barryrob
December 12th 2004, 09:46 AM
WORSHIP OF "REPHAN”
Saturnalia which gave rise to the Christmas celebration is but another form of the worship of the Devil (and his Demons) of which Jesus Christ refused to participate in at the end of his forty days in the wilderness when the Devil tempted him saying "All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”
This is in accord with the facts that the Christmas festival is based on the pagan Roman rites and ceremonies of Saturnalia the harvest god which was condemned by the Catholic Church as Demon worship in a letter from Bishop Polemius to Bishop Martin of Braga (c. 574) condemning rustic forms of worship of which the following is but a small part:
"Then the Devil of his ministers, demons, who were thrown down from heaven, seeing ignorant men . . . wandering after creatures, began to show themselves in different forms to men and to speak with them and to seek that men should offer them sacrifices on high mountains and in shady groves and worship them as God. They took on themselves the names of evil men who passed their lives in every crime and wicked deed. So one said he was Jove, . . . Another demon took the name Saturn, who, basking in cruelty, even devoured his sons at birth."-'Christianity & Paganism, 350-750' by J. N. Hillgarth p.58
Thus showing the origin of all the Christmas festival etc. as demonic, of which the following material will further add to.
'Insight on the Scriptures' Vol.-1 p.207-WTBTS
Astrologers. Further showing the interconnection of Molech worship, calf worship, and astrology is Stephen’s account of the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness. When they cried out to Aaron, “Make gods for us to go ahead of us,” Jehovah “handed them over to render sacred service to the army of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not to me that you offered victims and sacrifices . . . But it was the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan that you took up.’”—Acts 7:40-43.
Swift Platinum Easton's Topical Bible
"Remphan (Acts 7:43; R.V., "Rephan"). In Amos 5:26 the Heb. Chiun (q.v.) is rendered by the LXX. "Rephan," and this name is adopted by Luke in his narrative of the Acts. These names represent the star-god Saturn or Moloch."
Smith's Bible Dictionary by William Smith, L.L.D. p.561
"Remphan, Acts 7:43, and Chi'un, Amos 5:26, have been supposed to be names of an idol worship secretly by the Israelites in the wilderness. Much difficulty has been occasioned by this corresponding occurrence of two names so wholly different in sound. The most reasonable opinion seems to be that Chiun was a Hebrew or Semitic name and Remphan and Egyptian equivalent substituted by the LXX. This idol corresponded probably to Saturn or Molech. The mention of Chiun or Remphan as worshipped in the desert shows that this idolatry was, in part at least, that of foreigners, and no doubt of those settled in lower Egypt."
'Christian' COPYCAT WORSHIP of the pagan star God SATURN or "Rephan" during Christmas!
In the above we can see the origin and the identity of the pagan gods worshipped during the Christmas celebration which is the same false god which the Israelites worshipped only to receive God's adverse judgements as the following Bible texts and notes thereon show:-
Acts 7:37-43 "“This is the Moses that said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for YOU from among YOUR brothers a prophet like me.’ This is he that came to be among the congregation in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Si'nai and with our forefathers, and he received living sacred pronouncements to give YOU. To him our forefathers refused to become obedient, but they thrust him aside and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us to go ahead of us*. For this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So they made a calf in those days and brought up a sacrifice to the idol and began to enjoy themselves in the works of their hands. So God turned and handed them over to render sacred service to the army of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not to me that YOU offered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? But it was the tent of Mo'loch and the star of the god Re'phan that YOU took up, the figures which YOU made to worship them. Consequently I will deport YOU beyond Babylon.’"
As seen above:-
*Exodus 32:23-24 "So they said to me, ‘Make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because as regards this Moses, the man who led us up out of the land of Egypt, we certainly do not know what has happened to him.’ Hence I said to them, ‘Who have any gold? They must tear it off themselves that they may give it to me.’ And I proceeded to throw it into the fire and this calf came on out.”"
We can note at Exodus 32:1 and 5
"So the people congregated themselves about Aaron and said to him: “Get up, make for us a god who will go ahead of us" . . . that this was also claimed to be true worship of God as Aron said “There is a festival to Jehovah tomorrow.” but as we will see this was anything but true!
What was Gods view of this, Exodus 32:7-10 shows us:-
"Jehovah now said to Moses: “Go, descend, because your people whom you led up out of the land of Egypt have acted ruinously. They have turned aside in a hurry from the way I have commanded them to go. They have made a molten statue of a calf for themselves and keep bowing down to it and sacrificing to it and saying, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
How did God react to thier fales worship?:-
"And Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “I have looked at this people and here it is a stiff-necked people. So now let me be, that my anger may blaze against them and I may exterminate them, and let me make you into a great nation.”"
To add insult to injury they said at Exodus 32:5 “There is a festival to Jehovah tomorrow.” thus claiming that this is a celebration and worship of God, how did God view it, he then punished the unfaithful ones with death.
"Exodus 32:25-29 "And Moses got to see that the people went unrestrained, because Aaron had let them go unrestrained for a disgrace among their opposers. 26 Then Moses took his stand in the gate of the camp and said: “Who is on Jehovah’s side? To me!” And all the sons of Le'vi began gathering themselves to him. 27 He now said to them: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘Put each one of YOU his sword on his side. Pass through and return from gate to gate in the camp and kill each one his brother and each one his fellow and each one his intimate acquaintance.’” 28 And the sons of Le'vi proceeded to do as Moses had said, so that there fell of the people on that day about three thousand men. 29 And Moses went on to say: “Fill YOUR hand today with power for Jehovah, because each one of YOU is against his own son and his own brother, and that he may confer a blessing upon YOU today.”
Christmas is also called "a festival to Jehovah" but like the above this would seem to be a bad situation to be in?
All false worship results in DEATH, as with the Israelites who let themselves be influenced by pagans; what of any Christians that act the same towards the same God of Moses, Jehovah? The Christmas festival falls into the same category, claiming to be Christian but is in fact worship of the same god, Rephan/Saturn!
Barryrob
Saturnalia which gave rise to the Christmas celebration is but another form of the worship of the Devil (and his Demons) of which Jesus Christ refused to participate in at the end of his forty days in the wilderness when the Devil tempted him saying "All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.” Then Jesus said to him: “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’”
This is in accord with the facts that the Christmas festival is based on the pagan Roman rites and ceremonies of Saturnalia the harvest god which was condemned by the Catholic Church as Demon worship in a letter from Bishop Polemius to Bishop Martin of Braga (c. 574) condemning rustic forms of worship of which the following is but a small part:
"Then the Devil of his ministers, demons, who were thrown down from heaven, seeing ignorant men . . . wandering after creatures, began to show themselves in different forms to men and to speak with them and to seek that men should offer them sacrifices on high mountains and in shady groves and worship them as God. They took on themselves the names of evil men who passed their lives in every crime and wicked deed. So one said he was Jove, . . . Another demon took the name Saturn, who, basking in cruelty, even devoured his sons at birth."-'Christianity & Paganism, 350-750' by J. N. Hillgarth p.58
Thus showing the origin of all the Christmas festival etc. as demonic, of which the following material will further add to.
'Insight on the Scriptures' Vol.-1 p.207-WTBTS
Astrologers. Further showing the interconnection of Molech worship, calf worship, and astrology is Stephen’s account of the rebellion of the Israelites in the wilderness. When they cried out to Aaron, “Make gods for us to go ahead of us,” Jehovah “handed them over to render sacred service to the army of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not to me that you offered victims and sacrifices . . . But it was the tent of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan that you took up.’”—Acts 7:40-43.
Swift Platinum Easton's Topical Bible
"Remphan (Acts 7:43; R.V., "Rephan"). In Amos 5:26 the Heb. Chiun (q.v.) is rendered by the LXX. "Rephan," and this name is adopted by Luke in his narrative of the Acts. These names represent the star-god Saturn or Moloch."
Smith's Bible Dictionary by William Smith, L.L.D. p.561
"Remphan, Acts 7:43, and Chi'un, Amos 5:26, have been supposed to be names of an idol worship secretly by the Israelites in the wilderness. Much difficulty has been occasioned by this corresponding occurrence of two names so wholly different in sound. The most reasonable opinion seems to be that Chiun was a Hebrew or Semitic name and Remphan and Egyptian equivalent substituted by the LXX. This idol corresponded probably to Saturn or Molech. The mention of Chiun or Remphan as worshipped in the desert shows that this idolatry was, in part at least, that of foreigners, and no doubt of those settled in lower Egypt."
'Christian' COPYCAT WORSHIP of the pagan star God SATURN or "Rephan" during Christmas!
In the above we can see the origin and the identity of the pagan gods worshipped during the Christmas celebration which is the same false god which the Israelites worshipped only to receive God's adverse judgements as the following Bible texts and notes thereon show:-
Acts 7:37-43 "“This is the Moses that said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for YOU from among YOUR brothers a prophet like me.’ This is he that came to be among the congregation in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Si'nai and with our forefathers, and he received living sacred pronouncements to give YOU. To him our forefathers refused to become obedient, but they thrust him aside and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us to go ahead of us*. For this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ So they made a calf in those days and brought up a sacrifice to the idol and began to enjoy themselves in the works of their hands. So God turned and handed them over to render sacred service to the army of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not to me that YOU offered victims and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? But it was the tent of Mo'loch and the star of the god Re'phan that YOU took up, the figures which YOU made to worship them. Consequently I will deport YOU beyond Babylon.’"
As seen above:-
*Exodus 32:23-24 "So they said to me, ‘Make for us a god who will go ahead of us, because as regards this Moses, the man who led us up out of the land of Egypt, we certainly do not know what has happened to him.’ Hence I said to them, ‘Who have any gold? They must tear it off themselves that they may give it to me.’ And I proceeded to throw it into the fire and this calf came on out.”"
We can note at Exodus 32:1 and 5
"So the people congregated themselves about Aaron and said to him: “Get up, make for us a god who will go ahead of us" . . . that this was also claimed to be true worship of God as Aron said “There is a festival to Jehovah tomorrow.” but as we will see this was anything but true!
What was Gods view of this, Exodus 32:7-10 shows us:-
"Jehovah now said to Moses: “Go, descend, because your people whom you led up out of the land of Egypt have acted ruinously. They have turned aside in a hurry from the way I have commanded them to go. They have made a molten statue of a calf for themselves and keep bowing down to it and sacrificing to it and saying, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who led you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
How did God react to thier fales worship?:-
"And Jehovah went on to say to Moses: “I have looked at this people and here it is a stiff-necked people. So now let me be, that my anger may blaze against them and I may exterminate them, and let me make you into a great nation.”"
To add insult to injury they said at Exodus 32:5 “There is a festival to Jehovah tomorrow.” thus claiming that this is a celebration and worship of God, how did God view it, he then punished the unfaithful ones with death.
"Exodus 32:25-29 "And Moses got to see that the people went unrestrained, because Aaron had let them go unrestrained for a disgrace among their opposers. 26 Then Moses took his stand in the gate of the camp and said: “Who is on Jehovah’s side? To me!” And all the sons of Le'vi began gathering themselves to him. 27 He now said to them: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘Put each one of YOU his sword on his side. Pass through and return from gate to gate in the camp and kill each one his brother and each one his fellow and each one his intimate acquaintance.’” 28 And the sons of Le'vi proceeded to do as Moses had said, so that there fell of the people on that day about three thousand men. 29 And Moses went on to say: “Fill YOUR hand today with power for Jehovah, because each one of YOU is against his own son and his own brother, and that he may confer a blessing upon YOU today.”
Christmas is also called "a festival to Jehovah" but like the above this would seem to be a bad situation to be in?
All false worship results in DEATH, as with the Israelites who let themselves be influenced by pagans; what of any Christians that act the same towards the same God of Moses, Jehovah? The Christmas festival falls into the same category, claiming to be Christian but is in fact worship of the same god, Rephan/Saturn!
Barryrob