Calendar Facts Uncovered

On Wednesday evening December 9, 1992 we had just completed the printing and preparing of the 1993 CREATION CALENDARS and then right after sundown we went out and watched a total eclipse of the moon which was quite spectacular. Around 9:00 PM CST the eclipse was pretty much over with and as we were leaving the print shop the word of the Lord came unto me saying, "The eclipse of the moon proves that CREATION CALENDAR is still in harmony with astronomical law." He continued on by saying, "It is time to push the distribution of CREATION CALENDAR, for this is the year of the calendar, and also it is time to investigate the Gregorian Calendar which hangs on people's walls to see if it is in harmony with astronomical law; then publish the facts. Because if it does not speak according to the 'law and the testimony' (Isaiah 8:20), it is because there is no light in it." In other words if it is not in harmony with astronomical law and if it does not give a testimony or proof that it is an instrument of time by which to teach the government of God and the prophecies of God's Word according to astronomical law, then there is no light nor value in it for God's people.

I have now finished my investigation and below are the facts which I have uncovered according to astronomical law and God's Holy Word.

There are three calendars in question. Thus we need to decide which one of the three is an authoritative instrument capable of setting correct time intervals according to astronomical law. The three calendars are: (1) CREATION CALENDAR; (2) the Jewish Calendar; and (3) the Gregorian Calendar. And the only way to prove which calendar is the right calendar is to establish a blueprint that is in harmony with "the law and the testimony." (Isaiah 8:20).

When the Lord Jehovah told me in 1969 to make His people a Biblical astronomical calendar I began to observe the sky; the earth with its movements and purposes; the moon with its movements and purposes, as well as its phases (gradual daily changes) and eclipses in the sky; and the sun with its purposes and its eclipses in the sky. I also studied about them in astronomy books, made contact with three observatories, talked with three different astronomers and viewed the heavens in two planetariums. And best of all I studied the Bible.

Thus I said to Him, "If you want me to make a calendar, then it has to be recorded somewhere in the Bible, and in order for it to be authentic and accepted it would have to be backed up by Scriptural authority." His reply was, "Start studying Genesis one and I will show you." This I did.

That moment was the beginning of the formulation of CREATION CALENDAR. The first thing I learned from the study of Genesis 1: 1-5, and from the "Inspiration of the Almighty" (Job 32:8), was that when God began to create the earth He called it the beginning. And when He began, there was total darkness everywhere, thus showing that He started the creation of this earth and its rotation on its axis with darkness called night, which was the first part of the 24 hour period we call day. Because the moment the earth began rotating on its axis it marked the beginning of the 24 hour day and it started at night. Twelve hours later He said, "Let there be light, and there was light." Also in Genesis 1:5 He said, "And the evening [dark part] and the morning [light part] were the first day." Thus morning marked the beginning of the light part of the day and when the earth had finished its complete revolution on its axis it was back to where it had started its rotation. This was the end of the 24 hour cycle or period called day, and every day since that time has been marked out by the revolution of the earth on its axis. Therefore, day could never be lost nor changed, for it is controlled by astronomical law. Therefore, when the sun goes down each day it is a testimony that we have come to the end of one day and the beginning of another day. Hence, we must realize that sunset signalizes that we have come to the end of the day, and the darkness that follows tells us that we have come to the beginning of a new day, according to astronomical law. This proves that our days are the same as they were the first day of creation. No change can be detected! Therefore, if you start with sunset on Saturday and count back to the beginning of creation by 24 hour time intervals, you will end up with the beginning of the first night of creation. Thus showing that there has been no change in the beginning and ending of the period called day.

"And the evening and the morning were the first day." Genesis 1:5. Thus was the first day of creation finished.

Genesis 1:6-8 reveals that another day of creation work has been completed, for it says, "And the evening and the morning were the second day." "And the evening and the morning were the third day." Gen. 1: 13. "And the evening and the morning were the fourth day." Gen. 1: 19. "And the evening and the morning were the fifth day." Gen. 1:23. "And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Gen. 1:31.

"Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." Genesis 2:1-3.

What this tells us is that the seventh-day Sabbath is a holy day, and that when the seventh day ended the earth had made seven complete revolutions on its axis and that it was back to the beginning of night. Thus the weekly cycle was established at that moment, never to be changed! The six days of work and the seventh day of rest is the law by which the earth was created. It is the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments which are written upon two tablets of stone (see Exodus 20:8-11).

"And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and He wrote them upon two tables of stone." Deuteronomy 4:13. This shows that the Ten Commandments are God's Covenant.

"My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips." Psalms 89:34.

Once God had established the law of the weekly cycle He could not and would not break nor alter it. Once it was set into operation it would continue on throughout the history of this world and in the New Earth to come (see Exodus 31:15-18; Isaiah 66:22,23 and Hebrews 4:4-11). In other words you can prove God to be true by beginning with the seventh day, which today is called Saturday, and mark off seven day intervals all the way back to the week of creation and it would bring you to the beginning of the first day of creation. This is concrete proof that the weekly cycle began with the first day of the week, which today is called Sunday, and ended on the seventh day of the week Sabbath, which today is called Saturday, thus showing that the weekly cycle has never been changed.

"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day." Genesis 1:14-19.

This shows that on the fourth day of creation God created the moon to rule the night and the sun to rule the day, to divide the light from darkness, and to be for signs, and seasons, and days, and years.

"He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down." Psalms 104:19.

In speaking of the seasons we know that there are four each year: (1) spring, (2) summer, (3) fall and (4) winter, showing that the solar year and the seasons of the year begin and end at the same time, or else they could not rightly be called the four seasons of the year. But where do they start?

Since the moon was appointed for seasons and there are three months to each of the four seasons, then we see that when the moon was created it was set on its orbit around the earth at which moment it began punctuating monthly time. And when it had completed its orbit around the earth it marked out one month, and when it had completed its third cycle around the earth it marked out one season. Thus we must conclude that the first month and the first season of the year, spring, began with the creation of the moon. Also the first month of the solar year (which today begins on March 17 according to astronomical law) and the first season of the year would always begin on the first day of the month every year throughout the history of the earth. With March 17 being the beginning of the new year, it shows that the Gregorian month of March begins 17 days ahead of the beginning of the astronomical month of March. Thus the Gregorian Calendar is out of harmony with astronomical law.

The creation of the moon marked the beginning of the lunar year. Likewise, when the sun was created on the fourth day of creation it marked the beginning of the solar year, at which time the earth began its orbit around the sun punctuating year time. And when the earth had completed its orbit around the sun it marked out one year. With the beginning of the lunar year and the first season of the year, spring, and the beginning of the solar year all taking place on the fourth day of creation, is concrete evidence that, that day was the vernal equinox[when day and night are equal]. Consequently, the first day of the year and the first day of spring always begins on the vernal equinox [which happens to be March 17 not March 20-21, nor January 1] according to astronomical law, true science and Webster's Dictionary.

"Vernal - belonging to spring; of or appearing or occurring in the spring. "Webster's Dictionary.

"Equinox - The time when the sun crosses the equator making night and day of equal length in all parts of the earth." Webster's Dictionary.

In applying this rule to the actual sunsets and sunrises of each day, I found that night and day were not equal to each other on either March 20 or 21. So I decided to see what information was available and I found that the Gregorian Calendar showed March 20, 1992 as the first day of spring.

". . . The vernal equinox is about March 21 . . . which is the ecliptic or great-circle path of the sun in the celestial sphere as is seen from the earth. The plane of this path, called the plane of the ecliptic, intersects the celestial equator or the projection of the earth's equator on the celestial sphere (the sky or heaven)." Universal Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 8, p. 2606 [1957 Edition].

This is why there is a difference in the time of the true equinox and the one set by science. All because science determines the equinox by the projection of the celestial equator out into outer space, whereas, the true equinox is determined by the time when night and day are equal to each other. This fact is documented by the following quotation:

"Day and night are not exactly equal to each other at the time of either the March equinox or the September equinox. The date on which day and night are each twelve hours long, or most nearly so, is a few days before or after the [observed] equinox." U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, D.C., (parenthesis ours).

Why aren't day and night equal on March 20-21 and September 22-23 as is shown on our calendars and in the science books. Who sets these false dates? Besides March 20-21 and September 22-23 are not true equinoxes because night and day are not equal to each other at either of these times. Therefore, they are not in harmony with astronomical law, nor by observation. The fact that they alternate from March 20 to 21 and from September 22 to 23 for the equinoxes shows that they are wrong because the equinoxes cannot be changed or moved from one day to another. It would always be one day or the other all the time. Besides, the mathematical calculations are incorrect.

The Farmer's Almanac shows that night and day are equal to each other on March l7. Therefore, March the 17th is the vernal equinox, a day equal to the fourth day of creation. And September 26 is the autumnal equinox, which shows that the U.S. Naval Observatory and the Farmer's Almanac are in harmony on these points.

With the facts that we have established we must realize that the lunar year, the seasons and the solar year all began on the vernal equinox, the fourth day of creation, thus astronomical law was established, revealing that the solar year and the seasons are bound by this law. Thus they would always begin on the vernal equinox. In other words, if we start with the vernal equinox and mark off yearly intervals all the way back to creation, it would take us back to the fourth day of creation when the vernal equinox was established.

We have an eclipse of the sun when the moon passes directly between the earth and the sun and overshadows it. As you may remember this happened out west, especially over Hawaii and Mexico, when a total eclipse was achieved on July 11, 1991. An eclipse of this nature can only happen at the time of the dark moon or New Moon, which is the beginning of a new lunar month. However, we do not have an eclipse of the sun every time we have a dark moon or New Moon, but a dark moon-New Moon-occurs every month and this is called conjunction, which starts the beginning of a new lunar mouth. We have an eclipse of the moon when the moon passes through the shadow of the earth, as it did on December 9, 1992, and, the only time that this can occur is on the full moon, which is the middle of the month, when the earth is directly between the sun and the moon. These events prove that God's calendar system in the sky is the same today as it was when it was first ordained at creation. Praise the Lord.

"For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Malachi 3:6.

The second proof is that you can take any of the four time intervals: (1) day, (2) month, (3) season and (4) year, and run them back to creation and they will take you back to where they began in creation week. God is liable for His word and He cannot fail.

"My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips." Psalms 89:34.

The week of creation was established by the fourth commandment which is a part of God's covenant the Ten Commandments (Dent. 4:13), which shows that the weekly cycle could never be broken nor altered. To do so would make God a liar, and there is no way that could ever happen!

Now that we have the blueprint fully established according to astronomical law, let us test each of the three calendars currently used in the world today by the blue print: (1) CREATION CALENDAR, (2) the Jewish Calendar, and (3) the Gregorian Calendar. We'll begin with CREATION CALENDAR and ask some questions.

Question: Does CREATION CALENDAR go along with the fact that the calendar system was set up in the week of creation with the creation of the earth, the moon and the sun; and that astronomical law, by which it is governed, was also established at that time in such a way that the calendar system could never be lost? And the answer is YES!

Question: Does CREATION CALENDAR accept the fact that the year, the first month of the year and the first season of the year all begin on the vernal equinox, and thus they always will? And the answer is YES!

Question: Does CREATION CALENDAR begin and end its days at sunset (see Leviticus 23:32 and Genesis one) just like our world did when it was first created and ordained? And the answer is YES!

Question: Does CREATION CALENDAR show that the seventh day of the week is the Lord's Sabbath, a day of rest, which was set up during the week of creation (Genesis 2:1-3); and also does CREATION CALENDAR show the correct times to keep God's holy feast days (in Leviticus 23) according to astronomical law? And the answer is YES!

Yes, I would like to say that CREATION CALENDAR follows the blue print in every way possible and is in complete harmony with astronomical law, thus making it an effective and authoritative instrument that can always be trusted. Thus it is highly recommended whenever and wherever a calendar is needed, and especially so for those who love to study God's Word the Holy Bible.

Yes, I am very happy to say that CREATION CALENDAR is a Biblical, lunar, solar and astronomical calendar that is in total harmony with all of God's laws; thus making it an authoritative instrument which testifies to the continuation of these laws, and their instruments of time: (1) days, (2) weeks, (3) months, (4) seasons and (5) years. This calendar system that was ordained in the beginning also encompasses the dietary laws (Gen. 1:29) and is a vital part of the gospel and the plan of salvation which came into operation when man sinned.

Yes, I am talking about the calendar system by which Biblical prophecies and events were established; and I am here to say that without a calendar system which is in complete harmony with astronomical law, it is impossible to teach Bible prophecies and to establish their true times. Therefore, CREATION CALENDAR is the only calendar that is designed to keep you in harmony with God's will and His ways.

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." Micah 4:1, 2.

Now is the best time to start accepting God's ways and learning how to walk in His paths. These laws will help you to be ready to go to Jerusalem with the many nations, when they go. There they will hear the word of the Lord taught, and will learn how to walk in His paths according to His laws. CREATION CALENDAR is for you because it is designed to guide you through these last days and will help you be a part of the fulfillment of prophecies. Thus you will be where the action is!

Here are some facts we need to consider: "The Passover feast begins on the fifteenth day of Nisan, which coincides with the latter part of March or the first part of April. "from The Jewish People Vol. 2, p. 279.

However, the Jewish Calendar does not always follow this rule. Some years they have the Passover feast in the latter part of April. Therefore, their calendar system gets out of harmony with astronomical law.

"The fixing of the lengths of the months and the intercalation of months was a prerogative of the Sanhedrin . . . every two or three years as the case might be an extra month was intercalated, these were handed down by tradition in the patriarchal family.... there is no mention of an intercalary month in the Bible." The Jewish Encyclopedia Vol. 3, page 499.

What's wrong here is that the Jewish Calendar was calculated each year by the Sanhedrin who did it by the tradition of their fathers, and they also fixed the lengths of the months and made their intercalation of the months as they thought right, but not according to astronomical law. I do say this with humbleness of heart, for my claim is proven by the fact that when they add a 13th month to their calendar year it causes the new lunar year to begin in the last part of April or the first part of May, which is a month late, instead of following their rule which they set down in their Encyclopedia: "the last part of March or the first part of April."

Thus when they leave that rule, which keeps God's calendar in harmony with astronomical law, then by their adding a 13th lunar month at the wrong time it throws the whole calendar year off and causes all the Holy Convocations to be a month late.

By so doing they lead the people to violate God's command "to keep My feasts at My appointed times." If they are not kept in accordance with God's set rules, then the calendar and the worship system become man's set rules and not God's, making it of none effect. We need a calendar,' that God can approve of as an authoritative instrument that teaches God's people to follow His rules and not man's.

"The provision that neither Rosh Hashanah nor Yom Kippur (Atonement) may fall on the day before or the day after the Sabbath. To provide for all these contingencies the Jewish Calendar contains six different types of years, numbering 353, 354, 355, 383, 384, and 385 days respectively... In order, however, to prevent New Year and the Day of Atonement from falling on Friday or Sunday, a day is sometimes subtracted or added from one of the months." The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, pages 631,632.

My question now is, Does God give man the right to manipulate the calendar? And the answer is, Not His calendar for it is regulated by astronomical law set up by God Himself. All of God's plans that deal with His government, the plan of salvation, His calendar system, His worship system, etcetera are governed by law, and the only way we know that we are following His systems are to prove them by "the law and the testimony." God created His timely instruments the earth, moon and sun on the fourth day of creation week and bound them by law, and with them developed His calendar system which could never be lost nor changed. Therefore, God did not give man the right to manipulate nor change His calendar or worship system. And according to Matthew 15:9 those who follow man's calendar and their worship systems are worshiping in vain, because that is "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

The Jewish Calendar has six different years but God's calendar only has two [a 12 and a 13 month lunar year] which is all that astronomical law will allow. The Jewish Calendar has six because they manipulate it, thus showing that it is not a true astronomical calendar but one that is formulated by man. By subtracting one day from one month and adding to another proves that it is man manipulated and cannot be used for the observance of God's Holy Days.

I have personally checked the Jewish Calendar by astronomical law for the past ten years and found that the years 1984, 1986, 1989 and 1992 were off a whole month. What actually happened during those years is that they added a 13th month and this put the lunar year 30 days out of harmony with astronomical law, and this throws God's holy convocations off for the whole year because it makes them occur a month late. This is why it is mandatory to have a calendar that keeps the solar year, the lunar year, and the four seasons in harmony with astronomical law.

"The Jewish Calendar finally became fixed in 358 c.e.... according to the Jewish Calendar the moon makes a complete circuit around the earth in 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 3 seconds. And so the Rabbinic astronomers gave 29 days each to the month of Tebat, Adar, lyar, Tammuz, and Elul, and 30 days to Tishri, Shebat, Nisan, and Ab. Chesvan and Kisler were purposely left flexible, sometimes they were allotted 30 days, at other times 29. This was done in order to allow for the rearrangement of certain holy days, lest they fall on prohibited days. For example, there was a Rabbinic ruling (not Scriptural) that Yom Kippur (Atonement) could not take place on a Friday or a Sunday. By manipulating the number of days 29 or 30 in Chesvan and Kisler, this difficulty could be surmounted." Book of Jewish Knowledge, page 71.

The facts herein brought to view are surely devastating to say the least. To think that man would take it upon himself to rearrange or manipulate an instrument that is so vital and important to man's salvation as the calendar is. How can God accept a calendar that does not follow the rules which He set down, and how can God pronounce a blessing upon a calendar system that is based upon Rabbinic ruling, one that is rearranged and manipulated? What we see here is, that this calendar cannot be proven by the law and the testimony which tells us that there is no light in it (see Isaiah 8:20).

Another thought we need to consider is this, what if one of our satellites which has been sent into outer space should happen to veer off its intended course and could not be completely connected, then its mission would not be a success and it would not be of any value to the space program. It would only be time and money wasted. However, we do know that the men in charge of the space program were smart enough to know that the success of any space mission depended on their being in total harmony with and obedient to all the astronomical laws (laws of nature); if not then it could only be disastrous.

The same thing is true of the calendar system, for it is also dealing with the instruments of outer space. If we expect our trip through this world, and then through outer space if and/or when we go to heaven to be successful, then we must be smart enough to know that we have to be in total harmony with and obedient to all of God's laws, commandments, statutes and judgments, as well as His astronomical laws and His calendar system. God's calendar (CREATION CALENDAR) is the vehicle which guides us safely home. This is why we cannot follow or use a calendar that veers off course by as much as 30 days every two to three years, which is certainly enough for someone to lose their way. Also the Jewish Calendar is inconsistent in that the beginning of some of its months are determined by an astronomical new moon that is dark, while others are determined by a visible or fingernail moon. Thus it is not in total harmony with astronomical law which God set up in the beginning to guide and keep mankind in perfect harmony with Him. This is why we cannot use the Jewish Calendar to correctly observe God's Holy Feasts.

This system of setting the new months is dangerous, because when they use the fingernail or visible moon it causes the new month to start one to two days late according to astronomical law. In the Jerusalem Post, dated September 22, 1990, is an article entitled: "Of Time and The Jews" by Moshe Kohn. In this article certain claims are made which we will deal with.

Claim #1: According to the Sages (Jewish fathers) there is a commandment given in Exodus 12:2 which they claim is "the first one the Jews are given as a people-a commandment to control and order time."

Claim #2: "We (the Sages) declare when each new month begins, and thereby it is we who decide on which day of the month and week the set-times, the festivals, shall fall.' They claim the 'set-times' are 'something God gave man to set, to organize."

"The Sages explain: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: 'It is like the king who has a watch, and when his son reaches maturity the king tells him: "Until now this watch was mine; now the time has come for you to possess it." Similarly, until now God had proclaimed the arrival of the new month and decided when to make a leap year. Now that the Israelites had attained maturity, God said to them: "Until now I made the calculations and fixed the months and the (leap) years; now I am handing them over to you."

Claim #3: "The months, however-determined by the irregular cycle of the moon-are in our hands; it is up to us to decide the pattern of the 'set-times,' the mo'adim, the festivals; it is up to us to determine the contents of our time and, therefore, the texture and quality of our lives."

I believe that anything which is as important as the calendar, and to be sure that it stays in harmony with God's laws, that God just cannot say, "Here, go make a calendar to suit yourself, or as you think it should be done." This I know would be disastrous to say the least, because it would be real easy for the Sages to veer off course in determining their own "set-times."

"Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hateth: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them." Isaiah 1:14.

As I look at the Jewish Calendar and see that every two to three years a leap year (lunar) occurs which puts, it 30 days out of harmony with astronomical law, I have to accept the fact that it is man's doing and not God's. When this happens God has to say to the Jews of today, "Away with your calendar, your new moons and your feast days. You and your calendar are at odds with Me and with astronomical law, because you are making them of your own calculations."

With the facts before me I must say that I totally disagree with the foregoing claims made by the Sages based upon my experience with CREATION CALENDAR. For when God told me to "make My people a calendar," He also said, "I will help you." And in my experience as the author and publisher of CREATION CALENDAR for the past 24 years I must say that He has helped me. I must also say that the accurate calculations of CREATION CALENDAR each year depend upon God's instructions and His guidance.

THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR TESTED
The Gregorian Calendar which hangs on your wall is only a revision of the Julian Calendar that was formulated by the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. Therefore, when Pope Gregory the XIII took on the task of correcting the Julian Calendar in the 13th century he began the day at midnight instead of at noon as had been set up by Julius Caesar. What this tells us is that both of their calendars were out of harmony with astronomical law, since the law teaches that the day begins at sunset according to Genesis 1 when it was first ordained during the week of creation, and is solidified by the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) which is the law of creation. This shows that the Gregorian Calendar does not honor nor support the law that was set up by God during the creation of this world, which is, the day begins at sunset. Thus it started off on a false foundation and it is not a true instrument for a Bible-believing Christian.

With the day being out of harmony with astronomical law, then it would automatically throw the whole calendar system out of harmony with astronomical law, and thus it would be out of harmony with God Who created day and night, the week, the month, the season, the year and so forth, even all things. The facts also show that the Gregorian Calendar does not honor the seventh day Sabbath (Saturday). Instead Pope Gregory XIII and others before him introduced another day of worship: the first day of the week, Sunday.

"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify." Cardinal Gibbons in "The Faith of Our Fathers," 1892 Ed., p. 111.

Catholic authorities readily acknowledge that there is no command in the Bible for the sanctification of Sunday and they also claim power to command their feasts under sin because mainline Protestantism follows their traditions.

"The Catholic Church of its own infallible authority created Sunday a holy day to take the place of the Sabbath of the old [Mosaic] law." Kansas City Catholic, Feb. 19, 1893.

"The Scriptures nowhere call the first day of the week Sabbath.... There is no Scriptural authority for so doing, nor of course any Scriptural obligation." The Baptist Watchman.

The record goes on to show that the Gregorian Calendar does not uphold nor honor God's Holy Convocations, for we read:

"The new law has its own spirit . . . and its own feasts which have taken the place of those appointed in the law of Moses. If we would know the days to be observed . . . we must go to the Catholic Church, not to the Mosaic law." Cardinal Gibbons from the "Catholic Catechism."

What is shown here is that the Gregorian Calendar, which comes from Catholicism, condemns all of God's commands written in the Law of Moses by setting up feasts, laws and a calendar system to take the place of those ordained by God. Therefore, it is of no value whatsoever to a Bible Christian, for it is without the spirit of God and is under the control of the spirits of this world. Being without a Biblical astronomical calendar to guide you to your heavenly destination is like being out at sea without a chart or compass to guide you to your earthly destination - LOST!

The prophet Daniel warned us in 555 B.C. of these changes that were to come and how the 'man of sin' would do this, for we read in Daniel 7:25 "And he (the 'man of sin') shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time."

One of these changes has to do with the beginning of the year, and the Gregorian Calendar which hangs on your wall shows that spring begins on March 20. Well, how come, spring, the first season of the year, doesn't begin on the first day of the first month of the year January instead of on the 20th day of the third month of the year March, according to the Gregorian Calendar? The answer is obvious, which is, the Gregorian Calendar is 75 days out of harmony with astronomical law, and the only way it can be corrected is to redate the calendar and begin the new year with the vernal equinox (when night and day are equal) which occurs on March 17. Thus March 17 would become March 1, March 18 would become March 2, March 19 would become March 3, March 20 would become March 4, March 21 would become March 5, etcetera, and then stay in harmony with astronomical law and the year will end at the right time according to astronomical law.

Since the Gregorian Calendar admits that spring begins in March, the third month of the Gregorian year, is proof that the Gregorian new year, January one, started 75 days before spring the first season of the new year began or before the old year had ended. And since spring is the first season of the year, then according to astronomical law the first day of spring also has to be the first day of the solar year, because the year and the seasons have to begin and end at the same time, otherwise we could not say that there are four seasons in the year. As you can see, the Gregorian Calendar has unbalanced the seasons and the year thus making it an unreliable instrument for setting correct time, or for guiding one's spiritual life.

There is one thing for sure, and that is, a calendar system that does not have the beginning of the solar year and the first day of the first season (spring) beginning on the vernal equinox (the day when night and day are equal), is proof that the Gregorian Calendar is a man manipulated and calculated calendar; one that is not formulated by astronomical law. Unless it follows this law of beginning and ending the solar year and the seasons at the same time on the vernal equinox, it would divide the solar year from the season and make another year, something that is totally out of reason and out of harmony with astronomical law. In order to bring mankind back to God's original plan we must show them that the solar year and the seasons begin on the vernal equinox.

As we have already shown the Gregorian Calendar points to March 20 as the beginning of spring, however, astronomical law reveals that spring begins on the vernal equinox which happens to be March 17 not 20. All you have to do to get out of harmony with astronomical law is to have the beginning of spring three days late and it will throw the beginning of all the seasons three days late causing them to begin and end three days off. This is a violation of God's set times which He has divinely appointed. God is perfect in all His ways and laws, and all of nature working together harmoniously makes God's system work perfectly. If the earth, sun, moon, stars and all the planets did not obey the astronomical laws to a tee, there would be chaos and one disaster after another throughout the universe. But man thinks that he is at liberty to change or violate God's set laws, not realizing that he also is a part of God's plan; someone who is designed to work and act in harmony with all of God's set rules-laws. If he doesn't, then sooner or later he will meet with destruction!

The Gregorian Calendar claims that the winter season begins on December 21, 1992 (the year for this illustration). However, astronomical law shows that the winter season actually begins on December 17.This is the only day that it could begin and be in harmony with astronomical law because the first season, spring, begins on the vernal equinox (March 17), just like it did when it was first ordained. Therefore, winter will have to end at sunset on March 16, 1992, and in order to start another now year on March 17, 1993 winter would have to begin on the 17th day of December, 1992. This is proven by the fact that the year of 1992 began on March 17, the vernal equinox, and will continue until the vernal equinox begins at sundown on March 16, 1992, thus proving that the year 1992 can in no way end on December 31, 1992, at midnight.

Question: How can December 21 be the beginning of the fourth season of the year-winter, as is shown on the Gregorian Calendar, when there are four three month seasons in the year and December is the twelfth month of the Gregorian Calendar year? What we see here is, that according to the Gregorian Calendar the year 1992 ends on December 31 just eleven days after the fourth season of the year-winter begins. Even though the Gregorian year ends on December 31, 1992, the fourth season of the year-winter doesn't actually end until March 17, 1993. In other words the 1992 winter season doesn't end until 75 days after the 1992 Gregorian year ends; thus revealing that there are 75 days difference in the beginning and ending of the Gregorian year and the four seasons. This proves that the Gregorian Calendar is completely out of harmony with the four seasons and has nothing to do with the accurate time keeping of them. It also proves that the Gregorian Calendar is not formulated nor bound by astronomical law, but instead by mythology, which renders it useless and of no value to a Bible Christian, or for that matter, any thinking man. Let's be frank, everything in this universe is bound by law, so where does the Gregorian Calendar fit in?

If the year ends on December 31, 1992 and yet the winter season continues on until March 17, 1993, which is 75 days later, then it would bring 75 days of the 1992 winter season into the new year 1993. There is no way! You cannot change the beginning, and the ending of God's seasons, and in order for you to bring the Gregorian Calendar year into harmony with the seasons you would have to change the beginning and the ending of the Gregorian year. Better yet, why don't you drop the Gregorian Calendar and choose CREATION CALENDAR which has a solar year that is in perfect harmony with the seasons. In 1970 the change to correct time-keeping was made for you, to keep you in harmony with all of God's laws.

The purpose for CREATION CALENDAR, as God saw it, was to correct the beginning and ending of the solar and lunar years and then correct the beginning and ending of the seasons by putting them in harmony with astronomical laws, which are nature's laws, without losing or gaining any time, astronomically speaking. This was done by shifting the beginning and ending of the solar and lunar years to harmonize with the seasons. Thus the beginning of the first season spring was shifted from March 20-21, man's time, to March 17, God's time, according to astronomical law. The shifting of these beginnings was God's way of putting the world back in harmony with His laws as ordained in the week of creation. If you are a Bible Christian and believe in obeying God's laws, then you need a calendar that is based upon, and in harmony with all of His laws.

Folks, let's face it, we have been totally misled by the Gregorian Calendar which is totally out of harmony with astronomical law, and it is my aim to show how, when, and by whom the changes were made to God's calendar, and to help you get back in harmony with God's laws so you can receive His blessings. To start with, we must go back to the beginning (Genesis one), as the Lord commanded me, where I was shown that the earth, moon and sun were the instruments that God created to formulate His calendar system. Thus every time I see the sun go down at night and come up every morning; and every time I see the New Moon and the full moon and the different moon phases; and every time I see the changing of the seasons; and every time I witness an eclipse of the sun and of the moon, I am reminded of God's great CREATION CALENDAR in the sky that is there today, to guide His children.

"Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: If those ordinances depart from before Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever." Jeremiah 31:35, 36. (see also Psalms 89:34).

These ordinances are still binding and thus Israel is a nation today. Another important fact that I discovered was that when I traced the ancestral bloodline of Jesus-the Messiah, a Jew from the tribe of Judah (Heb. 7:14), it took me all the way back through the Jewish nation to Solomon, David, Joshua, Moses, the twelve tribes of Israel, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham (see Psalms 105: 8-11), and on through their ancestors to Adam. Therefore, from the weight of evidence we conclude that the calendar system which was given to Adam at creation, the calendar in the sky, was handed down through successive generations to Christ. Thus it reached all the way through the bloodline of Adam to Jesus Christ (see Luke 3:23-38).

The record given in Exodus 12:2 reveals that God restored CREATION CALENDAR to Moses when He was about to deliver the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage so that they could worship God at His appointed times and not by man's manipulated calendar system. The record also shows that in the New Testament when the time came for Jesus to set up the New Covenant and to appoint unto His disciples the Kingdom of God (Luke 22:29,30), He realized that the whole Jewish nation was out of harmony with God's calendar in the sky. Thus He ate the Last Passover supper of the Old Covenant, which heaven honored, and instituted in its place the Lord's Supper to take the place of the Passover service (see Luke 22:1-20). And He did this two days before the rest of the Jewish nation ate their Passover (see John 19:14). By doing this He set the New Testament church in harmony with astronomical law, God's calendar in the sky.

Paul also made it clear that the Gentiles who would follow Christ in the New Testament were also bound by God's calendar in the sky-CREATION CALENDAR-and His worship system: "the new and living way," for we read in Ephesians 2:10-12:

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world:"

Thus we must realize that in order for us to follow Christ in the New Covenant, which is "the new and living way" (Heb. 10: 19-21), we have to follow the sanctuary system-plan of salvation-by CREATION CALENDAR. For Paul wrote in Hebrews 8:1-5; 9:12,22; and 12:24 that the sanctuary in heaven has an active law, blood, and High Priest system to save mankind today, because without this system we are without God, without Christ, and have no hope. This tells us that in order for Israel and the Gentiles to be accepted into God's Kingdom today (Daniel 2:44) they will have to follow God's calendar, not man's manipulated calendar.

Given the facts aforementioned, it is clear that the Gregorian Calendar is completely out of harmony with the laws of nature. Let us now consider an event of tradition, and in so doing, we must come forth with an open mind, be willing to accept the facts, and have lots of spiritual discernment. The event is called "Christmas" or Christ-mass which comes on December 25, the traditional, non-Biblical, so-called birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus-the Christ. Do you think for one moment that God would plan the birth of His Son so that His mother Mary would have to travel on a donkey all the way from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the cold winter time to be born in a manger with the animals (Luke 2:7)? No way! Do you think that the shepherds would have been out in the fields watching over their flocks at night in the cold winter time? Absolutely not! The record in Luke 20:1-20 points out that Jesus was born in Bethlehem while His family had come there to pay their taxes.

"Christmas, in the Christian Church, an annual festival, held on December 25, to celebrate the Nativity, or birth of Christ. The origin of the festival is unknown. Scholars believe that it is derived in part from the pre-Christian rites of Germanic and Celtic tribesmen held in celebration of the winter solstice; see Yule. Christmas festivals, generally observed by Christians since the 4th century, include heathen customs such as the use of holly, mistletoe, Yule logs, and wassail bowls. The use of Christmas trees probably originated among the Romans of pre-Christian times from whom it spread to Germanic peoples and thence to the peoples of the British Isles. In later times Christmas celebrations acquired a wide secular and social significance, expressed in many countries in the exchange of gifts and greeting cards and the suspension of school and work. Dutch settlers brought to the New World the custom of celebrating St. Nicholas' (Santa Claus) day on Christmas Eve." Universal Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 5,p. 1695, (1957 Edition); Article-"Christmas'.

These facts make it crystal clear that there is no way we can connect Christmas with the birth of Jesus Christ. "Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." Jeremiah 10:1-4.

"But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. 15:9. With these truths so self evident the Scriptures plainly reveal that it is impossible for Christmas, with its tree decorations and gift giving, to be in any way connected with the birth of Jesus. For it is a custom of the heathen and therefore vain worship. Thus once again the Gregorian Calendar is totally out of season and out of harmony with astronomical law in trying to set the birth of Jesus-the Christ on December 25th. And we know from the historical record that Christ-mass came from paganism.

Once there was a young Catholic lady who was unable to find the Catholic holidays of St.Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, etcetera, recorded in the Bible. Thus she went to her Catholic priest and asked him where she could find them. And his answer was, "You cannot find them in the Scriptures for they come from paganism." When she returned home she was very upset, hurt and mad at that fact that she had been so deceived and misled by her religious leaders. Thus she did not know where to go or what to do, until by the Lord's guidance she found the truth. Praise the Lord! Won't you let the Lord lead, guide and direct you with His present truth of today?

Since we know that Christ-mass is a traditional, not Scriptural, celebration, then we must conclude that this pagan festival has nothing whatsoever to do with the birthday of Jesus-the Christ. Besides if it had been necessary for us to know about the time of His birth, then it would have been recorded in the Scriptures. This is more evidence to prove that the Gregorian Calendar is out of harmony with the laws of nature.

As the Gregorian Calendar is out of harmony with nature's laws, then what about the births, deaths and marriages of people? And what about important historical events, mortgages, wills, important documents and business transactions? Many of these could have been misdated. Yet some people may say, what difference does it make? And my answer is, that it makes all the difference in the world, in most cases. If you are a Christian and believe in God's Holy Word, then you should question any and everything to see if there are things which might be misleading or deceiving. For example, God's Word shows that the day begins at sunset. Yet the Gregorian Calendar says that the day begins at midnight. Which one should you trust? Astronomical law also shows that the New Moon or dark moon is the beginning of the lunar month and that March 17 is the beginning of the first solar month and the new solar year. But the Gregorian Calendar says that the first solar month and the new solar year begins on January one, or 75 days before the vernal equinox (Mar. 17) which is when the new year should begin according to astronomical law.

Here's another interesting fact: Say you were. born on Monday January 11, 1993, after sunset Gregorian time, then according to the Law of God (Lev. 23:32) your birthday would have to be recorded as being on Tuesday January 12, 1992 because the astronomical new year doesn't begin until March 17. This is the only way you could be in harmony with God's astronomical laws. The same would be true for deaths, marriages, historical events, business transactions and all documented data including science, astronomy, police records, governmental transactions, etcetera. Therefore, any records made between December 31, 1992 and March 17, 1993 must, in order to be in harmony with God's astronomical laws, be recorded as happening in 1992 and not 1993. Thus what I am saying is that the year 1992 will not end until sundown March 16, according to astronomical law. Then the beginning of the year would be set by astronomical law and not by the traditions of men. Harmony with God is obtained by obedience to all His laws.

One last thought, on our monetary entities are the words: "In God We Trust." And Psalms 75:7 says, "But God is the judge: He putteth down one (leader), and setteth up another." Therefore, we should honor God and cultivate His favor by having the inauguration of the President of the United States of America, whom He has set up, occur on the first day of the astronomical new year, March 17-the vernal equinox-the first day of spring. It is time for a change, not only in our government, but also in our calendar system.

Yours to follow all His laws,

Verlis W. Johnson

Are You A Christian or a Protestant-Catholic?
Webster's definition of a Christian is, "a person professing belief in Jesus as the Christ, or in the religion based on the teachings of Jesus."

The Biblical definition is, "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne." Rev. 3:21 "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels." Rev. 3:5 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations." Rev. 2:26 "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess before My Father which is in heaven." Matt. 10:32 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." Rev. 12:11

As a Sabbath-keeper, I am looked upon by my kinsmen and others as an anti-Christian. But the Bible teaches us that the only way one can be a true Christian (overcomer) is by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of His testimony. It also teaches that unless I confess Him before my fellowman, He will not confess me before His Father. Therefore, my testimony is that I am pro-Christian because I am striving to do as He did. That is He kept His Father's commandments, which are as follows:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But theseventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and hallowed it." Ex. 20:8-11

"And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep: For it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off (name blotted out) from among his people." Ex. 31:12-14

"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read." Luke 4:16 If ye love Me keep My commandments." John 14:15 "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10

"And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him." 1 John 2:3&4

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." 1 John 1:8&10 Sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4)

Daniel brings to view a Church-State power which shall arise as an enemy of God that would make God's commandments of none effect. From the New American Bible (The New Catholic Translation) we quote, "He shall speak against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High, thinking to change the feast days and the law." Dan. 7:25

These feasts and laws that the "man of sin" thought to change are recorded in Leviticus 23. "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts (Sabbaths) of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My feasts:"

(1) Seventh-day Sabbath
(2) Passover (Lord's Supper now)
(3) Wavesheaf offering (day of resurrection now)
(4) Pentecost
(5) New Moon (beginning of each Biblical month)
(6) Day of Atonement (yearly blotting out of sins from the Lamb's Book of Life)
(7) Feast of Tabernacles

These are the soul harvest-rites

The "man of sin", (2Thes. 2:3) beginning with Constantine, made the first change in 321 A.D. and onward of the above Sabbaths of the Lord to their feast days, which are as follows:

(1) Sunday (a pagan day of worship)
(2) St. Valentines Day
(3) St. Patrick's Day
(4) Easter (name of Pagan Vernal Festival; almost coincident in date with the Passover)
(5) Halloween
(6) Christmas (which is derived from two words: Christ Mass)

The word Mass shows it to be Catholic ordained with its derivation from pagan customs. One of these customs is brought to view in Jeremiah 10:2&4; which tells us that the cutting of the tree, fastening it with nail and hammer, and decorating it is the way of the heathen. We are admonished not to learn the way of the heathen!

As the Bible gives us no date of Christ's birth, and there is no command in the Scriptures to set aside a day of worship for His birth, it is, therefore, a command of man. Matthew 15:9 say, "But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." This false system of worship constitutes the "Mark of the Beast". The Bible teaches that those who receive this "Mark" will be destroyed. So our sole duty for this time is to expose the "man of sin".

You will find pointed out in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation that Satan has always worked through his human agents to destroy God's truth, His messengers, and His Son; by nailing Him to the cross. With this accomplishment, and still working through his agents, he has made almost the whole world believe that the Divine Plan of Salvation, recorded in Leviticus 23, was also nailed to the cross. But the Scriptures show that only the sacrifices were nailed to the cross; the Levitical law itself continued. Therefore, we still have the Divine Plan of Salvation (Lev. 23) without the sacrifices in force today.

The Roman Catholic Church has substituted the Gregorian Calendar to take the place of God's Calendar recorded in Genesis. In so doing they changed: (1) the beginning of the day from sundown to midnight, (2) the beginning of the year from the Vernal Equinox to January, (3) the beginning of the month (New Moon) to a man set time, (4) the worship of God from the Seventh-day Sabbath to the first day of the week, etc.

The reason Satan has, by his human agents, changed the Biblical Calendar is because it regulates the Divine Plan of Salvation recorded in Leviticus 23. As the blood of Christ is applied through this system to cover our sins, it is the only ordained system of salvation, whereby man may be saved.

As Satan has set up false feast days through the Catholic Church, it was also necessary to have a calendar to set them. Therefore, they brought forth the Gregorian Calendar, which has taken the place of the Biblical Calendar. Since America is supposedly a Christian Nation, WHY DO WE FOLLOW THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CALENDAR AND OBSERVE PAGAN HOLIDAYS'?

The following is quoted from a letter written by Father Patrick Henry O'Brien to Rev. A. Di Domenica, former Catholic of Philadelphia, Pa., now 37 Campbell Ave., Havertown, Pa., originally printed in L'Aurora, published by the Italian Baptist Association of America. It is entitled:

ROMAN CATHOLIC ASPIRATIONS

"WE the hierarchy of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, expect all loyal children of the church to assist the President with all OUR strength to see the individuals comprising the U.S. Supreme Court shall obey the President's injunctions. And, if necessary, WE shall change, mend, or blot out the present Constitution so that the President may enforce his, or rather OUR humanitarian program and all phases of human rights as laid down by OUR saintly Popes and the Holy Mother Church.

WE elected OUR worthy President (Kennedy, '60') by the greatest majority ever recorded in history. WE are going to have OUR laws made and enforced according to the Holy See, and the Popes and the canon law of the Papal throne. OUR entire social structure must be rebuilt on that basis. OUR educational laws must be constructed to the end that atheism, (the Red peril of totalitarianism) PROTESTANTISM, communism, socialism, and ALL OTHER OF LIKE, INK, and STAMP, be driven from this fair land.

The cross was planted on OUR shores by a staunch Roman Catholic (Columbus in 1492). This land belongs to US by every right. Long enough have WE compromised on every important question. Now WE demand what is really OURS, and WE are going to have it. WE will support OUR President in every way to obtain it, peacefully, honestly, if WE may. If necessary, WE are ready to fight and die for it.

WE want as Cabinet Members children of the Holy Mother Church holding important positions in the entire structure of OUR government.

WE control America and WE do not propose to stop until America or Americans are genuinely Roman Catholic and remain so. God help US."

Indeed this is a very real and true situation. Former Roman Catholic Jesuit Priest Alberto Rivera claims that the Jesuits have successfully infiltrated, "into every sector of life. You name it: education, sports, industry, economy, military, and religion. You just name it. The Jesuits are there in every place." He also states that, "They have promised to destroy the Constitution of the United States regardless of the cost. That is a pledge for those who vow the oath of induction of the Jesuits." (See Crusaders Vol. 13 "Double-Cross", pp. 12-14, by Chick Publications) The above quotes were taken from a series of tape lectures entitled, "Catholicism & World Power," by Alberto Rivera, PHD, Series # 491 & 494. They were obtained from God's Last Call, Inc. Salem, WV 26426.

Before he left the Roman Catholic Institution, "Dr. Rivera explained that when he was under the extreme oath of the Jesuits, he was told that a secret sign was to be given to Jesuits world-wide when the Ecumenical Movement had successfully wiped out Protestantism.

"The sign was to be when a President of the U.S. took his oath of office facing an OBELISK, just as the Pope faces the OBELISK in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. For the first time in U.S. history (Newsweek, Jan. 26, 1981, Pg 32), the swearing-in ceremonies were moved to the West Front of the Capitol and Pres. Reagan faced the Washington Monument. This happened Jan. 20, 1981. (We believe the President was not aware of this)." This statement was taken from the little booklet, "Kiss the Protestants Good-Bye", published by Chick Publications.

To further understand the significance of these events, let's study the 13th chapter of Revelation. "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed; . . . saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." Rev. 13:11-14

"It is the beast with lamblike horns - in profession pure, gentle, and harmless - that speaks as a dragon, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast." Here is clearly presented a form of government in which the legislative power rests with the people, the most striking evidence that the United States is the nation denoted in the prophecy.

"But what is the 'image to the beast'? And how is it to be formed? The image is made by the two-horned beast, and is an image to the beast. It is also called an image of the beast. Then to learn what the image is like and how it is to be formed we must study the characteristics of the beast itself the PAPACY.

"In order for the United States to form an image of the beast, the religious power must so control the civil government that the authority of the state will also be employed by the church (Roman Catholic Institution) to accomplish her own ends." Great Controversy pp. 442, 443.

"And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and ALL THE WORLD wondered after the BEAST (the PAPACY)." Rev. 13:3

Why is the deadly wound healed? And why does the whole world follow the teachings of Rome?

"Practically everything that Protestants regard as essential or important they have received from the Catholic church. They accept SUNDAY rather than SATURDAY as a day for public worship; after the Catholic Church made that change . . . They observe Christmas on the day assigned to it by the Catholic Church. They accept the date for Easter observance from the church. But the Protestant mind does not seem to realize that in accepting the Bible and observing the Sunday, in keeping Christmas and Easter, they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the POPE." From the Sunday Visitor Roman Catholic publication, Feb. 5, 1950.

"We Catholics, then, have precisely the same authority for keeping SUNDAY holy, instead of SATURDAY, as we have for every other article of our creed; namely, the AUTHORITY of the 'church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth' (1Tim. 3:15); whereas, you who are Protestants have really NO AUTHORITY for it whatever; for there is NO AUTHORITY for it in the Bible, and you will not allow that there can be authority for it anywhere else. Both you and we do, in fact, FOLLOW TRADITION in this matter; but we follow it, believing it to be a part of God's word, and the church to be its divinely appointed guardian and interpreter; you follow it, denouncing it all the time as a fallible and treacherous guide, which often 'MAKES THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD OF NONE EFFECT.' " "Clifton Tracts," Vol. IV, article "A question for All Bible Christians," p. 15.

"In the commission to His disciples, Christ not only outlined their work, but He gave them their message. Teach the people, He said, 'to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you,' (Matt. 28:20). The disciples were to teach what Christ had taught. That which He had spoken, not only in person, but also through all the prophets and teachers of the Old Testament, is here included. Human teaching is shut out. There is no place for TRADITION, for MAN'S THEORIES and CONCLUSIONS, or for CHURCH LEGISLATION. No laws ordained by ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY are included in the commission. None of these are Christ's servants to teach. 'The LAW and the PROPHETS,' with the record of His own words and deeds, are the treasure committed to the disciples to be given to the world. Christ's name is their watchword, their badge of distinction, their bond of union, the AUTHORITY for their course of action, and the source of their success. Nothing that does not bear HIS SUPERSCRIPTION is to be recognized in His kingdom." Desire of Ages, p. 826

Today many people follow tradition and man's theories hardly knowing and realizing from whence they came. Many of God's precious truths were lost during the Dark Ages as foretold by the apostle Paul. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a failing away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." 2Thes' 2:3,4

Who is it that opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God? "The POPE is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God . . . The POPE is as it were God on earth . .. . The POPE is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws . . . The POPE can modify divine law, since his power is not of man but of God, and he acts as vicegerent of God upon earth with most ample power of binding and loosing his sheep." (translated from Lucius Ferraris, "Papa II," Prompta Bibliotheca, Vol. VI, pp. 25-29).

Thus the POPE claims authority for modifying and interpreting God's divine law. But Malachi 3:6 says, "For I am the Lord, I change not . . ." The scriptures are our only safeguard for knowing and interpreting God's divine law because the "man of sin" has tampered with the truth, as we shall see.

From the Catholic Catechism, "The new law has its own spirit . . and its own feasts which have taken the place of those appointed in the Law of Moses. If we would know the Days to be observed. . We must go to the Catholic Church, not to the Mosaic law."

"The Catholic Church of its own infallible authority created Sunday a holy day to take the place of the Sabbath of the old law." Kansas City Catholic authorities readily acknowledge that there is no command in the Bible for the sanctification of Sunday and they also claim power to command their feasts under sin because mainline Protestantism follows their traditions.

"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The scriptures enforce the religious observance of SATURDAY, a day which we never sanctify." Cardinal Gibbons, in "The Faith of Our Fathers," edition 1892, page 111.

The following is quoted from "A Doctrinal Catechism", page 174, written by Rev. Stephen Keenan, published by P. J. Kennedy and Sons, New York City:

"Question: Have you any other way of proving that the church has power to institute festivals of precept?

"Answer. -Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her; -she could not have substituted SUNDAY the first day of the week, for the observance of SATURDAY the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority."

From "An Abridgement of the Christian Doctrine," page 58, we read:

"Question. -How prove you that the Church hath power to command feasts and holydays?

"Answer. -By the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; and therefore they fondly contradict themselves, by keeping Sunday strictly, and breaking most other feasts commanded by the same church.

"Question. -How prove you that?

"Answer. Because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the Church's power to ordain feasts, and to command them under SIN."

Do Protestant leaders, themselves, recognize that there is no Scriptural authority for keeping Sunday holy instead of Saturday?

"The Scriptures nowhere call the first day of the week Sabbath . . . There is no Scriptural authority for so doing, nor of course any Scriptural obligation." -The Watchman (Baptist).

"There was and is a commandment to 'keep holy the Sabbath,' but that Sabbath was not Sunday. It will, however, be readily said, and with some show of triumph, that the Sabbath was transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week . . . Where can the record of such a transaction be found? Not in the New Testament-absolutely not." by Dr. Edward T. Hiscock (a Baptist).

Since there is no Scriptural authority for changing Sabbath to Sunday, who changed it?

"The earliest recognition of the observance of Sunday as a legal duty is a constitution of Constantine in 321 A.D. Encyclopedia Britannica, ninth edition, article "Sunday."

"There came a time, as you know, when the Protestant church was unwilling to concede the binding authority of the pontiff in matters religious. That was in the days when Martin Luther stepped out of the Church of Rome. He said to the prelates of the Church of Rome: 'Gentlemen, we have founded the Protestant church on the Bible, and we stand for the Bible and the Bible only.' And when he said, 'We take our stand on the Bible and the_ Bible only,' he hurled a bombshell in the midst of the PAPACY. The PAPACY soon realized that there was something menacing her, -something that was setting the world on fire; the very existence of the Catholic Church was threatened. And, in fact, if it had not been for Ignatius Loyola, the founder of JESUITISM, the mighty order that established schools and colleges over the world, the chances are that CATHOLICISM might have gone to the wall when the Reformation started, for the Church of Rome was shaken to its foundations." From "The Mark of the Beast," by Charles T. Everson, pp. 20, 21

Unfortunately, they recovered and "Finally, at the last opening [session] on the eighteenth of January, 1562 [in the Council of Trent], their last scruple was set aside; the Archbishop of Reggio made a speech in which he openly declared that TRADITION stood above SCRIPTURE. The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the SCRIPTURES, because the church had changed -SABBATH into SUNDAY, not by the command of Christ but by its own authority. With this, to be sure, the last illusion was destroyed, and it was declared that TRADITION does not signify antiquity, but continual inspiration."-J. H. Holtzam, "Canon and Tradition," p. 263.

THE CATHOLIC LETTER

(Request)

Pope Pius XI Thomaston, Georgia
Rome, Italy May 22, 1934

Dear Sir:

Is the accusation true, that Protestants accuse you of? They say you changed the Seventh Day Sabbath to the, so called, Christian-Sunday: identical with the First-Day of the Week. If so, when did you make the, change, and by what authority?

Yours very truly,

J. L. Day

(Reply)

THE CATHOLIC EXTENSION MAGAZINE
The largest Catholic Magazine Published in USA
180 Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
(Under the Blessing of Pope Pius XI)

Dear Sir:

Regarding the change from the observance of the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday, I wish to draw your attention to the facts:

(1) That Protestants, who accept the Bible as the only rule of faith and religion should by all means go back to the observance of the Sabbath. The fact that they do not, but on the contrary observe Sunday, stultifies them in the eyes of every thinking man.

(2) We Catholics do not accept the Bible as the only rule of faith.

Besides the Bible we have the living Church, the authority of the Church, as a rule to guide us. We say, this Church instituted by Christ, to teach and guide men through life, has the right to change the CEREMONIAL LAWS of the Old Testament and hence, we accept her change of the Sabbath to the Sunday. We frankly say, "Yes the Church made this change, made this law, as she made many other laws, for instance, the Friday Abstinence, the unmarried priesthood, the laws concerning mixed marriages, the regulation of Catholic marriages, and a thousand other laws."

(3) We also say that of all Protestants, the Seventh-Day Adventists are the only group that reason correctly and are consistent with their teachings. It is always somewhat laughable to see the Protestant Churches, in pulpit and legislature, demand the observance of Sunday, of which there is nothing in the Bible.

With best wishes,

Peter R. Tramer, Editor

EASTER CHRISTMAS and SUNDAY

"AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE SUN TOWARDS THE EAST." Ezek. 8:15-16

The Origin and Character of Easter.

The Origin and Character of Christmas.

The Origin and Character of Sunday.

WELL-MEANING CHRISTIANS

No doubt there are many well-meaning Christian people, who have been taught, and therefore believe that Easter, Christmas and Sunday are Biblical institutions, established by Christ, and kept by His apostles, and hence are very sacred.

It is not our intention in this article to unsettle any of God's children on what is truth, or bring undue unhappiness to such as are enjoying their religious belief; but as true happiness only comes to "the man whom God correcteth," (Job 5:17) and who does not get "weary of his correction:" (Prov. 3:11); therefore let us ever be ready to receive correction, "for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth." (Prov. 3:12).

NIMROD

Heathen philosophy claims that when Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah, died he was immortalized and his spirit took possession of the sun, where he is dwelling as the sun god.

SEMIRAMIS

Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod, became a great queen, and in order that the people would love her; she told them that she would take possession of the moon after she died, just as her husband Nimrod had taken possession of the sun.

Semiramis never married again after the death of Nimrod, but a few years after the death of her husband she gave birth to a son, on the 25th day of December. This son they called Tammuz. This great queen Semiramis claimed that the spirit of the sun, her husband Nimrod was the father of Tammuz.

TAMMUZ

Tammuz was considered as the son of the sun. The first letter of his name T was ever afterwards considered the symbol of sun worship. Sun worshippers sacrificed their human offerings to the sun god, upon a wooden cross, the initial letter T of the name Tammuz. Tammuz was a great hunter like his supposed father Nimrod. But while yet quite a young man he was killed by a wild boar, in the spring of the year. This caused much weeping throughout the whole kingdom. The forty days before the time of the celebration for the moon were set apart as days for weeping for Tammuz. Especially did the women take the lead in this weeping for Tammuz during these forty days.

SUN WORSHIP

The origin and character of sun worship was, is, and always will be pagan. By whatever name or under whatever form the sun was worshipped, there was always a female divinity associated with it. As the sun was the great god, the supreme lord, and as he exerted his most glorious powers in reproduction, it was held to be the most acceptable worship for his devotees so to employ themselves and their powers. Consequently prostitution was the one chief characteristic of all sun worship wherever found.

When God established His worship with the children of Israel in the very midst of the sun-worshipping nations round about, He required of them to make the door of their temple always toward the east, in order that all who worship the Lord would in so doing turn their backs upon the sun and its worship; and that whoever joined in the worship of the sun had first to turn his back upon the Lord. But even though the Lord was so careful in His dealing with His children, yet Israel did apostatize from Him, turned their backs towards the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they did worship the sun toward the east. (Ezek. 8:16).

Sunday came from this sun worship and was dedicated to the sun god. It was on this day that the worst sun-worship features were practiced. The origin and character of Sunday like sun worship was, is, and always will be pagan. No matter how this child of paganism is dressed up so as to make it look Christian, it is pagan in both origin and character. Sunday is the wild, solar holiday of all pagan times.

The Lord has given His children a rest day. He has finished the earth with the fullness thereof, and made a Sabbath rest for the children of man. "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made." Gen. 2:3. Of this day He says it is "the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." Ex. 20:8-11.

Why not do the thing the Lord tells us to do, and when He wants us to do it?

Sunday laws are a natural outgrowth of sun worship and Sunday. It is claimed that Sunday laws would make the world better, and bring in the everlasting Kingdom of God. But no matter what the claims may be, Sunday laws always were, and always will be a scourge of persecution to the people of God. Sun worship, Sunday, and Sunday laws, are carved out of the same pagan block.

CHRISTMAS

To ancient as well as modern pagan thinkers, the key to the hidden secret of the origin and preservation of the universe, lay in the mystery of sex. Two energies or agents, one an active and generative, the other a feminine, passive, or susceptible one, were everywhere taught to combine for creative purposes; and heaven and earth, sun and moon, day and night, were, believed to cooperate to the production of being. Therefore all paganism is nothing else but nature worship in some form or another, and in all such false religions the deepest and most awe-inspiring attribute of nature was its power of reproduction.

Nimrod, it was claimed, had taken possession of the sun. His wife, Semiramis, was the queen of heaven, taking possession of the moon. The spirit of the sun, Nimrod, came to visit his wife Semiramis, the spirit of the moon, who conceived and gave the world Tammuz, on the 25th day of December. As the sun and the moon are the greatest of all powers of light, so this Tammuz was the greatest son given to man. The Yule-tree and the Yule-log had their part in this birthday of this blasphemous promised seed. Gen. 3:15. Tammuz was born in such a mysterious way through the great gods, the sun and the moon, so that the evergreen played its part to represent the wooden cross which the first letter T in his name placed before its worshipers.

When Christ came as the real promised seed to bruise the serpent's head (Gen. 3:15), Tammuz was here with his title to the promise. Since the date of Christ's birth was not known, so that God's children would not practice idolatry upon that day, Satan placed into the Christian church the day of Tammuz, December 25, as the birthday of Christ, and the bishops of the church accepted it, with all its Christmas presents and jocularity and revelry and drunkenness. The giving of presents was a heathen custom. The Yule-tree and the Yule-log are remains of the old Teutonic nature worship.

No church can long encourage Christmas and its spirit without going to the rocks. It is a part of sun-worship and must be given up by the Remnant People of God.

EASTER

To honor Semiramis the wife of Nimrod, or moon god, they set aside a time in honor of the moon god. This time was to extend from the first full moon after the vernal equinox, or the twenty-first of March, until the first Sunday after this full moon. Christ came as the true Passover lamb, and was killed on the date when the Passover lambs were killed, the 14th day of the month Nisan or Abib (Ex. 12:6, Ex. 13:4) without regard to the day of the week. But Satan again was ready to help the Christian church out in their dilemma for harmony. Easter Sunday was accepted as a Christian institution, and with it came all its heathen customs. "The cakes to the queen of heaven," (Jer. 44:1-28) became the hot cross buns. The forty days of weeping for Tammuz became Lent and at the close of Lent came Easter Sunday.

What an insult and blasphemous exchange this is. Could humanity bring any greater offense to God and His dear Son than to offer Him such pagan substitutions? Sun-worship, Sunday, Sunday laws, Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, etc. are pagan in origin and character. These things come to us branded with the mark of paganism and christened with the name of the sun god, when adopted and sanctified by the PAPAL APOSTASY and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to fallen Protestantism.

THE THIRD ANGEL'S MESSAGE

John: "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." Rev. 14:9,10.

John: "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." Rev. 15:1.

The warning of the third angel is against the worship of the beast and his image. All such as give homage or reverence unto the mandates of this beast or his image, shall drink "the wrath of God," which we find to be "the seven last plagues."

This beastly power "commands us to keep holy," Sunday, Christmas, and Easter. To give homage or reverence unto these mandates of the beast is the very worship against which we are warned in the third angel's message. No man can claim he is worshipping God while he himself is still hanging in the balance concerning the mandates of the beast and his image. No church can claim to be giving the third angel's message, while the leaders and laity are trying to bolster up any of the mandates of the beast or his image.

It would be difficult to conceive how the wildest follies of the most confirmed fool could produce a more confused and senseless mass than is comprehended in this idolatrous mass of mandates of the beast and his image. It is astonishing to see how the remnant people of God, who have so much sense and real ability in so many things, should manifest such an absolute want of sense or reason as is displayed in disgusting detail in their system of idolatry concerning Christmas and the spirit of Easter.

For its outward form and expression, the idolatry of the beast and his image, in these mandates, have always centered in the sun. And as the Lord wants a clean and clear cut worship, free from any and all such pagan customs, we would call unto the saints of God to flee for their life.

Under this theory, the worship of the sun, as represented by these mandates of the beast and his image, was set up a system of direct opposition to the worship of God. The Lord therefore, brings this pagan theory and the whole scheme carried on under this theory, to such a test as to demonstrate the true character in His saints. The controversy between the worship of God and the worship of the beast and his image, is on, and the spirit of Elijah the prophet, which is to come again in these last days (Mal. 4:5), is calling unto us "HOW LONG HALT YE BETWEEN TWO OPINIONS? IF THE LORD BE GOD, FOLLOW HIM: BUT IF BAAL, (the beast and his image) THEN FOLLOW HIM." I Kings 18:21.

SUMMARY

We have found in this study that no man or church is giving the third angel's message while following in the path of pagan customs. The message is unto us, as it was to Israel of old, "How long halt ye between two opinions."

All these pagan, insulting, and blasphemous remains of prostituted nature and sun worship must go. EASTER and all pagan ceremonies connected with it, under the cloak of Christ, must go. CHRIST-MASS and all the pagan ceremonies connected with it, under the cloak of Christ, must go. SUNDAY and all the pagan ceremonies connected with it, under the cloak of Christ, must go. The origin and character of these great pagan luminaries, no matter how they might be dressed up to disguise their real intent and purpose, always were, and are now, and always will be, an insult to the true worship of an eternal God.

Of any or all idolatry, there is none so great as the idolatry, which prostitutes the divine worship of the eternal God. And because this beastly power against which we are warned in the third angers message (Rev. 14:9,10) has prostituted the worship of God through these pagan rites and ceremonies, the rider, therefore, is called "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Rev. 17:5.

This rider of the beast is a mother and therefore has daughters who are following in her footsteps of prostituting the worship of God. It makes no difference whether we are prostituting the worship of God under the mother or the daughters, the voice from heaven says we are under' "the habitation of devils and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (Rev. 18:2).

In order that Jesus "might present it to Himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish," (Eph. 5:27) another voice is heard from heaven saying, "Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues," (Rev. 18:4) the wrath of God (Rev. 15:1) which everyone who worships at the pagan shrine of spiritual prostitution must drink. (Rev. 14:9,10).

This article was reprinted from RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND TEMPERANCE ASSOCIATION, Box 195, Trenton, New Jersey.

HALLOWEEN, ITS ORIGIN AND EFFECTS

Has it ever occurred to you that Christians are honoring certain holidays as Christian festivals that are not considered Biblical?

Since we, as Christians, are only required to observe that which is recorded in the Scriptures, we need to see for ourselves its origin and its author. If it is recorded in the Scriptures, by all means observe it.

If it is not, shun it. I invite you to search the Scriptures. As likely as it may seem, there is no authority for observing the pagan festival Halloween in the Bible. But don't take my word for it search the Scriptures and see for yourself.

Know this one thing, that is, if it is not recorded in the Scriptures as a command, then realize that it is tradition. And you can decide for yourself whether or not it is lawful for a Christian to follow tradition as a rule.

From the Universal Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 11, page 4126:1, we read, "Halloween or All hollows Eve, the name applied to the evening of October 31, preceding the Christian feast of Hallowmas, Allhallows, or All Saints' Day. The observances connected with Halloween are, believed to have originated among the ancient Druids, who believed that on that evening Samhain (Satan), the lord of the dead, called forth hosts of evil spirits. The Druids lit great fires on Halloween, apparently for the purpose of warding off these spirits. Among the ancient Celts, Halloween was the last evening of the year and it was regarded as a propitious time for examining the portents of the future. The Celts also believed that the spirits of the dead revisited their earthly homes on that evening. After their conquest of Britain, the Romans added to the Halloween traditions, features of the Roman festival held on November 1 in honor of Pomona, the goddess of the fruits of trees.

"The Celtic tradition of lighting fires on Halloween survived until modern times in Scotland and Wales, and in the concept of ghosts and witches still common to all Halloween observances. Traces of the Roman harvest festival survive in the custom, prevalent in both the United States and England, of playing games involving fruit, such as ducking for apples in a tub of water and in the decorative use of pumpkins which are hollowed out, carved to resemble grotesque faces, and illuminated by candles placed inside."

IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL INSERTED INTO CHRISTIANITY
BY THE DRUID PRIESTS

From "The Book of Halloween", on page ten, by Ruth Kelly, it says, "That the pagan Druid priests taught the immortality of the soul, that it passed from one body to another at death . . . "

Halloween was preserved to teach people the false doctrine of the immortality of the soul and that the dead are not really dead! Prayer for the dead is acknowledged by the Catholics and some Protestants when they recite from the Creed: "I believe in the communion of saints." Which means that men can communicate with saints on behalf of souls in Purgatory.

However, the Scriptures teach, "For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Ps. 6:5

"For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither, have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten." Ecc. 9:5. "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Ps. 115:17.

In the face of all these facts, we should ask ourselves how these unbiblical festivals became a part of our religious system?

GOD'S CHURCH FESTIVALS

I learned years ago from research and study, God does have religious festivals and that the "man of sin" also has church festivals. The question arose in my mind, what is the purpose of a true and false system of worship? Thus was I shown that it was necessary for mankind to have a choice, a test, to prove their loyalty to God's plan or their rejection of it, as it happened to Adam and Eve. God put them in the Garden of Eden and in the midst of the Garden stood the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil to test them. They had a choice and because they failed this test all of mankind has suffered under the curse of sin ever since that time. The Scriptures show that this came about because they disobeyed God's command as given in Genesis 2:16, 17:

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

When man fell he was driven out of the Garden of Eden and a plan to save him was set into motion with rules to guide him. Since he disobeyed God's command and fell under a usurper (Satan) into sin, it was totally possible for him also to disobey the commands of the Plan of Salvation and be forever lost.

Mankind followed these rules from memory, but since Israel was in Egyptian bondage for some 215 years, their minds were debased from slavery. Therefore, God could no longer trust His truths and laws to their memories. So when God led Israel out of Egypt to Sinai, He gave Moses an order to write His laws (Plan of Salvation) in a book giving implicit instructions as how to observe these church festivals.

Since Satan was determined to be like the Most High, he also gave instructions to his agents to formulate and put into action counterfeit festivals. Since the Scriptures do reveal all of God's church festivals (Lev. 23) and the historical records do reveal unauthorized church festivals, we must realize that the only church festivals we are required to observe are those recorded in the Scriptures. Therefore, it should be crystal clear that those festivals, which are not recorded in the Scriptures, are ordained by the "man of sin" and those who observe these unauthorized festivals are in truth paying homage to the "man of sin". Thus we see that mankind still has a choice-a test.

Who would have the nerve to ordain unauthorized church festivals and cause Christians to observe them? The answer is found in the Catholic Catechism: "The new law has its own spirit . . . and its own feasts which have taken the place of those appointed in the law of Moses. If we would know the days to be observed . . . we must go to the Catholic Church, not to the Mosaic law."

"And he shall speak great words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change TIMES and LAWS: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Dan. 7:25 (King James Version).

"He shall speak against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High, thinking to change the FEAST DAYS and the LAW. They shall be handed over to him for a year, two years, and a half year." Dan. 7:25 (The New American Catholic Bible).

My friends it is to know who changed God's feasts (festivals) and His law, for both translations show that these changes took place during the Dark Ages. This places the emphasis where it belongs, but the choice is still yours to make, for everyone decides their own destiny.

Are you aware that there are six of these unbiblical church festivals that are observed in literally millions of Christian homes today, instead of God's six holy festivals (Wave-sheaf offering is a part of Passover week)? Thus these unbiblical festivals stand as a test; just like the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil stood as a test to Adam and Eve.

We should all start shunning Halloween and these other unholy church festivals-NOW! But I hear some say, "Yes, we know that Halloween is a pagan holiday, but we are just observing these festivals as days of fun." However, let me say this, when you allow your children to take part in these festivals, you are upholding the pagan festival and are paying homage to its originator; by so doing you are disobeying the commands of God.

"But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Matt. 15:9.

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Rom. 6:16-18.

As a minister of the Gospel, I appeal to you to prayerfully study and consider these facts. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32.

Truth is given to keep us in the narrow path that leads to eternal life. Therefore, we should "Prove all things;" (1Thes. 5:21).

"NOW, LET'S SEE, HAVE I FORGOTTEN ANYONE?"

Was Jesus born on Dec. 25th? Before we search the Scriptures let's look at the difficulties in having Him born on Dec. 25th. (1) Historians tell us shepherds do not feed their flocks past October. During November thru February it is very cold. It is a fact shepherds move their sheep in barns and houses during this piercing cold time of the year.

(2) Luke 2:1 says there went out word that all should be taxed. Surely they would not have chosen the dead of winter to be taxed but would have probably chosen autumn after the harvest. At this time of the year the "Feast of Tabernacles" was held in Jerusalem. Many Jews attended this main feast (John 7:8-10), which would have been a logical time to be taxed since they were already in Jerusalem.

(3) It would have been almost impossible for Mary in her condition to have survived the journey. It was almost 70 miles in hill country. More than that don't you agree with me that God would have protected the one who was carrying His only begotten Son not to go on a trip like that in the dead of winter.

(4) Math. 24:2, "But pray ye that your flight be not in winter." If winter is no time to flee, then certainly it is no time to feed flocks or travel. Where did we get the idea of celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25th? Get ready for some shocking facts!

Christmas, the celebration by Christians as the Lord's birthday, was never heard of until the fourth century. If we will study the "Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics", Vol. 3, pp. 601-9 we will find some very informative information. Other references of history are found in "Unger's Bible Dictionary", p. 196 and "Harper's Bible Dictionary", p. 99.

We find, checking church history, that at the Council of Nicea the Roman Emperor Constantine brought church and state together and made Christianity the official state religion. They decided the way to increase attendance and the size of the offering was to choose a pagan holiday on which to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The date picked to celebrate the holiday was the date the pagans believed that the queen of heaven gave birth to the Babylonian sun god. Dec. 25th is the winter solstice (the day the sun reaches its farthest point south of the equator and begins its trip back north). The heathen believed Dec. 25th was the birth date of their god. The celebration was marked by revelry, drinking, adultery, and all manner of filling the lust of the flesh.

The Christmas tree is appalling. Its history tells us the mother of Adonis, the sun god and great medatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree. While in that state, she was to have brought forth her divine son. (That is a mockery to our precious divine Savior). Read Jer. 10:1-5 in your Holy Bible. Please notice that the Bible says heathens cut down trees and decorate them. Christians are never told to set up trees. (Mk. 7:1 3).

The Yule history tells us it represented the so-called god-Nimrod.

Cakes were brought forth at this time to signify honor to the sun god. Cakes were a part of the Jews idolatry in the Old Testament. *(Jer. 7:18; 44:18, 19).

Why do people give gifts at Christmas? Satan is preparing them for the great tribulation. Read it again-it's true. I know it's startling. Rev. 11:9 and 10 reveals this fact to us. Besides that if it were your birthday would you want your gifts given to someone else? "Yes, let me see have I forgotten anyone." Those who celebrate the pagan holiday are not even giving gifts to the one whose birthday they are supposed to be celebrating.

How about dear old St. Nick? Who gave anyone the right to call him a Saint? He is a lie from the pits of hell. You could cause your children to not believe in Jesus when they find out Santa is a lie. I have seen it happen. Don't take that kind of chance with another soul, especially your own flesh and blood. His first name is misspelled Satan. He comes out of the North, which is a mockery too (God's throne is in the North). He comes in the air; he is impersonating the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He wears a red suit making a mockery of Jesus blood and a black belt representing sin. When Jesus blood covers your soul you are forgiven your sin (Psalms 103:12). The beard is a mockery to Jesus' white heard.

Now you have the light, I pray you walk in it. It you don't there is a curse on you found in Rev. 2:15 and 16. You will find the deeds of the Nicolaitanes were the worship of idols and pagan holidays. This information is available to you in your public library in the references we gave you at the beginning of this article.

When you give up Christmas, the pagan holiday, the Lord will begin to bless you in one miracle after another!

Verse 16 tells us to repent in Rev. 2 or He will fight against us with the sword of His mouth. I would rather fight anybody because you can't fight Jesus and win-you are on the losing side. Your soul is at stake. "And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." John 8:32.

This article was reprinted from WORKING CHRISTIANS ASSOCIATION, Inc., P. 0. Box 24511 Dallas, Texas 75224.

The Winkler County News, Kermit, Texas
DEC. 25 HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FEAST DAY
By JEFF CUSHING
Copley News Service

Christmas Day! A time of joy for children as they open the sparkling gifts under the tree. A day of reverence as people the world over celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

For some 1600 years, Christians have celebrated Dec. 25 as the day Jesus was born. Bishop Liberius so designated it back in 354 (A.D.). Whether Christ was actually born on Dec. 25 is open to question; the Bible descriptions do not fall into line with weather at that time of year in Palestine when it is generally raining and cold and few shepherds would have been out in the fields watching their flocks.

But Bishop Liberius had his reasons. Dec. 25 was already a familiar feast day dating back to pagan times when the sun went through its yearly "rebirth." Worshippers in Rome and throughout Europe celebrated this triumph of light over darkness by decorating their homes with evergreen branches and other greenery. Candles were lit to symbolize the coming of the light, logs were burned and the ashes honored for their fertilizing properties.

The Romans paid homage to their god of agriculture Saturn during this period. Schools, businesses, and courts were closed as merrymakers exchanged gifts, enjoyed wine and music. It is even chronicled that masters dined with their slaves during this period of celebration.

It was because of the importance of such celebrations that Christians eager to convert others to the new faith found it expedient to adapt. some of the pagan rites into the ceremonial worship of Christ. Thus, the feast day became the medieval Christe Masse (Feast day of the Christ). The decorated evergreen branches became the traditional Christmas tree, the gifts became Christmas gifts and the December celebrations were changed to honor Christ, not Saturn.

And the father of Christmas, good old St. Nicholas, is also a product of interpretation. The original St. Nicholas is believed to have been a 4th Century bishop in Asia Minor, a man around whom many legends have grown. Called St. Nicholas the Wonder-Worker, he is said to have rewarded virtuous children with gifts.

In the Middle Ages, however, the Reformed Church in Germany moved the saint's birthday from Dec. 6th to the 25th and he's been known and loved as Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Shen Koll and many other names ever since.

Some Roman Catholics still observe St. Nicholas' birthday on Dec. 6 and children hang out stockings for him to fill. (He is also reported to carry in his bag a healthy supply of switches for bad boys and girls.)

The English phrase "Santa Claus" is a derivation of the Dutch name for St. Nick, Sinta Claes and has been used in America (The English still call him Father Christmas) since the early Dutch pioneers settled in NY.

ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

Abomination of desolation is caused by setting up a false system of worship by which the true is destroyed or laid waste. Thus it will culminate in the Image of the Beast system. Hence the question, how?

"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days." Daniel 12:11. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)" Matt. 24:15.

" . . . The power symbolized by the Little Horn desolates the sanctuary and halts its regular ritual services, . . . The additional information is given that "the abomination that maketh desolate" is substituted for the "daily". Since the "daily" designates the divinely ordained system of worship, the power that removes it stands in opposition to God, and the "abomination that maketh desolate" represents a counterfeit system of worship." SDA Bible Dictionary Vol. 8 p. 242

Cardinal Gibbons tells us what this false system of worship is: "The new law has its own spirit . . . and its own feasts which have taken the place of those appointed in the law of Moses. If we would know the days (Easter, Halloween, St. Valentine, St. Patrick, Sunday, and Christmas) to be observed . . . we must go to the Catholic Church, not to the Mosaic law." Catholic Catechism

"Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, 0 house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." Jeremiah 10:1-4.

One of the greatest abominations or apostasies in the acclaimed Christian world is Christmas with its tree, glitter, and gift giving. I know this knowledge does not suit the carnal heart, the traditions of the fathers, nor the commercial system set up by the Roman Catholic Institution and the business world. But before you get upset, I invite you to go to your public library and research the following: St. Nicholas, Christmas, holly, mistletoe, Yule logs, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, etc. If you are a Christian, you need to be sure that you are not celebrating a HEATHEN CUSTOM for the Encyclopedia and the Bible tells me they are.

Let's analyze the word Christmas. By taking Christ from Christmas you have Mass, and who has Mass? The Roman Catholic Institution of course. Mass was set up to take the place of the sacrificial system, and this is why they have it so often. The Lord instituted the Lord's Supper to take the place of the Passover, and it is to be celebrated at the same time as Passover (Lev. 2 3:5, 6); once a year. But Christians are as confused as the Catholics when they celebrate it more often. The Roman Catholic Institution well knew that they could never convert the entire Christian world to the Mass. However, by adding Christ-which was accepted by all Christiandom-to Mass and calling it Christ's birthday, they could draw all Christians into this system and little by little bring them under their jurisdiction. This is part of Satan's masterful deception for he works through the Roman Catholic Institution.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:" Isaiah 14:12, 13.

Satan has made this claim a reality in many respects by counterfeiting God's system. The Scriptures show that God and Christ both have traveling vehicles, and the author of 2 Kings 2:11, 12 describes one of these vehicles as a chariot pulled by horses. God camouflaged His vehicle in this manner for it represented the mode of travel in that day, something that man was acquainted with and accustomed to. Since God's throne is in the sides of the north, Satan put his throne there as a myth to the North Pole where Santa Claus comes from and is heralded as coming in a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer. Thus Satan has made a mockery of God's throne in the sides of the north and counterfeited the chariot of the Lord. Santa Claus, depicting a saintly generous individual, is counterfeiting the attributes of God the giver of all good gifts to His children. The white beard so like that of our Savior is also counterfeited, but his red robe should tell us that his character is scarlet like sin. The whole of Christmas is a mockery to out Savior. Remember the first commandment says, "Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me." Ex. 20:3.

Therefore, when we see the Christmas tree set up in our churches, classrooms, Book and Bible houses, etc. and when we also see Easter and Halloween being celebrated by our people, it is a sign that the following quotations are literally being fulfilled right before our very eyes.

"Men who stand in very responsible positions at the head of the work are asleep, Satan has paralyzed them, in order that his plans and devices may not be discerned, while he is active to ensnare, deceive, and destroy . . Satan exults at his success in controlling the minds of so many who profess to be Christians. He has deceived them, benumbed their sensibilities, and planted his hellish banner (false feast days) in their midst, and they are so completely deceived that they know not that it is he...." Testimonies Volume 2, pp. 439,440

God is going to bring an end to this entire Babylonian system for He has determined to punish her (Roman Catholic Institution and her Protestant daughters), but before He does, He is calling for you to depart from among those who propagate her system; Sunday, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc. The cry to spiritual Israel is "go out to meet the Bridegroom," (Matt. 25:6) for He is not in the church that participates in her practices. The call to those in Babylon is, "Come out of her MY people," (Rev. 18:4).

Revelation 18:2 reveals that Babylon falls because she is everything but a Christian lady and all who refuse to give up her heathen festivals and practices will go down with her. All her practices are contrary to the Bible and the merchants of the earth have become rich through her commercial system (Rev. 18:3) and pagan holidays. Verse four reveals that God is not pleased with her system, therefore, He sends a message saying, "Come out of her MY people, that ye be not partakers of her sins (violating the laws of Moses, Nahum 1:15, for 'sin is the transgression of the LAW.' 1 John 3:4), and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:4.

Revelation 18:8 reveals that her plagues fall in one year. Verses 9 & 10 show that the kings of the earth lament for her, that her plagues will fall at the end of this present hour, THE ELEVENTH HOUR, the last symbolical hour. Verse 11, "And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:" Verse 17, "For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. . ." Verse 19. ". . . for in one hour is she made desolate." Verse 21, ".. Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." Verse 22, "And the voice of harpers and musicians and of pipers, shall be heard no more at all in thee . . . " Verse 23, "And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the Bridegroom (Christ) and the Bride (144,000) shall be heard no more at all in thee. . ." Verse 24, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."

"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." Rev. 19:7, 8.

"Turn, 0 backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to ZION:" Jer. 3:14

"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount ZION, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God." Rev. 14:1,4 & 5.

"And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." Rev. 7:4.

With these special blessings in store for God's special people because of their loyalty to His statutes, how can you continue, in the face of such terrible denunciations against Babylon, to observe the unholy festivals (abominations) of the Roman Catholic Institution.

"How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal (the Pope), then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." 1 Kings 18:21.

HIGHLIGHTS

The first thing I want to point out to you is the title, "Are you a Christian of a Protestant-Catholic?" As you know, you cannot be both for Bible doctrines and Catholic doctrines differ. In other words you cannot be a Protestant and believe, follow, or teach Catholic doctrines. The way you can be a Protestant-Catholic is that you belong to a so-called Protestant church and participate in Catholic festivals such as: Sunday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, St. Valentines Day, etc.. Thus you appear to be a Protestant but in reality you are a Catholic because the word Protestant means to protest against the Catholic Institution, her doctrines, and pagan festivals.

(2) You can search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and you will not find one passage of Scripture authorizing the first day of the week (Sunday) as the day of worship. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. He kept the Sabbath (Saturday) the seventh day of the week. He also kept all His Father's commandments and gave the command, "if ye love Me keep My commandments." John 14:15. He also said that the keeping of His Sabbaths (Lev. 23) are a sign of God's true people. (Ezekiel 20:12, 20 and Exodus 31:13).

(3) The festivals of the Catholic Institution: Sunday, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, St. Valentine's Day, etc. were set up to take the place of God's festivals: 7th Day Sabbath, the Lord's Supper once a year, Pentecost, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, New Moons, etc..

(4) The Catholic Institution has substituted the Gregorian Calendar to take the place of God's Calendar-CREATION CALENDAR, and it has thought to change the beginning of the day, month, and year.

(5) It is the aim of the Roman Catholic Institution to change our Constitution, to infiltrate every phase of governmental legislative bodies, and to instigate and implement their humanitarian programs and all phases of human rights. This is an act to bring all minority groups under their control for what they have done for them. They are indebted to the Catholics, who have supported their causes, and they shall be controlled by them, either voluntarily or by force under the "Image of the Beast System." Roman Catholic Jesuits have successfully infiltrated all Protestant Denominations according to former Jesuit Dr. Alberto Rivera. He also stated that when the President of the U.S. was sworn in facing an obelisk, it was to be a sign that the Ecumenical movement had successfully wiped out Protestantism. This became a reality for the first time on January 20, 1981 at Reagan's inauguration.

(6) The Roman Catholic Institution claims that practically everything Protestants regard as essential or important they have received from us, such as Sunday, Christmas, Easter, etc.. Therefore, they are following tradition and not the Scriptures. We are warned in the book of Revelation concerning the Image of the Beast-System.

(7) The Roman Catholic Institution declared that TRADITION stood above Scripture and so the Roman Catholic Institution could not be bound by the authority of the Scriptures.

(8) The Christian commission has no place for tradition for man's theories and conclusions, or for church legislation and it recognizes no laws ordained by ecclesiastical authority, The Roman Catholic Institution has established a new law which has it's own spirit and its own feasts which have taken the place of those appointed in the Law of Moses.

(9) God gave mankind the Seventh-day (Saturday) as a day to worship Him, and Sunday worship and Sunday blue laws are both pagan. Because there is no Scriptural authority for Sunday as a day of rest and worship.

(10) The Roman Catholic Institution by her own authority changed the day of worship from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday and by her own authority she substituted her own feasts for the feasts of the Bible.

(11) Christmas, Easter, Sunday, Halloween, etc. are pagan festivals that were accepted by the Roman Catholic Institution and incorporated into their creed and bequeathed as a sacred legacy to fallen Protestantism.

(12) The "ABOMINATION of DESOLATION" stems from a counterfeit form of worship instituted by the pagans and incorporated by the Roman Catholic Institution into their form of worship, and accepted by the acclaimed

Protestant churches through the infiltration of the Roman Catholic Jesuits.

AN INVITATION TO BIBLE STUDY AND WORSHIP SERVICE

I sincerely hope that after you have finished reading this tract, you can say that it is enlightening, encouraging, and very educational. I know that some of the facts are shocking to say the least, but no one knows what is going on unless the facts are revealed. And revealed facts are of no value unless the reader has an open mind to enable them to understand what he or she reads. Just remember, Satan does everything he can to blind the eyes, stop up the ears, or confuse the understanding of a reader, in order that you do not see, accept, or believe the facts. Therefore, I gave from different sources sufficient evidence to convince any open-minded person.

If you are not a Christian and do not know God the Father, nor Jesus Christ His Son, neither Their great LOVE for humanity, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

If you do not belong to a church family, but would like to, please e-mail us. If your Christian experience is not sufficient, nor satisfying, and has not filled your desire and you are looking for a greater fulfillment, please send us an e-mail and we will give you answers.

If you are tired of the way of sin and you are looking for a plan whereby you can escape from sin, by all means send us an e-mail.

If you are hungering and thirsting after righteousness and you do not know how to obtain it, an e-mail could well be the answer.

Yours as a servant of the Lord,

Verlis W. Johnson