If Christmas is a celebration of the birth
of the Savior at Bethlehem , who came to
bring peace on earth and good will toward
men, why isn't there more peace and good
will? After all, Christmas is the most
celebrated extravaganza the world has ever
seen—observed by multiple millions the
world over, by professing Bible believers
and (strangely?) unbelievers alike! Surely with that much participation in a holiday
supposedly expressing love, kindness, and
peace, we should be seeing some real
changes in the behavior of people
everywhere.
Yet we don’t. Why? Why isn’t the
celebration of Christmas year after year
helping to make our world better? Is it
simply that people fail to catch and hold the
"spirit of Christmas"? Or could there be
something more, something inherently
flawed with this observance?
Looking for a Biblical Christmas
Christmas, after all, is supposed to be rooted
in the Bible. It was at one time assumed to
be in honor of the birth of the Savior of
men in a manger at Bethlehem . The
overblown rites of Santa Claus, tinsel,
Rudolph, gift exchanging, and football are
rapidly obscuring this significant detail. A
revealing survey would be to poll frantic
Christmas shoppers to find out how many
know the origins of Christmas.
Do you yourself know what Christmas is
all about? Are you mildly amused each year
with newspaper and magazine articles
detailing the strange, irreverent customs of
Christmas? On the other hand, maybe you
have found these facts somewhat troubling.
Isn’t it time you honestly investigated the
matter?
If Christmas is that significant –the
biggest holiday of the year taking a good
deal of your time and money—shouldn’t
you at least know what it is all about? This
is especially critical considering the
religious overtones of Christmas. The great
Creator in heaven may just have some
definite feelings about the observance of
this hybrid holiday that you need to be
aware of!
Isn’t it odd that we carry on much in life
without giving a second thought to what we
do? Our routine traditions are simply
accepted. We eat bacon and eggs for
breakfast, we answer the telephone with
"hello," we shake hands when we are
introduced, we buy turkey for Thanksgiving,
and we celebrate Christmas on December
25th. Oddly enough, we never ask why.
Time to Pop the Question
Okay, so let’s ask: Why observe Christmas,
because it’s in the Bible? Try as you might,
you will not find Christmas anywhere in the
Scriptures. There is neither a call to observe
it nor an example where someone in the
Bible observed it.
Shocking? Millions are ignorant of this
simple fact!
As one authority puts it, "There is no
historical evidence that our [Savior’s]
birthday was celebrated during the apostolic
or early postapostolistic times, The New
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious
Knowledge, "Christmas," p.47.
Another writer makes this astounding
statement: "The day was not one of the early
feasts of the Christian church. In fact the
observance of birthdays was condemned as
a heathen custom repugnant to Christians,"
The American Book of Days, by George W.
Douglas, p. 658.
How can this be? Does he mean that the
single most important religious holiday
observed today in Christianity would have
been FORBIDDEN in early New Testament
times? That is exactly what he and many
other historians and scholars are saying.
Now read this candid admission from
The New Catholic Encyclopedia,
"Inexplicable though it seems, the date of
the [Messiah’s] birth is not known. The
Gospels indicate neither the day nor the
month," vol. 3, p. 656.
And the Cyclopedia of Biblical,
Theological and Ecclesiastical literature
corroborates, "The fathers of the first three
centuries do not speak of any special
observances of the nativity. No
corresponding festival was presented by the
Old Testament … the day and the month of
the birth of [the Messiah] are nowhere
stated in the Gospel history, and cannot be
certainly determined," "Christmas," p.276.
"But what about the manger scene?" you
ask. Yes, that is described in the Bible, but
was never established as a precedent for
continuing the observance of the birthday
of the Savior Yahshua* the Messiah.
If Christmas is as popular and pervasive
as retail sales indicate, why isn’t it
mentioned anywhere in the Bible? Why
doesn’t the Bible even tell us which month,
let alone which day to keep it? If Christmas is not in the Bible, where did it
ultimately come from? The answers to that
question are found in nearly every
encyclopedia any many newspapers, or
magazines appearing around December
25th. What they have to say about the roots
of Christmas should shock every honest
Bible believer into taking a hard, critical
look at the annual observance.
"Christmas" is a contraction for "Christ’s
Mass," a Roman Catholic observance. It was
designed to compete with a heathen Roman
feast of Saturnalia in honor of the sun deity
Mithras. Mithras bore a remarkable
similarity to the Biblical Messiah and the
Mithras feast, like Christmas, was to
commemorate his birth.
Notice the astounding parallels, as
detailed by Joscelyn Godwin, professor at
Colgate University : Mithras was "the
creator and orderer of the universe, hence a
manifestation of the creative Logos or
Word. Seeing mankind afflicted by
Ahriman, the cosmic power of darkness, he
incarnated on earth. His birth on 25
December was witnessed by shepherds. After
many deeds he held a last supper with his
disciples and returned to heaven. At the end
of the world he will come again to judge
resurrected mankind and after the last
battle, victorious over evil, he will lead the
chosen ones through a river of fire to a
blessed immortality," Mystery Religions in
the Ancient World, p.99.
Godwin remarks, "No wonder the early
Christians were disturbed by a deity who
bore so close a resemblance to their own,
and no wonder they considered him a
mockery of [the Messiah] invented by
Satan."
These two popular movements were
vying for the dominance in the Roman
Empire —one pagan, the other Christian.
Historian and archaeologist Ernest Renan
once said, "If Christianity had been halted
in its growth by some mortal illness, the
world would have been Mithraist" (Marc
Aurele, p. 597).
Caught in the middle were the Roman
emperors, who wanted to unify and solidify
their diverse empire. They didn’t need
divisive religious factions. Their motivation
was political and not particularly religious.
Therefore the Roman rulership saw great
advantage in synchronizing and
harmonizing these similar religious beliefs
into one.
The Romans knew that religion was a
powerful means for assimilating other
peoples and cultures. If you respect a man’s
deities, you are halfway toward winning his
friendship. They had been doing it for
years. The Romans had Latinized the Greek
Olympus, giving Latin names to Zeus
(Jupiter), Hermes (Mercury), Poseidon (
Neptune ), and many others. The Syrian
Baals all became Roman Jupiters, while
cults of the Celts and Gauls were given
Roman deities.
Although this syncretism or combining
of diverse beliefs into one was never more
than a political benefit for the Romans, it
had a profound effect on Christianity. Even
today, much of what is accepted as Bible-
based is the direct result of compromising
and mixing with heathen religion.
Roman Emperor Constantine, a former
pagan himself, was to give the most
significant push to the Christian-pagan
blending of teachings. Among other things,
he would decree that worship for
Christianity switch from the seventh day
Sabbath to the first day of the week—Sun-
day—the day the pagans worshiped the sun.
"This tendency on the part of the
Christians to meet Paganism halfway was
very early developed," says Alexander
Hislop in The Two Babylon's, p. 93.
Interestingly, Hislop notes that at the same
time the pagans gave up precious little of
their own beliefs and practices. "And we
find Tertullian, even in his day, about the
year 230, bitterly lamenting the
inconsistency of the disciples of [Messiah] in
this respect, and contrasting it with the
strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own
superstition."
Hislop then quotes Tertullian, the most
ancient of the Latin church fathers whose
works are extant, as he decries the early
church observances: "By us who are
strangers to Sabbaths and new moons, and
festivals, once acceptable to [Yahweh], the
Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the
Brumalia, and Matronlia are now
frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new
year’s day presents are made with din, and
sports and banquets are celebrated with
uproar." As we have been able to see so far, the roots
of and motivations behind Christmas are
quite different from what is usually implied
by this so-called Mass of Christ, and very
unlike what its celebrators assume.
Can anyone who sincerely seeks to
worship in purity and truth continue
practicing a legacy from rank Mystery
worship? Can you feel totally comfortable
and conscience-free knowing that by
observing Christmas you are perpetuating
anti-Messianic paganism?
"But Christmas brings so many
memories," some may argue. "What’s so
wrong with giving the children happiness
and joy at this time of the year?" From a
purely human standpoint, probably nothing.
If Christmas existed apart from a Creator in
heaven who has very clear expectations for
worship, then no harm would be done to
celebrate it.
Christmas, however, is a religious
holiday as well as a secular observance. It
is rife with many pagan rites that Almighty
Yahweh outright and forcefully condemns.
Because of that fact alone we must heed
when He thunders, "Learn not the way of
the heathen!" Jeremiah 10:2.
Simply because Christmas is a worldly
holiday, too, is no excuse to mentally
disassociate oneself from its pagan religious
aspects in order to keep the secular ones.
Nor is it acceptable to the Creator in heaven
to take only what seems to be properly
religious about Christmas and downplay the
pagan attributes. Those seeking True
Worship simply cannot mix the holy with
the profane. Paul writes, " Wherefore come
out from among them, and be separate, says
Yahweh, and touch not the unclean thing; and
I will receive you," 2 Corinthians 6:17 . We
simply cannot pretend to be worshiping in
truth while partaking of rites that the Bible
condemns.
Let’s examine the popular trappings and
customs of Christmas more closely to see
just exactly what they mean. Once we are enlightened to the truth of
Christmas, we find the holiday not only
artificial, but also abominable. Even a
Roman Catholic priest and editor of the U.S.
Catholic magazine, Peter J Riga, recently
wrote that it is time to "come out of the
Land of Babylon which the hucksters of
wares and materialism have taken over …
and leave Dec. 25th to the pagans."
One ironic fact is inescapable: If
Christmas were commanded in the Bible,
there would be precious few observing it—
as opposed to the vast hordes we see
indulging in this heathen rite today.
Messiah Yahshua said the way is broad that
leads to destruction and many are on it,
Matthew 7:13. Contrarily, few will find the
narrow pathway to everlasting life, verse
14. It seems that whatever Almighty
Yahweh says to observe, man ignores.
Whatever He commands against, man
indulges in.
How could the Heavenly Father expect
His people to observe Christmas, steeped in
heathen ritual? He kept the month as well
as the day of the Savior’s birth hidden. The
answer is quite apparent and clear—He
never wanted it to be observed! If He did,
there would be no question as to the proper
time. And He would have specifically
commanded it, as He does His true holy
days.
He does expect His True Worshipers to
keep the Bible’s holy days, however. We
know because not only are they
commanded, but He also carefully lists these
annual holy times in no fewer than five
main books: Exodus 12,23, 34; Leviticus 23;
Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16. Ezekiel
45-46 shows they will be kept in the
Kingdom.
These seven annual observances are not
only named, but we also find precisely
detailed how to calculate when they occur
and exactly what is permitted to be done on
them. Nowhere in the Bible can you find
any other "holidays" to be observed. Not
Christmas, not Easter, not New Year’s, not
Halloween or any of the other major, man-
made holidays! They simply are nowhere
commanded in Scripture.
The Apostles and the Savior Himself
observed these seven commanded holy days
in the NEW Testament. In no place can you
find any mention that they observed a
single one of today’s popular holidays—not
one!
Almighty Yahweh says, "Concerning the
feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim
to be holy convocations, even these are MY
FEASTS," Leviticus 23:2. Did you catch
that? He says these are HIS Feasts, not
Jewish Feasts, not ancient, outdated, done-
away-at-the-cross Feasts! His observances
are described as commanded "FOREVER" in
Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31, and 41.
His Feasts were specifically given,
commanded, kept, and passed on
throughout both Old and New testaments.
Shouldn’t that be ample reason for us to
keep them? And His holy days carry
promises of blessings for eternity for those
who keep them! Time to Make a Choice
Israel was condemned for worshiping
Tammuz in Ezekiel 8:13-14. Tammuz rites
are alive and doing well every December 25.
Our sovereign Creator warns not to have
anything to do with them, including
lighting a Yule log, setting up an evergreen
tree, hanging up wreaths and holly, and
lighting Christmas candles.
If you still think you can have it both
ways, read 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17: "Be not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship has righteousness?
Wherefore come out from among them and
be separate, says Yahweh, and touch not the
unclean thing: and I will receive you."
We can fool ourselves by arguing that
we are in a paganistic society and therefore
we can’t help becoming involved in its
ways. Yet the Savior Yahshua asked the
Father in John 17:15 , "I pray not that You
should take them out of the world, but that
You should keep them from evil." It is
possible to be in the world and yet not be a
part of it.
Some will argue that Christmas is mainly
for the enjoyment of children and is of no
real harm. If there is no Creator in heaven,
they are probably right. But the Mighty One
of the Bible is quite particular about how
we worship Him and He has no tolerance
for heathen traditions or man’s reasoning.
He says, "There is a way which seems right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death," Proverbs 14:12 .
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16 that
everything we need to know for everlasting
life is in the Scriptures, and we need not to
go outside the Bible for anything—especially
to indulge in rites of ancient pagans.
"Learn not the way of the heathen,"
Yahweh thunders in Jeremiah 10:2. As for
doing what is right in our own sight, He
commands, "What thing soever I command
you, observe to do it: you shall not add
thereto nor diminish from it," Deuteronomy
12:32 . Has He somehow changed His mind
today? Not according to Malachi 3:6: "For I
am Yahweh, I change not.” And the final
warning in Revelation 22:18-19 warns
against adding to or taking from what is
prescribed in the Bible.
Could Christmas be in fact a sinister
diversion of the Adversary intended to
deflect our attention from the true holy
days of the Bible and get us all caught up in
man-made ones that give him glory? Or can
we just brush it off as an innocuous time of
good cheer, no harm done?
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, asking the
same question of them. They had a problem
with wanting to go back to their old
familiar, Babylonian ways too, even after
knowing the truth and accepting it. Paul
made it clear. You cannot mix unholy
worship with holy worship.
"What say I then? That the idol is any
thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to
idols is any thing? But I say, that the things
which the Gentiles [unconverted] sacrifice,
they sacrifice to devils and not to Yahweh:
and I would not that you should have
fellowship with devils. You cannot be
partakers of Yahweh’s table, and of the table
of devils. Do we provoke Yahweh to jealousy?
Are we stronger than He?" 1 Corinthians
10:19-22.
A person who knows what is right but
doesn’t follow it commits sin, according to
James 4:17. Only going halfway toward
rooting out error makes one lukewarm.
Yahweh says a lukewarm person He will
spew out of His mouth, Revelation 3:16.
There is simply no alternative. We either
worship correctly and scripturally—all the
way—or we don’t. Going halfway doesn’t
cut it. That would be better than none at
all. A little leaven affect the whole,
eventually.
Just because we live in a society that
ignores the Bible doesn’t mean we ourselves
will be excused. It is much more difficult to
swim against the current, for sure. But that
is what true worship is all about.
In fact, thousand know better than to
observe legacies from pagan religions that
the Bible condemns. Yet they are afraid of
what family, friends or children might say
if they stop. You, too, may feel such
pressure.
Yet, now that you know what is right,
you must make a decision. Just ask yourself
this: Can family, friends, or children grant
me everlasting life? If they can’t, then you
should obey the One who can and inherit
His many blessings for obedience.
peace, we should be seeing some real
changes in the behavior of people
everywhere.
Yet we don’t. Why? Why isn’t the
celebration of Christmas year after year
helping to make our world better? Is it
simply that people fail to catch and hold the
"spirit of Christmas"? Or could there be
something more, something inherently
flawed with this observance?
Looking for a Biblical Christmas
Christmas, after all, is supposed to be rooted
in the Bible. It was at one time assumed to
be in honor of the birth of the Savior of
men in a manger at Bethlehem . The
overblown rites of Santa Claus, tinsel,
Rudolph, gift exchanging, and football are
rapidly obscuring this significant detail. A
revealing survey would be to poll frantic
Christmas shoppers to find out how many
know the origins of Christmas.
Do you yourself know what Christmas is
all about? Are you mildly amused each year
with newspaper and magazine articles
detailing the strange, irreverent customs of
Christmas? On the other hand, maybe you
have found these facts somewhat troubling.
Isn’t it time you honestly investigated the
matter?
If Christmas is that significant –the
biggest holiday of the year taking a good
deal of your time and money—shouldn’t
you at least know what it is all about? This
is especially critical considering the
religious overtones of Christmas. The great
Creator in heaven may just have some
definite feelings about the observance of
this hybrid holiday that you need to be
aware of!
Isn’t it odd that we carry on much in life
without giving a second thought to what we
do? Our routine traditions are simply
accepted. We eat bacon and eggs for
breakfast, we answer the telephone with
"hello," we shake hands when we are
introduced, we buy turkey for Thanksgiving,
and we celebrate Christmas on December
25th. Oddly enough, we never ask why.
Time to Pop the Question
Okay, so let’s ask: Why observe Christmas,
because it’s in the Bible? Try as you might,
you will not find Christmas anywhere in the
Scriptures. There is neither a call to observe
it nor an example where someone in the
Bible observed it.
Shocking? Millions are ignorant of this
simple fact!
As one authority puts it, "There is no
historical evidence that our [Savior’s]
birthday was celebrated during the apostolic
or early postapostolistic times, The New
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious
Knowledge, "Christmas," p.47.
Another writer makes this astounding
statement: "The day was not one of the early
feasts of the Christian church. In fact the
observance of birthdays was condemned as
a heathen custom repugnant to Christians,"
The American Book of Days, by George W.
Douglas, p. 658.
How can this be? Does he mean that the
single most important religious holiday
observed today in Christianity would have
been FORBIDDEN in early New Testament
times? That is exactly what he and many
other historians and scholars are saying.
Now read this candid admission from
The New Catholic Encyclopedia,
"Inexplicable though it seems, the date of
the [Messiah’s] birth is not known. The
Gospels indicate neither the day nor the
month," vol. 3, p. 656.
And the Cyclopedia of Biblical,
Theological and Ecclesiastical literature
corroborates, "The fathers of the first three
centuries do not speak of any special
observances of the nativity. No
corresponding festival was presented by the
Old Testament … the day and the month of
the birth of [the Messiah] are nowhere
stated in the Gospel history, and cannot be
certainly determined," "Christmas," p.276.
"But what about the manger scene?" you
ask. Yes, that is described in the Bible, but
was never established as a precedent for
continuing the observance of the birthday
of the Savior Yahshua* the Messiah.
If Christmas is as popular and pervasive
as retail sales indicate, why isn’t it
mentioned anywhere in the Bible? Why
doesn’t the Bible even tell us which month,
let alone which day to keep it? If Christmas is not in the Bible, where did it
ultimately come from? The answers to that
question are found in nearly every
encyclopedia any many newspapers, or
magazines appearing around December
25th. What they have to say about the roots
of Christmas should shock every honest
Bible believer into taking a hard, critical
look at the annual observance.
"Christmas" is a contraction for "Christ’s
Mass," a Roman Catholic observance. It was
designed to compete with a heathen Roman
feast of Saturnalia in honor of the sun deity
Mithras. Mithras bore a remarkable
similarity to the Biblical Messiah and the
Mithras feast, like Christmas, was to
commemorate his birth.
Notice the astounding parallels, as
detailed by Joscelyn Godwin, professor at
Colgate University : Mithras was "the
creator and orderer of the universe, hence a
manifestation of the creative Logos or
Word. Seeing mankind afflicted by
Ahriman, the cosmic power of darkness, he
incarnated on earth. His birth on 25
December was witnessed by shepherds. After
many deeds he held a last supper with his
disciples and returned to heaven. At the end
of the world he will come again to judge
resurrected mankind and after the last
battle, victorious over evil, he will lead the
chosen ones through a river of fire to a
blessed immortality," Mystery Religions in
the Ancient World, p.99.
Godwin remarks, "No wonder the early
Christians were disturbed by a deity who
bore so close a resemblance to their own,
and no wonder they considered him a
mockery of [the Messiah] invented by
Satan."
These two popular movements were
vying for the dominance in the Roman
Empire —one pagan, the other Christian.
Historian and archaeologist Ernest Renan
once said, "If Christianity had been halted
in its growth by some mortal illness, the
world would have been Mithraist" (Marc
Aurele, p. 597).
Caught in the middle were the Roman
emperors, who wanted to unify and solidify
their diverse empire. They didn’t need
divisive religious factions. Their motivation
was political and not particularly religious.
Therefore the Roman rulership saw great
advantage in synchronizing and
harmonizing these similar religious beliefs
into one.
The Romans knew that religion was a
powerful means for assimilating other
peoples and cultures. If you respect a man’s
deities, you are halfway toward winning his
friendship. They had been doing it for
years. The Romans had Latinized the Greek
Olympus, giving Latin names to Zeus
(Jupiter), Hermes (Mercury), Poseidon (
Neptune ), and many others. The Syrian
Baals all became Roman Jupiters, while
cults of the Celts and Gauls were given
Roman deities.
Although this syncretism or combining
of diverse beliefs into one was never more
than a political benefit for the Romans, it
had a profound effect on Christianity. Even
today, much of what is accepted as Bible-
based is the direct result of compromising
and mixing with heathen religion.
Roman Emperor Constantine, a former
pagan himself, was to give the most
significant push to the Christian-pagan
blending of teachings. Among other things,
he would decree that worship for
Christianity switch from the seventh day
Sabbath to the first day of the week—Sun-
day—the day the pagans worshiped the sun.
"This tendency on the part of the
Christians to meet Paganism halfway was
very early developed," says Alexander
Hislop in The Two Babylon's, p. 93.
Interestingly, Hislop notes that at the same
time the pagans gave up precious little of
their own beliefs and practices. "And we
find Tertullian, even in his day, about the
year 230, bitterly lamenting the
inconsistency of the disciples of [Messiah] in
this respect, and contrasting it with the
strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own
superstition."
Hislop then quotes Tertullian, the most
ancient of the Latin church fathers whose
works are extant, as he decries the early
church observances: "By us who are
strangers to Sabbaths and new moons, and
festivals, once acceptable to [Yahweh], the
Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the
Brumalia, and Matronlia are now
frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new
year’s day presents are made with din, and
sports and banquets are celebrated with
uproar." As we have been able to see so far, the roots
of and motivations behind Christmas are
quite different from what is usually implied
by this so-called Mass of Christ, and very
unlike what its celebrators assume.
Can anyone who sincerely seeks to
worship in purity and truth continue
practicing a legacy from rank Mystery
worship? Can you feel totally comfortable
and conscience-free knowing that by
observing Christmas you are perpetuating
anti-Messianic paganism?
"But Christmas brings so many
memories," some may argue. "What’s so
wrong with giving the children happiness
and joy at this time of the year?" From a
purely human standpoint, probably nothing.
If Christmas existed apart from a Creator in
heaven who has very clear expectations for
worship, then no harm would be done to
celebrate it.
Christmas, however, is a religious
holiday as well as a secular observance. It
is rife with many pagan rites that Almighty
Yahweh outright and forcefully condemns.
Because of that fact alone we must heed
when He thunders, "Learn not the way of
the heathen!" Jeremiah 10:2.
Simply because Christmas is a worldly
holiday, too, is no excuse to mentally
disassociate oneself from its pagan religious
aspects in order to keep the secular ones.
Nor is it acceptable to the Creator in heaven
to take only what seems to be properly
religious about Christmas and downplay the
pagan attributes. Those seeking True
Worship simply cannot mix the holy with
the profane. Paul writes, " Wherefore come
out from among them, and be separate, says
Yahweh, and touch not the unclean thing; and
I will receive you," 2 Corinthians 6:17 . We
simply cannot pretend to be worshiping in
truth while partaking of rites that the Bible
condemns.
Let’s examine the popular trappings and
customs of Christmas more closely to see
just exactly what they mean. Once we are enlightened to the truth of
Christmas, we find the holiday not only
artificial, but also abominable. Even a
Roman Catholic priest and editor of the U.S.
Catholic magazine, Peter J Riga, recently
wrote that it is time to "come out of the
Land of Babylon which the hucksters of
wares and materialism have taken over …
and leave Dec. 25th to the pagans."
One ironic fact is inescapable: If
Christmas were commanded in the Bible,
there would be precious few observing it—
as opposed to the vast hordes we see
indulging in this heathen rite today.
Messiah Yahshua said the way is broad that
leads to destruction and many are on it,
Matthew 7:13. Contrarily, few will find the
narrow pathway to everlasting life, verse
14. It seems that whatever Almighty
Yahweh says to observe, man ignores.
Whatever He commands against, man
indulges in.
How could the Heavenly Father expect
His people to observe Christmas, steeped in
heathen ritual? He kept the month as well
as the day of the Savior’s birth hidden. The
answer is quite apparent and clear—He
never wanted it to be observed! If He did,
there would be no question as to the proper
time. And He would have specifically
commanded it, as He does His true holy
days.
He does expect His True Worshipers to
keep the Bible’s holy days, however. We
know because not only are they
commanded, but He also carefully lists these
annual holy times in no fewer than five
main books: Exodus 12,23, 34; Leviticus 23;
Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16. Ezekiel
45-46 shows they will be kept in the
Kingdom.
These seven annual observances are not
only named, but we also find precisely
detailed how to calculate when they occur
and exactly what is permitted to be done on
them. Nowhere in the Bible can you find
any other "holidays" to be observed. Not
Christmas, not Easter, not New Year’s, not
Halloween or any of the other major, man-
made holidays! They simply are nowhere
commanded in Scripture.
The Apostles and the Savior Himself
observed these seven commanded holy days
in the NEW Testament. In no place can you
find any mention that they observed a
single one of today’s popular holidays—not
one!
Almighty Yahweh says, "Concerning the
feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim
to be holy convocations, even these are MY
FEASTS," Leviticus 23:2. Did you catch
that? He says these are HIS Feasts, not
Jewish Feasts, not ancient, outdated, done-
away-at-the-cross Feasts! His observances
are described as commanded "FOREVER" in
Leviticus 23:14, 21, 31, and 41.
His Feasts were specifically given,
commanded, kept, and passed on
throughout both Old and New testaments.
Shouldn’t that be ample reason for us to
keep them? And His holy days carry
promises of blessings for eternity for those
who keep them! Time to Make a Choice
Israel was condemned for worshiping
Tammuz in Ezekiel 8:13-14. Tammuz rites
are alive and doing well every December 25.
Our sovereign Creator warns not to have
anything to do with them, including
lighting a Yule log, setting up an evergreen
tree, hanging up wreaths and holly, and
lighting Christmas candles.
If you still think you can have it both
ways, read 2 Corinthians 6:14, 17: "Be not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship has righteousness?
Wherefore come out from among them and
be separate, says Yahweh, and touch not the
unclean thing: and I will receive you."
We can fool ourselves by arguing that
we are in a paganistic society and therefore
we can’t help becoming involved in its
ways. Yet the Savior Yahshua asked the
Father in John 17:15 , "I pray not that You
should take them out of the world, but that
You should keep them from evil." It is
possible to be in the world and yet not be a
part of it.
Some will argue that Christmas is mainly
for the enjoyment of children and is of no
real harm. If there is no Creator in heaven,
they are probably right. But the Mighty One
of the Bible is quite particular about how
we worship Him and He has no tolerance
for heathen traditions or man’s reasoning.
He says, "There is a way which seems right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways
of death," Proverbs 14:12 .
Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16 that
everything we need to know for everlasting
life is in the Scriptures, and we need not to
go outside the Bible for anything—especially
to indulge in rites of ancient pagans.
"Learn not the way of the heathen,"
Yahweh thunders in Jeremiah 10:2. As for
doing what is right in our own sight, He
commands, "What thing soever I command
you, observe to do it: you shall not add
thereto nor diminish from it," Deuteronomy
12:32 . Has He somehow changed His mind
today? Not according to Malachi 3:6: "For I
am Yahweh, I change not.” And the final
warning in Revelation 22:18-19 warns
against adding to or taking from what is
prescribed in the Bible.
Could Christmas be in fact a sinister
diversion of the Adversary intended to
deflect our attention from the true holy
days of the Bible and get us all caught up in
man-made ones that give him glory? Or can
we just brush it off as an innocuous time of
good cheer, no harm done?
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, asking the
same question of them. They had a problem
with wanting to go back to their old
familiar, Babylonian ways too, even after
knowing the truth and accepting it. Paul
made it clear. You cannot mix unholy
worship with holy worship.
"What say I then? That the idol is any
thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to
idols is any thing? But I say, that the things
which the Gentiles [unconverted] sacrifice,
they sacrifice to devils and not to Yahweh:
and I would not that you should have
fellowship with devils. You cannot be
partakers of Yahweh’s table, and of the table
of devils. Do we provoke Yahweh to jealousy?
Are we stronger than He?" 1 Corinthians
10:19-22.
A person who knows what is right but
doesn’t follow it commits sin, according to
James 4:17. Only going halfway toward
rooting out error makes one lukewarm.
Yahweh says a lukewarm person He will
spew out of His mouth, Revelation 3:16.
There is simply no alternative. We either
worship correctly and scripturally—all the
way—or we don’t. Going halfway doesn’t
cut it. That would be better than none at
all. A little leaven affect the whole,
eventually.
Just because we live in a society that
ignores the Bible doesn’t mean we ourselves
will be excused. It is much more difficult to
swim against the current, for sure. But that
is what true worship is all about.
In fact, thousand know better than to
observe legacies from pagan religions that
the Bible condemns. Yet they are afraid of
what family, friends or children might say
if they stop. You, too, may feel such
pressure.
Yet, now that you know what is right,
you must make a decision. Just ask yourself
this: Can family, friends, or children grant
me everlasting life? If they can’t, then you
should obey the One who can and inherit
His many blessings for obedience.
"Life without Christmas? That would be
like Nigeria without Crude oil ," "Or meat without potatoes. Or
shoes without socks."
Christmas has become the standard for
traditional holidays in society today. It’s
taken for granted that families will gather
during the week of December 25th to share
in the merriment. It’s a time when billions
of Naira in gifts are exchanged and when
most do their utmost to revel in a "merry"
spirit unique to this celebration.
But wait. Beneath all the holiday hype,
all the dancing sugar plums and cheer,
have you ever sensed that something isn’t
quite right? Many have expressed it. Many
more have felt it. Newspapers tell of
increased crime , death and frequent accident in the frantic pre-Christmas
spending spree that keeps most retailers
afloat for another year, and the mental
depression afterward.
like Nigeria without Crude oil ," "Or meat without potatoes. Or
shoes without socks."
Christmas has become the standard for
traditional holidays in society today. It’s
taken for granted that families will gather
during the week of December 25th to share
in the merriment. It’s a time when billions
of Naira in gifts are exchanged and when
most do their utmost to revel in a "merry"
spirit unique to this celebration.
But wait. Beneath all the holiday hype,
all the dancing sugar plums and cheer,
have you ever sensed that something isn’t
quite right? Many have expressed it. Many
more have felt it. Newspapers tell of
increased crime , death and frequent accident in the frantic pre-Christmas
spending spree that keeps most retailers
afloat for another year, and the mental
depression afterward.
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