Easter, what does it truly mean?
Where did Easter originate from?
Is Easter truly a Christian celebration?
I shall answer all of these interesting questions in this teaching.
Easter is wide-spread and world-wide. Celebrated by Billions of people each year, it is peculiar that these questions of Easter’s origins are not asked often enough by its participants.
It is always important to have a decent understanding about any religious festival that you make a yearly part of your life. You need to be able to understand what significance these celebrations has concerning God, and if they are in-line with what the Bible says.
Sections in this Biblical Teaching:
1) Modern-day Interpretation of Easter
2) Is Easter mentioned in the Bible?
3) The True Origin of Easter
4) Easter Bunny, Eggs, Ham, Lent, Hot Cross Buns and Sunrise Service
5) Should we Celebrate Easter or not?
1) Modern-day Interpretation of Easter
Spring breeze, the Easter Bunny, children painting lovely patterns on eggs, all put into beautiful baskets to be searched for. Forty days of lent, followed by a Sunday morning service; delicious Hot Cross buns baking in the oven and Ham at night.
This is what most of us think of when we hear Easter. Many of us celebrate some, or all of these practices.
Lent is a forty-day period of fasting and prayer which precedes Easter Sunday.
The last week of Lent is called “Holy Week”, it contains:
– Holy Thursday, commemorating Jesus Christ’s Last Supper.
– Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ.
Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, signifying the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary.
Hundreds of Millions, possibly over a Billion Christians Celebrate Easter every year, in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us, God’s giving up of his only begotten son.
He sacrificed himself for the remission of our sins, so that we can have Everlasting Life.
2) Is Easter mentioned in the Bible?
The word “Easter” does appear in King James Version (most common version) of the Bible.
However, the word “Easter” in the Bible does not refer to the Easter holiday as we know it.
Let’s look at the verse of scripture where it appears (Acts 12:1-4):
(Acts 12:1) Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
(Acts 12:2) And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
(Acts 12:3) And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
(Acts 12:4) 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.
Let’s take a closer look at the word “Easter” in verse #4.
πάσχα
pascha
pas’-khah
The word which is translated as “Easter” is the Greek word “Pascha”. Pascha is derived from the Hebrew word “Pesach”.
Pesach only has 1 meaning, which is “Passover”.
פּסח
pesach
peh’-sakh
From “pâsach”; a pretermission, that is, exemption; used only technically of the Jewish Passover (the festival or the victim): – passover (offering).
In this case, we have a Hebrew word appearing in the Greek New Testament.
“Pascha” appears in many other parts of the Bible, and in all these other appearances, it is translated correctly as “Passover”.
The word “Easter” does not appear anywhere else in the Bible.
Acts 12:4 therefore has a translation error, which is a misleading.
It is likely to have been purposely translated that way, in order to insert a pagan festival into the Bible, giving it authority within the Christian religion. I will explain more on this at a later time.
Other translations of the Bible, including the Revised Standard Version, correctly translate “Pascha” in Acts 12:4 as “Passover”.
This verse is really proving that Christians were still observing Passover, ten years after the death of Jesus Christ, rather than supporting the practice of Easter.
3) The True Origin of Easter
Most Historians and Experts, who have researched this topic, all agree that Easter and its practices are of Pagan origin.
The word “Easter” originates from the name of the Babylonian goddess of spring, Ishtar.
I’ll explain the history behind this.
In ancient times, there was a man named Nimrod, one of Noah’s great-grandsons. (Noah who built the Ark)
Noah was the father of Ham.
Ham was the father of Cush.
Cush married a woman named Semiramis.
Cush and Semiramis had a son together; they named him “Nimrod”.
After Cush had died, Nimrod married his own mother, Semiramis.
Nimrod went on to become a very powerful king.
He built the cities of: Babel, Nineveh, Asshur, Calah (and others); places well known to be associated with Evil and Ungodliness.
(Some of what I mentioned above can be found in “Genesis 10:8-12”)
Nimrod was not a man of God, rather, he was considered to be divine, a god or god-like, to the people of ancient Babylon. This of course displeased God.
Semiramis became a very powerful queen.
Nimrod was killed one day by one of his enemies. His body was cut into pieces, and then dispersed across various parts of his kingdom.
Queen Semiramis told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun, and that he was from now on to be called “Baal”, the sun god.
Semiramis had declared herself to be a goddess in this new religion she was creating.
She became known as “Ishtar” which is pronounced as “Easter” in most Semitic dialects.
Ishtar became pregnant, claiming that the rays of the sun-god, Baal, had caused her to conceive.
She gave birth to a boy, who was named “Tammuz”.
Tammuz was thus believed to be the son of Baal. Tammuz also became a hunter, like his supposed father, Baal.
One day, Tammuz was eventually killed in the fields by a wild pig.
Ishtar claimed to have resurrected Tammuz after his death.
She told the kingdom that Tammuz was now with his father Baal. The two of them were to be worshiped as Father, Son and Spirit.
That day became known as Ishtar’s Sunday. It was celebrated yearly in honor of Tammuz’s resurrection.
Queen Ishtar was now being worshiped as “Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven”; she continued to build this religion of hers, during her rulership of Babylon.
4) Easter Bunny, Eggs, Ham, Lent, Hot Cross Buns and Sunrise Service
So now that we understand where Easter came from… what about all of those curious traditions and symbols that make Easter what it is?
The Easter Bunny, Easter Eggs, Easter Ham, Hot Cross Buns, Lent and Sunrise Service; Where did all of these come from?
The Easter Bunny
The Hare (Rabbit/Bunny) has been a symbol of fertility since ages long past. Even in modern times, rabbits still represent fertility; they are reputed for their very high reproductive rates.
Ishtar was also known as the goddess of Fertility; worshipped in spring, which is known as a time for renewal of life.
So the Hare/Bunny ties in with the goddess herself, representing fertility.
Another point is that Tammuz, “sun of Baal”, was noted to be very fond of rabbits. Rabbits thus became sacred in that ancient religion that Semiramis created.
The Rabbit/Bunny was therefore given a significant role in Easter celebrations because of these points.
Easter Eggs
Eggs, similar to the Hare, are also a symbol of fertility and reproduction; after all, most animals are formed initially in eggs, whether the eggs are laid or not. All Embryos first begin to develop in eggs.
Semiramis/Ishtar had told the people of Babylon that she came down to earth from the moon, in a giant Moon Egg, which fell into the Euphrates River.
This Moon Egg of hers became known as “Ishtar’s egg”.
Easter Ham
It was known that Tammuz, son of Baal and Ishtar, was killed by a wild pig.
Because of this, Ishtar declared that a pig (Ham) must be eaten on Ishtar’s Sunday.
Lent
Ishtar proclaimed that for a forty-day period of time, directly before Ishtar’s Sunday, no meat should be eaten. This period became known as “Lent”.
This was done in sorrow and remembrance of Tammuz’s death.
Hot Cross Buns
On Ishtar’s Sunday, the people of Babylon were made to worship and meditate on Baal and Tammuz, and make the sign/shape of a “T” in front of their hearts.
They ate “sacred cakes” (Buns) as a part of this, which had a “T” or “Cross” on top of each.
Hot Cross Buns (Cakes) are actually mentioned in the Bible:
(Jeremiah 7:18) The 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.
As we can see, this practice was an abomination to God; he did not like it.
It was not specifically the Buns that upset God, but the meaning behind it; worshiping other gods.
We see that “queen of heaven” is mentioned here, which is, as I noted earlier, another name/title for Ishtar.
Sunrise Service
Sunrise Service is actually the worshiping of the sun-god, Baal, during Ishtar’s Sunday.
As we know, the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West. Thus, they would worship the Sun in the East, when it is now beginning to rise to visibility.
Once again, the Bible makes mention of this practice, and God isn’t happy about it at all.
We will even see Tammuz, sun of Baal mentioned in these verses:
(Ezekiel 8:13) He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
(Ezekiel 8:14) Then 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.
(Ezekiel 8:15) Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
(Ezekiel 8:16) And 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.
(Ezekiel 8:17) Then 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.
(Ezekiel 8:18) 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.
The “weeping for Tammuz”, is like I mentioned earlier, in that the Babylonians continued to sorrow over Tammuz’s death around this time every year.
As we can see, mentioned in the Bible itself, ancient pagans were worshiping at sunrise in these same ways as people do today on Easter Sunday.
Of course people today do it with the One true God in Heart and Mind; however, we must always be cautious of what we practice, especially pertaining to God.
(Deuteronomy 12:32) What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
God doesn’t want us to add to or take away from the instructions he already gave us.
Praying at sunrise on Easter morning may be a beautiful experience, but it is not what God instructed us to do; this practice symbolizes the pagan sun-god.
In my personal opinion, God likely doesn’t mind what time of the day you choose to pray to him. Your pray is always welcomed.
Of course, it is best to pray when you have a quiet, clean environment, where you can focus your thoughts clearly on God; but any other time should be appropriate as well.
Just be a bit careful about having sunrise service, and be sure to keep your mind and heart in the right place during that time; keep them focused on God, our father.
5) Should we Celebrate Easter or not?
So now that we understand where Easter came from and what all of its practices and symbols represent, do you still think that we as Christians should celebrate this Easter Celebration yearly?
My answer to this is: Yes and No
Yes, in that we should commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ every year, around this “Easter time” of the year.
However, No, we should not get caught up in the Easter rituals and customs, as these have nothing to do with God, and in fact, most of the practices are an abomination to God in very subtle ways.
So exactly how do we commemorate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Christ?
We do this by observing Passover every year (which is sometimes referred to as “Holy Communion”).
People (mostly Roman Catholics) usually take part in Holy Communion very often; monthly, sometimes weekly. They re-enact Jesus Christ’s last supper, by breaking and eating Unleavened Bread, and drinking Wine.
They do this in remembrance of Jesus.
Many people associate Passover only with the freeing of the Israelites from Egypt; when they followed God’s instructions to escape the death of each firstborn child, and also strengthen themselves for the long journey ahead.
(Exodus 12:12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
(Exodus 12:13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
(Exodus 12:14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Passover has much more depth than this; as the unblemished lamb that was sacrificed on that night of Passover, is a representation of our sinless Savior, Jesus Christ, who was slain for our sake.
Here are some verses in the Bible that connect the original Passover festival and the Lamb, with Jesus Christ:
(1 Corinthians 5:7) 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:
(John 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
(Acts 8:32) The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
(1 Peter 1:19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
(Revelation 5:6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
In Luke Chapter 22, we can see Jesus instructing his disciples (and all Christians) to keep Passover in remembrance of him.
(Luke 22:19) And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
(Luke 22:20) Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
Passover is supposed to be kept on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan) of the sacred calendar. This happens to fall very near to Easter on our current calendar.
It was the Roman Catholic Church that indoctrinated Easter into Christianity, and subtly gave it an authoritative position on our calendar, over Passover; which eventually became forgotten by most.
I will explain more about how Easter crept into our Christian culture, and go into more depth about the Passover festival, in later teachings.
So in conclusion, I would like to encourage everyone to keep Passover in their minds and hearts, around Easter time each year.
Partake in Passover (or Communion as many call it) around Easter time; you can usually do this at your local Church or Fellowship.
Don’t indulge yourself too heavily in the Easter celebrations, as we know that this Holiday is not truly based around our God and Jesus Christ, rather, it is a pagan celebration for false gods, encouraged by Satan himself.
Thanks for reading! 😀
God Bless You!
-Andrew Emmanuel Davis
MEKA
April 14, 2015
I really enjoyed reading your well-researched report concerning Easter. We do need to understand how true worship gets tainted with idolatry. Most people who celebrate are ignorant to the many passages where Jesus Himself pointed out that the Kingdom of God/Heaven gets perverted by sin…i. e. the leaven and birds. We need to understand how to go no further than what is already written. I appreciate your faithfulness!
Please continue to educate all you can on the truth that remains in knowing the Lord through fellowship and through rightly dividing the word of truth.
May the Lord bless you with all spiritual blessings.
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