The answer to these questions may surprise you, but, briefly here is the truth of the matter. The popular festivals of Christendom (Christmas, Easter, Hallowe'en, Ash Wednesday etc.) together with the weekly rest of Sunday are all of pagan origin. Their observance is not commanded in the Scriptures. Where did they come from? They were adopted by the Christian church several centuries after the Saviour ascended to heaven. Here are a few authoritative statements to prove these amazing claims.
"There is no authoritative tradition as to the day or month of Christ's birth ... The winter solstice was regarded as the birthday of the sun and at Rome a pagan festival of the nativity of "sol invictus" was introduced by the Emperor Aurelian on the 25th December 274. The church unable to stamp out this popular festival, spiritualised it as the Feast of the Nativity of the Sun of Righteousness. When Christianity spread northwards it encountered a similar pagan festival also held at the winter solstice - the great Yule feast of the Norsemen. Once again Christians absorbed heathen customs. From the various sources came the Yule Log, the Christmas tree introduced into England from Germany and first mentioned in 1978." (Chambers encyclopaedia 1970 edition page 530)
"Indeed it is admitted by the most learned and candid of writers of all parties that the day of our Lord's birth cannot be determined and that within the Christian church no festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the 3rd century, and that not till the 4th century was far advanced did it gain much observance."
How then did the Romanish church fix on December 25th as Christmas day? Why thus:
"Long before the fourth century and long before the Christian era itself, a
festival was celebrated among the heathen at the precise time of the year
in honour of the Son of Babylonian Queen of Heaven: and it may fairly be
assumed that in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of
the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the
Roman Church giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on part of
the Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early adopted ...
upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts the
apostasy went on, 'till the church, with the exemption of a small remnant,
was submerged under Pagan superstition.
That Christmas was originally a pagan festival is beyond all doubt.
The time of the year and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated
proves its origin. In Egypt the Son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the
Queen of Heaven, was born at this very time, about the time of the winter
solstice." (The Two Babylons by Alexander Hyslop, pages 92 and 93)
"Then look at Easter. What means the term Easter itself? It is not a
Christian name. It bears the Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter
is nothing else but Ashtarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the Queen of
Heaven.
The "buns" known too by that identical name were used in the worship of the
queen of heaven, the goddess of Easter, as early as the days of Cecrops,
the founder of Athens - that is 1500 years before the Christian era ...
The prophet Jeremiah takes notice of this kind of offering when he says,
"The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead
their dough to make cakes to the Queen of heaven." (Jer. 7:18)
The hot cross buns are not now offered, but eaten, on the festival of
Astarte: but this leaves no doubt as to whence they have been derived. The
origin of the Easter egg is just as clear. The ancient Druids bore an egg
as a sacred emblem of their order ...
In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and
the Greeks and were hung up for the mystic purposes in their temples. From
Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the
Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic of the
Babylonians; and thus its tale is told by Hyginus the Egyptian, the learned
keeper of the Palatine library in Rome, in the time of Augustus, who was
skilled in all the wisdom of his native country.
An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river
Euphrates. The fish rolled it to the bank where the doves having settled
upon it and hatched it - came out Venus who afterwards was called the
Syrian Goddess - that is Astarte. Hence the egg became one of the of
symbols of Astarte or Easter." (The Two Babylons, pages 103, 108&109)
But enough of quotations, for the reader can visit any reference library and trace the origins of Christmas and Easter back to paganism. The facts are legion.
The question now is: Should a true believer in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel celebrate Christmas and Easter? Is it acceptable to enter into these festivities and keep these pagan feasts now that their heathen origins have become widely known? And will the Holy One of Israel object to one of His followers, say, attending a Christmas dinner or party?
The Bible answer is absolutely clear on this point and if you have the courage to read it turn to 1 Corinthians 10 and study verses 16-22 you will find this question, answered and it amounts to this:
| 1 Cor. 10: | "20: But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. 21: Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22: Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?" |
This is a serious error and if the reader has not already done so he/she must read our article Is Sunday the Christian Sabbath? The article examines every text in the Bible which mentions the first day of the week, and proves beyond any doubt that nowhere in the Scriptures is Sunday observance called for. This amazing conclusion is also verified by learned writers of several major Christian denominations.
What then of the coming Spiritual Election? And what have the Sabbaths of the Almighty and the popular festivals of Christendom to do with an election? A great deal. Very soon all humanity will be compelled to choose between:
In that coming spiritual election the electorate will not be expected to enter a polling booth to put a mark against a candidate's name. Instead, the two spiritual candidates, (Jehovah, the God of Abraham on the one hand: and Satan the Devil on the other), will set their signatures, (an inscription of their names) in the minds of the voters. In other words you will indicate your choice of Leader by accepting in your mind either the Signature of Yahweh the God of Israel or the Mark of the Beast. The Leader whose signature you mentally accept and subsequently reflect in your actions, He will be the One of your choice. That is how you will vote, whether you fully realise the eternal implications of that choice or not.
| Ezekiel 20:12 | "Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths to be a SIGN between me and
them, that they might know that I am the LORD, that sanctify them."
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| Ezekiel 20:20 | "And hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a SIGN between me and you
that ye may know that I am the LORD your God."
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| Exodus 31:12 | "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13: Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a SIGN between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. ... 16: Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17: It is a SIGN between me and the children of Israel for ever." |
| Exodus 13:9 | "And it (The Feast of Unleavened Bread) shall be a sign unto thee
upon thine hand and for a memorial between thine eyes (in the
forehead) that the Lord's law may be in thy mouth."
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| Deut.6:6 | " And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up . 8: And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes." |
| Hebrews 8:8 | " ... Behold the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.... 10. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. 11. And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying 'Know the Lord:' for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest." |
| Hebrew 10:16 | "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17. And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. " |
Just before the end of this age the Antichrist is scheduled to make a
personal appearance on this earth. (2 Thess. 2:7-8, Rev. 17:8) With
breathtaking miracles and lying wonders he will seduce the inhabitants of the world into worshipping Him. (Rev. 13:13-15) His hatred of truth
will focus on Yahweh's Law and particularly on the Sabbath days in His law.
Vainly will the Antichrist imagine that he is able to change and replace
God's Sabbaths with days of his own choosing. The prophet Daniel has this to say
about the Antichrist's activities:
| Daniel 7:25 | "And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times." |
| Matthew 5:17 | "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." |
And you dear reader are now being given the opportunity to choose:
| 1 John 2:3 | "And hereby, we do know that we know Him, if we keep His
commandments. 4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him." |
How long you personally have before you make your choice and finalise your vote we cannot tell. But you may be sure the time is short and to delay is dangerous. Carefully consider your decision before you make it, for the issues at stake are momentous and the consequences of a wrong choice are too dreadful to even contemplate. Read Rev. 14:9-11 for your own safety.
To help you further understand this matter, Stewarton Bible School has produced a lesson entitled The Mark of the Beast. It contains information of great importance, so read it today if you have not already done so.
If you decide to obey the Almighty you will be bountifully blessed; blessed
and protected from the terrors of Abaddon's regime which is about to tear
our civilisation apart. (Rev. 9:4) Yes, obedience will bring blessing.
| Revelation 22:14 | "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates unto the city." |
