The Pagan Origins of Easter

The following excerpt is taken from Vine’s Expository Dictionary:

EASTER

pascha

Mistranslated “Easter” in Acts 12:4, AV, denotes the Passover (RV). The phrase “after the Passover” signifies after the whole festival was at an end. The term “Easter” is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast, but was not instituted by Christ, nor was it connected with Lent. From this Pasch the pagan festival of “Easter” was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity. See PASSOVER.

PASSOVER

pascha

The Greek spelling of the Aramaic word for the Passover, from the Hebrew pasach, “to pass over, to spare,” a feast instituted by God in commemoration of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and anticipatory of the expiatory sacrifice of Christ. The word signifies (I) “the Passover Feast,” e.g., Matthew 26:2; John 2:13,23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:39; 19:14; Acts 12:4; Hebrews 11:28; (II) by metonymy, (a) “the Paschal Supper,” Matthew 26:18,19; Mark 14:16; Luke 22:8,13; (b) “the Paschal lamb,” e.g., Mark 14:12 (cp. Exodus 12:21); Luke 22:7; (c) “Christ Himself,” 1 Corinthians 5:7.

Now one must ask: Why would the Bible translators ‘mistranslate’ the Greek word ‘pascha’ when they knew exactly what it meant since they translated it correctly every other place in the New Testament!

Secondly, Vine’s is one of those Bible Study tools that every so-called Bible scholar and theologian utilize in their Biblical studies. You’ll most likely find one on every Christian preacher’s bookshelf. So why in God’s name do they continue promoting this pagan ritual? The Messiah told us why:

“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” -Matthew 5:14

Students of the Bible BEWARE. One of the reasons the Messiah said “salvation is of the Jews” is because everything in the New Testament has its roots in the Old Testament. Christ Himself is called ‘the passover’ by the apostle Paul.

“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 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: 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.” -1 Corinthians chapter 5, verses 6-8

Happy Passover.

The Jewish Roots of Christianity – Part 1

I started this journey by asking, What is truth? There were so many varying views on every subject imaginable, it puzzled me. I saw a fragmented Christianity — hundreds of denominations with major doctrinal differences.

I went from denomination to denomination in search of the real deal — the type of community portrayed in the New Testament writings of the Bible — a first century church that was strong, passionate and truly caring. I was searching for my people — the community I knew I belonged to but could not describe… yet.

While I met some wonderful people along the way, I found a religious system void of depth and richness. So I turned to the Jewish people.

I had pondered the Jewishness of the Bible for many years. I wondered how the Bible had gotten into the hands of non-Jewish people. I would read the Jewish writings and then listen to Gentile (non-Jewish) preachers. I did not hear from their mouths what I was reading in the Bible. I did not see in their churches what was described in the Bible. It was as if there was an entirely different interpretation of the Bible’s writings being presented and an entire religious institution that had been shaped by these misinterpretations.

Where was the Jewish history? Where was the Jewish culture? Where were the modern Jewish prophets?

Was it possible that the Bible had been used to create a counterfeit religious system, one that ultimately abolished the need for the Jewish people and ironically, positioned them as the enemies of the New Testament? (Nothing could be further from the truth.)

If you are a Christian, never forget that the New Testament is the result of Jewish blood.

The Jewish Messiah portrayed in the New Testament and described in the Old Testament prophecies, is in stark contrast to the ‘Gentile’ Messiah depicted by nearly every Christian denomination.

Here are some important things to know about the Jewish Messiah:

*The name ‘Jesus’ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word ‘Yeshua’

*The word ‘Yeshua’ can be translated as ‘the one who saves’

*Jesus was a Jewish man born to Jewish parents

*Jesus’ father (Joseph) came from the tribe of Judah

*Jesus’ mother (Mary) came from the tribe of Levi

*Jesus was a Nazarite (a Jewish holy man)

*Jesus was the cousin of the Jewish prophet, John the Baptist

*Jesus chose twelve Jewish men as His disciples, who became the Apostles

(NOTE: A disciple is a student or follow of the teacher; an apostle is a messenger)

*Jesus did not start a ‘new’ religion called Christianity. His followers were not labeled ‘Christians’ until many years after Jesus was crucified.

*Jesus taught His followers the writings of the Old Testament. This was the only ‘Bible’ in existence when Jesus was alive on the Earth two thousand years ago. The New Testament was not written until many years after Jesus was crucified. Thus, all of Jesus’ teachings (doctrine) come directly from the Old Testament writings.

-Selah

(Selah is a Hebrew word found in many of the psalms (songs or poems) of the Old Testament. It is used as a ‘pause’ within the structure of the psalm. I will be using it to ‘pause’ in this series, which lets you know there is more to come.)

 

 

The Jerusalem Massacre

The morning of March 6, I was sipping my coffee and checking my email when a thought whizzed through my head: something’s going to happen in Israel today. Don’t ask me why and don’t ask me how — it was like a flash of a movie scene — you see something but it’s all blurry. All I ’saw’ was that there was going to be an attack and it was going to grab the attention of the world. But I didn’t take it seriously. I have a vivid imagination and I am a ponderer. Plus, Israel always seems to be in trouble, so the ‘thought’ was nothing unusual and I soon forgot about it.

Later that day, as I was listening to NPR’s All Things Considered, I heard that eight students had been murdered and more than 20 wounded at Jerusalem’s Mercaz Harav Yeshiva. My heart sank. No God, no. I couldn’t believe it. What was so chilling about this horrendous crime is that it happened at a religious school. I thought of all the children I know attending school every day and the parents of those children that believe their children are safe.

This attack felt personal. I love Israel. I love the Jewish people. I love the Torah. Plus, I have always considered myself a student of the Bible. These were students devoted to a Holy Book. They were young men devoted to a worthy pursuit. When I saw the picture from Reuters of the Torah splattered with blood, I was outraged. I thought of something written in the Book of Genesis after Cain killed his brother Abel:

“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And Cain said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And the LORD said, What have you done? the voice of your brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground.”

Suddenly, I could hear the blood of these young men, the Jerusalem Eight. They were reminding me of all the precious blood of the prophets spilled from the beginning of time. They were reminding me that the world has not healed itself of its hatred. They were reminding me that life is unpredictable and I should take nothing for granted. They were reminding me of the cost of building a family or a nation. They were reminding me that faith in God doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen. It means your spirit is fully engaged while you are alive on this Earth.

The blood of the Jerusalem Eight cries out to us. They are reminding us that the blood inside every human being is the same color and the only thing we should hate is evil.