Christian Traditions Series - 01

Christian Traditions Series - 01 Christian Traditions Series - 01 PALM SUNDAY Palm Sunday is also know as a Movable Feast. It precedes Easter by a weeks time and always fall on a Sunday, although is never the same day in the Calendar! Why is it movable? Because Easter is movable! Is it Biblical? If it was based on the Biblical Passover, which is what Christian churches claim, it would fall always on the same day of the year since Passover did fall always on the same day(Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:5; 28:16; Num 33:3; Jos. 5:10; 2 Cron.35:1; Ezek. 35:41; Matt. 26:17; Luk.22:7; John 2:23)! But no. It is rather based on Pagan traditions and the spring equinox phenomena. Attempts have been made to fix the date but none have been implemented: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter#Reform_of_the_date In other words: it is another church mystery! Here is a link to the movable feasts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday In short there is 28 of them and they all move according to Easter date which changes from year to year! It is of a significant interest to notice that what determines the dates is what is called the “Liturgical Year”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liturgical_year From the days of the Reformation, Protestants have not kept all Roman catholic and Orthodox feasts, because many of those feasts dealt with the worship of Mary and saints. Since “Vatican II however, Protestant churches are following and celebrating more in unison with the Catholic Church! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday Is Palm Sunday Biblical or a Roman Catholic tradition? There is no question on the Triumphant entry of Jesus in Jerusalem, prior to his death.(Matt. 21:1-14; Mar. 11:1-11; Luk. 19:29-40). The Biblical record does not say it was any particular day. It most likely was not a Sunday. On Luke 19:47 says “And he taught daily in the temple.”(see also: Luke 21:37 through 22:1 “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.” [Exod. 23:15; 34:18; Lev. 23:6, etc.] The scripture says that the feast of unleavened bread was to be kept for 7 days. Now Jesus triumphant entry was days before the beginning of the feast. Conclusion: Palm Sunday is neither Biblical nor accurate as to a weeks time preceding the resurrection day! Through the Centuries, true Christians have not looked favorably to the traditions of Apostate Christianity! About the Waldensians it is said: “They can say a great part of the Old and New Testaments by heart. They despise the decretals, and the sayings and expositions of holy men, and only cleave to the text of Scripture.... [They say] that the doctrine of Christ and the apostles is sufficient to salvation, without any church statutes and ordinances. That the traditions of the church are no better than the traditions of the Pharisees; and that greater stress is laid on the observation of human traditions than on the keeping of the law of God. Why do you transgress the law of God by your traditions? ... They contemn all approved ecclesiastical customs which they do not read of in the gospel, as the observation of Candlemas, Palm Sunday, the reconciliation of penitents, the adoration of the cross on Good Friday. They despise the feast of Easter, and all other festivals of Christ and the saints, because of their being multiplied to that vast number, and say that one day is as good as another, and work upon holy days, where they can do it without being taken notice of.” History of the Sabbath and The First Day of the Week, 1 {HSFD 406.6} Dr. Allix quotes a Waldensian document of A.D. 1100, entitled the “Noble Lesson,” and remarks:- IBID,{HSFD 407.1} Palm Sunday should rather be know as the day King Henry of Germany conquered Rome and placed his own Pope in the throne and was than crowned Emperor by the same pope! 68. Henry was now victorious in Germany and in Italy: he had a pope of his own; and, as early as possible in the spring of 1081, he marched to Rome, to install Clement III, and to put Gregory finally out of the way, as pope. July 7 he reached Rome, and for three years besieged it. In June, 1083, was his first success in the taking of a part of the city, and causing Gregory to take refuge in the castle of St. Angelo. Christmas, 1083, the city was surrendered to him; and, with Gregory besieged in the castle of St. Angelo, Palm Sunday, March 29, 1084, Clement III was consecrated pope, in the church of St. Peter; and, on Easter Day, King Henry was crowned emperor by Clement III. Ecclesiastical Empire, {ECE 367.3} History would tell you that these traditions have been the cause of much conflict in the sites of Jesus death and resurrection: E. J. Waggoner All through the year, the Turkish soldiers are on the alert to prevent violent hostilities between the fanatical followers of the Roman and Greek Churches, who dispute with one another the possession of the so-called holy places. This long-standing rivalry shows to what lengths of unreason men may go when they do not know the spirit of the Master, and follow externals and traditions. The flesh verily profiteth nothing. The Mohammedans of Syria are excusable for their belief that Christianity, as they see it misrepresented, is idolatrous worship. What could be in greater contrast to pure Christianity than the exhibitions of Easter week in Jerusalem? A correspondent gives this description of the ceremonies which are supposed to be to the honour of Jesus of Nazareth:- The present truth, Vol. 10 {PTUK April 12, 1894, p. 226.5} “The one spot in the world which presents the unique spectacle of two Easter days in the year is the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem, the Greek Church, reckoning by the old calendar, is celebrating itsPalm Sunday when the Latins are singing their Eastern hymns. As both churches share in the possession of the tomb, and as the rivalry between them is intensely hot, the precincts of the burial place of the “Prince of Peace” more suggest a bear-pit than anything else, unless the soldiers of another faith-that of Islam-are on guard to keep the peace. When the Latin Easter services are in progress, and the Greeks, issuing from their chapel in the Procession of Palms, pass the door of the former and sing hymns at the top of their voices (they have no instrumental music). The Latins promptly retort by singing louder, or by playing on their organ-with every stop out. The Greeks have the larger rights of the tomb, and on their Easter Saturday are able to have all light extinguished to await the coming of the “Bishop of Fire.” The gallery for Europeans and the one above it for women have been crowded for hours, and the space about the tomb is packed with the devotees, drunk with religious frenzy. They leap and howl, they clamber on to each other’s heads like acrobats, they spin round and round, shrieking-“Behold the tomb of Jesus Christ!” and by the time the first wild notes of the chant which heralds the coming of the Bishop of Fire are heard, the place is a pandemonium. At the Bishop’s appearance the Mussulman soldiers clear a path for him and his train. Three times they circle round the tomb, and the Bishop enters it alone. There is an awful silence. Then a light, supposed to be kindled from heaven, appears at an orifice in the side of the tomb. There is a shout-a rush-and instantly the pilgrims have lighted their tapers from it, bundles of candles let down from the galleries are set burning, and the place is ablaze with Holy Fire. The pilgrim’s bathe their faces in it, tear open their shirts and hug it to their naked breasts, all men stripped for running, speed away to carry it to Bethlehem and adjacent villages.” The present truth, Vol. 10 {PTUK April 12, 1894, p. 226.6}