From PP:540-541 we read:  “At these yearly assemblies the hearts of old and young would be encouraged in the service of God, while the association of the people from the different quarters of the land would strengthen the ties that bound them to God and to one another.  Well would it be for the people of God at the present time to have a Feast of [page 541] Tabernacles -- [then she explains what the Feast of Tabernacles is] a joyous commemoration of the blessings of God to them.  [Here is what was celebrated].  As the children of Israel celebrated the deliverance that God had wrought for their fathers, and His miraculous preservation of them during their journeyings from Egypt, [and here is what she is suggesting that we celebrate] so should we gratefully call to mind the various ways He has devised for bringing us out from the world, and from the darkness of error, into the precious light of His grace and truth.

 

“With those who lived at a distance from the tabernacle, more than a month of every year must have been occupied in attendance upon the annual feasts [originally expressed as “these holy convocations” in 6T:40].  This example of devotion to God [and why not our example today] should emphasize the importance of religious worship and the necessity of subordinating our selfish, worldly interests to those that are spiritual and eternal.  We sustain a loss when we neglect the privilege of associating together [when? Not specific] to strengthen and encourage one another in the service of God.  The truths of His Word lose their vividness and importance in our minds.  Our hearts cease to be enlightened and aroused by the sanctifying influence, and we decline in spirituality.  In our intercourse as Christians we lose much by lack of sympathy with one another.  He who shuts himself up to himself is not filling the position that God designed he should.  We are all children of one Father, dependent upon one another for happiness.  The claims of God and of humanity are upon us.  It is the proper cultivation of the social elements of our nature that brings us into sympathy with our brethren and affords us happiness in our efforts to bless others.

 

“The Feast of Tabernacles was not only commemorative but typical [If by “typical” she means “emblematic,” then we have more ground to stand upon for keeping it].  It not only pointed [had she said “points” instead of “pointed” we would really have something here] back to the wilderness sojourn, but, as the feast of harvest, it celebrated the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and pointed [again, had she said ”points”] forward to the great day of final ingathering, when the Lord of the harvest shall send forth His reapers to gather the tares together in bundles for the fire, and to gather the wheat into His garner.”

 

Continuing on from 6T:40 from above:  “If the children of Israel needed the benefit of these holy convocations in their time, how much more do we need them in these last days of peril and conflict!  And if the people of the world then needed the light which God had committed to His Church, how much more do they need it now!”

 

HERE IS THE ORIGINAL:

 

If she were to come outright and say, “We must celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles as it was keep of old,” we would have something. But here is how she thus stated it:  “Well would it be for us to have a Feast of Tabernacles, a joyous commemoration of the blessings of God to us as a people [changed in PP:542 to:  “to them,” {see above} inferring the Jews and not SDA’s.  The only reason for changing this wording would be so that we would not consider keeping the feasts as written in the original.  This is what happens when the writings have been tampered with].  As the children of Israel celebrated the deliverance that God wrought for their fathers, and His miraculous preservation of them during their journeyings from Egypt to the promised land, so should the people of God at the present time gratefully [keep it as they did!  Here is where she could have said that:] call to mind the various ways He has devised to bring them out from the world, out from the darkness of error, into the precious light of truth.  We should often bring to remembrance the dependence upon God of those who first led out in this work.  We should gratefully regard the old way-marks, and refresh our souls with memories of the loving-kindness of our gracious Benefactor.”  RH, November 17, 1885.

 

In this statement, take note that she calls the “camp meeting” the “Feast of Tabernacles:”  “Brethren and sisters, it would be better, far better, for you to let your business suffer than to neglect the opportunity to hear the message that God has for you at this time.  You need every ray of light; for you are acquainted with the truth only in a measure, and need to become better qualified to give a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.  Come with your Bibles in your hands.  You cannot afford to lose one such privilege as you are now favoured with, and we entreat you not to disappoint us by staying away from the meeting.  We look upon this time as a time when it is important for every one to come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty.  The forces of the enemies are strengthening, and as a people we are misrepresented; but shall we not gather our forces together, and come up to the Feast of Tabernacles?  Let us not treat this matter as one of little importance, but let the army of the Lord be on the ground to represent the work and cause of God in Australia.  Let no one plead an excuse at such a time.  One of the reasons why we have appointed the camp-meeting to be held at Melbourne, is that we desire the people of that vicinity to become acquainted with our doctrines and works.”  BEcho, December 8, 1893.

 

In studying the “Feast of Tabernacles,” the most popular theme has been this:  “God required of His ancient people three yearly gatherings.  ‘Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which He shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty.  Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which He hath given thee.’  No less than one-third of their income was devoted for sacred and religious purposes.  [Here is her main emphasis].  Whenever God’s people, in any period of the world, have cheerfully and willingly carried out His plan in systematic benevolence, and in gifts and offerings, there has been a standing promise that prosperity should attend all their labors just in proportion as they obeyed His requirements.  When they acknowledged the claims of God, and complied with His requirements, honoring Him with their substance, their barns were filled with plenty.  But when they robbed God in tithes and in offerings, they were made to realize that they were not only robbing Him, but themselves; for God limited His blessings to them, just in proportion as they limited their offerings to Him.  Some will pronounce this as one of the rigorous laws binding upon the Hebrews.  But this was not a burden to the willing heart that loved God.  It was only when their selfish natures strengthened by withholding, that men have lost sight of eternal considerations, and valued their earthly treasures above that of souls.  There are even more urgent necessities upon the Israel of God in these last days than were upon ancient Israel.  There is a great and important work to be accomplished in a very short time, and God never designed that the law of the tithing system should be of no account among His people, but that instead of this, the spirit of sacrifice should widen and deepen for the closing work.”  RH, August 25, 1874.

 

Here again she stresses “camp-meeting” as to the “Feast of Tabernacles:”  “God directed Moses to say to the children of Israel, ‘Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine.’  ‘Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord shall choose; because the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.’  Many sacrifices were made at these feasts; and this profusion of blood shed in connection with the harvest of thanksgiving was significant to them of the fact that even the bounties of the earth could come to them only through the cross of Calvary.  By thus assembling [is she not implying here that we should do the same?] and bringing their tithes into the treasury, they ever acknowledged the Lord to be the Giver of all their blessings.  The children of Israel are our ensamples, that while we should imitate their faithfulness and virtues, we should shun those sins which brought the displeasure of God upon them.  We have our convocation meetings yearly, and all who possibly can attend them should feel under obligation to do so [did you catch, “under obligation?].  If they neglect to improve the opportunities to obtain a better knowledge of the truth, and to become more thoroughly in earnest in their efforts to perfect Christian character [it doesn’t get any plainer than this purpose], they will be held responsible for the light, and privileges, and blessings which they might have had.  Their case is nearly as bad in the sight of God as that of those who attend the meetings but fail to improve by the light and blessings there received.”  RH, July 10, 1879.

 

Another place of calling “camp-meeting” the fulfillment of this Feast:  “We see that the forces of the enemy are strengthening, and that the ministers in every place are making earnest efforts to oppose the truth, and more so in Wellington than any place I ever visited.  Everything is said to present Seventh-day Adventists as only a few in number, and inferior in every respect, possessing little influence.  And shall we not on this occasion represent the believing rank and file the very best that we possibly can?  Will our brethren not come up to the Feast of Tabernacles [camp-meeting]?  How zealously should everyone guard the way that leads to the city of God!  If we treat the work as an indifferent matter, and the army of the Lord is not on the ground to represent the cause and work in New Zealand, God will not be pleased with your neglect.  Will you plead excuses, and at such a time?  One of the reasons why we have the meeting in Wellington is because we have put forth much effort in that city, and ministers stood directly in our way by holding their congregations from coming out to hear us.”  11MR:9.

 

Here is a reason for keeping the “Feasts” today as in olden days:  “Again the people were reminded of the sacred obligation of the Sabbath [or, the three yearly feasts].  Yearly feasts were appointed, at which all the men of the nation were to assemble before the Lord, bringing to Him their offerings of gratitude and the first fruits of His bounties.  The object of all these regulations was stated:  they proceeded from no exercise of mere arbitrary sovereignty; all were given for the good of Israel.  The Lord said, [and here is the key] ‘Ye shall be holy men unto Me’ -- worthy to be acknowledged by a Holy God.  These laws were to be recorded by Moses, and carefully treasured as the foundation of the national law, and, with the ten precepts which they were given to illustrate, the condition of the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.”  PP:311.

 

From GC88:399-400 & GC:399-400:  “In like manner, the types which relate to the Second Advent must be fulfilled at the time pointed out in the symbolic service [Now what “symbolic service” would that be].  Under the Mosaic system, the cleansing of the Sanctuary, or the great Day of Atonement, occurred on the tenth day of the seventh Jewish month, [Lev. 16:29-34] when the high priest, having made an atonement for all Israel, and thus [400] removed their sins from the Sanctuary, came forth and blessed the people.  So it was believed that Christ, our great High Priest, would appear to purify the earth by the destruction of sin and sinners [we can know when Christ will come by the timing of these feasts], and to bless His waiting people with immortality.  The tenth day of the seventh month, the great Day of Atonement, the time of the cleansing of the Sanctuary, which in the year 1844 fell upon the 22nd of October, was regarded as the time of the Lord’s Coming.”  Were they wrong?  Christ did come; just not to earth [yet] but moved to the Most Holy Place.

 

To ignore the Sacred Feasts and other such religious services (such as foot-washing which occurred three days before the crucifixion; is there something there?) would be to our detriment.  To set events by date would be to our detriment.  Use them, do not abuse them.