CHRISTMAS
The word "Christmas" means "Mass of Christ" or, as it came to be shortened, "Christ-Mass". It came to non-Christians and Protestants from the Roman Catholic Church.
Q1. What Encyclopedias say about Christmas?
a. Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 edition published by the Roman Catholic Church says:
"Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the church - the first evidence of the feast is from Egypt." "Pagan customs centering around the January calendars gravitated to Christmas."
The Catholic priest, Origen, acknowledged this truth in the same encyclopedia.
b. Encyclopedia Britannica, 1946 edition says, "Christmas (i.e. The Mass of Christ) was not among the earliest festivals of the church". Thus, it was not instituted by Christ or the apostles, or by Bible authority. It was picked up afterward from paganism.
c. Encyclopedia Americana, 1944 edition, says, "Christmas" - It was, according to many authorities, not celebrated in the first centuries of the Christian church, as the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth. In the fifth century the Western Church ordered Christmas to be celebrated forever on the day of the old Roman feast of the birth of Sol and it is an official Christian festival today.
d. Encyclopedia Britannica says, "Certain Latins as early as 354, may have transferred the birthday from January 6th to December 25th, which was then a Mithraic feast - or birthday of the unconquered SUN." The Syrians and Armenians, who clung to January 6th, accused the Romans of sun worship and idolatry, contending that the feast of December 25th, had been invented by disciples of Cerinthus.
Q2. Was the Lord Jesus born on 25th December?
When the Lord Jesus was born "there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8).
This never could have occurred in the month of December being winter. The shepherds always brought their flock from the mountain sides and fields into enclosed areas (not later than October 15) to protect them from the cold and rainy season. Winter was a rainy season not permitting shepherds to abide in open fields at night.
It was also an ancient custom among Jews of those days to send out their sheep to the fields and deserts about the Passover (early spring), and bring them home at commencement of the first rain. The first rain began early in the month of Marchesvan (begins sometime in October and past of November), thus, the sheep were kept out in the open country in the whole of summer. And, as these shepherds had not yet brought home their flocks, it is a presumptive argument that October had yet commenced, and that consequently, our Lord was not born on the 25th of December, when no flocks were out in the fields, nor could He have been born later than September, as the flocks were still in the fields by night. The exact date of the Lord Jesus' birth was unknown.
Q3. How did this pagan custom get into the church?
a. The Roman world had been pagan. Prior to the fourth century, Christians were few in number, though increasing, were persecuted by the government and by pagans. When Constantine became emperor, he made his profession of Christianity in the fourth century, placing Christianity on an equal footing with paganism and the people of the Roman world began to accept this now-popular Christianity by the hundreds of thousands.
b. It was Emperor Constantine who acknowledged SUNDAY, the day of pagan sun worship, and pagan Manichaeism which identified the SON of God with the physical SUN. These pagans of the fourth century called their pagan-festival date of December 25th (birthday of the SUN-god), the birthday of the SON of God.
Q4. The real origin of Christmas
If the worldly Christians got Christmas from the Roman Catholics, and they got it from paganism, where did the pagans get it?
It started and originated in the original Babylon of ancient Nimrod. (Babylon, a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit, etc.)
Rev 18:2-3 2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Nimrod, grandson of Ham (son of Noah), started the great organized worldly apostasy that has dominated this world until now. He built the tower of Babel, the original Babylon, ancient Nineveh, and many other cities. Nimrod was so evil that he married his own mother, Semiramis.
After Nimrod's untimely death, she propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod as a spirit being. She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprung over night from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life of the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. December 25th was the birthday of Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree.
Through her scheming and designing, Semiramis became the Babylonian "Queen of Heaven" and Nimrod became the "Divine son of Heaven". Through the generations, in this idolatrous worship, Nimrod also became the false Messiah, son of Ball the Sun-god. The "mother and Child" objects of worship spread over the world.
The names varied in different countries and languages. In Egypt, it was "Isis and Osiris". In Asia, "Cybele and Deoius". In pagan Rome, it was "Fortuna and Jupiterpuer". Even in Greece, China, Japan, Tibet, it was "Madonna and Child".
Thus, every Christmas season you'll hear the hymn "Silent Night, Holy Night," with its familiar "Mother and Child" theme.
The real origin of Christmas goes back to ancient Babylon. In Egypt, (Egyptian name for "Queen of Heaven") was born December 25th. Paganism celebrated this famous birthday of Nimrod for centuries before the birth of Christ.
What does the bible say about the Christmas tree?
Jer 10:2-6 2Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3For 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. 4They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. 6Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
The trees cannot speak nor walk – they must be carried.
They are not gods to be feared or worshipped. Some people misread thus "Be not afraid of them; for they (the trees) cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good" and make it says there is no harm in having a Christmas tree, but that is not what it says.
December 25th is not the birthday of Jesus Christ. The apostles and the early church believers never celebrated Christ's birthday at that time. There is no command and instruction to celebrate Christ's birthday in the bible. Only sinners like Pharaoh and Herod who great rejoicing over the day in which they were born into this world.
Thus, Christmas observance is a tradition of men.
Christmas has become a commercial season with the heaviest retail advertising campaigns of the year. Many are deceived and deluded by the 'beautiful Christmas spirit'. Thus 'Christmas spirit' is created each year, not to honor Christ, but to sell merchandise.
Rev 18:4 Come out of her, my people, that ye be nor partaker of her sins, and that ye receive not her plagues.
Man will reason this way: 'But, even though the exact date of the Lord Jesus' birth is unknown, should we not select some date to celebrate His birthday? Positively no! The celebration of birthdays is not a Christian, but a pagan custom! Many still reason, "Even though Christmas was a pagan custom, honoring the false god of sun, we observe it to honor the Christ." We as true Christians, must understand that Christmas observation is a tradition of men, and God forbids it!
Deu 12:30-32 30Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Matt 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Conclusion
Today, millions of Christians and non-Christians as well, ignore the commandments of God. They take the customs of the pagans and use them to honor and worship God. Let us take heed ourselves, not to follow the ways of the pagans.
2 Tim 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
Let us obey the teachings of God, to worship Him in Spirit and Truth!
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.