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Christmas aka "Christ-MESS"
Examining the Erroneous Teaching that Christmas is the Celebration of the Messiyah's Birth
By Obadiyah Ysray
Shalom, brothers and sisters.
Above all, let us give all praises to Yah for He is awakening His people daily to His truth!
The world has been out in full force preparing for its grandest of all pagan festivals, the greatest deception of their year, Christmas.
As the whirlwind of Christmas commercialism and all its other trappings begin to calm, I am thankful if only because my head can stop spinning with the repetitious spin of Christmas songs and of people wishing me a "Merry Christmas." At one time or another, in our ignorance and with the best intentions, many of us too have partaken in the celebrations of this "holiday season." I am presented often with opportunities to witness about this "grand pagan day" to brothers and sisters whose blinders have not yet been lifted.
A typical dialogue might go like this:
Me: "WHY DO YOU CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?"
Them: "I’M A CHRISTIAN AND IT’S THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR LORD, JESUS CHRIST."
Me: "WHERE IS THE PROOF? WHAT SCRIPTURE AND VERSE STATES THIS?"
Them (Below are typical responses):
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"EVEN THOUGH NO ONE KNOWS WHEN HE WAS REALLY BORN, CHRISTMAS IS WHEN EVERYONE CELEBRATES HIS BIRTH."
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"ALL CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE IT."
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"MY PASTOR TEACHES ON IT. THE CHURCHES CELEBRATE IT. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN CELEBRATED ON DECEMBER 25TH."
Me: "WHAT SCRIPTURE AND VERSE SAY THAT THE MESSIYAH EVER CELEBRATED HIS BIRTHDAY IN THE SAME FASHION AS MODERN CHRISTMAS?"
Them: (At this point, they likely appear to be perplexed, but I press on.)
Me: "WHAT SCRIPTURE AND VERSE SAY THAT THE APOSTLES CELEBRATED THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIYAH IN THE SAME FASHION AS MODERN CHRISTMAS?"
Them: (By now they are downright indignant) "I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE APOSTLES DID FOR JESUS’ BIRTHDAY. MAYBE THEY WERE TOO BUSY PREACHING, BUT WE CELEBRATE IT TO HONOR HIS BIRTH. WE GIVE GIFTS TO EACH OTHER LIKE THE THREE WISE MEN GAVE JESUS GIFTS OF GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH. WHAT’S THE HARM IN DECORATING A TREE AND SURPRISING KIDS WITH TOYS FROM SANTA ON CHRISTMAS?"
Me: "WHAT DO SANTA CLAUS, REINDEER, TOYS, AND TRESS HAVE TO DO WITH THE BIRTHDAY OF YOUR LORD?"
Me: "WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS?"
Me: "DO YOU LOVE THE DEVIL?"
Them: "NO."
Me: "THEN DON’T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS."
Them: "THAT’S BULL@#$%. CHRISTMAS IS FOR THE KIDS!"
Me: "AND THE LAKE OF FIRE IS FOR THE WICKED."
Allow me to present information on the origins of Christmas and its true meaning. You may feel free to use this information in your witness to family, friends, and others
Christmas Marks the Birth of the Messiyah - Fact or Fallacy?
What is "the reason for the season?" Christians observe two major holidays or festivals in honor of the birth and death of their god, Jesus. These holidays are Christmas and Easter with a subordinate holiday called "Good Friday."
Christmas is celebrated during winter on December 25th. According to Christians this day is the birthday of their god. However, not one scripture can be found showing us that either the Messiyah was born on December 25 or that he even celebrated his birthday. In the ancient world, celebrating birthdays was a pagan practice.
Genesis 40:20 – And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants...
Matthew 14:6 – But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
Mark 6:21 – And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; […]
Throughout scripture, birthday celebrations are mentioned only three times (in the above verses), with no mention pertaining to Yahoshua’s birthday. The gospels focus primarily on one aspect of the circumstances surrounding Yahoshua’s birth: He was born through the womb of a virgin. If Christmas is of the scriptures, why is there no mention of such a practice either during or after Yahoshua’s earthly mission? Scripture research from cover to cover will not reveal any such mention. So let’s go to history and the days of the Romans, who are the founders of Christianity.
In a useful publication entitled, Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, 2nd edition, edited by Helene Henderson and Sue Ellen Thompson, it reads:
"Christmas, December 25, the most popular of the Christian festivals, also known as the FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, Christmas (from Christ-Mass) celebrates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The exact date of Jesus' birth is not known, and for more than three centuries it was a movable feast often celebrated on EPIPHANY, JANUARY 6TH. The western church chose to observe it at the end of December, perhaps as a way of countering the various pre-Christian festivals celebrated around that time of year. Some believe that Pope Julius I fixed the date of Christmas at December 25 in the fourth century. The earliest reference to it is in the Philocclian Calendar of Rome in 336. Although the majority of Eastern orthodox churches have celebrated the Nativity on December 25 since the middle of the fifth century, those that still adhere to the old Julian calendar––called old calendarist––mark the occasion 13 days later. As a Holiday, Christmas represents a strange intermingling of both Christian and Pagan traditions it replaced. Many of the secular customs now associated with Christmas such as decorating with mistletoe, holly and ivy; indulging in excessive eating and drinking; stringing lights in trees; and exchanging gifts––can be traced back to early pagan festivals like the saturnalia and ancient winter solstice rites. Another example is burning the Yule log, which was part of the a pre-Christian winter solstice rite celebrating the return of the sun in the middle of winter. Even the Christmas tree, a German custom introduced in Britain by Queen Victoria's husband, Albert, can trace it's history back to ancient times, when trees were worshiped as spirits" (p. 83) (emphasis added).
The Holman Bible Dictionary, CD-ROM edition, under "Christmas" reads as follows:
"No evidence remains about the exact date of the birth of Christ. The December 25 date was chosen as much for practical reasons as for theological ones. Throughout the Roman Empire, various festivals were held in conjunction with the winter solstice. In Rome, the Feast of the Unconquerable Sun celebrated the beginning of the return of the sun. When Christianity became the religion of the Empire, the church either had to suppress the festivals or transform them. The winter Solstice seemed an appropriate time to celebrate Christ's birth. Thus the festival of the SUN became a festival of the SON, the light of the world."
Christmas is a Pagan Practice Commemorating the Saturnalia or Rebirth of the Sun
Christmas is not the true scriptural Messiyah’s birthday. Clearly, it is a pagan practice. The prophet Jeremiyah (YeremiYah) tells us about the celebration of the pagan practice that would later become known as "Christmas."
Jeremiyah 10:2 - Thus saith YAH, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
v. 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.
v. 4 - They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
v. 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.
Jeremiyah clearly described the pagan custom of the modern-day Christmas tree, explaining the practice to be something of which the Most High did not approve. In verse 2, Jeremiyah warned Yah’s people to not be dismayed at the signs of the heaven for the heathen are dismayed at them. The Christmas celebration as we just read is the same ancient pagan practice called "Saturnalia." Saturnalia was a festival celebrated by many ancient cultures the world over. It was to commemorate the rebirth of the SUN.
In the northern hemisphere, winter solstice is the day of the year (near December 22) when the sun is farthest from the earth.
It is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word, solstice, which comes from the Latin word, solstitium: sol = sun and stitium = a stoppage (solstice means "sun stoppage" or "standing-still sun").
Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. The heathen became dismayed at the signs of heaven (sun) and, in turn, these sun worshippers created an entire festival based on this occurrence.
December 25 was a great pagan festival, that of SOL INVICTUS, which celebrated the victory of light over darkness, and the lengthening of the sun's rays at the winter solstice. This assimilation of Christ to the sun god and sun of righteousness was widespread in the fourth century and was fathered by the Roman Emperor Constantine's legislation on Sunday, which is not unrelated to the fact that the sun god was the titular divinity of [Constantine's] family (Walker, A History of the Christian Church, 3d Ed., p.155.).
Roman Emperor Aurelian established December 25 as the birthday of the "Invincible Sun" in the third century as part of the Roman Winter Solstice celebrations. By the fourth century the western church leaders selected December 25 to represent the birthday of Jesus because this was the date recognized throughout the Roman Empire as the birthday of the sun god.
January 6, celebrated as Epiphany in Christendom and linked with the visit of the Magi, was originally an Egyptian date for the winter solstice. Since there was no central Christian authority at the time, it took centuries before the tradition was universally accepted.
Eastern churches began to celebrate Christmas after 375 CE; the church in Jerusalem started in the 7th century; Ireland started in the 5th century; Austria, England and Switzerland in the 8th; Slavic lands in the 9th and 10th centuries. Because the pagans were sun worshipers, they understood the path the sun takes across the sky; but when the sun did not move for up to 3 days they became dismayed by this event. So they created a festival to the sun god. This is an ancient practice that Jeremiyah clearly tells us is not of Father Yah. Christmas is not the birthday of Yahoshua, the scriptural Messiyah. Rather it is a pagan festival, a vain custom, observed by Christians.
The practice of gift giving is also derived from the Roman winter solstice or Saturnalia. The people would celebrate the solstice by having a grand feast and exchanging gifts with one another. Every practice comprising modern Christmas celebrations comes directly from ancient pagan sun-god worship.
Unveiling the True Identity of Santa Claus
What about the "Santa" myth? Have you considered that you could also be burning (sacrificing) your children today (though in a different manner) in your practice of Christmas, all the while sincerely endeavoring to "focus on Christ?"
Parents reason that they owe the whole Christmas myth to their children. Christmas traditions are focused primarily on children, as they are certainly the center of most of what happens. I know because I kept seventeen Christmases. My older sister, younger brother, and I were the recipients of much and the givers of very little on that day—and it all began with the "Santa Claus" lie.
Some years ago, a priest in New Jersey told his Sunday school class that Santa was a myth. The outrage from parents and his supervisors was swift. He had "killed Santa!" He had "destroyed family tradition!" He had "usurped family authority," the article continued. He was officially censored by his superiors for being "overzealous and insensitive" (see The True Origins of Christmas).
His crime? He told the truth.
Santa's Ties to Nimrod
According to the article, "Santa," in Langer’s Encyclopedia of World History, Santa, was a common name for Nimrod throughout Asia Minor. This was also the name of the same fire god who came down the chimneys of the ancient pagans; the same fire god to whom ancient Israylites burned and ate their infants in human sacrifice—a practice they adopted from the pagans.
In 1809 Washington Irving was responsible for remaking the original, old, stern bishop, Saint Nicholas, into the new "jolly old St. Nick" in his Knickerbocker History of New York. Most of the rest of America's Christmas traditions are even more recent than this. "Old Nick" has long been recognized as a term for the devil.
In Revelation 2:6 and 15, we read about a "doctrine of the Nicolaitanes" which Yahoshua tells his Church twice he hates.
Let's analyze the word Nicolaitane. It means "follower of Nicholas." Nikos means "conqueror, destroyer." Laos means, "people." Nicolaitanes, then, are people who follow the conqueror or destroyer (Nimrod). If you have believed that following Christmas is an innocent Christian custom, let this truth sink in.
Examining the Pagan Roots of Gift Exchange
Is it scriptural to exchange gifts? Merchants regularly report that over 60 percent of their annual retail sales occur during the Christmas shopping season. This represents a tremendous amount of gift buying. Most people today believe that gift giving comes from the scriptural example of the three "wise men" presenting gifts to the Messiyah (although scripture does not specify how many "wise men" were present). Is this true? Where did exchanging gifts come from, and what does Yah's Word say about it?
The Bibliotheca Sacra states, "The interchange of presents between friends is a like characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows" (Vol. 12, pp. 153-155).
Like every other aspect of Christmas, the shocking truth is that even this purported Christian custom does not come from the Scriptures. It is an irony that people love to believe they are following the custom of the wise men giving to Yahoshua when they are actually giving almost exclusively to each other like the paganic keepers of Saturnalia.
Let's briefly return to the "wise men" who gave gifts to Yahoshua (Matthew 2:1-11).
Matthew 2:1 - Now when Yahoshua was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
v. 2 - Saying, Where is he that is born King of Ysrayl? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
v. 11 - And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary (Miriam) 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.
It is commonly assumed that these were birthday presents for "baby Yahoshua." But is this what the Scripture actually says? Absolutely NOT.
First, it is important to note that they did give the gifts to Yahoshua. They did not stand in his presence and exchange gifts among themselves or give them to others. The gifts were "presented unto him." The wise men also arrived well after Yahoshua’s "birthday." This is another reason these could not have been "birthday presents."
A long-standing, ancient custom of the East was to present gifts when coming before a king. These men understood they were in the presence of the King of Ysrayl. The scriptures carry many examples of people sending gifts to kings or presenting them upon arrival into their presence. This custom is common today when ambassadors or others come into the presence of a world leader.
Finally, notice what the Adam Clarke Commentary states in Volume 5, about what really happened on this occasion (p. 6):
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. This custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the east, and in some of the newly discovered South Seas Islands."
Gifts were customarily presented to kings.
1 Kings 10:1 - And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of YAH, she came to prove him with hard questions.
v. 2 - And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
v. 10 - And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
What could be more obvious?
The Babylonian Origin of the Christmas Tree
No lesson about Christmas is complete without some explanation of the "Christmas tree." We touched on it previously and expound on it here. The modern practice involving the Christmas tree originated in Germany. The Germans got it from the Romans, who got it from the Babylonians and the Egyptians.
The following demonstrates what the Babylonians believe about the origin of the Christmas tree:
An old Babylonish fable told of an evergreen tree which sprang out of a dead tree stump. The old stump symbolized the dead Nimrod, the new evergreen tree symbolized that Nimrod had come to life again in Tammuz [Nimrod’s son through his incestuous relationship with his mother, Semiramis]!
Among the Druids the oak was sacred, among the Egyptians it was the palm, and in Rome it was the fir, which was decorated with red berries during the Saturnalia! (Walsh, Curiosities of Popular Customs, p.242) (emphases added).
Did you know that the Christmas tree long preceded Christianity?
Frederick J. Haskin’s Answers to Questions states, "The Christmas tree is from Egypt, and its origin dates from a period long anterior to the Christmas Era."
Most aspects of Christmas are not referred to in Scripture. Of course the reason is that they are not from YAH; they are not part of the way He wants people to worship Him. In Deuteronomy 12:2-4, YAH plainly establishes an important directive:
Deuteronomy 12:2 - Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which you shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
v. 3 - And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of the place.
v. 4 - Ye shall not do so unto YAH your Mighty One.
Notice YAH’s references to "every green tree" and "their groves." There are at least ten similar verses throughout the Old Testament referring to "green trees" and their association with idolatry. Historians hold that the reference to the term "green" refers to green year-round – i.e., evergreen trees.
Other Modern-Day Customs
Let's take a closer look at the actual history and origins of some of the other Saturnalia customs still practiced today.
Notice the following quote from the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, "Oscilla" (3rd Edition, Volume II):
[…] All ranks devoted themselves to feasting and mirth, presents were exchanged among friends, and crowds thronged the streets, shouting ‘‘Lo Saturnalia.’’ An offering was made beneath a decorated evergreen tree, according to the pagan poet, Virgil. Figurines and masks, called ‘‘oscilla,’’ were hung on the tree, as are Christmas decorations today. History admits […] there can be no doubt that we have in these ‘‘oscilla’’ a relic of human sacrifice […]
It all rings familiar—presents, singing in the streets, evergreen trees, decorations, offerings under the tree, merrymaking, feasting. They may sound wonderful, but they represent things that are truly abominable. They have gone as far as to make a song for the Christmas tree: "OH, CHRISTMAS TREE! OH, CHRISTMAS TREE! HOW LOVELY ARE THY BRANCHES…"
There is no room in Jeremiyah 10 or misinterpretation to believe, as some have tried to suggest, that because these trees are powerless in and of themselves, it is not really forbidden to have a Christmas tree. YAH forbids us to erect Christmas trees; He condemns this practice.
The Truth About KWANZAA
Our people have bought into something that is totally against the laws of YAH. Look at this article from a "black" Christian minister who displays his complete ignorance as to the meaning of Christmas:
JUST SAY "NO" TO KWANZAA!
Black Minister Says Blacks Should Celebrate Christmas and Reject KWANZAA
Los Angeles. "Black Christians should be outraged by recent attempts to stamp out Christianity from Christmas celebrations," said Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder and president of BOND (Brotherhood Organization of A New Destiny). There have been numerous reports from across the country of public school administrators and city officials attempting to ban nativity scenes, Christmas carols, candy canes, and even Christmas trees from public places. Yet, the ‘‘African’’ holiday KWANZAA has become accepted as mainstream. KWANZAA is taught in public schools, recognized by corporations, and even President George W. Bush issued a proclamation celebrating KWANZAA in 2002.
Rev. Peterson said: KWANZAA is an anti-God, anti-American, and anti-white holiday created by a black felon.
KWANZAA only serves to further separate blacks from God and America. Black Christians should stop celebrating this pagan holiday—instead, they should stand up for Christmas. (emphasis added)
Observed from December 26 to January 1, KWANZAA was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana "Ron" Karenga as a holiday to help blacks get in touch with their African roots. Karenga was also the head of United Slaves Organization, a Marxist black power group. In 1970, Karenga was arrested and charged with conspiracy and assault in the torture of two of his female followers. Karenga was convicted and served four years for the crime.
Rev. Peterson said: If black Christians don't stand up for Christmas and reject KWANZAA, they are allowing evil to have its way. They will regret using a fake holiday to stamp out the true meaning of Christmas. BOND is a nationally recognized religious nonprofit organization whose purpose is "Rebuilding the Family by Rebuilding the Man." Founded in 1990, BOND has helped countless individuals and families from across the country overcome some of life's most challenging problems.
* * *
This black minister of Satan says our people should stand up for Christmas and not pagan KWANZAA. This further demonstrates the ignorance that saturates Christian doctrine and customs.
Brothers and sisters, Christmas, as we have learned, is not Scriptural; not of Yah but against HIM. Christmas is nothing but paganic through and through. Yah tells us clearly through Jeremiyah to learn not the ways of the heathen. The origins of Christmas and all its related customs are satanic—another one of Satan’s "WHOLE-LIE-DAYS"—the roots of which are steeped in ancient pagan worship.
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to relate a personal story about a recent incident that occurred on my job. As we know, absent of prayer, wisdom, and determination, one can quickly become caught up in the pagan festivities around this time of year.
Coworkers and others are aware that I do not celebrate Christmas. Nonetheless, many continue to wish me a "Merry Christmas" and try to give me gifts, food or holiday candy.
Among my coworkers is a Christian minister to whom I had the opportunity to witness. I have given this brother information and books such as the Raw Gospel. Although he has been awakened to the fact that we are the true Israylites, knows Christmas is not the Messiyah’s birthday, and knows that I do not celebrate Christmas, he too gave a gift to me—a CD with Christmas songs that he and his wife made! The righteousness within me wants to remove that CD from my locker on Monday, slide it under my size 13 boot and stomp it into as many pieces as I possibly can.
Brothers and sisters, the pull can be strong; the lure of gifts, of "giving and receiving," of "good food," and "good cheer" can be very enticing. Yes, we must endure some of the world’s madness, but all the while we must be determined to uphold Yah’s truths and not be overtaken by worldly ways.
Finally, if you are truly serious about not celebrating Christmas, simply DO NOT.
Do not partake of anything relating to this satanic day. The most obvious ways by which to take a stand is to refuse gifts and cards, and to refrain from purchasing gifts and from putting up a tree and other decorations. Among the adversary’s more subtle tricks is to get us to partake of the Christmas feast. Be advised that we should not partake of it, as it is equivalent to food that has been sacrifice to idols. This day, a celebration for the pagan Gentile god, Jesus, has nothing to do with the true Messiyah, Yahoshua.
1 Cor. 10:19 – What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
v. 20 - But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to YAH: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
v. 21 - Ye cannot drink the cup of YAH, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of YAH’s table, and of the table of devils.
Permission is granted for printing and utilizing this lesson in its full context for forwarding to and teaching others.
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