Miscellaneous Holidays
Tu
B'Shevat
Biblical Month: 15th of Shevat
Secular Month: Jan./Feb.
Tu B’Shevat is like the Jewish Arbor Day or Jewish
Earth Day. It’s the New Years for Trees and it is customary in warm climates to
plant plants and trees, in colder climates one decorates ones house with house
plants and small trees that can be planted in a pot and then planted in the
spring.
Most
Jewish sources consider 15 Shevat as the New Year both for designating fruits
as orlah (that is, forbidden to eat, because they have grown
during the first three years after a tree's planting) and for separating fruits
for tithing. This date was selected "because most of the winter rains are
over" (Rosh Ha Shannah 14a), the sap has begun to rise, and the fruit has
started to ripen. Fruits that have just begun to ripen--from the blossoming
stage up to one third of full growth--are attributed to the previous year,
whereas fruits that are more mature on 15 Shevat apply to the upcoming year. As
with vegetables and grains, fruits that budded during one "fiscal
year" could not be used as tithes on those that budded in another year.
Lag B’Omer
Biblical Month: 18th
of Iyar
Secular Month:
April/May
You may be saying
to yourself, “I’ve never heard of that holiday!” Well, that’s likely because
it’s a Jewish holiday, and if you’re not Jewish you probably have never heard
of it. I have celebrated this holiday
before and it’s a fun holiday if any Believer wishes to participate in it.
Lag B’Omer takes
place during the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer which counts
up to the High Holy Day of Shavu’ot (Pentecost). The 33rd day of the
Omer takes place on Iyar 18th on the Hebrew Calendar.
Lag B’Omer itself
is not a High Holy Day, but a Traditional Jewish Holiday recounting the
Talmudic account of 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva who die at the hand of
ADONAI via a plague during the counting of the Omer because his students didn’t
show proper respect towards one another. The 33rd day is when the
plague ended. So to commemorate this we traditionally have our haircut at this
time so as to show that we have no more reason to mourn, but to rejoice,
because in Judaism, when we are in mourning we leave our hair unkempt. Jewish
children traditionally do not get their hair cut until the age of three when on
this day it is cut for the first time.
Also commemorated
on this day is the death of a great sage from the Mishnah era, Rabbi Shimon bar
Yochai who ironically was one of the surviving students of Rabbi Akiva and is
believed to have authored the Mystical Kabbalistic Jewish work called the
Zohar.
It is also
traditional to light bonfires, symbolizing the Light of Torah that shone
through the Zohar which Rabbi Yochai had supposedly authored; also bonfires
were set to signal war and thus remind us of the Jewish revolt against Rome Rome
There is also a
legend that Rabbi Akiva and his surviving students would go out into the
wilderness to study Torah at a time when it was illegal to do so under Roman
occupation and the bow and arrows were taken so as not to raise suspicions of
their true intentions.
Tish B’Av
Biblical Month: 9th
of Av
Secular Month:
July/August
The Month of Av is best known for, as the Talmud says in Taanit 29a “When we enter [the month of Av] our joy is diminished.” This is due to all the tragic events that occurred in that month to the Hebrew people, especially on the 9th of Av (Tish B’Av), which in ancient times was the happiest day of the year and now is the darkest and saddest day of the whole Hebrew.
The name “Av” means, “Father” and is derived from the root word meaning “to will” or “to desire.” Clearly fathers and THE FATHER (YHWH) suffered anguish on this day. Earthly fathers lost their families, possessions and the physical representations of their faith and THE FATHER had to suffer to the disobedience of His children which caused Him to have to allow such things to happen for the purpose of discipline as promised in Deut. 27-28.
The Month of Av
corresponds to the Hebrew Letter “Tet.” It is shaped like and symbolizes a
womb, and in Hebrew numerology (Gematria) is equal to the number 9, which in
turn corresponds to the 9 months of pregnancy. In the month of Av the 9
months are condensed and concentrated into 9 days, from Rosh Chodesh Av
(the yahrzeit of Aaron the high
priest, whose name comes from the word "pregnant") to the 9th
of Av, the day, which legend has it is the birthday of Messiah, but we know this to really be
Sukkot.
Av’s Zodiacal Sign
is Mazal: Leo - Aryeh
According to: http://www.inner.org/times/av/av.htm “The aryeh symbolizes the super-rational power of Divine will (the meaning of the name Av, as mentioned above). The initial manifestation of G-d's will to destroy (the Temple) was in truth purely for the sake of reconstructing (the Temple with all of its spiritual meaning and significance for Israel and the entire world) for eternity.
In the words of our sages (Yalkut Shimoni, Yermiyahu, 259 ): "The lion [Nevudchanetzar, who is referred to in the Bible as a lion--Yermiyahu 4:7] came on the month of the lion [Av] and destroyed the lion [the Temple, which is referred to in the Bible, especially with regard to the alter, as a lion], in order that the lion [G-d, of Whom is said 'the lion roars, who shall not fear'--Amos 3:8] come on the month of the lion and rebuild the lion."
This secret is also reflected in the numerical value of aryeh. Aryeh in gematria = 216 = gevurah ("might"). Gevurah is the Divine power responsible for tzimtzum (contraction and diminution of Divine light and energy, as is said with regard to the beginning of Av: "When Av enters we diminish in joy" [Mishnah Ta'anit 26:]) and destruction. But 216 = 3 ? 72. 72 = chesed ("lovingkindness"), the Divine power which "builds" all of reality, as is said (Psalms 89:3): "the world is built with [by the power of] chesed." Three times chesed corresponds to the building of all three Temples, who are all contained and find their eternal consummation in the third Temple, to be built speedily in our days by Moshiach. For this reason the aryeh appears to the right, in the place of chesed, in the Divine Chariot (Ezekiel
The Tribe of
Israel for the month of Av is Shimon
“Shimon is the only tribe that Moses did not explicitly bless at the end of the Torah. This was due to his "frustration" with the tribe of Shimon because of their involvement (more than all the other tribes) in the sin of Pe'or (prostitution with foreign women, which resulted in idolatry). The name Shimon divides into two words which spell sham avon, "there is iniquity."-- http://www.inner.org/times/av/av.htm
But also was due to the fact they were eventually absorbed in to the tribe of Judah.
As alluded to
before, the sense of the month of Av is, Hearing. Not just to hear, but to
hear, understand and obey. That is to hear, understand and obey the Torah.
The body part
represented by the month of Av is the Left Kidney, a filter, a time of the year
when we need to filter our lives and rid it of any sin which is spiritual
toxin, mourn over our condition and then be healed and restored.
Av 9th
It is ironic how our nature is bent on recollecting the tragic things in life, and yet it’s so hard it seems to remember the good things that happen to us. Guys have a hard time remembering one of the best day of their life (or it SHOULD be), the day they got married. Wives are always hounding them every year about remembering that special day. Women on the other hand often (purposely albeit) forget their own birthday. How many of us remember or commemorate the day we had our Bar / Bat Mitzvah, or when we came to Messiah? We often have a bad habit about forgetting special, joyous events. Maybe this is why God commanded us to celebrate the Feasts He lays out on Leviticus Chapter 23? Yet it is easy, almost too easy it seems for us to remember the bad things in life. The day a loved one died, the day we were told that we have cancer, the day our house burnt down, the day Kennedy was shot, the day the Space Shuttle blew up, the day the twin towers fell, the day that Hurricane Katrina hit.
It is no different with Israel. God commands us to celebrate joyous days on our Calendar (Lev 23). Yet we as a Jewish Tradition have added a very tragic day to remember on the Holy Calendar. That is the day of Tish B’Av. You see, God has allowed exceedingly tragic events to occur in
"This day of fasting, known as Tisha Be-Av is a day of mourning and remembrance of Israel's loss of their sacred Temple. It is one of the most historically significant anniversaries in the life of their nation and is commemorated by Jews throughout the world as the tragic day when God withdrew His Presence and they wept as their precious Temple burned to the ground. Throughout Israel's history, the ninth of Av has witnessed eight of the greatest disasters in their nation's history." (Grant Jeffrey, "Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny", p. 72)
Here are a few of the events that occurred on Tish B’Av:
“In 423 BCE, the first Holy Temple was destroyed by fire, as Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian troops conquered Jerusalem. Also on this day, the second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. According to the Talmud (Taanit there), the destruction of the Second Temple actually did not occur on the ninth of Av, but it's thematically linked to the fast day (and that the destructive fire began on that date - even if it was consumed the next day).” – Aish.com
It is said that the 1st
Tish B'Av has long been a day of calamity for the Jewish people: on this day, during the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the 12 Spies, resulting in the decree postponing enter to the Land of Israel. Other grave misfortunes throughout Jewish history occurred on the Ninth of Av: The Spanish Inquisition culminated with the expulsion of Jews from
Here are more specifics on some of those events:
“1. Exodus Generation Condemned to Die in Desert (1312 BCE)
On the Ninth of Av of the year 2449 from creation (1312 BCE), the generation of Jews who came out of Egypt under Moses' leadership 16 months earlier were condemned to die in the desert and the entry into the Land of Israel was delayed for 40 years.
As related in Numbers 14, when the Spies that Moses sent to the Land of Canaan returned with their disheartening report (see "Today in Jewish History " for yesterday, Av 8), the people wept all night -- the night of Av 9th -- proclaiming that they'd rather return to Egypt than attempt to conquer and settle it; G-d decreed that the entire generation will wander in the desert for 40 years until that last of them died out, and that their children, under the leadership of Joshua, will enter the land He promised as Israel's heritage.
This is the first of five national tragedies that occurred on Av 9 listed by the Talmud (Taanit 4:6), due to which the day was designated as a fast day. The other four are: the destruction of the two Temples, the fall of Betar, and the plowing over of Jerusalem.
2. Holy Temples Destroyed (423 BCE and 69 CE)
Both the first and second Holy Temples which stood in Jerusalem were destroyed on Av 9: the First Temple by the Babylonians in the year 3338 from creation (423 BCE), and the second by the Romans in 3829 (69 CE).
The Temples' destruction represents the greatest tragedy in Jewish history, for it marks our descent into Galut--the state of physical exile and spiritual displacement in which we still find ourselves today. Thus the Destruction is mourned as a tragedy that affects our lives today, 2,000 years later, no less than the very generation that experienced it firsthand.
3. Fall of Betar (133 CE)
Betar, the last stronghold in the heroic Bar Kochba rebellion, fell to the Romans on the 9th of Av of the year 3893 (133 CE) after a three-year siege. 580,000 Jews died by starvation or the sword, including Bar Kochba, the leader of the rebellion.
4. Expulsion from England (1290)
The Jews of England were expelled by King Edward I on this date in 1290.
5. The Spanish Expulsion (1492)
The Jews of Spain were expelled by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella on the 9th of Av of 1492, terminating many centuries of flourishing Jewish life in that country.” – Chabad.org
|
Hebrew Year
|
Common Year
|
Historic Event of Tisha B’Av (9th of Av)
|
|
2448
|
(1312)
|
Spies return from 40 days in
|
|
3340
|
(421)
|
Destruction of
|
|
3830
|
70
|
Destruction of
|
|
3892
|
132
|
Bar Kochba revolt crushed. Betar
destroyed - over 10,000 killed.
|
|
3893
|
133
|
Turnus Rufus ploughs site of
|
|
4855
?
|
1095
1242
|
-First Crusade declared by Pope Urban II.
10,000 Jews killed in first month of Crusade. Crusades bring death and
destruction to thousands of Jews; totally obliterate many communities in
-Talmud Burned
|
|
5050
|
1290
|
Expulsion of Jews from
|
|
5252
|
1492
|
Inquisition in
|
|
5674
|
1914
|
|
|
5702
|
1942
|
Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to the
Treblinka concentration camp begin.
|
|
5749
|
1989
|
|
|
5754
5755
|
1994
2005
|
-The deadly bombing the building of the
AMIA (the Jewish community center in
- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon imposed a
"National State of Emergency" August 14, and began the forced
evacuation of settlements in the Gaza Strip and four
|
To answer my question above; “Why do we remember tragic events?” Well, in this case, so remember so we won’t be doomed to repeat the cause for these tragedies to occurring… our sins, our falling away from the Torah.
Customs and Traditions of Tish B’Av:
Tish B'Av becomes known as the Black Fast -- a symbol of all the persecutions endured by Israel, the day of tears predicted way back in the desert. Mourning the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel, we abstain from eating and drinking, bathing, the wearing of leather footwear, and marital relations--for the night and day of Av 9 (i.e., from sundown on Av 8 to nightfall on Av 9). It is customary to sit on the floor or a low stool until after mid-day. Torah study is restricted to laws of mourning, passages describing the destruction of the Temple
Yet the Ninth of Av is also a day of hope. The Talmud relates that Moshiach ("anointed one"--the Messiah), was born at the very moment that the Temple
Now, we as Believers know that Messiah was born during the Festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles). This is the time in which we build a Sukkah (Tabernacle) and weather permitting, live out in them to commemorate our ancestors living in a similar way while they were in the Wilderness.
John 1 says that the Word (Yeshua the Living Torah) became flesh and “Sukkah-ed” (“Tabernacled”) among us.
So what are we to make of this tradition of Moshiach being born on Tish B’Av?
Perhaps, just maybe the Third Temple
“Then shall maidens dance gaily, young men and old alike. I will turn their mourning to joy; I will comfort them and cheer them in their grief.” – Jeremiah 31:13
“Abaye said: Joy will come to us on Tish B’Av, for in the future the Holy One will make that day a holiday, as it is said: “I will turn your mourning to joy.”” – Pesikta Rabbati 28:4
Groundhog Day
Oh it’s just a
quaint and innocent tradition dealing with the changing of the seasons, right?
Ground Hog Day
(Feb. 2nd) falls on the Pagan Calendar as Imbolic; when daylight first makes significant
progress against the night. We all know that
according to folklore and tradition, if it’s cloudy when the groundhog emerges
from its den on this day and the groundhog fails to see its shadow, then
the spring weather will come early, sometime before the vernal
equinox; if it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and
retreat back into its burrow, and winter weather will continue for another
six weeks.
So Why and Ground Hog?
“The transition of
Candlemas and other ancient celebrations to Groundhog Day dates back to the
time of the Roman conquest of Northern Europe: the Christian celebration of
Candlemas was associated with songs like this one:
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Come, winter, have another flight
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go, winter, and come not again.
This practice of divining the weather on this day spread to Germany, and was brought to this country by some of its first German settlers, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch: hence the location of the most famous groundhog. Also, the groundhog (also known affectionately as a woodchuck) was not the original prototypical weather-divining creature: in Europe it was a hedgehog. But early American settlers were nothing if not adaptable, and so the local creature most closely resembling a hedgehog was chosen for this ritual. Like hedgehogs, groundhogs are no-nonsense, practical animals; the same can be said for bears and badgers, who were also associated with weather divination in European folklore. If a groundhog sees his shadow on the 2nd, some inner sense tells him it's not spring yet (does he feel the chill in the air most clear winter days have? or is the sunny day from an early thaw, which often presages a return to wintry weather?) --and he hightails it back to his burrow. Likewise, humans observe midwinter as a milestone, a moment which is on the cusp of change, between the harsh, cold winds of winter and the fragrant, sensual breezes of spring.” - http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2635
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Come, winter, have another flight
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Go, winter, and come not again.
This practice of divining the weather on this day spread to Germany, and was brought to this country by some of its first German settlers, also known as Pennsylvania Dutch: hence the location of the most famous groundhog. Also, the groundhog (also known affectionately as a woodchuck) was not the original prototypical weather-divining creature: in Europe it was a hedgehog. But early American settlers were nothing if not adaptable, and so the local creature most closely resembling a hedgehog was chosen for this ritual. Like hedgehogs, groundhogs are no-nonsense, practical animals; the same can be said for bears and badgers, who were also associated with weather divination in European folklore. If a groundhog sees his shadow on the 2nd, some inner sense tells him it's not spring yet (does he feel the chill in the air most clear winter days have? or is the sunny day from an early thaw, which often presages a return to wintry weather?) --and he hightails it back to his burrow. Likewise, humans observe midwinter as a milestone, a moment which is on the cusp of change, between the harsh, cold winds of winter and the fragrant, sensual breezes of spring.” - http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=usma&c=holidays&id=2635
Notice
the quote above is from a witchcraft website! Should there be any doubt this is
not a holiday Believers in Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) should give attention
to? But leave it to the Catholics to turn it into a “Christian” holiday.
Imbolic
is also known in the Catholic Tradition as Candlemas:
“Candlemas is a very old holiday with a Christian-Pagan history. Its
Christian version is called the Purification of the Virgin and is the
end/culmination of the forty day period after Mary God-Bearer had her baby
on December 25. Women had to wait forty days after childbirth before
entering a church or Temple again due to "uncleanliness". This
waiting period is still observed in Eastern Orthodox Christian churches today,
and all Christian churches schedule the Christening for forty days after the
birth in keeping with this ancient purification practice. Therefore today is
Yeshua’s Christening or Naming Day when an exorcism is performed and the baby
formally enters the Church.
This special forty-day period in the Christian calendar is one of four
such in the esoteric Church year. The other three forty-day periods are:
Fall Equinox (Sept 21) to Halloween/All Saints Day (Oct. 31,
Nov.1), Spring Equinox (Mar 21) to May Day (May 1) and of course, Lent.
Lent is the forty-day period beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on
Easter Sunday every year.
Candlemas is a church “adaptation” of a pagan goddess holiday called
Imbolc where people light candles to banish dark spooks. Candlemas is
celebrated on the same day as that pagan holiday, February 2nd. The word Imbolc,
variously spelled Imbolg, Oimelc and Imelg, means “ewe-milk” because this is
the time lambs were born in old England, Ireland and most of Europe thus
bringing back the flow of ewe’s milk. -- https://northernway.org/school/way/calendar/candlemas.html
Valentine’s Day
Each pagan holiday
has a Christian religious front, Valentine’s Day, now called Saint Valentine’s
Day is no different. In short it is said to commemorate Saint Valentine who
secretly married couples during a time when the powers that be denied marriage
to certain people, or without the bride first consummating with the king prior
to her husband. Other legends surround this day and this so called Saint.
Valentine’s Day is a day preoccupied with the heart (the emotions), consider what Jeremiah said via the inspiration of ADONAI: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his wages, and according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10
So, what are the origins of this unusual day? Why the color red, and where did the heart shape come from (Because it doesn’t resemble a real human heart at all), and what does it mean?
“In the days of the Roman Empire, the month of February was the last and shortest month of the year. February originally had 30 days, but when Julius Caesar named the month of July after himself, he decided to make that month longer and shortened February to 29 days while making July a month of 31 days. Later when Octavius Caesar, also known as Augustus, came to power, he named the month of August after himself, and not be outdone he also subtracted a day from February and gave the month of August 31 days. To this very day it remains that way. The ancient Romans believed that every month had a spirit that gained in strength and reached its peak or apex of power in the middle or ides of the month. This was usually the 15th day, and it was a day when witches and augurs, or soothsayers worked their magic. An augur was a person filled with a spirit of divination, and from the word augur we get the word “inaugurate”, which means to “take omens”. Since February had been robbed by Caesars and had only 28 days, the ides of February became the 14th day of that month. Since the Ides of a month was celebrated on the preceding eve, the month of February was unique, because it was the 13th day that became the eve of the Ides that month, and it became a very important pagan holiday in the Empire of Rome. The sacred day of February 14th was called “Lupercalia” or “day of the wolf.” This was a day that was sacred to the sexual frenzy of the goddess Juno. This day also honored the Roman gods, Lupercus and Faunus, as well as the legendary twin brothers, who supposedly founded Rome, Remus and Romulus. These two are said to have been suckled by wolves in a cave on Palatine Hill in Rome. The cave was called Lupercal and was the center of the celebrating on the eve of Lupercalia or February 14th. On this day, Lupercalia, which was later named Valentine’s Day, the Luperci or priests of Lupercus dressed in goatskins for a bloody ceremony. The priests of Lupercus, the wolf god, would sacrifice goats and a dog and then smear themselves with blood. These priests, made red with sacrificial blood, would run around Palatine Hill in a wild frenzy while carving a goatskin thong called a “februa.” Women would sit all around the hill, as the bloody priests would strike them with the goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The young women would then gather in the city and their names were put in boxes. These “love notes” were called “billets.” The men of Rome would draw a billet, and the woman whose name was on it became his sexual lust partner with whom he would fornicate until the next Lupercalia or February 14th.
Thus, February 14th became a day of unbridled sexual lust. The color “red” was sacred to that day because of the blood and the “heart shape” that is popular to this day. The heart-shape was not a representation of the human heart, which looks nothing like it. This shape represents the human female matrix or opening to the chamber of sacred copulation.
When the Gnostic Catholic Church began to get a foothold in Rome around the 3rd century A.D., they became known as Valentinians. The Catholic Valentinians retained the sexual license of the festival in what they called “angels in a nuptial chamber”, which was also called the “sacrament of copulation.” This was said to be a re-enactment of the marriage of “Sophia and the Redeemer.” As the participants of the February 14th ritual began their sexual sacrament, presided over and watched by the priests known as Valentinians, the following literary was spoken: “Let the seed of light descend into thy bridal chamber, receive the bridegroom… open thine arms to embrace him. Behold, grace has descended upon thee.” -- http://www.triumphpro.com/valentine_s_day.htm
Again we see that the pagan holiday was replaced by a saint of the Catholic Church. The Christian veneer slathered over and synced with the pagan reality and truth of holiday.
It should go without saying that the Believers in Messiah Yeshua (Christ
Jesus) should avoid Valentine’s. No matter the watering down of the original
pagan origins, it still contains all the elements and meaning of the pagan
holiday and in the eyes of the LORD, it’s still the satanic and carnal day of “Lupercalia,”
the “Day of the Wolf.” We have heard of the “wolf whistle,” it’s slang for when
men lust after a woman and whistle to vocalize their inner lustful cravings.
Well, we all know in reality that wolves do not. This is a nod to Lepercalia,
the spirit of unbridled lust.
The
Origin of Cupid
So where hid the
fat naked archer baby with wings come from?
Eros is where we get the word for sexual arousal, “Erotic.”
The origin of Cupid and his prominence in pagan religion is discussed in Hislop’s Two Babylons. He mentions that the ancient poet Aristophanes declared “we are informed that he from whom both ‘mighty ones’ and gods derived their origin, was none other than the winged boy Cupid.” In a footnote Hislop declares, “Aristophanes says that Eros or Cupid produced the ‘birds’ and ‘gods’ by ‘mingling all things.’ This evidently points to the meaning of the name Bel, which signifies at once ‘the mingler’ and ‘the confounder. This name properly belonged to the father of Nimrod, but, as the son is represented as identified with the father, we have evidence that the name descended to the son and others by inheritance” (page 40).
Cupid occupied the very same position as Ninus the “son” did to Rhea, the mother of the gods. Nimrod was the first of the “mighty ones” after the Flood, as we read in Genesis, “Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD” (Gen.10:8-9).
Thus Cupid, the god of love, was none other than the infant NIMROD, the one who taught rebellion against the LORD, Yahveh, after the Flood – the one who led the revolt against God’s laws, and who attempted to build the tower of Babel, to strike against heaven and the heavenly host! Cupid is pictured as a child hunter, with bow and arrows, and grew up to be “the mighty hunter before [i.e. against] the LORD.”
The Latin for word “Valentine” alludes to this major trait of Nimrod, the mighty hunter. The Latin word for “Valentine” is “Valentinus,” a proper name derived from the word valens which means “to be strong. It literally means, “strong, powerful, mighty.” Nimrod was, remember, the “MIGHTY hunter against the Lord.” He was renown in the ancient world for his muscular strength skillful hunting and bowmanship, and war-waging prowess.
The Moffatt Translation says, “Ethiopia produced Nimrod, the first man on earth to be a despot (he was a mighty hunter before the Eternal; hence the proverb, ‘Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Eternal’). His empire at first was Babylon, Uruk, Akkad, and Kalneh, in the land of Shinar; from which he pushed out into Assyria . . .” (Gen.10:8-11).
Nimrod was not only physically powerful, and skillful at hunting game, including voracious leopards and lions, but he was also a “hunter” of the souls of men, who strove to lead mankind into idolatry, and worship of pagan gods, of whom he was considered the chief – a man who declared himself to be “God” in the flesh.
Aristophanes says that the boy Cupid, a “winged one,” produced all the birds, “winged ones,” occupying the very position of Ninus, the “son,” thus identifying him with Nimrod. “Ninus is Nimrod,” said the ancient historian Appolodorus (Hislop. Page 40).”- http://www.triumphpro.com/valentine_s_day.htm
The Origin of the Valentine’s Heart
“Ideograms are scattered throughout our past, and they serve a very valuable function. Nevertheless, I'm going to ask you to see the heart symbol in a different, yet connected way, because I believe it to be a sacred shape . For many in the Earthwise community that heart symbol is our version of Sheila-Na-Gig. Sheela-na-Gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain. This concept has been discussed by feminists for many years, and was recently re-stated by author Gloria Steinem in her wonderful forward to The Vagina Monologues. She writes: "The shape we call a heart, whose symmetry resembles the vulva far more than the asymmetry of the organ that shares its name, is probably a residual female genital symbol. (Such symbols) were reduced from power to romance by centuries of male dominance. I thought of this while watching little girls drawing hearts in their notebooks, even dotting their i's with hearts, and I wondered: Were they magnetized by this primordial shape because it was so like their own bodies?"" – A pagan website.
“The heart-shape was not a representation of the human heart, which looks nothing like it. This shape represents the human female matrix or opening to the chamber of sacred copulation." – Last Day Trumpet Ministries
The “heart” shape is said to be the shape of the female body from behind when bending over. It is also considered to depict features of the female genitalia, the pubic mound or vulva when open and spread out. A Sumerian cuneiform symbol for "woman" closely resembles the heart shape, and is believed to directly depict the pubic mound.
Now a days the
pagan illusions is well hid and has soften edges, but without it being said,
everyone knows most adults on this day goes out to dinner and a movie, lavish
expensive gifts on each other and ends the night in bed. So it’s still about
sex.
Today, Valentine’s
day it is nothing but a capitalistic, hedonistic, commercial, economic
enterprise that has nothing to do with true love, all it says is, “buy, buy,
buy,” and if you don’t you are made to feel guilty and that you truly don’t
love So and So. Look, I don’t need Valentine’s Day or even my Anniversary to
show my wife, or my family and friends that I love them. I should do that every
day, every chance I get. Buy my actions and words and not necessarily by my
wallet.
Saint Patrick’s Day
March 17th, Saint Patrick’s
Day; a day to honor Saint Patrick (By the way, His name wasn’t even Patrick, it
was MaewynSuccat. He became known as Patrick named after his place of burial),
who overpowered Druids and chased out snakes and evangelized Ireland by
explaining the triune God with a shamrock, right?
We all know the tradition
to wear green on this day, but Protestants wore orange in protest of the
observance of this day. Catholics believed such a person deserved to be
punished, and what was out right lynch mobs against Protestant Christians
simply became getting pinched.
Where does the Leprechaun comes
from?
Green clad, jolly,
ginger bearded elves who are obsessed with gold and playing tricks, where did
they originate and what do they represent?
“Leprechauns account for some of the emphasis on green (as do the
shamrocks) as these were thought to be little green men dressed in shoe makers’
clothes who hide their gold in a pot at the end of a rainbow. When people, even
those “in the church” don’t know the Lord, worship, regardless of who or what
is worshipped, is considered as equally valid worship. So what if you mix two
religions. If you’re not born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God and
therefore you cannot recognize the tragic consequences of mixing faith in
Yeshua with pagan practices. Like oil and water, they don’t mix and no
righteousness comes out of it. Fear, superstition and spiritual confusion
result. Worst of all is that there are eternal consequences to not knowing or
practicing the truth.
… wiccan
was essentially nature worship. The belief is in “elementals” which are
creatures that have evolved in the four elements of fire, air, earth and water.
These are known as gnomes, sylphs, salamanders, and undines which are further
identified as pixies, fairies, trolls, dwarfs, goblins, leprechauns, banshees,
moss people, elves and fauns, and other such creatures, all of which were
involved in magic and sorcery. Unknowingly, the Irish were trafficking with
demon spirits, the same demon spirits that new age and occult practices involve
themselves with today. According to Wikipedia – Origins of Easter, these
are “light beings” which can “slip into whatever form your mind imagines as a
means to communicate with your spirit.” That means there are demonic forces
communicating with your spirit when you are involved with these magical
entities. They are used strongly in ceremonial magic and practices of
nature-worship or wicca. Leprechauns are thought to take you to their pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow and while the origin of this idea is unknown, it
does appear to be an incantation for a spirit to produce what a greedy person
desires.
All
of these “elementals” answer to a Faun named Pan who is the god of the nature
elementals. Pan is a man with horns on his head and a goat’s lower body, which
is typically pictured as satan. Think of Mr. Tumnus in The Chronicles of Narnia. Pan is also known as the
Egyptian Baphomet which is the sabbatical goat which is worshipped as satan at
the witches’ Sabbath, which just happens to coincide with many major Catholic
holy days. How come? Good old Constantine again, through his “Christianizing”
pagan beliefs while he was emperor.
During the middle ages, under the church/State rule of the Roman Catholic church (the only church incidentally; it is our common heritage, Catholic and Protestant, before the Reformation), labeled Saturday as the “witches Sabbath” and persecuted all who worshipped God and His Messiah on this day. And who would those people be who would have been persecuted? The Jews, of course, and any who refused to give up the Lord’s Sabbath day. In keeping the Sabbath they were in effect taking the stand that the church had no right to change God’s laws and His times. They suffered great persecution because of it.”- Lonnie Lane https://sidroth.org/articles/leprechauns-are-not-kosher-lane/
Today it has
devolved into an Irish Pride Festival and just another reason to party and get
drunk.
“Celtic pagans were worshippers of
nature spirits but while under Roman domination, they adopted some of Rome’s
gods as well. The beer drinking that is associated with Irish pubs had its
origin in worship of the Roman god Dionysius, the god of beer or ale. Beer
drinking, it appears, took on religious significance. The phrase, “to drown the
shamrock” means to go drinking on St. Patrick’s day and is a major part of the
St. Patrick’s day celebrations, as are the parades, another part of pagan
culture.” – Lonnie Lane https://sidroth.org/articles/leprechauns-are-not-kosher-lane/
It’s
interesting also to note that eating greens and drinking beer was the pagan
worship of Balak and Balaam, the ones who attempted to prophecy a curse on
Israel and get them to stumble into pagan idolatry (Numbers 22).
Saint
Patrick’s day, again, another holiday, pawned off by the Catholics as innocent
fun that has a pagan and lurid past in which Believers in Messiah Yeshua
(Christ Jesus) should have nothing to do with.
April Fool’s Day
Innocent pranks
and fun right? Wrong.
But I say unto you, That
whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the
judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. – Matt. 5:22
The only true fool is one who does not believe in God.
The fool hath said in his
heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done
abominable works, there is none
that doeth good. – Psa. 14:1, 53:1
Some pranks are
not funny at all.
Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way.
And all the people shall say, Amen. – Deut. 27:18
As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows, and death, So is the man
that deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Am not I in sport? – Prov. 26:18-19
Be
ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling savour. But
fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named
among you, as becometh saints; Neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient:
but rather giving of thanks. – Eph. 5:1-4
Some
say it all started in 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII decreed the adoption of his,
“Gregorian calendar,” which moved New Year’s Day from the end of March to Jan.
1. The change was published far and but not everyone got the message and
continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1 and such were ridiculed and
called “fools,” because of it. Here we see the Catholics hand in it again.
Some
say that it goes even further back than that to an old pagan renewal festival
of the Spring marked by revelry, disguises, orgies, feasting, drunkenness and
all out mayhem.
There
are other pagan days that correlate with April fool’s day. For example,
Hilaria; in late March the Romans honored the
resurrection of Attis, son of the Great Mother Cybele, with the “Hilaria”
celebration. The observance included merriment and disguises.
Festival of Lud observed by the Northern Europeans was an ancient festival to honor Lud, the Celtic god
of humor.
Feast of Fools, the
medieval Festus Fatuorum (Feast of Fools) came from the feast to Saturnalia. Customs
included electing a Lord of Misrule and made fun of church religious rituals
and customs in a most disrespectful and blasphemous manner.
There was a festival practiced in areas of
Britain during the Middle Ages that had similarities to April Fool's Day. The
day was called, Hoke-Tide (or Hock-Tide) and it was celebrated near Easter time.
Men and women would stop total strangers of the opposite sex and tie them up,
only untying them when a price was paid.
So you see, anyway
you slice it, April Fool’s Day does not honor God in anyway and actually
degrades the pinnacle of His creation; Mankind.
