Question:  Dear Greg,

            If nations will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles after the attack of Jerusalem (see Zechariah 14), why shouldn’t we be keeping these Feasts now?

            Andrew

Answer:  Dear Andrew,

            Let’s consider your first phrase: (1) “IF nations will be keeping the Feast of Tabernacles after (2) THE ATTACK OF JERUSALEM .”

1.      “IF”.  Why would we conclude, from this chapter, that a Jewish festival required under the old covenant, made obsolete under the new, would revert to being observed?  Why would a reversion to a specific part of the old covenant occur?  Why not additional old covenant requirements?  Indeed, verses 20 and 21 of the chapter about which you ask speaks of a time when the bells of horses and cooking pots will be holy with an inscription.

“IF”.  IF this chapter obligates Christians who accept the cross of Christ and live under the new covenant to “keep” Jewish feasts, then Christians may not only choose to observe this Jewish feast, but they should also put inscriptions upon their cookware, on their homes (perhaps in Hebrew, if one is to be literally faithful to this text) and bells on their horses with similar inscriptions (and perhaps their cars—for after all, the car is the present-day horse).

Further, IF Jewish holy days are required for Christians today, then those Christians must not be Canaanites (see verse 21).  So if we follow your interpretation of the passage we will also be forced to believe that salvation is contingent upon race.  It would follow that at least some racial groups (depending upon how the word Canaanite is translated into present-day racial groups) are not allowed/invited to be Christians then (whenever “then” is) and therefore, by your reasoning, should not be now.  Wow!  Now, there’s a complete reversal of the new covenant, in which there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female, bond nor free.

Further, IF Jewish feasts will be once again observed in the future, and IF that means that Christians are required to observe them now, then pray tell how will those times and seasons be calculated?  The Hebrew calendar is not only now obsolete and irrelevant for Christians, but during the time spoken of in the passage there will be no time as we know it (see verse 6).  How will a Hebrew calendar be calculated so that people know exactly the “right” time and “right” day?  Will Jesus, Lord and Savior, who died that we might live, re-institute the old covenant in some way?

2.      “The” attack of Jerusalem .  Which one?  Attacks happen on the city of Jerusalem virtually every day.

            I hope you see that it is unbiblical and illogical to assume from this passage that Christians will revert to being Jews at some future time or that Christians must be “partial Jews” now.  It is imperative to study the Bible understanding that the Bible was first of all written to an original audience in an original context before we apply the Bible to our lives today.  God inspired the writing of Zechariah, but he did it within a time period or milieu, using appropriate imagery and symbolism for the culture being addressed.  When we apply any passage to our lives we are expected to make appropriate accommodations.  The Bible says, for example, that Christians are to greet one another with a holy kiss.  We don’t.  It isn’t culturally appropriate today—it was then.

            This passage in Zechariah used religious symbolism and imagery familiar to Jews—the original audience—who lived under the old covenant, to help them understand the glory of the age to come.  We Christians see this passage in the light of what happened after that event—the core event of all history—the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  The cradle, cross and empty tomb.  Everything is re-defined and interpreted in the light of Christ—not in the light of Moses, the old covenant or Zechariah 14.

            In Christ,

            Greg Albrecht