Home Were You There Free Stuff Articles Inspirational Poems Links Videos What's New
The History of
~St. Valentine's Day~
By F. Martin
February 14th, a day when all stop what they are doing, and show their love towards others. A romantic day with cards, roses, candy, cupids and kisses. So many people celebrate this loving holiday without the knowledge of its history. Who is that fat angelical baby shooting people with arrows? Who is St. Valentine and why do we celebrate a holiday dedicated to him? Lets take a trip back in time to find the answers.
The True Story...
Pan, a Creek form of Lupercus, known as the diety who guards the Greeks shepherds and flocks. The action of slaughtering goats and dogs is dedicated to this diety.
____________
Juno, also known as Hera. Pagan female deity of marriage, love, and fertility.
Lupercus, a pagan deity known to guard Rome's shepherds and flocks from wolves.
___________
Emperor Claudius II.
It all started in Rome, with a Fertility Festival called Lupercalia, named after a pagan deity, Lupercus. This Festival (or feast) was celebrated on February 14th-15th. At that time, Rome had an enormous population of wolves. Lupercus was known to guard the shepherds and their flocks. So the Romans dedicated a feast to Lupercus, (pictured right) called Lupercalia.
In the beginning of each Festival of Lupercalia a group of Roman Priests called Luperci would gather in a cave, where supposedly Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome) were born and cared for by a 'she-wolf' (also known as a lupa). In this cave the group of Roman Priests would do sacrifices; a goat, for fertility and a dog for purification. The goat's skin was cut into strip-like pieces, they would then dip these slices of skin into sacrificial blood. After that process was taken place, men would run through the streets and into homes gently slapping the bloody skin on women and crops. However, the women were not frightened of becoming slapped with bloody goat skin, they greeted the men. It was a well known superstition that the women and crops that were slapped would be more fertile within the next year.
The children were involved in this feast as well. In honor of the female pagan deity, Juno Februata, (Pictured, left) the young girls would write their names on a piece of paper. All the names would be placed into a large box or urn. The names would be drawn from this box or urn and the boys and girls would be paired up for the whole year, gifts would be exchanged and such. Most of the time these paired children would end up marrying each other. This Feast of Lupercalia was so popular that it was celebrated even long after Rome had its problem with wolves.
After years of this feast Emperor Claudius II came to conclusion that single men made better soldiers without wives and families. He banned marriages for young men. A priest named St. Valentine disagreed with this action, and began marrying young men and women in secret. St. Valentine thought there was nothing wrong with the pagan practices of the Feast of Lupercalia; sacrifices to pagan deities (Lupercus, Juno, Hera and Pan), worshiping false deities, and superstition. Well he's no Christian then is he? Truly if he was he would have thought there was nothing wrong with banning this pagan practice. St. Valentine was caught and thrown into prison for his secret practice, no one knows exactly what happened to him after that. Then in 498 A.D. February 14th, Pope Gelasius official ended this feast, saying it was unchristian he outlawed it all together.
The Christianized Story...
A Catholic picture of St. Valentine.
Notice the pagan halo behind his head.
As the same with every Christian holiday today; Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick's Day, ect, pagan feasts dedicated to pagan deities have been abominably Christianized to satisfy the people. The Roman Catholic Priests gathered together and renamed this feast of Lupercalia to St. Valentine's Day. They changed this Valentine character into a Christian, saying he healed the blind, cured the sick, helped Christians flee from Roman punishment, and was thrown into prison for doing so. The Priests also managed to change the practice dedicated to Februata Juno (picking girls' names from an urn) into picking Saint's names from a box, which ever Saint is picked from the box that child has to emulate that Saint's life. (this practice is still being done today in Catholic Schools called conformation).
Who is Cupid?
Cupid (in Latin Cupido) is the false deity of of erotic/pornographic love. Cupid has many names; Eros, Amor, and Kama. There are mythological sides to the figure cupid; the son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Venus, a lively boy who delights in pranks and spreading love, the other side son of Nyx and Erebus, which is known for riotous debauchery (sex and drugs).
In Conclusion
One must ask... "Is this holiday appropriate for believers in ( JESUS) Yahushua Ha Mashiach? Would we celebrate these pagan rituals in our Father's Kingdom? Does YHWH (G-D) approve of this?" Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 10:2 "Thus Said YHWH, "Do not learn the way of the gentiles/pagans/heathens"
Not only does YHWH want us to NOT learn these ways he doesn't want us to practice them. Sacrifices to pagan deities, using the blood to make the women fertile, (only YHWH can make a women fertile, not a goat or dog's blood), honoring Juno. It's not appropriate or approved by YHWH, even if you are only celebrating it in the sake of Love. We should show our love towards others everyday. Why wait a whole year to show your love in some pagan ritual?
Now that you know the truth to this pagan man-made holiday, will you continue to celebrate it? Or will you renounce it an tell your friends the evil of it? The choice is yours, and yours alone; not your mom or dad, your brother or your sister, no, it's not your grandpa or your grandma's choice either. Romans 14:12, "Each one of us, therefore, shall give account of himself to Elohim." You, now knowing the truth must make a decision, keep quiet and be held accountable for not sharing the truth; or tell everyone you know the truth of St. Valentine's Day. What will you do?
musican, missions, witnessing, preaching, teaching, children ministries, street evanglism, all kind evangelism, worship. praise from the heart, torah
Blog Date: December 04, 2006
Hanukkah...the Festival of Lights!
source of this article is here click here
Hanukkah is an annual festival of the Jews celebrated on eight successive days to honor the restoration of divine worship in the Temple after it had been defiled by heathens. The return of their religious liberty was to them as life from the dead, in memorial, they kept an annual holiday on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev. Kislev is the third month of the Jewish calendar corresponding, approximately, to early December of the Gregorian calendar. The Bible speaks of Jesus keeping this holiday and going to the Temple on that day (John 10:22-23). The biggest lesson of Hanukkah was, and is, the power of the spirit, the ability of God's people to live by God's commands.
Here's how it all began...
During the inter-testament period (around 164 B.C.), the Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee, recaptured Judea from the rule of the Syrians who were trying to spread the Greek religion and culture. The Syrians also desecrated the Temple by offering unclean sacrifices and setting up idols.
When the Jews had cleared out the temple idols, they found only one small vessel of oil with only enough to light their holy lamps for one day. *The process of oil making takes 7-8 days. Despite this, they agreed that even with this small amount, they would light the Menorah (the Temple candelabra). To the astonishment of all, the menorah burned miraculously for eight days until new oil was made.
During Hanukkah, Jesus spoke of His miracles: If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. (John 10:37-38 NKJV)
The miracles of Christ point to the divine messianic message. Thus, Jesus personifies the message of Hanukkah: God actively involved in the affairs of His people. Hanukkah brings back to memory that our God is a God of miracles, not just of religious ideals and concept.
Three different times Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the "Light of the World," and all three were during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Challenge: locate these three instances in the Bible.
As we begin our celebration of the birth of the Light of the World, let us also take a look at this festival in which God provided the light. The light of the menorah is the symbol of the light of our Lord. This light burned even when no supply was left. What a perfect symbol of the eternity of God's word.
The core of this festival speaks of rededication. Oil was used for and is symbolic of anointing and purity. Take the time to search your life for any areas that need to be rededicated to the Lord, and that need to be anointed by the oil of His Spirit.
The law did not require Jews to be at the Temple in Jerusalem, as this was not one of the pilgrimage festivals. Every one observed it in his own place, not as a holy time. Jesus was there that He might improve those eight days of holiday for good purposes.
Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch when the Sadduciens asked him “How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ tell us.” They pretended to want to know the truth, as if they were ready to embrace it; but it was not their intention. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:25-27). He had told them, and they believed not; why then should they be told again, merely to gratify their curiosity?
Miracles
Hanukkah’s theme is of a miracle. During Hanukkah Jesus spoke of His miracles: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him (John 10:37-38). Jesus wanted the people of his day to see His miracles and believe in Him as a result. His miracles point to his divine and messianic identity. In this way Yeshua personifies the message of Hanukkah: God actively involved in the affairs of his people. Hanukkah reminds us that God is a God of miracles, not just of concept and religious ideals. He has broken through into human history and continues to do so today. All of us who know Yeshua can speak of God’s working in our lives (Gilman 1995).
Jesus is the Light of the World
Jesus preached three sermons in which he declared Himself the “light of the world,” and all three could have been during Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. (It is not clear from the text when this incident happened, but it was some time between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah); both of these celebrations focused on light). Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them (John 12:35-36).
Just before Jesus announced that He was the Light of the world, Jesus had shone upon the conscience of those who accused the adulteress. Read the story in John Chapter 8. John also records Jesus healing a blind man (9:1-12) at about the same time (8:12 and 9:5) that Jesus declared himself to be the Light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing (John 9:5-7).
End Times
The story of Hanukkah can be compared with end-time happenings described in the books of Revelation and Daniel. Antiochus is a type of the antichrist. Just as happened under the rule of Antiochus, Daniel prophesied in Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The same powers promoted by Antiochus are in the world today. Worldwide immorality, and idolatry are the norm. We must come out and be separate. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. The deceiver stands waiting to devour in this present culture (2 Cor. 6:16-17).
Was Jesus Conceived on Hanukkah?
Many believe that our Messiah, the “light of the world,” was conceived on the festival of lights—Hanukkah. The Bible does not specifically say the date of Jesus’ birth. It was not during the winter months because the sheep were in the pasture (Luke 2:8). A study of the time of the conception of John the Baptist reveals he was conceived about Sivan 30, the eleventh week (Luke 1:8-13, 24). Adding forty weeks, for a normal pregnancy reveals that John the Baptist was born on or about Passover (Nisan 14). Six months after John’s conception, Mary conceived Jesus (Luke 1:26-33); therefore Jesus would have been conceived six months after Sivan 30 in the month of Kislev—Hanukkah. Was the “light of the world,” conceived on the festival of lights? Starting at Hanukah, which begins on Kislev 25 and continues for eight days, and counting through the nine months of Mary’s pregnancy, one arrives at the approximate time of the birth of Jesus at the Festival of Tabernacles. (See the Tabernacle chapter.)
A Little girl was going shopping with her father, and she seen these beautiful pearls that was only for one dollar...
She said, "Dad- I want these pearls",
He looked down at her and smile, "but sweetheart, they are fake... they are not the real thing."
The little girl looked at the pearls, they were everything she had ever wanted... "but I want them..."
Her dad said "If you want them, you need to save up your money and get them"
So, the little girl went home and saved up every penny that she got for doing her chorses... And soon it came time to go shopping again... Her dad took her to the store and allowed her to buy the beautiful fake pearls. And she cherished them so much, she would only wear them for good, and take them out and look at them before she went to bed.
One Night her father seen her looking at the pearls and was sad, He went in and sat on the little girls bed, and ask her, "sweetheart? May I have your pearls"?
The little girl looked up, and was terrified. "No, dad- They are my best pearls."
"Ok," said the dad, and he tucked her in for bed. Every night the dad would ask her "sweetheart? May I have your pearls"? and each night the little girl would say- "no, they are my best",
But one night, the dad went in to tuck the little girl in, and she was sitting on the side of her bed crying, the dad ask "sweetheart, whats wrong?"
The little girl looked up, and whispered, "I want you to have my best pearls" as she handed the little fake beads to her dad.
The dad smiled, and reached into his pocket and handed the little girl a box. "whats this"? ask the little girl, the dad said "These are REAL Pearls, they don't fade, and they don't turn your neck green when you wear them... They are REAL." As the little girl opened the box the Pearls glowed white and silver, beautiful.
"wow" the little girl gasp staring at them "Dad, why did you give these to me"? The Father looked at his little girl and stated, "Because, you gave me your best."
This is the same with our heavenly Father- If you will only give him your best, He will give you your hearts desire. Psalms 37:4-6
d bless y