Religion in ancient Macedonia

http://history-of-macedonia.com/2007/04/20/religion-in-ancient-macedonia/

From the data at our disposal at present, we know that the Macedonians worshipped the twelve Olympian gods, both collectively and individually, and also Pluto, Persephone, Dionysos, Pan, Hestia, Heracles, Asklepios, Okeanos, Amphitrite, the Nereids, Thetys, Orpheus, the Diocouroi, Amphilochos, the Nymphs, the Graces, the Fates, Hygieia, Lethe, Nemesis and Eros. They also gave them the familiar Greek epithets, such as Agoraios, Basileus, Olympios, Hypsistos of Zeus, Basileia of Hera, Soter of Apollo, Hagemona and Soteira of Artemis, Boulaia of Hestia, etc.

Some to the evidence for the worship of Ge, Helios, Dionysos, Pan, Asklepios and Heracles is earlier than the period of Philip, while the earliest evidence for the twelve gods from this period. The large number of these god’s names and the early date of the evidence militates against the false argument advanced by those opposed to the idea that the Macedonians were Greeks.

The Macedonians were particularly devoted to Zeus, father of Makedon (Μακεδών), their eponymous ancestor, and to Heracles, held to be the progenitor (Ηρακλής προπάτωρ) of the Argead clan as well as of the later Antigonid dynasty. Notable are the cults of Zeus Hetairides (Εταιρίδης), who presided over the relationship of the Argead kings with their aristocratic Companions (εταίροι) and who gave his name to the festival of the Hetairideia. Heracles Kynagidas (Κυναγίδας) was worshipped as the patron of hunting, a sport to which the Macedonians were passionately attached.

Heracles Kynagidas was also presiding over the Royal Huntsmen (βασιλικοί κυνηγοί) as well as over the kings’ game preserves.

Established custom required the king personally to conduct many rites and sacrifices. Among these two of the most important were: (a) the formal purification of the army performed each at the festival of the Xandica (Ξανδικά) held in the early spring, at the beginning of the campaigning season, though this purification could be performed at other times as well; and (b) the overseeing of the ceremonial interment of the Macedonian dead post-combat.

Cult figures, largely Thracian and indigenous to the regions occupied by the Argead Macedonians, continued to be worshipped along side the Macedonian religion. We have, for instance, the water-air spirit that gave its name to Edessa, an old town famous for its springs and situated near Aigai, the earliest residence of the Macedonian kings. Meanwhile, the reverence accorded to Sileni (σαυάδαι) and Bacchae (Κλώδωνες and Μιμαλλόνες) indicates a prevalence of Dionysus-Sabazius worship.

Same religion, different names! Man has not learned a thing from their expulsion from the garden. They still believe the serpent’s lie – “ye are already gods”. If man is any example of the completed plan of Yahuwah, we are in dire circumstances. Every worldly Emperor that has ever existed has revered himself as a god. Each has used their own version of the Babylonian Mystery Religion as the basis for their state sponsored religion. All forced conversion to their personal beliefs upon all the people under penalty of death. All used religion as a weapon to unify the people into one like-minded body of believers. And, all persecuted and hated the people of Yahuwah (Israel).

The Roman Empire

The final Roman Empire stood out far from the rest in Daniel’s prophesies. It was the most terrible, the most flexible and by far, the most enduring.

https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Empire/

The Roman Empire, at its height (c. 117 CE), was the most extensive political and social structure in western civilization. By 285 CE the empire had grown too vast to be ruled from the central government at Rome and so was divided by Emperor Diocletian (r. 284-305 CE) into a Western and an Eastern Empire. The Roman Empire began when Augustus Caesar (r. 27 BCE-14 CE) became the first emperor of Rome and ended, in the west, when the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus (r. 475-476 CE), was deposed by the Germanic King Odoacer (r. 476-493 CE). In the east, it continued as the Byzantine Empire until the death of Constantine XI (r. 1449-1453 CE) and the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Turks in 1453 CE. The influence of the Roman Empire on western civilization was profound in its lasting contributions to virtually every aspect of western culture.

This last sentence is so very, very true. And, what the author of this piece may not know is that Rome is still, and always has been, in control of the West through the Roman Catholic Church. That is the religious weapon they created for their empire; and, it has served its masters very well. Anything that is done in the name of the Roman Catholic Church is done in the name of Rome as well.

And, at the same time Constantine and his personal Mithraic priests were conjuring up a clever counterfeit religion, which later developed into traditional Christianity; they were waging continued persecution against the True Followers of Yahushua and driving them almost into oblivion. At the time the people throughout the Roman Empire valued Roman citizenship and favour more than they did favour from Yahuwah.

Rome has continued to rule through to this very day via the numerous military champions supported by the RCC – Charlemagne, Napoleon, Hitler, to name a few. And last, but not least, the United States of America. Yes the good old U.S. of A. has been a cleverly disguised Roman Catholic nation since its inception. And every President since F.D.R. has been blessed by the Pope soon after inauguration (except Trump).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_ancient_Rome

Religion in ancient Rome

Religion in ancient Rome includes the ancestral ethnic religion of the city of Rome that the Romans used to define themselves as a people, as well as the religious practices of peoples brought under Roman rule, in so far as they became widely followed in Rome and Italy. The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious, and attributed their success as a world power to their collective piety (pietas) in maintaining good relations with the gods. The Romans are known for the great number of deities they honored, a capacity that earned the mockery of early Christian polemicists.^[1]

The presence of Greeks on the Italian peninsula from the beginning of the historical period influenced Roman culture, introducing some religious practices that became as fundamental as the cult of Apollo. The Romans looked for common ground between their major gods and those of the Greeks (interpretatio graeca), adapting Greek myths and iconography for Latin literature and Roman art, as the Etruscans had. Etruscan religion was also a major influence, particularly on the practice of augury. According to legends, most of Rome's religious institutions could be traced to its founders, particularly Numa Pompilius, the Sabine second king of Rome, who negotiated directly with the gods. This archaic religion was the foundation of the mos maiorum, "the way of the ancestors" or simply "tradition", viewed as central to Roman identity.

Roman religion was practical and contractual, based on the principle of do ut des, "I give that you might give". Religion depended on knowledge and the correct practice of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not on faith or dogma, although Latin literature preserves learned speculation on the nature of the divine and its relation to human affairs. Even the most skeptical among Rome's intellectual elite such as Cicero, who was an augur, saw religion as a source of social order. As the Roman Empire expanded, migrants to the capital brought their local cults, many of which became popular among Italians. Christianity was in the end the most successful of these, and in 380 became the official state religion.

For ordinary Romans, religion was a part of daily life.^[2] Each home had a household shrine at which prayers and libations to the family's domestic deities were offered. Neighborhood shrines and sacred places such as springs and groves dotted the city.^[3] The Roman calendar was structured around religious observances. Women, slaves, and children all participated in a range of religious activities. Some public rituals could be conducted only by women, and women formed what is perhaps Rome's most famous priesthood, the state-supported Vestals, who tended Rome's sacred hearth for centuries, until disbanded under Christian domination.

Constantine was a Mithraite and later worshipped Sol Invictus (the Invincible Sun). He never converted to Christianity as the RCC claims. That was just one of manly lies the RCC afterword invented. All he did during his tenure was to open the empire to acceptance of a diversity of religious views (supposedly). He at no time converted to Christianity. He died 43 years before Roman Christianity became the official religion of Rome. They say he converted upon his death bed, but we have only the word of highly questionable witnesses to the event. He had his wife and son murdered after his so-called conversion (hardly the action of any True Believer).

What Constantine did do was to alienate any Roman citizen from following the customs and traditions of the Jews (including the Sabbath and holy days). He perfectly fits the depiction in the Book of Daniel in regard to the coming Beast power and false prophet. He changed the times and traditions. And, the world has been under his domination (worship) ever since.

The Romans looked for common ground between their major gods and those of the Greeks. The Romans did not care which gods they worshipped as long as such worship kept the population content. To draw the Greeks, they included the Greek gods. They did much the same with all other religions, allowing them to keep and uphold their beliefs and customs. This is how so many former pagan rites and customs were adopted by the Roman Christian Church. The reality is that they all came from the same source anyway – Mystery Babylon.

This archaic religion was the foundation of the mos maiorum, "the way of the ancestors" or simply "tradition", viewed as central to Roman identity. In other words, one was not a true Roman if one did not follow the “way of the ancestors”. Tradition ruled and truth was made whatever one wished it to be, or whatever the Emperor said it was. The “way of the ancestors” is revealed through their customs, traditions and the festivals that they were accustomed to celebrating (times). This is how we can know that the Roman Empire is still alive and flourishing.

Christianity was in the end the most successful of these, and in 380 became the official state religion. Constantine did indeed lay the foundation for this religion (Roman Christianity) to become the state religion of Rome but did not survive to see it to fruition. This edict is known as the Edict of Thessalonica. The only way that Christianity succeeded the others was by allowing new converts to bring their customs and traditions with them. Thus, what is today known as Christianity is nothing more than a melting pot of all the world’s pagan religions that have ever existed. Any other pagans did not have to change a thing.

One must ask oneself, would the Messiah have ever done such a thing to gain converts, or His disciples? I believe we can all agree that He would never have done such a thing. In fact, the apostles warned followers concerning traditions:

Gal 1:14 - And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

2Thes. 2:15 - Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Thessalonica

The Edict of Thessalonica (also known as Cunctos populos), issued on 27 February AD 380 by three reigning Roman Emperors, made Nicene Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.^[1] It condemned other Christian creeds such as Arianism as heresies of madmen, and authorized their persecution.

Of course any remaining groups of true Believers were condemned and persecuted, also. The Arians were one of many such groups. Today the name is associated with white supremacy. But back then, they were at war with the established church of Rome and they held out for quite a time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Christianity

Nicene Christianity is a set of Christian doctrinal traditions which reflect the Nicene Creed, which was formulated^[1] at the First Council of Nicaea in AD 325 and amended at the First Council of Constantinople in AD 381.^[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed

The Nicene Creed (Greek: Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας or, τῆς πίστεως, Latin: Symbolum Nicaenum) is a statement of belief widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene /ˈnaɪsiːn/ because it was originally adopted in the city of Nicaea (present day İznik, Turkey) by the First Council of Nicaea in 325.^[1] In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople, and the amended form is referred to as the Nicene or the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

The Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian churches use this profession of faith with the verbs in the original plural ("we believe"), but the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches convert those verbs to the singular ("I believe"). The Anglican and many Protestant denominations generally use the singular form, sometimes the plural.

The Apostles' Creed is also used in the Latin West, but not in the Eastern liturgies.^[2][3][4] On Sundays and solemnities, one of these two creeds is recited in the Roman Rite Mass after the homily. The Nicene Creed is also part of the profession of faith required of those undertaking important functions within the Catholic Church.

This creed is not exclusive to Roman Christianity (the Great Whore). It extends to the Anglican and Protestant religions (daughters of the Great Whore). They are all hairs of the same head. All worship their traditions over the truth of Yahuwah. All are in a pact with the Devil to deceive and placate man into a false sense of salvation. All will be destroyed when Yahushua returns.

It would appear that this is the creed or document that is common to all Christian denominations. Its development came approximately a year after Constantine decreed that no roman citizen was to keep or practice the traditions of the Jews. In other words, they could believe whatever they wanted, as long as they kept the traditions of the Romans. Can you see now how traditions are more important to the average person than truth?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea

The First Council of Nicaea (/naɪˈsiːə/; Greek: Νίκαια [ˈnikεa]) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman EmperorConstantine I in AD 325.

This ecumenical council was the first effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom. Hosius of Corduba, who was probably one of the papal legates, may have presided over its deliberations.^[4][5]

Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the divine nature of God the Son and his relationship to God the Father,^[2] the construction of the first part of the Nicene Creed, establishing uniform observance of the date of Easter,^[6] and promulgation of early canon law.^[3][7]

A false religion established by fake priests is all that Christianity is. Nothing more; and therefore, a total waste of time for anyone to pursue. They strove for consensus (compromise), not truth. And they got what they sought after. In the end times many are going to seek such compromise with the One World Religion (RCC by any other name) to gain favour and the right to live a life free from persecution. Yahuwah seeks no one who is willing to make such compromises. We cannot make concessions with HaSatan and expect any kind of favour from Yahuwah. The ways of the spirit just do not work that way.

As for the divine nature the Father and the Son (according to the Christian deceivers) is that the Father and the Son have always co-existed together along with some totally fictional character called “the Holy Spirit”. The truth is that Yahushua was the beginning of the creation of Elohim.

Rev. 3:14 - And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of Elohim;

Yahushua did not always coexist with the Father. At some point in time, long before the creation of the universe, He was created. He was not fully as the Father. He had a task to perform before He could acquire that state. He had to become the sacrifice for the entire creation and the Firstborn of the New Creation. He was/is the forerunner of all things. It was only upon the completion of this task that He was changed into immortality.

The concept of personalizing the holy spirit of Elohim was a ploy to support the concept of multiple gods making up the godhead – just as in all pagan religions. Thus the Christian religion supports the pagan concept of multiple gods sharing a false triune godhead known as the Trinity.

http://faithlenders.weebly.com/uploads/5/5/3/7/5537776/constantines_creed.pdf

Constantine's Creed

“I renounce all customs, rites, legalisms, unleavened breads and sacrifices of lambs of the Hebrews, and all the other feasts of the Hebrews, sacrifices, prayers, aspirations, purifications, sanctifications, and propitiations, and fasts and new moons, and Sabbaths, and superstitions, and hymns and chants, and observances and synagogues. absolutely everything Jewish, every Law, rite and custom and if afterwards I shall wish to deny and return to Jewish superstition, or shall be found eating with Jews, or feasting with them, or secretly conversing and condemning the Christian religion instead of openly confuting them and condemning their vain faith, then let the trembling of Cain and the leprosy of Gehazi cleave to me, as well as the legal punishments to which I acknowledge myself liable. And may I be an anathema in the world to come, and may my soul be set down with Satan and the devils.” (Stefano Assemani, Acta Sanctorium Martyrum Orientalium at Occidentalium, Vol. 1, Rome 1748, page 105)

As we all know, Yahushua was a Jew. He not only followed the Jewish faith, He created it. To say that Yahushua came into line with the pagan Emperor, Constantine, is like Him saying, “Sorry, Mr. Emperor Sir, you were right all along and I was wrong”.

The ancient Mithraites used a tactic that the RCC later copied, infiltrating other religious groups unaware, rising to positions of prominence and swaying the Gentile converts away from the scriptures and right back to their traditions.

Religion depended on knowledge and the correct practice of prayer, ritual, and sacrifice, not on faith or dogma. As long as the people kept the Roman traditions, they were free to worship whoever and however they pleased. Constantine had indeed desired that Christianity become the state religion of Rome. And since he regarded Rome as the empire of the entire world; it is not too much of a stretch to say he intended the same for the Christian religion.

Yahushua addressed this issue first (of course) and stated as plainly as possible that we are NOT to put traditions before the word of Yahuwah.

Mark 7:5 - Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not your disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?

6 - He answered and said unto them, Well has Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honour 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 Elohim, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.

9 - And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of Elohim, that you may keep your own tradition.

The most blaring example of this for me is the Jewish celebration known as Hanukkah. I know they claim it has to do with the sparing of the Jews in Babylon; however, it is suspiciously close to Christmas. They give each other gifts each day for 7 days. The lighting of candles plays a very big role throughout the celebration. It sounds more like a consolation prize for the Jews because they are not allowed to keep Christmas. (gift giving, festival of lights)

https://www.bing.com/search?q=hanukkah&form=EDGSPH&mkt=en-ca&httpsmsn=1&msnews=1&plvar=0&refig=125c78b9de8b4bf8ab6dbf78df5c776e&sp=1&qs=AS&pq=hanukkah&sc=8-8&cvid=125c78b9de8b4bf8ab6dbf78df5c776e&cc=CA&setlang=en-US

1. Hanukkah 2020

o begins Thursday, December 10

§ at sunset

o ends Friday, December 18

§ at nightfall

What are some facts about Hanukkah?

Hanukkah Facts

· Hanukkah for Jews is as important as Christmas for Christians.

· Hanukkah is spelt differently by different people.

· As per the Western calendar, the date for the commencement of Chanukah varies every year.

· Lighting of Menorah is the main Hanukah tradition.

· The Hanukkah candles are added onto the special candelabrum from right to left,...

Mark 7:10 - For Moses said, Honour your father and thy mother; and, Whoso curses father or mother, let him die the death:

11 - But you say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; he shall be free.

12 - And you suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

13 - Making the word of Elohim of none effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things do you.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/corban/

Corban [N] [S]

a Hebrew word adopted into the Greek of the New Testament and left untranslated. It occurs only once ( Mark 7:11 ). It means a gift or offering consecrated to God. Anything over which this word was once pronounced was irrevocably dedicated to the temple. Land, however, so dedicated might be redeemed before the year of jubilee ( Leviticus 27:16-24 ). Our Lord condemns the Pharisees for their false doctrine, inasmuch as by their traditions they had destroyed the commandment which requires children to honour their father and mother, teaching them to find excuse from helping their parents by the device of pronouncing "Corban" over their goods, thus reserving them to their own selfish use.

And, indeed, at His trial, Yahushua was judged according to their traditions rather than by the Word of Elohim.

The proof of Yahushua’s statements lies in the fact that of all the countries around the world, there are only five that do not celebrate Christmas. Many of the ones that do are not even Christian nations. It is a tradition that is observed by mostly all faiths. The five that do not are as follows.

1 – Qatar

2 – Morocco

3 – The Maldives

4 – Turkey

5 – Mongolia

https://www.burmese-art.com/blog/buddhists-celebrate-christmas

Do Buddhists use Christmas tree to celebrate?

Everyone knows the Christmas tree. We put up special decorations with lights, bulbs to make it beautiful, colorful and decorative. Well, Buddhists decorate the pine trees but it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas. Though many people don't know but Buddhist celebrates a popular holiday also known as "Bodhi Day" to celebrate Lord Buddha's enlightenment and achieving nirvana. This is celebrated in December month and they decorate ficus tree or Bodhi tree with multicolor, decoration, bulbs but some may use pine tree used in Christmas. The fact that Western Buddhists are using Christmas trees is actually quite acceptable since Buddhism is also about accepting another religion. So generally it can be said that Buddhist also use Christmas trees but they are used to celebrate their own holiday which goes on for 30 days.

The simple fact that they host such a celebration in the month of December is enough to connect them all to the same source. The lighting of lights (to coax the sun to return) and the trees (worshipping the spirit of Nimrod). Some Jews set up what is called a “hanukkah bush”. Although it is not decorated, it remains in the home for the duration of the celebration. Some actually call it the Hanukkah Christmas tree.

Islam

Primarily, Islam is the religion of the descendants of Esau. It closely mirrors the Jewish faith as far as the dates of their holy days and the worship of a singular deity, but not much else. It is not the faith of one nation, but of many. Therefore, it parallels the Jewish and Christian faiths in its effort to establish itself as the one universal religion. Their main contender is the Christian faith – or Roman Christianity, which seeks the same prize.

https://www.learnreligions.com/what-holidays-do-muslims-celebrate-2004366

Muslims have two major religious observances each year, Ramadan and the Hajj, and several holidays connected with each one. All Islamic holidays are observed according to the lunar-based Islamic calendar.

In checking out the dates of the Muslim holidays I noticed something I did not know before – that the dates of their holidays seem to correspond closely with the Hebrew holidays. Officially there are no celebrations marking the winter solstice. Yet, some sites note that some Muslims do join Christians in the celebrations as far as giving gifts and feasting. There is no religious element to them – they simply love the tradition.

http://aaiil.org/text/rlgn/art/doctrinesislamchristianity.shtml

The fundamental doctrines of Christianity are:

· The Trinity

· The Deity of Jesus

· The Divine-sonship of Jesus

· The Original Sin

· The Atonement

The fundamental doctrines of Islam are:

· The unity and goodness of God.

· The belief in the prophets raised by God in all the nations of the world.

· The belief in the revelations sent down by God to the prophets to guide human beings to and along the path of truth and righteousness.

· The sinlessness of man at birth and his capacity for unlimited moral and spiritual progress (through belief in God and by sincerely and faithfully putting into practice the inspired teachings of the prophets).

· The personal accountability of every man for his actions.

· The life after death.

· The equality and universal brotherhood of man.

The essence of both religions is that they place more value on the words of a man than the Word of Yahuwah.

John 5:44 - How can you believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from Elohim only?

The Jewish elite of Yahushua’s day were great for bestowing honour on their learned Rabbis. Yet, Elohim they believed not. This is the hypocrisy of the Jews that Yahushua often accused them of. They valued the words of a man over those of Elohim. In this they are just as guilty as all the other pagan religions. By doing so, they make the Word of the One they supposedly worship of no effect.

John 8:45 - And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Anyone who hates the truth is a son of the adversary. Anyone who loves the truth is a son of Yahuwah. There is no in-between.

Every religion on the face of the earth, hates the truth. Even the Jews have corrupted the truth so badly, that they can rate themselves with the others as hating the true Word of Elohim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberto_Rivera_(activist)

According to Rivera,^[3] he was brought into a seminary in 1942 when he was 7. Two years later, as his mother was dying, she saw "ugly creatures" coming at her deathbed, and faced a "Christless eternity" because of her Catholic faith. When visiting his mother's grave, Rivera vowed to find answers to the truth. After education at an unnamed Catholic seminary, he was sent to destroy various Protestant organizations and discredit Protestant leaders, but Rivera claims that he became disillusioned upon finding that the Vatican was behind Freemasonry and that its reverence of the Virgin Mary was contradicted by the Bible. In 1965, at an Ecumenical Conference in a Guatemalan stadium, he denounced the Catholic Church to an audience of 50,000 people. Rivera claims that the Jesuits then sent him to a top-secret psychiatric hospital in Spain to make him embrace the Catholic faith—what Rivera referred to as "recanting his faith." Here he claims that he was tortured and given poison until he nearly died, eventually being put into an iron lung because his lungs had broken down from the abuse. According to Rivera, he was "nearly at death" when he asked Jesus to forgive him and was miraculously healed. Rivera claimed that a senior Jesuit attempted to persuade Rivera to return to Catholicism, but instead was himself persuaded to give Rivera the passport and papers he needed to escape Spain. Afterwards, he flew to London and saved his sister María, a nun, after she nearly died in a convent of an unspecified illness or injury.

Allegations against Catholicism

Rivera claimed that the Jesuit order was responsible for the creation of communism, Islam, and Nazism, and causing the World Wars, recession, the Jonestown Massacre, and the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy (a Catholic). Rivera further claims that the Catholic Church wants to spread homosexuality and abortion (notwithstanding the church's stated opposition to homosexual acts and abortion) and that the Charismatic Movement is somehow a "front" for the Catholic Church. He further claimed, as have Protestant polemicists since Martin Luther's On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, that the Popes are antichrists, and that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon.^[4] He has also claimed that the Jesuits were the masterminds behind the Medieval Inquisition in the 13th century.^[5] The Jesuits were, in fact, founded in 1534.^[6]

Yes, the RCC is indeed the most evil entity that has ever existed on the face of the earth. While they speak great words of faith before an attentive world, their words, in no way, reflect their true thoughts and actions. Every accusation Rivera levelled at the church was absolutely true and he really did sacrifice his life to bring us this truth. .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Inquisition

Medieval Inquisition

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the 12th and 13th century inquisitions. For later ones, see Inquisition (disambiguation).

The Medieval Inquisition was a series of Inquisitions (Catholic Church bodies charged with suppressing heresy) from around 1184, including the Episcopal Inquisition (1184–1230s) and later the Papal Inquisition (1230s). The Medieval Inquisition was established in response to movements considered apostate or heretical to Christianity, in particular Catharism and Waldensians in Southern France and Northern Italy. These were the first inquisition movements of many that would follow.

The Cathars were first noted in the 1140s in Southern France, and the Waldensians around 1170 in Northern Italy. Before this point, individual heretics such as Peter of Bruis had often challenged the Church. However, the Cathars were the first mass organization in the second millennium that posed a serious threat to the authority of the Church. This article covers only these early inquisitions, not the Roman Inquisition of the 16th century onwards, or the somewhat different phenomenon of the Spanish Inquisition of the late 15th century, which was under the control of the Spanish monarchy using local clergy. The Portuguese Inquisition of the 16th century and various colonial branches followed the same pattern.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharism

Catharism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Cathar" redirects here. For the Star Wars race, see Cathar (race).

Not to be confused with Cathare or Kathar.

The Occitan cross, a "Cathar rallying symbol".^[1]

Catharism (/ˈkæθərɪzəm/; from the Greek: καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure [ones]")^[2][3] was a Christian dualist or Gnostic revival movement that thrived in some areas of Southern Europe, particularly what is now northern Italy and southern France, between the 12th and 14th centuries. The followers were known as Cathars and are now mainly remembered for a prolonged period of persecution by the Catholic Church, which did not recognise their belief as being Christian. Catharism appeared in Europe in the Languedoc region of France in the 11th century and this is when the name first appears. The adherents were sometimes known as Albigensians, after the city Albi in southern France where the movement first took hold.^[4] The belief system may have originated in Persia or the Byzantine Empire.^{[citation needed]} Catharism was initially taught by ascetic leaders who set few guidelines, and, thus, some Catharist practices and beliefs varied by region and over time. The Catholic Church denounced its practices including the Consolamentum ritual, by which Cathar individuals were baptized and raised to the status of "perfect".^[5]

Catharism may have had its roots in the Paulician movement in Armenia and eastern Byzantine Anatolia and certainly in the Bogomils of the First Bulgarian Empire,^[6] who were influenced by the Paulicians resettled in Thrace (Philipopolis) by the Byzantines. Though the term Cathar (/ˈkæθɑːr/) has been used for centuries to identify the movement, whether the movement identified itself with this name is debated.^[7] In Cathar texts, the terms Good Men (Bons Hommes), Good Women (Bonnes Femmes), or Good Christians (Bons Chrétiens) are the common terms of self-identification.^[8]

The idea of two gods or principles, one good and the other evil, was central to Cathar beliefs. This was antithetical to the monotheistic Catholic Church, whose fundamental principle was that there was only one God, who created all things visible and invisible.^[9] Cathars believed that the good God was the God of the New Testament and the creator of the spiritual realm. They believed the evil God was the God of the Old Testament, creator of the physical world whom many Cathars identified as Satan. Cathars thought human spirits were the sexless spirits of angels trapped in the material realm of the evil god, destined to be reincarnated until they achieved salvation through the consolamentum, when they could return to the benign God.^[10]

From the beginning of his reign, Pope Innocent III attempted to end Catharism by sending missionaries and by persuading the local authorities to act against them. In 1208, Pierre de Castelnau, Innocent's papal legate, was murdered while returning to Rome after excommunicating Count Raymond VI of Toulouse, who, in his view, was too lenient with the Cathars.^[11] Pope Innocent III then abandoned the option of sending Catholic missionaries and jurists, declared Pierre de Castelnau a martyr and launched the Albigensian Crusade which all but ended Catharism.

These Cathars, in my opinion, were as far from True Believers as the RCC was. The author of both testaments was one and the same person – Yahushua. If one studies the character of Yahuwah, one readily realizes that He can in no way approach corruption without destroying it by His very presence. He had to have someone to represent Him before His creation. That someone was the Messiah, Yahushua. He was the elohim of the OT and He is also the Elohim of the New Testament. Nothing has changed – only that salvation is now offered to the entire world, not just the Jews or Israel. However, the traditions and laws taught in the OT, along with the manner required to attain salvation have always remained the same.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldensians#Teachings

Waldensians

Teachings[edit]

Waldensians held and preached a number of truths as they read from the Bible. These included:

1. The atoning death and justifying righteousness of Christ;

2. The Godhead;

3. The fall of man;

4. The incarnation of the Son;

5. A denial of purgatory as the "invention of the Antichrist;"^[13]

6. The value of voluntary poverty.

They also rejected a number of concepts that were widely held in Christian Europe of the era. For example, the Waldensians held that temporal offices and dignities were not meant for preachers of the Gospel; that relics were no different from any other bones and should not be regarded as special or holy; that pilgrimage served only to spend one's money; that flesh might be eaten any day if one's appetite served one; that holy water was no more efficacious than rain water; and that prayer was just as effectual if offered in a church or a barn. They were accused, moreover, of having scoffed at the doctrine of transubstantiation, and of having spoken blasphemously of the Catholic Church as the harlot of the Apocalypse.^[14] They rejected what they perceived as the idolatry of the Catholic Church and considered the Papacy as the Antichrist of Rome.

As far as I am concerned, neither of these groups were True Believers, but were simply Christian offshoots. If there were yet any True Believers left (which I believe there were) they were few and far between, thanks to the heavy persecution at the hands of the Romans and their religious champion.

Allegations about Catholicism and Islam[edit]

Rivera also made several allegations about Islam, which he did not offer proof for. This includes allegations that Muhammad was manipulated by the Catholic Church to create Islam and destroy the Jews and other groups of Christians, and that Muhammad's first wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, was actually a Catholic nun in an Arabian monastery, who was told by a bishop to marry Muhammad and create Islam. Rivera also alleged that the Vatican staged an apparition at Fátima (named after Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad) to cultivate favor with Muslims. He further claims that it also staged the 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II using a Muslim as the marksman "to guilt-induce the Muslim world, bringing them still closer to the Catholic faith!"^[4]

I believe that if the Roman Catholic Church denounced Rivera’s claims, then they must be true. For the Roman Catholic Church takes after it founder, HaSatan, the father of all lies, and is a liar like its father. All other Christian churches came out of the RCC, yet stubbornly clung to most of its doctrines, save only that the Pope is “god on earth”. In keeping those doctrines, they make themselves the harlot daughters of the Great Whore. And, Yahuwah condemns them and will punish them right alongside their harlot mother.

There are a number of other former priests and Jesuits that have abandoned the order to reveals the true goings on of the RCC. I have read a number of them and they are quite horrifying. If one orders the book, “Vatican Assassins” by Jon Phelps, it includes a CD with copies of a number of these books. Although I do not agree with Phelps’ white supremist views, he does speak the truth in many other regards. And the books on the CD are invaluable to anyone who collects such material.

The New Age Movement and Universal Government

For any one world religion to flourish there must be a one world government. Rome believed itself to be just such a government and Constantine sought to create a one world religion for his empire. The word, “Catholic” means “universal”. The RCC has always considered itself the one world religion of Rome. And, it retains this belief up to this very day.

All the talk we hear today concerning the New Age movement, One World Government and One World Religion, all bear the signature of the RCC. And, the RCC bears all the characteristics of Mystery Babylon. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck – it’s a duck! Rome always sought universality in all things, especially government and religion. They may have been stumped by the Protestant movement for a time; however, I am confident that they are sticking to their chief strategy of infiltration and destruction – that is infiltrating the Protestant churches and destroying them from within. By the time the One World Government is finally realized, all worldly churches will be only too happy to convert.

And, any established church is the worst environment for any True Believer. I hate to even go to funeral services anymore because I hate to even set foot in one. To compensate, I think about being Yahuwah’s only representative at such gatherings. However; they are all the same as far as promoting church doctrine over the word of Yahuwah. And, that is just not right!

Heb 3:1 - Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, HaMashiyack Yahushua;

Heb 4:14 - Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Yahushua the Son of Elohim, let us hold fast our profession.

Heb 6:20 - Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Yahushua, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

We have one eternal High Priest who is 100% pure of heart and incapable of corruption. We need to go to him alone to get the answers. No other man can give them to you. Men are all corruptible, Yahushua is incorruptible. Almost the entire world is subject to satanic influence – Yahushua is not. No man has ever completed the plan of Yahuwah, Yahushua has. What other credentials does He need to get people to come to Him directly, instead of seeking a human high priest?

I believe the answer to be found back when Moses assembled the people so they could hear from Yahuwah directly, but they were afraid (because of what their previous traditions taught them) and refused to stand before Elohim. Can you imagine? They demanded that Moses stand before Elohim on their behalf and hear His instructions for them. Afterward, the people kept on clamouring for a human filter and eventually ended up demanding a king. Yahuwah gave into their demands to teach them a lesson but they did not learn and sunk only deeper into the abyss until they murdered Yahuwah’s only begotten Son.

Of course, the Romans were in charge at the time of the crucifixion and somewhat reluctantly consented to the crowd. But it was the Jews who brought the curse upon themselves. The events of that day definitely produced a lot of Believers.

I have heard it said that the Romans hated the Jews. The following clarifies the truth somewhat:

https://www.quora.com/Why-did-the-Romans-dislike-the-Jews

Trevor Woodgate, studied at University of Life

Answered Feb 14 2019 · Author has 260 answers and 17.2k answer views

The Romans did not dislike the Jews, anymore than they disliked other nations. Provided the Jews lived in peace there was no problem.

The Jews were a very religious people with strict ‘rules’. The Romans actually acknowledged this by allowing them rights that they did not allow other nations. Trouble usually arose when a census was called as that meant more taxes. The Jews were also against people’s faces on coins, shields and walls. They considered this idolatry. Herod Antipas was one ruler who would not allow his coins to have an image on. There wasn’t a central ‘mint’ for coining money. Each area had its own coins.

In fact 3 times Roman ‘kings’ - even Herod the Great - did things that were against Jewish beliefs. They complained to the Caesar of the day and the Rukers were told to undo what they had done. On one occasion Pilate tried to bring shields into Jerusalem overnight. These shields had Tiberius’ head on. The Jews complained to Tiberius and Pilate was told to remove them immediately.

The main source of violence was the Zealots. They were violently against Rome. They had murderers called Siccari who committed acts of violence. There were also men who claimed to be the messiah and drew men to them. They became trouble for the Romans and were destroyed.

It was the Zealots that finally lost Israel for the Jews. They rebelled in 66–70 CE and again 135 CE. The final war was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Rome had run out of patience and the Jews lost their land completely. Prior to this Jews ran internal affairs. After this those that were left had no power. Not all Jews were thrown out. The Romans needed ordinary people to continue agriculture, fishing, and other trades.

It was the Jewish religion that was part of the problem. The Romans could, and did, integrate some other religious beliefs - like the Greek gods etc. - into their beliefs. They could not integrate Yahweh, or Jesus, into their pantheon of gods.

First we should notice that the Roman’s seemed to “bend over backwards” for the Jews to pacify them but of course the Jews only asked for more and more. When their desires were not met, they rebelled. Otherwise, the Romans did not look down on the Jews any differently than any other people they conquered. The very fact that the Elohim of Israel allowed them to invade was all the proof they needed to believe that their god, Zeus, was the more powerful god. So, the Romans considered the Israelite elohim to be weak and no threat to Zeus whatsoever. They simply viewed the Jews as dumb pagans worshipping a non-existent or very weak deity. However, the Roman Empire has not come to naught yet; and, the end of their reign is going to come about in a single day (according to scriptures) and they will then know who the real Elohim is. Remember, according to Yahuwah’s reckoning of time, it has only been about two hours since all of these events. I don’t know how we are ever going to develop the patience of Yahuwah.

Conclusion

Well, we have covered quite a bit of ground in this study. I hope it wasn’t too much for anyone, but I like to be as thorough as I can with these studies. What I believe this study proves is that neither worldly governments or worldly religions have changed one iota from (at least) the days of King Nimrod. All the worldly Empires since Nimrod have all followed the same pattern – one world government demands a one world religion

Eccl. 1:9 - The thing that has been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 - Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it has been already of old time, which was before us.

11 - There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

We humans are expected to learn from our mistakes. Instead we make lies truth and truth lies. We are such a contrary group; I don’t know how Yahuwah puts up with us. We resurrect these ancient concepts and pretend they are our own invention. It is like when the Europeans claim to have “discovered” America. How could they have discovered America when there was already an indigenous race of people living here? Obviously they were the ones who really discovered America.

No, folks, there really is nothing new under the sun. The human race has continued in the sin of Adam since the beginning of our sojourn on Earth and will basically continue to do so until forced to do otherwise, at the return of Yahushua. And at the end of a thousand years of learning directly from the Messiah Himself, they will still rebel. Adam was deceived into believing HaSatan, that he was already elohim. Mankind has believed the same of himself ever since. Naturally, if we were already elohim, what purpose is there in listening to and following Yahuwah? We are completely capable of making our own decisions and working out our salvation on our own, by our own means. If true, we make awfully scary elohim.

The key word in the process of salvation is ”believe”. Believe what? Believe Elohim. He, and now the Son also, are the only two beings currently residing in the universe who are completely incorruptible and complete. Being eternal beings (the only ones presently in existence) incorruptibility is natural to their existence. The only way any of us are going to see the Kingdom is if we too make ourselves incorruptible. To become incorruptible, we must understand what true corruption really is. It is not adversity to the teachings of man but to the teachings of Yahuwah. As long as we are firmly based in this false reality, we will never see the Kingdom of Yahuwah. We will no longer exist forever.

Yahuwah’s call to mankind is “Come out of her, my people”. And indeed, only the true servants of Yahuwah will hear and follow Yahuwah’s instructions. Before Messiah there were a number of men of note who faithfully followed Yahuwah. After Messiah we only know of his apostles and a few others that faithfully led the people; however, I am certain that there has always been a faithful band of Believers throughout all that time since. Of course, the truth of that belief has been suppressed almost into oblivion.

We who call ourselves “Believers” today have been commissioned with restoring that truth to the world. Ignoring it could and likely will have disastrous consequences for us. So, we need to come out of our comfort zone, prepare ourselves to deliver the true gospel of Yahuwah to the entire world. We must be of courage and righteous determination, fully equipped with the whole armour of Elohim. And most of all, we need not to fear death. We all have Yahuwah’s promise of resurrection from the grave – something that no man can take away, unless we allow them to.

Stay strong in the faith, Brethren. The reward will be well worth all pain and suffering. We are the future of mankind – and it is going to be a glorious future indeed.

Yahuwah Bless

G.P.