The True Origins Behind Christmas

 

I know this is a family favorite holiday and will be most difficult to drop for most people. I know I, for one, greatly enjoyed Christmas growing up. But knowing what I know now, I can no longer participate in a pagan holiday, even if the Catholic Church “Christianized” the holiday. I know many will say, “But that’s not what Christmas means to me; it's about Jesus’ birth.” Well, I hope after reading this post and the post, “Understanding the Mo'edim: The Biblical Holy Days Given By YHWH” you will see the error of such thinking.

For those of you who celebrate Christmas, book, chapter, and verse for where it states we should honor that holiday? Can’t find it? Okay, case closed. This should be sufficient reason not to participate in the pagan holiday, but I know more evidence is necessary to convince the masses. 

The Origins of Christmas 

“December 25 is referred to in documents as Christmas Day in A.D. 324 for the first time. Under the Roman emperor Justinian [A.D. 527-565] it was recognized as an official holiday. An old Roman festival played a major part in the choice of this particular day. December 25 in ancient Rome was the 'Dies Natali Invictus,' 'the birthday of the unconquered,' the day of the winter solstice and at the same time, in Rome, the last day of the Saturnalia, which had long since degenerated into a week of unbridled carnival...” (The Bible as History, p. 331, by Werner Keller)

The Romans celebrated the birthday of the “unconquered” one on December 25, and no it was not Yeshua the Messiah but the Sun god. 

“In Rome, the divinity of the Sun came very early on; and then, centuries afterwards, in the superb dome of Hadrian's Pantheon, the central opening, surrounded by star-like rosettes, represented the solar orb...Before long, the emperor Aurelian established a massive temple of the Unconquerable Sun as the central and focal point of the entire religious system of the state (274). The birthday of the god was to be on December 25, and this, transformed into Christmas day, was one of the heritages that Christianity owed to his cult.” (History of Rome, p. 391- 392, by Michael Grant) 

If you read my post titled, “The Truth About the Sabbath Day: What It Is and What We Should Do”, then you will remember that Emperor Constantine was a “Christian” who still worshiped the Sun god. This is why he wanted the day of rest moved to Sunday; he, along with the Catholic church, “moved” the Sabbath to Sunday. It seems something similar happened here, perhaps wanting to honor both YHWH and the Sun god, Constantine, through the Catholic Church “Christianized” Saturnalia. This idea is supported by the following, 

“In the 3rd century, the Roman Empire, which at the time had not adopted Christianity, celebrated the rebirth of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) on December 25th. This holiday not only marked the return of longer days after the winter solstice but also followed the popular Roman festival called the Saturnalia (during which people feasted and exchanged gifts). It was also the birthday of the Indo-European deity Mithra, a god of light and loyalty whose cult was at the time growing popular among Roman soldiers. The church in Rome began formally celebrating Christmas on December 25 in 336, during the reign of the emperor Constantine. As Constantine had made Christianity the effective religion of the empire, some have speculated that choosing this date had the political motive of weakening the established pagan celebrations. The date was not widely accepted in the Eastern Empire, where January 6 had been favored, for another half-century, and Christmas did not become a major Christian festival until the 9th century.” (Why Is Christmas in December, by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica) 

This lines up perfectly with the first quote, that Christmas didn’t show until around 324, during the reign of Constantine, but wasn’t made an official holiday of the Empire till centuries later. Regarding Constantine’s act of making Christianity the official Roman religion, one historian had this to say. 

“The services of worship increased in splendor, but were less spiritual and hearty than those of former times. The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept into the worship. Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with change of name and worship.” (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 79, by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut) 

The Church Adopting Pagan Customs  

This wasn’t the only pagan holiday accepted by the Church, and it made it a custom to adopt pagan celebrations and then in turn “Christianize” them. 

“Pope Gregory the Great, who, in a letter written in 601 C.E. to a Christian missionary in Britain, recommended that local pagan temples not be destroyed but be converted into churches, and that pagan festivals be celebrated as feasts of Christian martyrs.” (How December 25 Became Christmas, by Andrew McGowan)

“Pope Gregory the Great proposed for English converts of the seventh century a policy of toleration, suggesting that some of the existing customs of the pagan English could be accommodated in a new Christian society.” (Bede, Gregory, and Strategies of Conversion in Anglo-Saxon England and the Spanish New World, by Lesley Abrams)

What Bible says about Pagan Customs 

I do not believe the Church has the power to “Christianize” pagan holidays, but what does the Bible say about such matters? 

“Guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’ “Do not do so to יהוה your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה hates they have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones.” (Deuteronomy 12:30-31)

“I have hated, I have despised your festivals, and I am not pleased with your assemblies. “Though you offer Me ascending offerings and your grain offerings, I do not accept them, nor do I look on your fattened peace offerings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I do not hear the sound of your stringed instruments.” (Amos 5:21-23)

“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and say to them, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim. ‘Do not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt), where you dwelt. And do not do as they do in the land of Kena‛an (Canaan), where I am bringing you, and do not walk in their laws. ‘Do My right-rulings and guard My laws, to walk in them. I am יהוה your Elohim.” (Leviticus 18:2-4)

Seems pretty clear that we are not to worship YHWH in the same manner as the pagans. He gave us holidays to honor called the Mo’edim. Check out “Understanding the Mo'edim: The Biblical Holy Days Given By YHWH” for what they are and how we are to celebrate them. 

I Choose to Follow Messiah

I know it will be hard for many to break away from this pagan holiday, for it has successfully entangled itself in Christianity, and for those of us in America, our country. I’m thankful that after seeing the truth, it was easy for my wife and me to forget the ways of the pagan and follow our Messiah in observing the Mo’edim. 

As always, don’t believe a word I say and test all things, may the Rauch Hakodesh guide you into all truths.

P.S.

Check out some of my books! Available in both print and Kindle versions.

Understanding the Mo'edim: The Biblical Holy Days Given By YHWH

 

The Mo’edim are the appointed times YHWH gave to Israel. (If you are a believer in Yeshua you have been grafted into Israel.) They are not Jewish holidays; they are Biblical holidays and serve a profound purpose. It may come as a shocker to many of you, but Christmas and Easter are not a part of the Mo’edim; they are pagan in origin and still are, regardless of what the Church says. We do not have the authority to “Christianize” pagan holidays, even though the Catholic Church believes it does. That’s like saying we have the power to “Christianize” adultery, theft, lying, stealing, murdering, and so on.

What does YHWH think about our holidays like Christmas and Easter? Holidays derived from pagan religions. 

“I have hated, I have despised your festivals, and I am not pleased with your assemblies. “Though you offer Me ascending offerings and your grain offerings, I do not accept them, nor do I look on your fattened peace offerings. “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I do not hear the sound of your stringed instruments.” (Amos 5:21-23) 

He hates them plain and simple; he doesn’t want anything to do with pagan holidays. Even if it is in His name, even if we sing songs to Him, He will not listen. With that in mind, let’s learn what His appointed times are and what we should do on those days. 

Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Firstfruits 

“These are the appointed times of יהוה, set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times. ‘In the first new moon, on the fourteenth day of the new moon, between the evenings, is the Pĕsaḥ (Passover) to יהוה. ‘And on the fifteenth day of this new moon is the Festival of Matzot (unleavened bread) to יהוה – seven days you eat unleavened bread. ‘On the first day you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. ‘And you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה for seven days. On the seventh day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.’ ”And יהוה spoke to Mosheh (Moses), saying, “Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), and you shall say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I give you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest to the priest. ‘And he shall wave the sheaf before יהוה, for your acceptance. On the morrow after the Sabbath the priest waves it. ‘And on that day when you wave the sheaf, you shall prepare a male lamb a year old, a perfect one, as an ascending offering to יהוה, and its grain offering: two-tenths of an ĕphah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to יהוה, a sweet fragrance, and its drink offering: one-fourth of a hin of wine. ‘And you do not eat bread or roasted grain or fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your Elohim – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 23:4-14)

Passover is symbolic for two reasons, from the Old Testament we remember when the Israelites spread lambs’ blood over their doorpost so that YHWH would not strike down any of Israel’s firstborn. From the New Testament, we remember Yeshua’s sacrifice, for he was crucified on Passover, dying for our sins (transgression of the Torah). 

The day after Passover is when unleavened bread begins, it is a 7-day festival and on day 1 we have a holy convocation or a gathering of the faithful and a Sabbath rest. On the last day, we again have a gathering of the faithful, or as we’ve come to know it “church”, and a Sabbath rest. During this whole week, we are to eat unleavened bread, which is bread that hasn’t risen. We are to do this in remembrance of when YHWH brought the Israelites out of Egypt. After the crucifixion of Yeshua, he was in the grave for unleavened bread, again this is bread that hasn’t risen. Then there is Firstfruits, the actions to be done on this day are supposed to be done by a Levitical priest and the offerings have been taking care of by our King and Messiah Yeshua. On this day we remember when YHWH brought the Israelites into the promised land. It is also a day of looking forward to, for Yeshua rose on Firstfruits, as he is the first fruit of the resurrection! 

“Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Pĕsaḥ (Passover) was slaughtered for us. So then let us celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) 

In this chapter, Paul is addressing sexual immorality that was among the body of believers, and he instructs them to throw away their sin (leaven) and to walk according to the Spirit. He also tells them to celebrate the festival of unleavened bread. Paul kept the Torah and the Mo’edim, and we are to imitate him as he imitated Yeshua. 

“But now Messiah has been raised from the dead, and has become the first-fruit of those having fallen asleep. For since death is through a man, resurrection of the dead is also through a Man. For as all die in Adam, so also all shall be made alive in Messiah. And each in his own order: Messiah the first-fruits, then those who are of Messiah at His coming,” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

Here we see that indeed Yeshua is the Firstfruits of the resurrection. 

Feast of Weeks/ Pentecost

“And the priest shall wave them, besides the bread of the first-fruits, as a wave offering before יהוה, besides the two lambs. They are set-apart to יהוה for the priest. ‘And on this same day you shall proclaim a set-apart gathering for yourselves, you do no servile work on it – a law forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.” (Leviticus 23:20-21) 

On Pentecost, which takes place 50 days after FirstFruits, we are to gather with other believers and worship the Most High (holy convocation) and to have a Sabbath rest. It is a time to remember when YHWH gave us the Torah and when the Rauch Hakodesh descended upon the believers In the Brit Hadashah (New Testament). 

“And see, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you, but you are to remain in the city of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

“And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and settled on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Set-apart (Holy) Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.” (Acts 2:2-4)

Yeshua fulfilled the first festivals to the T, he died on Passover, was in the grave for Unleavened Bread, and rose with FirstFruits. Then the Holy Spirit descends upon the followers of Yeshua on Pentecost. Now, these next festivals have yet to be fulfilled and I can’t wait for the day when they are. 

Day of Trumpets 

“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), saying, ‘In the seventh new moon, on the first day of the new moon, you have a rest, a remembrance of Teru‛ah (trumpets), ‘You do no servile work, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה.” (Leviticus 23:24-25) 

On this day we have a holy convocation, Sabbath rest, and we are to blow trumpets. I believe this will be fulfilled when the gathering of the elect happens because each time it’s mentioned in the Bible it is accompanied by the blast of a trumpet. 

“And immediately after the distress of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give its light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Adam shall appear in the heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, and they shall see the Son of Adam coming on the clouds of the heaven with power and much esteem. And He shall send His messengers with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His chosen ones from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31) 

“Because the Master Himself shall come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger, and with the trumpet of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. Then we, the living who are left over, shall be caught away together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air – and so we shall always be with the Master. So, then, encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Day of Atonement 

“On the tenth day of this seventh new moon is Yom haKippurim (Day of Atonement). It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. “And you do no work on that same day, for it is Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonement), to make atonement for you before יהוה your Elohim. “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. ‘It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the new moon at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.” (Leviticus 23:27-32)

On this day we have our holy convocation, Sabbath rest, and we are to afflict ourselves. Many take this to be fasting or humbling ourselves. I believe this could be fulfilled on the Day of Judgment but at this moment I’m not completely sure. 

Feast of Tabernacles 

“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), saying, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh new moon is the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles) for seven days to יהוה. ‘On the first day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work. ‘For seven days you bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. On the eighth day there shall be a set-apart gathering for you, and you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה. It is a closing festival, you do no servile work. ‘These are the appointed times of יהוה which you proclaim as set-apart gatherings, to bring an offering made by fire to יהוה, an ascending offering and a grain offering, a slaughtering and drink offerings, as commanded for every day – besides the Sabbaths of יהוה, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your voluntary offerings which you give to יהוה. ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh new moon, when you gather in the fruit of the land, celebrate the festival of יהוה for seven days. On the first day is a rest, and on the eighth day a rest. ‘And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of good trees, branches of palm trees, twigs of leafy trees, and willows of the stream, and shall rejoice before יהוה your Elohim for seven days. ‘And you shall celebrate it as a festival to יהוה for seven days in the year – a law forever in your generations. Celebrate it in the seventh new moon. ‘Dwell in booths for seven days; all who are native born in Yisra’ĕl (Israel) dwell in booths, so that your generations know that I made the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel) dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt). I am יהוה your Elohim.” (Leviticus 23:34-43)

This is an 8-day festival. On day one, we have a holy convocation and a Sabbath rest, and on the last day, another holy convocation and Sabbath rest. For Sukkot, we are also to dwell in temporary shelters, such as tents. I know many assemblies that will go camping together for the week of Sukkot.  This festival is not only about remembrance, but also about us looking forward to when YHWH will once again tabernacle amongst us! 

“And I saw a renewed heaven and a renewed earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. And I, Yoḥanan (John) , saw the set-apart city, renewed Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), coming down out of the heaven from Elohim, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim. “And Elohim shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying. And there shall be no more pain, for the former matters have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4) 

What a time to come! Now that you have the meaning behind the Biblical appointed times or the Mo’edim, are you going to continue celebrating those pagan holidays? I hope you don’t, and I hope you see the significance of the Mo’edim and just how special they are.

Test all things and may the Rauch Hakodesh guide you into all truth.

P.S.

Check out some of my books! Available in both print and Kindle versions. 

The Truth About the Sabbath Day: What It Is and What We Should Do

 

What day is Sabbath? I’ll give you a hint, it's not Sunday. I often come across people saying we don’t know what day Sabbath is, but that’s not exactly true, and to find the answer, we’re going to have to do some research. But before we begin, let’s find out where in the Bible the Sabbath was first given and what we should do on the Sabbath. 

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. And in the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made...” (Genesis 2:1-3) 

After YHWH finished creation, (The universe is not ever-expanding), He blessed the seventh day and made it holy. Saturday is the seventh day of the week, but that’s not the only proof we have that it is the day of the Sabbath.

The Command to Observe the Sabbath 

 Now let’s look in the Torah to see when YHWH gave them the command of honoring the Sabbath and what we should do on that day. 

“Guard the Sabbath day, to set it apart, as יהוה your Elohim commanded you. Six days you labor, and shall do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of יהוה your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, so that your male servant and your female servant rest as you do.” (Deuteronomy 5: 12-14)

On Sabbath, we should do no work; it is a day of rest! Many people work a ridiculous number of hours, whether by choice or not. We have it ingrained into us that we need to work to make money, so we can survive. This break in work is having faith that Elohim will take care of us. Remember, we live not on bread alone. 

“Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to יהוה in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 23:3)

Leviticus reinforces that we should not work, that we should rest, and have a sacred assembly, which is having worship with other believers. 

Buying and Selling, and the Ox in the Ditch 

“In those days I saw in Yehuḏah (Judah) those treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day they sold food. And men of Tsor (Tyre) dwelt there, bringing in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Yehuḏah (Judah), and in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). Then I contended with the nobles of Yehuḏah (Judah), and said to them, “What evil matter is this that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? “Did not your fathers do the same so that our Elohim brought all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Yisra’ĕl (Israel) by profaning the Sabbath.” (Nehemiah 13:15-18) 

We are also not supposed to buy or sell on the Sabbath. By now you might be thinking, “Well it started off sounding great, no work and rest, but now I can’t buy or sell?!” Listen life gets crazy sometimes and if an emergency occurs during the Sabbath, take care of it, for you, have an ox in the ditch. 

“And it came to be, as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they were watching Him closely. And see, there was a certain man before Him suffering from dropsy. And יהושע responding, spoke to those learned in the Torah and the Pharisees, saying, “Is it right to heal on the Sabbath?” But they were silent. So taking hold of him He healed him, and let him go. And to them He said, “Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, shall not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they were unable to answer Him regarding these matters.” (Luke 14: 1-6) 

If an emergency arises then take care of it!

Yeshua Honored the Sabbath

In Luke 14 you have Yeshua honoring the Sabbath and here are a few more scriptures that show him keeping the Sabbath.

“And He came to Natsareth (Nazareth), where He had been brought up. And according to His practice, He went into the congregation on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ” (Luke 4:16) 

“And it came to be that He went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. And as they went His taught ones began to pluck heads of grain, and the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not right on the Sabbath?” And He said to them, “Have you never read what Dawiḏ (David) did when he had need and was hungry, he and those with him? How he went into the House of Elohim, while Eḇyathar (Abiathar) was high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not right to eat, except for the priests, and he gave it also to those who were with him? And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Adam is also Master of the Sabbath.”(Mark 2:23-27)

Here Yeshua’s hungry disciples took some grain to eat. The Pharisees accuse them of breaking the Torah but Yeshua reminds them that the Sabbath was made for us and that he is Master over it. This goes back to the ox being in the ditch and dispels what the Pharisees had added to the Torah.

“And it also came to be on another Sabbath, that He entered into the congregation and taught, and there was a man whose right hand was withered. And the scribes and Pharisees were watching Him closely, whether He would heal on the Sabbath, for them to find an accusation against Him. And He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, “Rise and stand in the midst.” And he rose up and stood. Then יהושע said to them, “I ask you, is it right to do good on the Sabbath, or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” And looking around at them all, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored sound as the other. But they were filled with folly, and were speaking with one another what they should do to יהושע.” (Luke 6:6-11) 

The Pharisees were so furious with Yeshua not because he was breaking the Torah but because he was breaking their traditions, their man doctrines. 

“And He was teaching in one of the congregations on the Sabbath, and see, there was a woman having a weakening spirit for eighteen years, and was bent over and was unable to straighten up at all. And יהושע, seeing her, called her near and said to her, “Woman, you are loosened from your weakness.” And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was straightened up, and praised Elohim. But the ruler of the congregation, responding, much displeased that יהושע had healed on the Sabbath, said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men should work, so come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Master answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loosen his ox or his donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? And this one, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, look, for eighteen years, should she not be loosened from this bond on the Sabbath? And when He said this, all His opponents were put to shame. And all the crowd rejoiced for all the splendid works being done by Him.” (Luke 13:10-17)

The Disciples Honored the Sabbath after Yeshua’s Resurrection 

Now, what about the disciples after the ascension of Yeshua? 

“And having put out from Paphos, Sha’ul (Paul) and those with him came to Perge in Pamphulia. And Yoḥanan (John), having left them, returned to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). But passing through from Perge, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the congregation on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the Torah and the Prophets, the rulers of the congregation sent to them, saying, “Men, brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak.” (Acts 13:13-15)

“And when the Yehuḏim (Jews) went out of the congregation, the nations begged to have these words spoken to them the next Sabbath. And when the meeting of the congregation had broken up, many of the Yehuḏim (Jews) and of the worshipping converts followed Sha’ul (Paul) and Barnaḇa (Barnabas), who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the favor of Elohim. And on the next Sabbath almost all the city came together to hear the Word of Elohim. (Acts 13:42-44)

“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the city by a river, where there used to be prayer. And having sat down we were speaking to the women who met there.” (Acts 16:13) 

“And after this Sha’ul (Paul) left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Yehuḏi (Jew) named Aqulas (Aquila), born in Pontos, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla – because Claudius had commanded all the Yehuḏim (Jews) to leave Rome – and he came to them. And because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and was working, for they were tentmakers by trade. And he was reasoning in the congregation every Sabbath, and won over both Yehuḏim (Jews) and Greeks.” (Acts 18:1-4)

“And having returned, they prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the command.” (Luke 23:56)

Remember Paul’s act of debating on Sabbath is not considered work, had he been making tents on Sabbath then yes he would have broken the fourth commandment. 

Who ‘Changed’ the Sabbath Day and Why?

Now that we have Biblical evidence for the Sabbath being honored in the New Testament, let’s look at why the day was changed and who did it. Roman Emperor Constantine was a proclaimed Christian but also worship the sun god, that is why he wanted the day moved to Sunday, so he could worship both on the same day. 

“On the venerable Day of the sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest, and let all workshops be closed. In the country, however, persons engaged in agriculture may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits: because it often happens that another Day is not so suitable for grain sowing or for vine planting: lest by neglecting the proper moment for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost.” (Constantine, 321 A.D) 

The Catholic Church followed suit because Roman Catholicism and Rome are close if not the same. 

“Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday (Sabbath), but shall work on that Day: but the Lord’s Day, they shall especially honour; and as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ.” (the Catholic Church Council of Laodicea circa 364 AD)

“We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith. Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say, this Church instituted by Christ, to teach and guide men through life, has the right to change the Ceremonial laws of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to the Sunday. We frankly say, "yes, the Church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday Abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages, and a thousand other laws.” (Peter R Tramer, editor of the Catholic Extension Magazine, Chicago, Illinois, which was under the blessing of Pope Pius XI) 

“Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church transferred the Solemnity from Saturday to Sunday.” (The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine p. 50) 

“We have in the authoritative voice of the Church the voice of Christ Himself. The Church is above the Bible; and this transference of Sabbath observance from Saturday to Sunday is proof positive of that fact.” (Catholic record of London, Ontario September 1, 1923)

As you can see the Catholic church believes they have the power to change the Torah and create their own laws, this is a false doctrine through and through. Here are historical records of the early Christians keeping the Sabbath. 

“It is certain that the ancient Sabbath did remain and was observed (together with the celebration of the Lord's day) by the Christians of the East Church, above three hundred years after our Savior’s death” (A Learned Treatise of the Sabbath, p. 77) *The Lord’s day is Sunday that Constantine and the Catholic Church instituted*

“The primitive Christians had a great veneration for the Sabbath, and spent the day in devotion and sermons. And it is not to be doubted but they derived this practice from the Apostles themselves, as appears by several scriptures to the purpose.” ("Dialogues on the Lord's Day," p. 189. London: 1701, By Dr. T.H. Morer (A Church of England divine) 

“The Sabbath was a strong tie which united them with the life of the whole people, and in keeping the Sabbath holy they followed not only the example but also the command of Jesus.” ("Geschichte des Sonntags," pp.13, 14) 

“The Gentile Christians observed also the Sabbath.” (Gieseler's "Church History," Vol.1, ch. 2, par. 30, 93.) 

“From the apostles' time until the council of Laodicea, which was about the year 364, the holy observance of the Jews' Sabbath continued, as may be proved out of many authors: yea, notwithstanding the decree of the council against it.” (Sunday a Sabbath. John Ley, p.163. London: 1640) 

Both the Catholic and non-Catholic sources agree that Saturday is the true Sabbath. Still feel like worshipping on Sunday, the day the Catholic church “made” Sabbath? 

As always, don’t believe a word I say and test all my teachings! I hope this has brought some insight and encourages you to do some research of your own. May the Rauch Hakodesh guide you into all truths. 

P.S.

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Understanding the Parable of the Ten Virgins - Why Yeshua Used Parables and the Context of His Return

 

Before we dive into the parable, let's find out why Yeshua used parables in the first place. 

“And the taught ones came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” And He answering, said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the secrets of the reign of the heavens, but to them it has not been given. “For whoever possesses, to him more shall be given, and he shall have overflowingly; but whoever does not possess, even what he possesses shall be taken away from him. “Because of this I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. “And in them the prophecy of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) is completely filled, which says, ‘Hearing you shall hear and by no means understand, and seeing you shall see and by no means perceive, for the heart of this people has become thickened, and their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart, and turn back, and I heal them.’ “And blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear, for truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous ones longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:10-17) 

Yeshua used parables so that those who truly sought after him and the Father's will (disciples) would be able to understand what he was saying. Those who were not followers of Yeshua would not understand the true meaning of the parable, thus fulfilling prophecy. When it comes to the Parable of the Ten Virgins there is a lot of debate as to what it means, and many just throw their hands up in the air and say it’s a mystery. I don’t think it’s a mystery and can be easily understood with the right mindset, that is the Torah observant mindset.

The Context of the Parable 

Before we read the Parable of the Ten Virgins let’s look back and see what was being discussed prior. In Matthew chapter 24 the disciples asked Yeshua what would be the signs of his coming, he goes on to list what must happen before he returns. After this, he tells them that no one knows the day or the hour of his return and to stay vigilant. 

“But concerning that day and the hour no one knows, not even the messengers of the heavens, but My Father only. “And as the days of Noah, so also shall the coming of the Son of Adam be. For as they were in the days before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also shall the coming of the Son of Adam be. Then two shall be in the field, the one is taken and the one is left. “Two women shall be grinding at the mill, one is taken and one is left. “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Master is coming. “And know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. “Because of this, be ready too, for the Son of Adam is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Matthew 24:36-44)

Pretty straightforward, no one knows when he will return, and we should be alert and ready to go when he comes. But what does it mean to be ready for the return of our king? 

The Parable of the Ten Virgins 

In chapter 25 he elaborates on this with the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

“Then the reign of the heavens shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. “And five of them were wise, and five foolish. Those who were foolish, having taken their lamps, took no oil with them,” but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps. “Now while the bridegroom took time, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard, ‘See, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!’” “Then all those maidens rose up and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’” “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, indeed, there would not be enough for us and you. Instead, go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. “And later the other maidens also came, saying, ‘Master, Master, open up for us!’ But he answering, said, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” “Watch therefore, because you do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Adam is coming,” (Matthew 25:1-13) 

Explaining the Parable 

Let’s break it down from the top, the virgins are the “Christians” or followers of Yeshua, and the bridegroom is Yeshua. 

“And יהושע said to them, “Are the friends of the bridegroom able to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days shall come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they shall fast.” (Matthew 9:15) 

The lamp and the light are the Torah and the following of its instructions.

“For the command is a lamp, And the Torah a light, And reproofs of discipline a way of life,” (Proverbs 6:23) 

But only the wise follow the Torah, that is why they have the light emanating from their lamps, and the foolish do not. I can already imagine people saying, “Jesus said he was the truth, the way, and the life.” This is true, but we must remember that Yeshua is the Torah. 

“For if you believed Mosheh (Moses), you would have believed Me, since he wrote about Me. ” (John 5:46) *Moses wrote the Torah* 

“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) 

“Blessed are the perfect in the way, Who walk in the Torah of יהוה!” (Psalm 119:1)

“Your righteousness is righteousness forever, And Your Torah is truth.”(Psalm 119:142)

“The Torah of the wise is a fountain of life, Turning one away from the snares of death.” (Proverbs 13:14)

This is further supported by John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.” (John 1:1)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14)

Back to the parable, the cry goes out that the bridegroom is coming. I believe this to be the signs we are to keep watch for. Then the bridegroom comes, and those who are wise are taken and those who are foolish are left. The foolish call out, but Yeshua tells them that he never knew them; this is referenced earlier in Matthew. 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Remember, lawlessness is the transgression of the Torah, and he tells the foolish virgins the same thing he tells those who practice lawlessness. That’s why Yeshua is so persistent in telling his disciples to keep watch and to be ready, and for those of us with eyes to see and ears to hear can know the truth of the parable. 

As always, don’t believe a word I say and test all things, even this, and let the Rauch Hakodesh guide you into all truth. Let go of all the years of indoctrination of man doctrine, and let the Rauch Hakodesh open your eyes as to the Biblical truth not being talked about. 

P.S.

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The Truth About the Torah and its Relevance Today

 

This topic is quite decisive and is often met with extreme resistance, much like Biblical cosmology. For many raised as Christians, myself included, we are taught by the church that the Torah or law is done away with. They say, “Christ fulfilled the law, so we wouldn’t have to.” Or, “The law was nailed to the cross with Jesus.” I never questioned this growing up but after waking up to Biblical Cosmology I knew I had to test everything I was told and taught. It wasn’t till a few months ago that the Torah was brought to my attention, it started with the following scriptures.

“For the secret of lawlessness is already at work – only until he who now restrains comes out of the midst. And then the lawless one shall be revealed, whom the Master shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth and bring to naught with the manifestation of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10)

What is Lawlessness/Sin?

The Antichrist is also known as the lawless one, which raises an important question: What does the Bible mean by 'lawless'? I knew the antichrist would be loved by the world, so it didn’t make sense if he was lawless according to man's law. Could the Bible be talking about the Torah? As always, I let the Bible define itself, and this is what I found out concerning what it means to be lawless. 

“Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) 

“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) NIV 

So, if lawlessness means to transgress the Torah, then are not most Christians by that definition lawless, just as the antichrist? Coming to this conclusion made my heart quicken in pace, for I was faced with the possibility of being lawless. 

Yeshua did not Destroy the Torah

Still, I could hear former preachers telling me the law was done away with. I dismissed those voices and dove into the Bible to uncover the truth. A particular passage of scripture came to mind just then, 

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.” (Matthew 5:17-19)

I had read these verses time and time again and never fully grasped what I was reading. Only when I eagerly sought after the Father’s Will were the scales removed from my eyes. Now, many will say Yeshua accomplished everything when he died on the cross; this is false. Yeshua still has prophecy to fulfill. Not only that, but he said till heaven and earth disappear, and well, heaven and earth are still here! Then notice towards the end of the passage, Yeshua says whoever sets aside the least of the commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of YHWH. But whoever follows and teaches the commands will be called great in the kingdom of YHWH. I don’t know about you but being called great in the enteral kingdom sounds pretty awesome to me. 

I know some may claim he’s only talking about the two he mentions here, 

“And one of them, one learned in the Torah, did question, trying Him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great command in the Torah? And יהושע said to him, " ‘You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind.’ “This is the first and great command. And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)

Again, Yeshua said he did not come to abolish the Torah, so he didn’t delete it and replace it with two; he simply summarized the Torah with two. If you love YHWH you will honor the sabbath, you will have no other gods, you will not take his name in vain. And if you love your neighbor as yourself, you will honor your father and mother, you won’t commit adultery, you won’t steal, you won't put a stumbling block in front of the blind or curse the deaf, I think you get the idea.

Yeshua Said to Guard the Commands

 This next portion of scripture I found fascinating, 

“And see, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good shall I do to have everlasting life?” And He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except One – Elohim. But if you wish to enter into life, guard the commands.” (Matthew 19:16-18) 

Interesting response by Yeshua, he told him if you want to enter life keep the Torah, he said it not me. There is more mentioned on the Law in Matthew, but I will save that for next week's post on the parable of the ten virgins. In the gospel of John Yeshua had this to say, 

“If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.” (John 14:15)

Love is a verb, brothers and sisters, if you love your Messiah, your King, you will follow his Torah. It is not burdensome, it is liberating. The world wants you to think it’s a ball and chain, but the world is the real prison. 

“For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy,” (1 John 5:3)

Are we Truly Following Yeshua?

This next one is what we call a gut check, 

“And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6) 

“Become imitators of me, as I also am of Messiah.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Are you following his Torah? If not, the Bible is calling you a liar, and the truth is not in you. I was devastated when I came across this. For so long, I claimed to be a follower of the one true king Yeshua, but I was not following his Torah. Since then, I have changed and now follow the Torah and imitate Yeshua as best I can because of the love I have for him. 

Paul Kept the Torah

I know many will run to the writings of Paul and say he taught that the law was done away with, but this is a false teaching. 

“And when we had arrived in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem), the brothers received us gladly. And on the following day Sha’ul (Paul) went in with us to Ya‛aqoḇ (James), and all the elders came. And having greeted them, he was relating one by one what Elohim had done among the nations through his service. And when they heard it, they praised the Master. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Yehuḏim (Jews) there are who have believed, and all are ardent for the Torah, “But they have been informed about you that you teach all the Yehuḏim (Jews) who are among the nations to forsake Mosheh (Moses), saying not to circumcise the children nor to walk according to the practices. “What then is it? They shall certainly hear that you have come. “So do this, what we say to you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be cleansed with them, and pay their expenses so that they shave their heads. And all shall know that what they have been informed about you is not so, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Torah. “But concerning the nations who believe, we have written and decided that they should keep themselves from what is offered to idols, and blood, and what is strangled, and whoring.” Then Sha’ul (Paul) took the men on the next day, and having been cleansed with them, went into the Set-apart Place to announce the completion of the days of separation – until the offering should be presented for each one of them.” (Acts 21:17-26)

If Paul believed the Torah was done away with, he wouldn’t have followed through with the purification. He did it, however, to prove he was living in accordance with the Torah. And the four commands James mentions to new believers, I cover here. To add to it, in Romans, Paul himself says, 

“Do we then nullify the Torah through the belief? Let it not be! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.” (Romans 3:31) 

Belief Without Works is Dead 

James elaborates on Romans 3:31 with the following paragraph. 

“My brothers, what use is it for anyone to say he has belief but does not have works? This belief is unable to save him. And if a brother or sister is naked and in need of daily food, but one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” but you do not give them the bodily needs, what use is it? So also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead. But someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without your works, and I shall show you my belief by my works. You believe that Elohim is one. You do well. The demons also believe – and shudder! But do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead? Was not Abraham our father declared right by works when he offered Yitsḥaq (Isaac) his son on the slaughter-place? Do you see that the belief was working with his works, and by the works the belief was perfected? And the Scripture was filled which says, “Abraham believed Elohim, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” And He called him, “he who loves Elohim.” You see, then, that a man is declared right by works, and not by belief alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the whore also declared right by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also the belief is dead without the works.” (James 2:14-26)

Peter’s Warning 

Peter knew people would twist the writings of Paul and gave us this warning, 

“So then, beloved ones, looking forward to this, do your utmost to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, as also our beloved brother Sha’ul (Paul) wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him, as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these matters, in which some are hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the other Scriptures. You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless, but grow in the favor and knowledge of our Master and Savior יהושע Messiah. To Him be the esteem both now and to a day that abides. Amĕn. ” (2 Peter 3:14-18)

Again, lawlessness is the transgression of the Torah, and Peter warns us not to be led astray by lawless people. I hope by now you are starting to see that the Torah is still to be followed, and the church has been leading many into error with their teachings. 

The Dragon and the Tree of Life 

The dragon in Revelations goes after a specific group of people, and it’s not mainstream Christianity; he goes after those who keep the Torah and believe in Yeshua.

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the commands of Elohim and possessing the witness of יהושע Messiah. ” (Revelation 12:17)

If you want access to the tree of life and the city, you need to be following the Torah.

“Blessed are those doing His commands, so that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of life, and to enter through the gates into the city.”(Revelation 22:14)

The Church or Messiah?

I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but the Bible clearly wants us to be followers of Yeshua and keepers of the Torah. He is my king, and I will walk as he did. I believe there is a terrible disservice taking place within the churches; they teach that the Torah is finished and is not to be followed. Well, my Bible tells me the exact opposite of that, and I’ll follow its teachings over the words of men any day. 

“…But let Elohim be true, and every man a liar…” (Romans 3:4) 

As always, don’t believe a word I say and research it for yourselves. I want you to pick up your Bible and read it without preconceived notions. Let the scales fall from your eyes and witness the truth that has been kept hidden in plain sight. With much love do I pray for the Ruach Hakodesh to lead you into all truth. 

P.S.

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