“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival/feast or a new moon or the sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, moreover, the real substance is of Christ.”
Most of the myriad flavors (denominations) of christianity don’t even understand what a physical foreshadow is, or that a physical foreshadow is always a picture, or representation, of a spiritual real substance. So, Paul is saying that the Sabbaths are a foreshadow that illustrate spiritual real substances about Messiah Yahoshua (i.e., the Passover in the book of Exodus was a SHADOW of Messiah’s Passover sacrifice, the fulfillment of what the shadow represented).
There are many ways to prove that what christianity teaches about this passage are completely false and deceitful. First, a festival/feast, a new moon, and the Sabbath days are all parts of the Sabbath system, which are all calculated according to the new moons. So, Yah’s people identified each new moon, as that is how Yah’s calendar is calculated. It’s ALL part of the ONE true faith of the scriptures.
Paul said that nobody is to judge others according to what the written law mandated must be done in eating, drinking, or observing the Sabbaths. Does that mean that eating and drinking were ended? No, we still eat and drink, just as Yah’s children are still to honor the ordained days of our heavenly Father, just as Paul continued to do. Not judging others according to the rituals that were required under the OLD covenant’s law of Moses is not the same as saying that Yah’s Sabbaths were ended (which is a lie).
Satan has blinded so many minds into thinking that not judging others according to how they eat or drink, or how they choose to honor Yah’s Sabbaths is the same as saying the Sabbaths were ended, but there is still eating and drinking. It’s illogical and evil!
Let’s put it this way. Let’s say that we had laws concerning how our July 4th Independence Day had to be celebrated. Let’s say the law mandated that each family must fire up their grills, and they must grill exactly 8 hot dogs and 8 hamburgers, and that only ketchup and mustard could be put onto the hot dogs and hamburgers. And also, after dark, exactly seven flying fireworks and seven sparklers had to be ignited.
And then, let’s say that, one day, the lawmakers decided to pass a law that removed all of the statutes requiring those things about hot dogs, hamburgers, and fireworks on July 4. No longer was anyone mandated to grill specific foods, put specific things on those foods, or light specific fireworks. From that day on, everyone was free to celebrate and honor Independence Day HOWEVER THEY CHOOSE.
Would that mean that the lawmakers ended Independence Day? No. It would mean that citizens were free to celebrate the day any way they desire to honor it.
That’s exactly what Paul said in Colossians 2:16-17. “Nobody is to judge anyone else in these matters” doesn’t mean that the matters no longer exist, but that there are no longer rules governing how people observe the days—there are no longer any regulations about how folks honor Yah’s Sabbaths, thus, there is nothing to judge others about in HOW they choose to observe the Sabbaths.
And, that’s why Paul continued observing the annual Sabbaths, and why he taught them to the Gentile converts (the Sabbaths are a foundation of the ONE true faith). And, it’s why the prophets wrote of the coming millennial reign of Messiah from Jerusalem (after Armageddon), and during that time, the annual Sabbaths are still observed, according to the scriptures. If the Sabbaths themselves were ended, then why do the prophets speak of them being observed during the coming millennial reign?
What do the New Testament scriptures actually say?
“I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.” Acts 18:21
Why did Paul say this if the annual Sabbaths had been ended?
“But we sailed away from Philippi after the DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” Acts 20:6
Why does scripture say this, if the annual Sabbaths had been ended?
“For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost” (a Greek description of the Feast of Weeks, which was 50 days (pente-cost) from the Feast of Firstfruits.
Why did Paul want to observe the Feast of Weeks if they were ended at the cross?
“Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast (ten days between Trumpets and Atonement) was already over, Paul advised them.” Acts 27:9
Why does scripture speak of the fast between Trumpets and Atonement, if the annual Sabbaths had ended?
“But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost” (Greek description of the Feast of Weeks) 1 Corinthians 16:8
When someone reads the words of scripture honestly according to what is actually said, it becomes crystal clear that neither the weekly Sabbath nor the annual Sabbaths (feast days) were ever ended. It was the invention of christianity AFTER all the New Testament apostles had died, that wickedly declared an end the Yah’s Sabbaths, and chose, instead, to hijack pagan holydays that come from Babylonian sun worship (SUNday assembling, christ-mass, easter/ishtar, etc.).
There is only one true faith (Ephesians 4:4-6), and not only is christianity a counerfeit of it, christianity openly lies about what the scriptures actually say.
For more information: What Are the Old and New Covenants?