Just WHO might the 10 nations be that plot against Israel, for her destruction?? They are mentioned by name in Psalms 83, however, some of the names are not ones that are commonly in use today.
A song. A Psalm by Asaph. 83 1 God, don’t keep silent. Don’t keep silent, and don’t be still, God. 2 For, behold, your enemies are stirred up. Those who hate you have lifted up their heads. 3 They conspire with cunning against your people. They plot against your cherished ones. 4 “Come,” they say, “let’s destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5 For they have conspired together with one mind. They form an alliance against you. 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab, and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also is joined with them. They have helped the children of Lot. Selah. 9 Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon; 10 who perished at Endor, who became as dung for the earth. 11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb; yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna; 12 who said, “Let us take possession of God’s pasture lands.” The coalition nations listed in Psalm 83 and their likely modern identities (based on work by authors Bill Salus and Joel Richardson) are the following:
The purpose of the plotting of these nations is to wipe out Israel as a nation “so that Israel’s name is remembered no more”. It is likely that the battle foretold in Psalm 83 will occur before the end-time invasion against Jerusalem described in Ezekiel 38. That battle involves the following nations: "Persia [Iran], Cush [the upper Nile region] and Put [Libya, some of Egypt and north Africa] will be with them, all with shields and helmets, also Gomer [Ukraine] with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah [Turkey, Turkomen, Turkestan and Armenia] from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you." (Ezekiel 38:5–6) HOWEVER we know from scripture that this will not and cannot happen. For YHWH says that he will destroy them all! excerpt copied from: http://tinyurl.com/onfmpdf
The Meaning of the Shofar [Below are] several passages that reference the shofar and...some suggestions as to what therefore we should remember when it is blown. In most English translations of the Hebrew Scriptures, the word shofar is translated either as horn or trumpet. Horn, of course, is better, since it clearly shows the difference between the use of a hollowed-out animal horn and a man-made metallic trumpet. In each of the following cases, ...whatever English word was used [is replaced] with the original Hebrew word, shofar. The Covenant on Mt. Sinai: Redemption and Revelation On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud shofar blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder (Shemot/Exodus 19:16-19). The blowing of the shofar reminds us of God's rescue from bondage, his commitment through covenant faithfulness, and the gift of his Word. The Walls of Jericho: No Obstacles Are Too Great for God So the people shouted, and the shofars were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the shofar, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. (Joshua 6:20). The falling of the great walls of Jericho following the sounding of the shofar reminds us that when we are in God's will, doing what he wants us to do, nothing can stand in our way. God Alone Is King: Let Us Boldly Acclaim His Rulership God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a shofar. (Tehillim/Psalms 47:5) As the shofar blast proclaim God's rule, so should we, boldly and without fear. God Is Worthy of Praise Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the shofar make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! (Tehillim/Psalms 98:4-6) The shofar reminds us that God is worth celebrating. We make a big deal over far lesser things. So let us make some joyful noise about God! The Voice of the Prophet: We Need To Speak Up More "Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a shofar; declare to my people their transgression to the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1) As the voice of the prophet is clear and distinct, the shofar encourages us to not hold back, but to speak up for God and his ways, clearly and unashamedly. God's Alarm: It's Time To Wake Up Blow a shofar in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near. (Joel 2:1) The shofar was used as a practical device to get people's attention. In this passage it is as an alarm to warn God's people of his coming judgement. One of the great Jewish thinkers of all time was Moses Maimonides. He was a rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Morocco and Egypt, who lived between 1135 and 1204 AD. What he said with regard to what people should think of as the shofar is blown goes along with this: Wake up, wake up, sleepers from your sleep, and awake slumberers from your slumber. Search your deeds, repent, and remember your Creator. Some of you might catch how these words sound similar to other words written long before Maimonides, from the New Covenant Writings: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and [Messiah] will shine on you." Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:14-16) The shofar, God's alarm clock, is to alert us as to the nature of the times in which we live. It is so easy to allow cynicism and apathy to lull us to sleep. It's much easier to go along with the flow, submitting to the pressures of the culture, than to pursue the things of God day by day. As I write this, the world remembers the September 11, 2001 tragedy, which many at the time said was a "wake up call." But how many of those same people hit the alarm and drifted off to sleep again. Since then the world has experienced alarm after alarm. Eventually it will be too late. Which brings us to the next one. The Last Shofar: The Coming of the Lord Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow will go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the shofar and will march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. (Zechariah 9:14) The day will come, when God himself will blow the shofar to signal the return of Messiah to call creation to account, and judge the world. No more opportunities to go back to sleep. No more chances. This is reiterated in the New Covenant Writings. Since it was [possibly] originally written in Greek, we don't know if it is referencing a trumpet or a horn, but the connection with the shofar is clear as is the point it makes: I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:50-55) As the final blast marks the end of life as we know it, it also signals the beginning of the age to come, when death and all its effects will be no more. For some it will be a time of absolute dread, but for others the greatest moment of our lives. How can you be assured of eternal life? Here too, the shofar shows the way. Substitution: Life for Life He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, "The Lord will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided." (Bereshit/Genesis 22:12-14) The Hebrew word here is not actually shofar, but a synonym, "keren." This reference from the first book of the Bible is foundational for everything else the shofar reminds us of. God's requirement for the offering of Abraham's son Isaac was fulfilled through the provision of a ram. All through Scripture the sacrificial system, as established by God, reminded the people that an offering of an innocent animal was a satisfactory substitute for sin. While this is foreign to most of us today, it is God's way, all the while pointing the people of Israel to the perfect and final offering of the Messiah on our behalf. His life was accepted in place of ours, so that all who trust in him would live forever. It is no coincidence that among all the things that happened to him during his unjust arrest, trial, and execution that he was mocked by the Roman soldiers by their placing a crown of thorns on his head. Yeshua, like the ram of Abraham's day, found himself caught in a thicket, and offered in our place, so like Isaac, we too may go free. The shofar gives us so much to think about, but it is all meaningless unless we are in right relationship with God. By accepting Yeshua as God's provision, everything else becomes clear. The shofar sound not only will reverberate in our ears, but the fullness of its meaning will find its way into our hearts. Click here to listen to the shofar now. Originally from Bibles for Isra'el “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Many Christians around the world have set up their Christmas trees, bought their presents to give family and friends, and depending on which denomination they belong to, are celebrating the prophetic fulfillment of the birth of the Jewish Messiah in Bethlehem in just nine days. (Micah 5:2) Armenian Apostolic and Eastern Orthodox Christians, unlike Protestants, do not celebrate the birth of Yeshua HaMashiach on December 25th, due to differences between the Armenian, Julian and Gregorian calendars. The Tanakh (Jewish Scripture), however, doesn't identify the month in which the Messiah would be born, nor does the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) identify the exact date of His birth. Scripture does give us an indication of the time of year. “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord." (Luke 2:10–11) Semiramis set December 25th as the date of her son's birth, who came to be associated with Baal, on the advice of her astrologers, since the sun is at its farthest point from the earth during the winter solstice. “The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire and the women knead the dough and make cakes to offer to the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to arouse my anger.” (Jeremiah 7:18) Over time, the sun god came to be worshiped throughout the ancient world on December 25th. It was a time of orgies, drunkenness, and the sacrificing of infants to the pagan god, Baal. Because this feast was so popular among the pagan population of Greece and Rome, the date was simply adopted as the time of the birth of Yeshua by the Roman Church. Gift-giving, Saturnalia and Violence Against the Jews Many customs associated with the season—the giving of gifts, house-to-house caroling, and the general rejoicing and festivity derived from this winter festival of Saturnalia—are a remnant of paganism that has remained attached to the Christian Church. The Christians who first observed the birth of Yeshua on December 25th did not do so thinking that He was actually born on that day. Because the pagan winter festival of Saturnalia was celebrated on that date in Rome, they were willing to have this pagan holiday metamorphosed into a Christian one. Due to the pagan origin of Christmas and the violence and excess associated with it, the Puritans (Christians from the Church of England) actually banned Christmas altogether. Although Christmas caroling today brings cheer to many Christians, in their earliest beginnings, carols really had nothing to do with Christmas. The melodies were originally written to accompany an ancient dance form called the circle dance associated with fertility rites and pagan festivities. When Was the Messiah Born? “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” (Luke 2:8) Although Christmas in December is a well-established Christian tradition, Bible scholars agree that December 25th is not the true date of Yeshua’s birth. Winter in Israel is generally too cold at night to be out shepherding flocks, and yet at the time of Yeshua’s birth, the shepherds were in the fields watching over their flocks at night. Another point to consider when determining the time of year when Yeshua (Jesus) was born is that winter in Israel is not a logical time to take a census because of the cold and rain. Although the weather can be mild in December, snow in the Jerusalem area is a semi-frequent occurrence. Just days ago, for instance, Jerusalem even saw more than a foot of snow, causing major disruptions to transportation and power. Flooding in southern Israel also resulted in two men dying when their car was washed away. So the fact that Yosef (Joseph) and Miriam (Mary) had gone to Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) to register for a census is a good indication that they were traveling in a warmer, drier season (Luke 2:1–5). When they arrived, Jerusalem and Bethlehem were so crowded that no accommodations were available at the inn. Such crowding would have been more typical during one of the three pilgrimage feasts: Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Pentecost) or Sukkot (Tabernacles/Booths). “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” (Luke 2:6–7) With that in mind, it is likely that Yeshua was born at the end of the harvest, during the Biblical holiday of Sukkot, in fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy that one day the Lord would "tabernacle" with His people. “My dwelling place [mishkan—tabernacle] will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.” (Ezekiel 37:27) When the New Jerusalem is established, Yeshua will tabernacle with us forever: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3) Birthdays and the Culture of the Time “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8) Yeshua was born into a completely Jewish, Hebraic culture where the date of one’s death was remembered and observed rather than the date of one’s birth. This could explain why we are certain of the date of His death (Passover), but not clear on the date of His birth. How, then, did December 25th come to be celebrated as the day of Yeshua’s birth, and what is the origin of the festival of Christmas? It was certainly not included in the early celebrations of the Christian church. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that “Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. Irenaeus and Tertullian [early Church fathers] do not show it on their list of feasts.” Later, when churches in different parts of the world began celebrating the birthday of Yeshua, they had various opinions as to the correct date. It was not until the latter part of the fourth century that the Roman Church began observing December 25th. By the fifth century, it was decreed that the birth of Yeshua would 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. Mithraism—a large, pagan, sun worship cult--fostered the celebration of December 25th as a holiday throughout the Roman and Greek worlds. This winter festival was called "the nativity" and "the Nativity of the sun." This type of cult even reached Israel. Semiramis, the Queen of Babylon, (also called the Queen of Heaven and Ishtar) also contaminated the Israelites’ worship of God with Baal worship (Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17). Her influence spread far and wide because she ordered the ancient world to celebrate the birth of her son Tammuz, who was apparently believed to be the reincarnation of her son (Nimrod). She then proclaimed Tammuz to be the sun god. In the US State of Massachusetts, the observance of Christmas was illegal between 1659 and 1681. Louisiana was the first US state to institute Christmas as a holiday only as recently as 1830. Despite its association with paganism, Christmas was, and still is, celebrated by most Christians. Rabbis and Orthodox Jewish anti-missionaries often use this information to discredit Christianity as a pagan religion, saying that the story of the birth of Yeshua is inspired by the pagan festival celebrating the birth of the sun-god Sol. According to this logic, the rabbis argue that Yeshua couldn't be the Jewish Messiah! Beside the ties to Saturnalia and Mithraism that discredit the celebration of Christmas, violence against the Jews on Christmas understandably blackened the holiday among the Jewish People. According to David Kertzer, in his book The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican’s Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism, throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Jewish rabbis of the ghetto in Rome were forced to wear clownish outfits and march through the city streets to the jeers of the crowd, pelted by a variety of projectile objects as part of the Saturnalia carnival (p. 74). In 1836, the Jewish community of Rome sent a petition to Pope Gregory XVI pleading with him to stop the annual Saturnalia abuse of the Jewish community, to which the Pope responded, “It is not opportune to make any innovation.” And on December 25, 1881, riots broke out across Poland when Christian leaders incited the Polish masses into an anti-Semitic frenzy. On this Christmas Day, 12 Jews were brutally murdered in Warsaw, several others injured, and many Jewish women raped. As well, two million rubles worth of Jewish property was destroyed. The Origins of Christmas Customs Although many Christians and Messianic Jews do not celebrate Christmas because of its pagan origins, the season of Christmas is a joyous time with deep significance for many other Christians. With the pagan origins of Christmas trees forgotten and / or dismissed as irrelevant today, many Christians consider the tree to be a symbolic reminder of how Yeshua became a curse for us by hanging on a tree. “Yeshua redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13) They adorn their trees with beautiful lights reminding them of how Yeshua is the Light of Life who calls us to shine His light on a dark world. “Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light." (John 12:36) They give gifts to each other honoring the fact that Yeshua became the ultimate gift for them. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15) Although many consider modern-day Christmas customs helpful in sharing the joy of Yeshua and the glory of God among family, friends and neighbors, one should know the history of the traditions they keep. While the custom of decorating a Christmas tree dates back only a few centuries, the principle behind it is ancient. Pagans had a custom of worshiping trees in the forest (Jeremiah 7:18), or bringing them into their homes and decorating them (Jeremiah 10:3–4), and this observance was adopted by the Christian Church. Furthermore, sacred trees as symbols of the life force were also associated with Canaanite cults. Cylinder seals dating from the Late Bronze Age often show a worshiper standing in front of a tree. Other seals dating from the 8th to the 10th centuries BC, which depict a tree flanked by worshipers, have been found at the Lachish, Beth Shemesh, Gibeon, Samaria, and Megiddo archaeological sites in Israel. A drawing of a sacred tree with lily flowers being eaten by two ibex was discovered on a jar at the religious center of Kuntillet Ajrud. Gold pendants of the Late Bronze Age from Tel al-Ajjul (near Gaza) and from Ugarit show stylized trees growing out of a formalized goddess, according to The Harper Atlas of the Bible (pp.101–102). Sexual intercourse under these so-called "holy" trees was thought to transmit the potency and vitality of the goddess. What was really being transmitted was infidelity, paganism, and prostitution: "They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth trees, where the shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery." (Hosea 4:1) These female deities could well have been the Asherah or Astarte who are often mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures (Tanakh/ Old Testament) as the consort of the weather god Baal. "The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs." (Judges 3:7) In at least 10 Bible references, the "green tree" is associated with idolatry and false worship. "They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree." (1 Kings 14:23) As well, the use of holly and mistletoe comes from Druid ceremonies. Some historians think that the Druids used mistletoe to poison their human sacrificial victim. Kissing under the mistletoe is a synthesis of Druid sacrificial rituals with Saturnalia sexual immorality. Christmas Today “Look! The young maiden [also translated virgin] will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1:23; see also Isaiah 7:14) In light of these facts, many Messianic Jews and born-again Christians choose not to celebrate Christmas in any form whatsoever. Redeeming the Time "Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days." (Ephesians 5:16) Although the date and customs of Christmas have pagan origins, this time can be redeemed by doing special mitzvot (good deeds) to help those who are feeling isolated, lost or alone while others are celebrating with friends and family. It’s a fact that this time of the year is the hardest for many people who don’t have family or who are struggling. We can be a "light" by bringing cheer, comfort, hope and support into the lives of friends, family, neighbors, and those less fortunate than ourselves. This season is a good time to help single parents, widows, or anyone who has fallen upon hard times. Regardless of the origins of the Christmas customs, our focus should be celebrating the Messiah’s birth and life everyday of the year because Yeshua was born in prophetic fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures to redeem the world. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) It is right to celebrate our Creator and His Scriptures (The Word) and the Messiah (The Word that became flesh). "But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'" (Luke 2:10–12) God is love and so He gives us His very best. Shouldn't we do the same? You can choose to share the love of God during this festive season by giving of yourself so that the people here in Israel and Jewish people around the world, can also come to know salvation. Many Blessings to you from all of the Bibles For Israel Staff Why do we jump to conclusions? Parents do it. Children do it. Bosses do it. Doctors do it. I know I have. And I certainly don't want to do it again. Not with sickness or pain.
I had not been sick or been to a doctor in 8 or 9 years. Seriously. No kidding. But THIS, whatever-it-was, I had, or was getting or had gotten me, was painful and crazy enough to send me right out the door to find someone who might be able to help. But it took a couple of weeks. I noticed off and on for a several days in a row -- maybe two to three weeks, that my arms were burning, on the back side, and that my hands were going to sleep at odd times, or tingly or burning, like when I was driving or cooking dinner. Other times my shoulder and neck under/near my ears were either achy or burning. Still other times I had stabbing, terrible, hostile, --did I say stabbing? pains in my arms and underarms. OUCH!! Off to the doctor I finally went when there began to be a rash in my underarm/right breast/lymph node area. Diagnosis #1 -- poison ivy. Really? Poison ivy is all you have, Doc? Buddy, who has become somewhat of an expert at having poison ivy even thought the Doc was off. Wrong. Missing the mark. This boy has SEEEEEEN poison ivy; he would know! :( Diagnosis Guess #2 - allergic rash? It was not really a diagnosis as much as it was a question. That was funny, Doc. Um, no. It would be all over my body instead of only in the strategically painful location of .... well... where it is. :-) Diagnosis #3 (1st and 2nd doctor in conference) - Let's not play around with small things. Let's just go right up to the top of the list! Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Yup. IBC. The Big C. Oh wow! That was a long, loooooooooooong two weeks and four days of prayer, research, prayer, talking to friends, more research, and lots more prayer. Doctor (oncology lab) visit #4 -- I have almost no blood left. The vampires drained my body! :) I always thought that if two or more doctors wanted the same blood tests, the labs would DUPLICATE the results and send them to all the doctors. I was apparently wrong about this. Norma G. took 6 vials of blood for EACH DOCTOR requesting blood work! WHAT!? When I asked about it, she just rolled her eyes at me. Norma G was not having a good day. Neither was I. Doctor visit #5 (conference again with doc #1 and 2) -- Big surprise: it's is NOT IBC. It's SHINGLES!!!! SHINGLES!!! You know? Chicken pox on steroids!? Why didn't you see this before, Doc? Why put me through this horrible week and half of appointments and fear and uncertainty and the desperation of learning all I could as fast as I could? And the long nights talking with my husband, about really tough and scary things. And the heartbreak I felt as I looked at my children and husband and thought about things like what their life might be like without me. The birthdays, the milestones, the girlfriends and eventual wives, graduations and 1st cars, the (hopefully) grandchildren and the grand plan of growing old with my one true and blessed love. And the vampires!? Oh my, that was a LOT of blood! Yes, I have now met Shingles. I don't like her. Or him. Whichever. Not. At. All. Why didn't the doc see this before?? She had one answer: "You are a-typical". Most people with shingles have a rash that looks exactly like the text books. Most people with shingles have that rash on their backs and lower torso. Most people with shingles don't have swollen lymph nodes and tender skin all over their bodies, especially not down the backs of their arms! Most people with shingles don't have much fatigue. Most people with shingles get over it in about 2-4 weeks. Aaaaah. That explains it. It's really just typical for me to be A-Typical. And I don't mind one bit, usually. I like being different. :) I also like NOT having shingles. I also don't like jumping to conclusions and knowing what stress and trouble it caused me, my husband and even my doctor. The LORD has a plan and He knows what He is doing. All the worry in the world will not change the love and care he has for me, nor will it change the outcome. I have to learn to trust Him and know that He can see everything that I cannot. I have vowed that I will try not to jump to conclusions any more. It will not be easy, but I will try and the LORD is my strength. I just got this from a friend that I had sent the Thanksgiving information to earlier last week (see entry below this one for more info). She says all of that info on Thanksgiving got her thinking about the origins of Christmas, too, since she'd heard little things over the years. :) She began looking things up and found these articles! Happy reading. ~Prairie
------ Forwarded Message ------ What Are the Origins of Common Christmas Symbols? The following is from The Trouble With Christmas by Tom Flynn (1993, pp. 19, 37-40, emphasis in original): Source: Photos.com"An enormous number of traditions we now associate with Christmas have their roots in pre-Christian pagan religious traditions. Some of these have social, sexual, or cosmological connotations that might lead educated, culturally sensitive moderns to discard the traditions once they have understood their roots more clearly. . . "The pre-Christian elements of Christmas hail primarily from Europe. . . From southern Europe come such familiar pagan traditions as feasting, fertility rituals, tree worship, and the exchange of gifts. From the harsher lands of northern Europe come the ancient conventions we identify with the term 'Yule.' The Yule log tradition, now almost forgotten, rose from this stream. So too are many of the details of holiday feasting, the ritual use of candles, and the earliest forerunners of Santa Claus. . . "Here is a brief review of the pre-Christian sources from which some of our best-loved holiday traditions sprang. "Evergreens symbolize immortality and the continuity of life. . . The Romans, too, decorated their homes and public places with evergreens near the time of the winter solstice. Among the forerunners of today's holiday gifts were strenae, tree branches presented to political and military leaders as tokens of loyalty. . . "The holiday's most conspicuous smaller plant is mistletoe. . . Historically, mistletoe has long been associated with both magic and fertility. Sprigs of mistletoe were once fastened over the conjugal bed on the wedding night. Our modern use of mistletoe as a social aphrodisiac is clearly related. "Nineteenth-century German immigrants to the United States were among the first to use a recognizable Christmas tree in this country, so it is often assumed that the Christmas tree hails from the traditions of northern Europe. In fact, it is more authentically a product of much older southern traditions. Ancient Egyptians viewed the evergreen tree as a fertility symbol. During the winter solstice they decorated their homes with palm fronds, using them as Romans would later use boughs of fir. . . "Gift giving is an inescapable part of Christmas. Christian legend assumes that the tradition began when the Magi presented gifts to the baby Jesus. . . To believe that you have to pitch centuries of history out behind the manger. Long before New Testament times, the Romans were exchanging gifts." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *********************** Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 I recently stumbled upon an article about tree worship on Wikipedia which gives some more information about hanging things on trees that I had not heard about before. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_worship It is interesting that there is a lot of information readily available about the origins of mainstream Christian traditions. Christ said there is nothing hidden that shall not be revealed. Satan can deceive, but the truth is not completely destroyed. We are called to test and prove all things! ************************* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do You Know the Surprising Origins of the Christmas Holiday? Many people know the Bible doesn't mention Christ's followers observing Christmas. So where did the holiday come from, and does the Bible condone it? Does it make any difference as long as it's intended to honor God and bring families together? he popular American comedic actor Drew Carey was once interviewed on the television talk show The View. He surprised the audience when he addressed the value of telling children the truth about Santa Claus. "I don't think you should tell kids that there is a Santa Claus," Carey said. "That's the first lie you tell your children." Instead, he told the audience, "Tell kids that Santa's a character we made up to celebrate a time of the season." Otherwise "when kids get to be 5. . . they realize their parents have been lying to them their whole life." Earlier that same year the Arts & Entertainment cable television channel aired a program about Christmas titled Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas. The promo for the program read: "People all over the world celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th. But why is the Savior's nativity marked by gift-giving, and was He really born on that day? And just where did the Christmas tree come from? "Take an enchanting journey through the history of the world's favorite holiday to learn the origins of some of the Western world's most enduring traditions. Trace the emergence of Christmas from pagan festivals like the Roman Saturnalia, which celebrated the winter solstice." Both programs addressed an uncomfortable fact—that Santa Claus is fictitious and that Christmas and its trappings emanate from pagan Roman festivals. But as we'll see, by no means are these the only sources of information about the background of Santa Claus and Christmas. Is there more to these ancient traditions and practices than meets the eye? Does it make any difference whether we continue to participate in them? What does the Bible say about such practices? Celebration of the sun godIt may sound odd that any religious celebration with Christ's name attached to it could predate Christianity. Yet the holiday we know as Christmas long predates Jesus Christ. Elements of the celebration can be traced to ancient Egypt, Babylon and Rome. This fact doesn't cast aspersions on Jesus, but it does call into question the understanding and wisdom of those who, over the millennia, have insisted on perpetuating an ancient pagan festival that has spread through much of the world as Christmas. Members of the early Church would have been astonished to think that the customs and practices we associate with Christmas would be incorporated into a celebration of Christ's birth. Not until several centuries had passed would Christ's name be attached to this popular Roman holiday. As Alexander Hislop explains in his book The Two Babylons: "It is admitted by the most learned and candid writers of all parties that the day of our Lord's birth cannot be determined, and that within the Christian Church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the third century, and that not till the fourth century was far advanced did it gain much observance" (1959, pp. 92-93). As for how Dec. 25 became the date for Christmas day, virtually any book on the holiday's history will explain that this date was celebrated in the Roman Empire as the birthday of the sun god. Explaining how Dec. 25 came to be selected as the supposed birthday of Jesus, the book 4000 Years of Christmas says: "For that day was sacred, not only to the pagan Romans but to a religion from Persia which, in those days, was one of Christianity's strongest rivals. This Persian religion was Mithraism, whose followers worshiped the sun, and celebrated its return to strength on that day" (Earl and Alice Count, 1997, p. 37). Not only was Dec. 25 honored as the birthday of the sun, but a festival had long been observed among pagan nations to celebrate the growing amount of daylight after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The precursor of Christmas was in fact an idolatrous midwinter festival characterized by excess and debauchery that predated Christianity by many centuries! Pre-Christian practices incorporatedThis ancient festival went by different names in various cultures. In Rome it was called the Saturnalia, in honor of Saturn, the Roman god of agriculture. The celebration was absorbed into the early Roman church and given the name of Christ ("Christ mass," or Christmas) to conciliate new converts who didn't want to give it up and to swell the number of nominal adherents of Christianity. The tendency on the part of third-century Catholic leadership was to meet paganism halfway—a practice made clear in a bitter lament by Tertullian, a Catholic theologian of that time. In 230 he wrote of the inconsistency of professing Christians. He contrasted their lax and political practices with the strict fidelity of the pagans to their own beliefs: "By us who are strangers to Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God [the biblical festivals spelled out in the Bible in Leviticus 23, which they no longer observed], the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia, 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; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians" (quoted by Hislop, p. 93, emphasis added throughout unless otherwise noted). Failing to make much headway in converting the pagans, the religious leaders of the Roman church began compromising by dressing heathen customs in Christian-looking garb. But, rather than converting them to the church's beliefs, the church became largely converted to non-Christian customs in its own religious practices. Although at first the early Catholic Church censured this celebration, "the festival was far too strongly entrenched in popular favor to be abolished, and the Church finally granted the necessary recognition, believing that if Christmas could not be suppressed, it should be preserved in honor of the Christian God. Once given a Christian basis the festival became fully established in Europe with many of its pagan elements undisturbed" (Man, Myth & Magic: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Mythology, Religion, and the Unknown,Richard Cavendish, editor, 1983, Vol. 2, p. 480, "Christmas"). Celebration wins out over ScriptureSome resisted such spiritually poisonous compromises. "Upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts, the apostasy went on, till the Church, with the exception 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, prove its origin" (Hislop, p. 93). The aforementioned Tertullian, for one, disassociated himself from the Roman church in an attempt to draw closer to the teachings of the Bible. He wasn't alone in his disagreement with such trends. "As late as 245 Origen, in his eighth homily on Leviticus, repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ as if he were a king Pharaoh" (The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 6, p. 293, "Christmas"). Christmas was not made a Roman holiday until 534 (ibid.). It took 300 years for the new name and symbols of Christmas to replace the old names and meaning of the midwinter festival, a pagan celebration that reaches back so many centuries. No biblical support for Santa ClausHow did Santa Claus enter the picture? Why is this mythical figure so closely aligned with the Christmas holiday? Here, too, many books are available to shed light on the origins of this popular character. "Santa Claus" is an American corruption of the Dutch form Sinterklaas, short for Sint Nikolaas, a figure brought to America by the early Dutch colonists. This name, in turn, stems from St. Nicholas, bishop of the city of Myra in southern Asia Minor, a Catholic saint honored by the Greeks and the Latins on Dec. 6. He was bishop of Myra in the time of the Roman emperor Diocletian, was persecuted, tortured for the Catholic faith and kept in prison until the more tolerant reign of Constantine (The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 19, p. 649, "Nicholas, St."). Various stories claim a link from Christmas to St. Nicholas, all of them having to do with gift-giving on the eve of St. Nicholas, subsequently transferred to Christmas Day (ibid.). How, we might ask, did a bishop from the sunny Mediterranean coast of Turkey come to be associated with a red-suited man who lives at the North Pole and rides in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer? Knowing what we have already learned about the ancient pre-Christian origins of Christmas, we shouldn't be surprised to learn that Santa Claus, too, is nothing but a figure recycled from ancient pagan beliefs. The trappings associated with Santa Claus—his fur-trimmed wardrobe, sleigh and reindeer—reveal his origin from the cold climates of the far North. Some sources trace him to the ancient Northern European gods Odin (or Woden) and Thor (Count, pp. 56-64). Odin, portrayed with a long, white beard, was said to ride the sky with his eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Others trace Santa Claus even farther back in time to the Roman god Saturn and the Greek god Silenus, companion and tutor of the wine god Dionysus (William Walsh, The Story of Santa Klaus, pp. 70-71). Was Jesus born in December?Knowledgeable Bible scholars who have written on the subject of Jesus' birth conclude that, based on evidence in the Bible itself, there is no possible way Christ could have been born anywhere near Dec. 25. Alexander Hislop points out regarding Jesus' birth: "There is not a word in the Scriptures about the precise day of His birth, or the time of the year when He was born. What is recorded there, implies that at what time soever His birth took place, it could not have been on the 25th of December. "At the time that the angel announced His birth to the shepherds of Bethlehem, they were feeding their flocks by night in the open fields . . . The climate of Palestine . . . from December to February, is very piercing, and it was not the custom for the shepherds of Judea to watch their flocks in the open fields later than about the end of October" (p. 91, emphasis in original). He goes on to explain that the autumn rains beginning in September or October in Judea would mean that the events surrounding Christ's birth recorded in the Scriptures could not have taken place later than mid-October, so Jesus' birth likely took place earlier in the fall (p. 92). (note: For example, during Sukkot fits perfectly :) Further evidence supporting Jesus' birth in the autumn is that the Romans were intelligent enough not to set the time for taxation and travel in the dead of winter, but during more favorable conditions. (note: such as during Sukkot when all Hebrews were commanded to celebrate this festival of God!) Since Joseph's lineage was from Bethlehem, and since he had to travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, and since his expectant wife Mary traveled with him, it would have been nearly impossible for Joseph and Mary to make the trip in the winter. As recorded by Luke, Mary delivered Jesus in Bethlehem during the time of census and taxation—which no rational official would have scheduled for December. What difference does it make?The Bible gives us no reason—and certainly no instruction—to support the myths and fables of Christmas and Santa Claus. They are tied to the ways of this world and contrary to the ways of Christ and His holy truth. "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles," God tells us (Jeremiah:10:2). Professing Christians should examine the background of the Christmas holiday symbols and stop telling their children that Santa Claus and his elves, reindeer and Christmas gift-giving are connected with Jesus Christ. Emphatically they are not! God hates lying! "These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren" (Proverbs:6:16-19). Christ reveals that Satan the devil is the father of lies (John:8:44). Parents should tell their children the truth about God and this world's contrary and confusing ways. If we don't, we only perpetuate the notion that it is acceptable for parents to lie to their children! Can a Christian promote a pagan holiday and its symbols as something that God or Christ has approved? Let's see what God thinks about people using customs and practices rooted in false religion to worship Him and His Son. We find His views clearly expressed in both the Old and New Testament. God specifically commands His people not to do what early church leaders did when they incorporated idolatrous practices and relabeled them Christian. Before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God gave them a stern warning: "Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them [the pagan inhabitants of the land] . . . and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' "You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods . . . Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy:12:30-32). Many centuries later the apostle Paul traveled to and raised up churches in many gentile cities. To the members of the Church of God in Corinth, a city steeped in idolatry, Paul wrote: "What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? "For you are the temple of the living God . . . Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you' . . . Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians:6:14-17; 7:1). Instead of allowing members to rename and celebrate customs associated with false gods, Paul's instructions were clear: They were to have nothing to do with them. He similarly told Athenians who were steeped in idolatry, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts:17:30). God clearly forbids adopting pagan worship days and customs to worship Him. Jesus Christ plainly tells us that "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John:4:24). We cannot honor God in truth with false practices adopted from the worship of nonexistent gods. Jesus said: "This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark:7:6-7). With God no substitutes are acceptable! It makes no difference that Christians mean well when they observe Christmas. God is not pleased. Almighty God, who made us, preserves us and gives us eternal life, has made His will in this matter known to you through His Word, the Bible. Will you honor God or follow the traditions of mankind? To Learn More...Does it matter to God which days and customs we use to worship Him? Why do so many of our holidays have strange customs found nowhere in the Bible? Many people are shocked to discover the origins of our most popular holidays. They're also surprised to learn that the Holy Days God commands in the Bible—the same ones kept by Jesus Christ and the apostles—are almost universally ignored today. The Bible, the Torah, specifically lays out these holidays and holy days in Leviticus. If you are serious about wanting to know more, I suggest you start there. |
Categories
All
Archives
September 2015
|