CHRISTMAS-DECEMBER 25th-is the day designated on our
calendars as the day of Christ's birth. But is this really
the day on which he was born? Are today's customs at this
season of Christian origin? Or is Christmas another example
of mixture between SUN Worship
and Christianity?
A look at the
word "Christmas" indicates that it is a mixture. Though it includes the name
of Christ, it also mentions the "Mass." When we consider all of
the elaborate ceremonies, prayers for the dead,
transubstantiation rites, and complicated rituals of the Roman
Catholic Mass, can any truly link this
with the historical Jesus of the gospels? His life
and ministry were uncomplicated by such ritualism. As Paul,
we fear that some have been
corrupted "from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor.11:3 )
because of SUN Worship influence upon such things as the Mass. Looking at it this
way, the word "Christ-mass"
is self-contradictory.
2 Cor. 11:3 But I fear, lest by
any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so
your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in
Christ.
As to the
actual date of Christ's birth, December
25th is to be doubted. When Jesus was born, "there
were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). Shepherds in
Palestine did not abide in the fields during the middle of winter!
Adam Clarke has written, "As these shepherds had not yet brought
home their flocks, it is a 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 out in the
fields...On this very ground the nativity in December should be
given up."
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night.
While the
Bible does not expressly tell us the date of Jesus birth, there
are indications it was probably in the fall of the year.
We know that Jesus was crucified in spring, at the time of the
passover (John 18:39). Figuring his ministry as lasting
three and a half years, this would place the beginning of his
ministry in fall. At that time, he was about to be thirty
years of age (Luke 3:23), the recognized age for a man to become
an official minister under the
Old Testament (Numbers 4:3). If he turned thirty in the fall, then his
birthday was in the fall, thirty years before.
John 18:39 But ye have a
custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover:
will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the
Jews? Luke 3:23 And Jesus himself began to be about
thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of
Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Numbers4:3 From thirty years old and
upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the
host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
At the time of Jesus' birth, Joseph and Mary had gone to
Bethlehem to be taxed (Luke 2:1-5). There are no records' to
indicate that the middle of winter was the time of taxing.
A more logical time of the year would have been in the fall, at
the end of the harvest. If this was the case, it would have been
the season for the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem which could
explain why Mary went with Joseph (Luke 2:41). This would
also explain why even at Bethlehem which was only five miles to
the south. If the journey of Mary and Joseph was indeed to
attend the feast, as well as to be taxed, this would place the
birth of Jesus in the fall of the year.
Luke 2:1 And it came to pass
in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar
Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. Luke 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when
Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) Luke 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into
his own city. Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee,
out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of
David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house
and lineage of David:) Luke 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife,
being great with child.
Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every
year at the feast of the passover.
It is not
essential that we know the exact date on which Christ was born-the
main thing being, of course, that he was born! The early
Christians commemorated the death of Christ (1 Cor.11:26), not his
birth. The Catholic Encyclopedia says, "Christmas was not
among the earliest festivals of the Church. (Irenaeus and
Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts." Later, when
churches at various places did begin celebrating the birthday of
Christ, there was much difference of opinion as to the correct
date. It was not until the latter part of the fourth century
before the Roman Church began observing December 25th. Yet,
by the fifth century, it was ordering that the birth of Christ be
forever observed on this date, even though this was the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol,
one of the names of the SUN-god!
1Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye
eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death
till he come.
Says Frazer,
"The largest SUN Worship religious cult which fostered the
celebration of December 25 as a holiday throughout the Roman and
Greek worlds was the SUN Worship of - Mithraism...This
winter festival was called 'the Nativity' - the Nativity of the Sun.
Was this SUN Worship
festival responsible for the December 25 day being chosen by the
Roman Church? We will let The Catholic Encyclopedia
answer. "The well-known solar feast of Natalis Invicti"-the
Nativity, of the unconquered Sun-"celebrated on 25
December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our
December date"!
As SUN
Worship solar customs were being "Christianized" at Rome, it
is understandable that confusion would result. Some thought
Jesus was Sol, the sun-god! "Tertullian had to assert that
Sol was not the Christians' God; Augustine denounced the heretical
identification of Christ with Sol. Pope Leo I bitterly
reproved solar survivals-Christians, on the very doorstep of the
Apostles' basilica, turning to adore the rising sun."
The winter
festival was very popular in ancient times. "In SUN Worship
Rome and Greece, in the days of the Teutonic barbarians, in the
remote times of ancient Egyptian civilization, in the infancy of
the race East and West and North and South, the period of the
winter solstice was ever a period of rejoicing and festivity."s
Because this season was so popular, it was adopted as the time of
the birth of Christ by the Roman
church.
Some of our
present-day Christmas customs were influenced by the Roman
Saturnalia. "It is common knowledge", says one writer, "that much
of our association with the Christmas season-the holidays, the
giving of presents and the general feeling of geniality-is but the
inheritance from the Roman winter festival of the
Saturnalia...survivals of SUN Worship. "
Tertullian
mentions that the practice of exchanging presents was a part of
the Saturnalia. There is nothing wrong in giving presents, of
course. The Israelites gave gifts to each other at times of
celebration--even celebrations that were observed because of mere
custom (Esther 9:22). But some have sought to link Christmas
gifts with those presented to Jesus by the wisemen. This
cannot be correct. By the time the wiseman arrived, Jesus was no
longer "lying in a manger" (as when the shepherds came), but was
in a house (Matt. 2:9-11). This could have been quite a while
after his birthday. Also, they presented their gifts to
Jesus, not to each other!
Esther 9:22 As the days wherein
the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was
turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a
good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy,
and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
Matthew 2:9 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.
Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceeding great joy.
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they
saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell
The Christmas
tree, as we know it, only dates back a few centuries, though ideas
about sacred trees are very ancient. 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!
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! The Scandinavian god Odin was
believed to bestow special gifts at yuletide to those who
approached his sacred fir tree. In at least ten Biblical
references, the green tree is associated with idolatry and false
worship (1 Kings 14:23, etc.) Since all trees are green at least
part of the year, the special mention of "'green" probably refers
to trees that are evergreen. "The Christmas tree...recapitulates
the idea of tree worship...gilded nuts and balls symbolize the sun...all of the festivities of
the winter
solstice have been absorbed into Christmas day...the use
of holly and mistletoe from the Drudic ceremonies; the Christmas
tree from the honors paid to Odin's sacred fir."
1King 14:23 For they also
built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high
hill, and under every green tree.
Taking all of this into consideration,
it is interesting to compare a statement of Jeremiah with today's
custom of decorating a tree at the Christmas season. "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. They deck it with silver and with
gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move
not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not"
(Jeremiah 10:3,4).
The people in the days of Jeremiah, as the
context shows, were actually making an idol out of the tree, the
word "workman" being not merely a lumberjack, but one who formed
idols ( Isaiah 40:19, 20; Hosea 8:4-6). And the word "axe"
refers here specifically to a carving tool. These customs
do, however, provide vivid examples of how mixtures have been
made.
Isaiah
14:19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an
abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain,
thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the
pit; as a carcase trodden under feet. Isaiah 14:20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in
burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy
people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.
Hosea 8:4 They have set up kings, but not by me:
they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and
their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.
Hosea 8:5 Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off;
mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they
attain to innocency? Hosea 8:6 For from Israel was it also: the workman
made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall
be broken in pieces.
In the sixth century, missionaries were sent
through the northern part of Europe to gather SUN Worshipers into the
Roman fold. They found that June 24th was a very popular day among
these people. They sought to "Christianize" this day, but
how? By this time December 25th had been adopted by the
Romish church as the birthday of Christ. Since June 24th was
approximately six months before December 25th, why not call this
the birthday of John the Baptist? John was born, it should
be remembered, six months before Jesus (Luke 1:26,36). Thus
June 24th is known on the papal calendar now as St. John's Day!
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of
Galilee, named Nazareth, Luke 1:27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was
Mary. Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and
said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with
thee: blessed art thou among women. Luke 1:29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at
his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this
should be. Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not,
Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy
womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the
throne of his father David: Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Luke 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall
this be, seeing I know not a man? Luke1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her,
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the
Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she
hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth
month with her, who was called barren.
In Britain,
before the entrance of Christianity there, June 24th was
celebrated by the Druids with blazing fires in honor of
Baal. Herodotus, Wilkinson, Layard, and other historians
tell of these ceremonial fires in different countries. When
June 24th became St. John's day, the sacred fires were adopted
also and became "St. John's fires"! These are mentioned as such in
the Catholic Encyclopedia. "I have seen the people running
and leaping through the St. John's fires in Ireland", says a
writer of the past century, "...proud of passing through
unsinged...thinking themselves in a special manner blest by the
'ceremony." It would seem that such rites would sooner
honor Molech than John the Baptist!
June 24th was
regarded as being sacred to the ancient fish god Oannes, a name by
which Nimrod was known. In an article on Nimrod, Fausset
says: "Oannes the fish god, Babylon's civilizer, rose out of the
red sea... " In the Latin language of the Roman church,
John was called JOANNES. Notice how similar this is to
OANNES! Such similarities helped promote more easily the
mixture of SUN Worship
into Christianity.
A day which in
SUN Worship times had been
regarded as sacred to Isis or Diana, August 15, was simply renamed
as the day of the "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" and right up to
our present time is still highly honored. Another day
adopted from SUN Worship,
supposedly to honor Mary, is called "Candle-mas" or the
"Purification of the Blessed Virgin" and is celebrated on February
2. In Mosaic law, after giving birth to a male child, a
mother was considered unclean for forty days (Lev. 12). "And
when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses
were accomplished", Joseph and Mary presented the baby Jesus in
the temple and offered the prescribed sacrifice (Luke
2:22-24). Having adopted
December 25 as the nativity of Christ, the February 2 date seemed
to fit in well with the time of the purification of Mary.
But what did this have to do with the use of candles on this
day? In SUN Worship Rome, this festival was observed
by the carrying of torches and candles in honor of February, from
whom our month February is named! The Greeks held the feast
in honor of the goddess Ceres, the mother of Proserpina, who with
candle-bearing celebrants searched for her in the
underworld. Thus we can see how adopting February 2 to honor
the purification of Mary was influenced by SUN Worship
customs involving candles, even to calling it "Candle-mass" day.
On this day all of the candles to be used during the year in
Catholic rituals are blessed. An old drawing shows the pope
distributing blessed candles to priests. Says The Catholic
Encyclopedia, We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like
incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in SUN
Worship and in rites paid to the dead.
Luke 2:22 And when the days of
her purification according to the law of Moses were
accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to
the Lord; Luke 2:23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the
Lord;) Luke 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to
that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of
turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
If the apostle Paul were to
be raised up to preach to this generation, we wonder if he would
not say to the professing church, as he did to the Galatians long
ago, "Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years, I am
afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain" (Gal.
4: 9-11). The context shows that the Galatians had been converted
from the SUN Worship of "gods" (verse 8). When some
had turned "again" to their former worship (verse 9), the days and
times they observed were evidently those which had been set aside
to honor SUN Worship gods! Later, strangely enough, some
of these
very days were merged into the worship of the professing church
and "Christianized" !
Galatians 4:9 But now, after
that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye
again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire
again to be in bondage? Galatians 4:10 Ye observe days, and months, and
times, and years. Galatians 4:11 I am afraid of you, lest I have
bestowed upon you labour in vain.
They tell us that it is the
season to be jolly. It is a time of ornaments,
red and green decorations, silver bells, holly,
mistletoe and colored lights. It is also a
time of department store Santas calling out their
universal mantra, "Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas."
Nearly all of the realm of so-called "Christianity"
join in and repeat this same greeting, "Merry
Christmas!"
Although we hear these words
constantly as they resonate millions of times
throughout the land, almost nobody understands what
they are really saying. It is the purpose of
this tract to take the words, "Merry Christmas" and
examine the true meaning and essence of those words.
A true Christian would want to
examine everything they say, because Jesus said in
Matthew 12:36-37, "But I say unto you, that every
idle word that men shall speak, they shall give
account thereof in the day of judgement. For
by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy
words thou shalt be condemned." We will now
set aside all of the customs, glitter and traditions
of Christmas, which were taken from pagan witchcraft
and popularized by the Roman Catholic Church, and we
will focus on the true meaning of the words, "Merry
Christmas!"
The word "Merry" is simple to
define. It unquestionably means to be happy,
joyful and light-hearted. The word "merry"
fits into the ambience of laughter and
frivolity. This word "merry" by itself is
innocent and innocuous enough, but as we will now
see, it becomes heinously blasphemous when used with
the word "Christmas."
Here let it be noted that most
people think that the word, "Christmas" means "the
birth of Christ." By definition, it means
"death of Christ", and I will prove it by using the
World Book Encyclopedia, the Catholic Encyclopedia,
and a book entitled, The Mass In Slow Motion.
If you are an honest, sincere and
discerning Christian, please read on; if not, you
might as well stop right here. The World Book
Encyclopedia defines "Christmas" as follows:
"The word Christmas comes from "Cristes Maesse", an
early English phrase that means "Mass of Christ."
(1) It is interesting to note that the word
"Mass", as used by the Roman Catholics, has
traditionally been rejected by the so-called
Protestants, such as Lutherans, Baptists,
Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and so
on. The word "Mass" is strictly a Catholic
word and thus, so is "Christ-Mass."
It would stand to reason, that
since all of these denominations love and embrace
"Christ-Mass", that December 25th is the great
homecoming day, when all of the Protestants become
Catholic for a day. It would seem that all of
the so-called "wayward daughters" of the Romish
church return to their mother, the scarlet
harlot. Thus, all of the so-called Protestant
churches could sing to the Pope that popular song
"I'll be home for Christmas."
As previously stated, the word
"Mass" in religious usage means a "death
sacrifice." The impact of this fact is
horrifying and shocking; for when the millions of
people are saying, "Merry Christmas", they are
literally saying "Merry death of Christ!"
Furthermore, when the fat man in the red suit laughs
boisterously and says, "Ho ho ho, Merry
Christmas", he is mocking and laughing at the
suffering and bleeding Saviour, who died for our
sins. He does this while parents place their
little children into his waiting arms to hear his
false promises of gifts that he says he will give
them. Consider what you are saying when you
say "Merry Christmas."
What is so amusing about our
Saviour's painful death? What is so
funny? Why is Santa laughing? Why are
you going along with it? Your words do count
and Satan knows it. Yes, the word "Mass"
does mean "death sacrifice", and to cement that
fact, we will consider the definition of the
inventors of the religious application of the word
"Mass." I am looking at page 537 of the
Catholic Encyclopedia, which says, "In the Christian
law, the supreme sacrifice is that of the
Mass." It goes on to say, "The supreme act of
worship consists essentially in an offering of a
worthy victim to God, the offering made by a proper
person, as a priest, the destruction of the victim."
(2) Please note carefully the word, "victim"
of the Mass. The Latin word for victim is
"Hostia" from which the word "host" is
derived. The Mass, by definition of those who
coined the word, is a sacrifice involving a
victim. There is no other meaning for the word
"Mass" or "Christ-Mass." On page 110 of a book
entitled "The Mass In Slow Motion", we find
the following words: "It is only with the
consecration that the sacrifice of the Mass is
achieved. I have represented the Mass to you,
more than once, as a kind of ritual dance."
(3)
In essence, the Mass is the
ceremonial slaying of Jesus Christ over and over
again, followed by the eating of his flesh and the
drinking of his blood. The Mass is the death
sacrifice, and the "Host" is the victim. This
is official Roman Catholic doctrine, and "Christmas"
is a word that they invented. Again, I ask,
what is so merry about the pain, bleeding, suffering
and death of Jesus Christ? Satan has done quite
a job of getting millions of
so-called "Christians" to blaspheme. What a
deceiver he is.
Now you know the true meaning of the word
"Christmas" or Mass of Christ. There is much
more to know about this pagan holiday, and we will
be glad to provide you with plenty of evidence that
Jesus was not born on December 25th, and that
Christmas is not only a lie, but is actually a
witches' Sabbath called "Yule" in clever
disguise. Please contact us at the address
below, and for the sake of your soul, flee from
idolatry!
David
J. Meyer
Acknowledgements:
01. World Book Encyclopedia, vol.3, p. 408, 1986 ed., World
Book Inc., Chicago, IL
02. The Catholic Encyclopedia, R.C. Broderick, 1975 ed.,
Nihil Obstat, Richard J. Sklba, Censor Librorum.
Imprimatur, Archbishop William E. Cousins, Milwaukee, WI.
03. The Mass In Slow Motion, Ronald Knox, 1948, Sheed &
Ward, Inc., New York, NY. Nihil Obstat, E.C.
Messenger, Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur, E. Morrogh
Bernard, Vic. Gen.
Last Trumpet Ministries International
PO Box 806
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
some have been
corrupted "from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2 Cor.11:3 )
because of SUN Worship influence upon such things as the Mass. Looking at it this
way, the word "Christ-mass"
is self-contradictory.
Taking all of this into consideration,
it is interesting to compare a statement of Jeremiah with today's
custom of decorating a tree at the Christmas season. "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. They deck it with silver and with
gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move
not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not"
(Jeremiah 10:3,4).
adopted
December 25 as the nativity of Christ, the February 2 date seemed
to fit in well with the time of the purification of Mary.
But what did this have to do with the use of candles on this
day? In SUN Worship Rome, this festival was observed
by the carrying of torches and candles in honor of February, from
whom our month February is named! The Greeks held the feast
in honor of the goddess Ceres, the mother of Proserpina, who with
candle-bearing celebrants searched for her in the
underworld. Thus we can see how adopting February 2 to honor
the purification of Mary was influenced by SUN Worship
customs involving candles, even to calling it "Candle-mass" day.
On this day all of the candles to be used during the year in
Catholic rituals are blessed. An old drawing shows the pope
distributing blessed candles to priests. Says The Catholic
Encyclopedia, We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like
incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in SUN
Worship and in rites paid to the dead.