Easter or Passover? Now I know the story of our Lord Jesus' Resurrection is beautiful, and many sermons are preached this day. That's not the part that is unholy it is the traditions that have been mixed together with The Resurrection. I pray that God will cause you to see the intent of my heart just to share with you. It is a hard thing to stand up for what you believe when your not sure of the response:) This is not to point the finger or condem, but to put the truth out there to be seen. I didn't know all this until I decided to research the truth. I have prayed about and thought on it a lot lately. I just got this info together to send to you so you could see what I've been researching. It started when I listened to a radio program from trunews.com on april 8th. In the program was an archeologist speaking about easter. He went on to explain about the roots of easter. Here are some links to show the truth I found out by studing too. Here is the site if you want to listen. http://www.trunews.com/listen_now.htm click on april 8th. I 've heard these things in the past, but never researched it thoroughly and now I just feel the conviction of the Lord to speak out on the matter. I think of this scripture when I think about NOT speaking out the truth and just be silent. I can't because I know in my heart what the Lord is showing me. Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Yes...... even about easter. Okay here it goes................It's pretty long.....:) http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/easter note: on this page read under definition at word origin: NOTICE BELOW UNDER ORIGIN on the next easter info.: THE FEAST WAS IN HONOR OF THE GODDESS EASTER -noun 1. an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, as calculated according to tables based in Western churches on the Gregorian calendar and in Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar. 2. Also called Easter Sunday. the day on which this festival is celebrated. 3. the Easter season; the week following Easter. *************************************** Origin: bef. 900; ME ester, OE ēastre; c. G Ostern; orig. name of a goddess and her festival; akin to east Easter Eas"ter.., n. [AS. e['a]ster, e['a]stran, paschal feast, Easter; akin to G. ostern; fr. AS. E['a]stre, a goddess of light or spring, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated in April; whence this month was called in AS. E['a]sterm[=o]na[eth]. From the root of E.. east. See East.] *NOTE: Why? is it observed on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. That has nothing to due with Jesus. The vernal equinox, also known as "the first point of Aries,"is part of astrology and mythology and the zodiac which is linked to horoscopes which is basically witchcraft. see link for more: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/zodiac.aspx#1E1-zodiac astrology: form of divination based on the theory that the movements of the celestial bodies see link for more: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/astrology.aspx#1E1-astrolog divination: practice of foreseeing future events or obtaining secret knowledge through communication with divine sources and through omens, oracles, signs, and portents..... Divination persists to the present day in crystal gazing, palmistry, fortune-telling, and astrology. (Found in the concordance) H7081 קסם qesem keh'-sem From H7080; a lot; also divination (including its fee), oracle: - (reward of) divination, divine sentence, witchcraft. see link for more: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/divination.aspx#1E1-divinati Deu 18:10 There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, one that practiseth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, Deu 18:11 or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. Deu 18:12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee. necromancer: a method of divination through alleged communication with the dead; black art. magic in general, esp. that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; sorcery; witchcraft; conjuration see link for more: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/necromancer This also shows in the same way that watching t.v or movies with such content is an abomination to God. If you search the scriptures there is more scriptures about God's anger towards these things above. HERE THE NEXT LINK: click each tab of diff. encyclopedias. OR CLICK COMPARE SIDE BY SIDE TO SEE ALL. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Easter.aspx THE COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHICAGO SIXTH EDITION: Easter [A.S. Eastre, name of a spring goddess) THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF PHRASE AND FABLE The name is recorded from Old English (in form ēastre) and is of Germanic origin, related to east. According to Bede the word is derived from Ēastre, the name of a goddess associated with spring. Easter bunny an imaginary rabbit said to bring gifts of Easter eggs to children at Easter, deriving (in popular folklore) from the association of the rabbit with fertility. Easter egg an artificial chocolate egg or decorated hard-boiled egg given at Easter, especially to children. WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA: The exchange of Easter eggs is a pre-Christian rite. Through research you find the eggs are directly related to the fertility goddess. ~I got this next text when I searched the word PASCHA which is Greek form of PESACH which you can find in a bible concordance. one site to do so is www.blueletterbible.com is a way to search out greek and hebrew words. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-Easter.html The Oxford Companion to British History : Easter —the uniquely English word is derived from the Teutonic goddess Eostre—is the primary Christian feast celebrating Christ's resurrection, an ever-present event to believing Christians. Originally however pascha, the Greek form of the Hebrew pesach (Jewish passover), signified the Christian equivalent, the redemption or delivery from bondage. Until the 2nd cent. it celebrated the whole redemption event, Christ's passion and resurrection, not just resurrection. Its dating has always presented a problem. While the gentile church, stressing the resurrection element, celebrated it on a Sunday (Resurrection Day), the province of Asia followed the Jewish Passover date in the lunar calendar (Nisan 14). They were tolerated until the Council of Nicaea (325) when Easter was settled as the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Another revision (6th cent.) caused divergence between the remote Celtic church and Rome, thus creating bitter animosity when the 6th/7th-cent. Roman missionaries arrived in Britain, until resolved at the Synod of Whitby (664). The eastern church, still following the Julian calendar, has Easter on a different Sunday. Attempts to have a fixed date for Easter in the 20th cent. failed. Revd Dr William M. Marshall The word easter appears int he bible in: (each number is the translation number for the greek and hebrew concordance, when searching the concordance for a more definded meaning you search these numbers for these words) Act 12:4 AndG2532 when he(G3739) had apprehendedG4084 him, he putG5087 him inG1519 prison,G5438 and deliveredG3860 him to fourG5064 quaternionsG5069 of soldiersG4757 to keepG5442 him;G846 intendingG1014 afterG3326 EasterG3957 to bring him forthG321 G846 to theG3588 people.G2992 G3957 נב́ףקב pascha pas'-khah Of Chaldee origin (compare [H6453]); the Passover (the meal, the day, the festival or the special sacrifices connected with it): - Easter, Passover. Take notice of the word passover. Passover is the same number as easter but easter appears in the KJV-ONLY. Not in: American Standard Version 1901, NLT, NIV, ESV,RVR,NSAB, RSV, YNG, DBY, WEB, HNV, VUL Here is my point if easter is the name of the goddess and her feast than passover is the correct word because being a goddess and in her honor. We are commanded not to have any false idols before the Lord. This in turn means we should be acknowledgeing the passover and not easter or its traditions brought by the false goddess. This means we should acknowledge the passover, but the passover has none of the traditions of easter. 1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 1Co 5:7 Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, even Christ: 1Co 5:8 wherefore 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. *Leaven is the evil beliefs that is mixed in to our faith. 1cor. 5:6 shows if you allow this little bit of leaven as the easter/goddess will corrupt your whole faith. Jesus celebrated the passover in which he was the Passover Lamb. If you go back to the old testament. The passover was when God sent the curse over the Land to kill the first born. They were commanded to have the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Where they had to sacrifice a lamb to God and put the blood on the door post to save them from the curse. They were commanded to eat all of the whole lamb and stay until it was over. (notice they are eating the lamb see later) Since Jesus came as the perfect sacrifice and celebrated the Passover. and then was delivered over to the one who would crucify Him. His blood was that blood that covers us, and delivers us. Mar 14:1 Now after two days was the feast of the passover and the unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him with subtlety, and kill him: (the passover lamb) If you read through matthew it describes the celebration of the passover in which Jesus. Mar 14:22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is my body. (passover lamb, he says to eat of His body like the above lamb in the old testament, awesome this was designed with Jesus in mind to be our passover lamb!) Mar 14:23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them: and they all drank of it. Mar 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Make sure you read this next verse too concerning this above which we call communion. 1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death till he come. 1Co 11:27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 1Co 11:28 But let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. 1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself, if he discern not the body. Some of what I've learned is Bread symbolizes the Word of God: ~John 1:1~ Showing that God is the Word. Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. Joh 1:3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. NEXT SEE: Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. This is Jesus. So when He says take his body or eat His flesh (Joh 6:51) It is The Word John 1:1. AND THE BLOOD: Represents His Cleansing blood but also Represents His nature, character, and authority which passes down through the blood. Therefore as we take His blood. We take on His nature, character, and authority of Jesus. Okay this is some scripture to show why we can't go on celebrating this holiday known as Easter. Remember ABOVE 1 COR. 5:6-8 leavening the whole lump. Also notice in: 1Co 10:19 What say I then? that a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? ) 1Co 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. 1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. Jer 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven (a goddess), and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. Jer 7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith Jehovah; do they not provoke themselves, to the confusion of their own faces? I read also "queen of heaven" is linked to the goddess eastre most seem to take on each others types. So WHO started this EASTER thing anyway. I mean who allowed it into the church, the body of Christ?? We are the body!: Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Mat 15:8 This people honoreth me with their lips; But their heart is far from me. Mat 15:9 But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts (the commandments, direction,or rule) of men. (Instead of God's word..) 1Ti 4:1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 1Ti 4:2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; What I' am ultimately saying that: Let's acknowledge the passover. As the apostles did. The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of our Lord. Not in the name, but the passover. As In 1 cor. 5:8. There are lies in the church spoken and allowed by these wolves, and they passed on and on. People accept them because it's all they ever knew. That just can't be good enough anymore. We must have the Holy Spirit and God's Word to discern these things! In Christ- Ashley