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THE MESSIAH'S BIRTH
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“Christmas is coming!”;
Puritan , A.W. Pink observed; “Quite so; but what is ‘Christmas’
? Does not the very term itself denote its source - ‘Christ-mass.’ Thus it is of
Romish origin, brought over from Paganism. But, says someone, Christmas is the
time when we commemorate the Saviour's birth. It is? And who authorized such
commemoration? Certainly God did not. The Redeemer bade His disciples "remember"
Him in His death, but there is not a word in Scripture, from Genesis to
Revelation, which tells us to celebrate His birth. Moreover, who knows when, in
what month, He was born? The Bible is silent thereon. Is it without reason that
the only "birthday" commemorations mentioned in God's Word are Pharaoh's (Gen.
40:20) and Herod's (Matt. 14:6)? Is this recorded "for our learning?" If so,
have we prayerfully taken it to heart?
And who is it that celebrates "Christmas?" The whole "civilized world."
Millions who make no profession of faith in the blood of the Lamb, who "despise
and reject Him," and millions more who while claiming to be His followers yet in
works deny Him, join in merrymaking under the pretence of honouring the birth of
the Lord Jesus. Putting it on its lowest ground, we would ask, Is it fitting
that His friends should unite with His enemies in a worldly round of fleshly
gratification? Does any truly born-again soul really think that He whom the
world cast out is either pleased or glorified by such participation in the
world's joys? Verily, the customs of the people are vain; and it is written,
"Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Ex. 23:2).
Some will argue for the "keeping of Christmas" on the ground of "giving the
kiddies a good time." But why do this under cloak of honouring the Saviour's
birth? Why is it necessary to drag in His holy name in connection with what
takes place at that season of carnal jollification? Is this taking the little
ones with you out of Egypt (Ex. 10:9,10) a type of the world, or is it not
plainly a mingling with the present-day Egyptians in their "pleasures of sin for
a season?" (Heb. 11:25). Scripture says, "Train up a child in the way he should
go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6). Scripture
does command God's people to bring up their children "in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4), but where does it stipulate that it is our
duty to give the little ones a "good time?" Do we ever give the children "a good
time" when we engage in anything upon which we cannot fittingly ask the Lord's
blessing?”
Charles Spurgeon once said:
"We have no superstitious regard for
times and seasons. Certainly, we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical
arrangement called Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass at
all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English; and,
secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day
as the birthday of the Saviour; and, consequently, its observance is a
superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most
positively the day of our Saviour's birth, although there is no possibility of
discovering when it occured. Fabricius gives a catalogue of 136 different
learned opinions upon the matter; and various divines invent weighty arguments
for advocating a date in every month of the year.
It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the church
celebrated the nativity of our Lord, and it was not till very long after the
Western church had set the example that the Eastern adopted it. Because the day
is not known, therefore superstition has fixed it; while, since the death of our
Saviour might be determined with much certainty, therefore superstition shifts
the date of its observance every year.
Where is the method in the madness of the superstitious? Probably the fact is
that the holy days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We
venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be
pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Saviour was born, it is the
twenty-fifth of December. ...
regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His
dear Son."-- Charles
Spurgeon, from a sermon delivered on 24th December, 1871.
"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 is a Pagan festival is beyond all doubt. The
time of the year and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove
its origin." --Alexander Hislop 1916 classic,
The Two Babylons:
Or the Papal Worship
From Dr. H.A. Ironside's Lectures on the Book of
Revelation (1920: p. 301):
"It is a lamentable fact that Babylon's
principles and practices are rapidly but surely pervading the churches that
escaped from Rome at the time of the Reformation. We may see evidences of it
in the wide use of high-sounding ecclesiastical titles, once unknown in the
reformed churches, in the revival of holy days and church feasts such as Lent,
Good Friday, Easter, and Christ's Mass, or, as it is generally written,
Christmas. ... some of these festivals ... when they are turned into
church festivals, they certainly come under the condemnation of Galatians
4:9-11, where the Holy Spirit warns against the observance of days and months
and times and seasons. All of them, and many more that might be added, are
Babylonish in their origin, and were at one time linked with the Ashtoreth and
Tammuz mystery-worship. It is through Rome that they have come down to us; and
we do well to remember that Babylon is a mother, with daughters who are likely
to partake of their mother's characteristics ..."
"Love not the world, neither the things that are
in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."
I John 2:15
"Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have
sought out many inventions." (Ecclesiastes 7:29)
Not once does scripture teach believers to celebrate his birthday (which
those who rightly divide the word agree never happened in December). What
is found in scripture is reference to the
pagan practice of what today is, a whitewashed disguise "christmas".
The prophet Jeremiah (10:1-5) proclaims the word of the Lord:
"Learn not
the way of the heathen, ... for the
customs of
the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the
hands of the workman with the axe. They deck it with
silver
and with
gold ;
they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."
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Sounds familiar !
The Creator wasn’t pleased with the practice then. Why would He be now?
Yet people use the same old reasoning.
All throughout scripture God warns his people and chastises them over and
over for justifying and following pagan customs.
Today these same practices that were heathen then, and rationalised as
acceptable at that time, are condoned by "the church" as "Christian" today! How
can people make something right when God says it is heathen?
What it comes down to is "making the word of God of none effect through your
traditions." Mark7:13. What he said of old, still applies today, because his
word never changes. he scripture's tell us in John10:22 that the MESSIAH
was in the temple at the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah).
This is the antithesis of the pagan celebration of Christmas. In 168 BC
Antiochus IV, Epiphanies
celebrated the re-birth of the sun god, by taking over
and desecrating the Jerusalem Temple Mount, erecting a statue of Zeus, and
offering a sacrifice of a pig on the altar of the temple, on the "birthday" of
Zeus; December 25th. The Jews underwent severe
persecution by this ruler. Three years later on Kislev 25, a group of Jews broke
down the statue of Zeus, cleansed the Temple and held a ceremony of
rededication, which was the beginning of an eight day celebration of the
Feast of DEDICATION, HANUKKAH.
The oil lamps were lit; having only one days supply of oil; yet
miraculously they burned for eight days. Since then this Feast of Dedication
has been marked with the lighting of candles and the rehearsing of the Hallel
(Psalm 113-118).
This is a Feast in which all believers; those of the “general assembly and
church of the first born”; can personally celebrate deliverance from pagan
worship ( even of the sun god) and the re-dedication of our lives to serve the
true and living God. A time of great rejoicing; with no fasting or public
mourning.
Why not observe for the right reasons; on the right days, the
FEASTS on God’s calendar, (the Creator does have His calendar) instead of pagan "Christmas", on man’s Gregorian calendar December 25?
Encyclopedia Americana:
"Christmas – it was according to many
authorities NOT celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian
churches as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of
remarkable persons rather than their birth. A feast was established in
memory of the birth of the Saviour in the FOURTH CENTURY. In the Fifth
Century the Western Church (Roman Catholic) ordered it to be celebrated
forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol. The
holly, mistletoe, the yule log and the wassail bowl are of pre-Christian
times. The Christmas tree has been traced back to the Romans. It went
from Germany to Great Britain."
Encyclopedia Britannica:
"Christmas (i.e., the Mass of Christ)
was not among the earliest festivals of the church."
Next: The Actual Birth Month of
Messiah, Yahshua
Luke
2:2-8,
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.
2 (And this taxing
was first
made when
Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed,
every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph, also, went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea,
unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the
house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed
with Mary
his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for
them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock
by night.
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_Israel
is located, between 29°-33° north of the equator.
_The rainy
season extends from October to early May,
and rainfall peaks in
December through February. Humidity is
usually in the 90% range all the time. See "Song of Solomon"
(Song of Songs) 2:11.
_The average
low temperature for the month of December in Bethlehem
is 42°F at night, and 39°F for Nazareth at night.
_Shepherds
do not watch or expose their flocks or themselves to these
conditions.If
Yahshua Messiah had been born on December 25th. Joseph would not
have departed for Egypt until after February 4th, forty plus days
later, after Mary's (Miriam's)
purification, and their sin and burnt offerings. The average
night time low at this time in Bethlehem would be a cold and
wet 39°F with a much lower windchill factor; Nazareth would be even
colder. These are poor travelling conditions for anyone on foot or
donkey, much less for or with a newborn baby. |
Luke 2:21-24
21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising
of the child, his name was called YAHSHUA, which was so named of the
angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of
Moses were accomplished (40 days
later), they brought him to Jerusalem (north
from Bethlehem), to present him to the Lord (Yahweh);
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the
womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
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.
Leviticus 12:1-8
1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived
seed, and born a man child: then she shall be unclean seven
days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity
shall she be unclean (not pure).
3 And in the eighth day the
flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
4 And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three
and thirty days (40 days total);
she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the
days of her purifying be fulfilled.
5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in
her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying
threescore and six days (80 days total
is twice that of a male).
6 And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or
for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt
offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin
offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the
priest:
7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she
shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her
that hath born a male or a female.
8 And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall
bring two turtledoves,
or two young pigeons;
the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the
priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.
Because this was
a Roman TAXATION
(Enrollment/Assessment)
that was proclaimed prior to the assessment period, ALL Jews would have
already returned to their TRIBAL city (Joshua
Chapter15) in time for the TAXATION (Assessment)
on or about September 2nd. (year not
important).
Therefore, Mary
(Miriam),
Joseph, and child would not have stayed in Bethlehem any more than 40
days after the birth of Yahshua. That would be seven days for her issue of
blood, the eighth day for Yahshua's circumcision, and the eight day was, also,
the first day of her final thirty-three days of purification. Thus the day
after forty days from the Messiah's birth they (now
considered "Clean") departed north from
Bethlehem to Jerusalem (for sin
& burnt offerings), and then escaped to Egypt (where
they remained for more than two years). It
wasn't winter yet, even after more than forty days
in Bethlehem and their short trip to Jerusalem. Travelling by night in the
winter would have been a horrible experience for anyone on foot or donkey,
especially with a baby. Additionally, ALL assessments, whether grain, fruit,
sheep or other form of property assessment (except money) would out of
necessity need to be transferred and placed into storage areas prior to the
settling in of winter, which is when they would be needed.
Matthew 2:12-23
12 And being warned by God in a dream that they (the
Wise men) should not return to Herod, they
departed into their own country another way.
13 And when they (the
Wise men) were departed, behold, the angel of the
Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child
and his mother, and flee into Egypt (from
Judea /Jerusalem / Bethlehem), and be thou
there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to
destroy him.
14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt:
15 And was there (Egypt)
until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord (Yahweh)
by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was
exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in
Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according
to the time which he had diligently
enquired of the wise men (a period
of two years).
17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great
mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted,
because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth
in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the
land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the
land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that
Archelaus
did reign in Judea (beginning 1 BC)
in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there: notwithstanding,
being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts
of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth:
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be
called a Nazarene.
When Rome conquered Jerusalem, the Jewish people were required to pay taxes to
and/or work for their
conquerors. These
tax assessments took place at least twice during the thirty-seven year
period in question on the anniversary of the
Battle
of Actium; which took place ON September
2nd. 31 BC.
_Now Herod
died
approximately 1BC (current
estimate) some time after a January lunar eclipse, but
prior to the Passover (March/April).
Thus The Messiah must have been born approximately 3 to 4 BC, at least
two years prior to Herod's death, because Herod had all the children in Judea
from two years and less murdered (Matthew
2:16). However, it is not the year that is so
very important, but the anniversary date of September 2nd in
which month the Roman taxing (Enrollment/Assessment)
occurred.
Note:
September 2, 1 BC on the Julian Calendar is actually August 31, 1 BC on
the present day Gregorian Calendar. Thus Messiah would have been born very
early in September (1 BC).
There is no zero BC or zero AD. . My guess is that he was born on
the "Day of Atonement" (Yom
Kippur), as the symbolism is so very extreme. Three
months later it would become 1 AD.
Antiquities of the Jews - Book XVIII
CHAPTER 1. (Selections)
1. Now "CYRENIUS"
(Quirinius), a
Roman senator, and one who had gone through other magistracies, and had passed
through them till he had been consul, and one who, on other accounts, was of
great dignity, came at this time into SYRIA, with a few others, being sent by
Caesar to be a judge of that nation, and to take an account of their
substance. Coponius also, a man of the equestrian order, was sent together
with him, to have the supreme power over the Jews. Moreover, "CYRENIUS"
came himself into JUDEA, which was now added to the province of SYRIA,
to take an account of their (JEWS)
substance, and to dispose of (Herod's
son) Archelaus's
Money; (after Herod's death and
Archelaus's removal) but the Jews, although at the
beginning they took the report of a(nother)
TAXATION (Enrollment/Assessment)
heinously, yet did they leave off any further opposition to it, by the
persuasion of Joazar, who was the son of Beethus, and high priest; so they,
being over-persuaded by Joazar's words, gave an account of their estates (tribal
property inheritances), without any dispute about
it.
CHAPTER 2. (Selections)
1. When "CYRENIUS"
had now disposed of Archelaus's
Money, and when the TAXINGS (Enrollments/Assessments)
were come to a CONCLUSION, which were made in the thirty-seventh year (on
the Anniversary) of CAESAR'S VICTORY
over MARK ANTHONY at ACTIUM,
. . .
Conclusions
EVIDENCE:
* Luke's TAXATION was then an event that took place
during a year on the Anniversary
of the historic "Battle
of Actium", which took place on September 2,
31 B.C. ;This completely rules
out the month of December in any year on any calendar
(Julian, Gregorian or Hebrew).
It is interesting to note that Tishri 1 (Rosh
Hashanah or Trumpets) is equivalent to August 30, 1
BC (Julian),
and August 28, 1 BC (Gregorian).
* Since Taxation, and the "Battle
of Actium" both occurred on September
2; and Since ALL Jews left for their Own
City (Tribal City)
so as to be present for the TAXATION according to The Decree Of Caesar, The
Messiah's Birthday would
have had to Coincide within the same annual time frame as the Hebrew
Holy Days of The "FEAST OF TRUMPETS" (Rosh
Hashanah), the
"DAY OF ATONEMENT" (Yom
Kippur), the
"FEAST of BOOTHS" (Succoth),
and the "LAST GREAT DAY" (Also,
Succoth). All of which occur between
the last few days of August and early October every year, depending on the
interaction between the Hebrew Calendar, and the present day Gregorian
Calendar.
* THIS IS
SIGNIFICANT, Because God's Word is symbolism
rich, and these last four Holy Periods are Spiritually symbolic of Yahshua
Messiah's future return at His Second Coming. Thus, we have the physical
parallel of the "First Coming" Old Testament Physical
"BIRTH", And The Spiritual New Testament "Second Coming",
as well as, the actual Time of the Year Yahshua Messiah was born!
SEPTEMBER!
This is much more probable than a cold wet rainy December;
no shepherds would be out all night with their flocks under those conditions.
Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Jews (or
more) would have been required to travel back to their
city of birth under cold and rainy weather conditions in order to pay their
taxes (be assessed/enrolled).
This would, also, be a great inconvenience for the Romans too! But more
than that, September 2nd is the anniversary of the Battle of
Actium, and the historic time of the Roman taxation.
Note: The Sabbath
Month (7th Hebrew Month)
Is Tishri, the month that the
"Lord of the Sabbath" would be born in; which has parallels to the Sabbath Millennium
when Yahshua Messiah
returns AGAIN... This is just another one of Yahweh's many physical to
Spiritual parallels.
Note:
In 46 BC, when the Roman "Julian Calendar" was adopted, as stated
earlier December 24th was the shortest day of the year; December 25th was the
first annual day that daylight began to increase. Thus, the origin of the
REBIRTH or Annual Birthday of the Invincible SUN.
In accordance with the Roman "Julian calendar," the
"Saturnalia" festival appears to have taken place on December
17th; it was preceded by the "Consualia" near December 15th, and
followed by the "Opalia" on December 19th. These pagan
celebrations typically lasted for a week, ending just before the late Roman
Imperial Festival for "Sol Invictus" (Invincible Sun) on December
25th.
In 1582 AD. Roman Catholic Pope Gregory the XIII caused the current
"Gregorian Calendar" to be adopted, in order to eliminate the
solar time shift error that was introduced over the time period of 1,629
years by the inaccurate "Julian Calendar."
By December 1582 AD the shortest day of the year on the Roman "Julian
Calendar" had shifted 12 days from Dec. 24, 46 BC. to Wednesday, Dec.
12, 1582 AD.
However, the Original December 25th 'Birth Date' was retained for all pagan
Sun gods by the Roman "Saturnalia," "Consualia," "Opalia,"
and "Sol Invictus" traditions; which were now incorporated
into the Catholic "Twelve Days of Christ-mass."
On the new Roman Catholic Gregorian calendar the shortest annual day was
numerically shifted back 10 days to the 22nd of December, where it remains
to this day.
Therefore, Wednesday, December 12th, 1582 AD, became
Wednesday, December 22nd, 1582 AD.
Yahweh, the Only True God, would never have allowed The True
Messiah to be born on or near the December 25th birthday period of the pagan
Sun gods; during the time in which virgins were sacrificed, murder
was commonplace, and orgies the norm. This would be an
entirely unacceptable association of Good and evil.
Please be aware that although there has been much
controversy concerning the years of births, deaths, and the reigns of various
kings, and governors, this in no way alters the months in
which the preceding events took place.
Scripture quotes from the King James Version
,(Cambridge:Cambridge) 1769
CHECK IT OUT - IT'S THE
TRUTH !
Walk in the Light.ca
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