There is a teaching video by Jimmy DeYoung on the Migdal Eder or the tower/birth place of Jesus Christ. (Recently 2017 he taught this theology on Brannon Howse's WVW show.)
DeYoung claims dogmatically that Christ was born in the tower of the flock in Bethlehem.
But is that what God's Word really says?
I really should have called this article:
Jimmy DeYoung's theory of Migdal Eder based on his views and extra biblical sources.
For the record:
This article is NOT about refuting if Christ was indeed born there. Perhaps He was born there, I do not know. God's Word does NOT tell us 100%. There are references to the tower in Genesis so it did exist. This article is to expose the faulty and deceptive ways that men like DeYoung get you to believe their teachings and theology as fact when it is not stated as such in God's Word at all. His Word is the ONLY source of truth is it not?
Then why is Jimmy adding/twisting God's Word?
It is a very dangerous thing if you read Revelation 22!!!!
I will document below how Jimmy uses FALSE statements, installed details, twisted scriptures told as facts to get you to believe his theology and teaching is 100% true. This is a dangerous tactic to use and it matters as DeYoung is the very same man who uses similar tactics to teach the heresy/false pre trib rapture and that you can take the mark of the beast and still be saved. (See biblical articles refuting him on both of those at the end of this testing.)
Moving on......let's get to this tower birth teaching.
Deyoung starts the video with:
" Jewish tradition says "
At least he is honest here as that is what he bases his theory on Jewish tradition. Read on to see why.
To start out: Jimmy uses this verse to say Christ was born in Bethlehem and per God's Word it appears that is solid truth.
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Micah 5:2
Here is where it gets deceptive. DeYoung goes to this
scripture next to drive home his teaching as a fact.
8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Micah 4:8
DeYoung says because of this verse that the tower is the place of Christ's birth when most scholars say perhaps, but we cannot know for sure. Jimmy says this on his website:
"The tower of the flock, Migdal Eder, is at the edge of the Shepherd's fields where Priestly Shepherd's watched over their lambs that were to be sacrificed at the Temple about three miles away in Jerusalem. Therefore, the sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ, had to be born at Migdal Eder."
Again he is making a dogmatic statement NOT based on God's Word alone. Very dangerous!
It gets worse though......
In his teaching video DeYoung goes into deceptive mode to try and convince you of his teaching. He makes the statement that Micah 4:8 says HE will come when it really says IT will come right on his video showing the scripture. More twisting of God's Holy Word.
IT.... is the kingdom to come to Israel. Jimmy plugs in HE to make you think the bible really says Jesus was born at the tower when it does not "clearly" say that at all.
He is guessing with his tower birth theory.
Next in the video Jimmy makes the claim the shepherds were in the fields on a cold winter night.
Chapter and verse please Jimmy where it says it was winter?
More adding to scripture folks and in this case he seems to be trying to defend the pagan Dec 25th holiday. How sad.
There is no verse that says that so it is a lie / a big twist!
Scripture does not say a cold winters night at all. It was the roman catholic pagans that made Christmas up and placed it to fall on Dec 25th to merge with various pagan ways. Most scholars will tell you it is unlikely Christ was born in winter at all. (See a article below on why Christmas in NOT for a biblical believer.)
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2013/12/is-celebrating-christmas-christ-mass.html
Jimmy also says this on his website:
"The Bible said that Jesus must be born in Bethlehem Ephratah, that's Micah 5:2. In that prophetic passage of Micah we also learn that Jesus will be born to be the ruler of this world, during a one thousand year Kingdom yet to come. In fact, Micah 4:8 says that the Messiah's birth at Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock, is evidence that Jesus will one day come back to Jerusalem and set up his kingdom."
Did you catch that?
DeYoung says Micah 4:8 says Jesus was born at Migdal Eder but it does NOT dogmatically say that at all. It says ..it...is coming thou tower of the flock and Jerusalem ( Israel ) Some scholars believe the tower of the flock refers to all of Israel/believers; not just the tower at all.
The amount of scripture twisting is amazing and unless you are very discerning you will be sold error and mans theology NOT God's truth.
Jimmy goes on to say:
* The tower was 2 stories tall
* Had a birthing area below it
* Was manned by priestly shepherds
* They wrapped lambs set for the temple up in swaddling clothes.
It sounds really all good until you ask, how does he know all of this? Has the tower ever been found to get such details. No it has not been found at all. Is that info found in scripture? NO.... it is not there at all. Is there other historical proof for these facts he gives? Or is he just going by Jewish traditions in the Talmud? ( perhaps a occult offering, some claim )
Are you starting to see the issue here?
Jimmy then says the shepherd priests that the angels appeared to were those tending the flocks near the tower.
But Jimmy has a problem as the scripture says this:
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Luke 2
That section of scripture shows those shepherds were NOT from that area. It really says it they were of the same country. I myself am going with God's Word NOT a man's theology.
This all puts Jimmy's theories in doubt not a dogmatic fact!
Jimmy seems to not be interested in resting in God's Word alone, no. He is getting his extra biblical info from others sources; two places really. From a man named Edersheim in the 1890's and from Jewish legends/traditions.
Edershiem got his information from the same Jewish sources. Here is info/bio blurb on him and his book:
There you have it folks. This author paints pictures using extra biblical sources.
Why is God's Word alone NOT enough I ask?
Jimmy DeYoung teach's that Jesus HAD to be born at the tower and he uses not the bible but Jewish ( some say the occult Talmudic writings ) historical writings to make you believe, to convince you of what may or may not be a fact at all!
What is even more amazing is that DeYoung ( he uses the title doctor ) seems to miss that this holiday is PAGAN and NOT to be part of the worship of a Holy God. And he misses that the Lord had NO interested in us knowing the date or the exact place of His birth 100% so why does Jimmy strive so hard for it? Why would Jimmy do such a thing you ask?
Who can know but the bible warns us to be aware of deceivers does it not?
See 2 Peter 2 and many others verses.
Could it also be he takes people on tours to Israel for BIG money $$$$ and this is just another way to make his tours extra special? He claims to know the.... birth real place of Christ.
This is from his website about his tours:
Day 2
"We will meet you and board our large air conditioned bus to make a heartwarming trip up to Jerusalem. We will visit the shepherds fields, the Biblical location of the birth of Jesus, then we will make our way to the promenade for a magnificent panoramic view of both the Old City of Jerusalem and the new City. We will overnight in the first of the deluxe hotels".
Huh, selling to things of God and making His truth, about money. Didn't Jesus turn over tables and run people off for such things? It is shameful indeed!
In closing ...could Christ have been born at Migdal Eder, perhaps? But without the Word telling us clearly it is true, do biblical men claim to know exactly the birth place of Christ?
No, they do not. Only men with faulty theology do such things and you need to be aware of such men.
I hope this article has shown you that no matter where / when Christ was really born, Jimmy DeYoung appears to be using all kinds of things "beyond just the Holy Word" to get you to believe his views. He twists scripture to make it appear he is correct and even uses questionable Talmudic (occult?) sources.
He is also wrong in various other theological areas as well:
*He is an evangelical and unites with many unbiblical denominations for his faith/ministry gain. see this 10 point test on why he and they are in much error.
https://www.dontperish.com/10-point-biblical-test.html
*He teaches the man made doctrine of pre trib
see these articles where we refute it:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2017/08/pre-trib-rapture-is-lie.html
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2017/08/7-reasons-to-trust-pre-trib-rapture-by.html
*DeYoung teaches you can take the mark of the beast and still be saved. see this article on that refuted:
https://bewareoffalse-unbiblicalteachers.blogspot.com/2017/07/brannon-howse-jimmy-deyoung-and-john.html
*Jimmy keeps questionable associations with unbiblical ministries ( Day of Discovery ) and men like Brannon Howse.
see him tested here:
https://bewareoffalse-unbiblicalteachers.blogspot.com/2017/02/brannon-howse-unbibical-issues-about.html
Here is articles that exposes Christmas as a pagan false holiday:
http://spiritandtruthdiscernment.blogspot.com/2013/12/is-celebrating-christmas-christ-mass.html
Jesus warned about false teachers in the last days. See Matthew 24. This tower birth theology may seem like a minor issue to you but I assure you, it leads to worse things as we have shown.
Do not be deceived by such men. Study to be approved, repent and come out of man made false systems like evangelical / roman catholicism and all false religious cults/ways by living in spirit and truth. John 4:24
We are here to help you .... see our resources below.
God be praised
www.dontperish.com
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Here is the biblical gospel:
http://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html
http://www.dontperish.com/the-gospel.html
Here is a 10 point biblical test:
Go here for audio teachings:
His true people follow Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24) NOT.... man made false ways or today's denominational religion.