesus and his death and resurrection. The very end of Luke records a 40 day period in the life of the resurrected Christ before his ascension and before the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit was sent to the believers as promised. 

The New Testament Gospels recorded a time period fully under the Old Covenant and a time period where every thing that Jesus did was in strict adherence to the Torah. The only exception are the few verses that record the days after Jesus' resurrection before he ascended to heaven to His Father's right hand and became our Spiritual High Priest. (Luke 24)

The New Covenant did not begin until the Holy Spirit was sent to the believers and the Church of Christ officially began. The symbols of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, John 6:56) were established at the last supper of Jesus with His disciples just prior to His betrayal by Judas, Trial, Scourging and Crucifixion.The UCG writer fails to point this all important fact out to his readers. Herbert Armstrong likewise failed to grasp this obvious fact as well that led him to deceive many who followed him into this error that as Paul warns cuts one off from Christ and causes them to fall from grace.


The writer uses several verses that are not from the gospels but from Acts 20:16, I Corinthians 11:23-29, I Corinthians 16:8, and Thessalonians 4:16-17. Let's examine these four passages:


1) Acts 20:16, Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. Not at all proof that the New Testament church was observing the feasts under the New Covenant. There is absolutely NO indication that Paul was teaching the observance of Pentecost, only as a marker of time. What is missing is Paul "commanding" all of the believers he is speaking to in this chapter to come with him to keep the feast in Jerusalem. There were many Jews among the Gentiles in Asia that would have gone, but there is no indication of this. Paul most likely knew that many Jews that he could draw to Christ would be gathered there or some other reason.

2) 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 is the second of four which is a passage that refers to a historical event that occurred and was recorded in the Gospels.
Read the context:

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.  
The event is a historical event from the life and times of Jesus recorded in the Gospels under the Old Covenant and a past event. Again no indication that the New Covenant Church of Christ was keeping this Old Covenant feast. Paul even states in verse 20 it is NOT the passover (or Feats of Unleavened Bread as it was known in Jerusalem) they were keeping;
^{20 "}So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat," (NIV) They were just having a church social and some were going hungry while the wealthier members dined sumptuously apparently not sharing with those having no or little food. 

Again wrong premise and irrelevant passage taken out of context used as proof. 

3) I Corinthians 16:8, (vs.5-8 for context)

⁵ After I go through Macedonia, I will come to you —for I will be going through Macedonia. ⁶ Perhaps I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go. ⁷ For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. ⁸ But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, ⁹ because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
Paul gives no indication that he was going to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Pentecost, just another time marker of a former Pharisee who now teaches against Judaism. Again, where is Paul saying, "Let us all go up to Jerusalem to keep Pentecost as God commands?" Again false premise and an erroneous Biblical reference as proof. 


4) I Thessalonians 4:16-17; (vs 13-18 for context)

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I need very little comment here since this passage is again erroneous proof text style and self evident. This is Paul talking about a future resurrection and clearly not an indication of the Church observing one of the seven feasts of Leviticus 23 known as the Feast of Trumpets. 


It is a fact that the New Covenant was not like the Old Covenant that God made with the Israelites at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 20. The Prophet Jeremiah wrote in chapter 31 of the Old Testament book that bears his name: (vs 31-34 given for context)

³¹ “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
    though I was a husband to^[d] them,^[e]”
declares the Lord.
³³ “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
    after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
    and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.
³⁴ No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
    from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.”

The New Covenant completely replaced the Old Covenant and made the Old obsolete and it has vanished away as the writer of Hebrews states in Hebrews 8:13, 

¹³ "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."

The writer of Hebrews quotes the passage from Jeremiah in this chapter as proof of the New Covenant.

To conclude. We see that the premise that the UCG writer employs leads to the flawed conclusion that the feast days of Leviticus 23 that were part of the Old Covenant are required and were part of the New Covenant, just because Jesus and His Apostles kept them in the New Testament - the part found in the four gospels and four historical references to the life and times of Jesus Christ living under the Old Covenant and fulfilling all of the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets were all prophetic - about the coming of the Lord and the culmination of the TRUE PLAN of salvation through Grace and Faith. 

In Christ's own words; "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."John 14:6. 

The true hope for mankind is found ONLY in Jesus Christ and by faith in Him, not in obsolete feasts of a broken and obsolete covenant.