THE ORIGINS OF THE NECK TIE

When and why did men start wearing ties?

The neck tie has its roots in military history. For starters, a collection of terracotta sculptures discovered in 1974 in Xian, China gives insight into the style worn by Chinese soldiers over a thousand years ago. China’s first emperor, Qin Shih Huang, wanted his army to be buried with him as his guardians in the afterlife.  Lucky for all the soldiers involved, his advisers convinced him instead to have life sized replicas of his troops made to be used as his protectors throughout eternity.

In 210 BC when he died, his terracotta “army” was buried with him in this way. Each statue wore a wrapped neck cloth, the earliest known predecessor of the modern tie. Yet Qin Shih Huang’s army seems to have been the only known Chinese wearers of the neck cloth. There are no known representations of Chinese soldiers or Chinese people in general wearing this piece of clothing outside of this at this time. So historians believe that these neck ties might might have been used here more or less as a badge of honor for Qin Shih Huang’s army.

The neck tie is also depicted in Trajan’s column in Rome, Italy. Emperor Trajan ruled the Roman Empire from 98 to 117AD. He was regarded as a military genius and was responsible for the greatest expansion of the Roman Empire. His military conquest of Dacia is commemorated in Trajan’s marble column erected around 113 AD, where thousands of soldiers are shown wearing various styles of neckwear. Again, as was the case with the Chinese, there is no record of other Roman soldiers wearing neckties at this time. Thus, some think that it was also a sign of honor befitting exceptional fighters.

During the middle ages, another example of the necktie was worn in a military setting. In the early 1630s, during the Thirty Years War, Croatian soldiers in support of France were presented to the French King Louis XIII. The Croats wore colorful, knotted neckerchiefs as a part of their uniform which attracted their French partners who were accustomed to wearing starched, ruffled collars. Apart from its decorative purpose, the necktie was more practical than these stiff collars and could protect the soldiers’ shirts and buttons. By the time Louis XIV came to the throne, these ties became fashionable in France. Military personnel, French courtiers, and ordinary French people began sporting the accessory in various colors and fabrics. Some people even believe that “cravat”, the French word for “tie”, was even just a corruption of “Croat”, as the style was adopted from the Croatians.

Though the cravat is regarded as the true forerunner to the modern tie as a fashion statement, it would take a few hundred years for the tie to evolve to the narrow strip of cloth we think of today as a neck tie. The fancy cravat made its way to England after Charles II reclaimed the throne in 1660. Other aristocrats who had lived in exile in Europe followed him and took along the cravat which became a fashion rage that also spread to the English colonies. The neckwear grew to be a stylish accessory for the well dressed gentleman who wore it in every imaginable color and style. There were cravats of tasseled strings, ruffled collars, ribbon, embroidered linen, cotton, and an abundance of lace.

The trend continued into the eighteenth century when donning a cloth around a man’s neck became immensely popular among all men regardless of status. Towards the end of that century, wearing a black cravat was considered the height of fashion. In 1815, the French Emperor, Napolean Bonaparte who typically wore black, wore a white cravat during the battle of Waterloo to honor the Duke of Wellington who favored that color during battle. It was also around that time that people began to refer to a cravat as a “tie” for the first time, of course referring to the fact that the cravats were tied around the neck.

Variety in ties, innovation, and complexity in knots were the order of the day. Books and pamphlets were written about the subject. In 1818, The Neckclothitania was published, using satire to make fun of the elaborate cravat styles. In 1828, H. Le Blanc wrote The Art of Tying the Cravatdemonstrated in sixteen lessons including thirty two different styles.

The industrial revolution from the eighteenth to nineteenth century was the catalyst that led to the necktie as we know it today. “White collar” workers of the day sought comfort and simplicity over previously excessively elaborate dress. Stiff, fancy, hard to tie neckties had no place on the factory floor. Men tied their neckwear four-in-hand allowing for a knot at the throat with two ends of fabric trailing down. This method of tying was a much less intricate way of creating a knot than was necessary when wearing a cravat, and the knot remained secure. It remains a popular way of tying a tie to this day.

Around this time also, the idea of wearing a tie to show one’s affiliation developed. In 1880, the first school tie was fashioned when a member of Oxford University rowing club removed the ribbons from his boater hat and tied them four-in-hand. The trend caught on and ties for various affiliations developed.

In the 1880s, the ascot tie became the standard for formal morning dress. It was made a famous fashion item by Britain’s King Edward VII, also known as Bertie, who wore it to the horse races and his subjects followed. The name is derived from one of the most celebrated horse racing events in England, The Royal Ascot. The ascot, tie or “bow tie” are still today regarded as choices for morning dress. It was and is still typically decorated with a pin.

By the 1920s, the tie was to evolve even more drastically when Jesse Langsdorf, a New York tie maker, cut the fabric at a forty five degree angle using a three piece construction.  The gist of it is that this allowed the tie, when tied in standard knots, to drape evenly without twisting, and gave us the modern look. Since then, over the years the width of the tie has expanded and shrunken; the length has grown and shortened; and colors and designs have become brighter and softer, but despite those changes, the style remains substantially the same. The modern tie is even generally manufactured in the same basic way developed by Langsdorf.

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The Steinkirk, a style of wearing the cravat loosely tied with the dangling end pinned to the breast, became so popular in the early eighteenth century that women began wearing this necktie too, only in more lively colors than the men’s basic white.

The bolo tie (also known as a bootlace tie)- made of strips of leather worn around the neck and fastened with a clasp- is the official tie of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.There are a number of theories about the derivation of the term “four-in-hand knot” but two common explanations involve horses. One is that British horsemen used this knot to tie a scarf around their neck while holding the reigns of four horses in the other.

Another is that the knot with two long ends looked like the reins of the four-horse carriages.There are four main knots used in tying a tie: the four-in-hand, the Windsor, the half Windsor, and the Pratt. But two Cambridge Physicists, Thomas Fink and Yong Mao, used a mathematical formulation to determine that there are actually eighty five ways to tie a tie.

THE SURPRISING ORIGIN OF BIRTHDAYS

Where did the custom of celebrating birthdays come from? Did holy men of God in the Bible celebrate birthdays?  Is it wrong to celebrate the day of one’s birth? What does the Bible say about birthdays? Here is information you ought to know!

Almost everybody, today, celebrates birthdays. Around the world, friends and relatives hold birthday parties, give gifts to the one being honored, and wish “Happy birthday!” to the onewhose birthday is being celebrated.

But why?

Where did this universal custom originate?

Though you look in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you will find no mention anywhere of any of the saints of God observing their birthdays.  In fact, strange as it may seem tomany, even the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ is NOWHERE REVEALED in Scripture!

We read in the Encyclopedia Judaica, “The celebration of birthdays is unknown in traditional Jewish ritual” (vol.4, p.1054).  It points out that the only reference to a birthday in the Bible is that of Pharaoh of Egypt. 

The universal custom of observing Christmas as the birth of Christ, on December 25th, is acknowledged by all the historical authorities as having no basis in actual fact. Jesus Christ was born nowhere near December 25th, in the dead of winter.  See our article, “When Was Jesus Born?” 

If the very day of Jesus’ birth is deliberately left out of the Bible, doesn’t that fact tell us something?  If birthdays should be celebrated, why did God leave the date of His own Son’s birth out of Holy Scripture?

The plain truth is that birth day celebrations are only mentioned twice in the Scriptures -- once in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament – and both times in reference to customs being observed by unconverted, pagan people -- an Egyptian Pharaoh, and wicked king Herod!  Notice what happened on these two instances of “birth day celebrations” recorded in the Word of God.

Pharaoh of Egypt

In the book of Genesis we read: “And it came to pass the third day, which was PHARAOH'SBIRTHDAY, that he made a feast [BIRTHDAY PARTY] unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh’s hand: but he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them” (Genesis 40:20-22).

Notice! This was a birthday party, nothing less! It was being observed by a pagan Egyptian Pharaoh -- not a man of God. This is the only example of a clear cut birthday celebration in all the Old Testament -- and it was being observed by a PAGAN KING!

The Origin of Birthdays

This fact, however, should not be overly surprising. Writes Linda Rannells Lewis inBirthdays, “Birthdays have been celebrated for thousands of years. In early civilizations, where the development of a calendar made an organized reckoning of birth dates possible, thehoroscopes of ruling monarchs, their successors and rivals had to be cast with care and birthday omens meticulously examined, for the prospects of the mighty would affect the prospects of the entire society. By the time of Ptolemy V this practice was well established: ‘Ptolemy, the ever living, the beloved of Ptah, the son of the two Brother-Gods, was born on the fifth day of the month DIOS, and this day was, in consequence, the beginning of great prosperity and happiness of all living men and women’” (p. 12).

Ptolemy V was an ancient Egyptian king. It was common in his day for kings and rulers to have their horoscopes made by astrologers and their birthdays were considered very important omens of the future.

The false science of astrology, of course, makes a great deal out of the positions of the sun, moon and stars at the moment or day of one’s birth. Astrology teaches that the position of the sun, moon and stars at the moment of one’s birth determines their future destiny, their character, their personality, talents, health, and so forth. They cast horoscopes, or birth charts, to understand the supposed significance of a person’s birthday.

Astrology, as the Word of God plainly shows, is a pagan, false religious deception -- a fraud and a mythological pseudo-science.

God Almighty says to the daughter of Babylon(Isa. 47:1), the great pagan religious deception which has engulfed the world, “Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the ASTROLOGERS, the star-gazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be as STUBBLE; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame” (Isaiah 47:13-14).

Writes Lewis, in Birthdays, “Birthday celebrations, even at this early stage, were not strictly reserved for the great rulers. Society adapts for its communal use those practices of the elite which it admires and can afford. In the fifth century before Christ, the Greek historian Herodotus, describing the festivals of thePersiansBIRTHDAY ABOVE ALL OTHER DAYS: and on this day they furnish their table in a more plentiful manner than at other times. The rich then produce an ox, a horse, a camel, and an ass, roasted whole in an oven; but the poor produce smaller cattle.”

Lewis continues, “In Egypt households of the same period birthdays were celebrated similarly. A part of the family budget was set aside to buy birthday garlands and animals for sacrifice, just as we might plan to spend a certain sum for balloons, party hats, and an ice cream cake” (pages 12-13).

This author goes on, “Among prosperous Greek families a birth feast, a coming-of-age feast, and feasts after death held on the anniversary of the day of birth were observed, but otherwise there were no annual birthday ceremonials. The birthdays of the immortals were ritually acknowledged once a month, however, the third day of each month being sacred to Athena, Ares, and Saturn, for instance” (ibid.).

The emperors of Rome often went to extreme in their own birthday celebrations. When the first birthday of Drusilla, the daughter of Caligula, approached, the emperor arranged a party suitable for the infant daughter of a “god” (himself). To celebrate her birthday, two days of horse racing were held, and a ritual slaughter of 300 bears, and 500 various beasts from Libya, in the amphitheater of Taurus, was held.

The Command of God

What does Almighty God say to His people about celebrating such days in honor of one’s own self, and one’s own individual ego? 

The whole message of God is to teach us to humble ourselves, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves – to get rid of ego and self-centeredness.  Birthdays have the opposite effect.  They concentrate the attention on the birthday person, glorifying him – not God – and exalting him – not God – and having people bring him presents.  Thus paying “homage” to the birthday child.  This is the height of conceit and fosters a spirit of get, selfishness, and self-worship.  Self, self, self!  The whole extravaganza creates pride and lofty conceit in selfishness in a child.  The typical birthday party is therefore one of the deceptions of the devil, made to look attractive and nice on the outside, but full of wickedness on the inside.

We have already seen the proof that these celebrations were distinctly pagan in origin. But does it make any difference whether we observe birthdays or not? 

If our purpose is to build godly and holy offspring and loving, giving, godly children, thenwe should want to do NOTHING that would hinder this godly purpose – put no temptations in their pathway – do nothing to encourage them to think too highly of themselves in pride and arrogance.  Rather, we should teach them to give, to serve, to be humble, to revere God and His Word, and to love other children and seek to help, serve, and honor them.   Giving is much better than “getting.”  Cain was named “Get,” for his name meant “gotten,” as Eve said, “I have gotten a man-child from the Lord” (Gen.4:1).

Birthday celebrations were definitely of pagan origin.  Should God’s people emulate the pagans and pagan societies around them? 

God inspired the prophet Jeremiah to write,Iin plain terms,  “Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thussaith the Lord, LEARN NOT  THE  WAY OF THE HEATHEN, and be not dismayed at the signs of the heaven (astrology!); for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE ARE VAIN” (Jeremiah 10:1-3).

Clearly, Almighty God commands His people not to follow in the ways, customs, and practices of the heathen, pagan nations around them! Obviously, therefore, the Word of God does NOT sanction or approve of public birthday celebrations or birthday parties! 

God is even more plain in His Word. Celebrating birthdays with lavish birthday parties was a pagan Egyptian custom. God commands His people, “After the DOING OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, wherein ye dwelt, SHALL YE NOT DO: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances” (Leviticus 18:3).

God goes on, in this same chapter, after listing more of the evil practices of the heathen, “DEFILE YE NOT YOURSELVES IN ANY OF THESE THINGS: for in all these the nations are defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself VOMITETH out her inhabitants.”

“Ye shall therefore keep MY statutes and MY judgments” -- which did NOT include birthday celebrations! – “and shall NOT COMMIT ANY OF THESE ABOMINATIONS; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these ABOMINATIONS have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;) That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you” (Leviticus 18:24-28).

Does this sound strong?   Almighty God does not sanction, approve or endorse ANY of the pagan customs of the nations of the world! They are an ABOMINATION to Him!  Birthday parties may seem so innocent and good on the surface, for the children, but all is not as it seems on the surface.  Parents, beware!  If you truly love your children then raise them according to GOD’scustoms and teachings!  This will protect them from the temptations of the devil, vanity, pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness!

God feels very strongly about these kinds of things which foster selfishness, pride, ego, and arrogance.  He commands His people, “Therefore shall ye keep MINE ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these ABOMINABLE CUSTOMS, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 18:29-30).  Although the customs being discussed in this chapter of Leviticus dealt primarily with religious worship and pagan religious customs, by extension the same principle would apply to pagan derived birthday customs. 

Most of the customs God mentioned in Leviticus 18 were abominable sexual practices common among the heathen, and common in the world around us, today. But verse 3 of this chapter says we are not to do “after the doings of the land of EGYPT.”   

This clearly shows that the celebrations of BIRTHDAYS, so common in Egypt, was among the prohibitions of Almighty God!  We are not to follow those misleading customs which direct attention to oneself in a frivolous display of VANITY and self-centered egotism and pride! Pride, remember, was the cause for the downfall of Lucifer, the archangel or cherubim who rebelled against God.  “Your heart was proud because of your beauty,” God said, “you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor” (Ezek.28:17).  For his pride and overweening self-centeredness, God says, “I cast you to the ground” (v.18). 

Let us fear God and KEEP His commandments!

What About New Testament Times?

Even as there is only one example of birthday celebrations in the Old Testament, so the New Testament also gives us only one such example -- that of the wicked, apostate king Herod, one of the worst butchers who ever lived.

Herod was notorious for his wickedness. He was a complete pagan at heart. Notice! He celebrated his own birthday, and see what happened!

“But when Herod's BIRTHDAY WAS KEPT, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.” The entertainment at his birthday party included a very erotic, sensual dance, very likely a strip tease of some sort. Herod was fascinated by the gyrations and movements of the lithe young female dancer, his wife’s daughter.

“Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John the Baptist's head in a charger.”

“And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus” (Matthew 14:6-12).  Here again, at a pagan birthday party, somebody was killed -- this time it was one of God’s greatest servants, John the Baptizer!

And this occurred all because of a birthday party!

It should be plain that true servants of God do not observe their birthdays and make a “big deal” out of them, or hold parties to celebrate them.  The pagans do – but not true Christians or followers of the Messiah, who seek His blessing on their activities! 

Should Christians celebrate birthdays? Obviously, the answer from the Word of God is a resounding NO! Birthdays are one more Satanic deception, like Christmas and Easter, which foster and inculcate the wrong kind of spirit and demeanor in a child.  Therefore such an observance is an abomination in the sight of God. Birthday celebrations are not among the Biblical customs of the Bible

The fact is, the Bible is totally SILENT on the date of the birth of every single servant of God, including Abraham, Noah, Moses, Samuel, David, the apostles, and most important of all, Jesus Christ Himself! 

In God’s sight, the actual time and day of a person’s birth is not the important thing.  Wise king Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, under divine inspiration, “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1, NRSV). 

The Early Church

The day of one’s birth is not the important thing.  It is merely the beginning of our life’s journey.  What is important is what we DO with our lives, not how or where we begin.  

The early Church of God understood this fact. Lewis writes in Birthdays, “When the Christian church sought to substitute the authority of a religious hierarchy for the hegemony of the individual ego, BIRTHDAYS BECOME UNWELCOME REMINDERS OF PAGAN EXCESS and the degradation assumed in Adam's heritage. Celebrating the self was bad” (p.14).

Origen of Alexandria, in 245 A.D., wrote in a dissertation on Leviticus:

“None of the saints can be found who ever held a feast or a banquet upon his birthday,                 or rejoiced on the day when his son or daughter was born. But sinners rejoice and make                   merry on such days. For we find in the Old Testament that Pharaoh, king of Egypt,                celebrated his birthday with a feast, and that Herod, in the New Testament did the                same. But the saints not only neglect to mark the day of their birth with festivity, but                  also, filled with the Holy Spirit, they curse this day, after the example of Job and               Jeremiah and David.

For the true Christian, this life is a life of struggle and overcoming. The flesh is weak and prone to sin and lust. The carnal human mind is enmity against God (Romans 8:7). We must learn to throttle, subjugate, and subdue the pulls of the flesh, by the power of God's Spirit (Romans 7:1-25; 8:1-14).

Therefore, we do not celebrate the day we put on this fleshly tabernacle, but rather the day when we will put it off, and be clothed upon with a NEW BODY, pure and perfect, from heaven (Romans 8:22-23). In the meantime “we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (verse 23).

The Christian Attitude

For the true Christian, this life is a life of trials and tests. As David wrote, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous” (Psalms 34:19).  And the apostle Paul declared, “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

The apostle Paul also wrote, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”

“For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (II Cor.4:8-11).

For Christians, this present mortal life is not an end in itself.  It is filled with trials, tests, troubles, and pains.  We do not celebrate our birth into the “vail of tears,” but we celebrate our NEW BIRTH in CHRIST which will occur at the resurrection, when the Messiah returns!  Our hope is for the coming of Christ, and theresurrection!

Because we suffer greatly and often, in the flesh, we do not glory in the flesh, or in the day of our fleshly birth. It is of no consequence. But we look to the future, not to the past, and to theKingdom of God!  As Paul wrote, “For whichcause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen (the physical around us), but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Cor. 4:16-18).

This present physical life, therefore, is a proving ground.  It is like going to school.  We don’t graduate until death, or until the coming of the Lord!  Do people celebrate when they begin to go to school or college?  Or don’t they celebrate when they GRADUATE AND GET THEIR DIPLOMA?  Merely beginning life is nothing to boast about!  It is where we end up that really counts! 

Paul wrote, in the very next chapter of II Corinthians, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens. For in this we GROAN, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is FROM HEAVEN. . . For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being BURDENED: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of LIFE” (II Cor. 5:1-4).

As Paul wrote in I Corinthians, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain” (ICor. 15:13-14).

Paul felt so strongly about this fact, that he declared, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men MOST MISERABLE” (verse 19). But our hope is not for this life!  Paul went on, “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (v. 20).

This entire chapter shows us that the true hope of the Christian is the resurrection of the dead, when we shall all “be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be CHANGED. For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:51-52).

That is the day we will celebrate -- not our physical birthdays, when we were literally born into a lifetime of struggle, trials, suffering, death, misery, and privation, persecution, strife, and pain. Not at all! We look forward to and celebrate the second coming of Christ, and the resurrection of the dead saints which will occur at His coming!

As Paul wrote to the Philipians, “Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but LOSS for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but DUNG, that I may win Christ...That I may know him, and the POWER of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Phil. 3:8, 10-11).

This was Paul's one ambition, one driving desire, in life. He declared, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND (such as birthdays!), and REACHING FORTH unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14).

This present life is as nothing.  It is full of pain and suffering. If we follow Christ, then we will suffer as He suffered, leaving us an example (I Peter 4:13; 2:21). But the end result -- the eternal reward ahead of us -- makes it all worthwhile!

During this life we experience the “fellowship of his sufferings” (Phil. 3:11). We are one with Him in suffering, that we might become one with Him in glory and eternal life!

Paul wrote, “Who shall CHANGE OUR VILE BODY, that it might be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Phil. 3:21).

How much greater this is, than celebrating our birthdays of this fragile, temporary, transitory, weak, clay, human existence!

Avoid Pagan Birthdays

The World Book -- Childcraft International says regarding “Holidays and Birthdays,” “For thousands of years people all over the world have thought of a birthday as a very special day. Long ago, people believed that on a birthday a person could be helped by good spirits, or hurt by evil spirits. So, when a person had a birthday, friends and relatives gathered to protect him or her. And that's how birthday parties began.”

“The idea of putting candles on birthday cakes goes back to ancient Greece. The Greeks worshipped many gods and goddesses. Among them was one called Artemis.

“Artemis was the goddess of the moon. The Greeks celebrated her birthday once each month by bringing special cakes to her temple. The cakes were round like a full moon. And, because the moon glows with light, the cakes were decorated with lighted candles.”

This authority goes on:

“More and more, though, people the world over attach a certain magic to their actual date of birth. . . We may wear a ring with our birthstone in it for good luck. And when we blow out the candles on our birthday cake, we are careful to keep what we wished a secret. If we tell, of course, our wish won't come true.

“In other words, WE FOLLOW MANY OF THE OLD BIRTHDAY BELIEFS. We pay attention to the meanings of old-time birth symbols. And WE CARRY ON THE OLD CELEBRATIONS. We don’t necessarily take them seriously. We do these things mainly for fun. But it is also possible that there is something deep inside us that wants to believe.”

Why do people say, “Happy birthday!” to each other? Says this authority, “For the good wishes of our friends and relatives are supposed to protect us from evil spirits.”

What about birthday thumps, bumps, pinches, and the like?

“In many parts of the world, it is a tradition to give the birthday child pinches, smacks, spanks, thumps, bumps, or punches. Even though they may hurt a little, they are said to be very lucky. . .

“The reason for birthday spanks is to spank away any evil spirits and send them scurrying far into the distance. Punches, thumps, and pinches, the harder the better, are supposed to do the very same thing. . .

“Party snappers, horns, bursting balloons, firecrackers, and other noisemakers are just one more way of trying to scare off any bad-luck spirits that may be hovering about.”

What about traditional birthday games, such as “Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey”?

“The games we play at birthday parties are often a symbol of trying to know the unknown. In this case, of course, the unknown is the future, or the new year of life that lies ahead for the birthday child.

“One of the oldest birthday games is Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey. A large picture of a donkey without a tail is pinned to the wall.  Each child at the party is given a donkey’s tail made out of paper and a pin to stick through it.  Then, one by one, the children are blindfolded. They are spun around a few times and pointed in the general direction of the donkey. The child who pins the tail the closest to where it should be on the donkey wins the prize.

“There are other versions of this game, such as Pin-the Nose-on-the-Clown or Pin-the-Ear-on-the-Bunny. But the idea of trying to guess correctly, while blindfolded, is the same.”

All these customs and traditions connected with the observance of birthdays have to do with guessing the future, good wishes for the future, good luck charms against evil spirits, and the like. All the birthday rituals, games, and ceremonies are a form of well-wishing toward the birthday child, which are supposed to work their magic in the year ahead.

But, as we have seen, the custom is totally PAGAN!  The ceremonies and games involve warding off evil spirits and protecting the birthday child from evil.  These are pagan customs – vain and foolish rituals -- nothing but useless pagan SUPERSTITION!

Should God’s people have anything to do with ceremonies that trace back ancient pagan societies and pagan times, involving pagan practices?  Should a true Christian indulge himself or his or her children in pagan birthday parties, just because they seem so attractive, fun, and “innocuous”?

The Word of God thunders, “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? andwhat communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

“And what agreement hath the temple of Godwith IDOLS? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

“Wherefore COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, and BE YE SEPARATE, saith the Lord, and touch not the UNCLEAN THING; and I will receive you, and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (II Corinthians 6:14-18).

Let’s look at this custom objectively.  Why should we subject our children to it?  All the comparisons, who gets the best present, competition, and strife that inevitably follows? Let’s ge honst and face it. In God’s sight, birthday parties and celebrations are not clean, honest, honorable, fun things to do.  They are unclean things – and lead a child in the wrong direction. They turn people away from the truths of God and idolize the SELF.  Therefore, as Christians, we should have nothing whatsoever to do with them!

A Balanced Approach

 

            Having said this, we must remember that our neighbors don’t know these things or see things things like we do.  They think it’s all innocent fun.  Even other members of our own families may think the same way.  They wonder why we won’t participate in these things – “for the children.” 

 

            Although we don’t want to compromise the word of God, or ever do anything He tells us to avoid, that does not mean we need to offend other people, or set a wrong example toward them.  We should always be gracious, and kind, and loving of others, and patient with them, avoiding unnecessary controversy and arguments. 

 

            If a family member or relative has a birthday, and invites you, you can simply explain the situation, and your own beliefs, in a humble, positive manner.  And decline the invitation. 

 

            However, if the other family or individual says there is not going to be anything pagan, or the usual birthday customs, that it is merely a time to get together for family fellowship, or friendship, for a nice meal, with a cake, and that it is just a family event, that would not necessarily be wrong.  We should not go overboard in these things. 

 

            Solomon also wrote, “Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself?  Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time?” (Ecclesiastes 7:16-17, NRSV).

 

            Always be discreet, modest, and friendly, in dealing with people.  Attending a simple family dinner on one’s birthday, where family members give a present to honor one member’s birthday, is not the same thing as holding a birthday bash and inviting all the kids in the neighborhood, or a big political event, or a huge public celebration. 

 

            A small family affair, just for the family, I believe, would be all right in God’s sight, with no emphasis on the birthday itself or any pagan trappings.  Sometimes it may seem difficult to get our balance in these things, but we can do it if we persevere, and do all things in love and wisdom. 

 

            We don’t need to fall into the ditch along the right hand side of the road, or plunge into the ditch alongside the left hand side of the road, either.  We should simply use caution – take care – be careful – and be prayerful – a draw a line between right and wrong.  A simple dinner, with a few presents for your loved one (son, daughter, father, mother, etc.), would be perfectly in line with God’s Word.  For God does command us, “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

 

And Paul also says, “And father, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (see Ephesians 6:1-4).  “Fathers, do not provoke your children or they may lose heart” (Colossians3:21).

 

Children, be good to your parents; and you parents, be good to your children.  Don’t deny them good things.  And to give them something special on their birthday is perfectly all right. Just be sure you don’t allow it to become a pagan “birthday party” or “birthday celebration” of the sort which has wrong connotations and creates the wrong atmosphere and imparts the wrong kind of influence. 

 

Keep God’s principles in mind.  Be balanced! Avoid excess!  Avoid any and all pagan trappings or anything resembling evil.  But on the other hand, don’t be afraid to give something nice to a family member or relative on any other day of the year. 

THE WHORE OF BABYLON

This study about the whore of Babylon is such an important one for the time we are living in, and it is our sincere prayer that you will look at this with open eyes and let God guide you and teach you His truth. I cannot strongly enough state the importance of this study. The final judgment is soon to fall upon this world and upon Babylon, so you really need to find out who the whore is to make sure you are not joined with her and also receive of her plagues.

A lot of people today believe that Babylon is Islam. Some people believe that Babylon is literal city like New York. But I want to show you from the Bible why this cannot be right.

Below is PROOF that Babylon cannot be Islam or just a city or a country.

In Revelation 17 Babylon is guilty of committing "FORNICATION" and is a "WHORE". Now what is fornication? Well, we need to find out the BIBLICAL meaning of fornication. In the Bible, fornication is the act ofcommitting adultery against God by mixing with other Pagan nations and practices (traditions) and going after other gods. Look at how God described this in the book of Ezekiel speaking to His people ...

Ezekiel 16:26-32 ...'You have also committed FORNICATION with the Egyptians your neighbours, great of flesh; and have increased your WHOREDOMS, to provoke me to anger. You have played the WHORE also with the Assyrians, because you were unsatiable; yes, you have played the HARLOT with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing you doest all these things, the work of an imperious WHORISH WOMAN; In that you buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and have not been as an harlot, in that you scornest hire; But as a wife that committeth ADULTERY, which taketh strangers instead of her husband.'

Have a good read also of Ezekiel Chapter 23.

God's people in the Old Testament committed fornication against God and became a whore. And this is the important Biblical point. When God is talking about people committing adultery and being a whore in a prophetic, spiritual sense, like He is in Revelation. He is talking about people committing adultery AGAINST HIM. And the only people who can be guilty of committing fornication (adultery) against God today are 'professed' Christians.

Let me give you a literal example of a husband and a wife. Can the wife commit adultery against her husband by going after another man? Yes, because she is married to her husband. Now can any other woman commit fornication or adultery against the husband? No, because they are not married to him. So the same is with God. Those outside the Christian faith CANNOT commit adultery against God because they are not "married" to Him in the first place. Only Christians can commit adultery against God, because Christ Jesus is the husband (Bridegroom) and the church is His wife (bride). So Babylon the Great HAS to be a professing Christian church. Do you see this vital truth?

So why can't this be Islam? Because Islam rejects Jesus Christ as it's Saviour and therefore Muslims are not 'married' to Christ. He is not their 'husband'. Therefore they cannot commit adultery against God and be a whore, because they are not married to Him in the first place.

Also Islam does not have the proper system of organization or the global political reach to be able to have control over the 'kings of the world'. Plus Muslims can't agree amongst themselves and are constantly warring against each other. No, there is only ONE religion which is regarded as the 'mother' church who has the world political reach to be Babylon!

And here is more proof ..

In Revelation 18 we read about the judgment of the Whore of Babylon. And in verse 23 it says ... "the light of the candle shall shine no more at all in thee, and thevoice of the Bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more in thee." ... Now, have a good think about this. Whether we take this symbolically or literally, there is only one kind of place this could be talking about. If we take this symbolically, then the bride and Bridegroom is a Biblical reference to Jesus Christ and His church (2 Corinthians 11:2; Matthew 25:6). Also, if we take this literally, then where do we see brides and bridegrooms? IN A CHURCH. So Babylon has to be a professed Christian church.

NOTE: Babylon cannot be America or any other country, because Bible prophecy clearly portrays a country as a BEAST, not a woman. See Daniel 7:23 and Revelation 13. These BEASTS represent countries.

God has given us a number of indentification marks so that we need not second guess who the whore of Babylon is, also known as Babylon the Great. But first, just to confirm before we get into the various identification marks of Babylon, a woman in prophecy represents a church.

2 Corinthians 11:2 ...'For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.'

Isaiah 62:5 ...'For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee

Christ Jesus is the "husband" of His church and the church is the "bride". And just as the woman in Revelation 12 represents the pure church of Christ, the woman in Revelation 17 represents a fallen, apostate church. So if the whore of Babylon represents a church, then it obviously cannot simply be a city like New York or any other religion like Islam. Now interestingly, the apostle Peter also refers to Babylon in one of his letters ... 1 Peter 5:13 ...'Thechurch that is at BABYLON.' ... There is agreement between a number of commentators that Peter was referring to Rome when he said Babylon. So Peter is speaking to the church in ROME.

Peter is saying that ROME is Babylon. But who is the WHORE of Rome (Babylon)?

"The penetration of the religion of Babylon became so general and well known that Rome was called the 'New Babylon'." (Cardinal Gibbons, Faith of our fathers 1917 ed. p. 106)

Let's look at the other identification marks of Babylon the Great to find out exactly who this whore is.

Identification Marks of The Whore of Babylon

IDENTITY 1 - Revelation 17:1 ...'I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters

So this church, the whore of babylon, sits upon many waters. What does this mean? Well, if we let the Bible interpret itself, we can find out the answer ...Revelation 17:15 ...'And he saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.' ... So the waters represent the people and nations around the world. And if you sit upon something, then you are being supported by that object. So this is a church that has WORLDWIDE support from all different people and nations. Did you know that the Roman Catholic Church is the biggest church in the world with over 1 BILLION members?

IDENTITY 2 - Revelation 17:2 ...'the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.'

So this is a church that has influenced kings thoughout the past 2000 years and continues to have 'diplomatic relations' with nations all over the world. Now we know from history that the popes of the Roman Catholic Church certainly had 'authority' over the kings of the earth, which is how the Catholic Church was able to have so many Christians killed during the dark ages and inquisitions.

Take a look at this quote from 2007 ... "The Catholic Church is the only religious institution that can enter into diplomatic relations and that interests itself in international rights, acting through the Holy See, an international sovereign subject of singular characteristics." (Monsignor Pietro Parolin, Undersecretary for Relations with States, http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/holy-see-insists-that-it-has-right-to-speak)

This is an amazing quote in which the Catholic undersecretary unwittingly confirms the Roman Catholic Church as being the whore of Babylon! It is the ONLY religious institution that can have diplomatic relations with the 'kings of the world'. Amazing!

The Vatican now has 'Diplomatic RELATIONS' with 180 Nations

Also, the inhabitants of the earth have certainly been made drunk with the false teachings (wine) of the Catholic Church. Not only are there over 1 BILLION Catholics deceived by her teachings, even the majority of Protestant Christians still hold onto some Catholic false doctrines, like the Sunday sabbath, eternal hell fire, immortal soul, etc..

Please see HERE for a sample of Roman Catholic false teachings.

IDENTITY 3 - Revelation 17:4 ...'And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.'

So the main colours of this church, the whore of Babylon is Purple and Scarlet. And it is also a very wealthy church that is decked out with gold and precious stones. Did you know that the main colours of the Bishops and Cardinals in the Catholic Church are Purple and Scarlet? And did you know that the Roman Catholic Church is one of, if not THE most wealthiest institution in the world? With the Vatican being decked out with gold and precious stones? And if you look at some of the coins that the Vatican has had produced, you will see images of a woman with a golden cup in her hand on them. Blatantly boasting of who she is!

This cup full of abominations is also a symbol that the sins of this church are so great and full that it is now a fallen, apostate church that can never be the church of Christ Jesus. And the sins of the Roman Catholic Church are immense, with it's idolatry, murder, child abuse and so on, that she has committed throughout her history, and CONTINUES to commit.

And when the mark of the Papal Church is enforced upon the world, THEN the message of Revelation 18:2 will go out to the world, and her fall into apostasy will be COMPLETE!

IDENTITY 4 - Revelation 17:5 ...'And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH

So the whore of Babylon is shrouded in mystery. Now the only church that I know of that is shrouded in mystery is the Roman Catholic Church. Outsiders are kept in the dark as to what really goes on behind closed doors at the Vatican. There is certainly a lot of mysterious behaviour that goes on with the Papacy. And what about Babylon the Great being the "MOTHER of harlots"? Did you know that the Protestant churches CAME OUT of the Roman Catholic Church? Did you know that many of them are now going back to the Catholic Church? There is no other church that has "harlot daughters" like the Papal Church of Rome does. And she is even regarded as the "MOTHER" church.

And what church is the "MOTHER" of abominations of the earth? Literal Babylon from the Old Testament is the original mother of abominations, but the Roman Catholic Church is the spiritual mother of abominations that took on many of the Pagan customs of original Babylon.

See THIS SHOCKING LIST of Vatican crimes against children!

IDENTITY 5 - Revelation 17:6 ...'And I saw the womandrunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.'

So this church, the whore of Babylon is drunk with the blood of the saints. Now notice that it doesn't say she just has the blood of saints on her hands. It says that she is DRUNK with the blood of God's people. So this church is guilty of not just killing a few Christians. She is guilty of killing MANY, MANY of God's people. Did you know that the Roman Catholic Church has caused TENS OF MILLIONS of Christians to be persecuted and brutally murdered? Yes, this woman is the Roman Catholic Church indeed!

IDENTITY 6 - Revelation 17:18 ...'And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.'

Now many people look at this verse and proclaim"BABYLON IS A CITY, IT'S NEW YORK!!", and they totally disregard all the other characteristics of Babylon, which show that the whore of Babylon cannot just be a literal city like New York. BUT, if we take ALL the indentification marks together, including this city one, then we can see who it is. We know from the evidence that Babylon the Great is a church. So how can we bring this church and city together? Well, what is the one city which is also a church that "reigns" over the nations of the world? What one city, which is also a church has diplomatic relations with virtually all the world's nations? VATICAN CITY!

The papacy is so influential and powerful that nearly every major country consults her before making major policy moves. "Her large diplomatic corps maintains relations with more than 100 nations." (U.S. News and World Report, October 30, 1978, p. 24)

The Vatican now has 'Diplomatic RELATIONS' with 180 Nations. Only 16 left for her to haveFULL UNION with the whole world!

IDENTITY 7 - Revelation 17:6 ...'and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration

What is the one church that people would look at with awe and wonder? The Roman Catholic Church, with all her splendor and pomp. Millions of people flock to the Vatican each year and wonder at the "majesty" and splendor of the place.

IDENTITY 8 - Revelation 17:9 ...'And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth

Does this match the Roman Catholic Church? Yes. The Vatican is situated in Rome, and early Rome was known as the city of seven hills. Those hills being, Aventine Hill; Caelian Hill; Capitoline Hill; Esquiline Hill; Palatine Hill; Quirinal Hill; Viminal Hill. Are there other cities around the world with seven hills? Yes, but when you take into account ALL of the other characteristics of Babylon the Great, then only the Roman Catholic Church matches them all perfectly.

So who is the whore of Babylon? The Roman Catholic Church. No other church, religion, kingdom or institution matches her like the Papal Church of Rome does. And God is calling His people out of Babylonand the other fallen churches of the world (Babylon's daughters).

It's not just the Roman Catholic Church that God is calling His people out of. There is a great ecumenical movement happening today that is uniting all churches and faiths together. So if your church accepts this ecumencial movement, then you need to come out of that church also. Revelation 17 says that Babylon has daughters, and her daughters are the Protestant churches that came out of the Roman Catholic Church during the reformation. But are now heading back to Rome! Please heed the call!

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE RAPTURE AND THE SECOND COMING?

The rapture and the second coming of Christ are often confused. Sometimes it is difficult to determine whether a scripture verse is referring to the rapture or the second coming. However, in studying end-times Bible prophecy, it is very important to differentiate between the two.

The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns to remove the church (all believers in Christ) from the earth. The rapture is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Believers who have died will have their bodies resurrected and, along with believers who are still living, will meet the Lord in the air. This will all occur in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye. The second coming is when Jesus returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. The second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16.

The important differences between the rapture and second coming are as follows:

1) At the rapture, believers meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). At the second coming, believers return with the Lord to the earth (Revelation 19:14).

2) The second coming occurs after the great and terrible tribulation (Revelation chapters 6"19). The rapture occurs before the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

3) The rapture is the removal of believers from the earth as an act of deliverance (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 5:9). The second coming includes the removal of unbelievers as an act of judgment (Matthew 24:40-41).

4) The rapture will be secret and instant (1 Corinthians 15:50-54). The second coming will be visible to all (Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:29-30).

5) The second coming of Christ will not occur until after certain other end-times events take place (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Matthew 24:15-30; Revelation chapters 6"18). The rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).

Why is it important to keep the rapture and the second coming distinct?

1) If the rapture and the second coming are the same event, believers will have to go through the tribulation (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10).

2) If the rapture and the second coming are the same event, the return of Christ is not imminent"there are many things which must occur before He can return (Matthew 24:4-30).

3) In describing the tribulation period, Revelation chapters 6"19 nowhere mentions the church. During the tribulation"also called "the time of trouble for Jacob" (Jeremiah 30:7)"God will again turn His primary attention to Israel (Romans 11:17-31).

The rapture and second coming are similar but separate events. Both involve Jesus returning. Both are end-times events. However, it is crucially important to recognize the differences. In summary, the rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God's wrath. The second coming is the return of Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end and to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire.