O. A. JOHNSON by O. A. Johnson

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 22, 1914

O. A. JOHNSON

By O. A. Johnson

Annual Feasts and Annual Sabbaths — No. 2

O. A. JOHNSON

It might be well to consider briefly the daily sacrifices and the offerings for the weekly Sabbath before considering the annual sabbaths.

The daily sacrifice consisted of a lamb. A meat and a drink offering were also brought in the morning, at the third hour, which corresponds to our nine o'clock. A similar sacrifice was brought in the afternoon, about the ninth hour, or about three o'clock according to our present mode of computing time. See Num. 28: 2-8; also "The Temple," by Edersheim, pages 143, 144.

On the Sabbath two lambs were offered in the morning and two in the evening, with their meat and drink offerings. Num. 28: 9, 10.

The showbread was prepared by the priests and placed on the table of showbread every Sabbath. The old bread was eaten in the holy place, "but only by such priests as were in a state of Levitical purity." Lev. 24: 5-7; 1 Chron. 9: 32; 1 Sam. 21: 6; "The Temple," pages 184-188.

There were seven annual sabbaths which God appointed Israel to observe in a religious manner with holy convocations and sacrifices, and on these days "servile work" was forbidden. These annual sabbaths occurred on specified days in the different months, and hence fell on different days of the week from year to year, like Christmas and New Year's Day in our time.

The First Annual Sabbath

corresponded to the first day of the feast of the Passover, and fell on the fifteenth day of the first month, Abib, or Nisan. "On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein." Lev. 23: 6, 7. The special offerings for this day are definitely described in Num. 28: 16-23.

There was a special "festive offering," called Chagigah, which was brought on this day, and which was termed Pesach, or Passover. On this Edersheim remarks as follows: "Both the Old Testament and Jewish writings show that the term Pesach, or Passover, was applied not only to the paschal lamb, but to all the Passover sacrifices, especially to what was called the Chagigah, or festive offering. . . . The Chagigah was brought on the first festive paschal day."—"Life and Times of Jesus," Vol. II, pages 567, 568. It is this Chagigah, or Passover, that is referred to in John 18: 28. See "Life and Times of Jesus," pages 566, 567, and notes; "The Temple," page 218.

On the sixteenth day of Abib, the day following the first annual, or first Passover, sabbath, "a sheaf of the first fruits" was waved by the priest "before the Lord." Lev. 23: 9-14. See "The Temple," pages 256-259.

When this second paschal day fell on the weekly Sabbath, then this Sabbath was called "an high day," just the same as if the first Passover sabbath had fallen on the seventh-day Sabbath. John 19: 31. See "Life and Times of Jesus," Vol. II, page 613.

The Second Annual Sabbath

came on the twenty-first day of Abib. It was the last day of the Passover feast. No servile work was permitted on this day; on it Israel was to have a holy convocation, and special offerings were brought to the Lord. Lev. 23: 7, 8; Num. 28: 24, 25. While servile work was forbidden on these annual sabbaths, yet they were allowed to prepare that which they "must eat." Ex. 12: 16.

The Third Annual Sabbath

was the Feast of Weeks, or the feast of harvest, and is called Pentecost in the New Testament. Ex. 23: 16; Acts 2: 1. This yearly sabbath corresponded to the Feast of Pentecost. It fell on the fiftieth day, seven full weeks and one day, from the sixteenth of Abib, the day on which the wave sheaf was brought to the Lord. This sixteenth day was always counted as the first, and Pentecost, the fiftieth day, came always on the sixth day of Sivan, the third month of the Jewish ecclesiastical year. Lev. 23: 15-21; Deut. 16: 9, 10. On this day servile work was forbidden; upon it the Israelites were to bring special offerings to the Lord and have a holy convocation. Num. 28: 26-31.

The Fourth Annual Sabbath

came "on the first day of the seventh month, Tisri," of the ecclesiastical year, but it was the first month of the civil year from creation; hence this day was the New Year's Day, "the commemoration of the creation of the world." See "Selections From the Talmud," by H. Polano, page 335. On this day servile work was prohibited, and Israel was to have a holy convocation on it and bring various offerings to the Lord. Lev. 23: 24, 25; Num. 29: 1-6. "During the whole of New Year's Day, trumpets and horns were blown in Jerusalem from morning to evening."—"The Temple," pages 297, 298. See Lev. 23: 24.

The following remark on the "New Year's Day" is from the Talmud: "On New Year's Day three books were opened,—that of life, for those whose works had been good; another of death, for those who had been thoroughly evil; and a third, intermediate, for those whose case was to be decided on the Day of Atonement (ten days after New Year), the delay being granted for repentance, or otherwise, after which their names would be finally entered either in the book of life or in that of death."—"The Temple," page 296.

The Fifth Annual Sabbath

was the Day of Atonement, and it fell on the tenth of the seventh month, or Tisri. This was the most sacred of all the annual sabbaths; hence work of every description was forbidden on it. On this day a final atonement was made in the sanctuary by removing, or cleansing it from, all sins transferred to it during the year through the sin offering. On this day the Israelites were to afflict their souls by fasting and prayer. The special sacrifices and services for this day are clearly set forth in Leviticus 16 and Num. 29: 7-11.

The following from Rabbi Eleazer concerning the Day of Atonement is of interest: "On this great and tearful day the angel Sarnal finds no blots, no sins, on Israel." Thus he addresses the Most High: " 'O Sovereign Lord, upon the earth this day one nation pure and innocent exists. Even as the angels is Israel on this Atonement Day. As peace exists in heaven, so rests it now upon this people, praying to thy holy name.' God

hears this testimony of his angel, and pardons all his people's sins."—"Selections From the Talmud," pages 348, 349.

The Sixth Annual Sabbath

corresponded to the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, and came on the fifteenth day of the seventh month.

The Seventh Annual Sabbath

fell on the twenty-second day of the same month, and closed the Feast of Tabernacles. Israel was to have holy convocations on these days, and servile work was forbidden on them. Various kinds of offerings were brought to the Lord upon these days, as well as on the intervening days. Lev. 23: 34-39; Num. 29: 12-38.

Annual Sabbaths Versus the Weekly Sabbath

Now it is important to observe that these annual sabbaths differ from the weekly Sabbath in the following particulars:—

1. The weekly Sabbath, the seventh day, was instituted at creation before the fall, while these seven annual sabbaths were instituted after the fall, at the time of the exodus, over twenty-five hundred years after creation.

2. God rested on the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it, while he did not rest upon these annual sabbaths, neither did he bless and sanctify them as he did the weekly Sabbath.

3. The command to observe the seventh day is a part of the moral law (Ex. 20: 3-17), while the commands to observe these annual sabbaths are only a part of the ceremonial law, called the law of Moses. Lev. 23: 5-39.

4. The Bible states plainly that these annual sabbaths and feasts were "beside the Sabbaths of the Lord." Verse 38.

5. The weekly Sabbath was instituted before the fall, and will therefore exist throughout all eternity on the new earth (Isa. 66: 22, 23); while the annual sabbaths and annual feasts were set apart for days on which to bring special offerings to the Lord, hence they ceased when the sacrificial law ceased at the cross. Dan. 9: 27; Heb. 9: 9, 10; 10: 1; Col. 2: 14-17.

Walla Walla (Wash.) College.