Paganism, Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

[Bubbajay]

I think where people get mixed up is when the later, established church fixed days for certain celebrations, they sometimes hit on the idea of doing so on a date previously celebrated as a pagan holiday. If you have kids but don’t like Halloween, celebrating something diametrically opposed to it instead does not provide the new thing celebrated with a “pagan root” in and of itself. Further, taking previously pagan symbols and adding fresh meanings to them does not mean an idea is “based” on the previous pagan meaning, rather it is superseded and negated.

I mark and celebrate the Feasts of the Lord from the OT, and enjoy celebrating the newer Christian holidays too, for the meaning that they actually have, not those who are against them try to infer are the “true” meanings.

I don't celebrate OT feast days, because they were fulfilled in the NT. I do however celebrate Easter as the day Jesus resurrected from the dead.

 

[Red Sky at Morning]

I don't celebrate OT feast days, because they were fulfilled in the NT. I do however celebrate Easter as the day Jesus resurrected from the dead.

Well… the last three weren’t (in terms of Jesus’s ministry) but interestingly may be echoed in our own lives…

Btw, with that in mind, I celebrate Easter at least once a year!

 

[Lyfe]

I would say its fine for someone to celebrate the feasts, but when observance of certain days is driven by compulsion or taught to others that its something you ought to do if you truly love Christ then it turns into legalism. Im not saying anyone here believes that way, but unfortunately social media is rife with Judaizers who are of this conviction. I have run into numerous Judaizers who guilt trip Christians for not celebrating the feasts. To them its a contest of who is more spiritual as they compare themselves to others. Not to mention they have an obsession with the carnal ordinances of the law of Moses. They riticule Christians as they fall deeper and deeper into the bondage and customs of the law, yet failing to realise that real disciples of Christ are measured by their love for one another and selfless deeds. They waste their time with customs of the law and learning how to become a jew when they should be handing out tracts and weeping over lost souls and feeding the poor. Instead they believe that celebrating a feast and doing other jewish practices brings them closer to the messiah. That is their way of following him. Its self centered, really, because it negelects the world around them.

 

[Red Sky at Morning]

I would say its fine for someone to celebrate the feasts, but when observance of certain days is driven by compulsion or taught to others that its something you ought to do if you truly love Christ then it turns into legalism. Im not saying anyone here believes that way, but unfortunately social media is rife with Judaizers who are of this conviction. I have run into numerous Judaizers who guilt trip Christians for not celebrating the feasts. To them its a contest of who is more spiritual as they compare themselves to others. Not to mention they have an obsession with the carnal ordinances of the law of Moses. They riticule Christians as they fall deeper and deeper into the bondage and customs of the law, yet failing to realise that real disciples of Christ are measured by their love for one another and selfless deeds. They waste their time with customs of the law and learning how to become a jew when they should be handing out tracts and weeping over lost souls and feeding the poor. Instead they believe that celebrating a feast and doing other jewish practices brings them closer to the messiah. That is their way of following him. Its self centered, really, because it negelects the world around them.

I am not a “religious” kind of person tbh - I don’t religiously attend church, remember all feasts or even go to church every Christmas and Easter. I am the kind of person Paul describes as “esteeming each day the same”.

That having been said, when opportunity and inclination coincide, I enjoy celebrations that have meaning!

p.s. and I don’t give Halloween any of my interest!

 

[Lyfe]

One thing I have noticed with Judaizers is that they measure themselves and their walk and love for God according to strict observance of days and traditions. They focus on sins and personal holiness and while this is indeed relevant and important it still fails to grasp the direction and example of Jesus ministry. Its entire focus and direction was toward ministering to others. No Judaizer should have a puffed up view of themselves if they observe days and customs of the law, but have never really made any effort at doing charitable deeds for others or bothered leading anybody to Christ. In fact whats scary is that they dont even really lead anyone to Christ. They bring people back to the law...

 

[phipps]

@Bubbajay

Jesus was crucified on preparation (he's the Passover lamb) day, the day before passover which always falls on a Thursday.

Preparation day in the Bible was Friday, the day before the Sabbath. Not Thursday. You've got to remember that biblically the first part of the day is the evening not the morning. "Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:3-5).

All throughout the creation the evening is the first part of the day. So Thursday evening to Friday evening is Friday biblically. The Sabbath is Friday evening to Saturday evening. So on Friday just before the Sabbath began, Jesus' body was put in a tomb (Mark 15:42), then, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen" (Mark 16:1-2). Jesus too rested on the Sabbath day in the grave and rose on the first day of the week.

He arose three days later on Sunday in our calender. We know the day it all happened, because the bible tells us. Since we clearly know the date, there's no speculation whatsoever. I certainly celebrate it, and always will. If you don't want to that's fine and up to you, but please quit calling it pagan when it has absolutely nothing to do with paganism.

I'm not denying that Jesus arose on Sunday. Its the first day of the week as the Bible says. However the Bible doesn't make the day special. What is special is what happened which is the resurrection, not the day itself. If you want to celebrate Easter that is up to you but from biblical doctrine we are not called to celebrate it nor is it mandated.

 

[phipps]

As I posted before in this thread, I'm not judging anyone. As Christians we should point out errors if there are any. Many genuine Christians follow man made traditions because they don't know the truth.

I also posted in another post here, "Jesus taught that it is not possible to preach the gospel without causing some offence (Galatians 5:11). Jesus was crucified because He taught the truth and the Jewish leaders disagreed with Him and were offended by what He said. So they plotted and planned His death.

The apostles were all killed or imprisoned for their faith because their message offended somebody. “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

However many people heard the truth too from Jesus and the apostles and their lives were changed forever. They found God.

Its not judging to tell the truth of God's Word."

 

[Red Sky at Morning]

One thing I have noticed with Judaizers is that they measure themselves and their walk and love for God according to strict observance of days and traditions. They focus on sins and personal holiness and while this is indeed relevant and important it still fails to grasp the direction and example of Jesus ministry. Its entire focus and direction was toward ministering to others. No Judaizer should have a puffed up view of themselves if they observe days and customs of the law, but have never really made any effort at doing charitable deeds for others or bothered leading anybody to Christ. In fact whats scary is that they dont even really lead anyone to Christ. They bring people back to the law...

I know! They need to be locked up in a room with the letter to the Galatians!!

 

[Bubbajay]

@Bubbajay


Preparation day in the Bible was Friday, the day before the Sabbath. Not Thursday. You've got to remember that biblically the first part of the day in the evening not the morning. "Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:3-5). All throughout the creation the evening is the first part of the day. So Thursday evening to Friday evening is Friday biblically. The Sabbath is Friday evening to Saturday evening. So on Friday just before the Sabbath began on what we would call Friday evening but biblically is Saturday, Jesus' body was put in a tomb (Mark 15:42), then, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen" (Mark 16:1-2).


I'm not denying that Jesus arose on Sunday. Its the first day of the week as the Bible says. However the Bible doesn't make the day special. What is special is what happened which is the resurrection, not the day itself. If you want to celebrate Easter that is up to you but from biblical doctrine we are not called to celebrate it nor is it mandated.

I believe the day is in fact specai, its the day the Lord was resurrected, that's pretty special. My only reason for posting was you claiming it was pagan when its not. I care not who celebrates what. We're all free to do as we please.

 

[phipps]

I believe the day is in fact specai, its the day the Lord was resurrected, that's pretty special. My only reason for posting was you claiming it was pagan when its not. I care not who celebrates what. We're all free to do as we please.

You believing the day is special won't change the facts about it. Jesus nor the disciples made the day special, the resurrection was/is very important not the day. God and history preserved the date of Christ's resurrection and so there is no biblical command to observe it on any particular day of the year.

It is/was a pagan day of worship. And just like in paganism, to this day Easter is a moveable day and is set after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

I will end this discussion here with you but I will add that its important as Christians to know, understand and stick to Biblical truths because that is what is important. Its God's will that we should follow and not man made tradition. It goes without saying that we have to be willing and surrendered to Christ. We can't do any of it on our own.

God bless.

 

[Bubbajay]

You believing the day is special won't change that facts about it. Jesus nor the disciples made the day special, the resurrection was/is very important not the day. God nor history preserved the date of Christ's resurrection and so there is no biblical command to observe it on any particular day of the year.

It is/was a pagan day of worship. And just like in paganism, to this day Easter is a moveable day and is set after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

I will end this discussion here with you but I will add that its important as Christians to know, understand and stick to Biblical truths because that is what is important. Its God will that we should follow and not man made tradition. It goes with saying that we have to be willing and surrendered to Christ. We can't do any of it on our own.

God bless.

Its a "movable day" because we use a solar calendar, and not a lunar calendar like was used by the ancient israelites. The feast of unleavened bread was always set to coincide with the full moon of the month. It was a way of telling time to those who used a lunar calendar. God said he gave the heavens as a way to tell times and seasons, but in today's age its considered "pagan" by people like you who really don't know what pagan is.

When you say "stick to biblical truths" you really mean stick to what Ellen G. White said.

 

[phipps]

Is it wrong to remember the resurrection?

No. It would be wrong to not remember it. Is Easter observance the way to do so? It would be remiss to not admit there is certainly a lot of pagan influence that has become tied to the resurrection in Easter. Nowhere are bunnies, chicks, or eggs mentioned in the Bible or in connection with Christ’s resurrection. However, where there is opportunity to share the message and gospel of Christ without compromising biblical truth, the “wise as serpents, harmless as doves” counsel of Christ is appropriate. How to observe it should be considered carefully allowing Bible study and prayer to guide our decisions.

 

[phipps]

This is a continuation on what I posted about Christmas before in this thread.

We are back to the Christmas season and people are spending a lot of money buying presents for their family and friends and vice versa. But is it scriptural to exchange gifts?

Some Christians think it is scriptural and they use the story of the wise men giving gifts to Jesus when He was born as an example to follow.

The Bible says about the wise men giving gifts when Christ was born, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born KING OF THE JEWS? … And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. AND WHEN THEY HAD OPENED THEIR TREASURES, they presented gifts to HIM: gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:1-11).

Why were gifts presented to Christ?

Notice, the wise men inquired for the child Jesus, who was born KING of the Jews. Now why did they present gifts to Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because they came several days or weeks after the date of His birth. Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice carefully. They did not exchange gifts among themselves, but “they presented gifts to HIM.” They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or one another.

Why? Let me quote from the Adam Clarke Commentary, volume 5, page 46: “Verse 11. (They presented unto him gifts.) The people of the east never approach the presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their hands. The custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the east, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea Islands.”

There it is. They were not instituting a new Christian custom of exchanging gifts with friends to honour Christ’s birthday. They were following an old and ancient eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king when they came into his presence. They were approaching Him, born King of the Jews, in person. Therefore custom required they present gifts – even as the Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon – even as many people today take a gift along when they visit the White House for an appointment with the President.

No, the custom of trading gifts back and forth does not stem from this scriptural incident at all, but rather, as quoted from history above, it is the continuance of an ancient pagan custom. Instead of honouring Christ, it invariably retards His Work, often sets it back, at the Christmas season every year.

So where does the tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas come from?

From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote: “The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and MUST HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE CHRISTIANS FROM THE PAGANS, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows.”

The fact is, this custom fastened upon people of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season HAS NOT A SINGLE TRACE OF CHRISTIANITY ABOUT IT. This does not celebrate Christ’s birthday nor honour it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honour that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for EVERYONE ELSE, trading gifts back and forth with all your OTHER friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honouring? Rather absurd, when viewed in that light, isn’t it? Yet this is exactly what people the world over are doing. They honour a day that is not Christ’s birthday by spending every dime they can scrape together in buying presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives.

 

[phipps]

Does it really honour Christ to observe Christmas?

Many reason this way:“Even so – even though Christmas was a pagan custom, honouring the false sun-god, we don’t observe it to honour the false god, we observe it to honour Christ.”

But how does God answer in His Word? “take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods” (Deuteronomy 12:30-31).

God says plainly in His Instruction Book to us, that He will not accept that kind of worship, even though intended in His honour. To Him, He says, it is offering what is ABOMINABLE to Him, and therefore it honours, not Him, but false pagan gods. God says we must not worship Him according to the “dictates of our own conscience” – a term we often hear. But Jesus says plainly, “God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). And what is truth? God’s Word – the Holy Bible – said Jesus, is truth (John 17:17); and the Bible says God will not accept worship when people take a pagan custom or manner of worship and try to honour Christ with it.

Again, Jesus said: “In VAIN they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Christmas observance is a TRADITION OF MEN, and the commandments of God, as quoted, forbid it. Jesus said, further, “full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.”

That is precisely what millions are doing today. They ignore the commandment of God. He commands, regarding taking the customs of the pagans and using them to honour or worship God: “Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God.” Still, most people today take that command of God lightly, or as having no validity whatsoever, and follow the tradition of men in observing Christmas and other festivities that are of pagan origin.

Make no mistake. God will allow us to defy and disobey Him. He will allow us to follow the crowd and the traditions of men. He will allow us to sin. But He also says there is a day of reckoning coming. As you sow, so shall you reap. Jesus was the LIVING Word of God in Person, and the Bible is the WRITTEN Word of God. And we shall be judged, for eternity, by these words. They should not be taken lightly or ignored.

We are in Babylon, and haven't known it.

Christmas has become a commercial season. It’s sponsored, kept alive, by the heaviest retail advertising campaigns of the year. You see a masqueraded “Santa Claus” in many stores. Ads keep us deluded and deceived about the “beautify Christmas spirit.” The newspapers that sell the ads, print flowery editorials exalting and eulogizing the pagan season, and its “spirit.” A gullible people has become so inoculated, many take offence when told the truth. But the “Christmas spirit” is created each year, not to honour Christ, but to sell merchandise. Like all Satan’s delusions, it appears as an “angel of light,” is made to appear good. Billions of dollars are spent in this merchandising spree every year, while the cause of Christ must suffer. It’s part of the economic system of Babylon.

We have professed to be Christian, but we’re in Babylon, as Bible prophecy foretold, and we don’t know it. “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” – now soon to fall – is the warning of Revelation 18:4.

This year, instead of gift trading, why not put that money into God’s Work?

 

[phipps]

Christ’s death and resurrection are essential to our salvation. Without the cross, there would be no life, and if there is no resurrection, there is no hope (1 Corinthians 15).

Christians should not celebrate Easter but they can use the holiday to do outreach where ever they can.

 

[A Freeman]

Easter/ishtar is unquestionably a pagan holiday that has absolutely NOTHING to do with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

The "last supper" was, in fact, the Passover, exactly as we are told throughout the Gospel accounts.

Passover Lamb NOT Easter Bunny

See also: https://vigilantcitizenforums.com/threads/3-days-and-3-nights.7329/

Note well: The immortal Spirit-Being Christ (Prince Michael) was not crucified nor resurrected. It's impossible for men to kill an immortal Spirit-Being; only God can do that (Matthew 10:28).

It was Jesus, the mortal human son of the virgin body of Mary, whom Christ incarnated (John 1:14), who was crucified and resurrected, not just to redeem us from our sins and certain spiritual death, but to physically show everyone that there is spiritual life after the death of the human body.

ALL organized religions have incorporated their oral traditions, pagan rites and pagan rituals into their pagan practices, blasphemously making their paganism a partner with God. "Christianity" is no exception.

Just look at what the counterfeit-Jews do with their pagan luni-solar calendar, pagan Hanukkah and pagan Talmud, all of which God condemned 2600 years ago,when He reduced the Levitical priesthood from many to one (Ezek. 34:1-10, 23).

Just look at what the so-called Christians do with their pagan X-mass/Yuletide, pagan Easter/Ishtar and pagan catechism.

Just look at what so-called Muslims do with their pagan Ramadan, pagan temples and pagan hadith.

And these three are supposed to be monotheistic?

How can so many so-called Christians be duped into believing that Friday night + Saturday night are somehow three nights?

The Top 10 Myths That Dominate Christianity

Please find the updated version of this article on Gibraltar Messenger – The Top 10 Myths That Dominate Christianity by A. Freeman, guest writer Much like the Federal Reserve Bank is NOT Federal, h…

hannahmichaels.wordpress.com

 

[elsbet]

"How can so many

so-called Christians​

be duped into believing

Friday night + Saturday night​

are somehow three nights?

Three days and three nights -​

​

It will be seen in the account of the resurrection of Christ that he was in the grave but two nights and a part of three days. See Matthew 18:6.​

​

This computation is, however, strictly in accordance with the Jewish mode of reckoning. If it had "not" been, the Jews would have understood it, and would have charged our Saviour as being a false prophet, for it was well known to them that he had spoken this prophecy, Matthew 27:63. ​

​

Such a charge, however, was never made; and it is plain, therefore, that what was "meant" by the prediction was accomplished.​

​

It was a maxim, also, among the Jews, in computing time, that a part of a day was to be received as the whole. Many instances of this kind occur in both sacred and profane history.​

See 2 Chronicles 10:5, 2 Chronicles 10:12; Genesis 42:17-18. Compare Esther 4:16 with Esther 5:1.​

- Barnes​

​

The purely chronological difficulty​

is explained by the common mode​

of speech among the Jews,​

according to which, any part of a​

day, though it were but a single hour,​

was for legal purposes considered​

as a whole. - Ellicot​

​

The period during which He was to lie in the grave is here expressed in round numbers, according to the Jewish way of speaking, which was to regard any part of a day, however small, included within a period of days, as a full day.​

(See 1Sa 30:12, 13; Es 4:16; 5:1; Mt 27:63, 64...)​

- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown​

​

.......
FROM THE ARTICLE
Daniel 9:27

"... and in the midst of the week​

(WEDNESDAY) he shall cause the​

sacrifice (His Crucifixion) and the​

oblation (His Life which He willingly​

offered to show us The Way [John 14:6] and to redeem us from our PAST SINS [Rom. 3:25])​

to cease..."​

It sounds like you're saying Jesus stopped the crucifixion-- or reneged, entirely, after the fact.

Are you?

 

[phipps]

Is it acceptable to blend paganism with Christianity?

In his book, "Too Long In The Sun," Richard Rives draws an appropriate parallel to the circumstances in Exodus 32, a Biblical precedent which provoked God nearly to the point of destroying the nation of Israel for their sin of blending pagan worship with His own:

"…the golden calf was built and the celebration declared a ‘feast to the Lord.’...The people had declared a celebration to honor God that he did not recognize as being in his honor." Richard Rives, Too Long in the Sun, Partakers Pub., 1996, pp. 129-30.

"Hathor and Aphis, the cow and bull gods of Egypt, were representatives of sun worship. Their worship was just one stage in the long Egyptian history of solar veneration. The golden calf at Mount Sinai is more than sufficient evidence to prove that the feast proclaimed was related to sun worship. The event at Mount Sinai was just one episode in the Satanic apostasy which began at the tower of Babel. The celebration of December 25th, originally proclaimed in honor of the birth of the sun god Mithra, can only be one of the final events in the long continuing saga of Satanic sun worship." -Ibid, pp. 130-31.

"Therefore you shall keep My ordinance, so that you do not commit any of these abominable customs which were committed before you, and that you do not defile yourselves by them: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 18:30).

“When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

"And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21).

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

"No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins" (Mark 2:21-22).

"Abstain from all appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

 

[phipps]

What is the true meaning of Easter?

Let's look at the Bible to find the meaning of Easter and how it relates to the resurrection of Jesus. Romans shows us that baptism instead of Easter was given as a symbol of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Romans 6:3-5 says, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection”

What we see is that the true meaning is more than just a memorial for the resurrection one day a year with a church service. We can even celebrate the resurrection as we allow Christ’s resurrection to become a reality in our lives as we live anew victoriously. Christ's death and resurrection is a daily hope of how the good will of God can overcome the forces of evil, of how truth will prevail and unmask the lie, of how love will triumph over sin, and how the blessed hope of eternal life will even put an end to death one day.

 

[phipps]

Lets stay away from this pagan practice called Halloween. It does not glorify God but Satan.