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Part 2
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. Jeremiah 10:2-5 In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return. The ancient Egyptians worshipped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and wore the sun as a blazing disk in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from the illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder. So the origin of the Christmas Tree is deeply rooted in the worship of the sun in some form or another. How does YAHUVEH feel about this? Take special notice of what he told his prophet Ezekiel... Ezekiel 8:15-18 "Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these." And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them." - KJV If we are truly concerned about pleasing YAHUVEH would we want to be associated at all with a custom that brings so much dishonor to him?  This was traditionally the celebrated birthday of Nimrod as well as the winter solstice. It cannot be when Jesus was born for a couple of reasons. First of all, the shepherds were tending their flocks at night. This would have been impossible due to inclement winter weather. Second, the census and taxation happened in the fall not the winter. Why do we celebrate on Dec 25th then? When Constantine (pictured) was emperor Christians and pagans were always fighting. He tried to bring peace to his kingdom by merging the beliefs of the two. The pagan religion celebrated winter solstice between the 21st and the 25th of December. So he made a new holiday that allowed the Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus on that same day so everyone in his Kingdom would be celebrating.
 This was to symbolize that when the sun god was again strong summer would return. Also the Teutonic peoples placed holly and other evergreens inside their houses to protect from evil spirits and bad winter weather
Many Christians claim that gifts originate either from the wise men giving gifts to the Christ child, or God's gift to the world of Jesus. The Magi [Wise Men] gave gifts not because it was Jesus' birthday for they arrived long after his birth, but because he was a king. Every time you came into the presence of a king in those days, you gave a gift. This was the custom. Gift giving dates back to the festivals of Saturnalia and Kalends. These both of course were celebrated during the end of December. The early gifts ranged from twigs from sacred groves for good luck to food. Later they became more elaborate like candles, or statues of their gods.
"The custom of gift-giving on Christmas goes back to Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Kalends. The very first gifts were simple items such as twigs from a sacred grove as good luck emblems. Soon that escalated to food, small items of jewelry, candles, and statues of [false] gods. To the early Church, gift-giving at this time was a pagan holdover and therefore severely frowned upon. However, people would not part with it." We've already discussed how false religious the heathen festival of Saturnalia was. But notice that when Christians first adopted the practice the Church severely frowned upon it recognizing how pagan its origins were. And why did the Church finally consent? Because they decided it wasn't pagan and God dishonoring? No, but because the people simply would not part with it. Could we be guilty of the same stubborn refusal to part with God dishonoring, pagan practices and witchcraft because we find them enjoyable too?  The mistletoe of the sacred oak was especially sacred to the ancient Celtic Druids. On the sixth night of the moon white-robed Druid priests would cut the oak mistletoe with a golden sickle. Two white bulls would be sacrificed amid prayers that the recipients of the mistletoe would prosper. The custom of using mistletoe to decorate houses at Christmas is a survival of the Druid and other pre-Christian traditions." It was yet another instance where Christmas has strong ties with false religious, pagan practices.
Here is another revelation given me on the 27th of November, 2005 by YAHUVEH: When you kiss someone underneath mistletoe, you are cursing your relationship with that person if you want them to be a loved one, or if they already are. You bring a curse upon the relationship, for this is a Druid custom and yet so called Christians are partaking in it. I think it is obvious that Thor is a heathen god and any ties to him are ties to false religion.  Two of his reindeer are named after pagan gods. Cupid (god of sexual love) and Donner (god of thunder). Many pagan cultures worshiped a hearth god who wore red, entered the house through the chimney, blessed those who pleased him and cursed those who didn't. Food was left to appease this god. Taiwan still has a hearth god that appears on the 24th day of the 12th month to report the status of mankind to the heavens. Leaving the milk and cookies to St. Nick under the tree dates back far enough that Ezekiel warns against it...
Ezekiel 6:13 That they offered sweet savours to their idols under every green tree." Many Christians when faced with these truths state that it is okay though because they don't use these things for those purposes, that the item is now Christian, that we took it over and changed it's meaning. They use them to worship Jesus and celebrate His birth. To this I say, "Why don't you wear a pentagram necklace, say that it reminds you of the star of Bethlehem or hang upside down crosses in your house saying that you are upside down without Jesus and it reminds you of that. Or start talking to Jesus through trees, after all since God is omnipresent then he is in the Trees." That argument is insane. Your friends would think you were nuts and in some churches you would not even be allowed to enter the doors. Probably rightly so. This is preposterous to many of you because they are clearly pagan symbols, yet you accept the use of these other pagan symbols simply because other Christians were weak and fell before you. We can not take a symbol that is from satan and put a mask of Christianity over it and call it good.  Remember the story in Exodus 32 of the Golden calf. To summarize the people grew tired and worried because Moses was gone too long so they had Aaron make a golden calf so they would have something to worship. "And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord." Exodus 32:5 so he turned an idol into something for the Lord "And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. Exodus 32:20
Holy Church of YAHUSHUA ha MASHIACH, it is time to take a stand. It is time to tell the world that we won't be partakers of her evil. It is time to say; "No more" to the celebrations of the pagans. So shall we say: "We wish you a Merry Christmas" this Christmas? YAHUVEH God forbid! And let us stop calling it "Christmas" for such defiles the name of Christ YAHUSHUA. Let us call it what it really is, The Festival of Nimrod or Bromeliad (the Roman name). Would you wish anyone a "Happy Nimrod" or a "Happy Brumalia"? CHRISTMAS YAHUSHUA isn't coming for a disobedient bride. You can't say this ministry did not warn you of the truth. It is your choice whether you allow the truth to set you free.  Nimrod built the tower of Babel, the original Babylon, ancient Nineveh, and many other cities. He organized this world's first kingdom. The name Nimrod, in Hebrew, is derived from "Marad," meaning "he rebelled." From many ancient writings, considerable is learned of this man, who started the great organized worldly apostasy from God that has dominated this world until now. Nimrod was so evil, it is said he married his own mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrod's untimely death, his so-called mother-wife, Semiramis, propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod as a spirit being.
She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she 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 her scheming and designing, Semiramis became the Baby Babylonian "Queen of Heaven," and Nimrod, under various names, became the "divine son of heaven." After her death, Semiramis was worshipped as the "Queen of Heaven", and Nimrod, under various names, became the "divine son of heaven".  Through the generations, in this idolatrous worship, Nimrod also became the false Messiah, son of Baal the Sun-god. In this false Babylonian system, the "Mother and Child" (Semiramis and Nimrod reborn) became chief objects of worship. This worship of "Mother and Child" spread over the world. The names varied in different countries and languages. In Egypt it was Isis and Osiris. In Asia, Cybele and Deoius. In pagan Rome, Fortuna and Jupiterpuer. Even in Greece, China, Japan, Tibet is to be found the counterpart of the Madonna, long before the birth of Christ!
Thus, during the fourth and fifth centuries, when the pagans of the Roman world were "accepting" the new popular "Christianity" by the hundreds of thousands, carrying their old pagan customs and beliefs along with them, merely cloaking them with Christian-sounding names, the Madonna and "Mother and Child" idea also became popularized, especially at Christmas time. Every Christmas season you'll hear sung and chanted dozens of times the hymn "Silent Night, Holy Night," with its familiar "Mother and Child" theme. We, who have been born in such a Babylonian world, reared and steeped in these things all our lives, have been taught to revere these things as holy and sacred. We never questioned to see where they came from -- whether they came from the Bible, or from pagan idolatry! December 25th is not the birthday of YAHUSHUA (Jesus Christ)! The apostles and early true Church never celebrated YAHUSHUA's (Jesus Christ's) birthday at any time. There is no command or instruction to celebrate it in the Bible! The ancient idolatrous "Chaldean Mysteries," founded by this wife of Nimrod, have been handed down through the pagan religions under new Christian-sounding names. Origin of Holly Wreath, Mistletoe, Yule Log. Now, where did we get this mistletoe custom?  Among the ancient pagans the mistletoe was used at this festival of the winter solstice because it was considered sacred to the sun, because of its supposed miraculous healing power. The pagan custom of 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 at the winter solstice. Mistletoe, sacred in pagan festivals, is a parasite! Holly berries were also considered sacred to the sun-god. The yule log is in reality the "sun log." "Yule" means "wheel," a pagan symbol of the sun. Yet today professing Christians speak of the "sacred yule-tide season"!
Even the lighting of fires and candles as a Christian ceremony is merely a continuation of the pagan custom, encouraging the waning sun-god as he reached the lowest place in the southern skies! The Encyclopedia Americana says: "The holly, the mistletoe, the Yule log ... are relics of pre-Christian times." Of paganism! The book "Answers to Questions", compiled by Frederick J. Haskins, found in public libraries, says: "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 Christian Era." Yes, and Even Santa Claus! But surely dear old Santa Claus is not a creature of pagan birth? But he is, and his real character is not so benevolent and holy as many suppose!  The name "Santa Claus" is a corruption of the name "St. Nicholas," a Roman Catholic bishop who lived in the 5th century. Look in the Encyclopedia Britannica, volume 19, pages 648-649, 11th edition, where you'll read: "St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, a saint honored by the Greeks and Latins on the 6th 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 on the Eve of St. Nicholas [Dec. 6], subsequently transferred to Christmas day." Hence the association of Christmas with Santa Claus. Through the year, parents punish their children for telling falsehoods. Then, at Christmas time, they themselves tell their little children this 'Santa Claus' lie!
Is it any wonder many of them, when they grow up and learn the truth, begin to believe God is a myth, too? One little fellow, sadly disillusioned about Santa Claus, said to a playmate, "Yes, and I'm going to look into this 'Jesus Christ' business, too!" Is it Christian to teach children myths and falsehoods? God says, "Thou shalt not bear false witness!" It may seem right, and be justified by human reason, but God says, "There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof re the ways of death!" "Old Nick" also is a term for the devil! Is there a connection? Satan appears as an "angel of light," to deceive! (II Corinthians. 11:14; Rev. 12:9.) And so when we examine the facts, we are astonished to learn that the practice of observing Christmas is not, after all, a true Christian practice, but a pagan custom -- one of the ways of Babylon our people have fallen into! There is a perfect description of the Christmas tree, termed by the Eternal as "the way of the heathen -- the customs of the people." We are commanded not to learn that way or follow it! It is also viewed in this passage as idolatry. The fifth verse shows that these trees cannot speak -- cannot walk -- must be carried. "Be not afraid of them; for they [the trees] cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good." They are not gods to be feared. Some people misread this to make it say there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but that is not what it says.  When it comes to the most important part of all in this Christmas observance -- the Christmas shopping season -- the buying and exchanging of gifts -- many will exclaim triumphantly, "Well, at least the Bible tells us to do that! Didn't the wise men give gifts when Christ was born?" Again, we are due for some surprises, when we learn the plain truth. First, let's look at the historic origin of trading gifts back and forth, then see exactly what the Bible does say about it. From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote: "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."
The fact is, this custom fastened upon people of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity about it, strange though that may seem! This does not celebrate Christ's birthday nor honor it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for everyone else, trading gifts back and forth with all your other friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honoring? Rather absurd, when viewed in that light, isn't it? Yet this is exactly what people the world over are doing! They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by spending every dime they can scrape together in buying presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives. But I can say by years of experience, as I believe most pastors and ministers can say, that when the month of December rolls around, nearly all professing Christians forget to give gifts to Christ and His cause almost altogether!  December often is the most difficult month to keep Christ's work from dying! People are too busy trading gifts back and forth among themselves to think of Him and His Work, it seems. Then, in January and even into February it seems they have to catch up from what they spent for Christmas, so they seldom get back to normal in supporting Christ and His Work before March!
Now consider what the Bible says about the wise men giving gifts when Christ was born. It is in Matthew 2:1-11. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? ... 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."
Why Were Gifts Presented to Jesus Christ
Notice, they inquired for the child Jesus, who was born KING of the Jews! Now why did they present gifts to Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because they came several days or weeks after the date of His birth! Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice carefully! They did not exchange gifts among themselves, but "they presented unto HIM gifts." They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or one another!
Nimrod means "tyrant". He led the Sumerians of Babylon to pay tribute to the skies (sun, moon, stars, and planets) with the sacrifice of their children. The Tower of Babel was built for this purpose, echoed in other cultures such as the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas.  Since the head of this government was such an idolatrous tyrant, Shem (Nimrod's uncle) killed Nimrod. Nimrod's mother, Semiramis, consoled the people by making them believe the child she carried was Nimrod "reincarnated"-- And named him "Duzu" (Tammuz), Babylonian for the son who rises. This Duzu went into the groves (forests) and placed a gift on a tree to honor Nimrod each year at the winter solstice. It has been said that Duzu was the offspring of Nimrod, who mated with his mother. Nimrod became known as Baal, meaning Lord, and was worshipped by the Babylonians as the sun in the sky -- thus the origin of "going to the heavens" at death.
Trees and branches became symbols of Nimrod. Because Nimrod was "cut down" by Shem, a tree stump became a place of honoring him. Thus, the Hebrew Scriptures speak of the pagans going into the "groves", and bringing a "branch to the nose," and going into the forest and cutting down a tree, decorating it, and propping it up a so that it will not totter. The winter solstice was the time when the sun was thought to be "reborn," so December 25th was celebrated as Baal's (Nimrod's) birthday. By tradition, the artificial idea of a New Year following this birthday celebration became an integral part of every human culture, based on this pagan idolatry. Generally, all mankind is fast asleep, dreaming this old Babylonian dream. Christmas is an attempt by Catholicism to revise and adopt this paganism. In the year 525, a Scythian monk named Dionysius Exiguus visited Rome. He witnessed the ancient pagan celebration of the winter solstice (then called Paganalia or Saturnalia), and this offended his devout sensibilities. Scripture itself demands that we observe the Messiah's death and resurrection, not His birth. But, since the pagan mind was so oriented around fertility and birth, it developed the way we see it today, blending the most important features of pagan interpretation. "Babel, the Great Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth" -- has intoxicated the masses, and she herself is drunk with the blood of the set-apart ones. What is her name? It's Easter! Semiramis, Nimrod's mother, became known as "Magna Mater", the "Great Mother", and was worshipped as Mother Earth. The Sun "mated" with the Earth each spring, and the "Rites of Spring" symbolized by the "May Pole" and "Easter" came 9 moons/months before the December 25th "birth" of the winter Sun. Her Assyrian name, Ishtar, gives us the word "Easter". The Romans called her Astarte, and the Phoenicians used Asherah. The Hebrews called her Astoroth, the consort of Baal. Her emblem is the flower of the lily. She is the "goddess of the dawn", and her statue stands on a bridge in France. The French made a colossus of this image, and it now stands in New York Harbor, facing "East" -- in itself a word referring to the rising son/sun -- from which her name springs! Nimrod "He is credited with having instigated the building of the tower of Babel and of being the author of Babylonian idolatry." What's more, Bryce Self found in his research that "Nimrod consolidated his power by establishing a state religion. He constructed a religion that included deification and worship of the emperor (himself), [and] worship of Satan." The fact that this holiday may be associated with the man accredited with the start of religious opposition to YAHUVEH God should make us seriously question its approval by God. Please let the TRUTH SET YOU FREE IN THE NAME OF YAHUSHUA! Love and blessings Apostle Elisabeth (Elisheva) Elijah | |||
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Updated Information on Hanukkah and Christmas, Posted November 2005 |
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By Faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death: and was not found, because YAHUVEH had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased YAHUVEH. Hebrews 11:5