"Under Every Tree" Modern Day Idolatry

Purpose

I will breakdown information to the Church, mainly, that having a Christmas tree is idolatry and that Christmas holiday is a wicked tradition of men that is heathen and pagan at its core. The Christmas tree is a deceptive modern day spin on the Asherah pole (wood tree) with branches and leaves (fir evergreen needles) without carvings (craft work).

Ezekiel 2:7, “And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.”

Jeremiah 44:4, “Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them (again and again), saying, Oh, do not (do) this abominable thing that I hate.”

Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

Message

1.       The Modern Popular Evergreen Tree Compared to the Scriptures Condemning “Under Every Green Tree”

A.      Ezekiel 6:13, “Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.”

-          Isaiah 57:15, “Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?”

-          Hosea 4:13, “They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.”

-          Deuteronomy 12:2, “Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:”

-          2 Kings 17:10, “10And they set them up images and groves (Strong's Concordance 842 - Asherah (or Astarte), Ashtoreth poles a Phoenician goddess) in every high hill, and under every green tree:”

-          Genesis 35:2-5, “2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid (buried; not showcased with gifts) them under the oak which was by Shechem. 5And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.”

-          Joshua 24:20- , “20If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. 22And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses. 23Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. 24And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. 25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. 26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone (no decorations; not in houses; not carved but as memorial stone ten commandments in ark of covenant), and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. 27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.”

2.       The Grove(s) And Tree (Nature) Worship

A.      Groves is an orchard or group of trees and/or wood idol poles used for idol worship by the heathens and later on misused and abused by Israelites. The Christmas tree is still an idol minus removing the branches and carving it (chiseling craftsmanship) with a face and body of an idol. Instead of bowing down, people kneel down to grab and open gifts (offerings). Instead of burning incense, they burn electric Christmas lights as artificial incense.

-          Genesis 21:33, “And Abraham planted a grove (tamarisk or tamarisks; maybe for fruit and/or shade) in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.” Note: Mostly, Moses pitched a tent.

-          Deuteronomy 16:21-22 , "21Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee 22Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth."

-          1 Kings 14:22-24, "22And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done (wicked traditions of men and heathen). 23For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 24And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations (heathens) which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel."

-          2 Chronicles 28:4, “3Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire (spiritually today), after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 4He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. 5Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. 6And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.”

-          2 Kings 23:7, “And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings (concept of Celts, Scots, Ireland called Clootie or rag trees) for the grove (Strong's Concordance 842 – Asherah pole).”

3.       Christmas Pagan Roots: Ancient Romans and December 25^th

At least 50 years before Christ’s birth, between December 17^th – January 6^th, the ancient Pagan Romans decorated their houses and temples with evergreens such as holly and ivy during festivals and birthday celebrations of worship to Saturnalia, winter solstice, Mithras and Sol Invictus a type of sun god (lights).

The idolatrous Roman Catholics “Christians” clearly stated that they chose December 25^th to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ to combat pagan holidays on the same date and dates surrounding December 25^th and they  incorporate pagan idols and false gods such as the Christmas Tree, Christ Child, and Saint Nicolaus aka Satan Clause.

4.       History of Christmas Tree Myths, Legends, Fables, Customs and Traditions  from Corrupted Christian Men

A.      Just because a group of reprobate and idolatrous Catholics or rogue Christians from the 1^st, 2^nd, or 8^th, 15^th Century, celebrated Christmas (Jesus Christ birthday) with or without decorated trees, does not make them right because there were many false bishops, false apostles, false prophets, false pastors, false ministers, false preachers, and false teachers during the 1^st and 2^nd Century.

-          During the OT or NT (Acts – Revelation), the prophets, Apostles or the 1^st Church DID NOT celebrate Jesus Christ’s birthday, so-called Christmas, or have a Christmas tree  because they knew per scriptures (Jeremiah 10, Isaiah 57, 2 Kings, Hosea, Ezekiel, many more) taught that pagan and heathen traditions and customs from men were abominations unto God YAH.

o   Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world (heathen, pagan, tree and nature worship), and not after Christ.”

o   2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (Christmas and it tree myths, legends, stories).”

5.       Saint Boniface

A.      The 8th century (680–754) myth, fable, story, legend and tradition of the Catholic saint Boniface aka Winfrith inventor of the Christmas tree, was a English missionary and Apostle to the Germans. The legend says, at the base of an oak tree (Thunder oak), Germans held an annual event centered on sacrificing a human, usually a small child, to the pagan god Thor, just like heathens and pagans in the OT “under every green tree” was halted by Boniface.

-          Boniface chopped down the Germans tree god to show his God was more powerful. It is said that a gust of wind help blow down the partially chopped tree that broke into four pieces leaving a tiny fir tree that survived. After preaching the gospel, he profanely said:

"This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace. . . . It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are evergreen. See how it points upward to heaven. Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child; gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of kindness” 

-          Then he baptized some of the Germans. Sadly, the spirit of idolatry and paganism became worse because they stopped worshipping an oak tree (Thor god) to start worshipping a fir evergreen tree in the name of Jesus and Boniface encouraged these Germans to place fir trees in their houses, which is sacrilege.

o   Deuteronomy 7:24-25, “24The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God. 25Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.”

-          On top of that, he supervised the Germans in building churches from the wood of the sacrificial pagan god tree and dedicated a fir tree, as the pagan do, to God YAH, which He hates and is abomination. However, in scriptures God told His patriarchs to brake into pieces, cut down, and burn idols, wood poles, and groves.

o   Deuteronomy 7:5, “But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.”

o   Exodus 34:13, “But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves.”

o   2 Kings 18:4, “He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.”

o   2 Chronicles 34:4, “And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.”

6.       Martin Luther

A.      In the 15-16th century (1483-1546) Christmas tree legend or story of the ex-Catholic turned Reformist Protestant, Martin Luther, was walking home one night, and saw the stars’ lights twinkling on evergreen trees. So, he decided to cut down one of the trees, take it home, and wire its branches with candles lit (burning incense; Christmas lights advent of electricity) to recreate the scene he saw. As a mature Catholic theologian, Martin, should have known better that, the holy scriptures (Book of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, 2 Kings, Isaiah) condemn any type of idolatry, heathenism, or paganism, especially modernized such as a Christmas tree.

-          2 Kings 23:15, “Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat (Martin Luther and St. Boniface revered by seminary students), who made Israel (original and spiritually Church) to sin…(regarding groves idol poles aka Christmas trees)”

o   Jeremiah 10:3-5, “3For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4They deck it with silver and with gold (ornaments and candles); they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go…” - Acts 19:24

o   Jeremiah 10:9, “Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish (Germany), and gold from Uphaz (Germany), the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their (idol and possibly workman) clothing: they are all the work of cunning men.”

-          To make this matter worse, Martin Luther and Protestants created the ‘Christkind’ character, Jesus Christ in the form of a winged angelic child, Christmas gift giver, to combat St Nicolaus Santa aka Satan Clause. The Christkind is more popular in south Germany’s Catholic regions and Santa Claus is more popular in the north Protestant regions.

o   2 Chronicles 33:3 - For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

§  Catholics blend the kneeling (bowing down) worship (pious devotion) to idols, hosts of heaven, dead people, and sun (Mithra, etc.) with service or worship to God which He hates and is abomination.

·         Exodus 23:24, “Thou shalt not bow down (kneel) to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.”

7.       Christian Americans Original Thoughts of the Christmas Tree

A.      In the 1840s, Americans viewed Christmas and Christmas trees as a modern day idol tree, pagan, unholy and shunned them. In 1659, a Massachusetts court deemed the observance of December 25 a crime and fined anyone hanging decorations. In 19th century, an invasion of German immigrants and with England's Queen Victoria fondness of Christmas and Christmas trees convinced America to adopt the observance of Christmas and its decorations.

o   Just like the pagan statue of Liberty, the first Christmas tree in America publicly, was placed in New York's Rockefeller Center (hint: The Rockefellers). Today, at least 30 million Christmas trees are sold in America, which is the love of money.

8.       Slaves and Christmas

A.      During the slave days, slaves did not have Christmas trees but their slave masters did along with celebrating Christmas. Slave owners would make the slaves (some known as Israelites) very happy by giving gifts of pristine foods like chicken that the slaves were not allowed to eat all year until December. In addition, the slave owners would let slaves visit their families in other areas from December 25 to January.

-          Exodus 32:4-6, 4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool (decoration), after he had made it a molten calf (decorated the Christmas tree): and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt (this represents the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil/ Tree of Life that is everlasting ‘evergreen tree’). 5and when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it (Christmas mat for the tree and gifts); and Aaron made proclamation (on the eve or Christmas Eve), and said, Tomorrow (Christmas Day) is a feast (festival) to the LORD. 6And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings (Christmas gifts), and brought peace offerings (Christmas gifts); and the people sat down to eat and to drink (turkey and dressing), and rose up to play (with Christmas toys).

o   Deuteronomy 12:29-32, "29When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."

9.       Christmas Tinsels and Serpent in the Garden

Tinsels were used to make the Christmas trees appear to be glistening from the starry night or ice from the snow. The root word for tinsel is spark, which reminds me that lightning bolts are electric sparks. Satan fell from heaven as lightning. Satan, the devil, serpent was at a tree in the Garden of Eden. Put two and two together, the tinsels that wraps around the tree represents Satan the serpent dragon as lighting (spark) and the ornaments (balls, etc.) represents the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

10.   The Truth About The Christmas Spirit

Christmas spirit is an seducing, unholy and antichrist spirit.

Conclusion

1.       Ignorantly Justifying the Pagan Christmas Holiday and Christmas Tree

A.      Traditionally and usually the Christmas tree, which are evergreen trees, are ever green all year long, symbolizes immortality and the Tree of Life that God the Creator created in the Garden of Eden. But, the deceived Church ignores the scriptures regarding “under every green tree” and modern day connections to the tree in Jeremiah’s 10 regarding cutting down a tree and decorating it with silver and gold, and making sure it does not fall.

-          Matthew 15:1-3, “1Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition (Christmas and its tree) of the elders (Saint Boniface, Martin Luther, Granddad)? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread (have Christmas trees and Celebrate Christmas). 3 But He (Jesus) answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”

-          2 Thessalonians 3:6, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh (leads) disorderly (an undisciplined life), and not after the tradition (no December 25^th celebrations, no Christmas trees) which he (you) received of us.”

-          Mark 7:6-13, "6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban (‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God), that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

B.      Lacking and Rejecting Knowledge of God to Continue In Idolatry and Spiritual Adultery

-          From bible study and research led by Holy Spirit, the scriptures and articles clearly tell us that the modern day Christmas and Christmas tree is modernized heathenism and paganism. Additionally, the early Church and Catholics told us clearly that they blended Christmas into the pagan holidays and celebrations.  However, most of the end times Church ignore this knowledge of warnings which will cause them to enter hell even the lake of fire, if they do not repent.

-          Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

o   Jeremiah 44:4, “Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them (again and again), saying, Oh, do not (do) this abominable thing that I hate.”

o   Zechariah 7:11, “But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.”

2.       Confess and Repent – Throw Away the Christmas Tree and Stop Celebrating Christmas

-          Jeremiah 3:6-15, “The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. 7And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery (spiritual) I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also. 9And it came to pass through the lightness (minute; as if God did not care; not that bad; no big deal; reprobate) of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks (Strgs 6086 - trees; wood; Christmas trees). 10And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD. 11And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. 12Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return (Repent), thou backsliding Israel (spiritual and original), saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. 13Only acknowledge (confess) thine iniquity (Christmas and Christmas trees; Santa Claus), that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers (heathen, pagans and German Catholics) under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. 14Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: 15And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.”

-          Revelation 2:18-27, "18And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel (Spirit Priestess of Baal aka Moloch) which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce (Christmas spirit) my servants to commit fornication (spiritually;Christmas and its tree), and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery (spiritually) with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds (works; Christmas tree). 23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father."

-          Revelation 2:16, “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

-          Revelation 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”

-          2 Chronicles 19:3, “Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves (Christmas trees) out of the land (houses and churches), and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.”

-          1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

PRAYER

“Heavenly Father, we pray and thank You for this discernment and revelation regarding the Christmas Tree and Christmas. We pray for more strength and power from Holy Spirit in these end-times to continue our faithfulness towards You in fasting and fervent prayers. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”