How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Psalm 4:2
Pastors and priests consider the first chapter of Matthew a can't-miss sermon on Christmas Eve. With candles lit and the fragrance of fresh-cut trees wafting through the sanctuary, they wax eloquently about Immanuel and the virgin birth. Choirs sing silent night, holy night, as parishioners soak up the warmth of their sacred assembly.
I was that person in the pew. I thought my attendance and participation was pleasing to the LORD, as were my icons at home the Christmas tree, door wreath and Nativity scene spread across the coffee table. Because God is patient and merciful, He waited until I had ears to hear to drop the bombshell Christmas is rooted in ancient paganism and, as such, an abomination to Him. Because I didn't want to dishonor or disappoint my LORD, I stopped celebrating Christmas cold turkey. The decision invited criticism and ridicule among friends and family but I remained steadfast. Yeshua (Jesus) was born during the fall biblical feasts, not the winter solstice. Last year I posted a study on the sun-worshipping origins of Christmas and how the holiday was scorned by early Americans. Because the New Testament is largely silent on the observance of Christmas (disciples were Torah-observant Jews or proselytes and therefore would not have associated with a pagan celebration), we can look to the Old Testament to gauge God's response to a day Christians call holy. Amos 5:21-23 is one such passage:
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. Though you offer Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them, nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.
Notice that the LORD says your sacred assemblies. The Israelites had corrupted God's appointed times by assimilating pagan religions. In Amos 5:26 the Lord even names the deities that had defiled His people: "You also carried Sikkuth your king and Chiun, your idols, the star of your gods, which you made for yourselves." Sikkuth is probably related to Sukkot Benoth, a Babylonian astral deity mentioned in 2 Kings 17:30. The name also is associated with Saturn in Mesopotamian texts. Chiun, which is kiyuwn in Hebrew and can mean "detestable thing" or "filthy thing," refers to Saturn worship as well. Our Amos passage is quoted by Stephen in Acts 7:42, only the name Remphan is substituted for Chiun. Remphan is an Egyptian name for Saturn.
Why is this link to Saturn significant? Pagan Romans celebrated Saturnalia which honored the harvest god Saturn for about a week in late December. It ended just prior to the festival for Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on Dec. 25. Festivities included merry-making, gift exchanges and decorating homes with wreaths and garlands. Christians in the fourth century assigned Dec. 25 as Christ's birthday because pagans already observed that day as a holiday. It sidestepped the problem of eliminating an already popular holiday while Christianizing the population. In other words, why ruin a good party?
Whatever you call the winter solstice Saturnalia or Christmas it is idolatrous and offensive to God. The Hebrew word for "hate" in Amos 5:21 means enemy. It describes "an emtional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship," according to the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. It does not matter how gifted a musician you are or how much you say you love Jesus, your Christmas cantatas are noise to the LORD. He will not hear your stringed instruments. As Isaiah 42:8 makes clear, He alone is LORD, and will not give His glory to another.
Posted by Jeff King at November 18, 2004 01:44 PMAbsolutely the TRUTH, Jeff! Quite a few years ago I watched a program on The History Channel, entitled "Christmas Unmasked." I was so impressed by this program [that was done by the WORLD], that I purchased the video tape of the show. If you ever have the opportunity to view this program, don't miss it, as it is QUITE an eye-opener. If the heathens "get it," why don't the Believers? Hmmmmm
Posted by: Anna Robinson at November 19, 2004 06:55 AMOOPS! I made a huge error on the title of that Video! It's actually titled "Christmas Unwrapped." Sorry. If anyone wants to purchase the video, it can be obtained through The History Channel's site at: http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=40197
Posted by: Anna Robinson at November 19, 2004 07:08 AMGreat work, Jeff! :-) I've been reading a book entitled "The Battle for Christmas" by Stephen Nissenbaum on the history of Christmas in the United States. Nissenbaum is a professor of American history, and the book was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The first chapter or so talks a bit about the origins and practices of Christmas (though mostly in the Colonial Period), and the facts cited are pretty, well, pretty "interesting" to say the least. I'd recommend it as well to those interested in learning more about Christmas.
Posted by: Patrick Chan at November 19, 2004 10:56 AMAnna and Patrick, thank you for alerting me to those resources. I will have to look into them. Both the video and book are very compelling. Patrick, it is so good to hear from you. I miss your writing and hope the Lord will someday have you blogging again. Blessings to you both in Yeshua's name.
Posted by: Jeff at November 19, 2004 11:14 AMI read your entry on Christmas being rooted in paganism. I am a fundamental Baptist and I belive every word you said but...I cannot see how a day set aside to remember the Incarnation of Jesus can be a stench in Gods nostrils. Now if we were relying on this day to bring us closer to redemption or if we were observing the day in an attempt to show how righteous we are than yes. He would not like it; But when we observe a day in remberance of God coming down to man and we reflect on all that it matters not whehter it was in the winter or the summer or the fall. The important thing is pausing to reflect on what the birth of the baby Jesus means in our lives now. That is what the churches are doing and that is what we do in our homes. The commercialism of Christmas may well be hateful to God but the observance; the pausing to recognize the great gift that Jesus gave to us that day in the manager cannot help but be pleasing to God. Therefore I will pause to remember on December 25th.
Posted by: Mrs Darling at December 21, 2004 10:09 AMYeshua says in John 4:24 to worship Him in spirit AND truth. There is no biblical truth behind the Christian celebration of Christmas.
Posted by: Jeff at December 25, 2004 10:34 AMA stench in God's nostrils indeed! I would like to point out that so many people ask: W.W.J.D.? (What Would Jesus (Yeshua) Do) Oddly enough He never celebrated His day of birth (that the Scriptures record) and He never commanded such a practice. I can think of a few things He did do, that most people asking the WWJD question somehow "miss".
Passover
Luke 22:15 And He said to them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering, for I say to you, I shall certainly not eat of it again until it is filled in the reign of Elohim.
Chanukkah
John 10:22-23 At that time the Hanukkah came to be in Yerushalayim, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
Sabbath
Luke 4:16 And He came to Natsareth, 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.
Unmasking Talmudists!!!
Poor Judaizer got himself duped with jewish mysticism/occultism to the point where he cannot comprehend that God does not care about which day, month or season you choose to worship Him.
GOD CARES about the intentions, about your HEART ONLY!
In Amos 5:21-23 God despised their feast days NOT because they were at the wrong time but because their ways were evil, their intentions not right.
Read this:
"You hate the one who reproves in court and despise him who tells the truth. You trample on the poor and force him to give you grain." (Amos 5:10-11)
Decorating the Christmas tree will not make you worse but supporting war and bombing other people will!
If anyone would care to see where this spirit comes from go to this website to see for yourself what the Talmud has to say about Jesus:
http://noahide.com/yeshu.htm
There you will find practically identical propaganda against Christmas:
http://noahide.com/paganism.htm
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Posted by: Geo at July 24, 2005 01:28 PMGeo, our intentions, while they may be well-meaning, do not always line up with God's Word. The human heart should not be our barometer for righteousness, only Scripture. Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."
Posted by: Jeff at July 28, 2005 11:40 AMJust read your post - very good. I might add Acts 7:42+ talks about the star also.
Posted by: R Christiano at May 29, 2006 09:51 AM