Make the Way Straight

“The festivals of Rome are innumerable; but five of the most important may be singled out for elucidation--viz., Christmas-day, Lady-day, Easter, the Nativity of St. John, and the Feast of the Assumption. Each and all of these can be proved to be Babylonian. And first, as to the festival in honour of the birth of Christ, or Christmas. How comes it that that festival was connected with the 25th of December? 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. Now, no doubt, the climate of Palestine is not so severe as the climate of this country; but even there, though the heat of the day be considerable, the cold of the night, 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... *”

Page 92-93:

...Again, at the time of Christ's birth, the shepherds lay abroad watching with their flocks in the night time; but this was not likely to be in the middle of winter. And if any shall think the winter wind was not so extreme in these parts, let him remember the words of Christ in the gospel, 'Pray that your flight be not in the winter.' If the winter was so bad a time to flee in, it seems no fit time for shepherds to lie in the fields in, and women and children to travel in." Indeed, 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. How, then, did the Romish Church fix on December the 25th as Christmas-day? Why, thus: Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven; and it may fairly be presumed that, in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition. "By us," says he, "who are strangers to Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, 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."

Notice Tertullian ask the a similar question I have asked many a time in Christian chat rooms on AOL, Ya-hoo and Pal talk. Why are YaHVeH’s Sabbaths done away and these pagan fest that Christianity keep NOT? It is the ultimate in hypocrisy and fulfills what Yahshua said to the religious leaders of His day. You can just replace the words “scribes and Pharisees” with traditional Judaism and Christianity:

Matthew/Matit’Yah-ha Levi: 23:13: But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees (traditional Judaism and Christians), hypocrites! For you all shut up the kingdom of shameh against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither allow you all them that are entering to go in.

M't: 23:14: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees (traditional Judaism and Christianity), hypocrites! for you all devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore you all shall receive the greater sentencing.

M't: 23:15: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites (traditional Judaism and Christians)! For you all compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you all make him twofold more the child of Ge-Hinnom /hell than yourselves.

Here is part of a message I use to post in chat rooms on the Internet:

Traditional Christianity has bowed its knees to Baal (I Kings 18). The Baal prophets of Eliyah’s day could not understand what he was talking about. The "many"(mat. 24:5)850 Baal (I Kings 18:19)prophets (Traditional Christianity/Broadway)stood against the one lone prophet/Nabiy of Yahveh (the few).

From Easton's Bible Dictionary: Topics: Ba'al Text:  lord.

(1.) The name appropriated to the principal male god of the Phoenicians. It is found in several places in the plural BAALIM (Judg. 2:11; 10:10; 1 Kings 18:18; Jer. 2:23; Hos. 2:17). Baal is identified with Molech (Jer. 19:5). It was known to the Israelites as Baal-peor (Num. 25:3; Deut. 4:3), was worshipped till the time of Samuel (1 Sam 7:4), and was afterwards the religion of the ten tribes in the time of Ahab (1 Kings 16: 31-33; 18:19, 22). It prevailed also for a time in the kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 8:27; comp. 11:18; 16:3; 2 Chr. 28:2), till finally put an end to by the severe discipline of the Captivity (Zeph. 1:4-6).

The priests of Baal were in great numbers (1 Kings 18:19), and of various classes (2 Kings 10:19). Their mode of offering sacrifices is described in 1 Kings 18:25-29.

NOW NOTICE THAT BAAL IS RELATED TO SUN GOD WORSHIP!

The SUN-god, under the general title of Baal, or "lord," was the chief object of worship of the Canaanites. Each locality had its special Baal, and the various local Baals were summed up under the name of Baalim, or "lords." Each Baal had a wife, who was a colourless reflection of himself.

REMEMBER BAAL IS RELATED TO SUN GOD WORSHIP!

This Quote was taken from the book: The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon Chapter XX page 636-637:

"...The Christianity of Constantine must be allowed in a much more vague and qualified sense; and the nicest accuracy is required in tracing the slow and almost imperceptible gradations by which the monarch declared himself the protector, and at length the proselyte, of the church. It was an arduous task to eradicate the habits and prejudices of his education, to acknowledge the divine power of Christ and to understand that the truth of his revelation was incompatible with the worship of the gods. ...The obstacles which he had probably experienced in his own mind (Constantine) instructed him to proceed with caution in the momentous change of a national religion; and he insensibly discovered his new opinions, as far as he could enforce them with safety and with effect. During the whole course of his reign, the stream of Christianity flowed with a gentle, though accelerated, motion: but its general direction was sometimes checked, and sometimes diverted by the accidental circumstances of the times, and by the prudence, or possibly by the caprice, of the monarch. His ministers were permitted to signify the intentions of their master in the various language which was best adapted to their respective principles;...

REMEMBER THAT BAAL IS RELATED TO SUN GOD WORSHIP!

... (7) And he (Constantine) artfully balanced the hopes and fears of his subjects, by publishing in the same year two edicts; the first of A.D. 321, which enjoined the solemn observance of SUNDAY... (8) and the second directed the regular consultation of the Aruspices. (9) While this important revolution yet remained in suspense, the Christians and the Pagans watched the conduct of their sovereign with the same anxiety, but with very opposite sentiments. The former were prompted by every motive of zeal, as well as vanity, to exaggerate the marks of this favour and the evidences of his faith. The latter, till their just apprehensions were changed into despair and resentment, attempted to conceal from the world, and from themselves, that the gods of Rome could no longer reckon the emperor in the number of their votaries. The same passions and prejudices have engaged the partial writers of the times to connect the public profession of Christianity with the most glorious or the most ignominious era of the reign of Constantine.

REMEMBER THAT BAAL IS RELATED TO SUN GOD WORSHIP!

... (11) But the devotion of Constantine was more peculiarly directed to the genius of the Sun, the Apollo of Greek and Roman mythology; and he (Constantine) was pleased to be represented with the symbols of the god of Light and Poetry..."

2 Corinthians: 11:14: And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into a angel of light.

Constantine was an unrepentant Sun god (Baal) worshiper! And he is the founder of Christianity as you know it today (Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox east [all Orthodoxy in eastern Europe] and Protestant west / including...Rev. 13:11).

Yahshua Mashiyach said and speaking in a religious context: M't: 23:9: And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your FATHER, which is in shameh.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IS THE CHURCH THAT APPOINTS THE TITLE: "pope" = "papa" = father ON ITS LEADER. THIS IS EVIL AND A GREAT SIN, REPENT! AND COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE, SAYS YAHVEH (REV.18:4).

Yahshua Mashiyach said: M't: 23:8: But be not you all called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Mashiyach; and all you are brethren.

Today we have both traditional "Christians" and unbelieving "Jews"/Yudee/Yudiy/Judiy, and maybe even "Messianic Jews" who respect the leader of the Catholic Church. Both ignore Yahshua Mashiyach the Word of Yahveh. The Word is NOT in them:

YirmiYah/Jeremiah : 5:13: And the prophets shall become wind, and the Word is not in them: this shall be done to them.

The Ark of the Covenant of Yahveh is in shameh (Rev. 11:19). I believe Yahshua took the Ark to Shamayim with Him when He ascended to YaHVeH's throne. The meaning of this is that religious leaders are entering the Promised Land WITHOUT Yahshua, which He has the Ark of the Covenant:

Numbers/B’midvar: 14:44: But they presumed to go up to the hilltop: nevertheless the Ark of the Covenant of YaHVeH, and Mosheh, departed NOT out of the camp.

Mosheh represented Yahshua Mashiyach (Gal. 3:24).

Now let's look at Yirmi'Yah/Jeremiah chapter 10. I have heard a "many" (Mat. 24:5) "Traditional Christian" deny that this chapter is even speaking about X-mas. Where are their eyes to see with and ears to hear with?

YirmiYah/Jeremiah: 10:1: Hear you all the Word, which YaHVeH spoke to you, O house of Yisrael:

Yir: 10:2: This said YaHVeH, Learn not the way of the heathen/goyiym/nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of shamayim; for the heathen/goy are dismayed at them.

Yir: 10:3: For the customs of the people are vain: for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

Verse 3 makes it abundantly clear that this is a tree taken out of the forest. What do billions of “Traditional Christians” (Mat. 24:5; Mark 7:7) do every year at this time? Well, either they go to the forest themselves and cut down a tree or they go to a roadside tree stand and buy one that somebody else has already cut down for them.

Yir: 10:4: They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers that it move not.

Yir: 10:5: They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must be carried, because they cannot move.  Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do well.

Now, what does the "Traditional Christian" do when he or she cuts down their tree or buys it from a roadside tree vendor? They take that tree home and instead of nailing it to the floor with a hammer, modern day technology has made it convenient for them to just put it in a tree stand, which is secured with screws. When the "Traditional Christian" places that cut down tree with an axe or saw, it is just as up right as a palm tree as a palm tree can be.

This quote is from the book The Two Babylon’s or THE PAPAL WORSHIP by The Late Alexander Hislop, page 97:

"...The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm-tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm-tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son. If the mother was a tree, the son must have been recognised as the "Man the branch." And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log into the fire on Christmas-eve, and the appearance of the Christmas-tree the next morning..."

"Jesus" is a Greco-Roman pagan Christ nimrod tree. He is a counterfeit that the Baal prophets/traditional Christians have deceived the whole world with (Rev. 12:9).

Here is another tidbit of truth, which has been preserved through the pen of the historian. These are facts about the Mother Roman Catholic Church in the west/ and Orthodox Church in the east (Rev. 13:11). The Protestants are her daughters/harlots, they observe many of the very same customs these organizations do (Rev. 17:5). This quote is taken from the Book HISTORY OF THE WORLD PREHISTORY TO THE RENAISSANCE, General Editor Esmond Wright, page 316 chapter 21 under the subtitle The Church and the barbarians, 1st paragraphy:

"When the last emperor ceased to rule in Rome, its bishop remained, acquiring the title of pope and attaining the foremost place among the other bishops of the Church. Moreover, as the Roman imperial administration collapsed in the west before the barbarian invasion, the papacy was the most stable institution in Italy to survive and in many ways took the place of the old emperors. The English political philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, said in the seventeenth century, 'the papacy is none other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.' The pope inherited quite naturally from pagan Rome, the costume, ceremonies and administrative court which came to be associated with his office. He was not only the Chirstian leader and protector of religious orthodoxy but also a leaven of Roman civilization working within the barbarian mass which had overwhelmed western Europe."

Yir: 10:6: Inasmuch as there is none like to YOU, O YaHVeH; YOU are great, and YOUR name is great in might.

Yir: 10:7: Who would not fear YOU, O King/Melek of nations/goyiym?  For to YOU does it appertain: inasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations/goyiym, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like to YOU.

Yir: 10:8: But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

"The stock is a doctrine of vanities" (Mark 7:7) is reference to the pagans and Yisrael's rebellion into following the customs of the nations surrounding them. Ancient Yisrael worshiped in groves of trees. If you will notice when those roadside vendors set up those trees that "Traditional Christianity" loves to worship, they look like groves:

{Shemot/Exodus: 34:13: But you all shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:

Ex: 34:14: For you shall worship no other el: for YaHVeH, whose name is Jealous (qanna/kanna) is a jealous EL:

Ex: 34:15: Unless you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land/erets, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice to their gods, and one call you, and you eat of his sacrifice;

Ex: 34:16: And you take of their daughters/bath to your ben, and their bath go a whoring after their gods, and make your ben go a whoring after their gods.}

Yir: 10:9: Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish/Tar-shiysh, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.

From Eastons's Bible Dictionary:

Topics: Tar'shish

Text:  a Sanscrit or Aryan word, meaning "the sea coast."

(1.) One of the "sons" of Javan (Gen. 10:4; 1 Chr. 1:7).

(2.) The name of a place which first comes into notice in the days of Solomon. The question as to the locality of Tarshish has given rise to not a little discussion. Some think there was a Tarshish in the East, on the Indian coast, seeing that "ships of Tarshish" sailed from Eziongeber, on the Red Sea (1 Kings 9:26; 22:48; 2 Chr. 9:21). Some, again, argue that Carthage was the place so named.

There can be little doubt, however, that this is the name of a Phoenician port in Spain, between the two mouths of the Guadalquivir (the name given to the river by the Arabs, and meaning "the great wady" or water-course). It was founded by a Carthaginian colony, and was the farthest western harbour of  Tyrian sailors. It was to this port Jonah's ship was about to sail from Joppa. It has well been styled "the Peru of Tyrian adventure;" it abounded in gold and silver mines.

It appears that this name also is used without reference to any locality. "Ships of Tarshish" is an expression sometimes denoting simply ships intended for a long voyage (Isa. 23:1, 14), ships of a large size (sea-going ships), whatever might be the port to which they sailed. Solomon's ships were so styled (1 Kings 10:22; 22:49).

What do "Traditional Christians" do with this pagan symbol of worship? They decorate this tree with ornaments covered with silver and gold. Notice, "blue and purple is their clothing":

{Rev: 17:3: So he carried me away in the ruach into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.}

From the American Heritage College Dictionary Third Edition used by 2001 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia:

Crim·son (kr¹m"z…n)

 n.

1.  Color A deep to vivid purplish red to vivid red.

 v. Tr.  Intr. crim·soned crim·son·ing crim·sons

Yir: 10:10: But YaHVeH is the true Elohiym, HE is the living Elohiym, and an everlasting MELEK: at HIS wrath the earth/erets shall tremble, and the nations/goyiym shall not be able to abide HIS indignation.

Yir: 10:11: This shall you all say to them, The gods that have not made the shamayim and the earth (arak/iraq), even they shall perish from the ara/earth, and from under these shamayim.

Yir: 10:12: HE has made the erets/earth by HIS power, HE has established the world by HIS wisdom, and has stretched out the shamayim by HIS discretion.

Yir: 10:13: When HE utters HIS Voice, there is a multitude of waters in the shamayim, and HE causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the erets; HE makes lightning’s with rain, and brings forth the wind out of HIS treasures.

Yir: 10:14: Every man/adam is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

Yir: 10:15: They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

Yir: 10:16: The portion of Ya'akob is not like them: for HE is the former of all things; and Yisrael is the rod of HIS inheritance:  YaHVeH of hosts is HIS name.

YIr: 10:17: Gather up your wares out of the land/erets, O inhabitant of the fortress.

Yir: 10:18: For this said YaHVeH, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land/erets at this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so.

Yir: 10:19: Woe is ME for MY hurt!  MY wound is grievous: but I said, truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.

Yir: 10:20: MY tabernacle is spoiled, and all MY cords are broken: MY children are gone forth of ME, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth MY tent any more, and to set up MY curtains.

Yir: 10:21: For the pastors/raah are become brutish, and have not sought YaHVeH: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

Yir: 10:22: Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Yudah desolate, and a den of dragons.

Yir: 10:23: O YaHVeH, I know that the way of man/adam is not in himself: it is not in man/iysh that walks to direct his steps.

Yir: 10:24: O YaHVeH, correct me, but with judgment; not in YOUR anger, unless YOU bring me to nothing.

Yir: 10:25: Pour out YOUR fury upon the heathen/goy that know YOU not, and upon the families that call not on YOUR name: for they have eaten up Ya'akob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

Do you see the connection? Has YaHVeH given you eyes to see with and ears to hear with?

{M't: 13:16: But prospered are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.}

When Paul/Shaul made that statement in 2 Corinthians 11:14 he did not make it out of ignorance of the history of ancient Yisrael. He knew why Eliyah confronted them and why they were eventually defeated as a nation and taken captive. Do you hear what the ruach (attitude) of Eliyah is saying to you (Yasha'Yah/Isaiah 40:3) today?

Other articles that relate to this one are at my web site

http://MakeTheWayStraight.com:

28: https://bodyofyahshuakeptinyahvehsname.webs.com/28whoarethemany.htm

72: https://bodyofyahshuakeptinyahvehsname.webs.com/72howezekiel16.htm

77: https://bodyofyahshuakeptinyahvehsname.webs.com/77christiansungodxposed.htm

Informative web sites you can visit related to this subject:

http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/monstr.htm

http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/vatican.htm

http://biblebelievers.com/babylon

http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/xmasreas.html

The naba/foretelling of Daniel 11:33 is being fulfilled, many people are being instructed into the knowledge of the truth:

Daniel:11:33: And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.

If you claim to be a member of the Body of Yahshua, and think you can continue to observe this pagan custom, a custom that the Word of YaHVeH did not allow the ancient children of Yisrael to get away with keeping; HE eventually caused them to be defeated as a nation and go into captivity; if you think Yahshua the Mashiyach is going to allow you to continue in this sin, you are sadly mistaken. He will spew you out of His mouth (Rev. 3:14-22).