The False Reset: Janus and the God of Two Faces
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – New Year’s Day
Guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them… and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 12:30
Origin: Janus, the Two-Faced Deity
The modern celebration of New Year’s Day on January 1st traces back to the Roman god Janus, a two-faced deity who looked both forward into the future and backward into the past. Janus was the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, and time, and his name is the very root of the word “January.” The Romans believed Janus could bless their ventures for the coming year, so they offered him gifts, made promises, and held lavish feasts.
This practice was deeply pagan, tied to Rome’s religious system and idolatrous worship. When Emperor Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar in 46 BCE, he aligned the beginning of the new year with this worship, solidifying January 1st as a festival day honoring Janus.
Scripture Has a Different Beginning
Nowhere in the Torah is there any recognition of January 1st as a new beginning. In fact, YaHuWaH clearly defines the beginning of the year in Shemoth (Exodus) 12:2:
This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you.
The first month is called Abib (Aviv)—a Springtime month linked to barley ripening and the season of Passover. This divine calendar is agricultural, prophetic, and tied to Yahusha’s redemptive timeline.
Replacing YaHuWaH’s calendar with Rome’s is a subtle but serious shift in authority. It moves us from His appointed times to the world’s system, which elevates man-made rituals and demotes Scriptural obedience.
The Deception of the “Clean Slate”
The idea of “New Year’s Resolutions” and “starting fresh” sounds harmless, righteous even. But consider the Hebrew concept of repentance: Teshuvah (תְּשׁוּבָה) – Strong’s H8666, meaning “a return” (literally, to turn back to Elohim). True new beginnings come not by a calendar date but by obedience, repentance, and walking in the covenant.
Trusting in a man-made day to bring renewal is a false reset, rooted in idolatry. It’s a counterfeit of Yom Kippur, the true Scriptural time of self-examination and renewal in the fall, or even of Passover in the spring.
What Torah Warns
Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it, so as to guard the commands of YaHuWaH your Elohim which I am commanding you.” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 4:2
YaHuWaH repeatedly warns His people not to adopt the customs of the nations (Deḇarim 12:30–31, Yirmeyahu 10:2). Celebrating New Year’s Day in the way the world does, even passively, means honoring a false calendar and a false deity, even if unintentionally.
A Set-Apart Alternative: Abib and the Moedim
Rather than follow the traditions of men, we are called to align with YaHuWaH’s calendar, starting in Abib, the first Scriptural month. This sets our year by the feasts of YaHuWaH (Wayyiqra 23), divinely appointed rehearsals of redemption and covenant.
When we reject the pagan reset of January and embrace YaHuWaH’s timing, we return to His rhythm, His instruction, and His covering.
January 1st is not just a date, it is a symbol of Rome’s system, a counterfeit of YaHuWaH’s true beginnings. To walk in set-apartness, we must turn away from the customs of the nations and embrace the calendar given to us in Torah. The true “new year” starts in Abib, not January. Let’s forsake the false reset and return to the ancient path.
Lupercalia, Lust, and the Counterfeit of Love
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Valentine’s Day
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these the wrath of Elohim comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partakers with them.” – Eph’siyim (Ephesians) 5:6–7
The Dark Roots: Lupercalia’s Blood and Fertility Rituals
Long before paper hearts and roses, Valentine’s Day was celebrated in ancient Rome as Lupercalia, a violent and deeply pagan fertility festival held each year on February 13–15. This festival honored Lupercus, the god of fertility and wolves, and it involved animal sacrifices, nudity, drunkenness, and ritual beatings of women with the hides of freshly slain goats to enhance their fertility.
Young men would draw names of young women from a box, initiating random, often sexual pairings for the duration of the festival. These were not acts of love but rather lust disguised as divine favor.
Later, in an attempt to Christianize the festival, the Roman Catholic Church overlaid “St. Valentine’s Day” on top of Lupercalia around 496 CE. They named it after a martyred priest, but the underlying rituals and pagan symbols remained, including Cupid, hearts, and the theme of romantic pairing.
A Pagan Festival Wearing a Mask of “Love”
While many today view Valentine’s Day as harmless or even sweet, its symbols reveal its origins:
Cupid – The Roman god of desire, son of Venus (Aphrodite), often depicted with a bow to incite sexual lust, not covenant love.
Hearts – Originally symbolic of fertility, not the organ of emotion.
Red and Pink – Colors associated with blood and sensuality in ancient fertility rites.
Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to celebrate romantic love with rituals or set-apart days. True love (Hebrew: Ahav – אָהַב, H157) is selfless, covenantal, obedient to the commands of Elohim (Deḇarim 6:5).
What Torah Commands
Do not learn the way of the nations… for the customs of the peoples are worthless.” – Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 10:2–3
Torah does not present love as a fleeting emotion or sensual drive, but as a fruit of obedience. The Hebrew idea of love is rooted in action and faithfulness, not indulgence or random pairing.
YaHuWaH’s commandments are clear: we are not to mix His set-apart ways with pagan traditions, no matter how well they are marketed or repackaged.
A Set-Apart Way to Love
True, set-apart love is found in obedience to Torah and walking in the light of Messiah Yahusha. It is not celebrated by participating in ancient festivals dedicated to fertility gods.
Instead, love is shown by honoring the covenantal design of marriage, by raising our children in truth, and by walking humbly in the commandments of Elohim.
Valentine’s Day is not about love; it’s about ancient rituals of lust, fertility, and rebellion dressed in glitter and roses. By observing it, even innocently, we align ourselves with practices YaHuWaH hates. Set-apart love isn’t random, ritualized, or rooted in Lupercalia; it is revealed in a life that keeps the commandments of Elohim.
Let’s leave behind the counterfeit and walk in true covenant love.
Ishtar, Eggs, and the Sun-God’s Resurrection
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Easter
Do not worship YaHuWaH your Elohim in the way these nations worship their mighty ones.” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 12:31
The Name “Easter” – Ishtar by Another Name
The name Easter is not found in Scripture. It derives from Ishtar, the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess of fertility, love, and war. Also known as Astarte in Phoenicia and Ashtoreth in Hebrew Scriptures, she was the consort of Ba’al. Her worship was condemned repeatedly in Torah and by the prophets (see Shophetim (Judges) 2:13; Melekim Aleph (1 Kings) 11:5).
Ishtar was celebrated in the spring as part of fertility rituals involving eggs, rabbits, and sexual orgies. Worshippers believed she descended into the underworld and returned in resurrection, paralleling myths of Tammuz, her lover, who also “died and rose again.”
Sound familiar?
The early Roman Church, seeking to merge paganism with the growing religion of “Christianity,” absorbed the spring festival of Ishtar into its liturgical calendar, rebranding it as the resurrection of “Jesus”, while still keeping the pagan symbols of fertility.
Eggs, Bunnies, and Sunrise Services
None of the typical Easter traditions come from Scripture:
Eggs – ancient symbols of fertility and new life in pagan rites.
Rabbits – creatures known for rapid reproduction, associated with Asherah and fertility goddess worship.
Sunrise services – direct parallels to the sun-god Tammuz, whose followers faced the rising sun in worship (Yeḥezqĕl (Ezekiel) 8:15–16).
YaHuWaH explicitly condemns sun worship. He even calls these abominations when they are performed in or near His temple!
…and see greater abominations than these… and see they are turning their backs on the Hĕḵal of YaHuWaH and their faces toward the east, and they are bowing themselves eastward to the sun.” – Yeḥezqĕl (Ezekiel) 8:16
The Cross Isn’t Exempt
Even the “Christian cross”, which is central to Easter imagery, predates Yahusha. It was used in Tammuz worship, often worn or marked on foreheads in honor of the sun deity. This is the same T (taw) symbol condemned in Yirmeyahu 44, where the “Queen of Heaven” (another title for Ishtar) is honored with cakes and rituals, again, practices YaHuWaH detests.
The True Set-Apart Time: Passover (Pesach)
Instead of Easter, Scripture commands observance of Pesach (Passover), a memorial of Yisra’El’s deliverance from Mitsrayim (Egypt) and a shadow of the perfect Lamb, Yahusha, who was sacrificed exactly at the appointed time (Shemoth (Exodus) 12; Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23).
He was not resurrected on Sunday morning as tradition claims, but “after three days and three nights” (Mattithyahu (Matthew) 12:40), aligning with the Feast of Firstfruits, not Ishtar’s sunrise festival.
To celebrate Easter is to exchange YaHuWaH’s appointed times for ancient Babylonian worship, repackaged and sugarcoated.
Easter is not set-apart, and Yahusha was not resurrected on Ishtar’s festival day. He fulfilled Pesach, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits, the true moedim (appointed times) of YaHuWaH. The Easter celebration honors Ishtar, Tammuz, and sun worship, all of which the Torah explicitly warns against.
We must return to the Feasts of YaHuWaH, not the holidays of Babylon.
Death, Darkness, and the Seduction of Fear
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Halloween
You shall not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 18:9
The Origins: Samhain and the Dead
Halloween finds its origins not in Scripture, but in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), a pagan observance marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the “dark half” of the year. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31st, the veil between the living and the dead was thinnest, allowing spirits to roam the earth.
To appease these spirits, people carved faces into turnips (later pumpkins), offered food to wandering souls, and wore costumes to blend in with the dead. Fires were lit to drive away evil, and divination (witchcraft) was common. Every element, ghosts, skeletons, jack-o’-lanterns, costumes, and candy offerings, has its root in fear, death, and the occult.
When the Roman Catholic Church tried to convert pagans, it simply absorbed the festival, renaming it All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day. Yet, the pagan rituals remained, merely dressed in religious garb.
Witchcraft, Necromancy, and What Torah Says
YaHuWaH is not silent about practices like these. He condemns every part of Halloween:
Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices divination, or a user of magic, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer… or one who calls up the dead.” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 18:10–11
Halloween is a celebration of the very things YaHuWaH calls abominations. It glorifies darkness, sorcery, fear, death, and the spirit world, all of which are forbidden to those in covenant.
Even dressing up for “fun,” collecting candy, or attending “Harvest Festivals” that mimic the same practices are forms of syncretism, mixing the clean with the unclean.
Do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you.” – Qorintiyim Bet (2 Corinthians) 6:17
Why Darkness Cannot Mix with Light
The Hebrew word for darkness is choshekh (חֹשֶׁךְ) – Strong’s H2822, meaning obscurity, ignorance, or evil. Yahusha said:
I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall by no means walk in darkness.” – Yoḥanan (John) 8:12
To walk in set-apartness means to reject the celebration of death and fear, and to shine the light of truth. Halloween is not neutral, it is a global ritual wrapped in sugar, glamorized by pop culture, and designed to normalize darkness, especially for children.
A Set-Apart Alternative: Rejoicing in the Light
Rather than participate in Halloween, we are called to teach our children truth, to expose the works of darkness (Eph’siyim (Ephesians) 5:11) and live according to the light of Torah. Let us redeem the days by proclaiming the Feasts of YaHuWaH, rejoicing in His light, His truth, and His power over death through Yahusha alone.
Halloween is not innocent. It is a mask for ancient witchcraft, fear, and necromancy, all of which are condemned by Torah. Participating in it, even subtly, brings compromise. We are not called to redeem pagan days but to come out and be separate.
Let us reject the darkness and walk boldly in the light of Yahusha and the Torah.
Nimrod, Trees, and the Lie of December 25
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Christmas
Do not learn the way of the nations… For the customs of the peoples are worthless.” – Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 10:2–3
The Root of the Season: Nimrod and Sun Worship
Modern Christmas celebrations are widely assumed to honor the birth of the Messiah. But a closer look reveals that December 25th has nothing to do with Yahusha, and everything to do with ancient sun worship and Babylonian mythology.
According to ancient records, Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noaḥ, was a rebellious tyrant who founded Babel, Nineveh, and Assyria (see Berěshith (Genesis) 10:8–12). After his death, he was deified. His widow, Semiramis, declared that a full-grown evergreen tree sprang up overnight from a dead stump, symbolizing Nimrod’s rebirth. She claimed he had been reincarnated as her son, Tammuz, who was born on December 25th.
This myth became the foundation for countless pagan religions: a virgin mother, a divine child, and a resurrected sun-god. Rome adopted these traditions under names like Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun) and Mithras, whose birthday was also December 25.
The Roman Church, in a bid to merge paganism with Christianity, simply overlaid “Christ’s Mass” on top of this popular sun festival, complete with gift-giving, yule logs, tree worship, and feasting.
Christmas Trees in Scripture
For the customs of the nations are worthless; one cuts a tree from the forest… They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with nails and hammers so it does not topple.” – Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 10:3–4
This description is eerily familiar. Though commonly dismissed as unrelated, the Christmas tree finds its origin in the worship of Tammuz and the evergreen tree, a symbol of Nimrod’s false resurrection. Decorating trees, burning yule logs, and lighting candles are all rooted in ancient fertility and fire rituals, not Scripture.
Even the “nativity scene” is distorted. Yahusha was not born in winter. Luqas (Luke) 2:8 says shepherds were still in the fields, impossible in the cold Judean hills of December. Rather, evidence points to a fall birth during Sukkot (Feast of Booths), when “the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us.”
What Torah Commands
Observe and obey all these words which I command you… and you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 12:32
YaHuWaH never commands us to celebrate the birth of Messiah, let alone by borrowing pagan practices to do it. He gave us seven set-apart feasts, which reveal His redemptive plan through Yahusha. To substitute those with man-made holidays is to profane what is set-apart.
Set-Apart Alternatives: The Moedim
Most importantly, the appointed times (moedim) in Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 23, such as Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot, offer us YaHuWaH’s own calendar, filled with meaning, obedience, and prophetic purpose.
Christmas is not about Yahusha, it’s about Nimrod, Tammuz, and sun-god worship, cleverly disguised with candles and carols. It is a powerful counterfeit, designed to mix the clean with the unclean.
If we are to be set-apart, we must reject December 25 and return to the calendar, feasts, and commandments of YaHuWaH. He alone determines what is good and acceptable, not tradition, not the church, and not culture.
Goddess Worship Wrapped in Sentiment
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Mother’s Day
You shall not make for yourselves idols or carved images, nor shall you set up for yourselves an engraved stone, nor a pillar, nor shall you place a figured stone in your land to bow down to it; for I am YaHuWaH your Elohim.” – Shemoth (Exodus) 20:4–5
The Pagan Roots of Mother’s Day
Though Mother’s Day appears as a modern, heartfelt celebration of maternal love, its origins are entwined with ancient goddess worship. In antiquity, many cultures revered mother goddesses who embodied fertility, motherhood, and the earth’s bounty.
One prominent example is the Roman goddess Cybele, known as the “Great Mother.” Her worship involved ceremonial rites, including processions, music, and offerings, often linked to fertility and nature cycles. Over time, the veneration of goddesses such as Cybele, Ishtar, and others merged with cultural practices celebrating motherhood.
The contemporary Mother’s Day was formalized in the early 20th century, but it borrows heavily from these older traditions that glorify motherhood apart from the Creator’s design.
Why This Celebration Is Not Scriptural
YaHuWaH’s Word instructs us to honor our parents (Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 5:16) every day, not only on a specific calendar date. The focus is on respect, obedience, and love within the covenant, not on ritualized adoration that echoes pagan goddess worship.
The Hebrew word for mother is ‘Em (אֵם, Strong’s H517), signifying a natural and sacred relationship, but this is never separated from the reverence owed to YaHuWaH. Idolizing motherhood through special days can elevate the human role above what Scripture prescribes and can open doors to syncretism.
Torah’s Teaching on Honor
Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land which YaHuWaH your Elohim is giving you.”
– Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 5:16
This commandment is foundational and must be practiced with integrity and sincerity, not through the observance of culturally imposed festivals that may carry pagan undertones.
True Set-Apart Honor
True honor of mothers is shown by living Torah-true lives, teaching children the ways of YaHuWaH, and cultivating homes rooted in covenant faithfulness. It is a daily act of obedience and love, not a once-a-year event shaped by secular or pagan customs.
Mother’s Day may seem innocent, but its foundations are entangled with ancient goddess worship and cultural traditions that do not align with Scripture. To walk in set-apartness means to honor mothers as Torah commands every day, rejecting ritualistic days borrowed from paganism.
Let us treasure and respect our mothers, but always through the lens of YaHuWaH’s Word, not man’s inventions.
Roots in Sun-God Reverence and Freemasonry
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Father’s Day
Honor your father and your mother, as YaHuWaH your Elohim has commanded you.” – Deḇarim (Deuteronomy) 5:16
The Pagan Backdrop of Father’s Day
While honoring fathers is a clear command in Scripture, Father’s Day as a formal celebration is a relatively modern invention, layered with cultural and pagan symbolism.
Father’s Day originated in the early 20th century but echoes older traditions of worshiping male deities associated with the sun and fatherhood, such as the Roman god Sol Invictus, the “Unconquered Sun.” Sun worship was widespread in ancient pagan religions, including Babylonian and Egyptian cultures, where the sun-god symbolized power, authority, and kingship.
Additionally, some of the symbols associated with Father’s Day, such as ties, neckwear, and certain ceremonial gifts, trace roots to Freemasonry and esoteric orders, which often incorporate sun symbolism and ritualistic honor to male authority figures.
Why Man-Made Father’s Day Is Not Scriptural
The Torah commands honoring one’s parents daily, without instituting special pagan-rooted holidays. Observing Father’s Day as a separate event reflects the world’s pattern of inventing days to elevate human authority apart from Torah.
This holiday, while seemingly harmless, can subtly shift focus from YaHuWaH’s design of fatherhood, which is rooted in covenant responsibility, spiritual leadership, and obedience to Elohim.
Torah’s Instruction on Fatherhood
The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him.” – Mishle (Proverbs) 23:24
True fatherhood in Scripture involves teaching Torah, walking in obedience, and serving YaHuWaH. The honor due to fathers is a lifestyle, not a single day marked by commercialism or pagan symbolism.
Walking in Set-Apart Fatherhood
We are called to live out honor by faithfully loving, instructing, and leading according to YaHuWaH’s commands. Rejecting man-made holidays like Father’s Day keeps us free from pagan entanglements and helps us walk in the set-apartness called for in Scripture.
Father’s Day, though seemingly benign, carries roots in sun-god worship and esoteric traditions. True honor to fathers comes from daily obedience to Torah and covenant faithfulness, not from celebrating a man-made holiday steeped in pagan symbolism.
Let us honor our fathers as Scripture directs, free from the influence of worldly customs.
Self-Exaltation and the Pagan Obsession with Stars
Set-Apart or Sold Out? – Birthdays
You shall have no other mighty ones against My face.” – Shemoth (Exodus) 20:3
The Ancient Practice of Self-Worship
Of all the traditions woven into modern life, celebrating birthdays might seem the most personal and harmless. But the custom of birthday celebration did not begin with the Hebrews; it traces back to pagan cultures that exalted the self and honored demonic powers.
The earliest recorded birthday celebrations come from Babylon, Egypt, and Greece, where kings and pharaohs would commemorate their birth with offerings, astrology, magic, and sacrifices. It was believed that the day of one’s birth attracted spiritual attention, both good and bad, and thus required protective rituals, candles, and incantations.
The Greeks believed that a “spirit” (daemon) was present at a person’s birth and remained as a protector. Cakes with lit candles were offered to Artemis, goddess of the moon, in mimicry of the light she gave. Each candle represented a prayer or wish, a tradition that persists to this day.
In Scripture, every instance of birthday celebration is connected to wickedness and death:
Pharaoh’s birthday: A man was hanged (Bereshith (Genesis) 40:20–22).
Herod’s birthday: Yoḥanan the Immerser (John the Baptist) was beheaded (Mattithyahu (Matthew) 14:6–10).
There is not a single righteous example of birthday celebration in all of Scripture.
The Influence of Astrology and Zodiac Worship
Birthdays are deeply connected to astrological beliefs, where one’s birth month, star sign, and planetary alignment are said to shape personality and destiny. This system is entirely pagan and forbidden by Torah.
Do not learn the way of the nations… For the nations are dismayed by the signs of the heavens.” – Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 10:2
The Hebrew people did not celebrate birthdays because it placed the focus on the individual rather than YaHuWaH, and it invited practices linked to astrology, sorcery, and idolatry.
True Identity and Worth in Torah
The Torah emphasizes who we are in relation to YaHuWaH, not the calendar date of our birth. We are valued because we are created in His image and called to covenant, not because of a specific day that marks our entrance into this world.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” – Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 1:5
Rather than elevate ourselves once a year with gifts, parties, and attention, we are called to walk humbly and die daily to self (Luqas (Luke) 9:23).
Honoring the Creator, Not the Created
We are not forbidden from remembering someone’s life or expressing gratitude, but when that practice turns into self-exaltation, ritual, or imitation of pagan customs, we cross the line. Scripture calls us to celebrate the Creator, not ourselves.
Birthday celebrations are rooted in paganism, astrology, and self-worship, with no support in Scripture. While the world encourages us to “treat ourselves” and seek attention, Torah calls us to deny ourselves and exalt YaHuWaH alone.
Let us forsake the idolatrous customs of men and walk in true humility and set-apartness.
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Restoring the ancient paths – walking in the covenant of truth.