Donna Nash and Natan Lawrence are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Shalom Everyone, Another Shabbat is almost here. What a way to start off 2022! We will give the first fruits of our worship and devotion to Elohim on the first day of the gregorian calendar, hallelujah. Earlier this week I was strongly impressed to meditate on Isaiah chapter 23. Take a look and bring your thoughts to the table as we seek Yah with all our heart, soul and might as to what He is trying to tell us through it for the times in which we are living now. If there is something He has laid on your heart, we welcome you to share that also. This is an “iron sharpening iron” type of fellowship and we want to build up and edify the Body of Messiah to be ready now and for all eternity. If someone you know would like to join us, feel free to share this email. If you are new to Zoom, be sure to download the app to your device and sign up; it is free. May YHVH bless and keep you. —Donna Nash
2 Samuel 7:9,I have…cut off all your enemies.YHVH informed David through Nathan the prophet that he had cut off all David’s enemies. However, this didn’t occur by David sitting on his thumbs and doing nothing, while, at the same time, expecting YHVH to defeat his enemies for him. No. David had to actively and aggressively literally fight against his enemies. Only then did YHVH help David to defeat them. There is a lesson here for us. If we need deliverance from our enemies (e.g., sin, addictions, sickness, poverty, demons, persecution, evil people or whatever), we have to do our part. Sometimes, YHVH will give us novel and unconventional ways to defeat our enemies as he did on many occasions with David and the Israelites at other times. Nevertheless, for YHVH to intervene miraculously on behalf of his saints, they still needed to be doing their part: seeking him and trusting in, obeying him and sometimes even physically battling their enemies. Although it appears nowhere in the Scriptures, it would seem that the old adage that Elohim helps those who help themselves has some merit.
2 Samuel 7:12–14,After. A Messianic prophecy. After(in verse 12) is the Hebrew word acharmeaning “following, hereafter, afterwards, behind.”Was this prophecy of Nathan fulfilled in Solomon, David’s son and the subsequent king over Israel? Certainly Solomon’s reign followed, was after or behind David’s kingly reign. Furthermore, when this prophecy was given Solomon was not yet born. This did not happen until David’s liaison with Bathsheba in chapter 11. So it appears that this prophecy could have been fulfilled by Solomon…until we come to verse 13, 16 and Whoever the subject of this prophecy is, it is said that his kingdom will last forever (verses 13 and 16). This certainly was not the case with Solomon. The biblical record shows us that the kingly line of David ceased in 586 B.C. (lasting only a little more than 400 years) with the conquering of Judah by the Babylonians.
Furthermore, this prophecy speaks in verse 19 of David’s house lasting “a great while to come”(KJV).TheArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach renders the same passage as follows: “in the distant future.”The Complete Jewish Biblereads “on into the distant future.”Additionally, it was said of David’s descendant who would build this house (temple) and establish a throne that it would last a long while into the future and that YHVH would be his father and he would be YHVH’s son (verse 14). This was the case with Solomon for a while until he became apostate in his latter years. There is no clear biblical record that he ever returned to YHVH, his father.
It is true that YHVH promised to establish Solomon’s throne forever (1 Kgs 2:45; 9:5; 10:9; 1 Chron 17:12, 14; 22:10), but conditional only upon Solomon’s faithful obedience to YHVH (1 Kgs 9:4, 6–9). This Solomon failed to do and his throne was not established forever.
There was one Person, however, who descended from David who was obedient to all of YHVH’s commandments, whose father was YHVH-Elohim, and who established the throne of David forever: It was Yeshua the Messiah. In fact, 2 Samuel 7:14 even speaks of the virgin birth of this Messianic figure when it says quite literally, “I will be his father, and he shall be my son.”
To add more validity to our contention that 2 Samuel 7:12–19 is a prophetic reference to the Messiah, let us look at Psalm 45:6ff (cp. Heb 1:8), which is a notable messianic passage: “Thy throne, O Elohim, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.” Isaiah 9:6–7 contains a similar messianic prophecy: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty Elohim, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the YHVH of hosts will perform this.
It is our belief in light of the above facts that Nathan the prophet gave David a prophecy about his throne being established forever through the yet unborn Solomon who, had he remained obedient to YHVH’s commandments, would have been the recipient and fulfiller of this prophecy. However, since Solomon turned away from YHVH the prophecy of Nathan defaulted to its secondary and more important fulfillment, that is, Yeshua the Messiah would become the eventual recipient of King David’s throne forever.
2 Samuel 10
2 Samuel 10:5,Beards have grown.Obviously it was the custom for all Israelite men to have beards in biblical times. If not, then these men would not have been ashamed simply to shave off the other half of their beards and return to Israelite society clean shaven.
2 Samuel 12
2 Samuel 12:8,Your master’s wives into your bosom.This phrase can’t be construed as YHVH’s carte blanche approval or promotion of polygamy. According to TheTWOT, bosom (קיח/khake) in Hebrew has a variety of meanings (depending on context). It can be a euphemism for sexual intimacy (Gen 16:5), or can represent a variety of other abstract or figurative ideas from family intimacy (Deut 28:54; Mic 7:5), tender care or concern for a pet animal (2 Sam 12:3), a mother’s care her child (1 Kgs 17:19; Ruth 4:16), and YHVH’s caring for his people by carrying them figuratively in his arms (next to his breast, Isa 40:11). In the case of 2 Samuel 12:8, YHVH giving the old king’s wives into the new king’s bosom showed the new king’s authority over the old king, since that which belonged to the previous king now belongs to the new king. In accordance with khake meaning “to care for,” some English Bibles have translated the phrase “into your bosom” (KJV) as “into your care” (see NAS95), or “into your keeping” (NKJV).
2 Samuel 15
2 Samuel 15:7,Forty years.This is impossible. This is likely a copyist error in the Masoretic Text. Some LXX manuscripts, the Aramaic and Josephus say “four years.” The rabbinic sages admit that this could not have meant the fortieth year of David’s reign, since that was the year he died, and as the last chapters of 2 Samuel show, he lived for at least another several years after this incident. The Jewish sages say that this 40 years is reckoned from the time that Samuel anointed David king (The ArtScroll Rubin Edition 2 Samuel Commentary).
This is not the only place in the Tanakh where the some LXX manuscripts, the Aramaic and sometimes the Dead Sea Scrolls are odds with the Masoretic Text. (See note at 1 Sam 6:19.)
2 Samuel 15:23,Brook Kidron.This brook which flowed in the Kidron Valley, which is east of the old city of Jerusalem and is at the base of the Mount of Olives, is about 39 feet higher today and is located about 89 feet to the east than in ancient times because of the rubble that was dumped therein. At that time, run-off and flash floods during the rainy season would drain down into the Kidron Valley making it a seasonal watercourse. The rest of the time, it was dry. At the base of the Kidron Valley, the Cheesemongers (or Tyropoeon) and the Hinnom Valleys merge into the Kidron (International Standard Biblical Encyclopedia, vol. 3, p. 14). In ancient Jerusalem, the Cheesemongers Valley that ran west of the present Temple Mount’s western wall served as a drain for the runoff and sewage of the temple area (Golden Jerusalem, by Menashe Har-El, p. 59). Blood from the temple sacrifices and sewage flowed down the Cheesemongers Valley into the Kidron Valley where the it acted as fertilizer for the luxurious King’s Garden (2 Kgs 25:4; Neh 3:15; ibid., p. 159). Excess water from the Gihon spring also flowed into the lower section of the Kidron Valley and into the King’s Garden International Standard Biblical Encyclopedia, vol. 3, p. 14).
The Kidron Valley begins at the watershed of the Judean mountains and flows east in a twisting and turning manner to the Dead Sea south of the Qumran ruins (Golden Jerusalem, by Menashe Har-El, p. 92). On the opposite side of the water-divide and the west of the Kidron Valley is Nahal Sorek, which flows to the Mediterranean Sea. Both of these valleys serve as roadways. The western valley connected to Sea Road (Via Maris) along the Mediterranean and Jaffa, while the eastern valley connected to the King’s Road near the Jordan Valley. When the Messiah comes, Jerusalem will be a source of living waters which will flow in these valleys to the east and west all year long (Zech 14:8; ibid. p. 89).
The Kidron Valley drained the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus in the east and much of Jerusalem on the west and formed the borderline between the tribes of Benjamin and Judah.
The Kidron Valley is subdivided by name into several smaller valleys. The section of the valley directly below the Mount of Olives is called Valley of Gethsemane. The next section of the Kidron Valley is considerably deeper and is called the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3; 2, 12). This is the present area of the Absalom and Zechariah’s tombs or monuments. The next section is called the Valley of Shiloach, since the Gihon Spring flowing into the Pool of Shiloach overflows into this part of the valley. This is the present site of the Arab village known as Silwan (ibid. pp. 92–93).
Various events and activities took place in different sections of the Kidron Valley and it was vital to the social and economic life of Jerusalem. For example, 2 Kings 23:4 mentions “the fields of Kidron, which referred to the grain fields that grew there. According to the Mishnah, the omer offering was brought to the temple from this area (Menahot 10:2–5; 8:1). The southern slope of these fields are warmed by the sun most of the day and produces the earliest barley crop in Jerusalem. In the years when the barley crop didn’t ripen in time for the omer offering, the barley was brought from elsewhere as far away as Shechem (ibid. pp. 93–94). Other grain crops such as wheat and oats that were used in the temple service were cultivated in the Kidron Valley and other valleys in the area as well (ibid., p. 161).
The Kidron Valley was also used as a dump for dead bodies and ashes (Jer 31:40; ibid. p. 93).
2 Samuel 16
2 Samuel 16:22,All Israel. (Also see notes at Zech 14:2.)All is the Hebrew word (kol, kal/לכ) depending on grammatical construction and context can mean “all, every, any, whole, none, the whole of something, all kinds of, all sorts of, a great variety of” according to TheTWOT. In this case, clearly, every single person in the entire country of Israel did not watch Absalom have sex with his father’s concubines. All Israel is Hebraic hyperbole meaning “all Israel that was there and saw it.” There are many other examples in the Scriptures where all doesn’t mean all in the sense we mean it in English. For example,
See Ezra 10:5 cp. 8:25 where “all Israel” means “all/ those of Israel who were present.” In this case, only representatives from the southern kingdom primarily comprised of the tribes of Judah and Levi were present. This we know for Ezra lists those who returned from Babylon in chapter two.
Matthew 3:5 records that “all Judaea” went out to see Yeshua. If all is to be taken literally, then every man, woman and child (including the old, infirm and crippled) went out to see Yeshua. This is impossible. This is another example of a hebraism meaning “all those that were present.”
In Romans 11:26, Paul states that “all Israel will be saved.” Unless one believes in the concept of universal salvation where even the devil will be saved, this cannot mean that every Israelite who has ever lived will be saved. Paul’s statement is taken to mean, “all those who will be saved, will be saved.”
2 Samuel 18
2 Samuel 18:18,A pillar [monument].In the Kidron Valley at the base of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, there is a 47-foot tall rock monument known as Absalom’s Tomb or Pillar. Tradition says that this was the tomb of Absalom, though modern scholars date the tomb only to the first century. In 2003, a fourth-century inscription in ancient Greek letters in the tomb’s interior was deciphered, which reads, “This is the tomb of Zachariah, the martyr, the holy priest, the father of John.” This tomb is to be distinguished from the Tomb of Zachariah the son of Johoiada also in the Kidron Valley near the Garden of Gethsemane at the base of the Mount of Olives. (See note at Matt 23:35.)
2 Samuel 21
2 Samuel 21:1–14,David avenges the Gibeonites.This story lends credence to the concept of generational curses. In this case, Saul failed keep Joshua’s vow to the Gibeonites to protect and to preserve them when he killed some of them. Years later, YVHH brings a famine on the nation of Israel, which David, somehow, links back to Saul’s sin as its cause. David repents to the Gibeonites for Saul’s sin, makes restitution and YHVH blesses Israel and the famine ceases. One can only wonder how many of Elohim’s judgments our nation has brought upon itself for failing to acknowledge various national sins such as abortion, the legalization and endorsement of homosexuality and other perverse lifestyles along with homosexual “marriages,” and other vile activities our government has perpetrated against its own citizens and those of other countries for the advancement of its Babylon the Great New World Order agendas for the purposes of power and money.
David, the author of the majority of the psalms in the Bible, along with several other psalmists, were men who followed hard after Elohim. No less than Elohim himself called David a man after his own heart (1 Sam 13:14–16). The spiritual cup of David’s heart as well as the hearts of other psalmists were full and overflowing with passion for Elohim, which expressed itself in quantifiable, extreme and radical ways by today’s Western standards. What can we learn from such individuals, and how can we come to this same place of passionate and enthusiastic (meaning “inspired or possessed by God”) devotion to YHVH Elohim?
David’s wife despising him dancing.
David did not merely express his passion for Elohim intellectually in the psalms through music and poetry, for Scripture records that in one case he actually removed his kingly robes that hindered the movement of his arms and legs, and danced leaping and whirling, almost naked, with all of his might in the streets of Jerusalem praising and worshipping YHVH to the disdaining scorn of his less than passionate wife. Needless to say, after that incident, David refused to have intimate relations with his wife ever again to the day of her death (2 Sam 6:23). This was likely because her heart was in a very different place than that of her husband, and he could never get close to her again. This incident demonstrates the seriousness with which David took his passion for YHVH and how he viewed those close to him who were of a dissimilar or antithetical passionate disposition.
To be sure, David was not the only Hebrew given to outward displays of passion. The Hebrews, in general, like many inhabitants of the Near East to this day, were a dynamic and emotionally passionate people, whose lives were a river that customarily overflowed its banks with a emotionally enthusiasm for their Creator. David was a quintessential stereotype of this cultural norm. But many of the Hebrew prophets demonstrated a similar emotional exuberance when urging the Israelites to return to YHVH and to worship and obey him only. This passion worked itself out in many seeming bizarre stunts in their attempts to capture the attention of a people who had lost their passion for Elohim. For example, on one occasion, Isaiah prophesied virtually naked through the streets of his city for three years warning Israel of its impending doom (Isa 20:3). One prophet even adorned himself with iron horns and then prophesied to the kings of Israel and Judah (1 Kgs 22:11). Once Jeremiah prophesied with a wooden yoke wrapped around his neck (Jer 22:11). Another time, YHVH instructed Ezekiel to build a model city of Jerusalem and to construct siege walls and battering rams to symbolize the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians (Ezek 4:1–4). After that, YHVH commanded Ezekiel to lay on his left side for 390 days and then on his right side for another 40 days to symbolize YHVH’s judgment against Israel (Ezek 4:4–6). If that was not enough, during this time, YHVH instructed Ezekiel to eat only beans, lentils, millet and spelt baked on a fire fueled by human excrement (Ezek 4:9–12). These are just several example of the extreme passion with which the biblical people of Elohim were willing to serve and obey their Creator.
Admittedly, in our day, YHVH is seldom asking his people to engage in such extreme practices as the ancient biblical prophets did in service to him. But sadly, most people are not even passionate enough to do the minimum that YHVH expects. For example, how many people are willing to put aside their electronic devices to which they are addicted along with their other secular activities long enough to pray for an hour a day as Yeshua instructed (Matt 26:40–41)?
Make no mistake, we are capable of becoming passionate about many things that are of interest to us—things that we really want to do, and we definitely make time in our busy schedules for these things. We can spend hours glued to our television and computers screens watching movies, engaged in social media on our electronc devices, listening to podcasts, watching sports events, playing video games and the like. In fact, today how many people hoot and holler acting crazy cheering their favorite sports team, but when it comes to being fanatical for YHVH, well, “that’s emotionalism” and “I’m not that kind of person,” we tell ourselves. “What will people think of me?”
There is no lack of distractions out there whose octopus-like arms laden with suction cups will grab us and suck us in to its jaws, while drawing us away from seeking YHVH. Why is this? Its is because too many of us have let our hearts become hard and cold for Elohim and as a result of this we have fallen into a state of lukewarmness, lost our first love for Yeshua along with the joy of our salvation.
So what is the aim and goal of this brief written homily? It is to hold up in front of each of us a mirror in which to see ourselves, and then to compare what we see with what pleases YHVH Elohim as recorded in Scripture, and thus hopefully to challenge each us to repent of our lassitude and incite us to “break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek YHVH, till he come and rain righteousness upon you,” (Hos 10:12). Our as Jeremiah chides us to do, “For thus saith YHVH…Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to YHVH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings,” (Jer 4:3–4). Or as Yeshua warns us, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent,” (Rev 2:4–5). These are sober and challenging warning words from our Messiah!
Do you long to see and experience spiritual revival in these days of overwhelming darkness and evil? Well, revival starts in the heart of each individual as each of makes the conscious and determinate decision to seek YHVH and to allow him to revive us. Revival starts with YOU! Selah and amein.
How intense is YOUR worship of YHVH Elohim?
Shout joyfully to YHVH, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.…Shout joyfully before YHVH, the King. (Ps 98:4, 6)
Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments. (Ps 119:164)
Oh come, let us sing to YHVH! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.… Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.…Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before YHVH our Maker. (Ps 95:1–2, 6)
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy. (Ps 132:16)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless YHVH. (Ps 134:2)
I will praise You with my whole heart; before the gods [or mighty ones] I will sing praises to You. (Ps 138:1)
Let them praise His name with the dance. (Ps 149:3)
Let the high praises of Elohim be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand… (Ps 149:6)
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance… (Ps 150:4)
How intensely passionate are YOU in seeking YHVH Elohim?
In these last days, and especially with the advent of the internet, numerous self-proclaimed and so-called prophets have arisen in the Christian church, who claim to have an inside communication track with Elohim. Claims are one thing, reality and biblical Truth are another, totally different thing.
Face it. Who does not want to know what the future holds for them, especially in these days of tenuous uncertainty? In the current “pandem!c” crisis, many well meaning Bible believers are wondering whether they will be able to keep their jobs, their homes, travel, buy or sell, or even survive financially in the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. If not, then what…? And what about the infamous mark of the beast that seems to glaring at us from just around the corner? Will we, at the least be ostracized and excluded from society, and, at worst, be fined out of existence or imprisoned for not acquiescing to the powers at be? These are legitimate questions that we all have.
Face it. Our faith is being tested, and this is only the beginning of trials and tribulation!
Into this time of gnawing questions and the void of critical uncertainty steps the prophetic pundit. Now with the internet, anyone can get a website and procure a video channel for little or no cost and upload their prognostications—and do so from their basement with their smart phone. Of course, if they don’t have something to sell you (e.g., videos, DVDs, books, podcasts or prepping supplies), they will, at the very least, have a big, bold “DONATE” button right next to their subscribe button. Shame on these gospel peddlers and likely charlatans, who fail to meet the critical test of a true biblical prophet.
Do not be fooled. Yeshua warned us against these guys and gals in Matthew 24:11 as did Peter (2 Pet 2:1–3).
Although many of my well-meaning Hebraic brethren regularly draw my attention to many Christian gurus, who claim to have an inside track on being able to foretell the future in the name of “the Lord”, I have yet to find a single one in our day who meets the biblical criteria of a true prophet of Elohim. These folks may indeed possess genuine prophetic gifts, but everyone of their track records have failed to pass the test of biblical scrutiny of actually being a prophet of Elohim.
Yes, over the years, I have supported and even promoted a couple of them. One even wanted to ordain me and make me part of his ministry. I prayed about it and declined the offer. I found out later that many of his prophecies failed to come to pass in the time frame he set forth according to what “God told him”. When this happened, instead of repenting, he simply moved the target of date of his prophecy, so that the arrows of his false and errant prophecies would hit it. Some 10 to 15 years later these prophecies still have failed to come to pass. That is when I stopped supporting him. Years later, he is still playing this same game, all the while begging for money monthly from his gullible supporters. How sad.
Please read on for some vital instructions from the Word of Elohim on how not to be fooled by those in the church, who prophesy out of the dictates of their own hearts as Jeremiah warned use about so long ago.—Natan
2 Peter 1:21,Prophecy never came by the will of man. This is a key, even foundational verse that is overlooked by most so-called “prophets” in the modern church as well as proponents of “personal prophecy”.
What this verse is saying is that YHVH does not give prophetic revelation to someone because they seek or demand it. In other words, prophetic revelation from heaven does not come on demand. No! It comes as YHVH sovereignly, by his own choice and will, “moves” on holy men (or women) by his Holy Spirit, as this verse clearly states. He chooses when, how and to whom he will give his prophetic words. So those “prophets” who claim to be receiving prophetic revelation from Elohim because they asked for it are suspect, at the very least, of hearing from the dictates of their own hearts. Jeremiah the prophet rebuked the carnally mined, so-called “prophets” of his day for this (e.g., Jer 3:17; 23:17). It is very possible that some of these individuals are psycho-emotionally delusional or have ulterior motives, such as seeking a following for personal benefit or gain. Beware of them!
How many times do we see the true prophets of Elohim in Scripture asking him for a prophetic revelation? True, Yeshua tells his disciples, that is you and me, to ask and we shall receive, seek and we shall find, and so on. But he never tells us that the answer will be immediate. In fact, in the psalms we are admonished repeatedly to “wait on YHVH” for the answers to our prayers.
It is true that Elijah asked Elohim for a divine revelation when in the cave on Mount Sinai and the answer was, as best we can tell, somewhat immediate. The same is true of Moses when he would enter the tabernacle to seek an answer from Elohim on particular matters. Yet how many prophets then and now were of the spiritual calibre of these men and are able to receive a fairly immediate response when asking for divine revelation? Nahum, another true prophet of Elohim, on the other hand, when seeking prophetic revelation had to wait for it (Nah 2:1).
For the majority of biblical prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Amos and others, as 2 Peter 1:21 clearly states, the “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of Elohim spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” So any modern prophets who claim that Elohim spoke to them when they sought it, are, at best, suspect for not following the biblical model. Again, beware!
Did you ever wonder how the non-biblical holiday called “Christmas” came into the mainstream Christians church? What follows is the backstory to Christmas—the rest of the story.
Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. Irenaeus and Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts; Origen glancing perhaps at the discreditable imperial Natalitia, asserts (in Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495) that in the Scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday; Amodbius (VII, 32 in P.L., V, 1264) can still ridicule the “birthdays” of the gods. (The Catholic Encyclopedia, “Christmas”)
Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Saturn, held on 17 December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to 23 December. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn, in the Roman Forum, and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia)
Saturnalia may have influenced some of the customs associated with later celebrations in western Europe occurring in midwinter, particularly traditions associated with Christmas, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and Epiphany. (ibid.)
The popularity of Saturnalia continued into the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, and as the Roman Empire came under Christian rule, many of its customs were recast into or at least influenced the seasonal celebrations surrounding Christmas and the New Year. (ibid.)
According to The Catholic Encyclopedia, Christmas is not included in Irenaeus’s nor Tertullian’s list of Christian feasts, the earliest known lists of Christian feasts. The earliest evidence of celebration is from Alexandria, in about 200, when Clement of says that certain Egyptian theologians “over curiously” assign not just the year but also the actual day of Christ’s birth as 25 Pachon (May 20) in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus. By the time of the Council of Nicea in 325, the Alexandrian church had fixed a dies Nativitatis et Epiphaniae. The December feast reached Egypt in the fith century. In Jerusalem, the fourth century pilgrim Egeria from Bordeaux witnessed the Feast of the Presentation, forty days after January 6, which must have been the date of the Nativity there. At Antioch, probably in 386, St. John Chrysostom urged the community to unite in celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25, a part of the community having already kept it on that day for at least ten years.
Some scholars maintain that December 25 was only adopted in the fourth century as a Christian holiday after Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity to encourage a common religious festival for both Christians and pagan. Perusal of historical records indicates that the first mention of such a feast in Constantinople was not until 379, under Gregory. In Rome, it can only be confirmed as being mentioned in a document from approximately 350 but without any mention of sanction by Emperor Constantine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas)
Evidently, Christmas was birthed out of the infant baptism heresy that was gripping the church theologically in the fourth century. The precursor to Christmas was a reaction or counter-revolt against Marcionite the heretic who denied the birth of Yeshua claiming that the Messiah was not a person, but rather a phantom. By emphasizing the nativity of the literal birth of Yeshua this heresy was countered, and by placing Yeshua’s birth on December 25, Saturnalia, it was a way to woo the sun worshipping heathens into Christianity. Here is what the historians have to say on this subject:
Once upon a time long, long ago, there was a Jewish man in the Bible named Uzza and a Christmas tree. Now wait just a moment, you are probably saying to yourself, something is wrong with this picture. What does an ancient Israelite man in the land of Israel have anything to do with a Christmas tree? Well, read on boys and girls, and I will tell you.
The Israelites, Elohim (God’s) chosen people, in their zeal at having the ark of the covenant (a symbol of the presence of YHVH Elohim) returned to Israel after it had been stolen by Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, they failed to inquire of YHVH as to how to properly transport the ark. Though well intentioned, the Israelites were misguided and they unwittingly repeated the sin of the Philistines by transporting it on an ox-drawn cart instead of the prescribed manner (1 Chron 13:1–13).
In times past and as recorded in their laws, YHVH Elohim had instructed the Israelites on exactly how to carry the ark—a gold covered wooden box that contained the sacred symbols of Israel’s special covenantal relationship with Elohim. You see, he had specifically instructed that only the Levitical priests could carry the ark, and this had to be done on their shoulders with wooden poles (Num 4:2–15). Anyone who failed to follow these explicit instructions would be cursed by Elohim.
Sadly, Uzza failed to read the instructions. Although he was well-intentioned, he was neither a Levite nor were his fellow Israelites who failed to transport the ark in the prescribed manner. The ark was illegally being carried on an oxcart. So when the oxcart began to tip and the ark became unsteady, Uzza reached out to steady it and illegally touched the sacred wooden box that symbolized YHVH’s presence in Israel. As a result, Uzza was struck dead (1 Chron 13:7–9). The sin of not properly transporting the ark in the proscribed manner led to more sin and eventually led to the death of a man, who thought he was doing a good deed.
So where is the Christmas tree in this story, you are probably now asking yourself? So glad you asked.
There is a lesson for us in this story about Uzza and it absolutely has to do with the Christmas tree that so many well-meaning Christian erect in their homes, churches and places of business each year in December to supposedly honor the birth of the Messiah—Jesus Christ.
YHVH has prescribed manners in which he is to be approached, ministered to, honored, worshipped or “touched”, if you will. We fool ourselves if we think that we can approach him in any manner we like, much less in the same manner as the ungodly heathens do. You see, the ignorant Philistines after suffering Elohim’s wrathful judgment for illegally stealing the ark of the covenant from the Israelites, returned the ark to Israel by placing the ark on an oxcart and sending it back where it had come from (1 Sam 5:1–12; 6:1–12). The Philistines were ignorant of the proper protocols for transporting the ark and did not know any better. The Israelites, on the other, possessed the laws of Elohim, which stipulated how he wanted the ark to be carried and by whom. So when the ark came back into Israel, they should have called for the priest to carry it properly. Instead, they adopted the pagan customs and transported the ark that represented Elohim’s presence in the pagan manner. Can you now begin to see where I am going with this story and what it has to do with a Christmas tree?
If we dare to approach our Creator in a non-prescribed (or illegal) manner, especially when we claim to be Bible followers, though Elohim is gracious, we may also suffer his angry judgments because we have failed to respect or fear his presence properly and follow his commandments. Often, we, just like the Israelites, adopt pagan practices in our worship of him. We fail to consult the Word of Elohim as to how he desires to be approached or worshipped. Instead, we make up our own customs and fail to follow the law so Elohium. For example, we fabricate holidays (like Christmas and Easter) and assemble on days that he has not sanctified (e.g., Sunday and Christian holidays), and we fail to meet with him on the days that he has sanctified (the Sabbath and his biblical feasts), we eat abominable and unclean meats that he has forbidden (e.g., pork and shellfish), and we erect Christmas trees (a pagan symbol representing the male sex organ) in our homes and church sanctuaries—a practice he refers to as heathen and instructs his people not to do (Jer 10:1–5).
Please do not be put off by the title and incorrectly assume that I do not believe in Yeshua the Messiah (aka Jesus Christ). Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who is even vaguely familiar with this blog (not to mention the other public aspects of our ministry knows that there is no greater promoter of Yeshua than me. Moreover, you do not need to go any further than to look at the tags column on the right side of the front page of this blog that lists the top subjects that I write about. What is the most prominent tag? YESHUA!!! Yes! I invite you to click on that tag and you will discover dozens if not hundreds of articles that I have written promoting Yeshua and the gospel message. Enough said.
Now to my article on why I do not celebrate Christmas even though I am passionate believer and disciple of Yeshua the Messiah, my Master and Savior. — Natan
1—Christmas is not the day on which Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) was born. He was likely born in the autumn during the biblical Feast of Tabernacles. In ancient times, December 25 was considered the birthday of the demon-sun god by many heathen religions. This was definitely not the birthday of Yeshua!
2—There’s no biblical command to celebrate Christmas.
3—Christmas has become a pagan substitution for YHVH’s true biblical holidays or festivals, which are listed in Leviticus 23. These are the same biblical festivals that Yeshua and his apostles celebrated. They never celebrated the Messiah’s birth.
4—Christmas is the Christianization of various ancient pagan sun god, sex-worship rituals having to do with the winter solstice. “Cleaning up” a pagan custom is contrary to the biblical truth of turning away from the practices of the heathen and having nothing to do with them after one chooses to follow Elohim and his Word as found in the Bible.
5—Christmas is laced with heathen and Satanic rituals and traditions. These are things the saints should have nothing to do with!
6—The Bible forbids placing any trees or tree-like objects near an altar (or in a church building), since this is a heathen practice (Deut 16:21). Most Christians violate this command when they place Christmas trees in their church sanctuaries near their altars every year at Christmas.
7—The Bible forbids the heathen practice of incorporating trees into any religious service (Deut 12:1–4). Elohim hates pagan religious practices that happen under trees (Isa 57:5; Jer 3:6).
8—Celebrating Christmas is friendship with the world which is an act of hatred toward Elohim. In this area, it makes one a friend of the world and an enemy of Elohim (Jas 4:4).
9—Elohim condemns, forbids and calls an abomination bringing any pagan items into our houses (Deut 7:24–26), of which Christmas trees and nearly all Christmas’ associated accoutrements, paraphernalia and traditions are associated.
10—The Bible commands the saints not to put up anything that even remotely resembles a Christmas tree. Jeremiah 10:1–5 is almost a perfect description of a modern Christmas tree—and it was a pagan custom 1000 years before Christmas became a Christian holiday in the Catholic Church.
11—Christmas perpetuates the lie of Santa Clause to one’s children. Lying is not a value one wants to pass on to their children. Lying is a violation of the ninth of YHVH’s ten commandments and is a sin.
12—The Bible commands the saints not to learn or practice the ways of the heathens (Jer 10:2; Lev 18:3; 20:23).
13—Christmas is about syncretizing biblical truth (i.e., the birth of Yeshua) with pagan and satanic customs. In the Bible, YHVH commands his people not to be like the heathens, turn from evil, and don’t learn their evil customs. Yeshua commanded his disciples to be in the world, but not to practice its evil ways (John 17:11, 14). Christmas is practicing the evil ways of the heathens.
14—For many, the main focus of Christmas is on self (“What gifts am Igetting?”), rather than on Elohim’s gift to mankind, which was Yeshua the Messiah (who wasn’t even born in December). Christmas generally promotes a culture of selfishness and self-centeredness. These are values that were antithetical to everything that Yeshua and his disciples lived and taught.
15—Christmas promotes an atmosphere of greed, covetousness and materialism, since the major focus for most people is on receiving gifts or what’s in it for me, and not on Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah.
16—Christmas is a tradition started by the Catholic Church, and I’m not a Catholic and I don’t take my spiritual marching orders from any pope—especially when he tells me to do something contrary to the Bible, the Word of Elohim.
17—Christmas is a short, one day long holiday. Too much emphasis is placed on this one day. The devil has tricked and shortchanged Christians into substituting Christian holidays like Christmas for the biblical ones. YHVH gives his saints seven biblical holidays with two of them lasting for seven days each (see Lev 23). These biblical holidays are called feasts, and they are spiritual and guilt-free celebrations focusing on rejoicing and righteously partying with family, friends and Elohim around godly and biblical themes all involving the gospel’s plan of redemption. They are totally righteous with no paganism mixed in. This can’t be said about Christmas.
18—Do your homework. You will find that even the phrase “Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas” is sacrilegious and blasphemous.
19—If Christmas day turns sour for people (e.g. because of bad family experiences and unfulfilled expectations), then one’s year is ruined until next Christmas when one gets another shot at it in hopes it’ll be better the next go around. How pitifully sad!
20—Christmas as celebrated by the majority of people ends up taking the focus off the glorious event of the Savior’s birth, trivializes it and then places the emphasis on gift-giving, partying and mindless unbiblical pagan traditions and rituals.
21—The Bible commands us to abstain from all appearances of evil (1 Thess 5:22). There is much evil, Satanic and idolatrous baggage associated with Christmas; therefore, those who are serious about their biblical walk of righteousness and want to be obedient to YHVH Elohim should not be going near it.
22—Those who celebrate Christmas in the traditional way are honoring or worshipping pagan deities. Anytime anyone puts a pagan practice or tradition ahead of obedience to Elohim and his Word, this is, by biblical definition, idolatry. Whether it’s Christmas lights on the house, wreaths, evergreen foliage, mistletoe, the Christmas tree with its red balls, gifts under the tree, Santa Clause, or even the Christmas greeting of “Ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas,” it all originates from ancient Satanic, idolatrous and lewd sex worship practices originating from pagan religions. This is not something with which the true saints of YHVH Elohim wants to be involved.
23—Christmas puts a lot of people into financial debt. Debt is bondage and evil.
24—Christmas was become a major money-making venture for merchants, and I refuse to be suckered in by their marketing schemes to purchase their products.
25—Celebrating Christmas is following a multitude to do evil—something YHVH forbids (Exod 23:2).
Now that you have received the light of the truth about Christmas, you are responsible before Elohim to live up to that truth. Will you put obedience to the Word of Elohim and his truth first in our life, or continue to walk in sin? To obey Elohim means to cast out of your life all idolatrous practices and cease doing that which is evil and sinful. This is then followed by choosing to obey YHVH Elohim in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23–24). “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jas 4:17).
