Pagan Roots of Christmas Resources

I am going through all my booklets I have on the topic
so you can read my resources. If you want to write
an article or book on the topic please feel free to use
as you like.

Rough Notes -PTAC

- who was born on December 25th?
- did the Apostles or the first century Congregation celebrate
Christmas?
- what does the Bible say about Christmas trees?
- few people know where Christmas customs come from?
- people are just born with these customs already existing and
don't ever question them.
- Most people assume that these customs to be chief
observances of the true Congregation of YHWH
- Assume that these customs were celebrated by the first
century Congregation and the foundation of the true faith.
- Assume Yeshua (Jesus) was born on December 25th
- assume we exchange gifts because the wise men presented
gifts to child Yeshua (Jesus)
- Christmas means "Mass of Christ" which came to us from the
Catholic Church
- Catholic Church got the customs of Christmas from the Heathen
celebration Sol the Sun God
- these customs came from Baalism which the Bible condemns
as the most abominable of all idolatrous worship
- Christmas is never observed by the Apostles nor the first
century Congregation
- it is one of the fables that Apostle Paul talked about in 2 Tim 4:4
that would deceive the world in the latter days
- Christmas is of Pagan Babylonish origin
- Yeshua (Jesus) not born on December 25th not even in the
winter
- "there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night" Luke 2:8
- Shepherds could not be abiding in the fields nor could their flock
be in the field in December in Palestine
- the flocks would not be in fields in winter but no later than
October 15th would be corralled and brought out of the cold rainy
season and put in stalls
- scriptural proof winter was a rainy season not allowing shepherds
to abide in the fields: Song of Solomon 2:11, Ezra 10:9, 13
- It was an ancient custom among Jews of the day to send out their
sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early-spring),
and bring them home at commencement of the first rain, says the
Adam Clarke Commentary Vol 5., page 386
- this authority also states, "during the time they were out, the
shepherds watched them night and day, As ... the first rain began
early in the month of Marchesvan, which answers to part of our
October and November [begins mid October], we find that the sheep
were kept out in the open country during the whole summer. And, as
these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks , it is
presumptive argument that October had not yet commenced, and
that, consequently, Our Lord, was not born on the 25th of December,
when no flocks were in the fields; nor could He have been born later
than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. On this
very ground, the nativity in December should be given up. The
feeding of the flocks by night in the fields is a chronological fact."
- see quotations from the Talmudist in Lightfoot
- Catholic Encyclopedia states Yeshua (Jesus) was not born on
December 25th
- Yeshua's (Jesus') date of birth is unknown
- Scriptures indicate mostlikelyhood Yeshua (Jesus) was born in early
fall probably September.
- If YHWH wanted us to observe Yeshua's (Jesus') birthday He would
not so completely hidden the exact date
- not one word in New Testament or Old Testament telling us to
observe Christmas
- The Apostles nor the first century Congregation never observed
Christmas
- no bible authority for its observance
- Catholic Encyclopedia under caption of "Christmas" says "Christmas
was not among the earliest festivals of the Church ... The first evidence
of the feast is from Egypt"
- continued: "Pagan customs centering around the January calends
gravitated to Christmas." "...in the scriptures, sinners alone, not
saints, celebrated their birthday."
- From Encyclopedia Britannica "Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ)
Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church..."
- From Encyclopedia Britannica "Christmas It was, according to many
authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian
church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death
of remarkable persons rather than their birth..." "a feast was
established in memory of this event [Christ's birth] in the fourth
century. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered it to be
celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth
of Sol, as no certain knowledge of the day of Christ's birth existed."
- Roman Church ordered Christmas observance in fifth century
- Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia states in article on Christmas,
"How much the date of the festival depended upon the Pagan
Brumalia (Dec. 25) following the Saturnalia (Dec. 17-24), and
celebrating the shortest day of the year and the "new sun" ...
cannot be accurately determined. The pagan Saturnalia and
Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set
aside by Christian influence... The pagan festival with its riot and
merrymaking was so popular that Christians were glad of an
excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit and
in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the Near East
protested against the unseemly fivolity with which Christ's birthday
was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their
Western brethren of idolatry and sun-worship for adopting as
Christian this pagan festival."
- Constantine made Christianity the state religion of the Roman
Empire in fourth century
- Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia also explains how Constantine
recognized Sunday as the new Christian sabbath which was
formerly Sunday day of Sun Worship and how influence of pagan
Manichaeism which identified the Son of God with the physical
Sun hence calling December 25th birthday of the Son of God
(birthday of the Sun-god)
- no matter what we call Christmas is still the sun-worshipping
festival
- from Encyclopedia Britannica "Certain Latins, as early as 354, may
have transferred the birthday from January 6th to December 25,
which was then a Mithraic feast, ...or birthday of the unconquered
Sun ... The Syrians and Armenians, who clung to January 6th,
accused the Romans of Sun worship and Idolatry, contending that
the feast of December 25th, had been invented by disciples of
Cerinthus..."
- We got Christmas from Roman Catholics, they got it from
paganism, where did it originally come from?
- it is chief custom of corrupt system denounced in Bible prophecies
and teachings under the name of Babylon which derived from
Nimrod
- Nimrod, grandson of Ham, son of Noah, real founder of Babylonish
corrupt worship system.
- a system of organized competition, man-ruled governments and
empires, based on competitive and profit-making economic system
- Gen 10:6, 8-12 records the story of Nimrod and the building of the
Tower of Babel, the original Babylon, Nineveh, and many other cities
and created the first world kingdom.
- Nimrod in Hebrew means "He Rebelled"
- Nimrod started the the great organized worldly apostacy from YHWH
which has dominated the world until now sifted through all the ruling
kingdoms
- Nimrod married his own mother named Semiramis.
- After Nimrods death his mother-wife propagated the doctrine of the
survival of Nimrod as a spirit being
- She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang over night from a dead
tree stump which symbolized Nimrod being resurrected from the dead
- on the anniversary of Nimrod's birth Semiramis claimed Nimrod would
visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it.
- December 25th was the birthday of Nimrod
- this is the real origin of the Christmas tree
- through scheming Semiramis became "Queen of Heaven" and Nimrod
under various names became the "divine son of Heaven"
- as generations went by Nimrod became the false Messiah the son of
Baal the Sun-god
- this false babylonish system - Mother and Child - Semiramis and
Nimrod reborn became chief objects of worship
- The "Mother and Child" false babylonish system spread throughout the
world under different names
- in Egypt - Iris and Osiris - in Asia - Cybele and Deoius - in Rome - Fortuna
and Jupiterpuer - in Greece, China, Japan, Tibet are found counterparts
of the original Madonna (Mother and child false babylonish system
- Rome was pagan before Christianity so the Roman pagans during the
fourth and fifth centuries were converting to Christianity by the hundreds
of thousands because they could observe their old pagan customs in
Christianity as Christianity adopted them changing their names to
Christian sounding names.
- it was the habit of Christianity to overtake and rename certain forms of
paganism and assimilate it into Christianity
- we just never questioned whether these customs came from the Bible
or from pagan idolatry
- this babylonish pagan idolatrous worship system Satan has used for
centuries to deceive the world
- in Egypt was always believed the son of Iris (Queen of Heaven) was
born on December 25th and paganism celebrated this famous birthday
over most of the known world for centuries before the birth of Yeshua
(Jesus)
- The Apostles did not celebrate this famous birthday, Yeshua (Jesus)
was not born on December 25th, there is no command in the Bible to
celebrate it, and the celebrating of birthdays is Heathen custom
- no where in the Bible does it command us to worship Mother and Child,
the Apostles did not worship this Mother and Child
- Sure Miriam (Mary) is written in the scriptures Luke 1:28, 42, 48 but no
where is it commanded that we worship Miriam (Mary)
- No where in Scripture is Miriam (Mary) commanded to be worshipped,
deified, made a divine being.
- erroneous doctrines about Miriam includes worshipping her as
Mother of God, doctrine of Immaculate conception, her as an
intercessor between God and Man,
- the deified Miriam (Mary) originated from Semiramis the Queen of
Heaven the wife/mother of Nimrod
- this Chaldean Mystery founded by wife of Nimrod was handed down to
Christianity renamed Christmas
- how did we get Holly Wreath, Mistletoe, and Yule Log - was used at
festival of Winter Solstice because was considered sacred to the Sun
because of its miraculous healing power
- kissing under the mistletoe was an early step in the night of revelry and
drunken debauchery
- celebrating the death of the old sun and the birth of the new sun at
the Winter Solstice
- Mistletoe, sacred in pagan festivals is a parasite
- Holly berries were also sacred to the Sun-god
- The Yule log is Sun log - Yule means wheel and is a pagan symbol for
the Sun this is the origin of the so called sacred Yuletide season
- The Americanna writes, "The holly, the mistletoe, the Yule log ... are
relics of pre-Christian times"
- Paganism the book, Answers to Questions by Frederick J Haskins
writes, "The use of Christmas wreaths is believed by authorities to
be traceable to the pagan customs of decorating buildings and places
of worship at the feast which took place at the same time as
Christmas. The Christmas Tree is from Egypt and its origin dates
from a period long anterior to the Christmas era."
- What about Santa Claus? - the name Santa Claus is a corruption of
the name St Nicholas, a Roman Catholic bishop from 5th century
- Encyclopedia Britannica Vol 19 11th edition pages 648-9 writes,
"St Nicholas, bishop of Myra ... a saint honored by the Greeks and
Latins on the sixth of December ... A legend of his surreptitious
bestowal of dowries on the three daughters of an impoverished citizen
... is said to have originated the old custom of giving presents in secret
of the eve of St Nicholas [Dec 6] subsequently transferred to
Christmas day. Hence the association of Christmas with
Santa Claus..."
- throughout the year parents punish their kids for telling falsehoods
but at Christmas they themselves tell their children the Santa Claus
lie
- Is it Biblical to teach your children Myths and Falsehoods?
- may seem right to man but here is what Bible says:
Pr 14:12 - There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the
way of death. Pr 16:25 - There is a way that seems right to a man, But
its end is the way of death.
- Old Nick is a term for the devil and Satan appears as an angel of light
so says scripture - 2Co 11:14 - And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.
- What the Bible says about the Christmas Tree -
Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you,
O house of Israel: 2 Thus saith the LORD, 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:
for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the
workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they
fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 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. 6 Forasmuch as there is none
like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in
might.
- We are told not to learn the way of the Heathen and this scripture
describes what YHWH views as Idolatry
- is exchanging gifts Biblical? - Christmas Shopping Season -
Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol 12 pages 153-155 writes, "The Interchange of
presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the
Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans,
as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows."
- exchanging gifts does not honor Yeshua's (Jesus') birthday or honor
him. how does exchanging gifts and ignoring the persons who's birthday
it is honor that person?
- People honor a birth date that is not Yeshua's (Jesus') scrape together
every dime they can buying presents to trade back and forth but do
people give gifts to Yeshua and his cause?
- consider this scripture - Matthew 2: 1 Now when Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came
wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born
King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to
worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the
chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them
where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem
of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem,
in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for
out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of
them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to
Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child;
and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come
and worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed;
and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it
came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw
the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were
come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother,
and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their
treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense,
and myrrh. - did they present gifts because it was his birthday? They
did not come on his birthday it took many days actually 2 years
(Matthew 2:16) it took the wise men to get there. The wise men
presented gifts to the Yeshua (Jesus) child not baby and did not
exchange gifts amongst themselves.
- Adam Clarke Commentary Vol 5, page 46 writes, "Verse 11, (They
presented unto him gifts). the people of the east never approach the
presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their
hands. The custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still
prevails in the east and in some of the newly discovered South Sea
Islands." They were not instituting the custom of exchanging
gifts for Christmas but rather following an old eastern custom to
present gifts to a King.
- Christmas is part of the Idolatrous Babylonish Worship System that
YHWH calls his people out of. Read Revelation 17-18:4
- The Christmas Spirit is created annually to sell Merchandise

tags: Yeshua, Christ, Catholic, heathen, pagan, YHWH, baal, customs, exchange, gifts, baalism, roots, December, tree, god, Nimrod, Christmas, Apostles, first, custom, church, sol, sun, congregation, trees, 25th, century, Jesus, mass

I am Gentile and observe Chanukah! Why?

First off all there is nothing from Torah, the Prophets and the B'rit Chadashah
or in Gentile terms nothing from Old testament to new testament that commands
a gentile to observe Chanukah.

So why do I?

Well I am no longer a Gentile. You see though the mighty work of God and His son
Yeshua I am no longer a Gentile. I have been called from afar off to be grafted into
the olive tree, that is Abraham's tree. Yeshua did all the work and all I have to do
is believe, follow and obey. Actually Yeshua destoyed all principalities and powers
of darkness and all works of Satan in his work on the cross. Everything nothing
left of darkness we just need to believe that.

Yes but still why do I celebrate Chanukah?

Well even being a gentile by birth but by a new birth through the work of Yeshua
I have become a spiritual Jew. Not only this, If I believe in his sacrifice and obey
his commandment, and walk as he commands, he will write my name in Heavenly
places and write my name in the Lambs book of Life.

Where does Chanukah come into all this?

Well it is God's purpose in his elect for the Gentile and Jew He calls to be one.
When a Gentle is born anew through the power of the work that Yeshua has
done, the Gentile can only be filled with unlimitless love for the jew.

We are called in love, through the work of Yeshua, for the Jew and Gentile
to be his body until he comes again. We are his bride or first fruit.

However, many Gentiles do not go that way, infact many Gentiles created
their own religion and ignore the jew which is not the purpose of God.
just read : http://ruthsheart.ning.com/group/christmasalookatitspaganroots
unfortunately the Christian church has much antisemitism towards
Israel. The church has recycled many pagan practices that are opposed to
God's word and Israel in general.

Personally I love Israel and follow Israel as long as it does
not violatee Jeremiah 10:2 . The faith is not some Gentile pagan faith like
Christianity has mad it out to be.

So Why Chanukah?

Well I love Yisrael and follow her, I follow her observances. I understand
that Chanukah is not commanded but I love Yisrael and love the work that
God did for Yisrael. So if I love Yisrael and am grafted into her I love her
victories. Chanukah is for me I am sorry

Furthermore John 10:22 proves that Yeshua observed the Feast of Dedication.
Leaves a Gentile anew with only one priority. If Yeshua observed Chanukah
he must too. Scripture says so. You don't believe me? read 1 John 2:3, 4, 5,
and especially 6 "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so
to walk , even as he walked .

So if we are instructed to walk as Yeshua walked the paganism found at
http://ruthsheart.ning.com/group/christmasalookatitspaganroots
has nothing to do with the faith.

if Yeshua did Chanukah I do Chanukah plain and simple.

Many Blessings to Yisrael
Michael Grant

tags: HaMoshiach, Chanukah, HaMashiach, Yeshua