EASTER? Say - Let's bow our head and ask God for understanding as we study the subject of Easter. We will discuss the origins of Easter and we will study what God thinks about celebrating Easter. We will learn if the word "Easter" is in the Bible. Say - Nearly everyone knows the season and date of the celebration of many of the world s holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Valentine s Day. However few know how the date is chosen for the Easter celebration in the springtime of the year. Here is how it is calculated. Say - Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (green) equinox or first day of spring. The vernal equinox means the daytime and nighttime are of equal length. Say - Another item of interest, the words Christmas and Valentine s Day and Easter cannot be found in the Bible. However in Acts 12:4 the verse reads like this, " 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. The word translated Easter is pascha and should ve been translated Passover (Jamison, Fawcett and Brown, page 1099). Say - How ironic it is that while the world s religions invite many to their Christian Easter Sunrise Services, the celebration was never celebrated by Christ nor any of His disciples because it was a non- Christian observance or of pagan origins. Say - However going back almost three centuries after Christ s death to the first Council of Nicea, we will see they made their own rules under the direction of the Emperor Constantine and reasoned that pagan customs could be Christianized and so it was with the celebration of Easter. Go to the following site and click on "Easter Controversy" http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05228a.htm Say - But our Creator, Jesus Christ, said it is not up to anyone to add or change any of My laws. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book Revelation 22:18.
Say - Below is what Venerable Bede tells us about the "origins of Easter". I have underlined some sentences for effect. http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." 1 Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Some were: Aphrodite from ancient Cyprus Ashtoreth from ancient Israel (Canaan actually but this is my addition) Astarte from ancient Greece Demeter from Mycenae Hathor from ancient Egypt Ishtar from Assyria (And Babylon) Kali, from India Ostara a Norse Goddess of fertility. Say - In the Bible we are told about the "Queen of Heaven". Who was she? The New Compact Bible Dictionary, page 485, tells us the following: "The Queen of Heaven was a female deity to whom priestly Hebrew women made offerings, Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-25. The most likely identification is with Ashtoreth, goddess of love and fertility synonymous with the Assyrian and Babylonian Ishtar (see above where I have underlined "Ishtar"), and the Roman Venus". Say - Below are the verses about the "Queen of Heaven/Ishtar". Jeremiah 7:18 18The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger".
Jeremiah 44:17-25 17 But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil. 18 But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine. 19 And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men? 20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, 21The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind? 22So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day. 23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day. 24Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt: 25Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows. Ezekiel 8:13-18 Christ is speaking here to Ezekiel 13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. 14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz (Weeping right in the temple of God.).
Who was Tammuz? Tammuz was a fertility goddess widely worshipped in Mesopotamia, Syria and Canaan; she was the equilivent to Osiris in Egypt and Adonis of the Greeks. His consort was the goddess Ishtar or Ashtoreth. The people mourned for her at the Temple of the True God and she was one of the most abominable idolatries. December 25 th is the birthday of Tammuz and the rebirth of Nimrod. Continuing with Ezekiel 15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. 16And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east (They turned their backs on God and had an Easter sunrise service.). 17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose (Ashtoreth and thumb their nose at God.). 18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. Say - Do we see how the worship of Easter/Ishtar was condemned by God? Another name for Ishtar is Ashtoreth from Canaan and Astarte from ancient Greece. Say - We will learn the reforming kings of Israel destroyed pillars or any statutes or idolatrous emblems of the above goddesses. Please read the following verses. I Kings 15:13 13And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove (the word "grove" is a mistranslation and should say Ashtoreth); and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. I Kings 11:5, 33 5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 33 Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father.
2 Kings 17:10-13 10And they set them up images and groves (Ashtoreth) in every high hill, and under every green tree: 11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: 12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. Say - As we can see Easter is superimposing or the laying of a pagan festival over one of God's Feasts which is called Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. Say - What does God want us to keep? God wants His followers to keep the New Testament Passover. Remember the Bible tells us "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" (not Easter over) I Corinthians 5:7 Say - Here is how Christ said it, " 26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body (Just like at Mt. Sinai, this is my Law, eat my Law of righteousness, not your or a man-made law for this is my teachings. Hunger and thirst after righteousness). 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament (will), which is shed for many for the remission of sins" Matthew 26:26-28. Say - The Night To Be Much Observed and The Days of Unleavened Bread immediately follow the Passover. Christ through Paul said, " 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" I Corinthians 5:7-8. As we can see the disciples of God were teaching and observing the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread 30 years after Christ was crucified. Never forget, Passover, not Easter, was the ultimate sacrifice for all mankind! Say - Easter, on the other hand, depicts the worship of a fertility goddess which The True God abhors as we have read and does not teach the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter "... This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God (Leviticus 23, Matthew 26:26-28), ye hold the tradition of men (above God's Laws of love)...mark 7:6-8.
Say - For all of God's Feast or Holy Days which are centered on Jesus Christ not on false gods or goddesses; read Leviticus 23. Also read the lessons on the Holy Days at this website. http://www.sabbathlessons.com/holy_days.php MEMORY VERSE The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven (Ishtar), and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger". JEREMIAH 7:18 BELOW IS THE SABBATH LESSON FOR TOTS AND YOUTH
EASTER? HOW WAS THE DATE OF EASTER CHOSEN; A CELEBRATION, NOT OF GOD, BUT OF THE WORLD? EASTER IS CELEBRATED THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE FIRST FULL MOON AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING IN THIS WORLD. DID YOU KNOW THE WORD "EASTER" CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE BIBLE EXCEPT ONE WRITER IN THE BOOK OF ACTS 12:4 CHANGED A WORD? THE WRITERS USED THE WORD "EASTER" BUT IN TRUTH THE WORD SHOULD BE "PASSOVER" WHICH MAKES THE WRITERS GUILTY OF ADDING TO GOD'S WORD. GOD SAYS, "DO NOT ADD NOR TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK...FOR GOD SHALL ADD UNTO HIM PLAGUES WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK". BUT MANY PEOPLE GET UP EARLY FOR EASTER SUNDAY, BUT GOD SAYS, "IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING FOR DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN"; IT IS THE TRUE GOD THEY HAVE FORSOOK. EASTER IS THE CELEBRATION OF THE "QUEEN OF HEAVEN" AND DEPENDING ON THE COUNTRY MANY NAMES HAS SHE; FROM CANAAN, HER NAME IS ASHTORETH, FROM BABYLON, HER NAME IS ISHTAR AND ASTARTE IS HER NAME FROM GREECE. "THE CHILDREN GATHERED WOOD, AND A FIRE THE FATHERS WOULD KINDLE AND THE WOMEN WOULD KNEAD THE DOUGH TO MAKE CAKES TO THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN;" TO THE TRUE GOD, NO ONE CARED HOW IT "PROVOKED HIM TO ANGER" AND "HE COULD NO LONGER BEAR THEIR EVIL DOINGS FOR THEY HAD SINNED AGAINST GOD, WALKED NOT IN HIS LAW" WHICH FILLED THEM FULL OF SIN OR LEAVEN.
EASTER IS THE LAYING OF A PAGAN CELEBRATION OVER GOD'S PASSOVER AND DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD; BUT "CHRIST OUR PASSOVER WAS SACRIFICED FOR US", IF ONLY PEOPLE WOULD LISTEN TO WHAT GOD SAID. GOD WANTS US TO KEEP THE NEW TESTAMENT PASSOVER JUST AS HE TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES. "JESUS TOOK BREAD AND BLESSED IT AND SAID, TAKE EAT; THIS (REPRESENTS) IS MY BODY"; THEN HE TOOK A CUP AND GAVE THANKS...FOR THIS (REPRESENTS) IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WHCIH IS SHED FOR THE REMISSION (OR FORGIVENESS) OF SINS." JUST AFTER THE NEW TESTAMENT PASSOVER FOLLOWS THE NIGHT TO BE MUCH REMEMBERED AND THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD; "LET US KEEP THE FEAST NOT WITH OLD LEAVEN...BUT WITH UNLEAVENED BREAD OF SINCERITY AND TRUTH;" LET'S ALL DO JUST WHAT GOD SAID! BY B. R. B.