2016.12.03 Christmas is a Pagan Feast and is an abomination in the sight of the Almighty Creator Created by James on 5/18/2018 1:39:29 PM Christmas is the Feast of Saturnalia and is entirely a Pagan, that is Satanic festival
2016.12.03
Christmas is a Pagan Feast and is an abomination in the sight of the Almighty Creator
By
Dr James A Robertson
In another compromise with the pagan world the early Roman church compromised with regard to the Feast of Saturnalia, which is also the Sun god's birthday
This page provides comprehensive discussion of why Christmas is an abomination in the Sight of the Almighty Creator, Yah the Eternally Self-Existing
To understand the Almighty's view on this, consider that when I first became aware of the error He said to me "James, how would you like it if your family observed your birthday on the birthday of your worst enemy and ignored your true birthday?"
The observance of Christmas is another of the perversions introduced by the Roman Church in trying to sell its product to Pagans
The Almighty extended grace with regard to Christmas up until 1 January 2001 and ALL grace was rescinded when Satan was cast into the Pit for a thousand years on 3 May 2003
IF you are truly seeking to please the Almighty and come into close relationship with Him I urge you to cease observing Christmas and rather fast instead
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2013.12.09 Christmas: Summing Up -- NO Further Excuse
In the lead up to Christmas 2013, THIS Christmas, we embarked on NINE three day fasts, nine being the number of finality and judgment
Several times Father Yah stressed to me that it was very important that we complete ALL nine fasts
This morning He said to me that I should look for three articles relating to the pagan meaning of Christmas and that the third article in particular should expose “the horror and evil of Christmas”, Yah’s words...
I selected 10 articles in total and with His guidance reduced the list to three and then added the links to the remaining seven at the end of the third article
These three articles were posted before this article
As I was completing the posting of the third article I understood that the nine fasts were in order to bring judgment on those who continue to observe Christmas
I had seen that there is plenty of well researched and well-reasoned material on the Internet and that the deep and ugly side of the occult meaning of Christmas is available to be found with a limited amount of effort
I have also seen “arrogant and stupid” (Yah’s words) rationalizations of why it is in order for Christians to observe Christmas
As I completed emailing the third article Father said to me “I want to talk to you”, I went to my usual place of meeting with Him and got on my knees
His message was quite simple “I want you to write a sober and severe article and proclaim my judgment on ALL who continue to observe Christmas. They are WITHOUT excuse, from this day on I will NEVER in any way associate myself with ANY Christmas celebration, be it a church meeting or gathering or a family alone at home! The Satanic realm will answer ALL prayers made in any shape or form in connection with Christmas, it is now ENOUGH!”
To assist readers to better understand WHY Father Yah has now proclaimed judgment on those who observe Christmas consider the following:
1. Christmas fundamentally claims to worship Jesus although some have mistakenly appropriated it to Yahooshua as well. The being who is referred to as “Jesus” was and is a “son of Adam” {son of man} and entirely man. Yah says there have been thousands of other mighty spokesmen and there is NO reason to single Yahooshua out for worship. All worship of Jesus AND Yahooshua is received by Satan and the Satanic realm
2. Jesus is a pagan blasphemous name and Yah NO LONGER recognizes it, all prayers in the name of Jesus are now answered by the Satanic realm. The correct name of this man is Yahooshua.
3. Use of a meaningless and blasphemous word – Christ – Christ is the Anglicization of the Greek word “christos” which relates to “anointing”, the smearing of the Spirit of the Almighty on a human being or anything else. Yahooshua was anointed by Yah, that is what Jesus Christ means – “Yahooshua the anointed of Yah”. It was the anointing of the Spirit of Yah ON the man that performed the miracles and provided the wisdom
4. Yahooshua was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles which is in September / October every year according to Yah’s calendar. The 25th of December has ALWAYS been a pagan feast day
5. Christmas is the “birthday” of any number of pagan deities including Horus (c. 3000 BCE), Osiris (c. 3000 BCE), Attis of Phrygia (c.1400 BCE), Krishna (c. 1400 BCE), Zoroaster/Zarathustra (c. 1000 BCE), Mithra of Persia (c. 600 BCE), Heracles (c. 800 BCE), Dionysus (c. 186 BCE), Tammuz (c. 400 BCE), Adonis (c. 200 BCE), Hermes, Bacchus, Prometheus and others. In particular it is the birthday of the Sun god, whatever name different groups use to describe the Satanic entity to which life is ascribed in terms of the “death and rebirth” of the Sun at the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere
6. Santa is an anagram of Satan – move the n – it is Satan who is the being that is TRULY worshiped at Christmas
7. Christmas is the renamed version of one of the most important Satanic dates on the planet and is associated with human sacrifice, child sacrifice and every sort of abhorrent practice
8. Yah says that “Christmas sums up the essence of the evils of Christianity” in ALL the above
Yah will NO LONGER extend grace to even those who have the closest relationship to Him and yet continue to have anything to do with Christmas, everything they do in the context of Christmas will be taken as being in the service of Satan from this day on and forever
The word of Yah for ALL BELIEVERS who STILL observe Christmas in even the most superficial form is “choose this day who you will serve!”
This picture, from the article 2011.05.06 Pictures from Hell Drawn by a young Korean artist and presented at http://www.end-time-issue-ministries.org/Hell.aspx was selected by Yah for inclusion here in order to assist BELIEVERS to understand what awaits them IF they FAIL to repent and turn away from observing Christmas before they die (read also the additional information on the Hell page):
May Yah the eternally self-existing, the Almighty Creator bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
2013.12.08 Christmas: Origin, History, & Traditions
http://www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/christmas-origin-history-and-traditions.html
This Christmas Father Yah asked me to look for three articles on the Internet that best summarized the issues with regard to Christmas.
This is the third article and it comes from http://www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/christmas-origin-history-and-traditions.html and goes into some more challenging information
Yah instructed me to search for “the horror and evil of Christmas” and this is the information I found in addition to a number of other articles for which links are provided at the end of this article
The truth about Christmas is MUCH worse than I have ever previously understood
As with all third party articles that I reproduce Father requires that I publish without censorship and without critique and leave readers to seek the truth for themselves.
Publication of this article does NOT constitute endorsement of the writer nor does it imply that the writer endorses this ministry.
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Christmas: Origin, History, & Traditions
From http://www.worldslastchance.com/yahuwahs-calendar/christmas-origin-history-and-traditions.html
"Holiday." For most people the word is applied to one celebration in particular . . . Christmas!
The definition of the word "holiday" reveals a religious element of which many people are unaware.S
Holiday: "a religious festival; [a] holy day." (Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary)
Christmas is a religious holiday. Despite all the commercial trappings of the modern celebration, Christmas remains, at heart, a religious festival. It is a time when a deity is remembered and honored.
Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas time. They exchange gifts in honor of the "greatest gift ever given." They say: "Jesus is the Reason for the Season!!" and speak of putting the Christ back into Christmas.
The problem is, Yahushua the Saviour was never "in" Christmas to begin with! While Scripture does not supply the Saviour's birth date, most scholars agree that He was born in the fall, not December 25!
To discover the god being honored at Christmas, it is necessary to trace its pagan origins. Celebrations on December 25 began shortly after the flood with the birth of Tammuz as the reincarnation of Nimrod. Today's Christmas traditions come directly from ancient Babylon and pagan Rome.
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Saturn, with child victim
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The pagan Romans honored the god, Saturn, with a week-long festival in December called Saturnalia. Saturn was the Roman god of time and of the harvest, so he was usually depicted holding a scythe. He was the cruelest, most evil of all the pagan gods. He demanded child sacrifice.
The Romans were not alone in worshipping this evil god. Worship of Saturn was prevalent in the ancient world. Even the Israelites worshipped Saturn when in rebellion against heaven. The god Israel most frequently worshipped when in apostasy, was the god Saturn, (referred to in the Bible as Chiun, Molech, or Remphan.) Even the Israelites offered their children in sacrifice to this vile, blood-thirsty god.
"Saturn had become the champion of African paganism [as well] . . . indeed as Baal-Hammon in Phoenician Carthage, he was the object of child sacrifice . . . . Although a fertility god, Saturn-Baal . . . was nonetheless ruthless in the sacrifices he exacted." (Quodvultdeus of Carthage, translation and commentaries, Thomas Macy Finn, pp. 14 & 115.)
Although the Romans quit offering human sacrifice early on, blood was still spilled by the gladiators during the Saturnalia celebrations in December. Saturnalia was a religious celebration and all understood that the blood shed by gladiators was a sacrificial offering to Saturn.
"The gladiatorial shows were sacred [to Saturn]." (Johann D. Fuss, Roman Antiquities, p. 359)
"The amphitheatre claims its gladiators for itself, when at the end of December they propitiate with their blood the sickle-bearing Son of Heaven [Saturn]." (Ausonius, Eclog, i. p. 156)
"The gladiators fought on the Saturnalia, and . . . they did so for the purpose of appeasing and propitiating Saturn." (Justus Lipsius, tom. ii. Saturnalia Sermonum Libri Duo, Qui De Gladiatoribus, lib. i. cap. 5)
"The principle on which these [gladiatorial] shows were conducted was . . . [that] they were celebrated as propitiatory sacrifices . . . when such multitudes of men were 'Butchered to make a Roman holiday.' When it is remembered that Saturn himself was cut in pieces, it is easy to see how the idea would arise of offering a welcome sacrifice to him by setting men to cut one another in pieces on his birthday, by way of propitiating his favor." (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, p. 153)
Despite the violence and bloodshed, Saturnalia was a time of feasting and merry making. The various ancient celebrations honoring this most blood-thirsty god have come down to today as the much-beloved Christmas traditions celebrated the world over.
These traditions include:
- the Twelve Days of Christmas
- treats left out in the evening
- Christmas trees decorated with lights (originally candles made from the fat of the burned bodies of child sacrifice victims)
- Christmas trees hung with balls (anciently decapitated heads of sacrificial victims)
- parties with noise-makers
- gift exchanges
- kissing under the mistletoe
- holly berries (the food of the gods)
- evergreen boughs
- caroling from house to house (originally done by naked singers engaging in licentious behavior)
- "Advent" candle
- Christmas cards
- . . . and many more.
Even the imagery of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, bears a striking resemblance to Saturn: an old man, with a long beard, surrounded by children.
Saturn, the evil, child-sacrifice demanding old man, appears in modern society in two more guises. Every December, Saturn, the god of time, reemerges as "Old Father Time." Baby New Year is a symbol of the child-victim.
A chilling representation of Father Time with Baby New Year can be found in this illustration from the 19th century (below). Father Time, (Saturn, as the god of time), is standing in front of a large clock, holding his scythe. The old years are passing away as full-grown bodies wrapped in burial shrouds. The New Year is coming in as a young child. While the picture is quite dark, light from the fire is lighting the little boy while on either side are swirls of smoke. The new years still to come are portrayed as children ready to be sacrificed. Victims of child sacrifice were always heavily veiled so that their parents would not recognize when their child was burned. All the grotesque elements of this hideous god are contained in this picture.
Saturn also emerges in modern society as the Grim Reaper, gathering in his bleak harvest of souls. Very few in modern society have recognized that Father Christmas, the Grim Reaper and Old Father Time are none other than this most loathsome of all the gods. However, an ancient would immediately recognize them all as being none other than Saturn. The emblems which identified Saturn are the same which identify Old Father Time and the Grim Reaper: scythes and something to mark the passage of time.
There are many excuses given by sincere people today for clinging to pagan holidays honoring Saturn:
- "Christmas is a wonderful time for spending with family. We are so busy throughout the year this is really our only chance to get together."
- "Christmas is a great time to witness! People are more open at this time of year so I use it as an opportunity to share."
- "Christmas is the only holiday that really focuses on Jesus!"
- "I know that Jesus was not really born then. I am not deceived. Besides, I am not worshipping any pagan gods, so it is alright for me!"
The pagans were ignorant of Yahuwah, the Creator. They worshipped demon gods because they did not know any better. The same cannot be said of Christians today.
Scripture teaches:
"The times of this ignorance . . . [Yahuwah] winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent." (Acts 17:30, KJV)
To know that Christmas is a pagan holiday, to know that the modern rituals are identicalto the ancient pagan rites that honored Saturn, and yet to claim exemption from sin because one knows, is extremely inconsistent.
Christmas is truly a holiday: a religious festival. By honoring the evil god, Saturn, DIShonor is given to Yahuwah, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
The Saviour Himself stated a divine principle when He said:
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve . . . [Yahuwah] and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)
Saturn, more than any other false god, had attributes most similar to Satan himself. Christmas is his religious festival. Participation in Christmas celebrations gives honor to this evil, satanic deity.
The words of a loving Father to backsliding Israel resound with force for Christians today:
"Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith . . . [Yahuwah.] . . . for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten . . . [Yahuwah their Covenant Keeper]. Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." (Jeremiah 3:20-22)
Participation in pagan traditions dishonors the Creator. Return to your loving Redeemer.
"For what accord has Christ with Belial [evil]? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of . . . [Yahuwah] with idols? . . . Come out from among them and be separate, says . . . [Yahuwah]. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." (2 Corinthians 6:15-17)
Come out from among them! Do not touch what is unclean!!
Will YOU come out?
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Other references:
The following additional articles were identified while searching for those who want to dig deeper.
Occult Holidays and Sabbats – see how much human sacrifice is STILL practiced:
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/cienciareal/cienciareal20.htm
The History of Christmas:
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm
The Occult in your Living Room! Christmas, Yule and the winter solstice:
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-occult-your-living-room-christmas-yule-and-the-winter-solstice-1
The Origin Of Christmas:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3680100/The-Origin-of-Christmas
The Top 10 Reasons Why I Don't Celebrate Christmas:
http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/top-10-reasons-why-i-dont-celebrate-christmas/
The True Origin of Christmas:
http://rcg.org/books/ttooc.html
What's Wrong With Christmas?:
http://www.atruechurch.info/wrongxmas.html
May Yah the eternally self-existing, the Almighty Creator bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
2013.12.07 The Origin of Christmas: The Occult Connection
http://adventofdeception.com/origin-christmas-connection-occult/
This Christmas Father Yah asked me to look for three articles on the Internet that best summarized the issues with regard to Christmas.
This is the second article and it comes from http://adventofdeception.com/origin-christmas-connection-occult/ and goes into some more challenging information
As with all third party articles that I reproduce Father requires that I publish without censorship and without critique and leave readers to seek the truth for themselves.
Publication of this article does NOT constitute endorsement of the writer nor does it imply that the writer endorses this ministry.
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The Origin of Christmas: The Occult Connection
From http://adventofdeception.com/origin-christmas-connection-occult/
The month of December pertains to capitalistic materialism relating to Christmas. Millions of people conjecture that Jesus was born on December 25th and that this date deserves a celebration by erecting a tree and giving gifts. As the Christmas season is bearing down on the capitalistic west — stress levels are increasing, including personal debt into new levels. The deluded ignorant majority accepts Christmas as a normal (Christian) holiday, however most people lack the comprehension concerning the historic deception and occult significance.
The Winter Solstice celebrations pertains to Sun Worshiping:
The Sun has been moving away from the Northern Hemisphere up until the Winter Solstice. The 3 day gap from the 21st and 25th of December no appended minutes to the Sunrise occur. On the 25th of December, the sunlight increases 14 seconds and the days start getting longer from 12/21 up until the Summer Solstice. Thus, the predominate Sun worshiping celebration for the Winter Solstice occurred on December 25 or 3 days after. The number 3 is the foundational number for the occult.
The occult calendar is comprised of four periods of 13 weeks relating to the sun solstices and Equinox:
Winter Solstice Period extends 13 weeks — Minor sabbath
- December 21 — Yule
- December 21-22 — Winter Solstice/Yule. One of the Illuminati’s Human Sacrifice Nights
- December 25th — Holy Roman Christmas
- February 1 and 2 — Candlemas and Imbolg, a.k.a. Groundhog’s Day. One of the Illuminati’s Human Sacrifice Nights
- February 14 — Valentine’s Day
Consider the pagan roots of our popular symbols of Christmas:
- Christmas Tree – The sacred tree of the winter-god; Druids believed the spirit of their gods resided in the tree. Most ancient pagans knew the tree represented Nimrod reincarnated into Tammuz! Pagans also looked upon the tree as a phallic symbol.
- Star – Pentalpha, the five-pointed star. The pentalpha is a powerful symbol of Satan, second only to the hexagram. The star is the sacred symbol of Nimrod, and has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity.
- Candles represent the sun-gods’ newly-born fire. Pagans the world over love and use candles in their rituals and ceremonies. Certain colors are also thought to represent specific powers. The extensive use of candles is usually a very good indication that the service is pagan, no matter what the outward trappings might be.
- Mistletoe is the sacred plant of the Druids, symbolizing pagan blessings of fertility; thus, kissing under the mistletoe is the first step in the reproductive cycle! Witches also use the white berries in potions.
- Wreaths are circular, and so they represent the female sexual organs. Wreaths are associated with fertility and the “circle of life”.
- Santa Claus – Former Satanists have told me that “Santa” is an anagram for “Satan”. In the New Age, the god, “Sanat Kamura”, is most definitely an anagram for “Satan”. The mythical attributes and powers ascribed to Santa are eerily close to those possessed by Jesus Christ.
- Reindeer are horned animals representing the “horned-god” or the “stag-god” of pagan religion! Santa’s traditional number of reindeer in his team is eight (8); in Satanic gematria, eight is the number of “new beginnings”, or the cycle of reincarnation. The Illuminati views the number “eight” as a symbol of their New World Order.
- Elves are imp-like creatures who are Santa’s (Satan’s) little helpers. They are also demons.
- Green and Red are the traditional colors of the season, as they are the traditional pagan colors of winter. Green is Satan’s favorite color, so it is appropriate it should be one of the traditional colors for Christmas; red is the color of human blood, Satan’s highest form of sacrifice – for this reason, Communism adopted red as it main color!
- December 25 is known as the “nativity” of the sun. This date is the birthday of Tammuz, the son, the reincarnation of the sun god. Traditionally, December 21 is known as Yule. The Roman Catholic Church moved the celebration of Yule to December 25.
- December 25 is also known to the Romans as “Saturnalia”, a time of deliberate debauchery. Drinking through repeated toasting – known as ‘wassail’ – was a key to the debauchery of this celebration. Fornication was symbolized by the mistletoe, and the entire event was finished with a Great Feast, the Christmas Dinner.
- Even the name, “Christmas” is pagan! “Christi” meant “Christ”, while “Mas” meant Mass. Since all pagan Masses are commemorating “death”, the name, “Christmas” literally means the “death of Christ”. A deeper meaning lies in the mention of “Christ” without specifying Jesus. Thus, Antichrist is in view here; the pagans celebrate “Christmas” as a celebration of their coming Antichrist, who will deal a death blow to the Jesus Christ of Christianity.
- Early American Christian Pilgrims refused to celebrate this day.
The next period begins with the Spring Equinox in March and extends to the most important 13 day stretch from April 19 through May 1.
Occult Holidays Relating to Christmas:
Roman Saturnalia: The Romans celebrated Saturnalia, a festival of general merrymaking and debauchery held around the time of the winter solstice. This week-long party was held in distinction of the god Saturn and involved sacrifices, gift-giving, special privileges for slaves, and much feasting. Although this holiday was partly about giving presents, more important, it was to honor an agricultural god. On the heels of the Saturnalia, the Romans marked December 25 with a celebration called the Brumalia. Bruma is thought to have been contracted from the Latin brevum or brevis, meaning brief or short, denoting the shortest day of the year.
The Romans Followed the Greeks: During the second century B.C., the Greeks practiced rites to honor their god Dionysus (also called Bacchus). The Latin name for this celebration was Bacchanalia. It spread from the Greeks to Rome, center of the Roman Empire.
“It was on or about December 21st that the ancient Greeks celebrated what are known to us as the Bacchanalia or festivities in honor of Bacchus, the god of wine. In these festivities the people gave themselves up to songs, dances and other revels which frequently passed the limits of decency and order”.
Because of the nocturnal orgies associated with this festival, the Roman Senate suppressed its observance in 186 B.C. It took the senators several years to completely accomplish this goal because of the holiday’s popularity. Suppressing a holiday was unusual for the Romans since they later became a melting pot of many types of gods and worship. Just as the Romans assimilated culture, art and customs from the peoples absorbed into their empire, they likewise adopted those peoples’ religious practices.
Blending in Christianity:
The followers of Jesus, the Anointed Master over the Children of the Light, continued to grow in mass numbers – the powers of the darkness took the opportunity to use the Roman Empire through Constantine the Great to Christianize the Empire that formed the Holy Roman Empire. Henceforth, Christmas was created through the powers of the deceiving darkness that replaced Saturnalia. The Christmas tree symbolizes the pyramid the main Illuminati object.
Also, celebrations that are connected to “light” or The Sun are Judaism celebrates Hanukkah with its brightly lit menorahs Kwanzaa candles.
Origins of Yule:
Pagan holiday called Yule takes place on the day of the winter solstice, around December 21. On that day (or close to it), the earth’s axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sun reaches at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. As a festival of the Sun, the most important part of any Yule celebration is light — candles, bonfires, and more.
The winter solstice has been celebrated for millennia in the Northern Hemisphere. The Norse peoples viewed it as a time for much feasting, merrymaking, and, if the Icelandic sagas are to be believed, a time of sacrifice as well. Traditional customs such as the Yule log, the decorated tree, and wassailing can all be traced back to Norse origins.
Read more: http://adventofdeception.com/origin-christmas-connection-occult/#ixzz2oOyTr9Z7
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May Yah the eternally self-existing, the Almighty Creator bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
2013.12.06 Should we Celebrate Christmas?
From http://www.eliyah.com/paganexp.html
This Christmas Father Yah asked me to look for three articles on the Internet that best summarized the issues with regard to Christmas.
This is the first article and it comes from http://www.eliyah.com/paganexp.html
As with all third party articles that I reproduce Father requires that I publish without censorship and without critique and leave readers to seek the truth for themselves.
Publication of this article does NOT constitute endorsement of the writer nor does it imply that the writer endorses this ministry.
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Should we Celebrate Christmas?
from http://www.eliyah.com/paganexp.html
Tradition
Sometimes tradition is acceptable and perhaps even pleasing in the sight of Yahweh. But other times it is not acceptable and can even be hated by Him.
The issue of traditions transgressing the commandment of Yahweh was a key teaching of Yahushua the Messiah:
(NKJV) Matthew 15:1- Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Yahushua, saying,
2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
I hear people ask me this, "Why do you not celebrate Christmas (transgress the traditions of our elders)?"
First of all, nowhere in the pages of scripture do we find a command to keep the celebration of Christmas. Nowhere in the pages of scripture do we find an example of any disciple keeping Christmas. It was never celebrated by believers in Messiah until sometime after 300AD. The reality is, the only time Christmas is even mentioned in the pages of scripture is to declare how wrong it is to practice something like this.
So likewise, my answer to this kind of question would be:
Matt 15:3 - He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of Elohim because of your tradition?
Messiah didn't like the traditions of the Scribes and Pharisees because they transgressed Yahweh's clear commandments. As I will share, Christmas is also transgressing the commandment of Yahweh in favor of tradition. But first, notice that He goes on to say:
Matthew 15:7 - "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 `These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with [their] lips, But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "
So a tradition can honor him with the lips, but actually be a vain thing that displeases Him. I have found that Christmas is honoring with the lips but it is actually a vain traditionthat has essentially become a doctrine and commandment of men.
It is a tradition and commandment of men because there is no verse in the bible that tells us that we are to celebrate the birth nor the resurrection of Yahushua the Messiah---let alone in a way that imitates paganism and idolatry!
So yes, I do believe we must question these traditions that have been handed down to this generation even though few dare to. Many Christians speak against the Catholic traditions of Lent, Ash Wednesday, etc. but fail to recognize that the same types of pagan elements exist in the celebration of Christmas and Easter. So how did the Christmas observance get its start?
Origin of Christmas
The following is a quote from the 2000 Encyclopædia Britannica, Volume 11 ; page 390.
"During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a 'solar monotheism.' Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of Solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol and Victus (open unconquered Sun) on December 25th was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ."
Notice how it says "both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities?" Pardon me, but do any alarm bells go off here?
The Christians were apparently trying to get more converts so they tried to make the Messiah more like the idols found in sun worship---all under the guise of making Him more attractive to pagans.
They even brought various elements of the December 25th "feast of the unconquered sun" into their worship by saying that December 25th was actually the Messiah's birthday, which was simply not true. This is the origin of Christmas and this is why we have various pagan-rooted traditions accompanying this holiday.
When it comes to things like this, the real question for me is "who converted who?" Do we imitate the world to bring the world to the Messiah? Absolutely not. You don't win the world by imitating the world; you win the world by imitating Yahushua the Messiah!
It seems to me that true believers should be teaching the unbelievers the true way of Yahweh rather than the unbelievers teaching believers these pagan customs and practices. But Christians of former times not only learned these heathen ways, they also incorporated them into their worship.
When Paul was writing to the Ephesians, a group of believers who were surrounded by idol worship, he said:
Ephesians 5:11 - And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
So we shouldn't be trying to copy idolatrous feasts. Rather, we should be exposing them for the fraud and lie that they are. Creating a new lie by saying the Messiah was born on Dec. 25th, the birthday of various sun gods, is preposterous. One of the last things our Savior would ever want is to "acquire the traits of solar deities."
So when was His birthday? We can learn by studying the timing of the priestly course of Zacharias (Luke 1:5), John the Baptist's father, and adding six months to that time period (Luke 1:24-26). This would place Yahushua the Messiah's birth in either the spring or fall. The scriptures do not supply us with an exact date of birth, but it certainly was not in the winter.
We know the date of His death is on Passover. Scripture does tell us the time of many other important events in biblical history such as the founding of the temple (first day of the biblical year), the timing of the Exodus from Egypt, the date that the flood began and many other events. But the date of the Messiah's birth? Scripture is silent.
To me this speaks volumes. Even though Yahushua could look into the future and know that there would be billions of people who wanted to celebrate His birthday, He never told us when it was. If He wanted us to celebrate His birthday, He surely would have told us when it was.
I realize that today, Christmas is a very popular holiday. However, as is often the case, what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. We can't follow the masses if the masses are wrong. We should have no fellowship with those things, rather we should reprove them.
Christmas means 'mass for Christ,' but the name of the holiday is much newer than the holiday itself. The customs associated with Christmas, in one form or another, have been celebrated for literally thousands of years. 'Christmas' is just a new name for an old holiday.
So there is no doubt that the customs that are associated with Christmas, as well as the idea of a deity being born on December 25th are of pagan origin. One need only look to an encyclopedia or even many local newspapers in the 12th month of the year to find this "truth so I don't need to spend much time establishing that. The real issue is whether or not we should walk in these customs.
You may wonder what is so bad about it. You may say, "Oh but what about the children? They would feel left out if I didn't celebrate Christmas." But what should we be teaching our children? Truth or lies? Conformity to the world when the world is wrong or a rejection of worldly things that are rooted in idolatry?
The "truth is that the Messiah was not born on December 25th. December 25th is the birthday of numerous pagan idols. Why would we want to put the holy Son of Yahweh in with them? He is holy, which means "set apart." He is not like them at all! And He doesn't want to be associated with them or the customs of those who worship them.
In fact, the pagan customs associated with Christmas are clearly condemned in the scriptures. Here is one of them:
Jeremiah 10:1-4 - Hear the word which Yahweh speaks to you, O house of Israel.
2 Thus says Yahweh: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
4 They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers so that it will not topple.
First of all, Yahweh is telling us in this verse "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles" Don't even learn it, let alone practice it and incorporate it into the worship of Yahweh! After all, shouldn't the roots of our worship be in the scriptures, rather than paganism?
Secondly, it says that the Gentiles were dismayed at the signs of heaven. History tells us that when the sun began to go further away from the earth and the days grew shorter in the winter, the sun worshiping Gentiles were "dismayed", and feared that the sun would not return. So they held certain festivals just after the time of the Winter Solstice when it did begin to return. This return of the sun is why December 25th is the birthday of so many solar deities/gods.
One of the customs the pagans had was to decorate a tree that they had cut down and fasten it so that would not topple. The evergreen tree seemed to not be bothered by the winter so it would have been a logical choice. We see this same copycat custom existing even today--called the Christmas tree.
Yahweh tells us not to learn the way of the heathen. And here He even goes so far as describe a custom that is a way of the heathen. Since He tells us that this is a heathen custom and He clearly condemned the practice of it, shouldn't we avoid it? How can we delight in something that He despises? The placing of gifts under the tree is much like the heathen who offered various gifts to their idols, and then kneeling before the tree to receive them back again.
Think about it though---if this had never been done before, have you ever wondered why in the world someone would do something as strange as cut down a tree and put it in their house and then decorate it with all different types of ornaments? Not only is it odd, it is a custom that is clearly condemned in the scriptures. We don't need a prophet to come and tell us today that this custom is wrong. Jeremiah said so a long time ago!
This is one of many other such customs, including the gift giving. Why on earth would we give each other gifts when it's supposed to be the Messiah's birthday? It isn't our birthday, is it?
All of this has led to ridiculous commercialism, with various "Black Friday" sales in corporate America. But "Black Friday" sales are only a smokescreen. It may be the day when corporate America goes in the black, but most other Americans end up going in the red.
Because of this, credit card companies will get even richer and the poor man even poorer. All to buy gifts for people on a birthday that is neither theirs or the Messiah's.
Santa Claus
All over the world, Santa Claus is God to the children of the world (move the n to the end of Santa). Others say 'Father Christmas'.
Parents purposely and deliberately lie to their children and tell them that they should fear Santa Claus because "he knows if you've been bad or good". These same parents also lie to their children about the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. Then they wonder why their children become liars and don't believe the Messiah is real later on in life.
This is clearly a total abomination to Yahweh. You don't have to look very far in the word of Yahweh to find out how much he loathes idolatry and lies. Yahweh is the only true Mighty One!
Our children look to us and believe every word we say. Don't they deserve the "truth? How abominable it is for a believer to teach their children to fear Santa Claus, and in so doing, creep an idol into the conscience of a child!
Lies, lies everything is lies
The very foundation of the Christmas holiday is a lie. The Messiah was not born December 25th. He did not ask us to celebrate his birthday. He did not say to set up a tree in our house and decorate it and our houses with anything. Santa Claus does not exist. He doesn't have reindeer that fly and he isn't going to come down anyone's chimney on December 25th and leave any gifts. Everything is a lie. Is Yahweh the originator of this holiday? Or is it the father of lies? Yahushua condemned the leaders of that generation for teaching lies:
John 8:44 - "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the "truth, because there is no "truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
If satan is the father of lies, and this observance of Christmas is marked with all kinds of lies, who is the author of this 'holiday?' It seems to me that with all the lies and the pagan roots, satan's fingerprints are all over this observance.
It's high time that we forsake these lies and abide in the "truth! Let's forsake this foolish practice of yoking the Messiah (who said "I am the TRUTH") together with lies, for He has nothing to do with lies.
Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
5 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
If we want to practice a lie, we need only celebrate Christmas and we will be doing just that. But if we want to abide in the "truth, we will avoid all lies.
The book of Revelation also predicts a future time when those who hate Yahweh rejoice at the death of His two witnesses, for they will make merry and have a gift exchange:
Revelation 11:9 - And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
Sound familiar? I don't know for sure, but it sounds a lot like one day the two witnesses will die and the whole world will rejoice that they can keep Christmas again. I think it's time we make sure we are on the side of "truth and righteousness.
Mixed worship forbidden in scripture
Not only is it wrong to practice these lying traditions, it is also a sin to take these traditions of pagans and try apply them to the worship of Yahweh. Proof of this is in how Yahweh dealt with the children of Israel when they were about to enter into the promised land:
Deut 12:29 - "When Yahweh your Elohim cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
30 "take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, `How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.'
Notice that it doesn't say, "Let us serve their elohim (gods)" but "HOW did these nations serve their elohim/gods"
31 "You shall not worship Yahweh your Elohim in that way; for every abomination to Yahweh which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
"You shall not worship Yahweh your Elohim in that way." Do not worship Yahweh in that way, the way of the heathen! Don't take heathen customs and try to honor Him with it. He is not honored by them. Do not add to His commandments and do not take away from His commandments.
Both Christmas and Easter take pagan festivals and traditions and apply them to the worship of Yahweh. This practice is clearly condemned here.
Think about it though: Would it be right to take a Satanic holiday that Satanists have invented and then incorporate that holiday along with its customs into the worship of Yahweh? Surely not. We need to realize that all paganism is Satanism. Satan is the one behind all pagan worship. And whatever god the idolaters worship, they are actually worshipping Satan.
1 Corinthians 10:20 - Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to Elohim, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
Now consider this next verse:
1Corinthians 10:21 - You cannot drink the cup of Yahweh and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of Yahweh's table and of the table of demons.
We cannot mix the profane with the holy, and we cannot mix lies with "truth, and we cannot mix the table of Yahweh with the table of demons. We must choose one, or the other.
Which table will you choose?
(Also see related study, "Should There Be Idolatry in Our Worship?")
>>> ARTICLE ENDS <<<
May Yah the eternally self-existing, the Almighty Creator bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.
2012.12.02 Reminder -- Christmas is a Pagan Feast -- it is time to fast
A quick update
I was married last Saturday to Erba (nee Barnard) in Bloemfontein, thank you all who have joined in praying for Yah to find a woman to partner with me in my calling
We are away on holiday in the Natal Midlands, hence my lack of communication :)
For those of you who have been on this list for a few years I would like to remind you that Christmas is the sun god's birthday, Yahooshua was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles in September / October
For those who have joined this list more recently, this may well be new information, for this reason attached please find a few articles written two years ago
In both cases, IF you are serious about serving the Almighty the most appropriate action in this season, which He hates, is to fast
I plan on going on a three day fast, water only, from sunset on the 23rd to sunset on the 26th
Please consider doing the same
If you do NOT feel up to a total fast perhaps limit yourself to fruit and vegetables or similar and avoid revelry and feasting
May Yah bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you.
2011.12.05 Worship Yah on the sun god's birthday
Download pdf version
Next Sunday is christmas, the birthday of the sun god -- refer articles last year or email me for more information
Christmas has nothing to do with Yah or with Yahooshua
It is about God, the LORD, Jesus, Sunday, the cross, the bible, all the Christian abominations that Yah and Yahooshua hate but have to operate within in order to reach us
IF you TRULY love Yah and Yahooshua you will:
1. Abhor christmas -- keep totally away from it and do your best to ignore it and not participate in it in any way
2. Fast over christmas eve, christmas day and the day after -- total three day fast, small amounts of bread and wine twice a day if you want to or have to take medication
3. Actively worship and serve Yah in whatever way you can over those days
4. Alternatively engage in commercial activity over those days
5. Remember that new year is ALSO a pagan feast, Yah's new year is two weeks before Passover
Anything that keeps you from resting or in any way doing obeisance to Satan or participating in his festivities on his highest of highest days
May Yah bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you and grant you His peace
Download pdf version
2010.12.07 Will you fast with me on the sun gods birthday?
"How would YOU like it if your family ignored your birthday and celebrated your birthday on the birthday of your worst enemy?"
A while ago I posted an article on the true birthday of Yahooshua and the fact that Christmas is a pagan feast that honours the Sun god and mentioned the quote above of what Father Yah said to me on Christmas day ten years ago when I was disobedient and observed Christmas after I knew what I shared with you.
I also mentioned that Daddy Yah (Abba Yah) had prompted me to go on a series of seven three day fasts at weekly intervals culimating with Christmas 2010 -- at the time He told me to start i did not realize the seven weeks would exactly cover the Christmas weekend.
I now feel impressed to ask you to join me in showing your allegiance to the Almighty Creator and to Yahooshua by refusing to participate in any form of merrymaking over Christmas.
Please will you consider:
1. Not wishing anyone Merry Christmas or similar -- you do NOT have to be glum, just acknowledge that they have greeted you, smile back, say "be blessed" or similar.
2. Refrain from any gift giving -- if you must give gifts rather do so a few days before and wrap them in plain paper -- might be a challenge to explain this but i believe we need to bite this bullet -- i have to warn you that most people do NOT understand and are NOT interested in the explanation.
3. NO tree (Asherah) and no decorations -- all pagan and therefore demonic -- also not well received.
4. Treat Christmas day as a working day.
5. Fast from about 18h00 on the 24th of December to 18h00 on the 25th of December -- total fast, no food or liquid, humble yourself and pray or work -- dedicate the fast to serving Yah and to opposing the pagan rites that are being practiced all around you -- pray for the truth to be known.
6. Fast from about 18h00 on the 23rd of December (Thursday) to 18h00 on the 26th of December -- total (Esther) fast, no food or liquid -- this is a powerful fast which is reputed to break witchcraft in your life or the life of anyone who you focus on in prayer during the fast -- if you are unable to fast liquids, for example if you are on medication, then take the covenant meal (bread and grape juice) in moderation two or three times a day as your conscience leads you.
Pray for the truth to be made known, for the courage to stand by what you believe, to draw closer to Yah, etc -- as He leads you.
Please will you forward this to as many people as possible as an act of love towards our loving heavenly Father.
On What Day Was Yahooshua {Jesus} Born?
While much of the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th of December, can the actual day of Jesus' birth be determined from scripture? This question will be explored in some detail, and will yield a result that is quite intriguing. The first passage we will consider begins with the father of John the Baptist, Zacharias:
Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Luke 1:8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, ...
Luke 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Luke 1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, ...
The clue given to us here is that Zacharias was of the "course" of Abia.
The 24 Courses of the Temple Priesthood.
7. But David, being desirous of ordaining his son king of all the people, called together their rulers to Jerusalem, with the priests and the Levites; and having first numbered the Levites, he found them to be thirty-eight thousand, from thirty years old to fifty; out of which he appointed twenty-three thousand to take care of the building of the temple, and out of the same, six thousand to be judges of the people and scribes, four thousand for porters to the house of God, and as many for singers, to sing to the instruments which David had prepared, as we have said already. He divided them also into courses: and when he had separated the priests from them, he found of these priests twenty-four courses, sixteen of the house of Eleazar, and eight of that of Ithamar; and he ordained that one course should minister to God eight days, from sabbath to sabbath. And thus were the courses distributed by lot, in the presence of David, and Zadok and Abiathar the high priests, and of all the rulers; and that course which came up first was written down as the first, and accordingly the second, and so on to the twenty-fourth; and this partition hath remained to this day. — Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 7, Chapter 14, Paragraph 7.
King David on God's instructions (1 Chr 28:11-13) had divided the sons of Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron, into 24 groups (1 Chr 24:1-4), to setup a schedule by which the Temple of the Lord could be staffed with priests (Kohanim) all year round in an orderly manner. After the 24 groups of priests were established, lots were drawn to determine the sequence in which each group would serve in the Temple. (1 Chr 24: 7-19). That sequence is as follows:
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1 Chr 24:7
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1. Jehoiarib
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2. Jedaiah
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1 Chr 24:8
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3. Harim
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4. Seorim
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1 Chr 24:9
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5. Malchijah
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6. Mijamin
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1 Chr 24:10
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7. Hakkoz
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8. Abijah
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1 Chr 24:11
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9. Jeshuah
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10. Shecaniah
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1 Chr 24:12
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11. Eliashib
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12. Jakim
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1 Chr 24:13
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13. Huppah
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14. Jeshebeab
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1 Chr 24:14
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15. Bilgah
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16. Immer
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1 Chr 24:15
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17. Hezir
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18. Aphses
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1 Chr 24:16
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19. Pethahiah
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20. Jehezekel
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1 Chr 24:17
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21. Jachim
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22. Gamul
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1 Chr 24:18
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23. Delaiah
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24. Maaziah
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The 24 courses of priests
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1 Chr 24:19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
Now each one of the 24 "courses" of priests would begin and end their service in the Temple on the Sabbath, a tour of duty being for one week (2 Chr 23:8, 1 Chr 9:25). On three occasions during the year, all the men of Israel were required to travel to Jerusalem for festivals of the Lord, so on those occasions all the priests would be needed in the Temple to accommodate the many sacrifices offered by the crowds. Those three festivals were Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and Tabernacles (Deut 16:16).
The Yearly Cycle of Service in the Temple.
The Jewish calendar begins in the spring, during the month of Nisan (Est 3:7), so the first "course" of priests, would be that of the family of Jehoiarib, who would serve for the first week of Nisan, Sabbath to Sabbath. The second week would then be the responsibility of the family of Jedaiah. The third week would be the feast of Unleavened Bread, and all priests would be present for service. Then the schedule would resume with the third course of priests, the family of Harim. By this plan, when the 24th course was completed, the general cycle of courses would repeat. This schedule would cover 51 weeks or 357 days, enough for the lunar Jewish calendar (about 354 days). So, in a period of a year, each group of priests would serve in the Temple twice on their scheduled course, in addition to the 3 major festivals, for a total of about five weeks of duty.
The Conception of John the Baptist.
Now back to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.
Luke 1:23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.
Luke 1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, ...
Beginning with the first month, Nisan, in the spring (March-April), the schedule of the priest's courses would result with Zacharias serving during the 10th week of the year. This is because he was a member of the course of Abia (Abijah), the 8th course, and both the Feast of Unleavened Bread(15-21 Nisan) and Pentecost (6 Sivan) would have occurred before his scheduled duty. This places Zacharias' administration in the Temple as beginning on the second Sabbath of the third month, Sivan (May-June).
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1st Month
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2nd Month
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3rd Month
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Abib - Nisan
(March - April)
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Zif - Iyyar
(April - May)
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Sivan
(May - June)
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First
Week
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Jehoiarib (1)
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Seorim (4)
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All Priests
(Pentecost)
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Second
Week
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Jedaiah (2)
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Malchijah (5)
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Abijah(8)
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Third
Week
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All Priests
(Feast of Unleavened Bread)
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Mijamin (6)
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Jeshuah (9)
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Fourth
Week
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Harim (3)
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Hakkoz (7)
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Shecaniah (10)
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Having completed his Temple service on the third Sabbath of Sivan, Zacharias returned home and soon conceived his son John. So John the Baptist was probably conceived shortly after the third Sabbath of the month of Sivan.
The Conception of Jesus Christ.
Now the reason that the information about John is important, is because according to Luke, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy:
Luke 1:24 And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
Luke 1:25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Note that verse 26 above refers to the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy, not Elul, the sixth month of the Hebrew calendar, and this is made plain by the context of verse 24 and again in verse 36:
Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for the last 3 months of her pregnancy, until the time that John was born.
Luke 1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
Luke 1:57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.
Now working from the information about John's conception late in the third month, Sivan, and advancing six months, we arrive late in the 9th month of Kislev (Nov-Dec) for the time frame for the conception of Jesus. It is notable here that the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated on the 25th day of Kislev, and Jesus is called the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46). This does not appear to be a mere coincidence. In the book of John, Hanukkah is called the feast of dedication (John 10:22). Hanukkah is an eight day festival of rejoicing, celebrating deliverance from enemies by the relighting of the menorah in the rededicated Temple, which according to the story, stayed lit miraculously for eight days on only one day's supply of oil.
The Birth of John the Baptist.
Based on a conception shortly after the third Sabbath of the month of Sivan, projecting forward an average term of about 10 lunar months (40 weeks), we arrive in the month of Nisan. It would appear that John the Baptist may have been born in the middle of the month, which would coincide with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is interesting to note, that even today, it is customary for the Jews to set out a special goblet of wine during the Passover Seder meal, in anticipation of the arrival of Elijah that week, which is based on the prophecy of Malachi:
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Jesus identified John as the "Elijah" that the Jews had expected:
Mat 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
The angel that appeared to Zacharias in the temple also indicated that John would be the expected "Elias":
Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
So then, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, and this is a likely date for the birth of John the Baptist, the expected "Elijah".
The Birth of Jesus Christ.
Since Jesus was conceived six months after John the Baptist, and we have established a likely date for John's birth, we need only move six months farther down the Jewish calendar to arrive at a likely date for the birth of Jesus. From the 15th day of the 1st month, Nisan, we go to the 15th day of the 7th month, Tishri. And what do we find on that date? It is the festival of Tabernacles! The 15th day of Tishri begins the third and last festival of the year to which all the men of Israel were to gather in Jerusalem for Temple services. (Lev 23:34)
Immanuel.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Immanuel means "God with us". The Son of God had come to dwell with, or tabernacle on earth with His people.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), occurs five days after the Day of Atonement, and is a festival of rejoicing and celebration of deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Leviticus 23:42-43).
Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Luke 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Why was there no room at the inn? Bethlehem is only about 5 miles from Jerusalem, and all the men of Israel had come to attend the festival of Tabernacles as required by the law of Moses. Every room for miles around Jerusalem would have been already taken by pilgrims, so all that Mary and Joseph could find for shelter was a stable. During Tabernacles, everyone was to live in temporary booths (Sukkot), as a memorial to Israel's pilgrimage out of Egypt - Lev. 23:42-43. The birth of the Savior, in what amounted to a temporary dwelling rather than a house, signaled the coming deliverance of God's people from slavery to sin, and their departing for the promised land, which is symbolized by Tabernacles.
Also of note is the fact that the Feast of Tabernacles is an eight day feast (Lev 23:36, 39). Why eight days? It may be because an infant was dedicated to God by performing circumcision on the eighth day after birth:
Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
So the infant Jesus would have been circumcised on the eighth and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, a Sabbath day. The Jews today consider this a separate festival from Tabernacles, and they call it Shemini Atzeret.
The Baptism of Jesus - The Time is Fulfilled
There is another indication in scripture as to when Jesus was born.
Mark 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
Mark 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
Mark 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Mark 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
Mark 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Jesus said The time is fulfilled just after His baptism, upon emerging from 40 days in the wilderness. He then began His preaching ministry, Luke tells us at about the age of 30.
Luke 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, ...
The book of Daniel gives us the "time" or prophecy Jesus was speaking about:
DANIEL'S 70 WEEKS
Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem (457 B.C.) unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks (69 weeks / 483 years, 27 A.D.): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks (69 weeks) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week (31 A.D.) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, (be crucified) ...
It is evident that by understanding this prophecy, and knowing the date of the decree when Daniel's 70 weeks began (Ezra 7, 457 B.C.), the wise men knew exactly when to look for the Christ child.
- The 70th week of Daniel, a period of 7 literal years, began with "Messiah the Prince". Messiah means anointed, and Jesus was publically anointed by the Holy Spirit at His baptism, declaring him to be the Messiah, at the end of 69 weeks / 483 prophetic years, which calculates to 27 A.D. as the year of Christ's baptism.
- Knowing the year of Christ's baptism to be 483 years after the decree of Artaxerxes in 457 B.C., the wisemen needed simply to subtract 30 from 483 to know the Messiah would be born 453 years after the decree. Why 30? A man had to be 30 years of age to serve in the Sanctuary / Temple (Num 4:3), and Luke says that at His baptism Jesus became about thirty. Jesus, when He turned 30, was considered to be old enough to perform the duties of a priest.
- Daniel 9:26-27 also tells us that the Messiah would be "cut off" (crucified) in the "midst of the (70th) week". So 3 1/2 years after His baptism, which was at the end of 69 weeks / 483 prophetic years, on Tabernacles of 27 A.D., Jesus would be crucified, precisely on 14 Nisan, Passover of 31 A.D.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
"... in the Old Testament (Daniel 9) the Saviour's advent was more clearly revealed. The magi learned with joy that His coming was near, and that the whole world was to be filled with a knowledge of the glory of the Lord.
The wise men had seen a mysterious light in the heavens upon that night when the glory of God flooded the hills of Bethlehem. As the light faded, a luminous star appeared, and lingered in the sky. It was not a fixed star nor a planet, and the phenomenon excited the keenest interest. That star was a distant company of shining angels, but of this the wise men were ignorant. Yet they were impressed that the star was of special import to them. They consulted priests and philosophers, and searched the scrolls of the ancient records. The prophecy of Balaam had declared, "There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel." Num. 24:17. Could this strange star have been sent as a harbinger of the Promised One? The magi had welcomed the light of heaven-sent truth; now it was shed upon them in brighter rays. Through dreams they were instructed to go in search of the newborn Prince." – The Desire of Ages, by E. G. White, pg. 60.
Conclusion
So, if you have followed the above reasoning, based on the scriptural evidence, a case can apparently be made that Jesus Christ was born on the 15th day of the month of Tishri, on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which corresponds to the September - October timeframe of our present calendar!
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Jewish month
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Begins the
New moon of
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John the Baptist
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Jesus
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1. Abib / Nisan
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March-April
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Birth of John
15 Nisan
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4
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2. Zif / Iyyar
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April-May
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5
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3. Sivan
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May-June
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Conception of John
after 3rd Sabbath
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6
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4. Tammuz
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June-July
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1
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7
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5. Ab / Av
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July-August
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2
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8
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6. Elul
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August-September
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3
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9
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7. Ethanim / Tishri
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September-October
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4
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Birth of Jesus
15 Tishri
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8. Bul / Marheshvan / Heshvan
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October-November
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5
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9. Chisleu / Chislev / Kislev
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November-December
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6
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Conception of Jesus
25 Kislev ?
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10. Tebeth / Tevet
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December-January
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7
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1
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11. Shebat / Shevat
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January-February
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8
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2
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12. Adar
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February-March
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9
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3
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Tabernacles Future Fulfillment
It is also interesting to note that Tabernacles was a feast of ingathering of the Harvest (Exo 23:16 and 34:22). If Jesus' first coming was indeed on 15 Tishri, the first day of Tabernacles, then it is quite reasonable to presume that the harvest of this earth, the ingathering of the second coming of Jesus Christ, will also occur on precisely the same date. The unknown factor would be the year that this would happen.
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