|
Merry Christmas!
---------------------|
| | Israelites camping around the Holy Spirit during their 40 years of wandering in the desert |
More to the Story
The real reason we celebrate Christmas
Most of the world knows about the Christmas holiday, at least superficially. Between the false-Jesus Santa Claus steering most of the holiday attention toward gift-giving, and the atheists' push to remove "God" from everything, it's becoming more and more rare to see much emphasis on the Biblical reason for Jesus' birth.
And by Biblical reason, we mean more than the Sunday School story. Yes, the adventure of Mary and Joseph, their journey to Bethlehem, no place to stay, etc., is awesome, but what seems to get lost in the story is the real reason of "why."
To really understand the depths of what we're celebrating, let's look back at the background, topography and culture of the Jews at that time.
Blood Sacrifices
When the earth was first created, God communed with Adam and Eve--walking and talking in the midst of them. That close personal relationship was lost when they sinned by being disobedient to God. And the sin infection was passed down to every human born of an earthly father, separating every human from God and His heavenly glory.
To rectify the situation, the Lord set up a system of blood sacrifices so those who are covered by the blood sacrifice are set free from the consequences of sin.
'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'
Lev 17:11
"...without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Heb. 9:22
Sacrificing animals/shedding their blood for atonement of sin enabled God to again live among the sinners. For instance, when the Jews were wandering for 40 years in the desert, God lived in the Tabernacle and Israel, because of their blood sacrifices, could encamp around Him.
"Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Ex. 40:34
"Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, the sons of Israel shall camp... around the tent of meeting (Tabernacle) at a distance. Num. 2:1-2
Notice in the verse above that they had to camp "at a distance" from the Tabernacle area. Animal sacrifices were limited and could not change God's relationship with humans to be like it was in the Garden of Eden. Animal sacrifices were only a temporary solution that allowed God to be close, but not intimate.
"For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Heb. 10:4
A permanent remedy was needed, a blood sacrifice that would forever take care of the sin issue. Since man was incapable of saving himself, and God so loved the world, He would have to provide the perfect sacrifice.
Therefore the purpose of Jesus being born (named Emmanuel or "God with us") was so God could take on human flesh. This  way He could lead a sinless life in order to be a perfect and permanent blood sacrifice.
So the temporary atoning sacrifices in the Old Testament revealed the need for a permanent sacrifice/atonement for sin.
References to sacrifices show up early in the Old Testament, Genesis 3, and continue through Revelation 22. Here's a list of the most notable:
4000 BC, God, Genesis 3
After Adam and Eve's fall, God killed an animal in order to provide them with animal skins to cover their nakedness.
3970 BC, Abel Genesis 4
Abel brought the first blood sacrifice to the Lord. His brother's sacrifice of food was not acceptable.
3000 BC, Noah Genesis 8After the flood, the first thing Noah did was build an altar and make a blood sacrifice to the Lord.  1872 BC, Abraham Genesis 22 Abraham, by faith/trusting God, attempted to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on Mt. Moriah. The Lord halted the sacrifice and substituted an animal to be sacrificed instead.
1450 BC, Moses Genesis 31
Moses petitioned the Egyptian Pharaoh to be able to take the Israelites into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord. The Pharaoh refuses and pays a severe price--the devastation of the 10 plagues and ultimately the loss of his army and all his Hebrew slaves.
1450 BC, Passover Exodus 12
 The Lord gave specific instructions for the blood of a one-year-old male goat or lamb to be spread over each family's door so the "Angel of Death" would pass over that house. To remember this miracle, the Lord required the Jews to celebrate "Passover" once a year. To celebrate Passover, the Law required a one-year-old male lamb to be killed and its blood sprinkled on the base of the Altar, located in front of the Tabernacle in the wilderness and later at the Temple on Mt. Moriah.
1452 BC, Tabernacle in the Desert Exodus 29 
After departing Egypt, God gave the Israelites specific instructions for building a Tabernacle. He also gave the Law--613 specific commands that include a detailed sacrificial system for both individuals and also for the nation.
960 BC, 1st Jewish Temple In Jerusalem 1Kings 8
Solomon dedicated the Jewish Temple on Mt. Moriah by sacrificing 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Sacrifices were forbidden to take place anywhere but on Mt. Moriah, the same mountain where Abraham offered Isaac. The Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC.
|
| |
The only surviving image of
the Second Temple is on this
Jewish coin minted during
the Jewish Revolt, 66-70AD
|
516 BC, 2nd Jewish Temple Ezra 6After 70 years of Babylonian captivity, the Jews returned to Jerusalem and first re-instituted blood sacrifices on the Altar outside the Temple building. They then rebuilt the Temple, referred to as Zerubbabel's Temple.
19 BC, Herod's Temple
Herod the Great took Zerubbabel's Temple down to the foundations to rebuild it from the ground up. Sacrifices were never stopped so the Jews consider this a renovation, not a new Temple.
Most of the work was completed before Herod died in 4 BC, but it was not totally finished until 63 AD. In 66 AD the Jews revolted and after a bloody battle with the Roman Empire, they took over control of Jerusalem for 4 years.
The somewhat embarrassed Roman Empire got its revenge. In 70 AD, the Roman army under Titus defeated the Jews and took the gold and silver from the Temple back to Rome as spoils of war.
|
| |
A commemorative arch was built in Rome attesting to the great
spoils of war from the looting of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD. The carving
shows a triumphal procession displaying the solid gold menorah,
gold trumpets, silver fire pans, the silver table of showbread,
and Jewish slaves.
|
During the siege, the Temple caught fire and some of the gold adorning the curtains and walls melted, running down into the cracks of the stones. To get every last ounce of gold, the Romans pulled apart every stone of the Temple, fulfilling the prophecy by Jesus:
"not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." Matt. 24:2|
| |
The Roman Colosseum was financed
from the gold and silver looted from
the Jewish Temple in 70 AD.
|
The amount of gold and silver recovered from this Roman victory over the Jews was astronomical. In fact, the riches were so great that this is where the Roman Empire got the money to build the massive and iconic Roman Colosseum!
Work began on the colosseum in 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD. Most of the labor came from the over 100,000 Jewish slaves captured in the Jewish Revolt victory.
|
| |
Close-up of the sign in the Colosseum
attesting to how it was financed.
|
When you tour the Ancient Roman Colosseum today, the tour guides will never mention this fact. But there is a small sign, hard to find, inside the Colosseum that admits where the money came from to construct such a massive structure.
Sorry, got off on a tangent. Back to our study of blood sacrifices. All of those temporary atoning sacrifices pointed to the need for an ultimate sacrifice. So that brings us up to the Time of Christ.
33 AD, Time of Jesus
By the time Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem sacrifices were entrenched in a Jew's life. Sacrifices, called burnt offerings, were performed twice daily at the Temple. "...This is the offering by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs one year old without defect as a continual burnt offering every day." Num.28:3
As mentioned before, in the spring celebration of Passover each family sacrificed a
|
| |
Sacrifices were preformed daily in
the Jewish Temple compound.
|
one-year-old unblemished lamb. Josephus, a Jewish historian living at the time of Christ, said the number of lambs sacrificed at Passover one year was 256,500. Wow! It took a lot of animal blood to cover the sins of the people. To meet this demand, a huge supply of lambs was furnished by the shepherds tending flocks in the nearby fields surrounding Bethlehem, only five miles south of Jerusalem. In the time of Christ, Bethlehem was fully encircled by shepherd fields where tens of thousands of sheep were being raised for the sacrifices on Passover. Once a year, a few weeks before Passover, tens of thousands of sheep would be herded  on the five-mile trip from Bethlehem, through the valleys, to the Kidron Valley on the east side of Jerusalem. Water was needed to keep the sheep alive so those arriving earliest would congregate outside the walled city near the Pools of Bethesda. Next to the Pools of Bethesda was the Sheep Gate, aptly named as those purchasing their sacrifice could bring their sheep straight into the Temple area to be killed. Those shepherds arriving later would have to station themselves farther away at the Watergate, outside the Pool of Siloam. They would have to wait their turn to be examined, approved and sold.
|
| |
Lambs being examined by Levitical Priests
|
The sheep were examined by the Levitical Priests to make sure they had no defects. The Levitical Law demanded the sacrifice had to be "unblemished" to qualify. (Lev. 1:3)
Once approved, the man of the house would take the sheep to the Temple where it would be slain and its entrails and blood thrown on the massive Altar outside the Temple building.
The sheep's carcass would then be taken back to the family to be roasted and eaten as part of the Passover meal in celebration that their sacrifice had been accepted as a temporary covering for their sins.
The Ironies of Blood and Christmas
So during your family holiday Christmas celebrations this year, think about this:
It was in the middle of all these sheep being born and raised for sacrifice in the fields of Bethlehem that Jesus was born--the Lamb of God.
"The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29
And just like the sheep born in Bethlehem, Jesus too went to the Temple and was examined by the Priests for defect, but they could find no fault in Him. Neither could Pilate find any fault in Him. He was the perfect sinless unblemished sacrifice.
"and [Pilate] said to them, 'You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.'" Luke 23:14
Therefore Jesus was born in order that His blood, that had no taint of sin, would be an acceptable sacrifice to the Lord. He was born to be the perfect blood sacrifice to take away our sins--forever!  "and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."
Heb. 9:12
So really, Christmas is also about the blood.
Today sheep are still raised in the shepherd fields surrounding Bethlehem. In the picture above, you can see the City of Bethlehem in the distance and the shepherd fields still being used today. The Arab girl raises sheep on the land just like in the time of Jesus.
The word Bethlehem means "House of Bread." So it's no coincidence that Jesus said:
"I am the bread of life." John 6:48
As you celebrate Christmas this year, thank the Lord for Him allowing His Son to be born in human flesh as our Redeemer.  He had the only blood that counted.
"He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God." Rev.19:13
The blood on His robe in the above verse has to be His shed blood as He's coming from Heaven and has yet to fight and defeat the armies of the antichrist. He will wear this blood-stained garment as a sign to the Jews of His blood sacrifice at Calvary.
He's Coming again to reclaim this earth as the Jewish King of Kings, ruling in Jerusalem from His throne on the top of Mount Moriah, in the same area where He was sacrificed! And we Believers, those trusting His atoning sacrificial blood, will reign with Him. Praise the Lord!
From all of us at Compass, may you and your loved ones have a Christ-centered celebration of Jesus' birth as you remember what His blood did for us!
---------------------------
Reference:
http://www.tribunesandtriumphs.org/colosseum/building-the-colosseum.htm
|
|
|
We Need Your Help!
Compass is dedicated to teaching and defending the Word of God. By the grace of God we've been at it for some 22 years.
And amazingly we've continued to bring together solid teachers to complement local churches by armoring Believers with God's inerrant Word at our Bible conferences and through our Bible studies on video and in print.
The honest truth is that we only exist because of faithful supporters. As the year ends, pray about supporting us with a donation of any amount. Or by becoming a Compass Pointe where you help us get the Word out.
Only with your help can we continue to proclaim God's infallible truth. May the Lord richly bless you with His wisdom in 2016.
Thanks so much if you can help us with a donation (even a little helps a lot!) or sign up for Compass Pointe! |
8 Great
NEW Bible Studies
from
Steeling the Mind Denver!
Incredible information to pass around to friends, family and coworkers.
Download now: $4.95 each
Shipped to you: $9.95 each or all 8 for $49.95!
CLICK HERE to download and watch now or CLICK HERE to order DVDs to be mailed to you
See titles, speakers and descriptions below.... ----------------------------------------------- Andy Woods, TX  College of Biblical Studies
"7 Irrefutable Reasons You Can Trust The Pre-Trib Rapture Position!"
Are you looking for Jesus Christ or the Anti-Christ? Andy uses tons of scripture to expose the nonsensical Mid, Post and A-Mill eschatological positions. Excellent!
-----------------------------------
Ron Rhodes, TX 
Reasoning From The Scriptures Ministries
"8 Great Debates in Bible Prophecy"
Using myriads of verses, Ron outlines eight of the most important end-times debates in Bible prophecy, including the critical timing of events. He provides succinct conclusions that show Bible prophecy is intended to be a blessing for every Believer!
-----------------------------------
Ed Hindson, VA 
Dean of Religion, Liberty University
"The Battle For Israel!"
God says Israel is the apple of His eye, chosen from all the peoples of the earth for His purposes. Those who support Israel will be blessed, those who don't, won't. What does the future hold for the U.S. as she backs away as a staunch ally? Ed explains all! ---------------------------------- J.B. Hixson, IL 
Not by Works Ministries
"The 7 Cardinal Sins of Personal Bible Study"
As the world gets crazier during its run-up to the Rapture, many Christians are turning back to the Bible for answers. But due to poor teaching from most pulpits, our lack of Biblical understanding is taking our personal Bible studies outside of acceptable parameters. J.B. shows how to stay on course!
-----------------------------------
Shahram Hadian, WA 
Truth In Love Ministry
Islam's American Agenda,
Facts You'd Better Know!
Shahram was born a Muslim in Iran and born-again as a Believer in the U.S. He's shared his eye-opening insights on Fox News and dozens of other high-profile outlets. He shares critical mind-blowing information that no one seems to want to talk about!
-------------------------------------
Marlin Goebel, IN 
Biblical Science Ministries
Scientifically Unmasking the Evolution Hoax
For 30 years Marlin has taught thousands how to defend the Bible against pro-evolutionsts' banter. He takes on the big three arguments in the creation-evolution arena and you'll love his down-home style and excellent graphics!
----------------------------------
Andy Woods,TX 
College of Biblical Studies
Ramifications of Legalizing Biblical Perversion
Nothing has become more disconcerting than for Believers to be told they have to violate their beliefs or go to jail. But that's what's happening across the nation. Worse, they have only just begun! Andy, a former practicing attorney, exposes the national agenda and what's ahead for Believers.
------------------------------------
Ed Hindson, VA 
Dean of the School of Religion, Liberty University
You have to have on blinders not to think Rapture might be close! So, like no one else can do, Ed wound up our Bible conference with a fantastic outline of Jesus' Second Coming! This stand-up-and-yell presentation will be passed around 'til the Rapture! Order these great STEEL ON STEEL DVDs today! CLICK HERE to download and watch now or to order DVDs mailed to you. |
|
|
Coming up this year at Compass
Mark Your
Calendar!
-----------------------------------------------------------
Steeling the Mind Prophecy Conference
Historic Davenport Hotel
Spokane, Washington
March 5, 2016
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bible Study Tour of Israel
April 5-16, 2016
Join us as we fly directly into Israel and see God's
Word come alive as never before!
Click here for details! --------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Canyon Tour and Raft Trip
(more of a float!)
Learn scientific evidences proving the canyon
was carved in days, not millions of years.
June 23-26, 2016
Click here for details--------------------------------------------------------------------
Steeling Noah's Ark
Join us for a great conference plus tour the
incredible $88,000,000 Noah's Ark, full-size! September 23-25, 2016 Click here for details ------------------------------------------------------------------- Biblelands Cruise 2016 October/November
The trip of a lifetime!
Your Hosts: Woodrow and Linda Kroll Gino and Mary Geraci Bill and Susie Perkins Click here for details!
|
|
Join over 20,000 people!
Sign up for our FREE daily Bible Study.....
Good Morning Lord! is a provocative one-minute daily email Bible study that's a great way to start the day.
Warning: This Bible study is VERY conservative. So if you can't take the scriptural heat, it's easy to unsubscribe! :-)
|
LAST CHANCE, give Jaimie a call!
.
Buying or Selling
Real Estate
in Washington State, Idaho and Arizona?
 Praise the Lord!!!
Jaimie Lee, a realtor here in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and a great friend of Compass, has graciously offered to split her commissions with Compass in 2015 for any Compass contact who uses her for a sale or purchase of real estate. Wow!
She is licensed in Idaho, Arizona and Washington. So if you are considering selling or buying real estate, we would greatly appreciate it if you would pray about using Jaimie as your agent!
Her phone number is 208-661-5625.
Her email is jlee@cbidaho.com
|
Correction
For our last article about "Why Muslims Want To Kill Us"
In our last eNews we wrote:
"...no less than seven top advisers in the White House are devout Muslims...including Valarie Jarrett who has been called the most influential woman in the world."
The way that sentence was worded incorrectly lumps Valarie Jarrett into the group of White House advisers who are "devout" Muslims. Although she was born in Iran, and by her actions proves she exhibits sympathies with Muslims and/or Muslim countries, there is no official proof she is a "devout Muslim" like the other six who are in the highest echelons of the White House.*
We apologize for the error. A big "Thank you" to all those who took the time to point out the incorrect wording!
BP
|
|
|
|
|
Click Here To
Thanks so much!
We exist because of your support!
Keep us in your prayers!! Thanks!
|
CLICK HERE to LIKE US on Facebook!
|
|
Click Here to read the
past articles below
October 2015 Russia's Humiliating Defeat September 2015 America RR1 August 2015 God's Patience In The Last Days July 2015 Rapture & Iran June 2015 Bye Bye Banks May 2015 When Christians Die April 2015 Israel: From Gideon to Netanyahu March 2015 The Devil's Crockpot February 2015 #2 What Porn Does To Your Brain February 2015 Jordan's Spunky Kings January 2015 Beheadings and the Bible December 2014 All About Angels November, 2014 Why The World Will Envy Israel October, 2014 Home of the Brave? September, 2014 Worship Allah or Die August, 2014 Tribulation: Evangelism on Steroids July, 2014 Israel and the Mystery June, 2014 America's Birthrate Nightmare May, 2014 Earthquakes and Volcanoes in Bible Prophecy April, 2014 Heaven Is For Real movie God Is Not Dead movie Jesus' Five Wounds Homosexual Equality Push March, 2014 Jesus (is not) Calling movie Son of God movie Noah movie February, 2014 Blood Moon Madness January, 2014 When Will Jesus Return? December, 2013 The Lousy List November, 2013 Killing O'Reilly October #1, 2013 America's Lost Moorings September, 2013 Signs of Jesus' Soon Return August, 2013 Kitchen Killers July, 2013 Don't Do What Jesus Says! + Book Review: Harbinger (not good!) June, 2013 The Gaying of America May, 2013 When Obama Bows to Jesus April, 2013 Beware of a Constitutional Convention! March, 2013 The Two Witnesses February, 2013 The Bottomless Pit January, 2013 The Designed Decline of Public Schools December, 2012 The Coming World Tax November, 2012 Birth Control & Cancer Link October #2, 2012 The Coming One World Leader
October #1, 2012 World Without God
September, 2012 How can we see light from distant stars if the earth is only 6000 years old?
August, 2012 Bill Gates and Intelligent Design
July #2, 2012 Was God at the Movie Theater? July #1, 2012 Moving Toward the Mark of the Beast June, 2012 Obama or Romney? Big Bang and the Bible! May, 2012 Agenda 21 & George Soros April, 2012 Was Jesus Crucified on Friday? March, 2012 When Rapture Happens February, 2012 America's Head Demon January #2, 2012 Will Germany and Syria Sleep Together? / Is Repentance Necessary for Salvation?
January #1, 2012 Blacks in America December, 2011 Why "Asking Jesus Into Your Heart" Won't Save You!
November #2, 2011 The Evil End of World Debt
November #1, 2011 Iran--What the Bible Says October, 2011 Earth--Just Before the Rapture September #2, 2011 The Palestine Myth
September #1, 2011
Money--
America's God?
August #2, 2011
A Peek Behind the
Name of God
August #1, 2011
The Dwindling Dollar / Mormons
July 2011
Should We Confess Sins
For Forgiveness After Salvation?
June 2011
Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Tsunamis... From God?
May 2011
Christians and
Birth Control
April 2011
Is Rapture In
September?
March 2011
The United States
in Bible Prophecy
February 2011
The Egyptian Riots -
What's next?
January 2011
Get Ready To Witness!
December 2010
"Santa's Claws"
November 2010
Petra: Prepared by God?
October #2 2010
The Worldwide Muslim Agenda
September 2010
Mount Moriah - God's Special Place On Earth!
August 2010
The Declining Dollar Dilemma
July 2010
Israel--A Burdening Stone for the World
June 2010
Obama is Not the Antichrist
Click Here for past articles
|
It's the Biggest Steeling Conference in history!
Join us in Cincinnati
for the inaugural
Steeling
Noah's Ark
A landmark Bible conference at the
Northern Kentucky
Convention Center
Includes admission to
NOAH'S ARK for two days!
September 23-25, 2016
|
| |
Construction will be
completed in July, 2016!
|
About this conference:
Construction has begun on the largest wooden structure in the world by Answers in Genesis.
It's almost two football fields long, 60 feet high and will cost over 90 million dollars. And $80 million has already been raised!!
The Ark will include live animals or wax figurines of every land-breathing animal on the planet, Noah's and his sons' apartments, food and water storage for over a year!
Conference Schedule:
Friday-
Travel Day to Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky area.
Friday Night at the NK Convention Ctr.
7:00 PM - Ken Ham
8:00 PM - Ed Hindson
All Day Saturday Tour the full-scale model of Noah's Ark including viewing live (or wax) full-size animals (one of every species), water storage, food storage, Noah's family's apartments, waste disposal, Noah's Library and more! Plus view all the extra space left over/unused inside the Ark!
Tour AIG's incredible Creation Museum. Tour through the 25-million-dollar building and Biblically accurate exhibits.
Saturday Night 6:00 PM Reception & Banquet
7:30 PM Ken Ham
8:30 PM (Speaker TBA)
Sunday Morning 9:00 AM Praise & Worship
9:30 AM Russ Miller
All Day Sunday Your Steeling ticket will be good for two days of viewing both the Ark and Museum!
This is going to be HUGE!
So mark your calendar and plans to join us!
We've secured great rates for hotel rooms near the Ark and the Steeling conference. Call and book yours today as the best/closet will go first! 
Can you imagine touring a full size model of Noah's Ark for two days...and attending an awesome Steeling conference to boot? Make plans to join us!
|
|
This is THE BEST Holyland cruise available at any price! 
