LESSON 43

WHAT ABOUT EASTER, LENT AND GOOD FRIDAY

The word Easter is found only once in the King James Version – Acts 12:4. It is from the same original that is used in many places and translated” Passover” as for example 1 Corinthians 5: 7. In view of the almost universal celebration of Easter and along with Christmas is the most holy festival in the “Christian” church, is it not strange that it is only mentioned once in our Bible and that being a mis-translation? Easter is supposedly the celebration of the resurrection of Christ on Sunday. Yet the Bible plainly tells us that Jesus rose from the grave on the Sabbath. (Matthew 28: 1) Furthermore if Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, how is it that it is always on a Sunday?

Does Christmas always come on the same day of the week? Something is wrong here. Well like many other church traditions Easter comes to us branded with paganism.

The word Easter comes from the name of a pagan goddess- the goddess of the spring and is but a more modern form of ISHTAR, EOSTRE, OSTERA or ASTARTE. Ishtar is another name for SEMIRAMIS of Babylon, NIMROD’S  Wife who claimed that after his death Nimrod became the SUN GOD, later she gave birth to an illegitimate son TAMMUZ, claiming he was Nimrod reborn. This same Tammuz was killed by a wild boar at 40 years of age and so sacred fast of 40 days weeping for Tammuz was instituted by the pagans (also observed by backslidden Israel) see Ezekiel 8: 14 and finally adopted by the apostate “Christian” church and called “Lent”.

“EASTER EGGS” Do eggs have anything to do with Christ and His resurrection? The egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. They believed that an egg of a wondrous size fell from heaven into the Euphrates River and the goddess Astarte (Easter) was hatched. So from the MOTHER of False religion – Babylon came the symbol of the MYSTIC EGG.

Most ancient pagan religious rituals included the “sacred egg” in their idolatrous practices. Says the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA: The egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians who had also the custom of colouring and eating eggs during their spring festival. Its adoption into the Romanish Church is but further evidence of the great compromise that was made with paganism to gain popularity with both the pagans and the “Christians”. Apostate church leaders attempted to find some similarity between the pagan rite and some Christian event. So it was suggested that as the chick comes out of the egg, so Christ came out of the tomb! Thus fallen Church leaders void of the Holy Spirit told the people that the egg was the symbol of the resurrection of Christ. Pope Paul V even appointed a prayer in connection with the egg! “Bless O Lord we beseech thee this thy creature of EGGS, that it may become wholesome substance unto thy servants, eating it in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

“EASTER RABBITS” [From Encyclopaedia Britannica]. Like the Easter egg the Easter hare, (rabbit) came to Christianity from antiquity. The hare is associated with the moon in the legends of ancient Egypt and other peoples. Through the fact that the Egyptian word for hare, UM means also “open” and “period” the hare came to be identified with periodicity, both lunar and human, and with the beginning of new life. As such, the hare became linked with Easter eggs.

Thus both the Easter Rabbit and Easter eggs became symbols of sexual significance, symbols of fertility!

“HOT CROSS BUNS” Is it Christian? As early as 1500 B. C. such buns were used in the worship of the “Queen of Heaven” see Jeremiah 7: 18-20; 44: 17-19, 25, (“cake” from “kavvan” means “bun”)

“SUNRISE SERVICE”  Is it Christian? See Ezekiel 8:16 and also 1 Kings 18:26- “Baal worship is sun-worship as part of the Mother-Goddess worship.  The Sphinx of Egypt were built to watch the rising sun.  In Japan from Mount Fuji-yama, prayers were made to the rising sun. Shinto pilgrims in white robes turn out from their shelters joining their chants to the rising sun. [Matthew 15:8, 9 – Vain worship].

“GOOD FRIDAY”  Is this a Christian festival?  The word “Friday” comes from the name “Freya”, who was regarded as the goddess of peace,

joy and FERTILITY by the ancient pagans [Fausset p. 232, Art. “fish”].  As a symbol of fertility, the fish became regarded as sacred among the pagans.  The reason the fish was used as a symbol of fertility is seen by the simple fact that it has a very high reproduction rate.  For example, a single cod fish annually spawns upwards of 9,000,000 eggs; the flounder, 1,000,000; the sturgeon, 700,000 etc.  And so, from ancient times the fish has been the symbol of sexual fertility, and thus was associated with the goddess of fertility – Freya – Friday.  Now we see the real significance of Friday and fish.

The Romans called the Goddess of sexual fertility by the name Venue.  And thus it is from the goddess Venue that our modern words “venereal” and “venereal disease” have come.  Friday was regarded as her sacred day.  [See Encyclopaedia of Religions. Art. Fri].  It was believed that the planet Venus ruled the first hour of Friday and thus it was called DIES VENERIS.  And to make the significance complete, the fish was also regarded as being sacred to her.  The fish symbol may be found upon many pagan statues and was sacred also to Ashtoreth [Judges 2:12-14].  In view of these things concerning Friday being named after the goddess of fertility, Friday being the day that from olden times was regarded as her sacred day, and since the fish was her sacred symbol, it comes like more than a mere coincidence that Catholics are taught that Friday is a special day, and up until just recent years, a day of abstinence from meat, a day to eat fish!

From where then does Easter observance come?  Did the apostles ever observe Easter?  Did the early Christians dye Easter eggs or go to the bakery and buy hot cross buns?  Did Peter or Paul ever conduct an Easter sunrise service?  Where did all these customs come from?  What does God say about the customs of the heathens?  [Jeremiah 10:2,3]

Now, since the true Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, in reality did rise [not merely in nature, plants, etc] and since His resurrection was in the Spring of the year – though slightly earlier than the pagan festivals of olden times, it was too hard for the church of the fourth century [now greatly departed from the true faith anyway] to merge the pagan Spring festival into Christianity – attaching the various phases of it to Christ.  In this way it would appear to be a Christian festival, yet at the same time, it would retain many of its ancient customs.

In this way both sides were coaxed into the professing “church”.  In speaking of this merger, the Encyclopaedia Britannica says, “Christianity incorporated in its celebration of the great Christian feast day many of the heathen rites and customs of the Spring festival”

The evidence then is clear: today’s observance of Easter is not purely Christian, its customs are plainly a mixture of paganism and Christianity.

Some feel, however, that we can take these various customs and use them to honour Christ.  After all, it is reasoned, Do not most Christians think of Christ at this season?  Though the pagans worshipped the sun towards the east, can not we have sunrise services to honour the resurrection of Christ, even though this is not the time of the day that he arose?  And even though the egg was used by the pagans, cannot we continue its use and pretend it symbolizes the large rock that was in front of the tomb?

In other words, some think that we can take all of these pagan beliefs and ideas, and instead of applying them to the false gods as the heathen did, we can use them to glorify Christ.  At first glance, this might seem like good reasoning, but this idea of adding pagan customs into the worship of the true God is utterly and absolutely condemned in the Bible.  Here is what God says:  “Take heed….that thou inquire not after their gods [pagan gods] saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.  Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God.

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it; thou shalt not ADD thereto” [Deuteronomy 12:30-32].  Plainly then, God does not want us to add anything to His worship.  He does not want us to use customs and rites that the heathen used, even though we might CLAIM to use them to honour Him [Revelation 22:18, 19]. [See Babylon, Mystery Religion – chap.19]