Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Letter to our Friends ── February 11, 2025


 

Leonard V. Johnson
Pastor and Co-Founder


Dear Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ Jesus:

Greetings to all of you around the world.

We hope and pray you have had a Spirit-filled productive month!

Mardi Gras and St. Valentine’s Day

Multiple millions will soon be celebrating St. Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February. But, also a great many will be participating in and celebrating what is called Mardis Gras (also called Fat Tuesday, and is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent), this coming March 4th. Be sure to read our article ── Lent, Ash Wednesday and Easter - Did the Original Christians Observe These!?

The greater majority assume that the St. Valentine's Day celebrations tradition is connected with an early Christian “saint” by the name of Valentine. Well, nothing could be further from the truth!

Notice this from History.com ──
“ ... the Christian church [in other words, the Catholic Church] may have decided to place St. Valentine's feast day in the middle of February in an effort to “Christianize” the pagan celebration of Lupercalia. Celebrated at the ides of February, or February 15. Lupercalia was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.

To begin the festival, members of the Luperci, an order of Roman priests, would gather at a sacred cave where the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were believed to have been cared for by a she-wolf or Lupa. The priests would sacrifice a goat for fertility, and a dog, for purification. They would then strip the goat's hide into strips, dip them into the sacrificial blood, and take to the streets, gently slapping both women and crop fields with the goat hide. Far from being fearful, Roman women welcomed the touch of the hides because it was believed to make them more fertile in the coming year. Later in the day, according to legend, all the young women in the city would place their names in a big urn. The city's bachelors would each choose a name and become paired for the year with his chosen woman.”
It's sad that when you read through this article on History.com - History of Valentine's Day - written by their “editors,” it reads, “others claim.” As if anyone who teaches the truth of the origin of St. Valentine's Day is a heretic.

It is a known fact that centuries before the birth of our Savior ── Jesus Christ ── the Romans celebrated February 15th and the evening of the 14th as an idolatrous and sexual festival in honor of the one they called Lupercus - the “hunter of wolves.” The custom of the young Roman women placing their names in a big urn for the bachelors of the city certainly sounds familiar with what children all over the United States will be participating in on February 14th of this year - does it not? - the exchanging of St. Valentine's Day cards!? Indeed, the custom of exchanging Valentine's cards from this “name drawing” is a holdover from this Lupercalia celebration.

True Christians DO NOT keep or celebrate any repackaged and rebranded demonic holidays ── cf. Jeremiah 10:2-4.

“What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20) Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21) You CANNOT drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you CANNOT partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.” – 1 Corinthians 10:19-21.

Revelries like Mardi Gras and St. Valentine’s Day (anciently called Lupercalia) truly came from pagans (heathens).

An article from Catholic Online rationalizes the celebration of Mardi Gras away ──
“According to historians, the celebration of Mardi Gras has its roots in the pagan Roman celebration of Lupercalia. This was a February holiday and it honored the Roman god of fertility. It involved feasting, drinking, and carnal behavior.

However, with the rise of the Church in ancient Rome, Christian teaching and morals took root, but there always remained a strong need to blend ancient Roman traditional practices with the growing Christian faith. The blending of tradition with new religious beliefs was a common practice in the ancient world and it helped people to transition away from paganism.”

(Read More: https://www.catholic.org/lent/mardigras.php retrieved 11 Feb. 2025).
The observance of non-biblical holidays as religious festivals is forbidden by the LORD God. We are not allowed to worship God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ in this manner. Notice something that our Lord Jesus teaches us ──

’ But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24) God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit [or through the Spirit of God – aided by the very mind of Jesus Christ] and truth – John 4:23-24.

 

Large amounts of alcohol (especially wine) played a leading role in Greek culture with their god Dionysus ── Key events and rituals:

• Processions that featured effigies of Dionysus.
• Public sacrifices and offerings of wine and fruits.
• Theatrical competitions, where playwrights showcased their tragedies and comedies.

The custom of Mardis Gras female attendees bearing breasts? ── one source ──
“Flashing for beads is a ritual with murky roots. Exactly when it first appeared at Mardi Gras is unclear, but it is believed to have become widespread in the mid-80s. …”

In a nutshell, they don’t have a clue. Many contributed to the women’s liberation movement that was gaining forward momentum in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

But, here is something of interest. Dionysus, the god of wine and theater, is known for his wild and uninhibited behavior. 1 He is often depicted as naked with a homosexual consort.

Our Creator’s living immutable word teaches us ──

“Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14) But PUT ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” – Romans 13:13-14.

While God’s living word in no way condemns rejoicing and celebrating, Mardi Gras and all its related celebrations are completely contrary to the will of the LORD God! Interestingly enough, in Bolivia, the Carnival of Oruro occurs every year – closely related to the Diablada, also known as the Danza de los Diablos (Dance of the Devils). Spanish colonization led to the breaking down of the indigenous native legacies. However, many indigenous rites were preserved by the inhabitants, giving rise to a religious syncretism of Catholicism and Wari Culture. Christian ideas of the Virgin and the Devil from Catholic teachings were absorbed into native ideas of Pachamama and Tio Supay, a blending of religious symbolism that can still be seen during the Carnival. 2 

So, they openly worship Satan the Devil as their god!

Mardi Gras (in all its forms and celebrations worldwide), along with St. Valentine’s Day are not God-ordained celebrations!


Marijuana (weed, pot, Mary Jane ── or all the other slang terms used)

A greater number of nations, countries, and provinces around the world, and here in the Western Hemisphere, are legalizing the use of marijuana, or they have stopped enforcing laws related to its use.

A friend of mine ── who was at one time a minister for the Open Bible Churches ── tried to rationalize with me that Genesis 1:11-12 gave him the right to smoke marijuana. “Especially,” as he stated, “since marijuana is a flowering herb.”

While marijuana (along with hemp; hemp plants and cannabis plants are both the same species) are indeed “a herb that yields seed, … And God saw that it was good” ── let us also take into consideration what the apostle Peter wrote, under divine inspiration ── and this is one Scripture that I reminded my friend is within the living word of God ──

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8.

From my observation of marijuana users throughout my life, I can tell you with certainty that one cannot be sober or vigilant when you are smoking marijuana. It is an intoxicant. “Smoking marijuana can affect your memory and cognitive function and cause harmful cardiovascular effects, such as high blood pressure. Long-term marijuana use can worsen respiratory conditions. Marijuana has a central nervous system (CNS) depressant effect.” 3 Using marijuana (according to my personal observations) makes a person lazy.

God’s living word repeatedly condemns drunkenness ── Drunkenness can symbolize a lack of self-control or moderation in behavior (What is The Difference Between Buzzed and Drunk?).

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. 18) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” – Ephesians 5:8, 18.

“But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, … ── not even to eat with such a person.” – 1 Corinthians 5:11.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, … will inherit the kingdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.

In God’s living word, the definition of a drunkard is an individual who habitually consumes excessive amounts of alcohol leading to a state of a lack of self-control.

As far as marijuana ── it’s necessary to draw principles from God’s living word and consider how the word of God applies to smoking marijuana. Again, the living immutable word of the Eternal God warns against using any substance that alters our state of mind or distracts us from the LORD God, the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of God.

Suggested Sabbath Day Service

Here is our suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers around the world:

• TWO songs of praise. (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, is suggested, there are some Instrumental Accompaniment to the Bible Hymnal available on our website).
• Opening prayer.
• Announcements – from the deacon or pastor.
• Sermon – from the pastor or guest speaker. The one suggested for this week is “Know Your Enemy” by Minister Leonard V Johnson.
• Closing song.
• Closing prayer.

Some World News Concerning Biblical Prophecy

A great many, here in the United States of America and abroad, are concerned about a trade war because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs (See: VOA - Trump places tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China). Well, truly, according to Jeff Ferry ── the Chief Economist Emeritus at the Coalition for A Prosperous America, “We have been in a trade war since 2001 since China entered the world trading community. The trade war is long-standing. Now America is taking action and a lot of people are throwing up their hands, not because they are concerned about a trade war, but because they're concerned they might lose a valuable market for their own products.”

Where a great many differ from President Trump is that they ── such as the likes of Meredith Crowley ─ Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge ── believe that tariffs could lead to a much heavier economic burden on the lowest-income people. 

And I say, “Waaaaah, we want to buy the cheap garbage products from China, rather than maybe paying a little more to help support the citizens of the United States of America!”

The Left-leaning BBC recently posted ──
1st February 2025

It was not a bluff, the tariffs are here – and this is just the opening salvo from the Oval Office.

The world trading system has not been here before. A slide towards a wider trade conflict is very much on the cards, as President Trump prepares similar tariffs firstly against Europe, and then at a lower level universally.

But what matters as much as the actions the US takes, is how the rest of the world responds. …

Canada has signaled it will take a robust approach to Trump, best articulated by the contender to be the country’s next prime minister, Mark Carney.

“We will retaliate … dollar for dollar,” he told the BBC, ridiculing the fentanyl rationale and saying Canada would “stand up to a bully”. …

The real question here is whether the rest of the world, even tacitly, coordinates retaliatory tariffs …

Some nations may conclude that these days, there are other options in the world.

We know now what Canada finally did ── On Monday, Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Trump agreed to a 30-day reprieve on tariffs after Canada pledged to adopt a more stringent plan to secure its border with the United States. 4

However, this world’s nations have indeed been looking for an alternative way instead of trading with the United States of America. Some of the alternatives include using national currencies such as the Chinese yuan. Also, the nations Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) are seriously considering a BRICS common currency to replace the US dollar. We speak of this quite a bit.

God’s living word shows us that a “United” Europe will ── at least temporarily ── come to dominate world trade. And, speaking of a revitalized and empowered future Catholic Church (the mouthpiece for this final “United” Europe) ──

“He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16) He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive A MARK ON THEIR RIGHT HAND or ON THEIR FOREHEADS, 17) and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark [the Christian cross] or the name of the beast [a resurrected and final installment of the “Holy” Roman Empire], or the number of his name.”  – Revelation 13:15-17.

And we, over the years, have come to understand that this means the name of the founder of Rome – ROMULUS. This blasphemous name is what all citizens of that governmental system are called – ROMANS. The Greek name for Romulus was LATEINOS. L = 30; A = 1; T = 300; E = 5; I = 10; N = 50; O = 70; S = 200 which equals 666. 

So here, again, we see in the Book of Revelation - the economy. The ability to buy and sell. Now, some of these nations in recent years – such as Greece in 2018 – had absolutely closed the banks down! And you couldn’t even use your debit card or even go into your safe deposit box and get cash that you might have had available. This is something that all people should truly think about! Instead of living as though our economy is going to go on forever.

“’ For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’” – Revelation 18:3.

“’ The kings of the earth who committed [spiritual] fornication with her will weep and lament for her [speaking of the destruction of the Roman Catholic Church] when they see the smoke of her burning, … 19) They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city [speaking of Rome], in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’” – Revelation 18:9, 19.

“’ The light of a lamp shall not shine in you [the Roman Catholic Church] anymore, and the voice of the bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24) And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.’” – Revelation 18:23-24.

Now, Europe does not have to be completely united (cf. Daniel 2:33), to appear as the best viable economic option for the world. And, even though it is certainly NOT at the top of people’s minds now, Europe is prophesied within the living words of God to do so at the end of this present evil age.

Surely, the implementation of tariffs against nations has accelerated the desire of Europeans to look elsewhere to secure trade deals outside of the United States of America. God’s living dual prophecies are coming to pass. We continue to witness steps that align with biblical prophecies.

In regards to the Gaza Strip ── and I’m going to quote from the Leftist-leaning Wikipedia (before they delete it or highly alter it) ──
U.S. President Donald Trump proposed that the U.S. takeover the Gaza Strip on 4th February 2025 during his meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu. According to [our president] it is to encourage economic development and to build “unlimited jobs.” He also suggested that the Palestinians (who historically have been a violent and terroristic group of people; I personally added this part) be permanently removed from the Gaza Strip. 5

Now, we have written extensively concerning the Palestinians.

Friends, the entire 47th chapter of the Book of Jeremiah is a dual prophecy concerning the Philistines (modern-day Palestinians), including Gaza – also notice that Ashkelon is spoken of –

“The word of the [Eternal] that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines [modern-day Palestinians], before Pharaoh attacked Gaza.

2) Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, waters rise out of the north, And shall be an overflowing flood; They shall overflow the land and all that is in it, The city and those who dwell within; Then the men shall cry, And all the inhabitants of the land shall wail.

3) At the noise of the stamping hooves of his strong horses, At the rushing of his chariots, At the rumbling of his wheels, The fathers will not look back for their children, Lacking courage, 4) Because of the day that comes to plunder all the Philistines, To cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper who remains; For the LORD shall plunder the Philistines, The remnant of the country of Caphtor.

5) Baldness has come upon Gaza, Ashkelon is cut off With the remnant of their valley. How long will you cut yourself?

6) ‘O you sword of the LORD, How long until you are quiet? Put yourself up into your scabbard, Rest and be still! 7) How can it be quiet, Seeing the LORD has given it a charge Against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There He has appointed it’” – Jeremiah 47:1-7.

So, grave problems were thus prophesied for the Palestinians, including those of the Gaza Strip – since this is a dual prophecy. This, of course, has a soon-coming application! Ashkelon is currently part of Israel. And, the terrorist group Hamas ── on January 7th, 2023, and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel! The attacks began with a barrage of at least 4,300 rockets launched into Israel. Hamas militants breached the Gaza–Israel barrier, attacking military bases and massacring civilians in 21 communities. Murder, rape, and sexual assault were rampant! The Palestinians will either control Ashkelon or be so numerous within it.

Sadly, towards the end of this present evil age, the nation of Israel will lose territory to the Palestinians. Rockets, nor the Iron Dome will be the solution for our brethren of Judah. Those who truly follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).

Well, the removal of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip (and despite everything that has happened, many don't want to leave, according to Timothy Kaldas, deputy director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, “They know that the odds that the Israelis would let them back home after the fighting ends [are] ... unlikely.”).

And this I say, as our President Donald Trump has said, “Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.” As I’ve often stated, a quote from Albert Einstein (or at least a variation of this), “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Palestinians being in the Gaza Strip is not working! But, sadly, no matter what I might think, you might think, or what the tiny nation called Israel might think or do, there will always be Palestinians and those who support them (and yes, I do believe that Palestinians have a right to their own sovereignty and land; just not the Gaza Strip or Palestine in general – and I base this upon God’s living word, not my own) oppose the removal of the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and relocating them in Jordan or Egypt.

So, no matter our personal opinions regarding this highly flammable subject, world events continue to confirm the right understanding of many prophetic matters that we here at the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries are proclaiming and teaching ── all of which are based upon “the prophetic word confirmed” – 2 Peter 1:19, NKJV.

Concluding Comments

Here are some Scriptures of praise, joy, and thanksgiving to Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ:

“When I remember these things, I pour out my soul [my life] within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With the multitude that kept a pilgrim feast” – Psalm 42:14.

“For the LORD will comfort Zion [New Jerusalem], He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody” – Isaiah 51:3.

“The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who will say:

‘Praise the LORD of hosts, For the LORD is good, For His mercy endures forever’

And of those who will bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause the captives of the land to return as at the first,’ says the LORD” – Jeremiah 33:11.

“For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, 10) night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?” – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10.

“Rejoice always, 17) pray without ceasing, 18) in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13) although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” – 1 Timothy 1:12-13.

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” – Colossians 3:17.

Let us, Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers In Christ, be thankful for our calling! We all should be!

In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,


Bibliography:

1 Newbold, R.F., FEAR OF SEX IN NONNUS' DIONYSIACA, Department of Classics University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. April 1998, Retrieved 11 Feb. 2025.
2 Wikipedia contributors. "Carnaval de Oruro." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, , 12 Jan. 2025. Web. 11 Feb. 2025.
3 Mayo Clinic Staff, Marijuana, Mayo Clinic, Retrieved 11 Feb. 2025.
4 Isai, V., Behind Closed Doors, Trudeau Says Trump Threat to Take Over Canada Is Real, The New York Times, 7 Feb. 2025.
5 Wikipedia contributors. "United States proposed takeover of the Gaza Strip." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 11 Feb. 2025. Web. 11 Feb. 2025.

Monday, February 10, 2025

The Calendar That Christ Used


The Gregorian calendar hanging on your wall or refrigerator is used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull Inter gravissimas issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of and replacement for the Julian calendar. But the LORD God gave the children of Israel a completely DIFFERENT calendar! And truly, without knowledge of this calendar, you CANNOT obey the LORD GOD!

Has the LORD God left it up to each individual to go by whatever calendar they choose? Have you ever thought about this? Sadly, most people don’t. Just like everything else in their religion ── they just assume that the calendar hanging on their wall (given to them by their insurance company) is a Christian calendar. Does the Lord GOD ── the very Creator of the known universe ── have His own calendar? And, has He actually preserved it for us today?

How is it possible that we ── true Christians ── know when to properly observe the Lord’s Passover, or the Days of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles, along with the other holy days which the LORD God has commanded that we keep?

Notice ──
“The old Egyptian system, prototype of our present calendar, was composed of twelve 30-day months, each divided into three decades; then at the close of the 360-day year, five feast days were added to complete the 365-day year. The Julian calendar was an adaptation of the Egyptian system, but it took the five extra days and distributed them through the year, and added a new day every four years. Then, in 321 AD, an entirely new feature was introduced into the calendar by Constantine the Great. He commanded the observance of the seven-day week, and appointed the first day of the week ── Sunday ── as the Christian day of worship. (If you consult your own calendar, you will see that Sunday is the first column from the left). This was the first distinctly religious feature ushered into a civil and scientific calendar, and it was not pre-ordained nor written on tablets of stone, but was the whim of a Christian ruler, who exercised his regal arbitrary power, without doing much thinking about what the result would be. …

Our calendar is not Christian in origin. It descends directly from the Egyptians, who originated the 12-month, 365-day system. A pagan Egyptian scientist, {Ancient Greek astronomer} Sosigenes, suggested this plan to the pagan Emperor Julius Caesar, who directed that it go into effect throughout the Roman Empire in 45 BC. As adopted, it indicated its pagan origin by the names of the months──called after Janus, Maia, Juno, etc. The days were not named but were numbered on a complicated system involving Ides, Nones, and Calends. It was not until 321 AD that the seven-day week feature was added when Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity. Oddly enough, for his weekdays, he chose pagan names which are still used.”

(From “Journal of Calendar Reform,” Sept. 1953, along with footnote p. 128 {bracketed ours}).

A hieroglyphic calendar at Elephantine Island on the Nile
Théodule Devéria (French, 1831 - 1871) (1831 - 1871) – photographer

“Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2) Thus says the LORD: ‘Do not learn the way of the heathen; …’” – Jeremiah 10:1, 2.

Certainly, our Lord Jesus Christ did not use this heathen calendar!

What is God’s living word on what calendar our Lord Jesus used? What calendar did He go by?

The very first time within God’s living word that we come across any evidence of a God-given calendar is found in Genesis 1:14 – “Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15) and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so.”

Well, our present-day Gregorian calendar does not meet this qualification. It actually divides the year IN THE DEAD OF WINTER! It divides the day IN THE MIDDLE OF A NIGHT. And its months have no direct link to the moon.

It is not the LOD God’s calendar!

What, then, is the proper method for calculating time by the LORD God’s standard?

A True Unit of Time

In the Book of Genesis, it is revealed to us. Notice ──

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. 4) And God saw the light, and that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5) God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. …” – Genesis 1:3-4, 5.

And then, six times the term “evening and morning” is used. Always with the evening (darkness) preceding the morning (light) part of each day. So, notice ── as revealed to us by our Creator God ── a day DOES NOT begin in the middle of a night, but it begins at sunset.

This true division of Night and Day was completely understood and followed when our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth. When the Lord’s Sabbath was drawing to a close – notice ── “When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.” – Luke 4:40.

Even though they fully understood when a day would come to an end, they weren’t aware that our Lord Jesus Christ was more than willing to heal on His Sabbath. Truly, the teachings and traditions of their Jewish rabbis caused them to be ignorant concerning healing on the Sabbath.

So, can the “lights in the firmament of the heavens” “divide the day from the night” ── unless the proper moment of sunset is used to properly divide a day from another day?

A day begins at sunset is also confirmed for us in Leviticus 23. Notice ──

“’ Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; … 32) It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall [humble] your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.’” – Leviticus 23:27, 32.

Notice that the tenth day begins at the exact moment when the evening begins ── sunset of the ninth day.

Also, the exact moment for a day to end is shown to us in Leviticus 15, in which anyone who is designated as unclean was to bathe in water and be unclean until evening. “’ And when the sun goes down he shall be clean; …’” – Leviticus 22:7. A new day begins at sunset ── not at midnight!

How the Week Came About

Have you ever thought about how the period of time we call the week came about? Was it FIRST revealed to prophet Moses and the children of Israel after their exodus from Egypt? No.

Notice ──

Long before the Exodus, the patriarch Jacob was required to serve his relative Laban for seven years for his younger daughter, Rachel. But, following the first seven years Laban tricked him, bringing Jacob his older daughter Leah, and “he went in to her.” “So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?’” And, Laban answered, “’ Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.’” – Genesis 29:15-30.

A seven-day period, or a week, followed before he was allowed to have Rachel as his wife, with the stipulation that he had to work for him another seven years.

So, the children of Israel ALREADY KNEW the symbol of “a day for a year” ── truly an important key in properly understanding biblical prophecy. And, they ALREADY KNEW of a seven-day week. This is the first time the word week appears in God’s living word. The Hebrew word being šābûa’, meaning week (a period of seven). In Genesis 1 seven consecutive days are listed for us. The sixth of the seven days mentioned was nearly over when Adam was created.

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the SIXTH DAY.” – Genesis 1:31.

“Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.”

Six of the days of creation came to an end, but one thing remained ── a day of rest.

Notice that our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of it ──

“ … ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.’ – Mark 2:27.

Throughout our history books, it has been recorded the existence of a seven-day week among many ancient nations long before the Exodus. It’s easy to understand why our LORD God commanded us to ’ Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ because this special day was added to the six-day week the day AFTER Adam and Eve were created. It was made for them, therefore it was made at the time when they were made ── not some twenty-five hundred years later during the Exodus.

The Lord GOD had completed the creation of “the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them” in SIX LITERAL 24-hour DAYS, then, “on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3) Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, …” – Genesis 2:1-2, 3.

To sanctify means to SET APART FOR HOLY USE.

Friends, this weekly cycle of SIX DAYS of labor, and the SEVENTH DAY the Sabbath of the LORD our God has NEVER been lost by God’s true Church. And this seven day cycle continued down through our Lord Jesus’ time. It was a part of the calendar He kept.

Indeed, we who remember, keep, and observe the SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK, called Saturday, are remembering, keeping, and observing the same seventh day that our Creator rested on, blessed, and sanctified!

Now, the existence of our seven-day week demands an explanation. Astronomy does not reason why there is a seven-day week period. A seven-day week period is not divided evenly into 30 days. One source I found states, “The people who gave us the seven-day week were the Babylonians.” 1 Is there any truth to this?

Jeffrey H. Tigay writes  ── a modern biblical scholar who is best known for the study of Deuteronomy and for his contributions to the Deuteronomy volume of the JPS Torah Commentary (1996) ──
“It is clear that among neighboring nations that were in position to have an influence over Israel – and in fact which did influence it in various matters – there is no precise parallel to the Israelite Sabbatical week. This leads to the conclusion that the Sabbatical week, which is as unique to Israel as the Sabbath from which it flows, is an independent Israelite creation.” 2
David M. Henkin, a history professor at the University of California, Berkeley, stated ──
“Some people have argued that there are roots of this in Babylonia [which lasted from around 1900 BCE – 500 BCE] but the evidence for that is pretty slim …” 3
Truly, the only sound and logical origin is found in the literal truth of our Almighty Creator God ── the creation account we see in Genesis 1 and 2. The seven-day week points definitely to a literal SEVEN-DAY PERIOD in which the Lord GOD recreated the earth (cf. Psalm 104:30) and brought forth out of ‘tohu wa-bohu’ all life that had existed upon the earth (and I use the word “had” because mankind has committed specicide on certain animals, along with animals’ own natural selection).

Spring Begins A New Year

So, we see that a new day begins just as the sun sinks below the horizon and that a new week begins with the sunset FOLLOWING THE SEVENTH DAY.

Friends, this was true in Adam’s time, and it is still true nearly 6,000 years later!

Does God’s living word speak to us concerning a new month and a new year? Yes. When were they first made known to mankind?

Our great Eternal Creator God had instructed the children of Israel, while they were still held captive in the land of Egypt, as to when a new year began. Why?

Because this knowledge was lost to the descendants of Israel who had been held in slavery for nearly two centuries. They had lost the LORD God’s method of keeping time. The LORD God had to explain and reveal it. Concerning the first month of a new year, the LORD “spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2) ‘This month [the month of Nisan/Abib] shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the FIRST MONTH OF THE YEAR TO YOU.’” – Exodus 12:1-2.

So, the first day of this month ── which occurs at the beginning of spring ── would be the first day of a new year. The FIRST MONTH of our LORD God’s calendar is not January, which is in the dead of winter, but rather in the beginning of spring ── at the beginning of new life. Now, a NEW MONTH and a NEW YEAR begin together ON THE SAME DAY, completely independent of the weekly cycle.

Doing some research for January 1st, it’s interesting to note: How did January 1st become New Year’s Day? We can partly thank the Roman king Numa Pompilius. According to tradition, during his reign (c. 715–673 BC) Numa revised the Roman republican calendar so that January replaced March as the first month. … However, following the fall of Rome in the 5th century AD, many Christian countries altered the calendar so that it was more reflective of their religion, and March 25th and December 25th became common New Year’s Days. 4 Also, January 1st, 1622, the Roman Catholic Church officially adopted January 1st as the beginning of a new year instead of March 25th. 5

“In 1582, the Roman Catholic Church, under Pope Gregory XIII came up with a new calendar, called the Gregorian Calendar. … King Henry VIII of England had thumbed his nose at the pope and declared himself no longer under his control. So his Protestant daughter, now Queen Elizabeth I, wasn’t about to let Rome tell her what day it was. She was having none of this newfangled calendar. So for 170 years, Britain carried on with its old calendar.” 6 The colonies in America naturally followed suit.

The Word Month in the Bible

The word month in God’s living word in Hebrew is ḥōdeš, meaning month, or new moon. The Hebrew word for month when speaking of a calendar is identical to new moon or moon. The appearance of the new moon in our Western sky is just after sunset and is the approximate beginning OF A NEW MONTH! Now, one observer might see first, before all others, a faint slender crescent of a new moon ── should he therefore begin the month earlier than others? Is this man allowed to add a 13th month to the year, while others have to wait until the following year? No. Complete confusion would result.

Mankind is not left to himself to choose a calendar ── and all its constructs. The LORD God is! There is a guiding Authority who determines which months are to have a 30th day and which years have a 13th month. Adding the fact that the LORD God commands us to keep and celebrate the Holy Days, shows us that there is a guiding Authority for us today in this 21st century ── as well. Our Eternal God never fails to provide mankind with knowledge that we must know and can discover.

It was Almighty God who created the entire known universe! He set His heavenly bodies in motion creating a “master-clock” in which true time is determined. Note: Just recently read a great article in which scientists from MIT have developed what they believe is the most accurate atomic clock ever constructed. Be sure to check it out! Recall, that God says, “’ Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years.’” – Genesis 1:14. So the earth’s rotation regulates the length of a day and the lunar phases dictate the length of a month. And the orbit of the earth around the sun – sorry Aristarchus of Samos – dictates the length of a year.

Truly, certain men were given this awesome understanding based upon mathematical principles on which the LORD God’s calendar is based. And, the children of Israel accepted this understanding. The LORD God revealed to these men a calendar that was based upon the laws of mathematics and astronomy. A CALENDAR THAT FOLLOWS THE MOVEMENTS OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES! It is understood that planets can be used as a basis for a calendar, as they have natural time intervals that everyone can agree on.

Is Our Eternal Creator’s Calendar Still Accurate?

Who was it that has preserved God’s calendar down from the time of our Lord Jesus Christ? ── until even today?

Because, if we don’t have an accurate calendar, then in commanding us to keep, observe, and celebrate God’s Sabbath and Holy Days, we are commanded to do something impossible. If the LORD God’s calendar is lost from us, then God’s commandments regarding keeping, observing, and celebrating the Feasts are also impossible. However, since the LORD God DOES COMMAND IT, the calendar is preserved for us!

Who was it that had this awesome responsibility to preserve the calendar? Notice ──

“’ This is he [speaking of Moses] who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel [the angel of the LORD God] who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us.” – Acts 7:38.

ORACLES WERE COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE LORD GOD. These oracles were given to all the children of Israel ── to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. The house of Israel would go into captivity, losing her identity, her knowledge, and her understanding of the LORD God. And, she did not preserve the LORD God’s sacred calendar for us.

Who did?

Well, the house of Judah also went into captivity over 134 years later in 587 BC! Yet, they retained their knowledge of their identity and their God. Even today ── the tiny nation called Israel in the Middle East (truly known as Judah), the Jewish people, have continued in their retention of the knowledge of the Lord’s true Sabbath rest and even of the calendar (which they refuse to accept).

Our Lord Jesus Christ Kept and Followed His Calendar

Let us notice what our beloved apostle Paul asks ──

“What advantage then has the Jew, … 2) Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.” – Romans 3:1, 2.

Friends, the JEWS ALONE were left to preserve for all mankind the LORD God’s living word, the holy Sabbath, along with God’s sacred calendar. Because, if they had not preserved this God-given commission, then our Lord Jesus Christ could not have accurately kept and observed His Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day in their proper seasons during His childhood. He would not have been able to live a sinless life. The LORD God gave the commission of preserving His sacred calendar to the Jews.

Now, our Lord Jesus Christ did indeed accuse the Jews of ’ laying aside the commandment of God [to] hold the tradition of men.’ – Mark 7:8. The commands that our Lord Jesus kept and followed were those written in the Law and the Prophets that Judah was commissioned to preserve. Yet, they themselves refused to believe and or obey.

Our Lord Jesus kept the very same holy Sabbath that the Jews were keeping. He kept the same Holy Days that they were keeping and celebrating ── proving that they (at that time) had a correct understanding of the times of the seasons. (Now, even at that time, certain heretical Jewish sects observed these Holy Days at the wrong times due to their complete misunderstanding of God’s living word). And, in speaking of His living word ── preserved for us with the Law and the Prophets (The Law, also known as the Law of Moses, consists of the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah in Hebrew and the Pentateuch in Greek. The Prophets consists of several books grouped together, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, and Malachi). Our Lord Jesus Christ fully accepted His living word which had been entrusted to the children of Israel by the prophet Moses and the other prophets. He fully accepted and recognized that the Jews had carried out His commission.

Do you!?

Or, are you one of these so-called Christians that is protesting in the streets of the United States of America holding a Palestinian flag while burning a Jewish flag!? Are you ANTI-SEMITIC!?

Do you go to Sunday church every Sunday and read your Bible ── not fully recognizing and understanding that without the Jews preserving for us God’s living word, you wouldn’t be reading God’s living word!? You would possibly be reading some other group's preserved knowledge, or of a sabbath, or “holy” days. NOT THE LORD GOD’S!

So, properly understanding that the LORD God commissioned the Jews to keep His calendar intact ── even up to our day ── we are left with transferring the proper dates from the true calendar of God’s to this present-day Gregorian calendar. (Now I caution you ── do not accept the Jewish dates for the Lord’s Passover or the Day of Pentecost. Because the Jews of today have departed from God’s living instructions regarding when these holy days are to be observed).

If one lacks a reputable Jewish calendar ── to calculate the actual day on which the Feast of Trumpets [called Rosh Hashanah] falls upon in any given year, the expected new moon of Tishri in that year is calculated. This year the Feast of Trumpets is September 23rd. This glorious feast of a memorial of the blowing of trumpets is celebrated on the 1st day of the SEVENTH MONTH. The rest of the Holy Days of the year are quite easily determined from the date of this feast.

The Lord God’s Passover is the first full moon after the March equinox ── April 12th. Note: all these days begin the preceding evening. The Lord’s Passover is to begin Sunday evening just after sunset, which is the 14th day of the FIRST MONTH.

The seven days of the Days of Unleavened Bread are April 13th through April 19th.

The Day of Pentecost (which means, count fifty) is the FIFTIETH DAY AFTER THE WAVE SHEAF OFFERING. This feast will be on June 1st this year.

The Fall Feasts

The next Holy Day ── the Feast of Trumpets. Again, this year the Feast of Trumpets is September 23rd.

Then, on the “’ tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall humble your souls, …’” – Leviticus 23:27. The TENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH is October 2nd. The day to humble yourself before the LORD God!

Then, “’ the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.’” – Leviticus 23:34.

The FIFTEENTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONTH brings us to October 7th through to October 13th.

The Last Great Day being October 14th.

It is crystal clear that the LORD God has provided all mankind with a holy and sacred calendar that was preserved through the Jewish people. Through them, the LORD God has given us a sacred calendar so that we would be able to keep, observe, and celebrate the holy Sabbaths and the Holy Days as commanded.

The dates for the Holy Days for this year, 2026, and 2027 are available on our website – Holy Day Information & Calendar (Lev. 23, Deut. 16) for your convenience. □

Bibliography:

1) Arndt, G., Why Does a Week Have Seven Days? everything-everywhere.com, 3 Oct. 2022
2) Tigay, Jeffery H. (1998). "Shavua". Mo'adei Yisra'el: Time and Holy Days in the Biblical and Second Commonwealth Periods (Heb.), ed. Jacob S. Licht: 22–23.
3) Baker, N. and Watson, J., Where does the seven-day week come from and why does it govern our lives? Abc.net.au, 4 Jan. 2022. Retrieved 9 Feb. 2025.
4) Tikkanen, Amy. "Why Does the New Year Start on January 1? ". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Dec. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1. Accessed 9 February 2025.
5) Johnson, B., Historic January, Historic-uk.com, Retrieved 9 Feb. 2025.
6) Lestz, M, New Year’s Day, Calendar Years, and the British Tax Year, Margo Lestz – The Curious Rambler, 31 Dec. 2017.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

What Are Angels?

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Just the other night in conversation the subject of lions came up. And I had mentioned that the Eternal LORD God (the Elohim; the family of God, which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) has spiritual lions in the third heaven that stand beside the armrests of God’s thrones. Along with twelve additional spiritual lions standing on each side of six steps leading to the thrones. Well, this completely blew his mind! He had never heard anything like this──and he goes with his sister to Sunday church nearly every Sunday! “Prove it!” he said. So, I opened up God’s living word and showed him – cf. 1 Kings 10:19-20. And then I began to speak of archangels. “Do you want to know what archangels actually look like?” I asked. And I proceeded to tell him. Again, “Prove it! Where is that in the Bible?” he asked. “Ezekiel chapter 1 and the Book of Revelation chapter 4,” I answered. He was dumbstruck.
       Do you know about angels? Have you ever seen an angel? You most likely never have. Have you ever heard anyone──either in a conversation or a sermon──explain to you just what angels are, and what they actually look like? Just who are angels? Do they actually exist? What are angels? And, if they do actually exist──why? What were they created for?
       Nearly every day of our life we have heard of angels and demons. And certainly, when you read God’s living word──the Holy Bible──you read a lot about angels because there is quite a bit about angels.
       Are angels nothing more than silly superstitions? Are they nothing more than figments of people's imaginations? Or, are there actual such beings?
       Now, I didn’t speak very long on this subject of angels to my friend, because we were among a group of “nones,” so I cut the conversation of this short. Certainly the group would rather have heard which team won the last football game or something of that nature.
       The first thing is first. One must prove to themselves that the Holy Bible is the actual inspired living words of an Almighty God. Or ── and we have a few articles and booklets that should help, Just What Is the New Testament? Many Convincing Proofs, and Does God Exist? ── Is it just a superstition? Is God’s living word nothing more than (so often despised in this 21st century) religious writing by a race of Jews with their concept of God──like Muslims have their concept of a god, Allah? I’ve actually heard this many times over the years. That Jehovah is nothing more than the God of the Jews. Or, is God’s living immutable and eternal word from the Creator that not only created all mankind, but the Earth, the heavens, the known universe, along the galaxy known as the Milky Way? From the Creator that created the known laws of thermodynamics? ── from the Creator that created gravity itself?
       Surely, we’ve all heard of the plethora of Greek gods? In nearly every school (at least is was when I was in high school) in the United States of America they are taught in philosophy class a good deal of Greek philosophy, including Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Athena, and Zeus. But, they DO NOT teach “the God of gods”! – cf. Deuteronomy 10:17; Acts 17:16-34.
       Are you able to prove──beyond any shadow of a doubt──that God’s living word is the inspired words of “the God of gods”? We can prove that not only is there a Creator God, but also that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of the Creator God. As an example: When we read what is written in God’s living word of things that would happen hundreds if not thousands of years before they actually occurred, about the first known civilizations ── the Sumerians, the Babylonians the Chaldeans, and the Assyrians, about ancient Rome (even before the story of Romulus or Remus was ever conceived). Or about the great fall of the Roman Empire and its various resurrections. Also, about what God’s living word says concerning the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (which would become
known as the United Kingdom and her Common Wealth Nations along with the United States of America). There are prophecies in God’s living word that no mortal human being could have ever conceived of, let alone bring them to fruition. Yet they occurred! And our written history books help prove the divine inspiration of God’s living word.
       So, again, I say that is the first thing you need to do──prove beyond a shadow of a doubt──that God’s living word is truly the inspired words of the LORD God. Because you probably haven’t actually seen an angel. Now, a scientist can explain to us about gravity. Although gravity has not been directly observed – though groundbreaking experiments may let us “see” gravity for the first time! Yet, everybody on this planet knows that gravity exists. So, just because something cannot be seen with our naked eye──it still can exist. So, the only source of Authority that we have concerning angels is the inspired living word of God.
       Just like the other night with a friend, I can tell you what God’s living word says about angels ── and I have before in several articles and sermons, like Revelation – A Book of the Past and the Future (Part IV) ── but it’s up to you whether you will believe the LORD our God. Of course, there are those people who only believe what they can physically see.
       Well, in fact, there was a time when the Lord GOD dealt with a physical nation of Israel while they were camped at the base of a physical mountain──Mount Sinai. And He manifested Himself to them with lightnings and peels of thunder that they could physically see and hear. And they actually heard the booming voice of the Lord GOD! They didn’t see Him, but they certainly saw His manifestations. He physically dealt with them. And, of course, we are physical as well, but we can receive the glorious gift of God’s Spirit ── Christ In Us! He can speak to us, brethren, spiritually.
       Truly, the LORD God has allotted mankind 6,000 years of permitting mankind to make their own decisions. And the LORD God also permits mankind to cut themselves off completely from the God family ── from Their grace, knowledge, and Spirit. We, as physical human beings can truly only know any revealed knowledge through our natural mind (absent of God’s Spirit) ── through our five senses, touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. And if we cannot touch it, see it, hear it, smell it, or taste it──we really are not aware that it exists. Spiritual knowledge cannot come through the physical. Because we can not see, hear, taste, feel, or smell anything spiritual – cf. 1 Corinthians 15:44, 46. So, to only know of anything spiritual is if the LORD God reveals it to us. And we then have to accept it on faith.
       So brethren──and this world as a whole is not a part of this──we have come unto Mount Zion (the living Church of Jesus Christ), the spiritual mountain of God, and enter into the glorious city of our living God──the heavenly Jerusalem, “to an innumerable company of angels.” – cf. Hebrews 12:22. And the LORD God has set this innumerable company of angels to guard us brethren. Yet, we cannot see them. And we need to know about them.
       Angels are revealed to us in God’s living word. Originally the Holy Bible was written in a couple of different languages ── Hebrew, Greek, and a smattering of Arabic. The language of English had not been developed yet. In fact, English is a West Germanic language and originated from Ingvaeonic languages that were brought to Britain in the mid-5th to 7th centuries AD by the Anglo-Saxons. The Old Testament was originally written entirely in the Hebrew language and the New Testament in the Greek language. The Hebrew word for “angel” is mal ‘āk. Meaning messenger, a human representative; angel. And the Greek word for “angel” is angelos. Again meaning messenger, angel, a human messenger, or agent.

What are angels?

Notice Psalm 104. “Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty, 2) Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain. 3) He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, 4) Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.” – Psalm 104:1-4.
       So, the LORD God has made angels spirits. Now, we are not spirits. We are mortals. We are made “of the dust of the ground” – Genesis 2:7. And, the LORD God says that we will return to the ground from which we were taken – cf. Genesis 3:19. The LORD God has also told us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23. Sadly, I had a dear friend who was at one time a young minister with the Open Bible Churches that didn’t believe the LORD God here in this verse! Notice this – angels are spirits. And we see the exact same thing in the New Testament – “And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.’” – Hebrews 1:7. The apostle Paul believed our Lord Jesus Christ when he was taught by Him personally for about three years in the Arabian desert! Angels are spirits.
       So, the LORD God created them. And they were created out of spirit. They are spirits. Angels were not created out of some 118 elements of the periodic table ── remember we learned of the elements in Science class in school? Angels are not made from physical matter. What is matter? The basic definition is, “a material substance that constitutes the observable universe and, together with energy, forms the basis of all objective phenomena.” Interestingly, the Old Testament does not speak directly of the origin of angels further than what we just read. The time when angels were created is derived from three basic Scriptures in God’s living word – Exodus 20:11; and Job 38:4-7.
       Another thing to seriously think about is ── that since angels are spirit, they can travel through different dimensions. We basically know of four dimensions, but depending on who you ask, there could be upwards of 11 dimensions in the known universe! Do you suppose there could be an angel right there in the room with you this very second? Would you know if there was?
       In my office, upon my shelf, I have a copy of the Book of 2 Enoch, which is not an inspired part of God’s living word, which describes the creation of angels. It is possible that the Books of Enoch were written by men who had received some knowledge──even though the Books were not inspired. They certainly wrote and knew that angels were created by the LORD God. Notice the Book of Colossians ──
       “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love [speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ His Son], 14) in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15) He is the image of the INVISIBLE GOD, the firstborn over all creation.” – Colossians 1:12-15.
       We are also told in John 1:3, “All things [including angels] were made through Him [our Lord Jesus Christ], and without Him nothing was made that was made.” And here it is, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” – Colossians 1:16.

Angels A Part of God’s Government

Angels are a part of the glorious kingdom of God──the government of God. And this is something that all mankind needs to think about and consider. I spent many nights in my youth looking up at the stars in the night sky pondering this! Here we are living on a spinning world ── approximately 1,037.5646 miles per hour! ── with all its beauty, conscious generally of only what we can see, hear, touch, taste, or smell, and not fully recognizing and understanding that all the forces that keep this world “suspended” in the darkness of space is a power greater than we could ever fathom! The Almighty God! Mankind, in general, does not consider or ponder that the LORD God is the Supreme Creator of everything we know and love. And that the LORD God has created beings with Free Moral Agency.
       Now, the LORD God can at any time intervene in the governments of man, whenever They please──and They certainly did on July 13, 2024! The attempted assassination of our beloved President Donald Trump! And I have been saying this since it occurred and he was saved──the LORD God may very well have saved his life because the United States of America will come to need a good war-time president. But, the LORD God does at times intervene in world affairs, and They will do so again.
       Now, the kingdom of God, the headquarters is in the third heaven. The third heaven is where the thrones of God are located. The heaven of God’s throne, where our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to at the right-hand side of God the Father.
       Since birth the overall majority of us have heard one astrologist and scientist ponder and wonder, theorize, and speculate, concerning life on any other planet in the known universe. And I’m speaking of life as we know life – of physical matter. Well, I don’t know. And they don’t know either! It’s just now being discovered that the planet Mars has an ocean──Geophysicists have discovered a gigantic hidden ocean beneath Mars’ surface, trapped inside a layer of fractured rock 7 to 13 miles beneath the Red Planet's outer crust! It is far too deep to access by any known means. Does it harbor life? We don’t know──and we will probably never know, unless the LORD God tells us. But think of this──considering the known size of the known universe──there must be a tremendous amount for the LORD God to govern. And there is a mighty spiritual organization that we could never imagine at the thrones of the Creator of the heavens and of the earth! We truly are──in size perspective──less than 1/5,000,000 of the scale of the Earth, which itself but a tiny speck in a cosmic ocean. On a cosmic scale, we are miniscule. But, our ultimate spiritual potential is massive! The known universe is ── which is part of the universe we can currently observe, has a diameter of approximately 93 billion light-years, or 28 billion parsecs. And, truthfully, mankind does not know much about the known universe.
       But angels are a part of the government of God. And there are untold millions of them. “an innumerable company of angels” (myriads—a great but indefinite number). They are spiritual messengers, they are servants and they are “superhuman.” And they are subordinate to the LORD God. Yet, they are higher than man. Angels, because they are obedient to the LAW OF GOD, the ORDINACES OF GOD, the STATUTES OF GOD, and the JUDGMENTS OF GOD, are within the living word of God pictured as being happy and joyful. They radiate joy, enthusiasm, happiness, and peace.
       Now, God’s living immutable word doesn’t actually tell us when angels were created, but it was before the earth was created. Notice ──
       “’ Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4) Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? … 7) When the mourning stars sand together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?’” – Job 38:3, 4, 7.
       Of course, there is much evidence, not only geological but biblical as well, that the Earth was created more than 6,000 years ago! The standard answer is some 4.54 billion years ago. We can certainly calculate with relative accuracy when the creation of Adam took place, and that he was the beginning of true Homo sapiens, and we read of this in the Book of Genesis 1:26──and it was approximately 6,000 years ago.
       But besides all that, we know that angels were created long before the Earth was created. As we just read in the Book of Job, in which the LORD God asked the prophet Job, “’ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?’” The morning stars are the angels. And you’ll find stars are symbolically used ── such as in the Book of Revelation 12:4; and 6:13. □


Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Unbiblical Origin of St. Valentine's Day


Here we are again ── another civic year, and another St. Valentine’s Day. If you are a true Christian, should you be celebrating February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day?

Our beloved apostle John was inspired to write ──

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16) For all that is in the world ── the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life ── is not of the Father but is of the world. 17) And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17.

Truly, St. Valentine’s Day is a worldly holiday. It was essentially built upon “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” The true origin of St. Valentine’s Day is outside of God’s living word ── the Holy Bible.

True Christians who might be tempted to compromise should ask themselves whether the origins of St. Valentine’s Day are biblical or pagan.

This is a subject that I researched in my youth, and it wasn’t too hard to figure out.

Notice this from The World Book Encyclopedia (Valentine’s Day. Volume 20. 1993, pg. 261) ──
“The ancient Romans held the festival of Lupercalia on February 15 to ensure protection from wolves. During this celebration, young men struck people with strips of animal hide. Women took the blows because they thought that the whipping made them more fertile. After the Romans conquered Britain in AD 43, the British borrowed many Roman festivals. Many writers link the festival of Lupercalia with Valentine’s Day because of the similar date and the connection with fertility.”
The online Encyclopedia Britannica (Valentine's Day) says  ──
“ … … the holiday has origins in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, held in mid-February. The festival, which celebrated the coming of spring, included fertility rites and the pairing off of women with men by lottery. At the end of the 5th century Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine's Day.”
Also, this pagan being named Cupid (a son of Venus) was also involved. According to a book I have in my library - Bulfinch's Mythology The Complete Texts - it states ──
“Cupid. The god of love in Roman mythology (Lat. cupido, desire, passion), is identified with the Greek Eros; son of Mercury and Venus. He is represented as a winged boy, carrying a bow and arrows. One legend says that he wets with blood the grindstone on which he sharpens his arrows.”

(Bulfinch's Mythology, Bulfinch, T., Cupid - Dictionary and Index, Crown Publishers, Inc., © 1979, pg. 897).
Does this St. Valentine’s Day sound to you like a holy festival of love or a pagan holiday of lust?

A very bold source writes ──
“The pagan celebrations were reworked to fit the martyr theme—after all, early and medieval Christianity did not approve of rituals that encouraged sexuality. Instead of pulling girls’ names from boxes, it is believed that both boys and girls chose the names of martyred saints from a box. It wasn’t until the 14th century that customs returned to celebrations of love and life rather than faith and death. …

As with so many other holidays that have pagan roots, divination came to play an important role in the development of modern Valentine’s Day. People looked to all sorts of things, primarily in nature, to find some sign of who might become their mate for life—their One True Love. There were also, of course, all sorts of things which came to be used to induce love or lust.”

(Cline, A., Valentine's Day: Religious Origins and Background, 31 Jan. 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2025).
St. Valentine’s Day is from pagan sources and the Roman Catholic Church modified it and the majority of Protestant daughter churches have embraced it, which is why some Europeans also declare it to be a day of birds mating ── as this Catholic Standard article states.

Lupercalia was associated with various Roman “love gods and goddesses,” such as Juno Februata, Eros, Cupid, Kama, and Priapus.

Notice this from the Leftist Wikipedia ──
“ … … an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. A daughter of Saturn, she is the wife of Jupiter and the mother of Mars, … As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman Empire, Juno was called Regina (“Queen”) and was a member of the Capitoline Triad. … The last of her yearly festivals was that of Juno Sospita on February 1. … Hence the community invoked the protection (tutela) of the warlike Juno Sospita, “The Saviour.”
A holiday for the queen of heaven?

What does God’s living word say concerning this? ──

“ ‘... the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. 19) Do they provoke Me to anger?’ says the LORD. ‘Do they not provoke themselves to the shame of their own faces?’ 20) Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place - on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will BURN and not be quenched’” - Jeremiah 7:18-20.

“This says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: ‘You and your wives have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, ‘We will surely keep our vows that we have made to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.’ You will surely keep your vows and perform your vows!’

26) Therefore hear the word of the LORD, all Judah [and might I say all the house of Israel] … ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD, ‘that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah [or even in the house of Israel] in the land of Egypt [even spiritual Egypt], saying, ‘The Lord GOD lives.’ 27) BEHOLD, I will watch over them for adversity and not for good. ... [they] shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, until there is an end to them’” - Jeremiah 44:25-27.

Friends, whether St. Valentine’s Day was the Feast of Lupercus/ Lupercalia or a celebration of a “Queen of Heaven,” a Roman goddess named Juno, or any other pagan festival ── it is NOT listed as one of the “feasts of the LORD” – see: Leviticus 23:1-44.

This world’s modern practice of giving Valentine’s Day cards or candies, or asking someone to “Be My Valentine” appears to be directly connected from an ancient “sexual lottery.”

NO ONE who professes our Lord Jesus of Nazareth as our Savior should celebrate and observe February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day, or Lupercalia for that matter. It began as a sexual lottery and continues to have lustful connotations ── even in this 21st-century world.

Even modern scholars and historians have come to see this ── shouldn’t you as well? □