Do those who oppose the fourth commandment know where they are heading? They think any day is as good as the next -- but in reality they are heading into plain old sun worship -- for the religio/political powers will see to it that they observe the venerable day of the sun! Many people are already doing so. It may well shock the reader to realize how sun worship has infiltrated Christianity, clothing itself in Christian garments to deceive, if possible, the very elect.

SUN
WORSHIP
IS ALIVE
TODAY

Sun worship originated in Babylon
A Key Strategy for Getting People into False Worship
The false prophets would lead us straight into sun worship--
Page Two: Sun worship invades the Church
Page Three: Sunworship and the Queen of Heaven


"Sun worship? Really now," the sensible person will say, "modern Christian people would never worship the sun!"

Satan knows this full well. He saw the power of the gospel as it entered peoples hearts and changed their lives. Once the love of Christ fully rooted itself in a person's life, neither ridicule, torture or death could cause them to renounce the truths of God. So he worked on plan "B". Mingling of lies with the truth! Mix sun worship into Christianity, blend it with Christian concepts and wind up with the perfect counterfeit deception that people will buy, thinking they are obtaining the genuine.

The saddest part comes when we see pages upon the internet, by people who ARE NOT IGNORANT OF GOD'S COMMANDMENT — people who know, yet have hardened their hearts and fight against the true rest with Christ, the rest of obedience which is the fruit of faith; they fight against God's Holy Sabbath day. Not only that, but they are teaching others to transgress the commandments of God and are preparing the world to reject the three angel's message. They are preparing a large number of people who see the true Sabbath from scripture, to accept the counterfeit --- clothed in Christian garments --- which is none other but SUN WORSHIP.

SUN WORSHIP ORIGINATED IN BABYLON

Babylon = sun worship. Sun worship originated in Babylon.

Revelation 17 calls the last "harlot" church, Babylon.

Now let's look at some history and open our eyes and see what is happening in our world today.

After Noah and his family left the ark, Satan wasted no time in reestablishing the counterfeit — called Babylon. This counterfeit was brought into prominence and promoted by Nimrod, who was the founder of the empire known as Babylon, and by his queen, Semiramis.

Nimrod, (grandson of Ham, and great grandson of Noah) was, as the Bible tells us in Genesis 10:8-10, was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Actually the Hebrew reading of this text points out that Nimrod was a mighty hunter in the place of the Lord. (The linguistic word "before" is more like in the context of have no other gods before me.)
Also consider the meaning of the name Nimrod. It comes from the Hebrew verb marad, meaning "rebel", or "we will revolt." Some Biblical Historians think Nimrod could well be the vile and powerful Gilgamesh in the ancient Gilgamesh Epic. Gilgamesh sets out to hunt for, and kill the God who sent the flood! In the Epic Gilgamesh claims to have killed "Huwawa", the sender of the great flood. Gilgamesh seeks the aid of Shamash, the sun god, who hates the terrible one who sent the flood.

Nimrod established the first post-flood empire. Nimrod allowed his followers to hail him as a god! At his death it was proclaimed that their "god" Nimrod was exalted to his rightful domain. He was now the sun god, who would ensure his people with warmth, light and abundant crops. He would send down his blessings upon them.

Semiranmis, queen of Babylon, after her husband's death, was found to be with child. It was declared that this child was the product of divine conception. Nimrod, the sun god was the father via a special ray of the sun. Semiramis named her son Damu which later Babylonian language became Dammuzi. In the Bible it is rendered "Tammuz". Of course any son with such a claim to his conception was deified. Semiramis also deified herself as the mother of god (since only a god can beget a god) and installed herself as "The Queen of Heaven" pictured in the constellation Cassiopeia.

The story was invented that she was a virgin sprung from the sea, and therefore a gift from the gods. Her name was later hellenized to "Sammur-amat" or "gift of the sea." Most goddess worship as well as sun worship can be traced right back to Samiranmis.

This one woman had such a lasting impact upon world history that the land from which civilization arose, (lower Mesopotamia) was known as the "Land of Sammur" or when translated into Hebrew becomes "the land of Shinar".

Genesis 10:9-10
"Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, in the land of Shinar."

Later, Daniel tells us that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and besieged it and carried the people as well as the vessels of the house of God: into the land of Shinar to the house of his god. (Dan.1:2)

KEY TO GETTING PEOPLE AWAY FROM WORSHIPING THE CREATOR

We see all through Biblical history that one of the key elements in weaning a loyal people away from their loyalties to the true God is by infiltration. Sun worship first infiltrated Israel, it became mixed with their true worship, until finally they were carried away into midst of Babylon itself.

Look at the story of Balaam:
The devil knows that as long as God's people are in harmony with God he cannot touch them.

So just like in the days of Israel, when they stood on the banks of the Jordan when Balaam came to try and curse them, he could but bless them, for he was powerless to do evil unto them while they were in God's protection.

Balaam knew why he couldn't curse them:
Numbers 23.21
"God has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD God is with them... there is no enchantment that will work against them."

However, a plan was then devised. If the Israelites could be induced to rebel against God's laws, they would lose God's protection and would be destroyed. Crafty false prophet Balaam who once was a true prophet initiated the plan.(Numbers 31:16) Sending heathen women to infiltrate the camp. Friendly, non threatening, they infiltrated, bringing with them their sensual arts and luring them away into idolatry.

Numbers 25:2,3 "They called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel."

Thousands died, and had not Israel repented they would not have entered Canaan at all. The craft of the false prophet -- is to get people to disregard God's laws!

The craft of the false teachers is to get people to believe that God's law is no longer important so that they cannot discern sin. Then they will be easy to catch in the net of disobedience and bond with the chains of sin as they push aside the voice of the Holy Spirit calling them to repentance. For they think they need no repentance. Thus they are lead into the pit of rejecting the Holy spirit -- a bit from which there is no escape.

The craft of the false teachers is to go out to deceive the whole world and gather them together to fight against God's government. They can't reach God so they fight against those who walk in harmony with God's laws. Ridiculing and belittling, mocking and intimidating. . For Revelation already tells us that all who will not bow to the false religion will be slated for death.

These are the false teachers and the false prophets.

Note well where disregard to God's commandments leads. It leads to the worship of other gods. Revelation 13:3,4 I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

THE FALSE PROPHETS WOULD LEAD US STRAIGHT INTO SUN WORSHIP--

The third angel's message cries with a loud voice to return to the worship of the Creator God, who made the heaven's and the earth and the sea. Why would the last warning message focus on this aspect of God? Why the emphasis on His Creative power? Could it be because sun worship, has invaded Christianity in a clever disguise and usurped the true worship of God the Creator.

For in six days God created the heavens and the earth and rested upon the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it. Remember the Sabbath day!

Sun day - is the venerable day of the sun.

The edict of Constantine, in A.D. 321, was NOT the first time the week of seven day week with it's recurring day of the Sun recognized. Two hundred years earlier we already see a Christian teacher trying to impress a Roman emperor by telling him Christians worship on the "day of the sun".

Justin Martyr writes a letter pleading for justice for the Christian during a time when the Jews had just suffered a second terrible overthrow. (approx. 130 A.D.)

To the Emperor Titus Ælius Adrianus Antoninus Pius Augustus Caesar, and to his son Verissimus the Philosopher, and to Lucius the Philosopher, the natural son of Caesar, and the adopted son of Pius, a lover of learning, and to the sacred Senate... Now notice how he changes scripture when speaking of Christ to the Emperor:

Psalms 19:1,5-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

Justin's paraphase

concerning those who published His doctrine and proclaimed His appearance
Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the sun hath He set His tabernacle, and he as a bridegroom going out of his chamber shall rejoice as a giant to run his course."

Justin's version would ring a corresponding note in the emperor's understanding.

Then he continues in section LXVII of his Apology:

And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, What Justin Martyr is saying here is that the Christians were coming together upon the day of the sun. A very significant fact! Why didn't Justin call it the "1st day"? How could Justin be writing to the Roman emperor about a day called THE DAY OF THE SUN, if there was no such thing.

Indeed, there was a DAY OF THE SUN!
The Pagan Mithra Cult rose in the Roman Empire at the same time as Christianity moved forth. This cult was in many ways a counterfeit of Christianity!

There were many Mithraic temples in the Roman empire, probably a couple thousand. The greatest concentrations have been found, interestingly enough, in the city of Rome itself, the home of the emperors! They were also located from England all the way to Palestine.

What does this religion have to do with our study on sunworship in the church?
Could it be that Satan raised a counterfeit to confound Christianity? A pagan counterfeit, focused on the ages long revered sun god, yet revampt in many ways that resembled Christianity. This counterfeit (along with many other practices and cultural beliefs) became intermingled with Christianity.

According to the recent scholars the tauroctony (the main symbol of the Mithraic religion where Mithra is slaying the bull) is an astronomical star map! The zodiac-- which shows that this counterfit is an astrology based religion. (Just like Babylon)

The understanding of Greco-Roman astronomy at the time of the Mithraic mysteries swept through the empire, was based on a so-called "geocentric" cosmology. They understood the earth to be fixed and immovable at the center of the universe and everything went around it. As the cosmos rotated around the earth it was believed to carry the sun along with it, resulting in the apparent movement of the sun around the earth once a day.

They also believed that the sun moved on a second journey, beyond its daily rotation with the cosmic sphere: and made a yearly journey around the circle of the "zodiac." They also believed in a cosmic or celestial equator emanating out from the earth‘s equator. From this they even got a symbol of the cross representing the intersection of the two celestial circles of the zodiac and the celestial equator. This cross-shaped symbol is found often in that cult.

In Mithraic iconography Mithras and the sun god are pictured as separate beings, however in Mithraic writings Mithras is often identified with the sun by being called "sol invictus," the "unconquered sun." Thus it seems that the Mithraists somehow believed in the existence of two suns: one represented by the figure of the sun god, and the other by Mithras himself as the "unconquered sun."

Thus Mithria was the "hypercosmic sun," god.

Where does this concept of hyper cosmic sun god come from? The Chaldaean Oracles
Chaldaean Oracles were a grand mixture of Platonic thought, from Platonizing thinkers ranging from Philo to Numenius. Probably the Chaldaean concept of a hypercosmic sun comes from the solar allegories of Plato's Republic, in which the sun is used as a symbol for the highest of Plato's Ideal Forms, that of the Good. In Book VI of the Republic (508Aff.) Plato compares the sun to the Good, saying that as the sun is the source of all illumination and understanding in the visible world (the horatos topos), the Good is the supreme source of being and understanding in the world of the forms (the noetos topos or "intelligible world").

So basically--
which "christ" is being worshipped today?
The cosmic christ-- (who is very much part of the new age)
Or the REAL CHRIST, JESUS.

The similarities of Mithras and Christianity are astounding.

One of which was this religion held Sunday as their special day.

The meetings took place in caves, and crypts built to resemble caves, decorated with pictures of Mithra slaying the bull. The weekly holy day, naturally, was Sunday and, equally naturally, the Equinoxes were regarded as a sacred season, and the date of Mithra's birth, placed at the winter solstice -- December 25. A History of the Church by Philip Hughes

A fire was kept perpetually burning in the sanctuary. Three times a day prayer was offered the sun toward the east, south, or west according to the hour. Sunday was kept holy in honour of Mithra, and the sixteenth of each month was sacred to him as mediator. The 25 December was observed as his birthday, the natalis invicti, the rebirth of the winter-sun, unconquered by the rigours of the season. Catholic Encyclopedia

Like the Christians, they purified themselves by baptism; received, by a species of confirmation, the power necessary to combat the spirits of evil; and expected from a Lord's Supper salvation of body and soul. Like the latter, they also held Sunday sacred, and celebrated the birth of the Sun on the 25th of December, the same day on which Christmas has been celebrated, since the fourth century at least. Sacred Texts

"The Hebrew Sabbath having been abolished by Christians, the church made sacred the Sunday, partly because it was the day of the resurrection. But when we observe a little further we find that Sunday as a solar festival was the sacred day of Mithra. It is also interesting to notice that since Mithra is address as Lord, Sunday must have been the Lord's day long before the Christian use. It is also to be noticed that our Christmas, December 25, was the birthdate of Mithra, and was only taken over in the fourth century as the date, actually unknown of the birth of Christ. (Stanford Studies) Stanford Studies pdf file

The struggle between the two rival religions was the more stubborn as their characters were the more alike. The adepts of both formed secret conventicles, closely united, the members of which gave themselves the name of "Brothers." 6 The rites which they practised offered numerous analogies. The sectaries of the Persian god, like the Christians, purified themselves by baptism; received, by a species of confirmation, the power necessary to combat the spirits of evil; and expected from a Lord's Supper salvation of body and soul. Like the latter, they also held Sunday sacred, and celebrated the birth of the Sun on the 25th of December, the same day on which Christmas has been celebrated.. Historian Franz Cumont

The pagan religion which began to sweep through the Roman world at the same time as Christianity and was at it's height in Rome during Constantine's time did indeed hold Sunday as special DAY to honor the Sun.

However, the question is still--
did this influence the Christians in Rome

Just read Constantine's Sunday law.

"Let all judges and townspeople and occupations of all trades rest on the VENERABLE DAY OF THE SUN. . .March 7,321

Constantine was not really a Christian. At this very same time he was embellishing the Temple of the Sun in Rome. He was a sun-worshiper. The very next day after giving the Sunday law of March 7,321, quoted from above, Constantine enacted another law giving pagan soothsayers acceptance.

Of course he also enacted the Edict of Milan, by which Christianity was given legal rights.

We are told that the bishop of Rome counseled with Constantine and advised him of the best course to take in order to win everyone into a single imperial church.

Remember that Mithraism was strong in Rome at this time-- Mithraism is the worship of the sun. The Romans gave him a new name -- Sol Invictus, which means "the Invincible Sun".

Mithraism imitated the worship of Christ in several ways: It had a dying, rising savior god, whose birth and resurrection was celebrated every year. Where do you think Christmas came from, it's the rebirth of the sun -- as the days begin to get longer about Dec. 25. They had special religious suppers, or communion services, when the believers partook of their god. They even had to be baptize -- albeit they stood under a slaughtered bull and were baptized by blood. And it had one day in the week for celebration -- Sunday -- the Day of the Sun.

Hmmm -- where did this concept of celebration instead of worshiping come from?
As we continue in this study and see how sun worship invaded the church and thought to change God's laws to adapt Christianity to the pagan mindset, we need to remember what Revelation tells us about the last days.

The issue in the last days will be over true and false worship:
Rev. 13:4 So they WORSHIPED the dragon (Satan) who gave authority to the beast, and they WORSHIPED the beast...
Rev. 13:8 And All who dwell on the earth will WORSHIP him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life...
Rev. 13:12 He causes the earth and those who dwell in it to WORSHIP the first beast,. . .
Rev. 13:15 As many as would not WORSHIP the image of the beast should be killed. . .
The angel cries with a loud voice:
Rev. 14:7 WORSHIP Him who made heaven and earth. . .
Rev. 14:9 If anyone WORSHIPS the beast and his image. . .he shall drink of the wrath of God. .


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