FOREWORD by Keith Hunt
Jesus taught us, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after
righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Mat.5:6 ). Peter was
inspired to admonish us to "grow in grace and knowledge"
(2 Pet.3:18). Paul said to " prove all things -- hold fast to
that which is good." (1 Thes.5:21).
How many in the Christian community really practice the above
scriptures? Not many! What about those of us in the Sabbath
keeping churches, Do we earnestly apply those teachings of Jesus,
Peter and Paul?
I for one had not given much thought to the world's THANKSGIVING
DAY - I had never done any research on it's origin. I had seen
(for many years) that God's commanded "thanksgiving time " was
His Feast of TABERNACLES, but I had not quite put Thanksgiving
Day into the same basket as Xmas Day or Easter Day. I personally
have never taken much notice of Thanksgiving Day when it came
along in the Roman calendar, but I had also never taught others
not to do so if they desired.
That has all now changed, thanks to Mr.Bradley Richardson who so
kindly sent me a copy of his article on THANKSGIVING DAY. His
research on this festival is profound. The Biblical truths
presented, are in my judgment, correct and unanswerable,
especially after researching the subject for myself and noting
all the historical facts.
Those who know me will agree that I am not easily or quickly
moved to a given persuasion unless all major objections are
answered by the presentation, and I have meditated upon it all
for some time. I find Mr.Richardson does answer all serious
arguments in his presenting us with the historical and Biblical
facts concerning this popular feast day.
I thank our Lord for many wonderful truths He has shown me over
the years - truths that have been a warm pleasure to find (but
truths not all that popular with the vast majority, even within
the Christian world, and sometimes not at all popular with the
people of the Church of God, who have become "stuck in their ways
and beliefs"), I must now add one more to that list - the truth
about THANKSGIVING DAY.
I add some comments as I present the following study.
QUOTE:
THANKSGIVING DAY - PAGAN?
Many individuals within the various congregations of the Church
of God are fully aware of the TRUTH about Christmas, Easter,
Halloween, Valentines Day, etc., etc. Pagan through and through,
unauthorized by God. Nothing need be said further concerning
these days.
But what about Thanksgiving Day, occurring during the latter part
of each November? Could this be a day acceptable to God, to thank
Him for our many blessings, or could it be just as pagan and
unauthorized as "man's" other days? That is the purpose of this
study. All we ask is keep an open mind, and consult God in prayer
on this and all subjects. If we ALL remember that we were wrong
before, and wrong on some very "major" points concerning God's
word, just maybe we could be wrong again. Or, we could go in with
the attitude of one individual we are acquainted with who, on one
Sabbath, held up his Bible and said, "I have my diploma. For over
twenty years I've been studying this book. I don't know all the
minor points, BUT ON EVERY MAJOR POINT I KNOW GOD'S WORD." This
gentleman truly does know a lot of God's truths, but does he have
the 'open mind' that will allow him to accept that even though
he thought he was no longer keeping pagan holidays, but was
keeping God's Holydays, he may be wrong?
Before getting into the actual history of Thanksgiving, which
will shock and surprise many people, let's look at some arguments
this writer has heard.
1. "I do not keep Thanksgiving holy. It is a national day of
thanksgiving for what God has provided. It is not a Holy day."
Is this not virtually the same response others use for their
justification for keeping Christmas, Easter, etc.? Many do not
keep those days as Holy Days. Is it therefore alright, before
God's eyes, to keep those days? We do not think so! Many are
aware of the Catholic Church's stand on Christmas, Easter, and so
forth. The Catholic Church expects a 'good Catholic' to be in
church those days. The Catholic Church considers those days
'Holy' days. How many of you are aware this same Babylonish group
feels much the same way concerning Thanksgiving Day? There are
also Protestant groups that keep Thanksgiving Day as a Holy Day.
Should not this tell us something??
2. "The Feast of Dedication in the Bible was not ordained by God,
yet it is still kept by the Jews. Where does God say it is
wrong?"
This line of thinking seems to be lacking the obvious. WHERE DOES
GOD SAY IT IS RIGHT? Just because the Jews keep a feast, and God
doesn't specifically say it is wrong, does that make it right?
There are many many instances in the Bible where someone, or some
group of people did things that were obviously wrong, yet God
never said specifically it was wrong. Remember, it's not just
what the Bible says, it's what it doesn't say also!!
What we do have is God saying in Leviticus 23:2, "These are my
feasts." He doesn't say we can add to His feasts, He doesn't say
we can subtract from them, He plainly says, "These" are the ones.
He doesn't make us follow His wishes. That is up to us. We of
course all know that God says repeatedly in His WORD to not add
to it, or subtract from it. He tells us which days are to be
permanently kept as days of thanks to God. Why does man think he
can add to that? Follow Christ's example and you cannot go wrong!
....
(Actually such days as the "feast of Dedication" are the same as
July 4th for USA people - they are "historical" days of note,
based upon some "historical event" in the history of a nation,
and as such are NOT wrong to observe. But as we shall see the
"Thanksgiving Feast Day" is for North American's a "religious"
day, and was instituted as a RELIGIOUS DAY - so a man made holy
day - to worship God upon. This is clearly proved by historical
data, and so it then does come under "religious holy day feasts"
added to God's religious holy day feasts, which the Eternal
directly and plainly commanded His people NOT to do - Keith
Hunt).
3. "In 2 Chronicles 30:23-27, we are told the people kept an
extra seven days, making the Feast of Unleavened Bread 14 days
long. We are told that God approved of it, by citing verse 27.
Now, this line of thinking does not seem to make much sense. Just
because God approved of a one-time extension, brought on by the
festivities and great joy, do we have the right to add a
permanent day of thanks to God, i.e.: Thanksgiving Day? How does
this follow? Do we have the right to permanently increase God's
Feasts? I for one love the Feast of the Tabernacles. An extra
week or two all the time would suit me just fine. Do I have the
right to change God's word? NO! He did not say keep the feast at
least seven days, He said to keep it seven days. That's it! If
occasionally, throughout our lifetimes, a feast of particular joy
is extended, God's word possibly authorizes that in 2 Chronicles
30:27, but we are stretching God's word too far to use that verse
to say, "Thus we can set up a permanent day to give God thanks,
Thanksgiving Day." We should tremble at the thought of doing
this, for God's word will judge us.
(Yes, I would say there is a HUGE difference with 2 Chron.30:27
and ADDING an additional feast, invented by the mind of men,
especially as a feast that is ALREADY WITHIN God's festival laws,
for the Lord ALREADY had given His people a "thanksgiving day"
feast - a HARVEST festival - the 7 day feast of TABERNACLES!! -
Keith Hunt).
Finally, without going into detail, I would like to point
something out that many may have missed in 2 Chronicles 30:27,
"Then, the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people: and
their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to His Holy
dwelling place, even unto Heaven." Did you notice the first word
in that sentence? "Then," after the 14-day feast, after it was
over, then the prayers were heard by God. It does not say their
prayers were heard by God during the second seven days. It does
not even say God approved of the extra seven days, as many would
like us to believe. All it says is after it was all over, "Then"
God heard their voices. Let us be careful not to read something
into God's word that isn't there.
4. "Thanksgiving is not from pagan times, hence we are at liberty
to keep it, and God will appreciate it." It is true, God's word
commands us to NOT be like the pagans and heathens, to NOT
worship Him like they do. People seem to have forgotten another
attribute to the pagan people; they set up their OWN holidays
(holidays). Since they worship gods who are not gods, these gods
cannot give them the days of gathering, etc. Only God can do
this, by definition. Hence, since their gods do not talk, the
heathens invent their OWN days. This is a practice of heathens,
of pagans. Are we to follow their example, or do we listen to
God, follow HIS days, and ADD NOT to them? Does it have to be old
to be pagan? NO!!!
However, concerning whether or not Thanksgiving itself comes from
ancient days, read on.
We have tried to show so far the excuses people use for
justifying the keeping of Thanksgiving. Many of these same
excuses are used by other people to justify Christmas, Easter,
etc. If they are not justification enough for those days (which
they are not), then they are not enough to justify Thanksgiving
Day. That should be plain, yet many will still keep Thanksgiving,
because to change is to admit error, one thing we humans do not
like to do. Are we willing to "Grow in grace and knowledge"?
(I brought all this study before a few UCG ministers once, they
were concerned about what I was believing and teaching in printed
form and some sermon tapes I did in 1993 on the truth of
Thanksgiving Day.
As one of these ministers said to me, "If you are correct then we
would have to teach the brethren as we do on Xmas and Easter,
that it is sin to observe this feast day." They were not prepared
to do this, give the plain truth to the UCG membership the facts
on the origin of Thanksgiving Day. But when they had this private
meeting with me, after they had listened to my sermons on this
matter, they NEVER CAME CLOSE to trying to prove what I said was
incorrect, they just never wanted to enter that issue and debate
it with me - Keith Hunt).
It is hard to understand one's stand concerning the right to keep
Thanksgiving. Even if it doesn't go back to pagan times (which we
will show it does), have pagan times ended, really? If not, pagan
times are now also. At some point, the pagan holidays were only a
few years old, not thousands. Did that make them right then, and
wrong now? That line of reasoning seems to be lacking something.
Thanksgiving is not a day ordained by God to be kept. Yet it is,
and is considered by many to be a Christian holiday. A lady this
last November 1985, upon finding out I didn't keep Thanksgiving
said, "Why, isn't it a Christian holiday?" This lady is not even
a practicing churchianity believer. Yet this is her understanding
of the holiday. What a witness to God we proclaim by keeping such
days.
(In my personal study on this issue I found in clear print that
Abraham Lincoln DID APPOINT AND ESTABLISH "Thanksgiving Day" as a
RELIGIOUS HOLY DAY, for people to attend church and worship God -
it was to him established as a religious holy day - Keith Hunt).
It is not a Christian holiday. To keep it as such is ADDING to
the word of God. Where does God give man the right to set up a
holiday to honor and give thanks to God? Show me the verse! God
does that, not man, at least the God I try to follow does. How
about yours?
(Very true, and I will say it again, and probably later also,
that God ALREADY GAVE to His people a Festival of THANKSGIVING -
7 days long - the Feast of TABERNACLES - after the last harvest
of the year was brought in. Those who established their OWN day,
were not looking into God's word to see if the Lord had given a
thanksgiving festival, even if they had they would probably have
concluded it was "Jewish" anyway, and "done away with" and would
have established their own day anyway - making up their own
religion as they went along - Keith Hunt).
Do you realize how silly and stupid we sound when we try and tell
someone, "Don't keep Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc.,
because they're pagan, and God didn't authorize them. But do keep
Thanksgiving, a day to God. Sure, He didn't say to do it, but
He's sure to appreciate it."
For us Christians who keep God's Holy days, like Jesus did, have
you ever thought of this? Just what is Thanksgiving? It is a
proclaimed holiday for the purpose of giving thanks to God for
the many blessings we received, especially agriculturally. Let me
quote my six-year-old daughter's response just now, after asking
me what I just wrote, "That's what we do everyday, not just one
day, except on the days God says to do it." Out of the mouth of
babes ... ***Why do we need another fall harvest festival? We
have the Feast of Tabernacles!*** It seems apparent, Christians
who keep the Feast of Tabernacles, and then keep, only 30 or so
days later, another harvest day of thanks to God, must think that
God's ordained feast is not good enough. Perhaps they think God
didn't hear them the first time. I can only pray for them. God's
days are good enough!
(It could be that such feast observing Christians have never
fully realized that the Feast of Tabernacles IS GOD'S ***harvest
festival***and then never have wondered why they do it still
again shortly after, with man's invented holy days - Keith Hunt).
The day of Thanksgiving is at the very least, an outright copy of
the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a day when people thank God for
His blessings. Does God hear people on this copied day? I don't
know, only He does. But what do you think? Who is the great
copier? Do we need another harvest festival? Do we need Satan's
copy? Isn't God's good enough? Do the majority of people keep any
day important to God??? The majority are deceived by Satan. The
majority keep Thanksgiving. That in itself ought to tell the
Christian something. However, there is more, much more. We don't
have to 'think,' we can KNOW.
Let's go on to what we have found concerning the actual history
of Thanksgiving. This is not a complete study, but it was more
than enough to convince us. If there's even a slim chance
Thanksgiving is wrong, and pagan on top of that, we should drop
it like a HOT POTATO. My wife and I did just that. Until shown
where this study is wrong, we will continue to keep the only fall
festival God authorized.
(And after studying this study and doing my own research on the
matter, I also dropped any favorable thought on the world's
"thanksgiving day" - though I did not ever really observe it
anyway, not like the vast majority of people in the USA do -
Keith Hunt).
Most history books would like to convince us that Thanksgiving
goes back to Plymouth Rock, in the 1600's, or thereabouts. Even
though we were personally convinced prior to looking into the
history of the day (based on the above and proceeding
paragraphs), we were surprised just how right we were concerning
the nonappropriateness of Thanksgiving. Plymouth Rock was not the
first Thanksgiving, although history books would like us to
believe that. You can bank on the fact that Satan would like us
to believe that, too. This non-authorized feast day to God goes
back thousands of years, in one form or another; that is
Thanksgiving.
(And the Indians of New England were observing it. It is a fact
of USA and Indian history that when the Indians were invited to
the first "thanksgiving day" feast, they were pleased and honored
that the "white man" had ADOPTED this "their" thanksgiving feast
day. This fact was vividly brought out when living in Florida
from 1992 to 1995 and a once important Indian chief, who worked
for the USA Federal Government for years, gave a speech I
attended on a Thanksgiving Day, and told the audience what I have
just told you: that it was for the New England Indians an honor
to think the white man had adopted their Thanksgiving Day, when
they attended that first thanksgiving, because it was at that
time, so very close to the actual day the Indians observed it. It
may have been right on the same day, my memory has forgotten if
this man said it was ON the very day the Indians observed or a
few days from it, but what is very clear in my memory of his
speech to an audience of white folk, is that the Indians of New
England were and are still honored that "THEIR" day of
thanksgiving worship was adopted by the white settlers - Keith
Hunt).
The following quotes will not be attempted to be placed in
perfect order. We will basically quote from one source
completely, then go on to the next. This may not be the ideal
presentation method, but the seeker of God's truth will be able
in his or her own mind to put the information in whatever order
will help him or her in coming to a conclusion. We do ask you to
prayerfully consider the following. God will provide the answer,
if we let Him, if we keep our minds open, and if we are willing
to admit that even "Christians" may still be keeping pagan
holidays.
From the WORLD BOOK Encyclopedia, 1942 Edition, Article entitled
'Thanksgiving Day.'
"Thanksgiving Day, in the United States and Canada, a day set
apart for the giving of thanks to God for the blessings of the
year. Originally, it was a harvest thanksgiving, and while the
purpose has become less specific, the festival still takes place
late in autumn, after the crops have been gathered." (Doesn't
this sound like God's Feast?) "Indeed, it is probably an
outgrowth of the Harvest-Home celebrations in England. Such
celebrations are of very ancient origin, being nearly universal
among primitive peoples."(Do you really want to be a part of
this, after receiving so much of God's truth?)
Continuing on in the same reference, until otherwise noted, let's
see just how much Thanksgiving is a copy of God's Feast. I bet
you thought Thanksgiving was just one day, right? Even the
supposed original one in the 1600's?
"The first Thanksgiving in the new world...," (Notice the
wordings not the first, but just the first in the new world),
"...however, was not merely a feast - there were prayers and
sermons and songs of praise; and three days had gone by before
the Indians returned to their forest and the colonists to their
tasks."
"In 1789 ... the Protestant Episcopal Church in America announced
the first Thursday in November as a regular annual day for giving
thanks."
"It was not until 1888, however, that the Roman Catholic Church
formally recognized the day."
"Throughout the country, but especially in New England, where the
custom originated, the day is looked upon with great reverence."
(This sounds like more than just a holiday, rapidly approaching
Holy Day status.)
"Thanksgiving Day in Canada. The Dominion, too, has an annual
Thanksgiving day, which is celebrated in much the same way, with
family reunions and religious services." (Did you note that -
religious services!!!) "It is proclaimed by the Governor-General
as a harvest festival, but although it is a public statutory
holiday, it is not traditional in date. Usually, it falls on the
last Monday in October, but if harvest is especially early, an
earlier date may be appointed." (Sounds like God's Feast, not on
the same day each year. Satan is a great copier!)(Actually today
Canada has put it on a SET date each year - Keith Hunt)
"When the corn crop was gathered, in the fall of 1621, Governor
Bradford decreed a day of Thanksgiving." (Please notice the type
of crop, CORN. This will be important later in this study.)
From the book, SPECIAL DAYS: History, Folklore, and What Not -
Sharon Cade - 1984.
"Fourth Thursday in November (observed the second Monday in
October in Canada).
"Thanksgiving is a day to give thanks for the harvest and for
other blessings of the past year."
"Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony ordered the day for
feasting and thanks.
"Although we have nationalized Thanksgiving, celebrations were
held in ancient times to give thanks for bountiful harvests. The
Greeks honored Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, with a
nine-day celebration" (sounds like Christ's eight-day feast
copied); "the Romans honored Ceres, Anglo-Saxons rejoiced with a
feast to celebrate the reaping of the harvest; and the Jews have
given thanks for bountiful harvests with their eight-day Feast of
Tabernacles.
"Thanksgiving is a sports holiday .... It is a religious holiday
(welcomes the Christmas season), as well as a civil holiday (most
offices and shops are closed)."
Notice this writer called Thanksgiving a religious holiday. Why
are Christ's people keeping this day? Let us pull away and ask
His forgiveness.
(Yes, I will state again, that President Abraham Lincoln did
ESTABLISH this day as a "religious holy day" - Keith Hunt).
From the book, WE GATHER TOGETHER - The Story of Thanksgiving -
by Ralph and Adelin Linton, 1949.
"Thanksgiving is...a giving of thanks for divine bounty coupled
with a practical demonstration of that bounty. Churches of all
denominations are open for services on this particular Thursday
every year .... Quite as important as worship on this day is the
renewal of family ties."
(Why are churches open for services on a non-religious day? Do
they consider it a religious day? They must!) (Yes President
Lincoln established it as a religious worship day - Keith Hunt).
"Pilgrims and Indians, turkey and pumpkin pie are so much a part
of the American tradition that it is hard for us to realize that
the beginnings of Thanksgiving go back not only to the old world
but to the early world." (READ THAT AGAIN!)
"The Pilgrims frowned on all the holidays of merry England and
refused to celebrate even Christmas because they knew of its
pagan origins." (Yet Satan still got them.)
"In proclaiming a day of Thanksgiving after the crops were
gathered and before winter set in, they may have taken a hint
from the Old Testament, but they certainly did not know that they
were acting in a tradition which went back to the time when men
first began to sow and reap. Long before the dwellers by the Nile
learned to measure the year, or dreamed of building pyramids, all
people who grew grain gave thanks at harvest time to the beings
who had given them their daily bread for the hard winter months.
Moreover, these ancient farmers sensed in the changing seasons
and in the cycle of seed-to-plant-to-seed again the miracle of
death and resurrection and turned their wonder at it in legends.
"The Old Testament includes many references to harvest
festivals.... It is recorded that Moses gave instructions to the
Hebrews for the celebration of their harvest festival, which was
called the Feast of the Tabernacles.
"Even before Biblical times the ancient people of the
Mediterranean Basin held festivals at harvest time in honor of
the Earth Mother. The goddess of the corn ('corn' is the European
term for any grain; Indian corn - our American 'corn' - is called
maize), was always one of the most important deities in the
hierarchy of the gods, and her child was the young god of
vegetation."
"The ancient Semites called the earth mother Astarte.... The
Phrygians called her Semele.... The Minoans had an earth mother
for each district. All these local deities were absorbed by the
Greeks into the one great goddess, Demeter.
"Besides eating, feasting, etc., the married women practiced in
special rites, under the cover of night. The matrons spent the
next day bathing nude in the sea and dancing and playing games on
the shore. Then they fasted, sang songs, then feasted, sang, and
had general gaiety. All this lasted over a period of several
days. (Where were the men, I ask the reader? The writer of this
book did not say. But it does somewhat remind us of even today,
when on Thanksgiving, the men get together and watch football,
leaving the women to get together! Sure, the women may not
practice their gatherings the same way as the pagans, but the
gatherings are there.)
"The Roman harvest festival ... was called the Cerelia, after
Ceres, the Roman goddess of the corn.
"With the acceptance of Christianity as the official religion of
Rome and the conversion of the barbarians who had invaded the
crumbling empire, these pagan rituals were frowned upon and even
forbidden by law. However, the peasants clung to them with a
tenacity which has made the word 'pagan' (originally meaning
simply 'villager') a synonym for 'heathen.' As late as the sixth
century,... St.Benedict.... found the local peasantry worshipping
Apollo in a sacred grove. Even after conversion, old habits and
beliefs died hard, and the church was too busy trying to keep the
flame of civilization alive to trouble with minor heresies.
"The benevolent earth mother...blended with the equally
benevolent mother of Christ. Folk memory of local deities fused
with the Christian tales of saints to provide patrons for
villages, and the white robed goddess of grain lived on in
various guises. To those who live close to the soil, the harvest
has an emotional and religious significance ... their gratitude
finds expression in rites in honor of the being who they feel is
most closely related to fruitfulness: a being of warm earth
rather than cold Heaven.
"Even today a half-pagan belief in the corn mother still survives
among the peasants in many parts of Europe."
...............
TO BE CONTINUED
Sure is not wrong to thank the Eternal God for the harvests we
have, not wrong at all, hence God Himself instituted a
THANKSGIVING HARVEST FESTIVAL for His people - the GREAT 7 DAY
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. God has COVERED ALL the WORSHIP FESTIVALS
to DIRECTLY WORSHIP HIM UPON in Leviticus 23. He then gave a
plain CLEAR COMMAND that these festivals should not be ADDED to
or DIMINISHED from. Of course Satan the Devil has copied just
about every festival God established, on different days, or
different weeks or months of the year. Then he used a great
"Christian" woman church to adopted most of these days and
celebrations, baptize them as being now "Christian" and so has
made all the world DRUNK with her spiritual fornications
(Revelation 17:1-6) - Keith Hunt.
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