EZEKIEL 44:23-- "AND THEY SHALL TEACH MY PEOPLE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOLY AND THE PROFANE, AND CAUSE THEM TO DISCERN BETWEEN THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN."
THE PAGAN YEAR:
The pagan year usually has four cardinal days, or periods, for celebration; fall; midwinter; spring; and midsummer.
1) The Autumnal Equinox:
This is the day (or period of days) in the Autumn when the days and nights are of approximately the same length. This is generally a time of celebrating harvest, but the main emphasis is on the dying of nature and death. This is the roots of what we know as Halloween.
2) The Winter Solstice:
This is the day (or period of days) in winter when the days are shortest and the nights longest. This is generally a time of drunkenness, revelry and debauchery. The pagan Romans called this celebration Saturnalia, in honor of their god Saturn, and the festival lasted from the 17th to the 24th of December, with gifts exchanged, especially on the last two days. Then, on the 25th, they celebrated "The Birth of the Unconquerable Sun," as the days began to lengthen and the sun began to regain its dominance (it has been generally believed among pagans that the sun dies during winter solstice, and then rises from death). The Roman Church, in compromising with the pagans, used these same rituals to create what is known today as "Christmas".
3) The Vernal Equinox:
This is the day (or period of days) in spring when the days and nights are again of approximately equal length. This is a time of celebrating new life, the resurrection of nature from the dead, and it has typically featured fertility rites, merrymaking, and usually centers on orgiastic sexual activities. In ancient times there was the sacrificing of virgins, the worship of fertility gods and goddesses (Pan, Isis, Demeter, Ceres) and worship of the phallus. "May poles" almost certainly had their origin as phallic shrines, around which orgiastic celebrants danced to honor the male sex organ. Such practices are known to have been featured in spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Babylon, Greece and among the Druids in Great Britain and Europe. Eggs, as symbols of fertility and new life, have always been featured in such pagan festivals, as have rabbits (symbols of vigorous sexual activity and reproduction). Many of these practices continue today. The Roman Church, again in compromising with the pagans, introduced these rituals into the church under the guise of what is called "Easter".
4) The Summer Solstice:
This is the day (or period of days) in midsummer when length of day is greatest and night is shortest. The shortest night (about June 21) was known in Britain as Midsummer Night, and was a time of great revelry, drunkenness and sexual abandon. This was a wild and wicked night, and is the setting in time for Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
There were (and are), of course, many other times of pagan celebration in the year; but all existed (and still do) against the backdrop if these four most-significant times. Against this same backdrop, let's examine some of the facts about our holidays and holy days. And let's begin with the one which marks the beginning of the pagan year: let's begin with HALLOWEEN.
THE FESTIVAL OF DEATH:
Even as far back as 300 years before the birth of Jesus, the Celtic civilization celebrated the Festival of Samhain on October 31st. Samhain is their God of Death and their most powerful god. Every year on this day, they believe, the old year dies and the new year begins. It is the Celtic New Year, as well as the Festival of Samhain, the Festival of Death. He is particularly honored on this day, but more especially on this night; and the great climactic moment will come at midnight. Darkness, fear and death prevail; many human sacrifices are to be presented to Samhain, and midnight is the high moment of the year for divination, spiritism and sorcery of all kinds. Darkness is deepest, and death more sovereign tonight than at any other time of the year, and midnight is the climax.
THE BIRTH OF HALLOWEEN
In the eighth century the Pope, in an attempt to get the people to abandon the festival of Samhain and all its occult, idolatrous practices, established All Saints Day on November 1st. This was never a Christian holiday, but a Catholic holiday to worship and pray to the Saints who were dead, which is idolatry, even though they were honoring those who had been martyrs in the terrible Roman persecutions. He apparently hoped that the similarity of meaning would cause the people to accept All Saints Day as a substitute and abandon the Festival of Death. But it didn't work. As a matter of fact, this attempt to end Samhain follows us and causes trouble to this day, because its location on the calender has led many people to believe that Samhain is a Christian observance. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is how it evolved:
In the British Isles:
All Saints Day came to be called "All Halloweds" since it was a day to worship all the "hallowed ones", the Christian dead. Since Samhain always occurred the evening before All halloweds, it came to be called "All Hallowed's Evening" or just "Halloweds E'en." From this it evolved to "Hallows E'en" and, finally, to "Halloween" as we know it today. Because of the relationship in the names, and the adjacent dates, many today entertain the completely unfounded idea that Halloween is somehow a Christian holiday. This has made it much easier for the ungodly festival to move right into the churches each October and flourish there, spreading its occult poison.
In the Middle Ages:
In the midst of the darkness that prevailed during the Middle Ages there was a mighty revival of witchcraft and Satanism. During this time there developed the belief that on October 31st witches traveled to their covens flying on brooms, guided by evil spirits in the form of black cats. There was a great outpouring of satanic power, and as all the old practices continued, some new ones developed; the Festival of Death continued without interruption as the most important day (night) of the year for witches and all Satanists, deepening the darkness that already covered the Earth, as a corrupted weakened Church was ineffective in opposing it.
In the New World:
When our Puritan ancestors came to the New World in the seventeenth century, they strictly forbad all such occult practices and pagan festivals. Among the Puritans there was no Festival of Death, there was no Saturnalia, there were no May poles, no Midsummer Night, nor any such things; they were well aware of the satanic origins, nature and dangers of them. They may have been harsh, but at least they nourished no vipers in the bosom of the Church.
Then in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there came a flood of Celtic immigrants to the New World, mostly from the British isles, and they brought with their folk beliefs and pagan superstitions; they brought with them Samhain, the Festival of Death. The Jack-o-lantern: Hundreds of years before Christ, on Halloween night each Druid dressed in hooded robes and has slung over his shoulder on a cord, a large, hallowed-out turnip with an oil lamp burning inside. Carved into the side of the hollow turnip is as face, the likeness of the demon spirit that dwells inside. This spirit is the Druid's spirit guide, his personal little god, who directs and empowers his life.
When the Celtics immigrated to the New World they found pumpkins, much easier to hollow out and carve than turnips. Among the English-speaking Celts the hollowed turnip or pumpkin was known as "Jock (or Jack) of the Lantern." referring to the spirit guide (Jock or Jack) who lived in them.
Deut. 7:26-- "Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction."
"Trick or Treating":
The Druids of old adhered to strange dietary restrictions, and on the night of the Festival of Death they go from home to home demanding these peculiar foods. If the people comply, they pass on in silence; if their demands are not met, the people and their home are cursed with trouble, sickness and death.
The wearing of masks and costumes also came from the Druids. During this night of rituals they sacrificed animals (and sometimes humans). Often they wore the skins of these animals. Dressed in this way, they would engage in fortune telling. Villagers also dressed in hideous masks and costumes in an effort to disguise themselves from the spirits.
Bobbing For Apples:
Since Samhain was the beginning of the new year, much divining was done concerning the coming year, and many things were done to invoke "good luck" (which meant finding favor with the evil spirtits) for the coming year. A very popular form of this was to kneel around a tub of water with apples floating in it, and the first one who could get one out without using hands or teeth would have good favor with the spirits in the coming year. Then each woud peel his (or her) apple, trying to get the peel off in one piece (which gave the peeling particular power, and gained special favor with the spirits).
Bonfires originally came from these nights of human and animal sacrifices where they would throw the remains of the bodies into the fire. The next morning all that was left were the ashes and bones. Thus the name of these fires were called "bonefires".
The Conclusion:
Halloween is and always was the devils holiday! There never was nor has there ever been anything Christian about it, but he has somehow duped many Christians into embracing it and accepting it as our own!
Remember a war is never won by compromise. The Bible says a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough. We should not even attempt to have some sort of a "substitute" that mimics what pagans do. Changing the names doesn't change the true meaning. By calling it a "harvest party" & celebrating it on or next to the actual date, the dressing up and doing what the pagans do but calling it by a different names doesn't make it OK.
Deut. 12:3-- "Break down their alters, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asheral poles (in America we call them May Poles) in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places. YOU MUST NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD IN THEIR WAY."
The Bible says to "deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow him." If we can't deny ourselves from celebrating Satan's Holiday then how can we make it through persecution and the trials that the Bible says we will have to endure. It is not "legalism" to love the Lord and not want to grieve him by compromising with pagans & going against what he says in the Scriptures. To teach our children to imitate the practices of witches and Satanists is to give glory to Satan and what he stands for by re-enacting what they do. It will also teach our children to compromise and to be like the world which the Bible says NOT to be like. We cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." We have a great responsibility in raising God's children. They are His and we will be accountable to Him regarding this. Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves."
Remember that God is forgiving and loves us greatly but should not be presumed upon. 2 Peter 3:9 says: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Chr. 7:14 says, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." And finally, John 8:32 says: "Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free".
The scriptural denunciation of all such pagan practices is so overwhelming that I have just included a small percentage of what the Word says about it. In light of the facts and the following scriptures you need to make a decision: ". . .Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . .But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
Additional Scriptures: Deut. 18:9-13-- "When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to IMITATE the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the Lord your God."
1 Cor. 10:20-21-- "I say the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons."
Gal. 4:8-11-- "Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God-or rather are known by God-how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you."
1 Pet. 4:1-3-- "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry."
Eph. 5:6-11-- "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."
Rom. 13:12-- "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
Joshua 7:11-13 (Amplified)-- "Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant which I commanded them; they have taken of the things devoted (for destruction); they have stolen, and lied, and put them among their own baggage. That is why the Israelites could not stand before their enemies, but fled before them; they are accursed (devoted) things among you. Up, sanctify yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel. There is an accursed thing in the midst of you, O Israel; you can not stand before your enemies until you take away from among you the thing devoted (to destruction.)"
Gal. 6:7-8-- "Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
1 John 2:3-- "We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
Titus 2:12-- "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age."
1 John 2:6-- "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did."
WHAT ABOUT CHRISTMAS?
After the untimely death of King Osiris, his wife, Isis, propogated the demonic doctrine of the survival of Osiris as a spirit. She claimed a full grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead stump, symbolising the new life of the Osiris spirit from his death. On each anniversary of Osiris birth, which was the date we now know as December 25th, Isis would leave gifts around this tree.
Isis became the "Queen of Heaven", and Osiris became the reborn "divine son of heaven". Osiris later became, through the later Phoenicans, Baal the Sun-god. The "mother and child" became chief objects of worship by the Babylonians, from which it spread over the world under various names, such as, Cybel & Deoius in Asia, Fortuna & Jupiter in pagan Rome.
Then during the fourth and fifth century, the Romans under the new popular "Christianity" popularised the "mother and child" concept especially around Christmas time - from which we have many of the Christmas carols such as "Silent Night Holy Night" with it's familiar "mother and child" theme.
While most people have heard of the
To celebrate their belief in the powers of the gods, the Norsemen held festivals. The father of the Gods was Odin or Thor, commonly called the Yule Father (Yule referred to the sun). The original Yule Log Ceremony was a festival celebrating the sun during the winter solstice, which occurs close to the time we celebrate Christmas today.
Originally, the Yule Log was burned in honor of the gods and to bring good luck in the coming year. The log was usually from one of the largest trees that could be found. It was so massive that to haul it a team of horses or oxen were needed. After the Norman invasion of England in 1066, the Yule Log tradition was passed on to the British and evolved to the tradition that it is today.
After being cut down, the Yule Log was dragged through the streets. The log always came from its owners' land or a neighbor's property, and was never purchased. It was always burned on Christmas Eve, accompanied by music, fun, and games. It was customary that each year a piece of the Yule Log was saved and used to start the fire for the next year's log.
To help kindle the fire, holly was placed under the log. Customarily, guests would toss a sprig of holly into the fire to burn up the troubles of the past year and to keep their houses safe from burning down in the New Year.
Other Anglo-Saxon traditions include celebrating good health in the New Year by drinking from the wine-and-spice-filled Wassail bowl; baking Yule dough into figures shaped like people, with raisins for eyes and noses, to symbolize Christ (these Yule Dough people are where today's gingerbread men came from); burning a Yule Candle, which was big enough to burn for the 12 days of Christmas; and hanging a sprig of mistletoe for fertility and romance.
The concept of the
After the untimely death of King Osiris, his wife, Isis, propogated the demonic doctrine of the survival of Osiris as a spirit. She claimed a full grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead stump, symbolising the new life of the Osiris spirit from his death. On each anniversary of Osiris birth, which was the date we now know as December 25th, Isis would leave gifts around this tree.
During the Middle Ages, the Germans believed the evergreen trees were especially imbued with life since they remained green throughout all of winter. Greenery was prominent in pagan winter celebrations in honour of the tree spirit or spirit of fertility.
The Romans trimmed the trees with trinkets and toys at that time of year. The Druids tied gilded apples to tree branches. For many, a tree decorated with orbs and fruit-like object symbolised the tree of life in the garden of Eden.
The
Holly berries were also considered sacred to the sun-god. Holly was revered along with the mistletoe, with decorations in those greeneries prominent in buildings and places of worship during the winter festival - leading to the
Also known as "Father Christmas", the myths and legends surrounding Santa Claus are a mixture of pagan customs from differing regions.
"Santa Claus" is a corruption of the name "Saint Nicholas", a Roman Catholic bishop who lived in the 4th century. He was a saint honoured by the Greeks and Latins on December 6th, for the legendary bestowal of dowries on the three daughters of an impoverished citizen - said to originate the custom of giving gifts in secret on the eve of St. Nicholas (December 6th), later transferred to Christmas Day.
An important part of pagan festivities involved good and bad spirits - as in Halloween, followed by All Saints Day. In many regions, visitors being either good or bad spirits made their appearance during winter. Through blending pagan legends with traditions about saints, there emerged certain figures with similar personalities. Such figures are recognised today in different cultures as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nicholas, St. Martin, the Weihnachtsmann, Pere Noel. These figures - the Christianisation of German dieties - perpetuate the themes of rewards and punishment being dealt out to celebrants of the festivals. Throughout the centuries, these customs came to be centred around children.
The legend of Santa Claus entering the house through the chimney, and the hanging of socks and stockings by the fireplace, relates to the ancient superstitions around hearth spirits. The Chinese and others would traditionally sweep and scour the house in preparation for the visit by the hearth spirit. Dressed in a pointed red cap and red jacket, this fire god travelled from the heavens above, visiting homes to distribute favours or punishments.
Each Christmas time today, children are told the lie about Santa Claus coming down the chimney to distribute gifts to them if they behaved themselves!! Sooner or later the children learns of the myth, many becoming disillusioned. Such disillusions are easily transfered to the beliefs in God and Jesus Christ - if Santa Claus doesn't exist, then God and Jesus also doesn't exist!!! The Scriptures plainly state, "Thou shalt not bear false witness"!!
Far from adding to the "joy of Christmas", the Santa Claus legends actually turn away souls from Jesus Christ, risking for them an eternity in Hell!! No true Christian should ever involve themselves in this abominational legend of Santa Claus nomatter how good it may seem for the children at the time!! God says, "There is a way that seemeth right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of DEATH"!!
The wonder of EXCHANGING GIFTS during Christmas. That excitement of looking forward to seeing what your loved one buys for you for Christmas. Oh of course, it is "Christian" to be giving gifts to one another.... but is it?
Let us see what the Bibliotheca Sacra (vol 12 pp 153-155) says about the exchanging of gifts at Christmas...
"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 exchanging of gifts does not honour Christ at all. Suppose it is YOUR birthday and yet at your party, your friends and relatives exchange gifts among themselves and almost completely ignores you!! This is exactly what happens at Christmas - we exchange gifts among ourselves, but usually don't have enough money left over to continue our giving to our churches!! Just ask any pastor!! The giving to the church usually doesn't get back to normal until March next year!! In any case it's not Jesus' birthday anyway!! - His birthday is in September most probably and the exact date is not known.
WELL HOW ABOUT THE GIVING OF GIFTS TO BABY JESUS BY THE WISE MEN??
Consider what the Scriptures says....
"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,
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.
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.
MATTHEW 2:1-2,11
Notice here.... the wise men gave Jesus gifts because He was a KING of the Jews - it was not because it was His birthday. It was customary to give gifts to someone who is a King, just as it is so in many cultures today. In any case, the wise men didn't give any gifts to Jesus until long after His birthday.
"Verse 11 (They presented unto him gifts) The people of the east never approached 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."
Adam Clarke Commentary, vol 5, page 46
The exchanging of gifts among friends and relatives is not found in the Scriptures, it is derived from paganism.
Consider the poor among us who can't afford to buy gifts at Christmas time? Why is it that strife and torment increases around Christmas time? Family breakups, murders, suicides increases around Christmas time! Many of the impoverished among us speaks of the torments of not being able to buy gifts for one another at Christmas time, leading many to despair and suicide. Many tells of Christmas as being "a time of pain and heartbreak". Many will proclaim "it is the thought that counts", however reality is, we're bombarded by and surrounded by commercialized messages proclaiming in effect "how much you love someone is dictated by how much money you spend on a gift for them".
The cold hard facts are.... if Christmas was a Christian festival, then there would not be so much pain and heartbreak among the poor and impoverished among us!! Jesus brought JOY and LIFE to the poor, NOT pain and heartbreak!
Lots of people get very upset when you try to explain these truths to them. They don't want to give up their holiday fun. The devil has done a very good job of drawing the multitudes into his web of deceit, tying it all up in pretty packages and bows and excitement for the children. However evil is always evil. It cannot be made good just because we want it to be or because we say it is how we mean it to be. We have been duped; tricked by the master of lies and thieves. But, it all boils down to the same choices the Roman Church made. Do you want paganism in your Christianity? They did what was convenient to get them what they wanted; more members, more money and less persecution.
The Bible says we cannot serve God and mammon too. The choice is yours. But this doesn't mean the end of fun and festivities. No, not at all. Be inventive. Make up your own holidays for helping others and family gatherings. Also, you can study the Feast Days, in the Bible and see if there may be some redeeming qualities about them that you'd like to incorporate into your own lives. There is so much to be learned by studying the Feast Days. I know from Scripture in the New Testament that they don't need to be literally kept by us as Christians anymore, as they were in the *"hand-written law... that was nailed to the cross". They were a shadow of Christ's sacrifice for us. However, I have learned great and wonderful lessons from studying them and I continue to study their meaning and import. It helps us to understand and appreciate the wonder and mercy of our great Creator and Lord. "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord." Ask our Father in Heaven to guide you and bless you as you seek whole truth and desire to walk in it. * The hand-written laws were those laws that the Lord told Moses to write himself. Having Moses write them, on parchment, made them temporal. These are the ceremonial laws not the Ten Commandments! They were placed in a special pocket on the side of the Ark of the Covenant, while the Ten Commandment stones were placed inside the Ark. This is very profound. Looking up the word temporal in the dictionary, you will find there are two definitions for the word. The first is: "temporary, transitory, of or limited by time. The second is: "of or near the temples (of the head)". If you read both in a symbolic as well as in a literal way, I think you will find this both profound and fascinating. Blessings.
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