Transcription
Is Easter pagan? Shalom and welcome to Light of the Hill Ministries. And in today's teaching, we will be answering the question, is Easter a pagan holiday? But before we do, let's pray.
Aba Yahweh, we come before you with humble hearts, seeking truth and understanding. We say we thank you for your word which is pure and unchanging. We ask that you open our eyes to see where traditions of men may have replaced what you have established from the beginning. Give us discernment that we may rightly divide your truth and not be led by what is popular, but by what is written. Teach us to honor what you have commanded. Help us to understand the significance of Passover, the remembrance of deliverance, the lamb, and the sacrifice that points us to Yahushua. Let us not follow customs blindly, but examine all things through your word. If there is anything in our lives that does not align with your truth, reveal it to us gently and give us the strength to walk in obedience. Remove confusion and establish us in clarity and conviction. We desire to worship you in spirit and in truth. Lead us back to the ancient paths where your ways are found. Let our hearts be faithful, not divided between truth and tradition. We thank you for your compassion, for your patience, and for guiding us into all truth. In the name of Yahushua, we pray. Amen.
Let's begin. We must first ask the question, where is the word Easter in the scriptures? Well, we do find it in the King James version of the scriptures which reads, "And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four sets of four of soldiers to keep him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people." Acts 12:3-4. Easter in this verse is a mistranslation of the Greek word for Passover which is Strong's G3957 Pashia meaning the Passover, the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it. All later translations have correctly rendered it as Passover.
If this is referring to Passover, it begs the question of where Easter originated. Should we celebrate it? Let's look at the words history to see if there are any signs as to whether we should celebrate it or not. Nelson's Bible dictionary explains Easter was originally a pagan festival honoring Eosta, a Tutonic Germanic goddess of light and spring. At the time of the vernal equinox, the day in the spring when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length, sacrifices were offered in her honor. As early as the 8th century, the name was used to designate the annual Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ. This source agrees completely with the Catholic Encyclopedia, which states Easter, the English term, relates to Eosta, a Tutonic goddess of the rising light of day and spring, which deity, however, is otherwise unknown even in the Ed Simro Mthal 362.
The dispute over the Passover between the western church and the more bible-believing believers of the near east was finally settled by Constantine's council of Nika in 325 AD when it was decided that Easter would be observed on Sunday throughout the world and that none should hereafter follow the blindness of the Jews. Polycarp, the disciple of Yochan, commonly called John, had previously learned from Yochan himself that the 14th of Abib was the scriptural day of the year, which had been legislated in the old covenant to establish the Passover, which Yahushua kept throughout his life. Polycarp and others argued that the Passover supper should be counted starting on the 14th of Abib. The council of Nika led by Constantine chose to reject the scriptural method of finding the right date based on the yearly date in favor of Easter Sunday which was based on a weekday.
In his exhortation, Constantine exhorted all bishops to embrace the practice which is observed at once in the city of Rome and in Africa throughout Italy and in Egypt. Constantine also exhorted all believers to emulate the customs of the ancient church of Rome and Alexandria. In fact, the ancient church of Rome celebrated the Passover every week on what they called Sunday. Usabius stated, "While the Jews faithful to Moses sacrificed the Passover lamb once a year, we men of the new covenant celebrate our Passover every Sunday." Pope Innocent I wrote, "We celebrate Sunday because of the venerable resurrection, not only at Easter, but every Sunday." Is this what scripture teaches us? Is Passover every Sunday?
Moshe, commonly called Moses, tells us when Passover, also called Pesak, was to be. And Yahweh spoke to Moshe and to Aharon in the land of Mitzim, saying, "This new moon is the beginning of new moons for you. It is the first new moon of the year for you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, On the 10th day of this new moon, each one of them is to take for himself a lamb according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the beings. According to each man's need, you make your count for the lamb. Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the 14th day of the same new moon. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slay it between the evenings, and they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts, and on the lentil of the houses where they eat it, and they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire, with unleavened bread, and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its inward parts. And do not leave of it until morning. And what remains of it until morning you are to burn with fire. And this is how you eat it, your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the pesak Passover of Yahweh." Exodus 12:1-11.
The answer is a clear no. Passover isn't every Sunday. Rather, it is yearly. And we shouldn't listen to man's opinion, but rather take what Yahweh says at his word. So where did this Easter Sunday originate? Well, the Oxford English dictionary tells us that most likely this Hioster is the same as Astarti, which is recorded in the Hebrew of the Old Testament as Ashtaroth and Ashttoarth, the latter being changed because of deliberate Hebrew misvocalization. The name of Astarti was Ishtar in Ninve. She was also known as the queen of heaven. And where have we heard the queen of heaven before? Yahoo, or as he is commonly called Jeremiah tells us the answer and that is the children are gathering wood, the fathers are lighting the fire and the women are kneading their dough to make cakes for the queen of the heavens and to pour out drink offerings to other mighty ones to provoke me. Jeremiah 7:18.
Spring festivals were celebrated with the rites of Adonis or Tammuz, which were held in summer in some places but held in spring in others such as in Sicily and Syria, and Yahushua the Messiah being assimilated to the pagan celebration of Adonis. This weeping for Tammuz is exactly what Yahweh included amongst his verdict of wicked abominations as we read. And I went in and looked and saw all kinds of creeping creatures, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel carved all around on the walls. And facing them stood 70 men of the elders of the house of Israel. And in their midst stood Yarazanyahu, son of Chaffan. Each one had a sensor in his hand and a thick cloud of incense went up. Ezekiel 8:10-11. If you've ever seen an Easter service in a Catholic church, you'll recognize this. They too had idols etched all over their walls as well as a priest holding a censor and a thick cloud of incense rising. The prophet goes on to say, "And he said to me, son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each one in the room of his idols? For they say, Yahweh does not see us, Yahweh has forsaken the land." And he said to me, "You are to see still greater abominations which they are doing." and he brought me to the door of the north gate of the house of Yahweh. And I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz. Ezekiel 8:12-14.
Yahweh sees weeping for Tammuz as an abomination, which means that he sees Easter as an abomination. By the time of Constantine, Rome, which was deep into paganism and into the worship of Adonis, who was also known as Tammuz, took measures to get believers in Messiah and pagan festivals, to make the two religious belief systems into one new system. And this was done by simply adjusting the calendar. This wasn't too hard since believers in Messiah, who were by the time of Constantine far into idolatry, were willing to marry the two religious beliefs. Furthermore, not only was the scriptural feast time replaced by the pagan date, but the pagan Easter ceremonies were also adopted, including the fertility pagan symbols of Easter eggs and Easter rabbits, bunnies, as well as the Easter buns, commonly known as hot cross buns. Hundreds of years before Messiah, the buns were employed in the worship of the Queen of Heaven. How is this ever allowed to be in the body of Messiah if Yahweh considers these things to be an abomination?
The Catholic Church, in an attempt to legitimize this, uses the word Christianization. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains how these ancient symbols of Easter came to be adopted, stating that many pagan rituals commemorating the coming of spring converged on Easter. The rabbit is a pagan symbol for fertility and has traditionally been associated with it. This is in direct contrast to the word of Yahweh where it says, "Thus said Yahweh, do not learn the way of the nations and do not be ensnared by the signs of the heavens, for the nations are ensnared by them." Jeremiah 10:2. And again it says, "When Yahweh your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them after they are destroyed from before you, 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. Do not do so to Yahweh your Elohim. For every abomination which Yahweh hates, they have done to their mighty ones. For they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones." Deuteronomy 12:29-31.
The whole subject of Easter, its Sunday emphasizing date and its pagan emblems and rites such as Easter sunrise services is crowned by the general admission that the word Easter is derived from the name of a female mighty one. We are clearly told not to do so to Yahweh our mighty one. Why? Because he hates them and so we should hate them as well. Remember, we are to love what Yahweh loves and hate the things he hates. Let us instead observe Passover and the events that follow according to the biblical calendar, beginning on the evening of Abib 14, and repent and abolish the pagan Easter feast. And let us also remember what Yahushua the Messiah prayed for all of those who follow him the night he was betrayed, saying, "Set them apart in your truth. Your word is truth." John 17:17. This strong declaration establishes the standard for anyone who wants to be sincere worshippers. Those who have been cleansed or set apart by Yahweh's pure word. They are aware of the truth and have been set free as a result of it. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32.
Our goal is to stay on the narrow path of truth and righteousness and avoid the broad path of lawlessness, sin, the transgression of the Torah. As Kea, or as he is commonly called, Peter tells us, "You then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless. But grow in the favor and knowledge of our master and Savior Yahushua Messiah. To him be the honor both now and to a day that abides. Amen." 2 Peter 3:17-18.
Yahushua himself would not have done Easter as described above. But what he would have done is celebrate his father's feast days such as Passover. And he tells us to do the same. "If you love me, you shall guard my commands." John 14:15. "He who possesses my commands and guards them. It is he who loves me and he who loves me shall be loved by my father and I shall love him and manifest myself to him." John 14:21. "If you guard my commands, you shall stay in my love even as I have guarded my father's commands and stay in his love." John 15:10. "By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and guard his commands. For this is the love for Elohim that we guard his commands and his commands are not heavy." 1 John 5:2-3.
We see here that Yahushua desires to obey his father's commands and if we are his followers, we will do the same. He lives within each of us and still desires to carry out the dictates of his father in heaven. As truth seekers, we must continually be on the lookout for errors propagated by persons who despise the law. The teaching of Easter is a lie that has caused many people to lose their spiritual way. How sad it is that some have left the truth to follow the myths of ancient paganism. Paulo also warns us that there shall be a time when they shall not bear sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they shall heap up for themselves teachers tickling the ear, and they shall indeed turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4. Easter is a myth, and many people have had their ears tickled in order to keep them from hearing the truth. This is a clear warning to hear the truth, to hear sound teaching, to hear Yahweh's commands.
The resurrection of our master Yahushua the Messiah is no reason to create our own observance that violates Yahweh's Torah. There are, however, explicit instructions for commemorating his death. Several times Paulos instructs us. "Or do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Messiah Yahushua were immersed into his death? We were therefore buried with him through immersion into death, that as Messiah was raised from the dead by the honor of the father, so also we should walk in newness of life. For if we have come to be grown together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also of the resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was impaled with him, so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless to serve sin no longer." Romans 6:3-6. And again, "Having been buried with him in immersion, in which you also were raised with him through the belief in the working of Elohim, who raised him from the dead." Colossians 2:12.
As we emerge from the watery grave into a new life in Messiah, we represent his rising from the tomb. The celebration of Passover and the days of unleavened bread is crucial to comprehending Yahweh's plan of salvation. Yahweh never intended for his son's death and resurrection to be linked to a pagan festival honoring a fertility mighty one. Instead, Yahweh designed Passover and the days of unleavened bread to point to the salvation that comes through his son. Yahushua became the savior of mankind by dying on Passover and being raised during the days of unleavened bread. Yahweh never commands us to celebrate Easter. In fact, Easter is not mentioned in the Greek at all. Yahushua and his disciples are never seen coloring and hiding eggs, eating hot cross buns, or celebrating the rising sun. It didn't happen after his death and resurrection either. The obvious, undeniable fact is that Easter is a man-made holiday, not one inspired by Yahweh. The Passover memorializes Yahushua's death who paid the penalty for our sins. And it is specifically commanded, honored, and observed throughout the scripture. Yahweh's feasts fulfill their purpose in highlighting Yahushua's redemptive work.
We must heed Paulos' instructions as true worshippers. "Therefore, cleanse out the old leaven so that you are a new lump as you are unleavened. For also Messiah, our Pesak, Passover, was slaughtered for us. So then, let us celebrate the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. Those who believe in Yahushua as the Messiah will be found worthy as his disciples if they remain true to his word. When he returns, all true believers will be resurrected. They are no longer enslaved by the world's false teachings. They observe Passover and the days of unleavened bread rather than the pagan feast of Easter because they have decided to follow Yahushua's teaching as he has said. "If you stay in my word, you are truly my taught ones and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32.
May we stay in his word and truly be his taught ones, disciples, and break free from the shackles of Easter and return to the father in loving him by doing his Passover and unleavened bread, and may we recognize that Easter is based upon the pagan customs of a fertility mighty one and turn away from it. Let's pray to the father to help us to get rid of paganism in our lives. Please pray with me.
Aba Yahweh, we say thank you for revealing what is hidden and for bringing light to your word. We ask for forgiveness if we have followed traditions that do not come from you. Cleanse us from anything that is not aligned with your truth. Give us the courage to turn away from every practice that is rooted outside of your word. Strengthen us to walk in obedience even when it is difficult and to stand firm in what you have commanded. Teach us to honor your appointed times, especially Passover, with understanding and reverence. Let our hearts be fully set on you, not divided by the customs of this world. Remove fear, remove doubt, and replace it with boldness to walk in truth. Let our lives reflect obedience, set-apartness, and a desire to please you in all things. We choose to turn from what is not of you and to walk in the path you have set before us. We thank you for your compassion and for calling us back to truth. In the name of Yahushua, we pray. Amen.
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