IntroSunEasXmas

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SUNDAY, EASTER & CHRISTMAS WILL BE OUR UNDOING

INTRODUCTION

God appeared to the ancestor of the British, American and Jewish people, the Patriarch Abraham, and gave him a command to leave his country and live in a land He will show him and promised to bless him. That command and blessing is recorded in Genesis 12:1-5 (NKJV):

“1 Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Abram did not argue with God and ask Him to bless him in the land where he was rather than asking him to go to a strange land. He simply obeyed God’s instructions and departed. God later began to add more details to His promises. Genesis 13:16 adds (NIV): “16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.”

God then further expanded the scope of His promises to Abraham in Genesis 17:1-7 (NKJV): “1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Also, I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Now the promises include Abraham becoming the father of many nations and kings. Also, God promised him all the land of Canaan in which he was a stranger.

Later when Abraham was willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, God’s promises to him became unconditional. The account is stated in Genesis 22:11-12, 15 -18 (NKJV): “11 But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me…15 Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, 16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son-- 17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate [the correct translation should be gates] of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

Besides the promises becoming unconditional, the promise of Abraham’s descendants possessing the gates, meaning narrow land and sea passages of access to enemies’ lands and strategic islands around the world is added.

God then reconfirmed His covenant or unconditionally binding agreement [meaning Abraham had to do nothing more, but God was binding Himself to do His part and perform His promises to Abraham] with Abraham’s son Isaac and his descendants in Genesis 26:1-5.  Then in Genesis 27:26-29, 28:1-4, 10-14, 25:9-12, the covenant and the promises were reconfirmed with Abraham’s grandson Jacob.

In Genesis 35:11-12 (NKJV) God promises Jacob: “Also God said to him: "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. 12 The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land." Here God promises Jacob that a great nation and a company or commonwealth of nations would proceed from him.

That part of God’s promise Jacob then passed on to his two grandsons, Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph in Genesis 48:14-19 (NKJV): “14 Then Israel [Jacob’s other name] stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 And he blessed Joseph, and said: "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; LET MY NAME BE NAMED UPON THEM, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth." 17 Now when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head." 19 But his father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations."

So, God’s promise to Jacob that a great nation and a commonwealth of nations would proceed from him is conferred by him on his son Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh, whose modern descendants are the British and American peoples respectively. This way, the birthright that conferred a double portion of the paternal estate was given to Joseph.

Also notice verse 16. It says, “Let my name be named upon them.” This means that the name of Israel was given to the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh. Thus, in bible prophecy when Israel is mentioned, it is primarily referring to the USA and British Commonwealth (BritCom) nations. When House of Israel is mentioned, it is referring to the northern ten tribes which include USA and BritCom nations.

However, not all dimensions of the promises to Abraham would go to Joseph. Judah received a very important promise of great physical and spiritual dimension.

Through Jacob God prophesied in Genesis 49:10 “the scepter [ruler’s staff] shall not depart from Judah.” That prophecy pointed to the dynasty of Israel’s future king David, a descendant of Judah, and also to Jesus, a descendant of Judah and King David as the Messiah, and ruler of the earth as King of Kings.

1 Chronicles 5:2 clarifies these two promises: “…Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's.” Thus, the birthright promise of great material blessings and to become a great nation and a company or Commonwealth of Nations went to the descendants of Joseph, but the promise of rulership went to the descendants of Judah.

Details of Promises to Joseph and Judah

When Jacob was close to death, he called his twelve sons together and prophesied what would happen to descendants of each of them in the LAST DAYS, meaning OUR TIME. These blessings provide more details on the birthright promise to Joseph.

Genesis 49:1 states: “1 And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.”  Then Genesis 49:22-26 (New Century Version) state: “22 "Joseph is like a grapevine that produces much fruit, a healthy vine watered by a spring, whose branches grow over the wall. 23 Archers attack him violently and shoot at him angrily, 24 but he aims his bow well. His arms are made strong, and his strength from the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. 25 Your father's God helps you. God Almighty blesses you. He blesses you with rain from above, with water from springs below, with many babies born to your wives, and many young ones born to your animals. 26 The blessings of your father are greater than the blessings of the oldest mountains, greater than the good things of the long-lasting hills.  May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, on the forehead of the one who was separated from his brothers!”

These prophetic blessings pronounced on Joseph's descendants "in the last days" mean that they will live in a very fertile, well-watered highly fruitful land. They will be a people “whose branches run over the wall” means they will expand their territory by being a colonizing people. At times they will be attacked by their enemies, but they will remain strong and victorious through God’s miraculous intervention and help.

Their population will continue to grow steadily, enjoying blessings of great herds of livestock, bumper crops due to climate favorable for agriculture, and extensive mineral resources to support a robust economy. They will receive these blessings "in the last days," meaning in our time.

God’s promise of the scepter [or kingship] to Judah would be fulfilled through the descendants of King David. After David planned to build a temple for God, He made a covenant with David which provides details of the promise of that kingship as stated in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (NKJV): “"When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name [which was fulfilled by David’s son King Solomon], and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." Here God promised David that his dynasty would last forever.

In Leviticus 26, God laid down the conditions for Israel to be blessed which were to keep God’s commandments and statutes. Leviticus 26:3-6, 12 state: “3 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them, 4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land... 2 I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.”

The history of ancient Israel after it was set up as a nation shows that she refused to keep God’s commandments. So, they did not receive God’s blessings but were cursed with terrorism and fighting with all the nations around them. They even rejected God as their king and asked for a human king to be set up over them by Samuel the prophet. When their human king David obeyed God, Israel greatly prospered, and even in the early days of King Solomon when he obeyed God. But 1 Kings 11:1-4 says King Solomon loved many strange wives, marrying seven hundred and keeping 300 others as mistresses, and when he was old, they turned his heart towards other gods so that his heart was not perfect with the God of his fathers.  Such disobedience kept Israel from continuing to receive God’s material blessings.

Things became progressively worse with Israel and Judah for refusing to keep God’s commandments.  God sent prophets to warn the nations, but they refused to repent. So, God could not confer the blessings on them that He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the blessings to Abraham were promised unconditionally. God would then fulfill the prophecy given through Jacob to confer the unconditional blessings promised in the last days, meaning in our time. In doing so a further incredible prophecy had to be fulfilled that is stated in Leviticus 26:18, “18'And after all this, if you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.”

In prophecy, a time refers to one year. Seven times would then be seven years. With 360 days in a year [in the Hebrew calendar], seven years then would equal 2,520 days.  But another principle of prophecy is a day being equivalent to one year in fulfillment of prophecy, as given in Numbers 13 and 14 when ancient Israelites were punished for forty years from entering the Promised Land, for the forty days they went and spied out the Promised Land, but refused to go in and possess it. Thus, seven years or 2,520 days of punishment of withholding the unconditional birthright blessings would in prophecy equal 2,520 years of punishment.

The ten-tribe northern kingdom of Israel did not repent throughout the period of their kingdom at the preaching of the prophets. Therefore, God carried out His prophecy of punishing them by withholding the birthright blessings for 2,520 years. The ten tribes were carried into captivity by the Assyrians in 722-721 B.C. Then 2,520 years after that would bring us to the year 1800-1801 A.D. When the seven times duration or 2,520 years of punishment of withholding the birthright ended in 1800-1801 A.D., God began to confer the unconditionally promised blessings on the descendants of Joseph, USA and British Commonwealth nations as well as the nations of northwestern Europe. That is when Britain began building its empire and America burst forth into national greatness.

God has continued to fulfill His unconditional promise to Abraham for the past 225 years. During all this time, we have never obeyed even all His Ten commandments, leave alone all of His commandments, statutes and judgments as required by Leviticus 26:3. He is not obligated to continue conferring His blessings on us any further.

GOD’S TWO TEST COMMANDMENTS

Before describing the blessings for obedience to our Covenant [agreement made with God at the time of Moses] with God and curses for disobedience, God specifically commanded Israel to particularly obey two Test commandments because since the time of Cain and his descendants, humanity has violated these two test commandments the most as a sign of rebellion against the true Creator God. These commandments are mentioned in Leviticus 26:1-2 (NIV), “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God. 2 “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.”

God warned Israel not to worship any form of idols as the first test commandment, stated as the second of the Ten Commandments. The second test commandment is to keep the Sabbath day holy, stated as the fourth of the Ten Commandments.

Reverencing God’s sanctuary is tied to the two test commandments. Both these test commandments are the longest of the Ten Commandments. Here is what Ezekiel the prophet has to say in prophecy for our time about polluting the sanctuary with idols or images in stained glass windows in our Churches such as images of what humans think Jesus and Mary looked like.

Ezekiel 5:11-14, “11 Wherefore, as I live, says the Lord God; Surely, because YOU [talking about Israel] HAVE DEFILED MY SANCTUARY WITH ALL YOUR DETESTABLE THINGS, AND WITH ALL YOUR ABOMINATIONS [meaning images and idols], therefore will I also diminish you; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity. 12 A third part of you shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you: and a third part shall fall by the sword round about you; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. 13 Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them. 14 Moreover I will make you waste, and a reproach among the nations that are round about you, in the sight of all that pass by.”

This test commandment is the second of the Ten Commandments which is stated in Exodus 20: 4-6, “4 You shall not make unto you any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.”

Ezekiel 5:11-14 is a prophecy about our punishment for violating the second commandment which is defeat in war and scattered among nations as slaves.

Concerning the Sabbath as a test commandment, there is no disagreement among scholars that the Sabbath refers to the time between Friday sunset to Saturday sunset every week. Yet all of Christianity, except the true Church of God, worships on Sunday, the day of Sun worship of the pagans. The Sabbath commandment is so important that God incorporated it as the fourth of the Ten Commandments, and also the longest of the Ten Commandments. It is stated in Exodus 20:8-11, “8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt you labor, and do all your work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Moses paraphrased the fourth commandment in Deuteronomy 5:14-15, adding these words, “…that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord your God brought you out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore, the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.”

Moses emphasized that Israelites were liberated from slavery in Egypt where they slaved all seven days of the week. That’s why it was important that they give their servants a rest on the Sabbath day. He also reminded them that they were delivered from slavery, and Sabbath was commanded also as a reminder of that deliverance. A Christian is a slave to sin and God delivers him or her from the slavery of sin. That’s why the Sabbath command is to be kept by the Christian.

God Almighty also elaborated on the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 31:12-17, “12 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,13 Speak also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths you shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am the Lord that  sanctifies you. 14 You shall keep the sabbath, therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defiles it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever does any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”

God says that the Sabbath is a sign between Him and the people who worship Him. By keeping the Sabbath Christians and Israelites acknowledge that it is the Creator God who sanctifies them, meaning sets them apart from others as holy. This implies that those who don’t keep the Sabbath holy are not sanctified by God as His holy people. God also prescribes the death penalty for not keeping His Sabbath holy.

Glib Church pastors in America and Britain and mainstream Christianity everywhere claim that the Sabbath was only for ancient Israel and their descendants forever. By that they mean only the Jews. Therefore, the Churches in Britain and America, or anywhere else in the world do not have to keep the Sabbath. Here is one such comment: “The Sabbath was only for the nation of Israel. Neither Gentiles nor the Church have any part of it.”

Is the Sabbath really only for ancient Israel? All these Church pastors say they keep the Ten Commandments, but they don’t, because the Sabbath is the fourth of the Ten Commandments. These are the only commandments God spoke. They are immutable. No one has the right to change them. The Catholic Church has changed them under its own authority. But God has not given any human or angel or Church organization the authority to change His commandments.

The Catholic Church has changed only the two test commandments. In its catechism, it has removed the second commandment about not making idols or images entirely because this false Church is steeped in idols and worshipping relics. Secondly, it has changed the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath holy to ‘remember to keep the Lord’s day [meaning Sunday, the ancient pagan day of sun worship] holy because it claims that Jesus Christ was resurrected on Sunday. But that is a lie. Jesus Christ was three days and three nights in the grave and was resurrected on Saturday late afternoon.

Church pastors claim that the Sabbath was a command only for ancient Israel. If so, then all Jews, Americans, Britons, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, French, Swiss, Scandinavians, Irish and those of Benelux countries are obligated to keep it because they are all descended from the twelve tribes of ancient Israel.

The truth is that the Sabbath was made at the time of creation. Therefore, the Sabbath was made for all of mankind to observe. "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath," He explained to some who completely misunderstood its intent and purpose (Mark 2:27). He clarified the great underlying principle of the Sabbath day that so many have missed through the centuries: The Sabbath, far from enforcing a tiresome bondage or sanctioning a list of forbidden activities, is something God made for man! It was sanctified (made holy) when mankind was made, with God creating Adam and Eve on the sixth day of creation week and creating the Sabbath on the following day (Genesis 1:26-31; 2:1-3).

Have you wondered why America and British Commonwealth nations do not recognize themselves as Israelites. They believe they are Gentiles, whereas the Jews are recognized as Israelites. God had said in Exodus 31:16-17,”16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever:”

The Sabbaths were a sign that identified Israelites as God’s people. The Jews still keep the Sabbaths, though in name only. But they are still recognized as God’s people. Because America and Britain do not keep the Sabbaths holy, they lost the only sign that identified them as God’s people. That’s why they were numbered among the Lost Ten Tribes. That’s how important the Sabbath is in identifying God’s true Church and His people. Because our nations don’t keep the Sabbath holy, God does not recognize us as His people.

Nehemiah explained the result of violating God’s sabbaths in Nehemiah 13:15-18, “15 In those days saw I [meaning Nehemiah] in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals…17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, WHAT EVIL THING IS THIS THAT YOU DO, AND PROFANE THE SABBATH DAY? 18 DID NOT OUR FATHERS THUS, AND DID NOT OUR GOD BRING ALL THIS EVIL UPON THIS CITY? YET YOU BRING MORE WRATH UPON ISRAEL BY PROFANING THE SABBATH.”

Polluting the Sabbaths was a direct cause of slavery for ancient Israel to the Assyrians and the Jews to the Babylonians. It will also be a cause of slavery for modern Israel and Judah as prophesied by Jeremiah and Ezekiel.

Jeremiah 17:27, “27 But IF YOU WILL NOT HEARKEN UNTO ME TO HALLOW THE SABBATH DAY, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.”

Ezekiel 20:23-24, “23 I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; 24 Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had POLLUTED MY SABBATHS, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.”

Nehemiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel show that our punishment for violating the fourth commandment is also defeat in war and national slavery. This punishment applies to the USA, British Commonwealth nations and Israel (UBI nations) from among all the twelve tribes of Israel. The reason is that they were the recipients of the greatest blessings among all the tribes, the blessings of the Birthright for Manasseh and Ephraim (USA and British Commonwealth nations respectively) and blessing of the Scepter or Kingship for Judah (the Jews).

That is prophesied by Hosea the prophet in Hosea 5:5, “5 And the pride of Israel does testify to his face: therefore, shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity: Judah also shall fall with them.” Many other prophecies indicate the same punishment which have been described in detail in my eBook “World in Bible Prophecy”, available free on my religion website www.churchofgodmessage.com.

NO BIBLICAL AUTHORIZATION FOR KEEPING SUNDAY

How did Sunday become the primary day of rest and worship? Although the concept of rest has largely disappeared, most denominations continue to hold their worship services on Sunday. You can search throughout the Bible, but you will find no authority to alter the day of worship.

James Cardinal Gibbons, Catholic educator and archbishop of Baltimore in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was blunt about the change: "You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify. The Catholic Church correctly teaches that our Lord and His Apostles inculcated certain important duties of religion which are not recorded by the inspired writers...We must, therefore, conclude that the Scriptures alone cannot be a sufficient guide and rule of faith" (The Faith of Our Fathers, John Murphy Company, Baltimore, 1917, p. 89).

Did you grasp that? The writer admits that Sunday observance is nowhere authorized in the Bible and that the seventh day is the only day sanctified by the Scriptures. His justification for changing the day of rest and worship assumes that authority exists apart from the Bible to define the necessary truths and practices for salvation.

CHANGE MADE AFTER NEW TESTAMENT WRITTEN

The change from Sabbath to Sunday was made long after the writing of the New Testament. No clear references to Sunday as a day of Christian worship are found until the writings of Barnabas and Justin, c. A.D. 135 and 150, respectively. Observance of Sunday as the primary day of worship appears to have solidified in the reign of Emperor Hadrian (A.D. 117-135), who harshly persecuted Jews throughout the Roman Empire because of their rebellions against the Empire. Hadrian specifically prohibited practices of Judaism, including observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.

These oppressive measures apparently influenced many early Christians in Rome to abandon the seventh day and turn to Sunday, historically observed by the Romans as a day of veneration of the sun. This was done to separate themselves from the Jews to avoid persecution. Within a few centuries Sabbath observance by Christians was virtually eliminated within the confines of the empire and replaced by Sunday.

Although the Protestant Reformation brought some doctrinal and administrative changes, observance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship continued from the Roman Catholic Church into subsequent Protestant denominations. Whereas the Catholic Church claimed authority to establish its own times of worship, Protestant churches generally justified Sunday observance on the grounds that the seventh-day Sabbath was replaced in the New Testament by worship on Sunday in honor of Christ's resurrection. But the Bible nowhere requires Christians to celebrate the resurrection.

As confirmed by Cardinal Gibbons above, there is no biblical authority for changing the day of rest and worship from the seventh day to Sunday. Jesus Christ, the apostles and Jewish and gentile members of the early Church alike continued to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. This is the only day authorized in the Bible.

VIOLATING THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

God’s first commandment states in Exodus 20:2-3, “2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Many confuse having no other god before the true God as being the same thing as not worshipping idols. But idols and images are covered in the second commandment. It is important to understand the distinction between the two commandments. The second commandment forbids the use of idols or images as aids to worship God. It does not mean worshipping the idol or image as god. The first commandment on the other hand means not setting up something as more important than God, meaning it has become your god that you worship. The first commandment thus forbids activities that occupy your time or interest more than the true God.

The first commandment also prohibits worshipping any “god” other than the true Creator God of the bible. Our leaders, people and even our religious leaders of all denominations of Christianity except God’s true Church will be shocked to learn that on Sunday, or in ALL their religious festivals and holidays such as Easter, Christmas and Valentine’s day, they don’t worship the true God the Father at all or His Son Jesus Christ. Instead, they worship a false savior known anciently as Baal and the goddess Ishtar and the Queen of Heaven, foisted on gullible Christians by the Great False Church, the Roman Catholic Church. The purpose of the eBook is to prove that to you.

In worshipping a false god, our nations are violating the very first of the Ten Commandments also which prohibits having any other god before the true God. Paul tells Christians in Romans 6:16, “16 Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin [“Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4)] unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

If we disobey God’s commandments we are transgressing the law, which is sin.

In Deuteronomy 28:15 God warned our nations: “15 But it shall come to pass, if you will not hearken [listen] unto the voice of the Lord your God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command you this day; that all these curses shall come upon you, and overtake you...”

In Leviticus 26:18 God warned us that if we do not obey His commandments, statutes and judgments, He will punish us seven times (2,520 years) for our sins. The unconditional blessings promised to Abraham were withheld from us for 2,520 years. But we have still continued to disobey God’s commandments. Then in verses 27-28, 31-33 God tells us how He will punish us further: “27 And if you will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; 28 Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins...31 And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors [sacrifices and offerings]. 32 And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. 33 And I will scatter you among the heathen [Gentile nations] and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.”

After God punished us seven times, or 2,520 years, for our sins, verse 28 cannot mean punishing us another seven times or 2,520 years for our sins. We have already received the unconditional promise of material blessings. God says He will “walk contrary to us in fury” and chastise us seven times. This seven times punishment means intensity of punishment in defeat in war and national slavery. That is the warning God is issuing us for continuing to violate His laws by worshipping on Sunday and celebrating pagan festivals such as Easter and Christmas.

Since the great false Roman Catholic Church has foisted these pagan festivals and worship practices on mainstream Christianity, next we will look at how this Church is mentioned in prophecy, before discussing Easter and Christmas celebrations in which the role of this Church will be mentioned in foisting these pagan holidays on Christianity.