MITHRAISM

                                           Mithraism

Mithras (mîth´res) noun
Mythology.
The ancient Persian god of light and guardian against evil, often identified with the sun.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition is licensed from Houghton Mifflin Company. Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Selected Illustrations from the Concise Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 1991 by Columbia University Press.

How does one begin to explain the very important connection between Mithraism and the paganizing of the true worship of God and His only begotten Son?
To begin with, Mithras was the sun god of the Persians and subsequent empires including the Roman Empire through the 4th century. During the 4th century, Mithras "mysteriously" vanished and Roman "Christianity" began. A Christianity not like that of the 1st century; but, a polluted, corrupt "Christianity" lacking few Mithraic rituals.
Mithras was invoked in the inscriptions of the Biblical Artaxerxes, king of Babylon: making Mithras one of the pagan gods that God had warned His chosen people to beware of. Christ had come and defeated Satan by personally paying repentant man's death penalty for the transgression of God's laws - the penalty He, Himself, had established at the time of creation. And yet, in the 4th century, by way of a Satanic "if you can't beat em join em" deception, a blend of the worship of God and the worship of pagan gods was officially proclaimed as "Christianity" by the Roman Empire.
As the gospel spread throughout the nations; and the persecution of true believers proved to be ineffective, Satan, the author of confusion, began his final assault on the truth - the truth that "sin is the transgression of the law" and that the penalty is death.
The celebrations including December 25th in honor of the rebirth of Mithras at the winter solstice and Easter , the solar observance of the spring equinox, attempted to void the 1st commandment in the name of "Christianity".
The graven images of the pagan deities, given "Christian" titles, attempted to void the 2nd commandment. And the Sunday observance of "Deis Solis", the day of the sun attempted to void the 4th commandment. Attempted only, for Christ had proclaimed "till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law."
The official recognition of sun worship in the Roman Empire began during the time of Aurelian when he instituted the cult of "Sol invictus". The cult of Sol Invictus and that of Mithra are virtually the same.
In the year 307 A.D. Emperor Diocletian, a sun worshipper, was involved in the dedication of a temple to Mithra and was responsible for the burning of scripture which made it possible for later emperors to formulate their own version of "Christianity."
After the rein of Diocletian, Emperor Constantine, while claiming to be a Christian maintained the title "Pontifus Maximus" the high priest of paganism. His coins were inscribed: "SOL INVICTO COMITI" (COMMITTED TO THE INVINCIBLE SUN).
During his reign pagan sun worship was blended with the worship of the Creator, and officially entitled "Christianity."
Cybele the Phrygian goddess, known to her followers as "the mother of god", was closely related to the worship of Mithra. As Mithraism was a man's religion, the worship of Cybele was practiced by the women. The priests of Mithra were known as "Fathers" and the Priestesses of Cybele as "Mothers."
After baptism into the Mysteries of Mithra, the initiate was marked on the forehead. The sign of the cross formed by the elliptic and the celestial equator was one of the signs of Mithra.
Sunday (Deis Solis), the day of the sun, was considered by Mithraist a sacred day of rest.
December 25th was celebrated as the birth of the sun, given birth by the "Queen of Heaven" - "Mother of god."
The Mithraists celebrated a mithraic love feast. This feast consisted of loaves of bread decorated with crosses with wine over which the priest pronounced a mystic formula.
Mithra was considered mediator between god and man.
Mithraists also believed in eternal life in heaven and in the torture of the wicked after death. Many of these beliefs and rituals were exclusive to Mithraism and up until the fourth century were not a part of the Christian faith. Only those in accordance with the commandments of God could possibly be in honor of Christ.
In the 4th century, through confusion and manipulation, rituals of "sun worship" were pronounced, by the followers of Satan to be "Christian" in nature.
There is no Biblical support for the inclusion of Mithraic ritual, which is the worship of Satan, in the worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Creator of heaven and earth. It is a Satanic scheme to disguise the transgression of God's laws under the title of "Christianity".
This same system, characterized by the shrouding of truth in secrecy and the manipulation of the truth in order to achieve its ends, has been working for two millennia to combine paganism with Christianity.
The mystery of iniquity is at work and it only takes a little leaven to leaven the whole lump.