God Will Not Be Mocked
Which pagan rituals do we blindly follow as tradition? I'm still learning...
This is not the “Watchmen on the Wall Wednesday” LinkedIn post I had originally planned, but apparently God had something important to say and He said it at least 4 times Monday night. So, I’ll post it on Substack too and pass it on…
Before I go to sleep at night, I turn on my Bible app and have it read me to sleep. I sleep better and it keeps the boogey men away. Plus, if there are any astral projecting witches trying to spy on me at night, they might just get to hear about Jesus, while they’re at it. LOL!
Last night, my app started off reading 2 Chronicles 34. Since I’d recently learned that Christmas trees were originally Asherah poles, verses 3-5 caught my attention…
I know God HATES Asherah poles, as is evident in many scriptures, and I bet the fact that some try to say He was married to her really chaps Him. And we’ve been duped into thinking pagan symbols have something to do with Jesus’ birth. Exactly what about a Christmas tree represents Jesus? Or bunnies, or eggs? I’ll save those for later, though…
Well, I woke up in the middle of the night and heard 2 Chronicles 34:3-5 again. And then it repeated again. “That’s weird!” I thought. “Maybe it’s written in the Bible twice. Too tired to look, though.”
When I woke up the next morning, those same exact 3 verses were the first words I heard!
When scripture is repeated in the Bible, it means God means business. When it’s repeated several times as the Bible app plays, I have to assume God REALLY means business, is trying to get my attention, and I do not have the option to be silent about it.
I feel like God had a very clear message. “You have a chance to purify America. One chance. Open your eyes! Educate yourself! And get rid of anything that mocks Me! I will not be mocked.”
My Bible app stops reading when it gets to the end of Revelation 22. So it didn’t re-read the whole Bible to me. And I heard different scriptures played throughout the night, so it wasn’t on repeat.
There are many sneaky paganisms that have infected Christian celebrations causing us to unwittingly mock our own God and it seems the Christmas tree is just another way we have been tricked into that. Is it time to check in with Jesus and see if He’s asking you to tear down the Asherah pole? Or refrain from putting it up?
"Everything that is HIDDEN will eventually be brought into the open, and every SECRET will be brought to light," (Mark 4:22)
Hidden things are certainly coming to light! Witchcraft and satanism are both so in-your-face right now when it comes to public rituals and musicians claiming their roles in it, but how much have we participated in it all unwittingly?
In an attempt to gather a little more information to present regarding why God might have had my Bible app repeat this particular scripture over and over again, I came across a very enlightening article by James Slobodzien.
I’ll post a few relevant excerpts but highly suggest reading the whole thing. I learned quite a bit, such as many different SUN gods from several different religions have birthdays celebrated on December 25th and that the celebration of birthdays is a pagan practice in itself. Who knew? Not me.
Here is a link to the full article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-holy-nation-james-slobodzien/
Here are the relevant excerpts:
SOLSTICE “CHRISTMAS” TREES ~ Are they CHRISTIAN or PAGAN?
“They cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk,” ~ Jer. 10:3-5
Did the Early Church (first 300 years of Christianity) celebrate the winter solstice by cutting down a tree from the forest, bringing it into their homes and decorating it? NO WAY! It was forbidden. For example, the 2nd-century theologian and Early Church father - Tertullian condemned those Christians who celebrated the winter festivals or decorated their houses with laurel boughs in honor of the emperor: "Let them over whom the fires of hell are imminent, affix to their trees, laurels doomed presently to burn: to them the testimonies of darkness and the omens of their penalties are suitable," (christianitytoday.com/history/2008/december/why-do-we-have-christmas-trees).
Modern-day professional pastors declare that the Christmas tree tradition was started by Germans in the 16th century and that Martin Luther was the first protestant reformer to bless this “Christian” tradition by putting lights on his tree. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Christians in America. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.”
In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy. President Theodore Roosevelt, an avowed environmentalist, banned Christmas trees from the White House during his presidency. But, why did the Early Church fathers up until the 19th century condemn the traditional Christmas Tree? Were they just “party poopers?”
THE TRUE ORIGIN OF THE SOLSTICE “ASHERAH” CHRISTMAS TREE
“For the Customs of the peoples are Worthless,” (Jer. 10:3)
According to the Encyclopedia Britannic, "The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Vikings. Christmas has been celebrated for the past 5000 years by pagans (those that worshipped the creation - NOT the Creator), but it was simply called by different names such the “Winter Solstice and Saturnalia.”
For over 3000 years before the birth of Christ, many ancient people believed that the SUN was a “god” and that winter came every year because the SUN-god had become sick and weak. They observed that the 21st of December or the first day of winter called the “Winter Solstice” was the shortest day and longest and darkest night of the year when the earth is tilted farthest from the sun. These signs in the sky terrified the heathens (Jer. 10:2-5).
So in hopes of appeasing their SUN-god to come back and get well and bring them longer and sunnier days, they would bring into their homes - pieces of nature like evergreen trees which symbolized life to them. Evergreen boughs of holly gave them hope and reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the SUN-god was strong and summer would return. In Northern Europe, the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the SUN- god, Balder, ( history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas-trees ).
THE GARDEN OF EDEN “Tree” SYMBOLISM ~ The Forbidden Tree of Evil!
The modern Christmas tree is frequently traced to the symbolism of trees in pre-Christian winter rites, wherein Viking and Saxon worshiped trees. However, the original source and design of false worship that Satan continues to imitate appears to be the Forbidden TREE OF the knowledge of good and EVIL - NOT the tree of Life. A serpent around a tree stump is one of the common symbols we find used in ancient Pagan religions. Today, we wrap our Christmas lights around the tree like a snake.
The Christmas tree is identified with the "tree of paradise” of medieval mystery plays that were given on the 24th of December, the commemoration and name day of Adam and Eve in various countries. In such plays, a tree was decorated with “apples” to represent the forbidden fruit. Apples were later replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls.
Bible scholars inform us that the modern-day Christmas tree finds its origin in the Asherah tree or pole, that is condemned over 40 times by GOD in the Bible. Anyone can very easily go to a number of secular and Biblical encyclopedias and learn that the practice of placing evergreen trees inside of a home was something practiced by the heathens all over the world as representing this “Garden of Eden tree” during the shortest daylight periods of the year, (i.e. the time around the winter solstice).
Historically, this was the practice of erecting the Asherah tree or pole to worship the goddess Asherah. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah condemned this pagan idolatry practice of cutting an “Asherah tree” out of the forest to deck it with silver and gold.
WHO WAS ASHERAH? ~ What does she have to do with the Christmas Tree?
According to the New International Version Bible’s commentary, Asherah is most often identified as the chief female goddess of the Canaanites and the mistress of the SUN-god, Baal. The goddess Asherah (Ishtar or Easter) is also known in the Bible as the “Queen of Heaven” (Jer. 7:18, Jer. 44:17-25), and is worshipped as “Artemis” by the Ephesians in the New Testament’s Book of Acts (19:23-27).
Her worship glorified sex and war and was accompanied by male temple prostitution. Baal was also the god of fertility and worship of Baal included sacred prostitution (male and female). In the Temples of Corinth, Christian farmers were visiting temple priestesses who represented the fertility/Sex-gods. By having sex with these prostitutes they believed their fields would be more fertile for their crops to grow. This is why the Apostle Paul warns against having sex with Temple prostitutes (1 Cor. 6:15-17), because when you do - you are being united spiritually with the sex goddess - thereby committing idolatry.
In the book of Hosea (4:7-12), we read that Israel’s priests had forgotten their spiritual heritage and had sold out to Baal - the Canaanite god of agriculture and Chief of the religious fertility (sex) cult. They were promoting idol worship and ritual prostitution. Not surprising, Baal worship included rituals with vile sexual practices. Male worshipers had sex with female temple prostitutes or priestesses, and young women wishing to bear children had sex with male priests.
Many of Baal’s faithful followers (Israel’s priests) taught that the arid region’s life-giving rain is Baal’s semen. So they tried to stimulate Baal to shower the earth by having ritual sex with shrine and temple prostitutes. Some scholars speculate that this reenacted the consummation of Baal’s celestial marriage to the goddess Asherah (Steven M. Miller, The Complete Guide to the Bible, 2007, p. 229).
This is why God’s prophet Elijah prophesied a drought (No Rain) for several years, challenging 850 of Baal’s and Asherah’s prophets (1 Kgs. 18:19). “Asher” is a Hebrew term meaning “happy” (ending :) or Merry. This term was modified, and became the word “Asherah.” (2 Kings. 23:4-7).
Was this just an isolated incident? No! There are over 40 verses in the Old Testament where God is commanding his prophets to take down this Christmas “Asherah” tree. For example, God also ordered: Moses (Ex. 34:14); Gideon (Judges 6:25-30); Josiah (2 Chron. 34:4); Isaiah (17:8); Jeremiah (17:2); Micah (5:14); and Ezekiel (6:13) to take down this shameful idolatrous tree and burn it.
Why does God hate this tree-? God forbids idol worship and this Asherah tree was alined with the altar of the pagan god - Baal. The Canaanites would sacrifice gifts to this Solstice Christmas tree/altar (similar to the way we bow down to present our Christmas gifts under the tree).
Why was idol worship so bad? The Israelites had access to the one true God, but they constantly fell into worshipping lifeless idols made of wood and stone. They put aside worshipping the Creator in order to worship the creation. For example, the pagan queen of Israel - Jezebel promoted and funded the Baal worship rituals of worshipping the Asherah (Christmas) tree, and caused the Northern Kingdom of Israel to fall into idolatry. These 10 lost tribes were scattered into the heathen nations.
For more, see the rest of this article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/one-holy-nation-james-slobodzien/
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