IDOL WORSHIP ORIGINATED IN ANCIENT BABYLON

February 16, 2005

By Kathryn Brunken

Introduction

"But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," Matthew 15:9.

Exodus 20: 1-6 And Elohim spake all these words, saying, [2] I am the YAHWEH thy Elohim, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [3] Thou shalt have no other gods before me. [4] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: [5] Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the YAHWEH thy Elohim am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; [6] And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

“What is An Idol? "... The things we love and esteem more than Elohim’s Kingdom are our idols." 12 Symbolic Code pg 6, 7:18. They are also "... Idols that walk..." 1TG5: 15, and we see "...these idols are the kind that speak;...they are men. There is no doubt, therefore, that these are ministering brethren who the laity are idolizing." 1Timely Greeting 18:14. Idols also include pagan traditions such as Sunday keeping, Easter, Christmas, Baptism by sprinkling, etc.... See: 2TG26: 23; Tract 13; 1Shepherd’s Rod pgs.86, 146, 186, 189; 2SR99, 273; and 1TG18.”

“The things we love and esteem more than Elohim’s Kingdom are identified as being our idols. We see that idols specifically include men (ministering brethren) which the laity idolize.”

What Happens When We Cast Away Our Idols?

1TG33: 4, 5 "... But, just as soon as all idols are cast aside,-- yes, as soon as the great revival and reformation takes place in the hearts of the people,--then the Assyrian (the power that now rules them) shall certainly fall, and Elohim’s people shall just as certainly return [to the Promised land]."

8T251 "... When this reformation begins, the spirit of prayer will actuate every believer and will banish from the church the spirit of discord and strife. Those who have not been living in Christian fellowship will draw close to one another.... There will be no confusion because all will be in harmony with the mind of the Spirit... All will pray understandingly the prayer that Yahshua taught His servants: ‘Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.’ Matt 6:10."

13SC1, 2:29 "Isa. 31:7, 8-- ‘For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin. Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.’

"‘Then’--when this idolatry is cast away by ‘every man’--the Assyrian will fall by the sword. In the time when Elohim pleads for His people to return to Him, and when they do it, then the Assyrian will fall. Not before that.... Therefore we and all Elohim’s people must not delay putting away our idols. We had better cast them out and be ready on time to go to the place where it will be so much better than it is in the present world...."

2TG21: 13 "The names of Baalim are significant of persons possessing selfish characters such as Balaam's--teachers of religion, prophets who would rather curse Israel than lose the opportunity of monetary gain, or of some other foolish, selfish promotion that exalts and flatters. Such shall then no longer be known by their lordly, high and exalted titles.

"When the Church is thus purged of all her idols, then will she find eternal peace."

1TG18: 14,15 "Zech. 13:1, 2-- ‘In that day [in the day the great mourning takes place] there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Yahweh of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.’

"Two things stand out clearly in these verses: (1) that the house of David must come into existence before the cleansing fountain is opened; (2) that the cleansing begins with cutting off the names of the idols, and throwing out of the land the false prophets and the unclean spirits.

"... These [idols], along with the prophets and the unclean spirits, shall pass out of the land."

1TG5: 15,16 "... They [the men whom the people idolize], and those who idolize them will run into ‘the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth.’ Only those that cast out the idols shall be spared. In these verses three kinds of idols are mentioned: (1) works of men's hands, (2) men that are revered, (3) gold and the silver that are worshipped. These shall be abolished, there are to be idols no more.

For the commandments of the Yahweh Elohim is with the blessings by the obedience of the Law of the Moses. For the Yahweh’s command is for the honor of the heavenly Father as the Creator of the heavens and earth and all the fullness thereof.

Verse 3-4, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. [4] Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

For the understanding of the Scriptures is with the plain command of the having no other gods before the Elohim of the Creation of the earth. For the worship of the idols of the wood, stone, and metal is an abomination to the Creator.  For the worship of the man as either a leader of the congregation or otherwise, is also an abomination to the Elohim of the Heaven. For the Scriptures record that when the people turned to the worship of the idols of the heathen, then their blessings were withdrawn and brought on the curse of the Elohim upon the people. For the return of the people to the true worship of the Elohim brought back their blessings of the former times.

For the true Holy Days is with the celebration of the following days from the Scriptures:  (1) Seventh Day Sabbath, (2) New Moon, (3) Yahshua’s Supper, (4) Wavesheaf, (5) Solemn Assembly last day of the feast of the unleaven bread, (6) Pentecost, (7) Atonement,  (8) Feast of the Tabernacles, (9) Solemn Assembly, eighth day of the Feast of the Tabernacles. Lev. 23:3,5,6,8,11, 16-21,24,27-30,34-41.

For the list of the pagan days we are going to study, includes the celebration of (starting January: (1) New Year’s Day, (2) Presidents day, (3) Valentine Day, (4) St. Patrick’s Day, (5) Lent and Easter, (6) Mother’s Day, (7) Memorial Day, (8) Father’s Day, (10) 4^th of July, (11) Labor Day, (12) Halloween, (13) Thanksgiving Day, (14) Christmas Day, and also the honor of the So called “great men” such as Martin Luther King, etc., and (15) Sunday worship, and (16) last but certainly not the least is the celebration of the individual’s birthday. For the reading and understanding of this list may be quite a shock to most of the people reading this book; as it is the accepted thing to practice these different celebrations.

 Gen 1:31 “And Elohim saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” For the Yahweh was perfect in all the creation of his hands in the beginning.

For in Gen 6 we read:

Gen.6: 5-6-7 “And ELOHIM saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the YAHWEH that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the YAHWEH said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.”

Isa 1: 10, 13- 14 “Hear the word of the YAHWEH, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our Elohim, ye people of Gomorrah, Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.” For the Scriptures say “your” which means it is not the chosen of the Yahweh. For the feasts of the Yahweh is with the sweet smell in the nostrils of the Father.

For the calendar by the Catholic-Pope-Gregory is with the use of the calendars on the walls of the people homes today. For the calendar of the Jewish nation is also with the altered calendar out of the harmony with the creation week of the earth.

Isa 4: 1 “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.”  For the Scriptures record the use of the word women as representation of the churches.

For the information of the origin of these pagan celebrations we will turn our attention to the following articles from the history of the record for our time.

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CHAPTER 1

New Year's Day, January 1

When does Elohim's year begin? Exodus 12:2 says "This month shall be unto you beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." The name is Abib or Nisan and corresponds to March or April. Note that the context is Passover time -- in the spring of our Roman calendar year. See also Exodus 23:15, 34:18, Deuteronomy 16:1and Esther 3:7.

Genesis 1:14 says the sun and moon would be the signs of the calendar division. One rotation of the earth = 1 day. One rotation of the moon around the earth = 1 month. One rotation of the earth around the sun = 1 year. See our article in this series, "How Does Elohim's Calendar Work?" You can determine that the new moon begins each month by comparing Psalms 81:3 and I Chronicles 23:31 with Numbers 10:10, 28:11, 29:1 and Leviticus 23:24.

Writing for the Radio Church of God, Kenneth C. Hermann in "God's Sacred Calendar 1962-3" says:

Rather than follow the Elohim-given principles, the Roman calendar begins a new year in the dead of winter, its day in the middle of the night, and its months without reference to the moon . . .. Elohim made His Calendar known to Israel when He brought them out of Egypt . . .. Our notion has gone back to observing the very calendar which our ancestors used during their slavery in Egypt.

But isn't our calendar of Christian origin? Doesn't it have the approval of almost all Christian sects? History answers:

Our (Roman) calendar is not Christian in origin. It descends directly from the Egyptians, who originated the 12-month year, 365-day system . . .. From 'Journal of Calendar Reform," September 1953, footnote p. 128.

Further study brings one to the realization that the entire Roman calendar is of pagan origin with the single exception of the seven-day-week feature . . .

What happens on New Year's Eve? Drunken orgies, kissing other men's wives (contrary to the 7th command), and if a person is "religious" perhaps he goes to "watch night" services. Watching for what? The celebration begins after dark and reaches its intensity at midnight. Elohim's day begins at sunset -- not midnight. See Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31. Read also Leviticus 22:7 and 15:5, which show that sundown commences the new day.

New Year's Day is not celebrated at the right time of day or at the right time of year to be in agreement with Elohim's calendar. Some historians even say that April Fool's day used to be New Year's day -- "All Fools Day" from Encyclopedia of Religion. This would make it closer to the true first day of the year which is in March or April. Yet there are more important reasons to avoid this celebration. It is known that New Year's Day dates from pagan Babylonia 2,000 years before Yahshua.

The New Year's festivities that had originated in Babylon found their way to Greece and finally to Rome. The Romans called it 'Saturnalia' . . . a time of reveling, drinking bouts, orgies -- finally ending in HUMAN SACRIFICE!

The first day of the Saturnalia shifted during the lifetime of Rome . . . it began around the middle of December . . . and continued until January first. In its midst was December twenty-fifth, the day, as the Romans calculated, when the sun was at its lowest ebb . . . (E.W. Count's 4000 Years of Christmas, page 28.)   . . Caesar . . . instituted the New Year's festival on January first . . . He transferred to the first of January Saturnalia! (From "The Truth about New Year's!" by William H. Ellis -- Ambassador College reprint #830.

He goes on to show that the New Year's babe is Dionysus or Bacchus -- the Greek god of wine -- and that the white-haired old man (father time) is in reality the Greek god Cronos.

The 'silent reaper' anciently 'reaped' little children in horrible episodes of mythical cannibalism! This Greek rite of human sacrifice was adopted by ancient Rome, where human sacrifice was practiced at least until 300 A.D.

There is nothing in Elohim's word even remotely connected with this type holiday with beginnings so completely foreign to Elohim's instructions.

Julius Caesar gave us January 1 as New Year's Day. The ancient Roman calendar was lunar, and began in March. In 46 B.C., Julius Caesar asked the astronomer Sosigenes to review the calendar and suggest ways for improving it. Acting on Sosigenes' suggestions, Caesar ordered the Romans to disregard the moon for calculating their calendars, and instituted twelve non-lunar months of 31 and 30 days, except for February which had 29 days, and 30 days every fourth year. He moved the beginning of the year to January 1. The Romans renamed Quintilis to honor Julius Caesar, giving us July. The next month, Sextilis, was renamed August to honor the emperor Augustus. Caesar Augustus moved a day from February to August to make August as long as July.

Says the World Book Encyclopedia,

In Ancient Rome, the first day of the year was given over to honoring Janus, the god of gates and doors and of beginnings and endings. The month of January was named after this god. Janus had two faces, and looked both ahead and backward. On the first day of the year, the Roman people looked back to what had happened during the past year and thought of what the coming year might bring. Romans gave one another presents on New Year's Day. Many persons brought gifts to the Roman emperor and wished him good fortune. At first the gifts were simply branches of bay and palm trees; but later more expensive presents were given.

Catholics followed the Julian Calendar, although for hundreds of years they observed the beginning of the year on March 25 (which was then spring equinox), and not on January 1 as Julius Caesar had instituted. However, January 1 became a Catholic holiday, in 487 A.D., when it was declared the Feast of Circumcision (January 1 is 8 days after December 24). The World Book Encyclopedia, article "New Year's Day," says, "At first, parties were not allowed on this day, because the pagans had followed that custom. This was gradually changed, and celebrations could be held again."

Slight errors in the Julian Calendar pushed January 1 and the times of the equinoxes ahead a little bit over the centuries. Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, upon advice of astronomers, dropped 10 days from October of that year. The day that would have been October 5, 1582, became October 15, restoring the next equinox to its proper date. To correct the Julian Calendar's regular errors, the pope decreed that February would have an extra day (29 instead of 28 days) in centuries that could be divided by 400 (such as 1600 and 2000), but not in other century years, such as 1700, 1800 and 1900. Catholics, who had followed the Julian Calendar, now followed the adjusted Julian Calendar, called the Gregorian Calendar. Pope Gregory returned to observance of January 1 as the beginning of the year. Not until 1752 did Protestant England and America switch from a March 25 to a January 1 New Year.

Among the pagan customs of New Year's Day continued today is the tradition of making noise with firecrackers and/or gunshots at the beginning of the New Year. From ancient Babylon, India, China, Russia and Siam, New Year's noisemaking was believed to frighten away evil spirits. "New Year's Resolutions" comes from the ancient Roman custom of cleaning out one's chimney on New Year's Day to bring good luck and a fresh start.    Article found at: http://giveshare.org/HolyDay/worldsholidays.html

"But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men," Matthew 15:9.

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CHAPTER 2

Presidents Days – Political Holidays

Note that there are more Political days than Religious days. Perhaps this shows our present inclinations to worship men rather than Elohim. Many of these days are forced on us by the political system. Offices, banks and schools are closed. The patriotic origins are all but forgotten. Many have turned into just another day to go fishing or watch a favorite game on TV. We should consider the fourth command also -- the overlooked part -- "six days shall you labor . . . " Many sins result from idleness.

Political
Martin Luther King's Birthday, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, May 1, Armed Forces Day, Victoria Day, Flag Day, Canada Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day -- Canada, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day

Does Elohim frown upon observance of political days? Certain national days were observed in Old Testament times. See Esther 9:26-32 (Purim), Zechariah 8:19(special national fast days) and John 10:22 (Feast of Dedication -- now known as Hanukkah). These days had nothing to do with Elohim's Holy Day plan. They were important to Elohim's people because of miraculous occurrences. These days have significance to the Jews but are of little or no importance to called and converted Christians. They are like our Independence Day and Thanksgiving.

For the days honoring individuals, especially those who founded the country, need to be carefully considered. They border on violation of the first command if carried to the extreme. For those who know the truth of the beginning of the blessings bestowed on the United States, British Commonwealth countries and Western Europe, the real beginning of our heritage goes back to Abraham's obedience. For proof of this, read The United States and Britain in Prophecy by Herbert W. Armstrong.

For the other political days need to be looked at in the light of the first and second commandments. When you observe them are you putting another god or idol in place of the true Elohim? Or are you putting a day that stands for godless atheism or humanism -- May 1 -- in place of Elohim's plan? According to Pastor Peter Peters writing in Patriot Review, "Baal Worship in America," "MAY DAY AND THE MAY POLE: The most important holiday in Russia is May Day. The May pole and May Day come from the worship of Astarte and sacred pole Ashera." Do you violate the intent of the sixth command when observing the militarily oriented days?

For the United States of the America is with the beginning of the Christians coming from the old world for the starting of a New World for their practicing of the freedom of their worship of the Yahweh safely.

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CHAPTER 3

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY

(What's LOVE got to do with it?)

"Elohim is love" 1st John 4:8

To the surprise of many, Valentine's Day isn't an innocent secular holiday; in fact the true origins of Valentine's Day has its roots in the occult. Namely in the pagan worship of Baal, the sun god for the religion of Babylon (Baal worship) is the mother of most false religions and its influence is still felt world wide, including in today's churches.

LUPERCALIA {the feast of Lupercus, the mighty wolf hunter}. The ancient Roman celebration of Lupercalia was held in honor of Lupercus, the deified great hunter of Rome. This celebration also included worship of the goddess of fertility, Venus. In Roman mythology this goddess of fertility and sexual immortality, had a son called Cupid. Cupid was said to have attended to her and was given power to cause love to begin and to cease. This celebration was held from the 14th through the 15th of February. Some of the events of this pagan holiday included the choosing of partners by chance; in which teenaged girls would place their names into a box. The names were then drawn out by young men. The girl whose name was drawn then became the sexual partner with the man for the upcoming year, beginning in March during the Fertility rites of the Spring Equinox.

Rome's Lupercalia more than likely began as part of the Babylonian festival of Oimbolc. Oimbolc celebrates mid-winter (the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox) and the return of the Sun. Beginning February 2nd candles were lit to welcome the sun and the women began their purification process for the upcoming fertility rites of spring. The Catholic Church also adopted this custom from Irish pagans who served the 'goddess' whom they called "Brigit". The Roman Catholic Church now calls her Saint Brigit, the patron saint of smithcraft, poetry and healing. They now call Oimbolc, the "CandleMass"; in which they celebrate the end of the Virgin Mary's Purification. Secular society keeps the tradition of 'Groundhog's day' on the 2nd of February, where the presence of the Sun represents the continuance of winter for an additional six weeks.

NIMROD (Baal) and ASHTORETH (Queen of Heaven). The Greek called Lupercus by the name of "Pan", the Semites called Pan "Baal". Baal which is mentioned several times in the bible is merely another name for Nimrod "the mighty hunter" (Genesis 10:8-9). Nimrod was the original Lupercus and we know that Nimrod was a mighty man who built great cities, including Babel (Genesis 10:10). Not only was Nimrod the ruler of Babel, but he was also the high priest of a satanic occult. When Nimrod finally died, the Babylonian mystery religion continued on through his wife, Queen Semiramis. Upon Nimrod's death, she deified him as the Sun god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, and Molech.

Later when Queen Semiramis gave birth to an illegitimate son, she claimed that he was Nimrod reborn, Nimrod Tammuz by name. She claimed that he was the promised seed of Elohim (Genesis 3:15), the savior. Semiramis became the mediator between man and this "god", you had to pray through her to reach him. So Nimrod was deified as the god of the sun, Queen Semiramis became the Queen of Heaven, the goddess of the moon and fertility; and Nimrod Tammuz became the savior in this satanic Babylonian religion.

Another name for Nimrod Tammuz was Cupid, which means Desire. Queen Semaramis lusted after her son, and soon they were married. As Nimrod Tammuz grew, the child "god", became the hero of many women, who desired him. This cupid provoked so many women to jealousy that the idol of Tammuz was called the Idol "image" of Jealousy (Ezekiel 8:5,,8:14). In the Babylonian tongue the word heart was pronounced "Bal", In the depictions of Tammuz the heart shaped fruit of Persea was often found in his hand. Thus Tammuz became known as the god of the heart.

How did this pagan celebration become a Christian tradition? As with most non-biblical customs found in the church today, Lupercalia was simply given a Christian sounding name and adopted into the "universal" Catholic Church. They done this to make it easy on the pagan converts who were coming into the new popular christiananity. These pagans were unwilling to give up their satanic rituals, so instead of putting an hault to the growing paganism of the church, the Romans took the approach of "Blend and incorporate".

It was Pope Gelasius who in 496 A.D. changed Lupercalia to St. Valentine's day. {The word Valentine comes from the Latin word valentinus, a name derived from Valens, meaning: To be Mighty "strong". The name Valentinus was very common in Rome.} Pope Gelasius took the stories of several catholic "Valentines" and evolved them into one "Saint Valentine". This so called 'Saint Valentine' has now become the patron saint of lovers in the Catholic faith and the prayers of troubled lovers are under his jurisdiction.

Conclusion: Lupercalia survives still today under the allias of "Valentine's Day"; This pagan holiday is still celebrated nearly world wide by Christians and non-Christians alike, and Nimrod Tammuz is still honored as the "god of the heart"; even prayers are directed to him by unsuspecting Catholics who foolishly call upon 'Saint Valentine'.

But Elohim says: Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, "How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise." Thou shalt not do so unto the Yahweh thy Elohim: For every abomination to the Yahweh, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:30-31).

You can call a dog a dove but it's still a dog. Changing the name of a pagan ritual doesn't change the fact that it is still a pagan ritual. 2nd Corinthians 15-16, asks us, What concord (agreement) has Yahshua with Belial (Baal)? Or what agreement hath the temple of Elohim with idols? NONE friends, Elohim is a jealous Elohim, a Holy Elohim, and he will not mix with devils. Many would rather keep this Babylonian tradition than to keep the simple commandments of Elohim. Yahshua called the Pharisees who kept the traditions over the commandments hypocrites and said they worshipped him in vain (Mark 7:6-9).

The whole world has been deceived by this false religion (Revelation 12:9); nations and churches alike are fallen captive to this Mystery Babylonian (Revelation 17:5). I urge all of you to inquire about the traditions and customs that are handed down to you; discern them and see if they be of Elohim or not. If they are not found in the bible, avoid them. Elohim has said, "What thing I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." (Deuteronomy 12:32). Just because the name sounds Christian doesn't mean it is; we have seen how easy it is to take something that is strictly evil; and change the name and make it appear good. 2nd Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Yahshua. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the Yahweh, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Yahweh Almighty.”

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CHAPTER 4

MARDI GRAS

Mardi Gras, the French for 'fat Tuesday', has got quite a few names. While the English used to call it Shrove Tuesday, or, later as Pancake Day, to the Germans it is Fastnachtkuchen, or, just Fastnacht. Yet, irrespective of this name game, Mardi Gras - or at least its counterparts under different names, is no newcomer in the history of humanity. Take, for instance, the Carnival. This can be regarded as the mother of Mardi Gras traditions, with the origin embedded in ancient Rome. However, around the middle of the second century traditions of the Carnival became popular as a way to feast and act wild before the somber days of Lent. This is still celebrated as a splendid festival across South America and in the Catholic countries of Europe.

Pre- Christian Root. Though the timings do vary, different cultures have certain schedules set aside for community jubilation or revelry. And most, if not all, of them have been a celebration of some sort for the changeover of the year. A time of jubilation at the New Year has been traced by anthropologists to prehistoric times and to almost every section of the globe. Often this period was thought to be an intercalary season, that is, a number of days inserted at the year's end to make the lunar calendar coincide with the solar. In a sense, these days were outside time and the ordinary customs and laws held no longer. This is seen in the later Roman feast of the Saturnalia where masters and slaves exchanged places, and as the noted anthropologist Sir James Frazer has observed in 'The Golden Bough', "Feasting that seem to have especially marked this carnival of antiquity, as it went on for 7 days in the streets and public squares and houses of ancient Rome from the 17th to the 23rd of December."

In the festival of Saturnalia the Romans also used to burn the effigy of the king of ancient Saturnalia. The king was an ugly looking personage of Saturn and the master of revels. He suffered a real death in his assumed character when the revels were over. This tradition is present in Carnival in the grotesque looking floats of the Mardi Gras parades even today. This apart, the wild and boisterous revelry on the thoroughfares, the colors and costumes and, of course, the masks featuring this carnival all come as part of the pre-Christian tradition of spring rites.

The Earliest Observance.  The first observance of Mardi Gras celebration in its present resemblance took place in the Middle Ages. And it was following the period of Reformation that swept Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries.

With the Reforms, restrictions from many of the ancient Roman Catholic practices were lifted. Thus, much of the causes were removed though the customs lingered. The name Fat Tuesday comes from the custom of parading a fat ox through the streets of Paris on Shrove Tuesday.
Shrove Tuesday derived its name from the old practice of confessing one's sins on this day in preparation of the holy Lenten season. The verb 'to shrive' means to confess oneself and receive absolution. The three-day period of Sunday, Monday, and Shrove Tuesday, was known as Shrovetide. Following which the period of Lent begins.

Mardi Gras in the Melting Pot. Although Mardi Gras is basically a Catholic holiday, today it is party for everyone here in United States. This is especially true in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana which can be credited for introducing this tradition in the country.

Mardi Gras first came to New Orleans through French Culture in the year 1699 when the French explorers celebrated the holiday on the Mississippi River. Over the years, the celebration has witnessed growing national attention with many parades and parties coming in to add to its hue and flavor. Despite the Hispanic invasion later the celebration has not lost its original French influence.

Today though it is celebrated with much fanfare as a public holiday only in the southern states of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, its fame gradually extended nationwide. The French tradition apart, influences of the Germans, as well as the British are evident in the day's customs across the country.

A NOTE ON MARDI-GRAS CARNIVAL Etymologically Carnival is a Christian innovation derived from the Latin 'Carne vale', meaning "farewell meat". And this referred to the Lenten abstinence from the meat. Irrespective of this religious origin, Carnival has assumed a secular tone. Today, Carnival is time for a no-holds-bar revelry for all. It is a celebration for life and and rejuvenation. Thus parades, parties, with music and dances are part of it. Wild, boisterous, colorful parades of revelers in spectacular costumes take to main city streets with an open to all invitation to participate and share the jubilation. Carnival took on aspects of the spring rites like those of Saturnalia and still retains them

In the ancient festival of Saturnalia the Romans used to burn the effigy of the king of ancient Saturnalia. He was an ugly looking personage of Saturn and the master of revels. He suffered a real death in his assumed character when the revels were over.

In the countries like Italy, Spain, and France where the influence of Rome has been deepest and most lasting, the effigy of Carnival is burnt, drowned, or beheaded to the feigned grief or genuine delight of the revelers. This burnt out personage, as pointed out by the noted anthropologist Sir James Frazer in The Golden Bough, is no other than a direct successor of the old king of Saturnalia. Thus the King of the Bean on Twelfth Night and the medieval Bishop of Fools, Abbot of Unreason, or Lord of Misrule are figures of the same sort and may have had a similar origin. In fact, this tradition of effigy burning had come as a part of an ancient rite of celebrating the conclusion of the battle between summer and winter.

The wild and boisterous revelry which form an integral part of Carnival, is also a remnant of the same ancient tradition of spring festival. They are believed to mock the wars between summer and winter so commonly fought at the coming of spring. The colorful costumes donned by the revelers are also said to be representative of the spring when the white face of nature is cast aside to sport a colorful look. The popular tradition of wearing masks during the Carnival also comes from the universal feature of the New Year festivals. The masks are said to represent the dead or spirits from the nether world who come closest to the human at this vulnerable time of changeover.

THE SCHEDULE:  Fat Tuesday is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. This can fall anywhere in-between February 3 and March 9, it all depends on the Catholic Church. Though formally it is scheduled to start with the day of Epiphany, the main season of celebration begins about two weeks before Fat Tuesday. On those two weeks, people view the parades and go to the nightly parties. The grand finale of all events takes place on the Shrove Tuesday, the Tuesday before the Ash Wednesday, or, before the period of Lent. Originally the day was meant for pre-Lenten shriving through confession of sins, a Catholic practice. Now pancakes, parades, parties, feasts and dance - all form part of the Mardi Gras galas.

MASKS . Be it the marching of masked revelers, fancy balls or the masked dances, or the theme parties, masks play a prominent role among the traditions of this day. Masks came to be associated with Mardi Gras as a part of the universal tradition for the New Year festivity. According to scholars the masks are used to represent the dead who were wont to return to their homes at this time of changeover.

PANCAKES.   While the New Orleans tradition is spilled in other parts of the South with parades of masked marchers, floats, and throw ups, many have developed their own style of celebrating the Mardi Gras. For instance, in Pennsylvania, people of German origin, celebrate this day as Fastnacht. So called because they make pancakes of rectangular shaped doughnuts, known as Fastnachts. Eating this was believed to bring good luck, while the failure to eat could bring harm through different ways.

Also the fat in which the doughnuts were fried was used to grease the wheels of wagons in the belief that it stopped the destruction caused by rats, mice and insects. Fastnacht lard was rubbed on the sore udders of cows. It was virtually applied to any wounds.

The Germans also regard it as a no workday and associate some taboos with the day. They believe, if you sew on the day, the chickens would lay no eggs. In rural communities, pupils used to lock the teachers out of their classrooms and allowed them in only when they promised to give the youngsters a holiday.

OTHERS.   Among other traditions of this day come large community feasts with block parties and gumbo. In some parts of Louisiana, Mardi Gras rides all around the locality collecting ingredients for the community gumbo to be eaten at the large block party.
Meanwhile, the wild, boisterous games that spread through city streets came as a remnant of the ancient belief that wars are fought between summer and winter at the onset of spring. Also community dancing as Mardi Gras night ball and dance until dawn in New Orleans form part of the day's revelry.     http://www.theholidayspot.com/mardigras/celebration.htm  

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CHAPTER 5

ST. PATRICK'S DAY (March 17)

This day is in honor of the patron saint of Ireland -- the man who introduced Catholic "Christianity" to that country. Perhaps this day would be better included with political observances for it has no real religious significance and certainly no Biblical justification for any other than the Irish. Those who observe it nowadays do so with an abundance of alcohol and wearing green. http://giveshare.org/HolyDay/worldsholidays.html

English Mothering Sunday or Lent

The timing Hilaria corresponds with the modern celebration of Mother's Day in England. "Mothering Sunday", also called Mid-Lent Sunday, is observed on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Some say the ceremonies in honor of Cybele were adopted by the early church to venerate the Mother of Christ, Mary. Others believe the Mother Church was substituted for mother goddess and custom began to dictate that a person visits the church of his/her baptism on this day. People attended the mother church of their parish, laden with offerings. 

In England, in the 1600's, young men and women who were apprentices or servants returned home on Mothering Sunday, celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent (the 40 day period leading up to Easter). During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy, and as most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. They would bring to their mothers small gifts like trinkets or a "mothering cake". Sometimes furmety was served - wheat grains boiled in sweet milk, sugared and spiced.

In northern England and in Scotland, the preferred refreshments were carlings - pancakes made of steeped pease fried in butter, with pepper and salt. In fact, in some locations this day was called Carling Sunday.

Another kind of mothering cake was the simnel cake, a very rich fruitcake. The Lenten fast dictated that the simnel cake had to keep until Easter. It was boiled in water, then baked, and was often finished with an almond icing. Sometimes the crust was of flour and water, colored with saffron.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" - the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church. http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/mother/ancienthist.htm  

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CHAPTER 6

EASTER (and related holidays)

Compton's Encyclopedia defines the Easter related religious festivals as:

Mardi Gras (French: Fat Tuesday) In many Catholic countries, Lent is proceeded by a carnival season . . . . Elaborate pageants often close this season on Shrove Tuesday -- (the day before the beginning of Lent).

Ash Wednesday -- First day of Lent . . . from the practice . . . of putting ashes on the foreheads of the faithful . . . to remind them that "man is but dust" and that he must do penance.

Lent -- Period of forty days, not including Sundays, ending with Easter, observed in memory of the 40 days' fast of Christ in the desert.

Lent is nothing more than a continuation of a fast begun in Babylon over 4000 years ago. Ezekiel 8:13-14 says "He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the Yahweh’s house which was toward the north; and behold there sat women weeping for Tammuz." Quoting Herman L. Hoeh in "Where Did Elohim Command You to Observe Lent?" (Radio Church of God - 1957 #142).

They wept for Tammuz, the false god of the Pagans! That weeping preceded the pagan festival in honor of the supposed resurrection of Tammuz. Fasting was joined with weeping for a period of forty days before the festival in honor of Tammuz. The period of weeping and semi-fasting fell during the springtime. That is why the word Lent means 'spring!' Lent is a continuation of the pagan springtime custom of abstaining from certain foods just prior to celebrating a fake resurrection! And Elohim calls LENT an ABOMINATION!

Passion Sunday -- second Sunday before Easter.

Palm Sunday -- Sunday before Easter. " . . . celebrates the triumphant entry of Yahshua into Jerusalem. Holy Week begins on this day." The problem with this day is that it really occurred on a Thursday. Proof of this is found on pages 160-163 of A Harmony of the Gospels in Modern English (First Edition) by Fred Coulter.

Maundy Thursday -- Thursday before Easter. " . . . is in memory of the Last Supper of Yahshua with his disciples." The truth is that the 'Last Supper' was on a Tuesday evening.

Good Friday -- Friday before Easter. " . . . commemorates the Crucifixion." The crucifixion really occurred on a Wednesday as shown in other writings.

Easter -- "First Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox."

Ascension Day -- "Forty days after Easter" always the sixth Thursday after Easter. This day celebrates "the withdrawal of Yahshua into Heaven, witnessed by the Apostles (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9.)" -- Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, article "Ascension of Yahshua, The." This was kept "from the later years of the 4th century." but is nowhere commanded in the Bible.

Whitsunday (Pentecost) -- "Fifty days after Easter."

Whit Monday -- "The day after Whitsunday."

Trinity Sunday -- "Sunday after Whitsunday."

Corpus Christi -- "Thursday after Trinity Sunday" is

A festival of the Roman Catholic Church in honor of the Eucharist . . . As early as Augustine's time . . . After the Council of Constance (1414-18) the popes took occasion by the amplification of indulgences to stimulate the zeal of the faithful still further . . . "Corpus Christi" from Religious Encyclopedia.

Mardi Gras is just plain debauchery! Semi-nude women creating lust. Too much alcohol and revelry. All directed to pleasing the flesh just a few weeks before the most serious event in Elohim's Holy Day season. Then 40 days of semi-fasting to supposedly put one back into the mood for a false crucifixion and a false resurrection. Elohim instructs us to live righteously year-around! The Encyclopedia of Religion & Ethics says

Joseph Addison, in the year 1684 or 1685, took part in another Shrove-tide custom at Litchfield Grammar School. It was a custom practiced at Christmas and Shrove-tide, and links the Bacchanalian customs of Shrove-tide with the Saturnalian license of Christmas.

Like the rest, this celebration of pagans has been given "Christian" meaning as a pacifier of the masses.

"Easter" only appears once in the King James version in Acts 12:4 as a mistranslation. It should read "Passover." You can verify this yourself in your concordance. The word "Easter" comes from "Astarte" -- a title for Beltis, queen of heaven, or "Istarte." Astarte was the consort of Baal, the sun god. Refer back to Valentine's Day to see who Baal was. It is readily apparent that Astarte was none other than Baal's mother, Semiramis!

The Easter Bunny

In pagan times, the "Easter hare" was no ordinary animal, but a sacred companion of the old goddess of spring, Eostre. The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the spring season. Since long before Yahshua Messiah was born, parents told their children that the magic hare would bring them presents at the spring festival. The presents were often painted eggs, as these represented the new life starting at this time of year." Hares are animals which look like rabbits, but are larger and in many countries quite rare. In most places, the Easter rabbit (bunny) has replaced the Easter hare completely.

The bunny was first used as a symbol of Easter in 16th century Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings. The first edible Easter bunnies, made primarily of pastry and sugar, were produced in Germany as well, during the early 1800s. Also in Germany, children made nests of grass and placed them in their yards. They believed the Easter Bunny would fill these baskets with brightly decorated eggs during the night.

The Easter bunny was introduced to American folklore by the German settlers who arrived in the Pennsylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the "Oschter Haws" was considered "childhood's greatest pleasure" next to a visit from Christ-Kindel on Christmas Eve. The children believed that if they were good the "Oschter Haws" would lay a nest of colored eggs.

Thus the custom of making nests also spread to America. Children would build their nest in a secluded place in the home, the barn or the garden. Boys would use their caps and girls their bonnets to make the nests. The use of elaborate Easter baskets would come later as the tradition of the Easter bunny spread through out the country. http://www.twilightbridge.com/hobbies/festivals/easter/bunny.htm  

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CHAPTER 7

Ancient Greek and Roman Roots of Mother’s Day

Some historians claim that the predecessor of the Mother's Day holiday was the ancient spring festival dedicated to mother goddesses. In the ancient Greek empire the spring festival honored Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of the gods and goddesses. In Rome the most significant Mother's Day-like festival was dedicated to the worship of Cybele, another mother goddess. Ceremonies in her honor began some 250 years before Christ was born. This Roman religious celebration, known as Hilaria, lasted for three days - from March 15th to 18th.

The worship of Cybele, called the great "Mountain Mother”, is believed to have originated in Phrygia, northern Anatolia. Cybele represented the fertile earth, and the death of her consort, Attis, represented the end of the growing season. She was celebrated in a great festival characterized by ecstatic dancing and drumming. The ceremony began with the entry of Attis (symbolized by a pine tree) into the city, followed by a day of mourning for him and fasting, and then a great festival of joy to celebrate the growing season. Cybele was usually portrayed with her lions, signifying her link to the images of the Mother Goddess giving birth between 2 felines.

Memorial Day, Mother's and Father's Day

What about the special days? Honoring the memory of our loved ones on Memorial Day could turn into ancestor worship such as practiced in China. Remember the first commandment -- "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," Exodus 20:3. If done in the context of the fifth command "Honor thy father and thy mother . . . " (Exodus 20:12) then it is a different matter.

As for Mother's and Father's Day, haven't they been grossly over commercialized? Again in the context of the fifth command, such days could be justified. However, adoration such as that given to Mary should not be done. In recent years no Sabbath-keeping church appears to have taken a stand on these days. Recently Raymond C. Cole of the Church of God, the Eternal, stated that he had strong doubts about Mothers' Day. However, because Herbert Armstrong continued to observe this day "because we should do something for our mothers," the Worldwide Church of God never took a stand on this issue.

Perhaps Mr. Cole's concern is this quote from the American Book of Days by Douglas:

The custom of holding a festival in honor of motherhood is very old. It dates back in the Western world to the times of the ancient Greeks who worshipped Cybele, the mother of gods, and honored her with rites in woods and caves. The custom was introduced into Rome from Greece about 250 B.C., and on the Ides of March the festival of Hilaria in honor of Cybele was begun and continued for three days. But these celebrations were entirely different from that in honor of the human mothers on the second Sunday in May.  

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CHAPTER 8

How Was the Church Paganized?

It was the Roman emperors who paganized the church, and as the pagans always observed Sunday, the Sabbath was set aside as far as the church authorities, the priests and the emperors, were concerned.  The pagans cared nothing for the Sabbath.  They were not taught its sacredness, and the few Christians who tried to keep the holy day were lost in the multitude.  Soon the Sabbath services were a thing of the past.  This was accomplished by 508 A.D.  This satanic act paved the way and the papacy was set up in 538.  The pope was made the absolute ruler, king of kings, and a corrector of heretics by his so-called divine authority.  The scheme was for the perpetuity of the false doctrines, and to keep the truth underfoot forever.  It is a most mysterious thing; the way the old enemy of mankind has succeeded in deceiving the strongest intellects.  He enthralls them to their own destruction.  Thus it has been in every age.

   As previously explained, Rome at first persecuted the Christians.  But when the old dragon saw that persecution could not overthrow their faith, he reversed his plan, and devised a more subtle satanic scheme to destroy the church.  He worked, as always, through the natural heart, using the human tool to carry out a deception unseen by mortal eye.

   "Gibbon's Rome," Vol. 2, pp. 273, 274, says: "By the edicts of toleration, he [Constantine], removed the temporal disadvantage which had hitherto retarded the progress of Christianity; and its active and numerous ministers received a free permission, a liberal encouragement, to recommend the salutary truths of revelation by every argument which could affect the reason or piety of mankind.  The exact balance of the two religions [Christian and Pagan], continued but a moment.... The cities which signalized a forward zeal by the voluntary destruction of their temples [the Pagan's] were distinguished by municipal privileges, and rewarded with popular donatives.... The salvation of the common people was purchased at an easy rate, if it be true that, in one year, twelve thousand men were baptized at Rome, besides a proportionable number of women and children, and that a white garment, with twenty pieces of gold, had been promised by the emperor to every convert.... This was a law of Constantine, which gave freedom to all the slaves who should embrace Christianity."

   In this manner, Rome paganized the church, and what persecution failed to do, donatives and privileges accomplished.  As the victorious Christians were pressing forward against the impregnable persecuting wall which was supported by the devil he suddenly drew back, allowing it to collapse.  Thus, as the persecution ceased, it caused them to fall as it were, by their own force.  So what the satanic power failed to do by persecution, he accomplished by a sudden retreat.  When the old dragon saw that he could not overthrow that spiritual house by persecution, he reversed the scheme and employed his power to undermine the apostolic foundation by donatives and various inducements to the pagans in favor of the Christians.  As the pagans rushed to join the church, the current of apostasy turned against the Christians.  Instead of the church Christianizing the world, the world paganized the church.  In this way the Christians fell under the power of the "dragon" and thereby were swallowed by his heads (paganized).  But as Satan designed to fully insure his plan he turned the persecution toward the pagans, fearing that the true Christian spirit would revive if the two sects, Christian and Pagan, were in existence.

   Gibbon says: "Under his [Athanasius'] reign, Christianity obtained an easy and lasting victory; and as soon as the smile of royal patronage was withdrawn, the genius of Paganism, which had been fondly raised and cherished by the arts of Julian, sunk irrevocably in the dust." -- "Gibbon's Rome," Vol. 2, p. 521.

   "A special commission was granted to Cynegius, the Preatorian prefect of the east, and afterwards to the Counts Jovius and Gaudentius, two officers of the distinguished rank in the West; by the which they were directed to shut the temples, to seize or destroy the instruments of idolatry, abolish the privileges of the priests, and to confiscate the consecrated property for the benefit of the emperor, of the church, or the army.... Many of those temples were the most splendid and beautiful monuments of Grecian architecture; and the emperor himself was interested not to deface the splendor of his own cities, or to diminish the value of his own possessions.... In Syria, the divine and excellent Marcellus, as he is styled by Theodoret, a bishop animated with apostolic fervor, resolved to level with the ground the stately temples.... But when a sentence of the destruction against the idols of Alexandria was pronounced, the Christians set up a shout of joy and exultation whilst the unfortunate Pagans, whose fury had given way to consternation, retired with hasty silent steps.... Theophilus proceeded to demolish the temple of Serapis,... and to content himself with reducing the edifice itself to a heap of the rubbish, a part of which was soon afterwards cleared away, to make room for a church, created in honor of the Christian martyrs." -- "Gibbon's Rome," Vol. 3, pp. 140-146.

   Thus the Pagans joined the Christian church through force and bribery instead of conviction of sin, and thereby Christianity gave way to idolatry.  Says Gibbon: "Both religions had been alternately disgraced by the seeming acquisition of worthless proselytes, of those votaries of the reigning purple, who could pass, without a reason, without a blush, from the church to the temple, and from the altars of Jupiter to the sacred table of the Christians." -- Id., Vol 2, p. 522.

   For the church in her purity, filled with the spirit of the meek and lowly Yahshua, battled against oppression and torture.  They prayed for those who would take their lives, saying, "Master, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  They, like Stephen, kneeled down under a rain of stones, pleading, "Master, lay not this sin to their charge."  But the Christians who were once zealous for the pure standard of the church, took the crown of civil authority, and compelled the Pagans to join their ranks.

   As the Pagans and the Christians became one, the dragon wielded his power and great authority into the papacy.  By this concentrated ecclesiastical monarchy he erased the Seventh-day Sabbath from the law of Elohim, and in its stead he inserted the pagan Sunday.  At this point he directed his power against disloyalty to the demands of the papacy.  This pontifical authority continued to wear out the saints of the Most High, as in Daniel 7:25.  As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Babylon, and Daniel in Medo-Persia, prevented the establishment of an ecclesiastical government, and brought to naught the king's decree, just so Luther abolishment of the pontifical monarchy, and brought an end of the papal authority.  As Luther's blow weakened his power and Protestantism continually irritated his wound, the pope, by the hand of Berthier, was put behind prison bars.

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CHAPTER 9

How Idol Worship Crept Into the Church

   Just a few more lines from the pen of Gibbons describing how idol and saint worship crept into the Christian church: "The bodies of St. Andrew, St. Luke, and St. Timothy, had reposed near three hundred years in the obscure graves, from whence they were transported, in solemn pomp to the church of the apostles, which the magnificence of Constantine had founded on the banks of the Thracian Bosphorus.  About fifty years afterwards, the same banks were honored by the presence of Samuel, the judge and prophet of the people of Israel.  His ashes, deposited in a golden vase, and covered with a silken veil, were delivered by the bishops into each other's hands.... In the long period of twelve hundred years, which elapsed between the reign of Constantine and the reformation of Luther, the worship of saints and relics corrupted the pure and perfect simplicity of the Christian model: and some symptoms of degeneracy may be observed even in the first generations which adopted and cherished this pernicious innovation.... The Christians frequented the tombs of the martyrs, in the hope of obtaining, from their powerful intercession, every sort of spiritual, but more especially of temporal, blessings.  They implored the preservation of their health, or the cure of their infirmities; the fruitfulness of their barren wives, or the safety and happiness of their children." -- Id; Vol. 3, pp. 156, 157, 162.

   Both classes were unlawfully urged, the Christians to forget the spirit of the gospel, and the Pagans to embody the spirit of the church.  The sublime and simple theology of the primitive Christians was gradually corrupted.  The demon power was retarded.  Although he could not defeat the operations of the Christian engineers by persecution, he succeeded by flattery.

   As the unjust persecution against the Christians had ceased, the church took the downward step.  Though a few respected the sacredness of the Sabbath, they were not disturbed until after the ecclesiastical monarchy was set up in 538AD.  The dragon had carefully determined to obtain the perpetuity of the combined national religion, Christian in name but Pagan in practice.  Satan designed to set up the papacy, and to "wear out the saints of the Most High."  The persecution, first against the early Christian church, and second, against paganism in favor of Christianity, was reversed under papal rule.  The few Christians who reverenced the Seventh-day Sabbath were, in some respects hunted like rabbits, and there was demanded of them strict obedience to the legal but unchristian religion of the popes.

   To come back to our subject, -- "The exceeding great horn."  Rome in her divided state cast down the truth and stamped upon it.  But it was not accomplished in a sudden or arbitrary manner.  Sunday observance gradually crept into the Christian church.  At first the morning hours were considered somewhat sacred, because the Master had risen early on that day.  After it had become formal, more sacredness was attached to it, and the hours were extended till noon.  Finally the entire day was set aside as a day of worship.

   While Sunday was growing more and more sacred, the Seventh-day Sabbath was on the decline, and becoming less and less holy.  Here we see an example that should be marked carefully by all Christians.  To add anything to the religion of Yahshua, though it may seem good on the surface, results in a deadly sting from beneath.  Our Elohim has devised a religion sufficient to save the church, if carefully followed.  He needs no man's help; neither can He accept man-made devices.

   "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, Elohim shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Elohim shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev. 22:18,19.)

   The Roman church displaced the simplicity of the truth with human wisdom and traditions of man.  Or, as Daniel puts it: "An host [Pagan flood] was given him against the daily by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered." (Dan. 8:12.)  The "host" against the "daily" were the unconverted Pagans brought into the church; therefore, "by reason of transgression."  How different from the method employed by John the Baptist!  "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." (Matt. 3:7, 8.)

   It may be profitable to ask: is the church at the present time imitating John or the Romans?  Are her members Christians or Pagans?  The Yahweh charged His servant to warn ancient Israel against a similar disastrous practice.  He said: "And thou shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Yahweh Elohim; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, in that ye have brought into My sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to pollute it, even My house." (Ezek. 44:6, 7.)

“Truly, are people working for Elohim or for themselves?  The angel, in giving instruction to Daniel, calls the Sabbath and the sanctuary truth, "The Truth." (See Daniel 8:12.)  Indeed, it is The Truth.  In keeping the Sabbath we honor Elohim by recognizing Yahshua's holy memorial of creation.”

"Elohim, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds." (Heb. 1:1, 2.)

“Because sin entered the human family, the Yahshua instituted the sanctuary truth, which typically illustrates His sacrifice, death and resurrection -- the revelation of our redemption.  Thus in keeping the Sabbath and sanctuary truth, we openly confess that Yahshua is both Creator and Redeemer.  "Therefore the Son of man is Master also of the Sabbath day." (Mark 2:28.) 2SR 135

“The Bible is the revelation of creation and redemption in Yahshua -- Creator and Redeemer.  Therefore, the Sabbath and the Sanctuary constitute "The Truth." (See Hebrews 9:10, 4:4-10.)  Thus these two doctrines are coupled together, cannot be separated, and bear the whole truth.”

“How do we keep the Sanctuary truth?  It is kept, not in type, but in anti-type.  By faith we believe that Yahshua, our High Priest, in the heavenly sanctuary is officiating in our behalf, as it was taught in type by the earthly sanctuary, built by Moses.  As Israel complied with the requirements of its service in the type, so we must in the anti-type.  Thus we "proclaim the truth [Sabbath, Daily, and Sanctuary] more fully." 2 Shepherd’s Rod Pg. 134-139.

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CHAPTER 10

Origin of Birthdays

Should you observe your own birthday or attend birthday parties? Whose birthday would be the most important? Yahshua’s! Yet the Bible nowhere gives the date of His birth. Most Bible commentators recognize that the Bible hints at a fall (not winter) birth for Yahshua. Yet many believe they honor Him in December. If the Savior's birthday was important, don't you think Elohim would have revealed the exact day of this most important birth?

Note what Job 3:3 says: "Let the day perish wherein I was born . . ." The other Biblical references to birthdays are not favorable. See Genesis 40 where Pharaoh celebrates his birthday by hanging his Chief Baker. In Matthew 14:6-10, we find Herod beheading John the Baptist on Herod's birthday. Many believe that Job's children were apparently celebrating a birthday when calamity befell them Job 1:4-19.

A good brief history of birthday observance is "Happy Birthday? WHAT IS THE VERDICT," by Chuck W. Henry (you may write him for a free copy at 3624 S. 16, Ft. Smith, AR 72901). He quotes "Horoscope" from the World Book Encyclopedia:

HOROSCOPE, . . . is a chart that shows the influences the stars supposedly have on a person because of their positions at the time of his birth . . . . Astrologers also use positions of the stars a t the time they cast the horoscope to predict the person's future. The word horoscope comes from the Greek horoskopos meaning the one who observes the hour . . .

Further, Let's hear what the World Book -- Childcraft International on "Holidays and Birthdays" has to say on this subject:

. . For thousands of years, people all over the world have thought of a birthday as a very special day. Long ago, people believed that on a birthday a person could be helped by good spirits or hurt by evil spirits. So when a person had a birthday, friends and relatives gathered to protect him or her. And that's how birthday parties began.

The idea of putting candles on birthday cakes goes back to ancient Greece. The Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses. Among them was one called Artemis . . . the goddess of the moon. The Greeks celebrated her birthday once each month by bringing special cakes to her temple. The cakes were round like a full moon. And, because the moon glows with light, the cakes were decorated with lighted candles.

He also shows the pagan origins of spankings, noisemakers and other birthday customs. Quoting Kenneth C. Herrman "Should Christians Celebrate Birthdays" from the December, 1959, Plain Truth magazine:

The Jews in Yahsua's day knew Elohim's law forbids celebrating birthdays. Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century, declares: 'Nay, indeed, the law does not permit us to make festivals at the birth of our children . . .' (Against Apion, book II, #26).

A still greater deterrent to annual birthday observance is the insertion of a 13th month in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of a 19-year cycle. Imagine the confusion of attempting to schedule birthday parties!

Solomon tells us "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart," Ecclesiastes 7:2. Elohim is telling us that it is better to visit those grieving from a recent death rather than with those celebrating or partying (birthdays?).”

BIRTHDAYS

From Fossilized Customs by Lew White

The popular celebration of one’s birth-day is acknowledged to be, by all authorities on ancient customs, a Pagan ritual from Babylon. The Babylonians served the sun, moon, planets, and constellations, a Gentile practice condemned by Yahweh.

Jer. 10: 2 “Thus saith the YAHWEH, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.”

Birthdays are mentioned in the Tanakh (Scriptures) a total of 3 times. (1) When Joseph was in prison in Egypt – Gen.40:20; (2) Job 1:4-5; and (3) Herod’s birthday when John the Baptist was beheaded – Matt. 14:6 In the situation described in Job, he sacrificed an animal because he was aware of his children’s idolatry, for which they all died when the house they celebrated in collapsed on them in a violent wind storm. “His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day… The baker was hanged on Pharaoh’s birthday, and the Savior’s cousin John was beheaded on the king’s birthday.

THE BIRTHDAY RITUAL      The ritual of the cake, candle, wish, and presents serve to give thanks to the sky luminaries for allowing the birthday celebrant to reach the annual cycle of their birth. The cake was baked for the Queen of heaven. It was decorated and monogrammed with the celebrant’s name. The candles symbolized the sacred fire, carefully numbered for each annual cycle completed. The prayer chant and all the ritual procedures are carefully preserved, and it is a religious occasion. Witches regard the day of one’s birth the most significant event I a person’s life. Astrologers base everything on it.

If the celebrant can blow out all of the candles, then a secret wish made to a GENIE (or JUNO if the person is female) will be granted. The birthday itself was a time of great superstition to a Pagan, so they were surrounded by their friends and relatives for protection. In the Greek culture, it was believed that personal abilities and talents were bestowed on an individual by being “inhabited” (Possessed) by one or more demons, called MUSES. A person’s ‘genius’ was the gift of the Genie, thought of as the overseer of the Muses. The Muses were 9 female deities believed to endow skills in speech, art, science, memory, scholastics, agility, and music – a word derived from the MUSES (9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne). The names of these 9 Muses were Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Urania, and Calliope. You may recognize some of these names as having become part of our language, like “Uranus”.  They are the Greek deities of the ARTS and SCIENCES, giving us the word Museum, a showplace of Art and Science.

The fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty  directly refers to the gifts and benefits bestowed on the Muses, since the Muses were known as Fairies in Germanic and Gaelic cultures. The ‘Three Fates’  were a triad of female deities also known as ‘The Three Graces’ or Three Charities.  In the Greek and Roman mythologies, they ruled the lives of men, and determined the length of a person’s life. ‘Clotho’ spun the ‘thread of life’, ‘Lachesis’ determined its length, and Atropos cut. 

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CHAPTER 11

SPORTS, GAMES AND THEIR INFLUENCE
ON THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

Of what if any value is sports and games to a genuine Christian? Are organized, competitive sports a proper form of entertainment, recreation, or livelihood? What
about the "WINNING ATTITUDE" so much demanded by coaches? Is it really a "SINNING ATTITUDE"? Where did spectator sports and games originate? What
should a Christian do about them?

The Tyndale Bible Encyclopedia admits that in ancient Israel, the Hebrews had little time or inclination for physical sports. Sports, so highly touted in the world today, is nowhere mentioned in either the Old or New Testaments of the Bible as a truly desirable form of activity for YAHWEH Elohim's people -- believe it or not!

Search high and low in the Bible, and you will find very little that could be interpreted as YAHWEH's recommendation or approval of sports and athletic contests!

There is no indication that sports were practiced by Abraham or his sons, the patriarchs. There is no indication in the Scriptures that Yahshua the Messiah, our example and Elder Brother, ever participated in organized sports and games, or such contests as boxing, ball games, track and field events, or the like.

Let us face it: Have sports been far too highly touted in modern times and credited with things they can never achieve? If sports are really so valuable in forming true Christian character, then why is the Bible silent about them? Why did Yahshua never mention them?

Have you ever wondered about that?

What does YAHWEH Elohim's word say about physical sports and their proper place in life?

Notice this shocking fact: "When introduced by Hellenizing Jews in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and patronized by Jason the high priest, the Greek love of sport was considered IRRELIGIOUS" (vol. 1, page 541).

The Jewish historian Josephus, who lived during the first century after the Messiah, gives us more insight into what was occurring in Israel during the time of Antiochus Epiphanes.

Josephus writes: "...Menelaus and the sons of Tobias were distressed, and retired to Antiochus, and informed him, that they were desirous to leave the laws of their country, and the Jewish way of living according to them, and to follow the king's laws, and the Grecian way of living: wherefore they desired his permission to build them a GYMNASIUM AT JERUSALEM. And when he had given them leave, they also hid the circumcision of their genitals, that even when they were naked they might appear to be Greeks. Accordingly, they left off all the customs that belonged to their own country, and IMITATED the practices of other nations" (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, book XII, chapter V, 1).

These Jewish apostates were forsaking the truth and laws of YAHWEH Elohim. They were embracing paganism wholeheartedly. They eagerly desired to follow the customs of the Greeks, with their emphasis on athletics, and their virtual worship of the "body beautiful"! They were apostatizing from the revealed truth of YAHWEH Elohim and jettisoning the laws of YAHWEH, in order that they might be respected and accepted by their pagan, Gentile neighbors!

Accordingly, they even tried to hide the fact that they were circumcised. These Jewish renegades from the truth of YAHWEH Elohim endeavored to appear uncircumcised when they performed in the Greek athletic contests, by means of a surgical operation. The laws of YAHWEH Elohim had become an embarrassment to them!

But this was just the beginning -- the introduction, as it were. Soon the ways of the Gentiles were replacing YAHWEH Elohim's truth at every level of society. Antiochus Epiphanes, once he had made these inroads among the more liberal elements of the Jews, began to repeal all the Mosaic laws, and simply replaced them with Grecian laws and customs. He banned the Law of Moses, and all the holy books were burned that he could find. He abolished the Temple sacrifices, and even installed a statue in the Temple of Elohim dedicated to Zeus-Yahweh. The Temple was profaned, swine was sacrificed on the altar, and all copies of the Jewish Scriptures were ordered to be destroyed! Circumcision was forbidden. YAHWEH's dietary laws were abolished. And any who were found clinging to the laws of YAHWEH Elohim, and obeying Him, were executed. Many gave their lives in martyrdom, rather than compromise with the laws of YAHWEH and their holy faith!

But notice! All these diabolical, satanic schemes began ever so innocently, at least on surface appearance! At first it was merely a matter of athletics!

Sports, as a paid profession, were unknown among the people of YAHWEH Elohim. Even amateur athletics, on a grand scale, with huge arenas, were foreign to the way of life of the ancient people of YAHWEH. Such contests were introduced into ancient Israel by the Greeks, after the conquest of Palestine by Alexander the Great, and subsequently by Antiochus Epiphanes, and later by the Romans.

But the real advent of public games and spectator sports, in Israel, first began during the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, approximately 169 years before the Messiah.

We read in the book of I Maccabees, "There sprang from them a sinful shoot named Antiochus Epiphanes, the son of King Antiochus; he had been a hostage in Rome and he became king in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the Greek kingdom. In those days there arose out of Israel lawless men who persuaded many, saying, 'Let us go and make a treaty with the heathen around us, for ever since the time we became separated from them, many misfortunes have overtaken us.'

"The plan seemed good in their eyes, and some of the people went eagerly to the king and he authorized them to introduce the practices of the heathen. And they built a GYMNASIUM in Jerusalem, in the heathen fashion, and submitted to uncircumcision, and disowned the holy agreement; they allied themselves with the heathen and became the slaves of wrongdoing" (I Macc. 1:10-15).

Notice! Among the "practices of the heathen" were spectator sports events held in huge edifices called arenas or gymnasiums!

The word "gymnasium" itself is very interesting. The World Book Encyclopedia points out "The word gymnasium comes from a Greek word meaning to exercise naked. In ancient Greece, the word was used to mean public places set aside for athletic sports. Greek boys and young men wore no clothes when taking part in games, in order to have freedom of bodily movement."

Isaac Asimov in his Guide to the Bible relates that "Alexander the Great, in conquering the Persian Empire, did more than merely make himself king over vast tracts of land. He introduced Greek culture to the east. This culture has always been a very attractive one and it was widely adopted. All of Asia Minor became Greek in culture if not in race...

"The Jews were not immune to the attractiveness of Greek culture, any more than they were immune to Canaanite culture in the days of the judges and the kings, or to American culture today. In the time of the Seleucids, there were many among them who wanted to 'assimilate,' and to establish gymnasia after the Greek fashion ... " (p. 49, vol. II).

At the gymnasia, the Greeks were accustomed to exercise in the nude. "This in itself was horrifying to those Jews who clung to the old ways," writes Asimov. "Worse still, Jews who exercised in the nude could clearly be seen to be circumcised; to avoid this embarrassment, the custom arose of wearing false foreskins, thus making them 'uncircumcised.'"

Thus Antiochus Epiphanes did all in his power to "Hellenize" the Jews and to spread Greek culture in Israel. The Seleucid rulers like all the Macedonian rulers were seriously intent on spreading Greek culture everywhere they went, since they felt it was superior by far to all other cultures.

But what does YAHWEH Elohim say in His Holy Word about adopting the ways and practices and customs of the heathen?

YAHWEH Elohim told Israel in the days of Moses, through whom He gave His law: "When the YAHWEH thy Elohim shall cut off the nations from before thee, where thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land, take heed to thyself that thou BE NOT SNARED BY FOLLOWING THEM, after they are destroyed from before thee, and that thou inquire not: after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so I will do likewise.

Jeremiah 10: 1-3 “Hear ye the word which the YAHWEH speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: [2] Thus saith the YAHWEH, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. [3] For the customs of the people are vain:”

"THOU SHALT NOT DO SO UNTO THE YAHWEH THY ELOHIM, for every abomination to the YAHWEH, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods" (Deut. 12:29-31).

"But surely," some will scoff, "athletics is just athletics, sports. It was not done in honor of any pagan deity or idol god. So what's wrong with it?"

What are the facts?

One of the most common sins is that people assume something to be true, when it isn't. They merely assume; then they proceed according to their own human reason, and do what is right in their own eyes!

YAHWEH Elohim said through Moses, "Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes" (Deut.12:8).

As true Christians, we are commanded to live by "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of Elohim" (Matt. 4:4). What, then, is the origin of spectator sports, team athletics performed in huge arenas and stadiums? Is it a righteous custom which YAHWEH Elohim introduced to His people in Israel?

The truth may shock and surprise you! The origin of human athletic contests is not so innocent as the devil would have you believe!

The Shocking Origin of Competitive Sports

Now I have already shown that there is nothing in the Bible to condemn such personal sports as hunting, fishing, canoeing, running, wrestling, archery, or merely fun games where boys and girls, men and women choose up teams and play some game -- for the fun of it, and for the fellowship and exercise!

But notice carefully! I said, "FOR THE FUN OF IT" -- not to strive to show oneself the "best," or the "winner," or better than somebody else! That is distinctly not YAHWEH's way!

YAHWEH intended sports and athletics merely to serve as a means to discipline, tone up, and strengthen the body, so that it may serve us better. He never intended sports to become an end in itself, or for professional sports to become a modern day idol or form of idolatry! (How many more people cheer at some football game on Saturday or Sunday than go to Church to hear the Word of YAHWEH Elohim preached?)

YAHWEH never intended young people to become so serious about a mere "game" that they struggle and strive and fight in order to "BEAT" some other team or individual! What the world calls "combative" sports -- which can include any sport where you have a human opponent -- seems to very quickly get out of hand, leading to wrong attitudes, pride and feelings of animosity, hard feelings, intense dislike, because people take such games far too seriously! Riots and murder have occurred at the sites of professional sports, particularly soccer or football games in Europe or South America!

In ancient times in Central America, the Mayans held ball games-- vigorous athletic contests -- where the team that lost the game were all put to death! They literally "played for their life"!

But before we discuss the origin of athletic contests and spectator sports, as such, notice a revealing account of the introduction of the pagan Greek athletic contests during the time of Antiochus Maccabbees. This account is from eyewitness sources, and is known as II Maccabbees. The author relates: "But when Seleucus departed this life and Antiochus, who was called Epiphanies, succeeded to the kingdom, Onias' brother Jason obtained the high priesthood by corruption, promising the king in his petition three hundred and sixty talents of silver, and eighty talents from other revenues. Besides this he promised to pay a hundred and fifty more, if he was given authority to set up a gymnasium and a training place for youth there and to enroll the people of Jerusalem as citizens of Antioch. When the king had consented, and he had taken office, he immediately brought his countrymen over to the Greek way of living. He set aside the royal ordinances especially favoring the Jews...and abrogating the lawful ways of living he introduced new customs contrary to the Law. For he willingly established a GYMNASIUM right under the citadel, and he made the finest of the young men wear the Greek hat. And to such a pitch did the cultivation of Greek fashions and the coming-in of foreign customs rise, because of the excessive wickedness of this wicked Jason, who was no high priest at all, that the priests were no longer earnest about the services of the altar, but disdaining the sanctuary and neglecting the sacrifices, they hurried to take part in the unlawful exercises in the wrestling school, after the summons to the discus-throwing, regarding as worthless the things their forefathers valued, and thinking Greek standards the finest."

This eyewitness account of the invasion of ancient Judah by pagan customs, including the Greek games, as they were called, is found in the book of II Maccabbees (4:17).

Notice that these "useless," foolish games and contests included such things as "discus-throwing," and wrestling bouts. Other games included chariot races, and even gladiatorial bouts. The Roman Coliseum was to become famous the world over as a site for cruel and wicked games to entertain the masses. Some of these games later included feeding Christians to wild beasts and lions!

But now -- what of their origin? Where did spectator sports contests begin?

Notice the astounding truth!

The World Book Encyclopedia says, "Early societies used sports to train people for survival and for war. Then, as people learned to live together more peacefully, sports festivals developed. The first recorded Olympic Games took place in Greece in 776 B.C." (Article "Sports").

This same authority declares, "Athletics played an important part in the religious festivals of the ancient Greeks. The people believed such competition pleased the spirits of the dead. The religious festivals honored the gods, and many Greek tribes and cities held one every four years. These festivals probably began before 1400 B.C.

"In time, four national festivals developed -- the Isthmian, Nemean, Olympic, and Pythian games. The Olympic Games, which ranked as the most important, honored Zeus, the king of the gods" ("Olympic Games," vol. 14, p. 570).

Thus the pagan nature and origin of international sports festivals, such as the Olympic Games, is plainly revealed and is thoroughly documented. Any encyclopedia will tell you the same thing. Such sports festivals are PAGAN. They were originally created to honor pagan gods, and were an important part of pagan religious exercises to honor their gods!

What does YAHWEH Elohim say about His people allowing themselves to become part of this world's pagan religious festivals, which have their pagan origin written right in their foreheads?

What does YAHWEH Elohim say about such competitive sports and athletic contests, witnessed by millions?

Oh, of course they can be exciting, thrilling, and cause one's blood to race. But are they of any value? Do they really train young men to become better men? Do they really develop righteous, holy character?

 The apostle Paul knew better. He was inspired by YAHWEH Elohim to write very plainly, for all to see: "But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little, but righteousness IS PROFITABLE UNTO ALL THINGS, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (I Tim. 4:7-8).

Notice how the apostle Paul "put down" the exaggerated emphasis on sports and athletics. Under YAHWEH's divine inspiration he wrote that bodily exercise is of LITTLE value -- of little worth! It does not build righteous or holy character. All too often, it does the exact opposite, teaching young men combative instincts, and developing a COMPETITIVE spirit -- just like the diabolical spirit and attitude of Satan the devil!

Do you see and comprehend the danger?

Little by little, Satan attempts to make inroads to subvert YAHWEH Elohim's people. He begins with what seems like a "little thing." Something which looks innocuous of itself, such as the concept of sports or athletics. But then it becomes overemphasized, exaggerated in importance. A competitive spirit is nurtured, and encouraged, and fed -- a spirit of fierce aggressiveness (within the laws of the game, of course) -- a spirit of reckless abandon to win, a spirit of "win at all costs."

        This attitude is taught to small children playing baseball, soccer, and basketball. Cheerleaders only cheer for their own team, and in high school sports contests the attitude is all too often reflected in the cheers -- "Stomp 'Em!" "Beat 'Em!" "Thrash 'Em!" "Murder 'Em!" It is the exact same spirit as that of Satan the Devil. The spirit of competition is wrong! It is evilish!

The plain truth is that character is not built by playing sports, or football, or basketball; simply put, character is built by overcoming obstacles, overcoming human nature, disciplining your mind and body. It was the fighting against self, against temptation to let up, to give up, to quit when things got tough!

"I, therefore, so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (I Cor. 9:24-27).

Some people think a little compromise is all right; a little sin is okay. They seem to have the attitude of Naaman the Syrian general who was cleansed by Elisha the prophet of YAHWEH Elohim of his leprosy by bathing seven times in the Jordan River. Upon acknowledging the miracle performed by the Elohim of Israel, nevertheless, Naaman said to the prophet, "For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the YAHWEH. In this thing the YAHWEH pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon; when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the YAHWEH pardon thy servant in this thing" (II Kings 5:17-18).

YAHWEH doesn't want partial love or obedience. He wants our wholehearted obedience and worship and love! He wants our worship unmixed and undiluted and unadulterated with heathen, pagan customs and practices!

YAHWEH says, "Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all mine ordinances, and do them; that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spew you not out. And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nations, which I cast out before you; for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the YAHWEH your Elohim, who have SEPARATED YOU from other people. Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean; and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

"And ye shall be holy unto me; for I, the YAHWEH, am holy, and have separated you from other people, that ye should be mine" (Lev.20: 22-26).

YAHWEH says, instead, to His people, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

"And what agreement hath the temple of Elohim with idols? For ye are the temple of the living Elohim; as Elohim hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people.

"Wherefore, come out from among them, and BE YE SEPARATE, saith the YAHWEH, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (II Cor. 6:14-17).

Sports contests today do not honor YAHWEH Elohim. They are a distraction of the world away from the things of YAHWEH Elohim. The international Olympic Games are not held in honor of YAHWEH, but derive from ancient paganism.

YAHWEH says, "NOW therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the YAHWEH Elohim of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish anything from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the YAHWEH your Elohim, which I command you. Keep, therefore, and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, who shall hear all these statutes and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people" (Deut. 4:l6).

YAHWEH Elohim Almighty, our Heavenly Father, says, in answer to these direct questions: "COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4). [This article is taken from the Hope of Israel Ministries.]

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CHAPTER 12

TRUE ORIGIN OF CHRISTIAN "FISH" SYMBOL MIGHT OUTRAGE, and SHOCK JESUS (YAHSHUA) WORSHIPPERS

Modern day Christians claim that their "fish" logo, the Ichthus, dates back to the early days of faith. But this symbol is much older, and has pagan origins rooted in fertility and earth goddess worship

Web Posted: March 26, 1999

For many pop-culture Christians, the "fish" decal on the back car bumper, or attached to a key chain or door is a symbol of their religion, and a feel-good statement about Jesus Christ. Early Christians used the fish as a recognition sign of their religion. It is also identified as the "Ichthus," an acronym from the Greek, "Lesous Christos Theou Uios Soter," or "Yahhsua Messiah, the Son of Elohim, Saviour." Oxford English Dictionary (C.E.) defines "Ichthyic" as "of, pertaining to, or characteristic of fishes; the fish world in all its orders."

But contemporary Jesus worshippers might be surprised, even outraged, to learn that one of their preeminent religious symbols antedated the Christian religion, and has its roots in pagan fertility awareness and sexuality. Barbara G. Walker writes in "The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects," that the acronym pertaining to Yahhsua Messiah was a "rationale invented after the fact... Christians simply copied this pagan symbol along with many others." Ichthys was the offspring son of the ancient Sea goddess Atargatis, and was known in various mythic systems as Tirgata, Aphrodite, Pelagia or Delphine. The word also meant "womb" and "dolphin" in some tongues, and representations of this appeared in the depiction of mermaids. The fish also a central element in other stories, including the Goddess of Ephesus (who has a fish amulet covering her genital region), as well as the tale of the fish that swallowed the penis of Osiris, and was also considered a symbol of the vulva of Isis.

Along with being a generative and reproductive spirit in mythology, the fish also has been identified in certain cultures with reincarnation and the life force. Sir James George Frazer noted in his work, "Adonis, Attis, Osiris: Studies in the History of Oriental Religion" (Part Four of his larger work, "The Golden Bough") that among one group in India, the fish was believed to house a deceased soul, and that as part of a fertility ritual specific fish is eaten in the belief that it will be reincarnated in a newborn child.

Well before Christianity, the fish symbol was known as "the Great Mother," a pointed oval sign, the "vesica piscis" or Vessel of the Fish. "Fish" and "womb" were synonymous terms in ancient Greek,” Delphos." Its link to fertility, birth, feminine sexuality and the natural force of women was acknowledged also by the Celts, as well as pagan cultures throughout northern Europe.   Eleanor Gaddon traces a "Fish Cult Mother" as far back as the hunting and fishing people of the Danube River Basin in the sixth millennium B.C.E. Over fifty shrines have been found throughout the region, which depict a fishlike deity, a female creature who "incorporates aspects of an egg, a fish and a woman which could have been a primeval creator or a mythical ancestress..." The "Great Goddess" was portrayed elsewhere with pendulous breasts, accentuated buttocks and a conspicuous vaginal orifice, the upright "vesica piscis" which Christians later adopted and rotated 90-degrees to serve as their symbol.

    Along with the fish used as a code sign for early Christian communities, the ichthys also found its way into the ritual and decor of church rites. One case in point is the church mitre worn by prelates. Where did this originate? Dr. Thomas Inman discussed this phenomenon in his two-volume opus, "Ancient Faiths Embodied in Ancient Names," (1869). He included a representation of a sculpture from Mesopotamia, observing "It is the impression of an ancient gem, and represents a man clothed with a fish, the head being the mitre; priests thus clothed, often bearing in their hand the mystic bag..."

    "In almost every instance," added Inman, "it will be recognized that the fish's head is represented as of the same form as the modern bishop's mitre." The fish also appears in another sacred iconograph, the Avatars of Vishnu, where the deity "is represented as emerging from the mouth of a fish, and being a fish himself; the legend being that he was to be the Saviour of the world in a deluge which was to follow..."  From its focus of worshipping a god-man born of a virgin to the selection of holidays and symbols, Christianity appropriated the metaphors of earlier pagan religions, grafting them into its own account of the creation and beyond. Few Jesus worshippers are aware of this. Even fewer know that when they flaunt the "Ichthus" or Ichthys on a tee-shirt, car bumper or even the door of a state legislative office as a representation which originated in Christianity, they are in fact, displaying a more ancient symbol indicative of female anatomy and reproductive potency -- the very sign of the Great Mother. http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/mo1.htm

For the following article is with the true origin of the Halloween and of the New Year. For the New Year is with the understanding of the celebration of the Halloween.

http://www.zoomnet.net/~bbratt/haloween.html

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CHAPTER 13

Real Origin of Halloween

Do you know that Halloween was introduced into the professing Christian world centuries after the death of the apostles, yet it was celebrated by the pagans centuries before the New Testament Church was founded!

How did Halloween come to America? Here is the intriguing answer from history: "The American celebration rests upon Scottish and Irish folk customs WHICH CAN BE TRACED IN DIRECT LINE FROM PRE-CHRISTIAN TIMES" ...from paganism! "Although Halloween has become a night of rollicking fun, superstitious spells, and eerie games which people take only half seriously, its beginnings were quite otherwise. The earliest Halloween celebrations were held" ...not by the inspired early church, but ..."by the Druids in honor of Samhain, Lord of the Dead, whose festival fell on November 1." (From HALLOWEEN THROUGH TWENTY CENTURIES, by Ralph Linton, Page 4.)

Far from being Christian, this festival is an old pagan holiday, masquerading as though it were one of the customs of the church. And yet professing Christians allow their children to get into the spirit of this pagan custom!

The Encyclopedia Americana states about Halloween that it "is clearly a relic of pagan times."

Now notice what the authoritative Encyclopedia Britannica says about Halloween: "It long antedates Christianity. The two chief characteristics of the ancient Halloween were the lighting of bonfires and the belief that this is the one night in the year during which ghosts and witches are most likely to wander about. History shows that the main celebrations of Halloween were purely Druidical" ...from the pagan Druids of Northwest Europe..."and this is further proved by the fact that in parts of Ireland October 31 is still known as OIDHCH SHAMHNA, 'Vigil of Saman.'" Saman or Samhain was the pagan lord of the dead among the Druids.

So Halloween was celebrated among the pagans long before Yahshua was born in Bethlehem. This pagan holiday, however, was not celebrated alone among the Druids. It was also a Roman festival! The Britannica continues: "On the Druidic ceremonies were grafted some of the characteristics of the Roman festival in honour of Pomona held about November 1, in which nuts and apples, representing the winter store of fruits, played an important part."

Notice the widespread pagan custom to celebrate this season of the year.

Why Halloween Was Celebrated

Now comes the shocking truth from history as to why this holiday was celebrated! Here are the plain facts as written in THE BOOK OF HALLOWEEN, on page 10, by Ruth Kelley: The pagan Druid priests "taught the immortality of the soul, that it passed from one body to another at death... They believed that on the last night of the old year (October 31) the lord of death gathered together the souls of all those who had died in the passing year and had been condemned to live in the bodies of animals, to decree what forms they should inhabit for the next twelve months. He could be coaxed to give lighter sentence by girls and prayers."

"On the New Year, their sins being expiated, they were released to go to the Druid Heaven." (From Halloween Through Twenty Centuries, p.5)

Halloween was celebrated to preserve in the minds of the people the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul ...that the dead are not really dead. Almost all heathen nations had days in honor of the dead ...days originally instituted to commemorate the death of Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10) whom Semiramis, his wife, said was still alive.

Now let us understand the meaning of the word "Halloween." It is the eve of All hallows or Hallowmas or All Saints' Day ...and as such it is one of the most solemn festivals of the (Catholic) church." (From page 3 of Linton's Halloween Through Twenty Centuries.)

Halloween is the evening of All hallows or All Saints' Day, which falls on November 1. Since in ancient times, the days were customarily reckoned as beginning at sunset, Halloween was merely the evening celebration in anticipation of the great day of November 1, dedicated to the lord of the dead!

Who Was the "Lord of the Dead"?

You will remember that shortly before his crucifixion, Yahshua was questioned by the Sadducees about the resurrection. In order to prove that there would be a resurrection from the dead, Yahshua told them: "But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken to you by Elohim, saying, I am the Elohim of Abraham, and the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob? Elohim is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living" (Mat. 22:31-32).

Notice the meaning of Yahshua answer. Since the patriarchs are DEAD, and since Elohim is ONLY the Elohim of the living ...because the DEAD serve not the Lord (Psalms 6:5; l l5:17) ...then there must be a resurrection of the DEAD in order that they might live again and that Elohim might be their Elohim.

To make the resurrection possible, " Yahshua both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom. 14:9). Observe that Yahshua became the Master of the dead because through his resurrection He gained the keys of the grave and death (Rev. 1:18) and will resurrect the dead so they may live to serve him. But from whom did Yahshua gain these keys? Who had prior mastery over the dead?

Paul, in the book of Hebrews, speaks of "him that had the power of death, that is the devil" (Heb. 2:14). So the devil, Satan, was lord or master of the dead!

Among the heathen Druids, Samhain or Saman, the lord of the dead, was Satan! To this day people still celebrate with frolicking fun a wild night in honor of the devil! Paul says that the heathen who thought they were worshipping the true Elohim were actually serving demons (Gal. 4:8). Young people today who set fires on Halloween are not serving Elohim.

But if Halloween is merely the evening in honor of the devil, how did the day ...called All Hallows' or All Saints' Day ...come to be celebrated in the professing Christian Church?

The Origin of All Saints' Day

The first of November, celebrated among the pagans in honor of Samhain ...Satan ...is today celebrated in hundreds of churches "to honor all the saints, known and unknown, and according to (pope) Urban IV, to supply any deficiencies in the faithful's celebration of saints' feasts during the year" (Catholic Encyclopedia).

How did the veneration of saints, supposedly alive in heaven, come to be celebrated on a day in honor of the devil?

 The Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all."

Notice, what once was a memorial for each martyr on different days became a general day in honor of the dead who were believed to be alive in heaven. "Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary on November I . . . Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on I November to the entire Church. The vigil (Halloween) seems to have been held as early as the feast itself."

Notice that the celebration of Halloween, the eve of the day, is as old as the celebration of All Saints' Day in the Catholic Church. On page 6 of his book, Ralph Linton says of this holiday, "All Saints' Day was introduced into the church calendar because the year was not long enough to make it possible to dedicate a special day for each spirit of the Catholic Church . . . That the day chosen was one already associated in the popular mind with a thronging of spirits of the dead which was quite in line with church policy of incorporating harmless pagan folk ideas."

Protestants continued with the celebration of the Halloween partly "since it was on this day, in 1517, that Martin Luther posted his epoch making ninety five theses on the door of the castle church at Wittenberg" which started the Protestant Reformation. "He chose Halloween night because he knew that the townsfolk, would be coming to the church that night." (Halloween, pp 9-10.)

Origin of "Trick or Treat"

Do you know where the common Halloween prank of children knocking on doors and shouting "trick or treat" originated?

Linton says: "... certainly it comes from pagan times." In Ireland up to the turn of the century, it was customary to have a procession "led by a man in a white robe wearing a horse head mask." ("The horse was sacred to the Sun God," says Linton, "which indicated that this custom was a survival of a Druid rite.") The procession levied a contribution from the farmers in the perverted name of what probably was an old Druid god. Unless the procession was "treated liberally with gifts, the farmers were "tricked" with the threat of a curse that would ruin next year's crops!

This traditional custom of having processions at Halloween is further derived from another unusual practice. Wealthy churches during the Middle Ages, copying the ancient Greek and Roman religious processions, paraded the relics of patron saints. The poorer parishes could not afford to buy relics so they used caricatures of their patron saints. "Those who were not playing the parts of the holy ones also wanted to get into the procession and so dressed up as angels or devils. The All hallows procession around the churchyard eventually became a gay and motley parade. (From page 103 of Halloween Through Twenty Centuries.)

During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would imitate the fairies and go from house to house begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house, so the homeowner could gain the blessings of the "good folk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed. [5] The folks who were abroad in the night imitating the fairies would sometimes carry turnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our modern Jack-o-lantern.

The present day "trick or treat" is but a continuation of these degenerate and absurd customs, which came out of paganism and have been labeled with Christian names.

Is it any wonder that children and adults wantonly damage private property ...on a day originally dedicated to Satan, the Destroyer?

What is An Idol?

"... The things we love and esteem more than Elohim’s Kingdom are our idols." 12 Symbolic Code pg6, 7:18. They are also "... Idols that walk..." 1TG5:15, and we see "...these idols are the kind that speak;...they are men. There is no doubt, therefore, that these are ministering brethren who the laity are idolizing." 1Timely Greeting 18:14. Idols also include pagan traditions such as Sunday keeping, Easter, Christmas, Baptism by sprinkling, etc.... See: 2TG26: 23; Tract 13; 1Shepherd’s Rod pgs.86, 146, 186, 189; 2SR99, 273; and 1TG18.

The things we love and esteem more than Elohim’s Kingdom are identified as being our idols. We see that idols specifically include men (ministering brethren) which the laity idolize.  

Return to Table of Contents

CHAPTER 14

IS THANKSGIVING A PAGAN TRADITION?

'The Thanksgiving holiday born in Puritan New England in the 1630s and 1640s was shaped by four traditions -- the Harvest Home, Christmas, proclamations of civic thanksgiving and congregational days of thanksgiving and prayer.... other features of the holiday developed in Connecticut. The Connecticut River valley towns of Wethersfield, Windsor and Hartford were settled in 1635 and 1636 by families from Massachusetts Bay who shared with their sister colony a thorough going dedication to Puritanism. The church in each town followed the established, Puritan custom of holding days of public thanks or of prayer and fasting as the occasion warranted, but the leaders of the colony departed from tradition by proclaiming a day of public thanksgiving each autumn in gratitude for general well-being and for the harvest just gathered. Although records from the early years are incomplete, a proclamation of thanksgiving for September 18, 1639, survives, as do proclamations for 1644 and for every year from 1649 onward.

'This was the crucial innovation. The entire Western world shares the custom of special thanksgivings for special causes, and as we have seen, individual Plymouth Colony congregations sometimes held harvest thanksgivings followed by a festive meal. When Connecticut made Thanksgiving Day an annual festival for general causes, however, a new holiday was born. Thanksgiving in Connecticut was held every autumn, not for special reasons, but in gratitude for the ordinary blessings of the "year past" and for the "fruits of the earth".' (Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History, by Diana Karter Appelbaum. Pps. 28-29)."

As mentioned in earlier articles, Thanksgiving Day is intertwined with Christmas, beginning the Christmas sales season and countdown of shopping day’s left. The Christmas parade with Santa Claus, an imitation of Christ, and many floats depicting toys is presented then. Mrs. Josepha Hale, who pushed the acceptance of Thanksgiving Day as a holiday, also promoted the merry celebration of Christmas with frivolity, which before in the USA was observed more as a holy day only. Again, a day to worship Elohim as Thanksgiving Day is not necessarily acceptable with Elohim since the same claim could be made for Christmas and Easter which are clearly pagan.

PAGAN SYMBOLS OF THANKSGIVING DAY

A goose used to be the main course for harvest festivals and was replaced by the more common turkey in America with the Indians first. These birds representing the sun god or the Son of god, an imitation of the Son of Elohim slain for others. Actually the symbols derived all the way back to Nimrod and Semiramis. Words from Wilkinson, an Egyptologist:

'The goose,' says Wilkinson, 'signified in hieroglyphics A CHILD OR SON;' and Horapollo says (i.53, p.276), 'It was chosen TO DENOTE A SON, from its love to its young, being always ready to give itself up to the chasseur [hunter], in order that they might be preserved; for which reason the Egyptians thought it right to revere this animal.' (Wilkinson's Egyptians, vol. v., p. 227)."

Pumpkin is used as a symbol for the sun and is also prominent in Halloween, replacements in the Western Hemisphere. The sacred goose of Europe was used if available, but turkeys were more prevalent so were substituted for them with the same idea derived from pagan harvest festivals.

"Chopped Up Meat & the Death of Osiris!

"According to Diana Appelbaum, 'Of the infinite variety of pies, two, the pumpkin and the mince, are intimately associated with Thanksgiving dinner.... There is no more quintessential Thanksgiving dish than mince meat pie, and yet, unlike the native pumpkin pie, mincemeat was a tradition borrowed from the Christmas feasts of merry old England. Puritans in both England and America banned Christmas; the "high-shoe lords of Cromwell's making" frowned on all of the ancient Yuletide customs: "Plum broth was Popish, and mince pie--that was flat idolatry!"

'But by the early 1700s, mince pie was enshrined in the New England Thanksgiving menu.' (Thanksgiving: An American Holiday, An American History, pps. 270-27l)."

"The chopping of the meat was an ANNUAL RITUAL and REPRESENTED THE CHOPPING UP OF OSIRIS' BODY by Shem!"

"John Brand Bourne thinks the original of both these customs [the harvest feast and the revelry that followed] is Jewish, and cites Hospinian, who tells us that the heathens copied after this custom of the Jews, and at the end of the harvest offered up their first fruits to the gods. For the Jews rejoiced and feasted at the getting in of the harvest. (Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, George Bell & Sons, 1908. P. 16.)."

"Marian Schibsby and Hanny Cohrsen also noticed the Thanksgiving-Tabernacles connection--'Many centuries before a day for nationwide thanksgiving and prayer was established in this country, the Jewish people observed such a custom. One of the most important Jewish festivals is that of the "Feast of Tabernacles," also called the "Feast of Ingathering" or "Succoth," which begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the month of Tishri -- that is sometime between the middle week of September and the middle of October. It marks the end of the harvest "after that thou hast gathered in from thy threshing floor and from thy wine press" (Deut. xvi, 13,16, RV) and is a season of joyousness and gratitude for the bounty of nature in the year that has passed.' (Foreign Festival Customs and Dishes, American Council for Nationalities Service, N.Y. 1974, P.53).

"Let me repeat what author Robert Schauffler said about the Grecian THESMOPHORIA: 'The harvest festival of ancient Greece, called the Thesmophoria, was akin to the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.. It was the feast of Demeter...' In Rome, the same feast occurred in October and began with a fast day -- the pagan equivalent of the Day of Atonement!

'On their return a festival occurred for three days in Athens, sad at first but gradually growing into an orgy of mirth and dancing. Here a cow and a sow were offered to Demeter, besides fruit and honeycombs. The symbols of the goddess were poppies and ears of corn, a basket of fruit and a little pig. The Romans worshipped this harvest deity under the name of Ceres. Her festival, which occurred yearly on October 4th, was called the Cerelia. It began with a fast [Day of Atonement?] among the common people who offered her a sow and the first cuttings of the harvest. There were processions in the fields with music and rustic sports and ceremonies ended with the inevitable feast of thanksgiving.' (Thanksgiving, Dodd-Mead, 1957. Pages 12-13).

"Why am I stressing this THREE-DAY FESTIVAL TO CERES in Rome and Athens? Because the Pilgrim Fathers OBSERVED A THREE-DAY THANKSGIVING during the fall in 1621!!"

"Diana Karter Appelbaum CLEARLY brings this out in Thanksgiving, An American Holiday, an American History:

'The first autumn, an ample harvest insured that the colony would have food for the winter months. Governor Bradford, with one eye on the divine Providence, proclaimed a day of thanksgiving to Elohim, and with the other eye on the local political situation extended an invitation to neighboring Indians to share in the harvest feast in order to guarantee that the feast served to cement a peaceful relationship; the three-day long meal was punctuated by displays of the power of English muskets for the benefit of suitably impressed Indian guests.' (Pages 7-8).

"It is interesting to realize that Edward Winslow, an 'historian' among the Pilgrim Fathers, would have written about the  *religious services held in those fall days if it was a day of thanksgiving to Elohim, but HE MENTIONED NO SUCH THING! Instead, Diana Appelbaum states that 'Oysters, clams and fish rounded out the abundant, but far from epicurean feast that the celebrators would have been more likely to call "harvest home" than a "thanksgiving" celebration.' "

'A day of Thanksgiving was not an idea unique to the early settlers in America. The Pilgrims were well acquainted while in England with annual Thanksgiving celebrations, which had been known throughout history as an ancient and universal custom.

'In fact, the first Thanksgiving was more like a harvest festival, with none of the accounts mentioning any giving of thanks in solemn, religious piety as it is usually imagined. In keeping with long-standing English custom, Thanksgiving was filled with "revelry, sports, and feasts." ' (Myth information Extraordinary Collection of 590 Popular Misconceptions, Fallacies and Misbeliefs. J. Allen Varasdi)"

Is the eating of pumpkin pie, turkey or other food items used as pagan symbols in Thanksgiving necessarily wrong? No, only if utilized as part of the holiday or associated with it. There is the distinct difference between eating these foods as ordinary ones and partaking of a pagan rite, even though in the guise of a godly holiday whether in its season or not.

Though mincemeat pie is another matter derived strictly from pagan worship. I've seen the filler at the grocery store already mixed, available any time of the year. Eating meat and vegetable pies is normally all right. Though we should avoid anything which reminds us of association with customs of the heathen, as singing of Christmas carols of which a few sound rather godly. The song, Jingle Bells, is usually sung around Christmas time, and though not having anything to do with Christmas, might in the minds of some be part of the holiday. Elohim recommended, ordered Israelites to destroy the accouterments of pagan practice. Which would help keep them from handling the objects and bring back the customs to mind.

Deut. 12:30 “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.”

 http://qumran.com/Holiday_Files/thanksgiving_question.htm 

American tradition forces us to focus on the Pilgrims' celebration in 1621. However, they borrowed the custom from either their native England or Holland, where the Pilgrims lived for several years before sailing to America.

But long before that, the ancient Romans dedicated October 10 to the goddess Ceres. People dressed themselves in sheaves of grain and indulged in sports and merry-making. The ancient Greeks traditionally sacrificed a cow and sow in autumn as an offering of thanks for the harvest. In Canaan, people trod grapes in the pagan temple for the same reason. Of course, in ancient Israel the great Feast of Tabernacles consisted of eight days of worship services and feasting.

In the Middle Ages citizens decorated church buildings between September 19 and October 1. St. Martin's Day followed on November 11, on which they ate roasted goose. Our custom of eating turkey on Thanksgiving may have a loose tie to this tradition.

The Pilgrims of Plymouth Rock were far from being first on this continent to observe a day of thanksgiving. They were not even first in the United States! The distinction of being first in the western hemisphere goes to a small colony in Newfoundland under Sir John Frobisher, May 28, 1578. The first recorded in the U.S. was celebrated in late August 1607 in what is today Maine. Colonial Virginians kept several other thanksgiving observances between 1607-1620.

The Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving on December 13, 1621, and another in 1623. What made the Pilgrims' occasion noteworthy is that it was the first in America that was both a religious service and a feast. The others were wholly religious services dedicated to God for deliverance and the preservation of their lives.

At the Pilgrims' 1621 observance, ninety Indians unexpectedly showed up, so the Pilgrims invited them to participate. The feast, primarily turkey and venison, was prepared by four adult women and six teenaged girls. The Indians performed some war dances, and the pilgrims responded with military drills and some sports of the day.

  Return to Table of Contents

CHAPTER 15

Christmas Tree

Jeremiah 10: 1-5 “Hear ye the word which the YAHWEH speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the YAHWEH, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”

(From Forerunner Commentary

When you put up that tree, tack a wreath on the door, and maybe hang mistletoe from the lintel, what are you signifying? John Williamson, in "Christmas Greenery" in the Dallas Morning News (December 6, 1986), encapsulates the pagan origin of decorating with evergreens:

Evergreen trees were important fertility emblems for pre-Christian ceremonies marking the winter solstice. People from ancient societies believed that by decorating their homes and temples with evergreen plants, such as holly, ivy and mistletoe, they were helping to carry the diminished sun through a critical period . . . Mistletoe was the most sacred plant of the Druids . . . [It] was given great reverence . . . because it grows on the venerated oak. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from the ancient idea that mistletoe is the oak's genitals. And so it was believed that an embrace under its glistening berries was sure guarantee of a fruitful union . . .. The decoration of Christmas trees is a survival of pagan tree veneration . . .. For centuries before Christianity, holly was . . . used . . . for celebrating their midwinter Saturnalia.

While all the greenery in a home decked out for Christmas is beautiful to look at, these customs have nothing at all to do with Yahshua. In fact, they are sheer paganism directly descended from ancient rites practiced long before Yahshua' birth (see Jeremiah 10:1-5). Do you really want to give the impression that you are worshipping a tree? Or that you desire a fruitful union because you give someone a kiss under the mistletoe? Mike Ford

Two key figures in the origin of Christmas are Nimrod, a great grandson of Noah, and his mother and wife, Semiramis, also known as Ishtar and Isis. Nimrod, known in Egypt as Osiris, was the founder of the first world empire at Babel, later known as Babylon (Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9). From ancient sources such as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and records unearthed by archeologists from long-ruined Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities, we can reconstruct subsequent events.

After Nimrod's death (c. 2167 BC), Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god. She claimed that she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of the roots of a dead tree stump, symbolizing the springing forth of new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, she said, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. His birthday fell on the winter solstice at the end of December.

A few years later, Semiramis bore a son, Horus or Gilgamesh. She declared that she had been visited by the spirit of Nimrod, who left her pregnant with the boy. Horus, she maintained, was Nimrod reincarnated. With a father, mother, and son deified, a deceptive, perverted trinity was formed.

Semiramis and Horus were worshipped as "Madonna and child." As the generations passed, they were worshipped under other names in different countries and languages. Many of these are recognizable: Fortuna and Jupiter in Rome; Aphrodite and Adonis in Greece; and Ashtoreth/Astarte and Molech/Baal in Canaan.

During the time between Babel and Christ, pagans developed the belief that the days grew shorter in early winter because their sun-god was leaving them. When they saw the length of the day increasing, they celebrated by riotous, unrestrained feasting and orgies. This celebration, known as Saturnalia, was named after Saturn, another name for Nimrod.  [Martin G. Collins Syncretismas! ]

In the seventeenth century, the English anti-Christmas attitude spread to her Puritan territories in America. In defiance of the Puritan attitude, the Catholic Church established special Christmas services in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 1690s, but many civil authorities strongly opposed them.

By the early 1700s, German and Dutch settlers had brought the pagan custom of the gift-bringing St. Nicholas and the Christmas tree with them. Christmas was primarily celebrated in their settlements. German mercenaries, fighting on the British side in the War of Independence, raised Christmas trees in their camps.

In 1823 Santa Claus acquired national fame in the United States as a result of a poem. According to Man, Myth and Magic Encyclopedia:

St. Nicholas had become famous as a result of Clarke Moore's poem "The Night Before Christmas," published in 1823. By the 1890s the English Father Christmas, originally a minor character in a mummer's play, had been absorbed into the personality of his American counterpart, and become the jovial figure that he is today.

In 1836, Christmas first became an American legal holiday in the state of Alabama. Soon, one state after another legalized this pagan festival. Today, the U.S. celebrates this 4000-year-old festival as a national holiday with gift giving and riotous, unrestrained feasting and drinking, in a manner similar to the celebrations in the ancient world. Martin G. Collins  Syncretismas!

The date of December 25 to celebrate Yahshua’s birth was chosen to conform to the old, pagan Roman holidays called "Saturnalia" and "Brumalia." The ancient Romans kept these holidays around the time of the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. Here are some excerpts about this festival from The Book of the Bible by Riedel, Tracy & Moskwitz:

Because the Roman emperor Aurelian fixed December 25th for the winter solstice holiday in AD 274, it is thought that the early Christians adopted this day for their Christ-mass so that they would be less conspicuous in the observance of their holiday.

Most scholars believe that the birthday of Yahshua was never known and that the December date was chosen solely for convenience.

The earliest known observance of Christmas on December 25th was the year AD 336 in Rome, as recorded in a calendar of the period.

Throughout antiquity other dates for the birth were advanced: March 25, April 19, November 17, among others, but there is no evidence, literary or historical, that supports any of these dates.

Almost everywhere in Europe, in both Roman and Teutonic [northern European] countries, the period around the winter solstice was celebrated with lights, to celebrate the increase of sunlight to come, and with greenery, usually evergreens, to represent the coming of spring and eternal cycles of growth. At the Saturnalia festival (December 17-24), Romans would present each other with sprigs of holly as gifts for the holiday. When Teutonic tribes began to usurp power from the Romans in Europe, they brought their Yule, or winter feast, traditions with them. The Yule log and wassailing (i.e., toasting each others’ health with alcoholic drinks) are two of these traditions.

The origin of the Christmas tree is usually traced to Saint Boniface, who in the 8th century persuaded the Teutonic tribes to abandon worship of the sacred oak of Odin, a remnant of Druidism, and to confer it instead on the fir, a more appropriate symbol of Jesus and eternal life. [Trees, however, have been used in pagan, idolatrous worship for many thousands of years. Numerous references to this can be found throughout the Old Testament (I Kings 14:23; II Kings 16:2-4; 17:10; II Chronicles 28:4; I Samuel 40:18-20; 57:5; 66:17; Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6,13; 10:1-5; Ezekiel 6:13).] [John Plunkett 'Tis the Season: Help for Our Young People]

Numbers 33:51-52  (Go to this verse :: Verse pop-up)

We should understand this in a religious sense since any representation of Elohim changes Him from what He really is. Egyptians worshipped oxen, heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, cats, monkeys, ibis, cranes, hawks, crocodiles, serpents, frogs, flies, scarab beetles, the sun, the moon, the planets, the stars, fire, light, air, and darkness. And they could come up with "good" reasons why!

A young man once said to me that he could see nothing wrong with the Christmas tree because he did not bow down and worship it. He misunderstood. Do we? The first commandment covers this particular aspect of idolatry. If one was bowing down to the tree, that would be what he was worshipping.

The second commandment has to do with the way we worship, in spirit and truth. Christmas—and its trappings like the Christmas tree—is not part of the way God commanded we worship. It is not part of the truth of God. Therefore, the Christmas tree is a component of an idolatry created when man desires to worship God as he devises rather than as God instructs. So he breaks the second commandment even though he never bows down to the tree. [John W. Ritenbaugh The Second Commandment ]

Syncretismas!

by Martin G. Collins
Forerunner, December 1995

No "Christian" holiday is as misleading as Christmas—unless it is Easter. What do evergreen trees, Yule logs, holly wreaths, and mistletoe and Santa Clause have to do with our relationship with our Master and Savior Yahshua Messiah? Does the Nativity scene with its mother-and-child motif teach us anything about the relationship between God the Father and His Son?

Does Christmas teach us the truth? With so many falsehoods and deceptions surrounding and embedded in this holiday, we would be foolish to believe that Elohim would approve of its celebration. Truth is very important to Elohim. It is one of the names of Yahshua Messiah (John 14:6) and one of His ministry's themes: "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32; 18:37). Conversely, lies bind us in spiritual slavery.

Let's reflect for a moment on the origins and history of Christmas, which flourishes today in the materialistic Western world. From its non-Christian background, we can see that it is a syncretistic blend of pagan rites and Christian themes that is abhorrent to Elohim (Deuteronomy 12:29-32; see Exodus 32). Christmas is a quagmire of deceptive traditions.

Origins in Babylon

Two key figures in the origin of Christmas are Nimrod, a great grandson of Noah, and his mother and wife, Semiramis, also known as Ishtar and Isis. Nimrod, known in Egypt as Osiris, was the founder of the first world empire at Babel, later known as Babylon (Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9). From ancient sources such as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and records unearthed by archeologists from long-ruined Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities, we can reconstruct subsequent events.

After Nimrod's death (c. 2167 BC), Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god. She claimed that she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of the roots of a dead tree stump, symbolizing the springing forth of new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, she said, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. His birthday fell on the winter solstice at the end of December.

A few years later, Semiramis bore a son, Horus or Gilgamesh. She declared that she had been visited by the spirit of Nimrod, who left her pregnant with the boy. Horus, she maintained, was Nimrod reincarnated. With a father, mother and son deified, a deceptive, perverted trinity was formed.

Semiramis and Horus were worshipped as "Madonna and child." As the generations passed, they were worshipped under other names in different countries and languages. Many of these are recognizable: Fortuna and Jupiter in Rome; Aphrodite and Adonis in Greece and Ashtoreth/Astarte and Molech/Baal in Canaan.

During the time between Babel and Yahshua, pagans developed the belief that the days grew shorter in early winter because their sun god was leaving them. When they saw the length of the day increasing, they celebrated by riotous, unrestrained feasting and orgies. This celebration, known as Saturnalia, was named after Saturn, another name for Nimrod.

Blended into "Christianity"

Many historical sources show that Christmas was not observed by Christians from Yahshua's time to about AD 300. Saturnalia (December 17-24) and Brumalia (December 25) continued as a pagan celebration by the Romans well into the fourth century. The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 edition, in the article "Natal Day," records that the early Catholic Church father, Origen, acknowledged:

In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners like Pharaoh and Herod who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world.

During the fourth century, the emperor Constantine "converted" to "Christianity" and changed Sabbath keeping from the seventh to the first day of the week. Sunday was the day he had worshipped the sun as his god. This made it easier for the Romans to call their pagan December 25th winter solstice festival, in which they had celebrated the birth of the sun god, as the birthday of the "Son of Elohim."

The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, says:

According to the hypothesis . . . accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the Invincible Sun). On Dec. 25, 274, Aurelian had proclaimed the sun-god principal patron of the empire and dedicated a temple to him in the Campus Martius. Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome.

Only in the fifth century did the Roman Catholic Church order that the birth of Yahshua be observed on December 25, the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol, the sun god. They renamed this day "Christmas."

Christmas in England

In AD 596, Pope Gregory I dispatched the monk Augustine to England as a missionary. The Pope had decreed that whatever pagan practices were not of themselves "evil" should be blended with Christianity. According to the 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, "Christmas":

In Britain, the 25th of December was a festival long before the conversion to Christianity, for Bede relates that "the ancient peoples of the Angli began the year on the 25th of December . . . ; and [Christmas eve] they called in their tongue "modranecht" (môdra niht), that is, the mother night, by reason we suspect of the ceremony which in that night-long vigil they performed."

When the Normans invaded England in 1066, they introduced other pagan ceremonies into the English celebration of Christmas. During the Reformation, the undisguised pagan elements in Christmas had often provoked criticism from conservative Protestants, but the festival was not really affected by their beliefs until the Puritans came to power in the early 1600's. Christmas was attacked as "the old heathens' feasting day to Saturn their god" and singing carols was forbidden.

In 1644, in protest against Christmas, the Church of England proclaimed December 25th as a fast day, and Parliament banned celebrating the festival. The new rule was enforced by the English army, which spent much of its time pulling down the greenery that festive "pagans" had attached to their doors. In Scotland, the prohibition was enforced with great rigor as well.

By the early nineteenth century, however, its popularity increased. Queen Caroline erected a tree at a royal Christmas celebration in 1821, and twenty years later, Albert, prince consort of Queen Victoria, provided one for a children's party at Windsor.

Christmas in America

In the seventeenth century, the English anti-Christmas attitude spread to her Puritan territories in America. In defiance of the Puritan attitude, the Catholic Church established special Christmas services in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 1690s, but many civil authorities strongly opposed them.

By the early 1700s, German and Dutch settlers had brought the pagan custom of the gift-bringing St. Nicholas and the Christmas tree with them. Christmas was primarily celebrated in their settlements. German mercenaries, fighting on the British side in the War of Independence, raised Christmas trees in their camps.

In 1823 Santa Claus acquired national fame in the United States as a result of a poem. According to Man, Myth and Magic Encyclopedia:

St. Nicholas had become famous as a result of Clarke Moore's poem "The Night Before Christmas," published in 1823. By the 1890s the English Father Christmas, originally a minor character in a mummer's play, had been absorbed into the personality of his American counterpart, and become the jovial figure that he is today.

In 1836, Christmas first became an American legal holiday in the state of Alabama. Soon, one state after another legalized this pagan festival. Today, the U.S. celebrates this 4000-year-old festival as a national holiday with gift giving and riotous, unrestrained feasting and drinking, in a manner similar to the celebrations in the ancient world.

Not of Elohim

This general history of Christmas should be enough to send shivers of revulsion down our spine. The origin of Christmas and the traditional perversions surrounding this holiday should be an obvious reason to avoid this epitome of paganism. However, there is much more to it than origin and history.

What human being has the right to decide what Elohim wants? If we were to celebrate Yahshua's birth, the Bible, Elohim's instruction book to mankind, would command us to do so. Yet nowhere in the Bible are we told to celebrate the birth of Yahshua! It does not even tell us when it was! (For further information on the birth of Yahshua, see our article “When was Yahshua born”?

In John 13:15, Yahshua Himself gives us an important principle, "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." We have no example of Yahshua celebrating birthdays in connection with holy days or feasts—or at all. In fact, He says, "In vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).

The Christmas holiday is spiritually misleading. The emphasis on the "mother and child" distracts from the Father-Son relationship that Elohim's Word focuses on (John 10:30). Yahshua is reduced to a helpless baby, while Mary is deified and revered. Even Joseph is given more attention than Yahshua's real Father, the great Elohim of heaven and earth!

Christmas keepers claim that they give gifts on that day because Yahshua received gifts. The truth is that the wise men brought gifts to the King of the Jews—not when he was born, or when He was an infant, but later when He was a young child (Matthew 2:1-2, 7-11). The gifts were not given to honor His birth, but to show esteem to a king as was the custom in the Middle East.

Further, the wise men did not exchange gifts with each other. So why do people today exchange gifts? Because the origins of these customs are based in paganism! It is interesting to note that offerings to churches decline at this time of year because people are spending their money on each other. How hypocritical!

The worst part of this holiday is that it turns people's hearts away from Elohim. By receiving gifts and by drunkenness and gluttony, individuals are self-gratified, which inevitably leads to sin and crime. Police forces work rigorously to cope with the increased murders, suicides, robberies and domestic disturbances.

The fruit of this revelry should of itself show us that this holiday is in no way related to the Father and Son of Righteousness. Their holy days lead to peace, joy, hope and spiritual growth. That is why Elohim instructed the Israelites not to follow pagan customs or worship Him as the heathen do. He says in Deuteronomy 12:31-32, " Thou shalt not do so unto the YAHWEH thy Elohim: for every abomination to the YAHWEH, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."

Elohim knows that wicked practices like these will not produce the purity of character He desires to see in each of us. James writes, expounding how something pure cannot originate from what is impure: "Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring can yield both salt water and fresh" (James 3:11-12).

Why meddle with the paganisms in Christmas when we can enjoy the purity of Elohim's real holy days revealed in His Word? In following Elohim's instruction, we will grow in developing the true and godly character that Elohim expects in us. http://bibletools.org//index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.show/CT/ARTB/k/500   

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CHAPTER 16

Greek title "Christ”

These are definitive examples revealing that the Savior's name Yahshua (later altered to Joshua) was changed wholesale to "Jesus" by corrupt translators! This was done to remove the JEWISH element from the Messiah, and to deliberately use the popularity of Messiah Yahshua to conceal and promote the false pagan religions of Rome. By changing Yahshua's name to Jesus (IHS) and the word Messiah to Christos (Christ), the pagan "Sun Worshipping" leaders of Rome and the Roman universal church simply took the Roman "Cult of Sol Invictus," (Invincible Sun) and other similar pagan religions (such as Mithraism), and gave them a new outward appearance (white washing) by proclaiming Jesus Christ to be the Messiah. It was from the Greek translation for Messiah (Christos) that this Sun worshipping, universal, pagan, Roman church stole the True Messiah's identity, and promoted their old white washed pagan religions as the new consolidated universal (catholic) religion of Christianity.

The average churchgoer has no idea what the word "Christ" means or where it came from. Bible dictionaries show that "Christ" is derived from the Greek christos (Strong's Concordance Greek Dictionary No. 5547, from "chrio" meaning to anoint or rub with oil). It means anointed, as does the Hebrew "Meshiach." Why would a Jewish Savior, speaking Hebrew, be given the Greek title "Christ?" ... I repeat, to remove the JEWISH element from the Messiah, and to steal his identity.

Yahshua Himself said our salvation is of the Jews (not Greeks or Romans) John 4:22; and Acts 1:6-7 indicates that the Kingdom will be restored to Israel. Yet English Bibles contain the Greek title "Christ." Why was it not properly translated as "Anointed?" One would be more correct to refer to the Jewish Savior by His Hebrew title "Messiah" rather than identifying Him by a title that is "Greek" to most people today.

It does seem rather strange that the Greek title "Christos" is transliterated (that is, brought over into English with the same sound), yet the Name of YAHWEH and His First Begotten Human Son, Yahshua, are both translated by the English as “Lord” in our New Testament. Too often in the King James Version Bible the word “Lord” leaves us in doubt as to whom is meant, YAHWEH the Father or Yahshua the Son (see Acts 2:34, Hebrew. 10:30 and many others). This was done to eliminate the fact that God (YAHWEH) and His first begotten human son (Yahshua) are indeed not one in the same. Please do not misunderstand, YAHWEH and Yahshua are of one in the Holy Righteous Spirit (mindset), but are not one and the same entity. They are two.

Jeremiah 44:26 “Therefore hear ye the word of the YAHWEH, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the YAHWEH, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Yahweh ELOHIM liveth.”  We wonder why we have called Them by the pagan names?  

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CHAPTER 17

Strange Practices and Customs

Presently there is a grass roots spiritual movement afoot around the world to free mankind from the shackles of pagan customs and beliefs. This is true not only in the United States, but also in Europe and the Middle East. This spiritual revival seeks the old paths of truth.

The problem with mankind is simply one of human nature and sin. YAHWEH clearly defines sin for us: "Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4) We cannot do things as we alone see fit, but are obligated to follow His instructions, living His way. He is the final Judge. When our lives are over and we are in the grave, Almighty YAHWEH will be the One who matters. So we must please Him now, while we can. Remember! "The Law" is instruction in how to Love!

As we near the end of the age it appears that YAHWEH is moving to clear from the minds of sincere truth seekers the accumulated rubbish of pagan influence that has overwhelmed and saturated the faith as once delivered. Error is evident everywhere, yet the majority attending weekly church services are ignorant of the subtle and pervasive influence of pagan customs. False Worship and Traditional Christianity perpetuates the errors instead of rejecting paganism, and teaching mankind to reject "Self-centeredness."

Profane Customs Hard to Shake

It is no secret that the first Israelite Bishops and overseers were politically replaced at death by converts from paganism. Brumback's History Of The Christian Church (false church) states on page 53, "The Roman emperor, by the office of Pontifex Maximus, directed all religious affairs. When Christianity or universal Catholicism became the state religion, Roman Emperor Constantine (ruling 306-337AD) assumed all of the authority in the church, which he had exercised as supreme director of paganism." As more pagans were supposedly converted to the newly devised universal religion of Christianity, the pagans found the conversion to be very smooth, requiring them only to exchange the names of their pagan gods for the name of Jesus, and the names of their goddesses for Mary. Even the December 25th birthday of the Sun gods was kept the same.

Note: In 46 BC, when the Roman "Julian Calendar" was adopted, December 24th was the shortest day of the year. Therefore, December 25th was the first annual day that daylight began to increase. Thus, the origin of the REBIRTH or Annual Birthday of the Invincible SUN.

In accordance with the Roman "Julian calendar," the "Saturnalia" festival appears to have taken place on or about December 17th; it was preceded by the "Consualia" near December 15th, and followed by the "Opalia" on December 19th. These pagan celebrations typically lasted for at least a week, ending just before the late Roman Imperial Festival for "Sol Invictus" (Invincible Sun) on December 25th.

In 1582 AD. Roman Catholic Pope Gregory the XIII caused the current "Gregorian Calendar" to be adopted, in order to eliminate the solar time shift error introduced by the inaccurate "Julian Calendar."

By December 1582 AD the shortest day of the year had shifted 12 days on the inaccurate Roman "Julian Calendar" to Wednesday, December 12, 1582.

However, the Original December 25th 'Birth Date' was retained for all pagan Sun gods by the Roman "Saturnalia" and "Sol Invictus" traditions; which were now called the "Twelve Days Christ Mass."

On the new and more accurate Roman Catholic Gregorian calendar the shortest annual day was numerically shifted back 10 days to the 22nd of December, where it remains to this day; while the original order of the days of the week remained unchanged.

Therefore, Wednesday, December 12th, 1582 AD, became Wednesday, December 22nd, 1582 AD, and the True Sabbath Day remained unchanged.

YAHWEH, the Only True Elohim, would never have allowed The True Messiah to be born on or near the December 25th birthday period of the pagan Sun gods; during the time in which virgins were sacrificed, murder was commonplace, and orgies the norm. This would be an entirely unacceptable association between Good and Evil.

Pope Gregory, also, changed the 1st day of the year from April 1st to January 1st., and in doing so caused those people who celebrated Spring as the beginning of months to be called "April Fools."

Roman Emperor Constantine was a devout "universal" follower of the "Cult of Sol Invictus", whose motto was (is) "Soli Invicto Comiti" which is translated as, "Committed to the Invincible Sun"; and the pagan sun god was Apollo. While Constantine did not personally make the Roman version of christianity the state religion, he favored Roman version christians in official appointments and positions. After his death, other Roman emperors favored the new Roman universal religion of Christianity above all else.

"Emperor Theodosius, 378-395 CE, made Roman Christianity or Catholicism the state religion of the Roman Empire, and made church membership Compulsory under the penalty of death to those who would not attend. This was the Worst Calamity that had ever befallen the Congregations of True Worshippers. This "Forced" conversion filled the Roman churches with unregenerate people, while it persecuted True Worshippers; and it was at this time that the Roman Church became known as the "Universal Church" of Rome. Now go find your English dictionary and look up the word 'catholic' and 'syncretism,' and then come back and continue to read.

But now the military spirit of Imperial Rome had entered the false church and was overcoming the True Congregations of Worshippers by force (as prophesied). YAHWEH's True Congregations of Worshippers appeared to have conquered the Roman empire, but in reality the Roman Empire had conquered the Congregations, by creating the false universal Christian church of Rome in the name of Jesus (Yahshua Messiah's stolen identity). The Roman Imperial Church of the 4th and 5th centuries had become an entirely different institution from the persecuted Sabbath Keeping Congregations of the first three centuries. In its ambition to rule, the Roman Catholic church ignored the spirit of the Messiah, and chose their own path of pagan tradition. Of course, remnants of YAHWEH's Sabbath Keeping Congregations still continued to exist, but they do so, as they have for thousands of years, in small discreet groups outside of the Roman Catholic church, her daughter Protestant churches, and outside of present day Roman influenced empires. Today the Congregations of True Worshippers still exist as small Sabbath Keeping Groups that adhere to YAHWEH's Torah and follow the example of YAHWEH's Champion and Ambassador (Proxy), Messiah Yahshua.

The worship of the god (Jesus-IHS) and goddess (Mary) of the Roman version of Christianity, which was at first very simple, developed into elaborate, stately, imposing ceremonies having all the outward splendor that had belonged to the pagan temples of Babylon, Assyria, Greece, and Egypt. While YAHWEH's Congregations of True Worshippers remained humble and humbled. I find it interesting to note that the True Worshippers were labeled by the Roman State church as "Barbarians." How "Just Like Satan" it is to refer to the oppressed, the poorly clothed, the poorly housed, and the underfed as "Barbarians." It is a historical fact that at least three tribes of "Barbarians," the Gothes, Vandals and Burgundians were indeed "True Worshippers."

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CHAPTER 18

Q: "Is the New Testament Christian or Jewish?"                   

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS

Answer:

There is a common misunderstanding amongst Christians in that they believe that the New Testament (NT) was written 'to Christians'. This misconception withholds a GREAT amount of Light from those who hold to this traditional view.  Christians grow up to believe that the NT was only for Christians, written by Christians and teaching about the Christian Faith.

History totally refutes this - and when one starts realizing this, then the doors of one's mind start opening for the sublime Truth of the Original True Faith, which Jude 3 commends Messianic believers to return to.  The Tanach ('Old' Testament) in its last paragraph in the Book of Malachi, also commends us:

Malachi 4:4-6  “Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the YAHWEH: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.."

The overwhelming majority of factual evidence though, proves, surprisingly, that the NT was a Jewish book, written almost exclusively by Jews, who were the spiritual leaders of the first Messianic congregations. These congregations, initially, were made up mostly of Jewish believers who came to accept the Jewish Messiah. At its inception, at the Jewish Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), 50 days after His crucifixion, 3 000 Jewish believers accepted Him.  This was the birth, not as Christian believers like to believe, of the 'Christian Church', but of the Jewish Orthodox Messianic Movement.  These original Messianics were in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem when they were "baptized in the Spirit".  They were all Jews - not Christians.

Setting the record straight then, firstly, Messiah Himself was a Jew, an Israelite, born to a Jewish mother.  He was circumcised at the age of 8 days (Luke 2:21) and was consecrated on the 42nd day according to Jewish Law (Luke 2:22).   He grew up in a Jewish Community and had a Bar’ Mitzvah in the Jewish Temple at the age (then) of 12, according to Jewish tradition.  He astounded the learned Jewish teachers even at that young age, with His Knowledge of the Scriptures (Luke 3:47).

As an adult, He was so conspicuously a Jew, that strangers addressed Him as Rabbi'  (John 1:38, 49; 3:2; 26; 6:25; 20:16).  He attended Synagogue Services on Sabbaths,  "as His custom was" (Luke 4:16).  He regularly taught in the Synagogues, "and everyone praised Him" (Luke 4:15).

He most certainly taught Judaism, as Matthew. 5 testifies.  He never claimed or foresaw a 'new' religion (Matt 5) and clearly claimed in Matt 5:20:  " For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

The Inscription on His Death Stake labeled Him "King of the Jews"!  Even at His Death,  He was buried according to Jewish custom in a Jewish Grave.  His opponents also, were Jews.

The Apostles, who took this Message into the world, were Jews, teaching Judaism, with now a Jewish Messiah included!  Thus, the first believers were not Christians, but Messianic Jews.  The non-Jews who accepted Him, had to be brought into the Jewish Faith.  The New Testament Scriptures speak of controversies, even amongst these Jewish Apostles and teachers, regarding the necessity of circumcision and the extent of the Jewish Laws which had to be kept by converts who accepted the Jewish Messiah.

This is where confusion started crawling into original Messianic Judaism.  As more and more Gentiles accepted the Faith, the Jewish Message became diluted.  Learned theologians became commentators on what they understood was the True Messianic Faith.  Non-Messianic Judaism which remained the mainstream of Judaism fiercely persecuted Jewish Messianism.  Gentile anti-Semitism further opposed the 'new' Jewish Sect and invaded the fast progressing Gentile Messianic faith - and thus, three centuries after Messiah, Christianity was officially born and constitutionalized in several Decrees and Councils, the most famous of which was the Council of Nicea, 325 AD. Where was its head Office?  Rome with its State Religion of Roman Catholicism.  Protestantism only came more than 1000 years later!

History as well as the New Testament confirm that all the first believers were Jews - either by birth or by conversion - who formed a Jewish Messianic Sect, known as Netzarim in Hebrew.

Acts 24:5  “For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:”

Paul admits in verse 14  “But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the Elohim of my fathers, (the Hebrew patriarchs) believing all things which are written in the law (Torah) and in the prophets Nevi’im (Prophets of the 'Old Testament').”

It is clear from this, that this first Messianic congregation was a 'sect' of Judaism, practicing Jewish Law and custom.  (Refer to the comprehensive academic study with multiple cross ref's to historians, clergy and academic treaties - "Nazarene Jewish Christianity" Ray A Pritz - Magnes Press, Hebrew University, Jerusalem).

Christians like to refer to the following text to prove that the early Messianic congregation of the Messiah was 'Christian'.
Acts 11:26  “And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Well after the establishment of the Jewish Messianic Congregation on Shavuot (Pentecost), the establishment of this sect at Antioch probably was the first split away from the original Jewish Messianism to 'Christianity'.  It signified the split between Jewish Messianism and non-Jewish adherents of Messianism.

Some 300 years later, Christianity would be officially instituted and recognized under the auspices of the Zeus worshipping Roman Emperor, Constantine.  He had purportedly been converted to Christianity, but the same year that he convened the Council of Nicea (which officially constituted the Trinity and Sunday-Sabbath), he gave private orders for the execution of Crispus, his eldest son and for the suffocation in a hot bath, of his wife of 20 years, Faista.

A literal translation of the Hebrew version of the above quoted text (Acts 11:26, according to a publication of the Trinitarian Bible Society), clearly contradicts their English rendering and confirms the Jewishness of what they promote as the "early church"

Acts 11:26 - literal translation ". and they settled there for a complete year closely with the Qahal..." (Not church or ekklesia) - refer "The True Congregation" (And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people: KJV translation)
http://www.revelations.org.za/Qahal.htm
"... and taught Torah to many..."  (English translation renders:  "and they taught many people")
"... It was at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians." (Hebrew literal '"Meshichi'im" from the root Meschiach = Messiah). (Sterns Complete Jewish Bible renders this verse  "...were called Messianic."

How many Protestants today erroneously believe that the original Messianic Faith was their own brand of Christianity which they follow today?   Few doubt it, especially amongst the average churchgoers.

Only someone who has been raised a Christian, can fail to recognize the Jewishness of this compilation of books known as the New Testament.  Prime example - How many Christians today realize that Messiah Himself was an exemplary Jew?  They simply assume and blindly accept that He was a Christian!   Jews again, puppet the Christian interpreters by accusing Messiah of "having done away with the Torah (Law)!"  Nothing can be further from the Truth than this!  Messiah is quoted in Matthew 5:17 as stating:  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”  It is only with this realization of the Jewishness of the NT, that one can truly understand the True Message thereof.

The astonishing and all over-riding fact is that Messiah was NOT a Christian! - and never ever instituted a new non-Jewish religion!

This does NOT mean that Christians are discriminated against, and left without hope of qualifying for entrance into His Kingdom.

Like any country has immigration requirements, Elohim's Kingdom is no different. It will require a 'Jewish passport' though, to enter this 'Jewish' Kingdom - to put it very bluntly.

In conclusion, back to our original question: The Book of Revelation, like the rest of Scripture, was to encourage human beings "of every nation, race, tribe and language" (Rev. 7:9), to qualify for citizenship of His Eternal 'Jewish' Kingdom.

The various studies on this Web Site has as its purpose to restore this Original True Hebraic Faith as instituted and mandated by the Creator Elohim of Israel and confirmed by Messiah, Who was Himself that Lawmaker and Creator!

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CHAPTER 19

IS ‘AMEN' THE NAME OF A PAGAN IDOL?

Questions & Answers

Q: "Is 'Amen' the name of a pagan idol?  Should we refrain from using this word in our prayers and in worship?"

Answer:

Let us consider this word on the following levels:
- Its pagan connotations
- Its use and meaning in Hebrew
- Its use in Christianity and Judaism
- Should we use it or not?

'Amen' was one of the main deities in Egyptian mythology, the worship of which spread to Greece, Syria and surroundings.

According to 'The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia', Columbia University Press.  Copyright © 1991 by Columbia University Press:

Amon (â´men, ä´-) or Ammon (à´men) or Amen (ä´mèn), ancient Egyptian deity. Originally the chief god of Thebes, Amon grew increasingly important in Egypt, and eventually, as Amon Ra, he was identified with RA as the supreme deity. He was also identified with the Greek ZEUS (the Roman JUPITER). (Ed.: Jupiter or 'Zues-Pater' - 'Zeus our father').

The Official Internet Site of The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism
has the following Web Pages with information about Amen, the primeval idol:
Amen (Amon) and Amen-Ra, King of the  Gods, and the Triad of Thebes
Amen worship
Amen of Thebes
Forms of Amen-Ra
Here are some excerpts from these informative pages.
"Amen was the personification of the hidden and unknown creative power which was associated with the primeval abyss, gods in the creation of the world, and all that is in it. The word or root amen, certainly means "what is hidden," "what is not seen," "what cannot be seen," and the like, and this fact is proved by scores of examples which may be collected from texts of all periods. In hymns to Amen we often read that he is  "hidden to his children, "and "hidden to gods and men" ... Now, not only is the god himself said to be "hidden," but his name also is "hidden," and his form, or similitude, is said to be  "unknown;" these statements show that "hidden," when applied to Amen, the great god, has reference to something more than the "sun which has disappeared below the horizon," and that it indicates the god who cannot be seen with the mortal eyes, and who is invisible, as well as inscrutable, to gods as well as men."

Amen, his wife, Mut, and their son, Khonsu, represented the Theban Triad, the sacred family of Thebes. Amen was the "King of the gods" during the period of the New Kingdom in Egypt 1550-1070 B.C.E. when Thebes was the capitol of Egypt.  (Refer http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/EGYPT/NEW.HTM
http://www.civilisations.ca/membrs/civiliz/egypt/egcrga2e.html

It is during this period that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, building the fortifications and lavish statues and temples of Egypt.  During their 400 years of slavery, they lost their patriarchal Yahwistic religion as they fell into Egyptian paganism.  Their epic exodus required a 40-year 'cleansing' period in the Wilderness, before they could enter the 'Promised Land of Israel'.

If during this exodus they could build a golden calf idol, would it be far-fetched to surmise that they also carried the blemishes of Amen-worship with them into the future - a seed which may not have been uprooted to this day?

Which brings us to our 2nd point of consideration:  The word 'amen' is popularly used in Hebrew liturgy and Jewish worship.

True, the root-letters a-m-n holds the following connotations in modern Hebrew: educate, train, true, trustworthy, confirm, confidence, faithfulness, treaty.

Thirdly, its use in modern day Judaism and Christianity:

The meaning for the word 'amen' is given as "so be it", "trustworthy"

Knowing the pagan idol worship connotations of this word, it does raise concern when one hears those phrases which are so popularly used in Christian prayer:
"We ask this in Thy Name, Amen".
"We praise Thy Name, Amen."
"We ask this in the Name which is above every Name, Amen".
"Praise the Lord" - with the communal response: "Amen".
These above applications surely can pass for directly addressing someone named  'Amen'!  It should surely be conspicuous to the alert worshipper of the One True Elohim of Israel!

Similar usage is also common in Jewish worship liturgy. Should we use it in prayer and worship? The position assumed in all the Restorative Truths proclaimed by BIBLE REVELATIONS, is to avoid extremism.  This position is also maintained in our study on the use of 'God or Elohim' and the use of the various forms of The Sacred Name.

Like with all other considerations in the process of the Restoration of the Original True Hebraic Faith though, the question remains:  "What does the Almighty expect from us?"  Our intentions may be pure, but why persist in clinging to habits and traditions which have spurious origins or connotations?  Do we really need this word to express our convictions and praises?

It also is curious, that this almost mystical word, anciently referred to the "hidden god" - and it would surely not be far-fetched to surmise that perhaps Satan has managed to hide himself as the object of worship, to unsuspecting believer to this day?

Could this realization and avoidance of such spurious terms lead us further from the Truth or closer to it?

Is this not after all the purpose of true and pure worship, that we become aware of the traits and methods of the Deceiver and refine and purify our worship as far as is humanly possible?  What are we defending by hedging against doubtful practices?  There are, after all,  'pure' words like "HalleluYAH", or where necessary, the Sacred Name itself, which can replace this questionable praise word 'Amen',

Ex. 23:13:"...and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth."

Hosea 2:17,19  "I (YHWH) will take the names of the Baals (lords) off her (His Bride's) lips".
 http://www.revelations.org.za/Q&A5.htm#Amen

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CHAPTER 20

WAS YAHSHUA HA MASHIYACH, THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD, CRUCIFIED ON A CROSS OR IMPALED ON A STAKE?
By Br. Samuel Daniels

Dearly beloved, the Star is the symbol for the Judaism, the Cross is the symbol for the "Christianity" and the Moon is the symbol for the Islam. Similarly all other Human Religions of the world have their own symbols. But the People of YAHWEH have no such symbols.

The Second Commandment of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS [The Law of YAHWEH or The Moral Law of YAHWEH reads as follows. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YAHWEH thy Elohim is a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments" [Exodus: 20:4 to 6]

The Author of the Scriptures and The Ten Commandments is YAHWEH. These 3 Human Religions claim that the Scriptures are their basis but reject YAHWEH, the Author. While the Judaism substituted the Name of the Author as "Adonai", the Christianity substituted the Name as "Lord" and the Islam substituted the Name as "Allah”. These 3 Religions not only rejected the Name of YAHWEH but also rejected HIS COMMANDMENT NO.2 [here] which prohibits making likeness of anything that is in heaven above [Star, Moon] or that is in earth beneath [Cross]

Hence these 3 Lawless Religions which are not founded on truth cannot preach the truth and love to the fellow humans like the all other Human Religions of the Globe.
The question here is whether YAHWEH who has prohibited the symbol of the Cross in His Commandment No.2 as we have studied, will allow the Saviour to die in such a prohibited Cross and permit the followers to make the Cross, exalt it and worship it as a holy symbol. Before going for the answer, let us study the origin of the Cross and its worship by the various pagan Human Religions of the World before our YAHSHUA HA MASHIYACH came in the human form in B..C 4.

THE ORIGIN OF THE CROSS AND ITS WORSHIP
 
 The ancient symbol of life to the Egyptians was the CRUX [CROSS] ANSATA or ANSATE CROSS. The Cross symbol [Trishul with minor modification] is being used by the Hindus right from B.C 2500,by the Egyptians and the Assyrians from B.C 2000,by the Aztecs and the Phoenicians from 1200 B.C, by the Etruscans from B.C.400, by the Thessalonians and the Celtic Druids from B.C 200, by the Romans from B.C 120 and by the Natives of Palenque from B.C 100.

    The 1965 World Book Encyclopedia Vol.VII states:  "Cross forms were used as symbols, religious or otherwise, long before the Christian Era in almost every part of the World. This symbol had a wide diffusion before the Christian era in Europe, Asia and America and is commonly thought to have been an emblem of the sun or fire and hence of life"

The 1945 Encyclopedia Americana states:  "The symbol of the cross was used throughout the world since the Later Stone age; Greek pre-Christian crosses were the TAU and Swastica; the cross first became a symbol of Christianity during the reign of Constantine"[A.D 312 to A.D 337]

The Swastica is four Greek gamma letters and it is seen prominently displayed on the entrances of the Hindu Buddhist temples as an emblem of the "wheel of samsara". The use of the halos, steeples, statues, candles, holy water, majic relics, spells, bells, amulets, necklaces, majic rings, scapulas, talismans, rosaries and crosses enabled the designers of Christianity to appeal to masses of Pagans. The MITRE is a pagan religious hat, originating in the worship of DAGON, the chief deity of the

Philistines, a sea people. Its name "Mitre" comes from the name "Mithras". Mithraism is about the worship of the sun, which was titled "Mithras Solis Invictus" [Mithras, the Unconquered Sun]. Mithraism is the primary religion of the Roman Empire from B.C 222 to 4th Century A.D. Sunday was held in honour of Mithras. December 25 was observed as the birthday of Mithras. During the 4th Century A.D the Mithraism and the Christianity merged. Jerome translated the Greek translation of The New Testament [A.D 391 to A.D 403] into Latin. The real name of Jerome was Eusibius Heirymonious Sophronious. He took out the Greek word "STAUROS" [beam, stake, pole] from the New Testament of the Bible and substituted the Latin word "CRUX"[Cross] in its place. This is one of the important distortions made by the Catholic Church. The Hebrew term for pole/stake/beam is "NAS". It was correctly translated in Greek as "STAUROS". To a Mythraist, the Crux [Cross] had a significant religious meaning as we studied earlier. It could be represented as an X or a vertical line crossed horizontally as +. The Popes, the Cardinals, the Bishops of the Catholic Church and also the Bishops of The Protestant Churches wear the hat of Mithras/Dagon and have the pagan symbol "Cross"[made of metals] hung on their Scarlet Coloured/White Coloured Robes. Constantine the Great, during the A.D 312 to A.D 337 set the pattern for Sun day and Easter [Ishtar, Ashtarte, Ashtoreth] and gave the labarum emblem, a circle with a crux [cross] beneath it. This symbol, complete with chi-rho letters in the circle, is on the coin that dates back to the 2nd Century B.C. This is the history of the Cross-, Mitre, Sunday Worship, Christmas [Birthday of Mithras], Easter Sunday, etc. Are these not of Pagan origins? Has the "Christianity" any connection to the Creator and the Saviour YAHWEH YAHSHUA HA MASHIYACH and THE SCRIPTURES? Are we not commanded by our Saviour to search the Scriptures to inherit the eternal life instead of having blind faith based on lies, myths and falsehood?

Our Saviour YAHSHUA HA MASHIYACH was impaled on a Stake ["NAS" in Hebrew and "STAUROS" in Greek]. But it was twisted as "Crux"[Cross] in Latin to appeal the masses of the Pagan religions of the Globe. Our Saviour was not crucified on a cross, a pagan symbol but was impaled on a vertical Stake or Pole as used by Moshe, the Prophet of YAHWEH to lift up the Bronze Serpent to the people of Yisrael in the wilderness.

Beloved, reject this pagan symbol "Cross" and the pagan Cross worship, the pagan Sunday worship [the Sabbath day is the 7th day of the week, that is Saturday, from Friday Sundown to Saturday Sundown], the pagan Christmas celebration [Our Saviour was born on the 15^th  day of the 7th Biblical month Ethanim on the feast day of the feast of Tabernacles, September 24 in B.C 4], the pagan Good Friday [Our Saviour was impaled on the Stake on Wednesday, Biblical first month Nisan or Abib 14,March 28,A.D 31] the pagan Lent days observation, the pagan Easter Sunday celebration[Our Saviour rose from the dead on the Sabbath day [7th day-Saturday]  evening, Biblical first month 17thday,March 31,A.D]after 3 days and 3 nights like the sign of Yonah the Prophet],the pagan relics, myths, rituals, traditions and lies  and come out of the MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT,THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH [The Catholic Church headed under the Popes of
Rome] and HER DAUGHTERS branched out from her [Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, Jehovah Witness, the 7th Day Adventists and the Pentecostals and the numerous other denominations of Chriatianity"],believe, observe and proclaim the TRUTH, save your precious souls and inherit the eternal life. This is the call of Yahweh to the people who want to inherit the everlasting life and the eternal paradise.

PP.758- 760.   “The different plagues destroyed the idols of the different things that were worshipped in Egypt.  The serpent, the Nile River, the fish in the water, the frogs, the lice- an insect to contaminate the altars, which could not be used if contaminated.  The priests wore only linen garments and shaved their heads and bodies everyday to avoid this contamination. While this plague lasted they could not perform any act of worship, and so keenly was this felt that the magicians exclaimed, “This is the finger of Yahweh.”  The next plague was the fly which represented Beelzebub, the Fly-god; the cattle were destroyed because of the system of brute worship; The ashes that Moses took a handful of and cast into the air represented the ashes of human sacrifice thought to prevent evil, it brought boils and blains on all the land of the Egyptians.  The next   plague represented worship of Serapis who was supposed to protect the country from locusts & insects. Locusts destroyed the fruits of the field and the verdure of the forest.  The eighth and tenth were directed against the worship of Isis and Osiris.  They represented the worship of the sun and moon and were believed to control the light and the elements.  The nation had worshipped Pharaoh as a representative of their god, but many were now convinced that he was opposing himself to One who made all the powers of nature.  The Egyptian people were afraid of the Israelite slaves.”

“Thick darkness settled like the pall of death over the land for three days and nights. Yahweh used Nature to proclaim him the true Elohim and his supremacy, and exert his power to degrade the idols, destroy idolatry, and liberate the descendants of Abraham out of bondage.  The Almighty revealed himself as the true Elohim by miraculous agency, and pursued those measures, in exercise of his power, which were directly adapted to destroy the various forms of idolatry which existed in Egypt. And finally, the last plague was the smiting of all the first born in the land.  This was to manifest to all minds that Yahweh was the Elohim who executes judgment in the earth.”

Everything destroyed by the plagues represented all the many forms of idolatry, which the Egyptians worshipped.  Most of the things were the work of the hands of the Israelites for the Egyptians.  By the total devastation of the whole land of Egypt, the children of the Israel were willing to leave this idolatrous place.  There was only one problem with the people, they were leaving idolatry, but they had not put the idolatry out of their heart. This they proved after their arrival in the land when the Moses went up on the mount, out of their sight.  In reality they had turned Moses into an idol – a god.  In their minds they thought they needed a visible idol to worship. They had been so long in Egypt and had been exposed so long to the idea of a visible god, a visible idol.  For the time arrived for the Yahweh to teach them to believe in Him as the unseen Guide and Protector. For the evidence of His presence in the cloud of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day. They had only to believe and be blessed – righteousness by the Faith.  It is only by the removal of the idolatry from the heart, which allows for the heart to serve Yahweh. 

PK.pg147:1- 3  “Facing King Ahab and the false prophets, and surrounded by the assembled hosts of Israel, Elijah stands, the only one who has appeared to vindicate the honor of Yahweh. He whom the whole kingdom has charged with its weight of woe is now before them, apparently defenseless in the presence of the monarch of Israel, the prophets of Baal, the men of war, and the surrounding thousands. But Elijah is not alone. Above and around him are the protecting hosts of heaven, angels that excel in strength.”

“Unashamed, un-terrified, the prophet stands before the multitude, fully aware of his commission to execute the divine command. His countenance is lighted with an awful solemnity. In anxious expectancy the people wait for him to speak. Looking first upon the broken-down altar of Yahweh, and then upon the multitude, Elijah cries out in clear, trumpet like tones, "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Yahweh be Elohim, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him."  The people answer him not a word. Not one in that vast assembly dare reveal loyalty to Yahweh. Like a dark cloud, deception and blindness had overspread Israel. Not all at once had this fatal apostasy closed about them, but gradually, as from time to time they had failed to heed the words of warning and reproof that the Yahweh sent them. Each departure from right doing, each refusal to repent, had deepened their guilt and driven them farther from Heaven. And now, in this crisis, they persisted in refusing to take their stand for Elohim.”

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CHAPTER 21

SURELY THERE’S NO HARM IN YOGA – OR IS THERE?

1. Surely there's no harm in doing Yoga just for exercise?

To understand Yoga, it is first necessary to understand its overall aim. The aim of Yoga is LIBERATION from the normal human condition. This is thought to be achieved by mutilating the normal human state of consciousness and by replacing it with an abnormal state of consciousness in which the yogin [the one practicing Yoga] sees himself as essentially "divine" or "god" [1].

2. But surely this is the aim only of certain kinds of Yoga. How can this apply to Yoga-exercises?

The physical type of Yoga most commonly taught in the West is known to yogins as Hatha Yoga. The aim of all types of Yoga, including Hathayoga, is the same. Indeed, the classical Hathayoga texts all describe Hathayoga as a "ladder" to Raja Yoga [2]. Rajayoga (Royal Yoga) involves the deliberate cultivation of advanced trance-states.

3. But Hathayoga is only a system of physical exercise. How can the aim of it be "liberation from the human condition"?

Your assumption that Hathayoga is no more than physical exercise is false. Each exercise in Hathayoga is designed with the aim of speeding up the yogin's progress to "liberation" or "enlightenment". This can be seen easily from the classical Hathayoga texts [3].

4. All right. This may apply to a yogin. He has been initiated and put himself under the spell of a GURU. But can't the exercise be beneficial in a purely physical way to outsiders?

No part of Yoga can be separated from the whole [4]. The practice Yoga-exercises without guidance can be dangerous both physically and psychologically, to say nothing of the spiritual hazards [5]. Yogic breathing can result in physical blindness [6]. And it has been known even for non-initiated persons to experience so called "astral travel" following the practice of certain Yoga-exercises [7].

5. What kind of guidance would I need in order to make Yoga safe?

To reduce the physical and psychological risks of Yoga you would need to put yourself under a Guru who really knows what he is doing. Then you would have a real problem to find such a Guru. But even this would not altogether eliminate the risks. Disciples have been known to be driven insane even under the guidance of competent gurus. However, although this may reduce certain physical risks, it will in any case drastically increase the spiritual risks involved.

6. What do you mean by" spiritual risks"?

The aim of Yoga is to let a supposed "latent element" within man shine out as "god" [8]. The yogin sees himself as "god". But what is there in himself which he can see as "god"? There is nothing. So what the yogin does is open himself up progressively to invasion by demonic beings. This is achieved through mental passivity, the use of the Mantra, the power which uses the guru as its medium, and so forth [9]. Many of the postures themselves are actually prayers in the sense of calling upon invisible powers or "deities". Once these demonic spirits are residing in the body of the yogin, he will view these as evidence that” god" is within him. These become what he thinks is his "true self". It is their powers which are the real source of the siddis or "miraculous powers", commonly associated with a Yoga-adept (siddha) [10].

7. But you are here speaking of demon-possession. Surely we can't believe in that today?

Some people find it hard to accept the fact of demon-possession. This is, however, usually because of the materialist or psychological indoctrination to which we are constantly subjected in present-day western culture. Most cultures in the world, other than western culture, accept the possibility of demon-possession. But more important than all this is the fact that Jesus Christ (Yahshua haMashiach) accepted the demonization of certain human beings as a reality and dealt with them accordingly [11]. He also distinguished between demonization and other causes of psychological problems and physical illness [12]. 8. What then do you think of the many Yoga courses, which are springing up all over the country?

The teachers in the U.K. institutes where Yoga is taught are usually the disciples of Indian gurus, although this is not at first made clear. The courses are generally advertised on the grounds that they help with physical fitness or relaxation. For instance, the courses at the Mary Ward Centre in London are run by followers of the Albion Yoga Movement, and the course at the Marylebone Institute is run by disciples of B.K.S.Iyengar, presently residing in Puna, India. Their ultimate object is to gain disciples for the guru, who incidentally is viewed as a manifestation of "god" [13].

9. What would you say then to the person who says that he or she feels tense and is thinking of taking up Yoga to help him relax?

I agree that many features of our Western lifestyle are stress-producing. But although Yoga may seem to aid relaxation, in the long term it merely substitutes one form of bondage for another much worse bondage.

10. What alternatives are there?

Looking at our way of life from a purely practical standpoint, I would suggest that with a little careful experimentation it is possible to build for ourselves a less stressful pattern of life. Perhaps a change of diet or taking a less ambitious job may be necessary. Perhaps taking up an extra activity as a challenge. However, it has been my experience that many problems arise not from accepting Yahweh-Elohim's will in our life. If we seek Elohim and submit to His will for our life, we will find that His yoke is easy and His burden light, even though we may be called to a task which is beyond normal endurance.

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CHAPTER 22

DID YAHSHUA SAY THE SACRED NAME?

There are some who believe that the Messiah only referred to Yahweh as "The Father" or believe that Yahshua also believed in the doctrine that states Yahweh's name is too holy to pronounce.

Let us first examine the meaning of the word "name" in scripture. It comes from the Hebrew word "Shem". Here is a definition of this word in the Strong's Lexicon:

Strong's # 8034 Shem; a primitive word [perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064]; an appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, and character: - + base, [in-] fame [-ous], name [-d], renown, report.

As we can see from the above definition, Yahweh's name is not only represents His "character" but the Name Yahweh is also "His mark". Therefore the word "Shem"/Name refers to His literal written or spoken name as well as His character. If it did not refer to His literal written and spoken name then one could say that Yahweh does not have a written name at all. But we know that is not true:

Isa. 42:8 “I am the YAHWEH: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

According to the above definition, His Name is also is His "memorial of individuality". This definition goes hand in hand with scripture:

Exodus 3:15 “And Elohim said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The YAHWEH Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”

Man has set up many memorials for himself such as "The Wall" in Washington DC. If one were to go and desecrate that memorial and replace it with a bunch of different names, this person could expect to receive a great punishment for his crime. Now if we wouldn't desecrate one of man's memorials, then why would anyone want to desecrate Yahweh's Memorial - His Name? Do we have the authority to change scripture and replace His name with a title of our own liking? Surely the Messiah would not do this, especially when reading the scriptures in the Synagogue:

Luke 4:17-21 “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Yahweh is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Yahweh. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

 Let's examine some of the things the Messiah said concerning His Father's name:”

John 5:43 “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

Again, we must recognize the dual meaning of the word "Name" here. Not only did He come by His Father's authority, but He also came in His Father's literal written and spoken name. This is proven when we understand the Messiah's name as "Yahshua" or "Yahweh (is) Salvation".

Peter (in Acts 3) confirmed that the following scripture was speaking of Yahshua:

Deut 18:18-19 “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”

This is a direct statement saying that Yahshua did 'speak' in His Father's name. Surely then He did not hide it, substitute it, or change it. He spoke in it. Also it was written of our Savior:

Psalm 118:26 “Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Yahweh.”

So here we have 3 witnesses that Yahshua did come in His Father's name and speak in His Father's name. Nevertheless, lets examine more evidence. In Yahshua's prayer in John 17 He says:

John 17:5-7 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. And again”

John 17:26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

This was a fulfillment of scripture in the great Psalm 22:

Psalm 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Psalm 29:2 “Give unto the YAHWEH the glory due unto his name; worship the YAHWEH in the beauty of holiness.

Psalm 33:21 “For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.”

Scripture does not lie. If it says that Yahshua declared His name, He had to have done so. He not only declared His Father's literal and spoken name, but also His true character to the people. However, it is evident that not all had "ears to hear" concerning His Father's true character. Not unlike today, they had much baggage (traditions) left over from their Fathers. Yahshua clearly condemned the traditions that were not in line with Yahweh's word. As He had said:

Mark 7: 7-9 “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

One of the traditions was that Yahweh's name was too holy to pronounce.

The fact that Yahshua often called Him Father doesn't mean that He never called Him by His name, Yahweh. And of course it is not a wrong thing to call Yahweh by a title that fitly describes Him. He is our Father, our Creator, our Master, and our King. The problem lies in replacing, changing and failing to praise, exalt, bless, love, teach, preach, anoint, assemble, believe, give thanks, honor and call on His name as scripture teaches us.

Now let's examine the trial in which Yahshua was sentenced to death.

Matt 26:64-66 “Yahshua saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.”

In light of these verses, it is fascinating to study the historical context of what was going on. Based on the above scripture, it is evident that the official charge against the Messiah was "blasphemy". The word "Power" in verse 64 was a popular 'euphenism' or substitution for the divine name Yahweh. Now according to the Mishna:

"He who blasphemes is liable only when he will have fully pronounced the Divine Name. Said R. Joshua ben Qorha, "on every day (of the trial) they examine the witnesses with a substituted name. When sentence was to be given they did not declare him guilty of death with the substituted name, but they put everyone out and ask the most important of the witnesses, saying to him, "Say, what exactly did you hear?" And he says what he heard. And the judges stand on their feet and tear their clothing, and they may not mend them again.(m.San. 7:5)"

Therefore, it is evident that historically no man could be sentenced for blasphemy unless he had actually spoken the Divine Name. This is further proven when we see that the High Priest "rent his clothes" upon hearing the name since Yahshua was his own witness (as he said "what further need have we of witnesses?").

Finally, there is strong evidence that Yahshua spoke the name aloud in Mt. 4:7; 4:10; 5:33; 21:42; 22:37 & 22:44. The Hebrew version DuTillet has 3 yods in the place of the name "Yahweh" and the Shem Tob has a "Heh" in those places. These all indicate He spoke the name since there is no Hebrew word with a single Heh or 3 consecutive Yod's. This is one of the multitude of attempts to falsify His name by those who believed in the ineffable name doctrine. The ineffable name doctrine states that Yahweh's name is too holy to pronounce. Clement of Alexandria did not hold to this doctrine, but others did like Jerome:

"For no one can utter the name of the ineffable deity; and if any one dare to say that there is a name, he raves with a hopeless madness. (I Apol.,61)"

"But to the father of all, who is unbegotten, there is no name given. For by whatever name he be called, he has as his elder the person who gives him the name. But these words, Father, and Deity, and Creator, and Sovereign, and Master, are not names but appellations derived from good deeds and functions. (II Apol., 6)"

With this in mind, it is no wonder that the manuscripts we have today do not contain the name. We know that the 'church fathers' quickly apostated from the true Sabbath. It shouldn't be difficult to believe that they also quickly dropped the use of the true name of our Creator. It is very evident that the "ineffable name" doctrine is totally unscriptural. It flies in the face of scriptures like:

Exod 9:16 “And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.”

Isa 52:6 " Therefore my people shall know my name."

Psalms 116:4- Then called I upon the name of the YAHWEH; O YAHWEH, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Psalms 116:13- I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the YAHWEH.

Psalms 116:17- I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Yahweh.

Isaiah 12:4- “And in that day shall ye say, Praise the YAHWEH, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.”

I think it is better to trust in what the scriptures say concerning His name rather than trusting in the reasoning that "since the Greek manuscripts which we have today (which are not original) do not contain the name, it must not be important." The truth is that Greek copies of the Old Testament prior to the mid 2nd century do contain the sacred name IN HEBREW within the text itself. Manuscripts found after that era replace the sacred name with "Kyrios". No New Testament manuscripts prior to the mid-2nd century have ever been found with the possible exception of some fragments out of the book of John. In those fragments, there are no instances where the Yahweh's name is replaced with "Kyrios". 

In the end, Yahweh's word will be the determining factor in what is right and what is wrong. Surely the scriptures declare the importance of His name. I will close with one final scripture:

Psalms 105:1,3 O give thanks unto the YAHWEH; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the YAHWEH.

This last scripture is one of many instances where we are told to call on His name. We can be assured that the Perfect One, Yahshua the Messiah did just that.

http://www.eliyah.com/saidname.html 

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CHAPTER 23

The Truth hidden behind “Makeup”

Encyclopedia Britannica defines “cosmetics” as “.... products nobody needs-but wanting them is human nature.  Today, the desire to look better, smell better, and thus feel better causes consumers worldwide - mostly women - to spend an estimated $65 billion annually on personal enhancement - cosmetics” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2001).

It is reported “An estimated 1,282 tubes of lipstick and 2,055 jars of skin care products are sold every minute” (“Beauty is in the Mind and wallet of the beholder,” Minnesota Daily Online, March 7, 2001).

Ancient Roots

           When considering the origin of makeup, we must ask where it first came into use. The ancient roots of makeup offer the first great insight into why it is used today. The following quotes demonstrate its early use. “The use of cosmetics is very ancient. Evidence of the use of eye makeup and aromatic ointments has been found in Egyptian tombs dating to 3500 BC.

 “By the 1st century ad the Egyptian, Roman, Greek and Middle Eastern cultures had developed cosmetics such as powders to whiten the skin; kohl to darken the eyelids, eyelashes, and eyebrows; rouge for the cheeks…” (Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol.5,p. 196).

Egyptian tombs represent the earliest recorded references to the use of makeup. But the Egyptians were by no means the only culture to use it. Many others followed suit. Here are some specifics:

 “During the Predynastic period [ending in 3200 B.C.], men as well as women applied a line of green paint around the eyes. In dynastic times the colour of paint used was a dark gray. Red ochre seems to have been used to colour the cheeks and henna the palms, nails, and, in the late period at least, the hair. “Assyrians resorted to black dye for eyebrows, hair, and beard, whereas the Persians used henna, which produced an orange-red colour, a style that existed from 1900 bc. Gold dust, gold thread, and scented yellow starch were sometimes used in the hair and beard for festive occasions.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 5,1979 Edit, pp.1017-1018).

Plainly, the use of makeup started nationally in Egypt. The Bible uses Egypt as a type of the sins of this world, which Christians are commanded to come out of.

Even before its use in Egypt, the original painted harlot was Semiramis, the mother-wife of Nimrod, and the founder of the Babylonian Mystery Religion. Semiramis is known as the mother of all harlots. She used makeup, as well as suggestive whorish clothing, for various religious and sexual rituals. The following quote describes the kind of seductive, sensual clothing that she — and later the Egyptians—wore: “Modern knowledge of ancient Egyptian dress derives for the most part from ancient paintings and sculpture, since very few garments have been preserved. The earliest representations of women show them either nude or clad in tightly fitting white linen skirts down to the ankles” (Ibid. pp. 1016-1017).

Along with various statues, paintings and busts still in existence from ancient times, descriptions show how Egyptians used cosmetics and revealing clothing to appeal to their sensuality. They adopted this dress into their culture from Semiramis, in an attempt to appear more like the many gods and goddesses they worshipped.

Since the artwork described here also employed the use of makeup, it is no wonder that 100 years ago it was generally understood and said “only bad women wear makeup.” It is the same attitude of alluring through suggestion and sensuality that links near nudity and use of makeup. Both demonstrate a departure from modesty and virtue.

We read that the use of cosmetics spread from culture to culture. The Columbia Encyclopedia adds more about how each civilization adopted its own methods of applying and producing cosmetics. The following shows how the Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian and Greek cultures all took their lead from Egypt: “preparations [were] externally applied to change or enhance the beauty of skin, hair, nails, lips, and eyes. The use of body paint for ornamental and religious purposes has been common…The Egyptians used kohl to darken their eyes; a crude paint was used on the face, and fingers were often dyed with henna…Beauty aides reached a peak in imperial Rome—especially chalk for the face and a rouge…” (Sixth Edit. 2001). The emphasis has always been on beauty—and desiring beauty has everything to do with pride and vanity.

Many women who used cosmetics in these cultures also took their lead from Semiramis and adopted the use of cosmetics for the purpose of harlotry. History shows how women applied makeup to change their appearance and seduce men. Harlots and “matrons” (the female leaders of prostitution rings) were specifically recognized by their silk, jewels and cosmetics.

Here is an example of how women who used cosmetics in ancient Sparta were specifically known for being prostitutes: “Women wore brightly colored dresses…they used a lot of cosmetics…which…a woman could do only if she earned her living through prostitution.” (Magna Grecia——An Overview, Prof. Gino Gullace). The first women to wear makeup were prostitutes! Changing one’s appearance by facial paint is a custom ancient prostitute have dictated to the modern age. Cosmetics were nothing more than a device used by harlots to teach mankind to break the Seventh Commandment. This is the message of history—yet the whole world lies in ignorance of these facts!

More recently, makeup first became common in the red-light districts of New York, Amsterdam, Paris and other large cities. Today it is found in nearly every supermarket and corner drugstore.

Jeremiah 4:30

Now that the history of cosmetics has been established, let’s look deeper into the subject. What does the Bible say about it? How does Yahweh feel about the use of makeup? Is facial paint mentioned in Yahweh’s Word?

Some people reason, “But I’ve never seen a reference to makeup in the Bible!”  Understand that the actual words makeup, cosmetics, lipstick, mascara, etc., are not found in the Bible, but direct references to makeup and eye paint are found in three places, possibly four. After reviewing them, you will not doubt what is directly revealed from Scripture.

But let’s not play games with, or try to reason around, what Yahweh DOES say. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thes. 5:21). Let’s prove what Yahweh says and be honest with what we learn. We will first examine four Old Testament scriptures. They establish the basic framework for understanding Yahweh’s view of facial cosmetics.

The book of Jeremiah depicts conditions at the end of the age among the nations that were Yahweh’s people, ancient Israel (the primarily English-speaking, democratic peoples of the Western World). We begin in chapter 4 and lead up to verse 30.

The setting is Yahweh inspiring Jeremiah with a vision of the destruction coming on these modern nations. National sins and  “abominations”—things despised by Yahweh —are soon to bring a terrible punishment. Yahweh is even now offering these people a final chance to repent and return to Him. Notice what Jeremiah writes: “If you will return, O Israel, says the Yahweh, return unto Me: and if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then shall you not remove [go into prophesied captivity]…O Jerusalem, wash your heart [mind] from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?” (vs. 1, 14). Elohim is pleading with His people to clean up their lives—to “wash” themselves.

Jeremiah continues, “Your way and your doings have procured these things unto you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reaches unto your heart [these are very serious matters to Yahweh]. For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are sottish [drunken, stupid] children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge, all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Yahweh, and by His fierce anger.” (vs. 18, 22, and 26).

 Yahweh’s indictment reaches a climax in Jeremiah’s vision. The modern nations of Israel (not Judah, which is just one nation) have, like a harlot, sought “lovers” (political allies) who turn on her: “And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you clothed yourself with crimson…” Most other translations translate the word  “crimson” as scarlet.

 This is important to understand. It is the Great Whore, called “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” and described in Revelation 17:5, who dresses in “purple and scarlet” (vs. 4) and rides a “scarlet-colored beast” (vs. 3). This “woman” is a picture of the great false, counterfeit religious system now masquerading as Christianity. She is a great church with many daughter churches that came out of her in protest. Recall the ancient Semiramis, who started the Babylonian Mystery Religion. She was the first harlot, and a type of the religion she founded——which has survived her for thousands of years.

 Jeremiah describes how modern Israel has fallen into the conduct of a whore among the nations. Now read verse 30: “…though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you rented your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair [beautiful]; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.” (Bold Emphasis mine)

 The peoples of the United States, Britain and her former Commonwealth countries have rebelled against Yahweh. As Yahweh reduces them in power and prestige, they have found themselves increasingly seeking “lovers” from among the nations on earth. All such “lovers” are prophesied to eventually turn on their courtiers. Israel has trusted in her outward appearance instead of Yahweh - and modern women unwittingly do the same.

Ancient Israel always sought to be like the nations around her. Instead of being an example to them, Israel wanted acceptance from them! Women today are no different. Not wearing makeup would make them stand out - and people want to fit in and be accepted. Please examine yourself and recognize this natural desire at work in your mind. Take verse 30 for exactly what it means. Do not add to or subtract from it. It is plain! The context is Yahweh condemning His people for abominations within their national conduct, their national behavior. One of the abominations that Yahweh hates is painting the face, thereby taking on the nature of a prostitute. I have seen some try to use this verse to justify wearing makeup as long as one is not a prostitute.

The whole point in verse 30 is that painting the eyes IS a common method of a prostitute, and any honest person, one truly seeking to please Yahweh and find His will, would admit as much! Like any prostitute dressed in red, modern Israel has painted her face with makeup. National captivity and a terrible time of punishment will be Yahweh’s remedy for His people and all who follow these practices——for those who will not wash and clean up their faces! Women of today may think they just want to “look nice” to the world, when they really look like prostitutes to Yahweh.

“In the exaltation of the human above the divine, in the praise of popular leaders, in the worship of mammon, and in the placing of the teachings of science above the truths of revelation, multitudes today are following after Baal. Doubt and unbelief are exercising their baleful influence over mind and heart, and many are substituting for the oracles of Elohim the theories of men. It is publicly taught that we have reached a time when human reason should be exalted above the teachings of the Word. The law of Elohim, the divine standard of righteousness, is declared to be of no effect. The enemy of all truth is working with deceptive power to cause men and women to place human institutions where Elohim should be, and to forget, that which was ordained for the happiness and salvation of mankind.

  Return to Table of Contents

CHAPTER 24

What is the origin of the Statue of Liberty?

Queen Semiramis of Babylon was the creator of False religions to control the people. She was symbolized as the Dove, and her name is associated with Columb, which in central Europe the word for Dove is still sounds very similar to Columba.

The word Columb has been used by the Illuminati for a long time. (note when i say Illuminati i mean the secret organization that has controlled the world for thousands of years, not the name that was put forward 200 or so years ago).

Columbus who discovered America was not called Columbus at all.. He was called Colon.

Columbia Studios / Tri-Star - Their symbol is Queen Semiramis holding the lighted torch, I’m sure you have seen this. Now it is called Tri-Star? Is this a co-incidence that Queen Semiramis invented The Holy Trinity religion, which religions have used and copied.. e.g. Christianity, Osiris/Hours/ISis. She created Sun worship. Have you noticed how the Statue of Liberty is Identical to the Columbia Studios emblem?

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CHAPTER 25

Statue of Liberty - Origin - Queen of Babylon

The first and most obvious clue as to the origin of the Statue of Liberty is an inscription on the monument titled "The New Colossus". The previous Colossus of renown was another giant statue, the 6th Wonder of the World known as the Colossus of Rhodes.

Dedicatory inscription of the Colossus
To you, O Sun, the people of Dorian Rhodes set up this bronze statue reaching to Olympus when they had pacified the waves of war and crowned their city with the spoils taken from the enemy. Not only over the seas but also on land did they kindle the lovely torch of freedom.

Dedicatory inscription on the Statue of Liberty
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" The New Colossus, a poem by Emma Lazarus (1849 - 1887).

http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/colossus.html

The Rhodians sold (military) equipment and used the money to erect an enormous statue to their sun god, Helios. When the Colossus was finished, it stood about 33 m (110 ft) high. Although it disappeared from existence, the ancient World Wonder inspired modern artists such as French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi best known by his famous work, The Statue of Liberty.

Perhaps the best starting-point for a journey through medieval Rhodes is the wall (14th century; 5 km long). As we cross one of the most famous gates, Pili Eleftherias (Freedom Gate) we encounter traces of the Temple of Venus (3rd century BC).

The two monuments were built in strikingly similar geographic locations. Both city/states share a common name in the "Freedom Gate" of Rhodes and the "Gateway to Freedom" of New York. Both sites are world renowned for their majestic monuments.

More clues can be found by looking to older civilizations which established some of the first massive temples dedicated to Goddesses of the Moon, Venus, and Liberty.

http://www.bibleplus.org/prophecy/rev/23_babylon.htm

In this Babylonian religion, the pagan Trinity consisted of Father, Mother and Son (Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz or by many other names). After Semiramis died, it was claimed that she flew to the moon or Venus, where she became known as the goddess of fertility. She was also worshipped above the sun, being considered the Queen of Heaven, since she had given birth to a reincarnation of the sun. Mother and child worship became popular. Naturally, this "highest god" was referred to as a "she." Even today, many religions worship a Madonna and child, with the most prevalent being the veneration or worship of "Mary" with infant.

http://www.agsconsulting.com/myth.htm
Ninus and Semiramis
In Gen. 10:11, ..., we read that Nimrod built the city of Nineveh. This little item of Bible history enables us to identify Nimrod with the king Ninus of classical writings. The name Nineveh literally means "The habitation of Ninus." The historian Apollodorus expressly states that "Ninus is Nimrod." (Apollodori, Fragm. 68 in Willer, Vol. i, p. 440) In the ancient records of Justin and Diodorus Siculus, Ninus is credited with similar kingly powers as are attributed to Nimrod by the Scriptures. (Justin, Hist. Rom. Script., Vol. ii, p. 615; Diodorus, Bibliotheca, lib. ii, p. 63) Ninus was the son, as well as the husband, of Semiramis. According to Eusebius these two reigned as king and queen in the time of Abraham; but the great chronologist Clinton, and the celebrated Excavator and Linguist Layard, both assign an earlier date to the reign of Ninus and Semiramis.

In one of the famous sculptures of ancient Babylon, Ninus and Semiramis are represented as actively engaged in the pursuits of the chase, the "quiver-bearing Semiramis" being a fit companion for the "mighty hunter before the Lord." Diodorus, lib. ii, p. 69

Semiramis was a beautiful but very depraved woman, and it is to her that much of the extravagant and licentious character of the heathen religions has been ascribed. In his work Inferno, in the 5th Canto, Dante pictures Semiramis as one of the damned in hell (not purgatory); and he also mentions Ninus in the same connection. Although Dante's "visions" were a figment of his imagination, yet his consigning Semiramis to eternal punishing shows the bad esteem in which she was held.

The worship of the stars by the idolatrous nations was as prevalent as the worship of the Sun and Moon. Mythology identifies Nimrod and Semiramis with certain constellations. From Persian records we are expressly assured that Nimrod, after his death, was "deified" by the name of Orion, the mighty hunter, and "Placed among the stars." (Paschal Chronicle, tom. i, p. 64) The constellation Virgo is admitted by the most learned astronomers to have been dedicated to Ceres, who as we have seen was identical with the Egyptian Isis, and was therefore the same as Semiramis the Babylonian goddess. (Dr. John Hill, in his Urania,--and Mr. A. Jamieson, in his Celestial Atlas. See Landseer's Sabean Researches, p. 201.) All the signs of the Zodiac, and the other constellations and stars were associated with various gods, and incidents in connection with them, by the Chaldean astrologers.

For more information on this subject see the following web site:

http://home.earthlink.net/~selk/mysteries/liberty.html 

Two depictions of the original Colossus, and one of the new:
 

The many symbolic connections between the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty appear to have been well known during the time of its construction.

The image below from the Library of Congress is titled "The Bartholdi Colossal Statue" and in smaller print, "Liberty Enlightening The World". Seals or crests of each state line the border of the image and the frame is draped with flags. Each of the flags are woven together at the top with a large seal in the middle. One might expect the large seal to be the Great Seal of the United States, but it is something else.

The Colossus of Rhodes was said to be 33 meters in height. The Statue of Liberty happens to also be 33 meters in height from heel to head.

Statue of Liberty Measurements - http://www.endex.com/gf/buildings/liberty/libertyfacts.htm

While many physical and artistic similarities exist between the two statues, there remains the fundamental gender difference between the old Colossus and the new. If the original Colossus was built to represent the Sun (Helios or Apollo), the newer female version would likely be symbolic of the Moon or Venus.

In the city of Rhodes many gods and goddesses were worshipped...

http://www.vacation.net.gr/p/cityrhod.html

Perhaps the best starting-point for a journey through medieval Rhodes is the wall (14th century; 5 km long). As we cross one of the most famous gates, Pili Eleftherias (Freedom Gate) we encounter traces of the Temple of Venus (3rd century BC).

And in closing:

Jeremiah 44: 2- 30 “Thus saith the YAHWEH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,
[3] Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.
[4] Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
[5] But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.
[6] Wherefore my fury and mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
[7] Therefore now this saith the YAHWEH, the Elohim of hosts, the Elohim of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
[8] In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other Elohims in the land of Egypt, whither ye be gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
[9] Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
[10] They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. Therefore thus saith the YAHWEH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
[12] And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
[13] For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
[14] So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape. Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other Elohims, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
[16] As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the YAHWEH, we will not hearken unto thee.
[17] But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
[18] But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
[19] And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men?
[20] Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying,
[21] The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the YAHWEH remember them, and came it not into his mind?
[22] So that the YAHWEH could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
[23] Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the YAHWEH, and have not obeyed the voice of the YAHWEH, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
[24] Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the YAHWEH, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
[25] Thus saith the YAHWEH of hosts, the Elohim of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
[26] Therefore hear ye the word of the YAHWEH, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the YAHWEH, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The YAHWEH ELOHIM liveth.
[27] Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
[28] Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
[29] And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the YAHWEH, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
[30] Thus saith the YAHWEH; Behold, I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.

Jeremiah 7: 18 “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.”

Jeremiah 19 : 13 “And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.”