Removing the High Places - Page 4

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="129a11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Welcome to the Heart4God Website!"><U><B><IMG SRC="4b55a500.png" border=0 width="90" height="80" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin"><U><B>Writings by Date</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Writings of Joseph Herrin Organized "><U><B>Writings by Topic</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.heart4god.ws/Audio/index.htm"><U><B>Audio Files</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id690.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Videos"><U><B>Videos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id323.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings of Others"><U><B>Other Authors</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id324.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id339.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Questions and Answers"><U><B>Q&A</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id328.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Heart4God Email List"><U><B>Heart4God E-mail List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com"><U><B>Parables Blog</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id306.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="File Downloads"><U><B><IMG SRC="2b264140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <div> <B>Removing the High Places - Page 4</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="c2827160.png" border=0 width="807" height="22" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="792" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 261 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="b7b5bfd0.jpg" border=0 width="347" height="253" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="b7da5ff0.jpg" border=0 width="421" height="255" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>             Sacred Egg of Heliopolis                                                 Mystic Egg of Astarte</div> <div>                      (Ishtar Egg)</div> <bR> <div> This same goddess Ashtoreth, for whom Solomon built a high place, is also called Ishtar, from which we get our word Easter. The church also has a high place erected to her. Every year the church celebrates a holy day that bears the name of the pagan goddess of fertility whose original was Semiramis, and who is known by a profusion of names throughout the various cultures of the world. Heliopolis is a city of Egypt where Semiramis was known by the name Isis. As mentioned, Semiramis was a moon goddess, and therefore we see an image of the moon atop her sacred egg.</div> <bR> <div> The mystery religions teach that Semiramis was herself immaculately conceived and was lowered from the heavens to the earth in a giant egg. This egg came to rest in the waters of the Euphrates river. Eggs are also symbols of fertility, and as Semiramis was also a fertility goddess the symbol of the egg became thoroughly associated with her worship. Those who knew Semiramis under the name of Ishtar spoke of Ishtar’s egg, from which we get our current Easter egg.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b7e58170.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="279" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Egg Roll on White House Lawn, Easter 2006</div> <bR> <div> The above picture was taken in April 2006 during the annual White House Easter celebration. An egg roll has been held on the South Lawn since 1878. There was some controversy on this particular year as 200 gay and lesbian families planned to attend this event. Some saw this as an attack on Christian values, not understanding the true origins of the Easter celebration.</div> <bR> <div> In the presentation “Freemasonry, the Spirit of Babylon” it was demonstrated that America serves as the seat of Babylon at this time, even occupying the country of Iraq in which the ancient city of Babylon was located. It should give Christians something to consider when they realize that the United States government has banned all Christian symbols from government spaces, even to the recent order to remove the ten commandments from all courthouses, yet this same government has no complaint about the annual observance of an Easter Egg roll on the White House lawn. Why is this? It is because Easter Eggs have no association with Christianity. They are clearly pagan in their origin and can be traced directly back to Babylon.</div> <bR> <div> When one looks into the sexually immoral practices of the worship of the fertility goddess, it is actually more appropriate that gay and lesbian couples attend this event than that Christians attend.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b80f34c0.jpg" border=0 width="499" height="332" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Hot Cross Buns</div> <bR> <div> Another tradition of Easter that is clearly pagan is that of hot cross buns. These buns were initially made in memory of Tammuz, the son of Semiramis, who suffered an early death from being injured by the tusk of a boar. There were forty days of weeping for Tammuz leading up to the Ishtar celebration, which now finds its correspondence in the Catholic Church’s forty days of Lent, which is a time of mourning.</div> <bR> <div> The women involved with the mystery religions would bake buns for Tammuz (originally called bouns). These were either marked with the sign of a horn, or possibly a tusk, or with the letter T for Tammuz. The sign of the cross, where a Catholic uses his fingers and marks the sign of the cross on their chest can also be traced back to the worship of Tammuz.</div> <bR> <div> Jeremiah 7:18</div> <div> "The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me.” </div> <bR> <div> Even if done in ignorance, is it not an offense to God to carry on traditions that are steeped in idolatrous worship and profane practices? We read in Ezekiel that the women of Israel were weeping for Tammuz. The Israelites also offered oblations to the Queen of Heaven (Semiramis) and her son Tammuz, as is seen in the above verse from Jeremiah, and elsewhere.</div> <bR> <div> Jeremiah 44:16-19</div> <div> "As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you! But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune. But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine. And," said the women,"when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that <U>we made for her sacrificial cakes </U>in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?"</div> <bR> <div> The pagan traditions of the mystery religions have even been passed down to our children as they sing the little song that speaks of hot cross buns.</div> <bR> <div> Hot cross buns</div> <div> Hot cross buns</div> <div> One a penny</div> <div> Two a penny</div> <div> Hot cross buns</div> <bR> <div> If you have no daughters</div> <div> Give them to your sons</div> <div> One a penny</div> <div> Two a penny</div> <div> Hot cross buns </div> <bR> <div> What does this mean “if you have no daughters, give them to your sons?” Remember, this was the celebration of the goddess of fertility and her son. By offering oblations of liquid and foods to Semiramis and Tammuz the people were asking for the gift of fertility. This fertility was petitioned from the goddess by offering drinks and cakes in order that their crops, livestock, and their own families might be blessed with abundance. Many a tradition that seems innocent today has found its origin in practices that are detestable to Yahweh.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b8279180.jpg" border=0 width="377" height="280" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> An Offering Left for Santa on Christmas Eve</div> <bR> <div> Some of these rites find their correspondence both at Easter and Christmas, for both celebrations were centered around the same gods and goddesses. Even as hot cross buns were baked at Easter, we see cookies and milk being left out for Santa Claus at Christmas. This is simply another form of the votive offering to incur the favor of the god or goddess being figured. It is no coincidence that Santa is depicted as flying in the heavens and descending to earth, for this same imagery evokes the worship of the deities of the heavens, even the Sun and the Moon, whose favor was being enjoined by leaving out an offering for them.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="810" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 378 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="b84d4360.jpg" border=0 width="468" height="310" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="b8840740.jpg" border=0 width="320" height="372" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> Christmas and Easter Ham/Boar’s Head</div> <bR> <div> As mentioned previously, Tammuz is regarded as having been killed by the tusk of a boar. It is for this reason that eating boar’s heads is a tradition associated with these pagan celebrations. Although there are relatively few who eat the actual boar’s head in America today, the traditional meat served at both Christmas and Easter is ham. If one were truly celebrating the Jewish Messiah on these dates, then there would be no reason to eat ham. In fact, swine flesh is considered unclean by the Jews, and was forbidden to be eaten in the law of Moses. Swine are always associated with that which is unrighteous and unholy. Thus we find Yahshua declaring the following:</div> <bR> <div> Matthew 7:6</div> <div> "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine...”</div> <bR> <div> The words holy and pearls are contrasted with the words dogs and swine. The Scriptures teach that Yahshua was the Lamb of God, and it was at Passover that He was slain. The Jews were instructed to take a lamb or a goat and eat it at Passover. There was never any association with eating ham. Clearly, the pagan practice has once more superseded the Divine and holy ordinance of Yahweh.</div> <bR> <div> Ham is appropriate for these festivals, however, for in God’s sight they stand as that which is unclean and unholy in His sight.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="b8a58b20.jpg" border=0 width="344" height="434" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> U.S. Capitol</div> <div> Christmas Tree</div> <bR> <div> One of the most widespread symbols and rites of Christmas is the Christmas Tree, and the decorating of it. How many Christian homes make this a prominent feature of their household during the days and weeks leading up to Christmas? Yet what is the actual origin of this symbol? Once more we can find it being featured prominently in the ancient mystery religions.</div> <bR> <div> The Christmas Tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the Pagan Messiah as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of Adonis (another name for Nimrod), the Sun God... was mystically said to have been changed into a tree and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son... And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log in the fire on Christmas Eve, and the appearance of the Christmas Tree the next morning. As Zero-Ashta “The seed of the woman,” which name also signified Ignigena, or “born of the fire,” he has to enter the fire on “Mother Night” that he may be born the next day out of it, as the “Branch of God,” or the Tree that brings all divine gifts to men...</div> <bR> <div> Now the Yule Log is the dead stock of Nimrod, deified as the Sun god, but cut down by his enemies; the Christmas Tree is Nimrod <I>redivivus - </I>the slain god come to life again.</div> <div> [source: Alexander Hislop, “The Two Babylons”]</div> <bR> <div> This is where the practice of placing the Christmas presents under the Christmas Tree originated. It is a symbol of this false pagan god bringing divine gifts to men. This is also why it is very common to place a lighted star atop the Christmas Tree, for the tree is merely another symbol of the Sun god.</div> <bR> <div> Again, we should wonder why the government has no aversion to prominently placing Christmas Trees on government property when all overt symbols of Christianity have been removed. The reason is that there is no real association between the Christmas tree and Jesus Christ, Yahshua the Messiah. Whereas manger scenes that depict the birth of the Son of God in a stable, surrounded by animals, Joseph and Mary, shepherds and wise men are not allowed to be openly displayed on government property, there is no objection to the symbols arising from Babylon.</div> <bR> <div> Yet, should a Christian be enraged at this discrimination, let them consider that there is no admonition in the Bible to commemorate the birth of Christ. Neither is there any mention of the apostles or early church observing such a holiday. Nor is it true that the Son of God was even born at this time of year. Everything about this celebration was originally pagan, and focused upon the worship of the Sun. Why then bring in elements relating to Christianity when they merely serve to perpetuate the observance of a corrupt pagan festival? Again, God desires that we make a distinction between the holy and the profane and that we not bring together a mixture of that which is righteous and unrighteous.</div> <bR> <div> Continue to <A HREF="id589.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Removing the High Places Page 5"><U>Next Page</U></A></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>