QUAD-PALS: 001 The land of Shinar was an offshoot of the formerly colossally congested nation of Babel, founded by the great hunter, Nimrod, who once gathered the entire people on earth to live as one tongue—united in purpose, in power, and in pursuit. The direct descendants of Nimrod were the marauding nomadic Chaldean tribe, which had lost their existence as a known state after pulling out from the colonies under Babylonia, founded by their ancestor. In the process of time, some of them got separated and settled on highlands in the wilderness, where they became magicians and astrologers, thus splitting the former united tribe into two. Afterwards, the Assyrians got the Chaldaean magi tribe incorporated into their empire for the sake of their physical hardiness and crafty artfulness and assigned unto them the land of Shinar in their own country, Assyria, which was originally a former colony of Babylonia founded by Nimrod, whose capital city later became Nineveh, and they dwelt as a recognized state thenceforth. In good season, when they had gained strength with sustained guidance, they rebelled against the Assyrian empire in the year 626 BC, and fourteen years later, they overtook Nineveh, subsequently assumed ascendancy, founded the Chaldaean empire, and began the restoration of the state of Shinar, in the furtherance of the "Babela vision." In spite of the agelong formations of far and near nations, they forged ahead and broke through their ancient fortresses, all due to the leaders’ tenacity and fortitude divinely instilled into them to set the stage for future foreordained events. In recent times, she had experienced significantly rapid growth in every sector. Many nations had been taken as captives by Shinar while others had become tributaries of this fastest-growing nation. All thanks to her present leader, King Nebopolassar, who maintained the tempo of his predatory predecessors and sustained perfect pitch to the core, dancing to the beats of the rhythmic progression of the chords of the Babela vision, which was given by Nimrod and passed down to him through his forefathers. He had given his talents, treasures, and time to the emancipation and expansion of the state of Shinar—he was a king of note, a man of battle, and a 'peace-lover.' He was now very advanced in age; most of his years had been spent on the battlefield conquering territories and nations to the glory of Shinar. All the same, this would not have been possible without the leverage of his agile, astute, but austere son, Nebuchadnezzar. The king had put the Chaldaean sage, Ashpenaz, who doubled as the officially designated wisest sage of Shinar and the most powerful palace official, in charge of the training of his son. Nebuchadnezzar became a man at an early age; he was taught to shoot at seven and made his first kill at eight. By fifteen, he had come to the fore as a man of responsibility, courage, and tact. His character, ideologies, values, and virtues were formed on the field. Ever since he became man enough, his father decided to commit the affairs of the national army, Shinar Armed Forces, into his hands. He was first given command over a small battalion and then made the commander over all the military generals of SAF, with the exception of General Nebuzaradan, the youngest among the generals and commander of the imperial guard, who was saddled with the responsibility of maintaining homeland security. Kaptain Lamblion JC

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Genesis 10:1-32 Nations Descended from Noah These are the descendants of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth; children were born to them after the flood. The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. The descendants of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim. From these the coastland peoples spread. These are the descendants of Japheth in their lands, with their own language, by their families, in their nations. The descendants of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The descendants of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to become a mighty warrior. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city. Egypt became the father of Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, and Caphtorim, from which the Philistines come. Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, and Heth, and the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites. Afterwards the families of the Canaanites spread abroad. And the territory of the Canaanites extended from Sidon, in the direction of Gerar, as far as Gaza, and in the direction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. These are the descendants of Ham, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. The descendants of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. The descendants of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. Arpachshad became the father of Shelah; and Shelah became the father of Eber. To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother’s name was Joktan. Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obal, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the descendants of Joktan. The territory in which they lived extended from Mesha in the direction of Sephar, the hill country of the east. These are the descendants of Shem, by their families, their languages, their lands, and their nations. These are the families of Noah’s sons, according to their genealogies, in their nations; and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood. https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=6912617385068819777

Who is Jesus's Mother? This is a question with ‘traps’ in the answer. She was a faithful Jew, maybe 15 years of age. She was a virgin as Isaiah had predicted 800 years prior, and Septuagint (written 300 years before Jesus’ birth) uses the word for ‘virgin’, not for ‘young woman’. So the Jews familiar with their Tenach would know a virgin birth is coming. Unfortunately, 300 years later, the leadership was entirely disinterested in these predictions. She was a descendant of David according to her genealogy. Now here's a side note: I enjoy watching The Chosen. It has helped bring the gospels Alive. But one major flaw is in its depiction of Mary as a part of Jesus's ministry and that wasn't the case. Do you understand what's going on in this scene? Mary and some of Jesus's brothers were there eagerly wanting to speak to Him, why? And why doesn't Jesus even slow down to chat with His family? Because the implication here is that they were there to talk Jesus down from what they saw as being 'too much’. Like it or not, many in Jesus's family didn't believe in or follow Him until after the Resurrection. Maybe they were concerned for his life, or that His work embarrassed them, whatever the reason, Mary and his brothers were there to stop Him and He knew it. He didn't bother trying to explain again. He didn't bother addressing their concerns, He just kept preaching. The exaltation of Mary into a position she doesn't hold, nor is there ever a biblical claim to verify this, it is anti-scriptural, and is an outright Satanic lie. Yes, she was an important person, a noble believer. But she was NOT born sinless. That is a catholic invention entirely. She offered a sin offering in Luke, meaning she had sinned as all people have. She did not remain a virgin as she had several children after Jesus's birth. Any answer claiming they weren't really born of Mary is another bold-faced catholic lie. Several generations later, a catholic scholar decided that a sinless Lord can't be born from a sinful mother and created Mary's need to be born sinless. She does not hear, accept or answer any prayers from any of the living. She can't. 1 Timothy says there is ONE mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. Adding another mediator is nothing more than idolatry. And today, many catholics consider her a co-mediator. Some have even considered her as a co-sacrifice with Jesus and have Jesus on one side of their crucifix and Mary being sacrificed on the other side of the crucifix. That is not only idolatry, that is blasphemy. An interesting comparison came about when an archeological expedition discovered a mother-son statue that initially was called Madonna and child by the catholics working on the dig. However, it turns out this statue and many others discovered later depicted not Mary and Jesus, but Queen Semiramis and Nimrod. It was an early cult worshipping the man, Nimrod who built the infamously doomed Tower of Babel. Although technically her husband, she began having idols built depicting him as her child and her as the reigning queen after his death. This was the early precursor to the cult of Roman Catholicism. 12:46-50 [46] While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. [47] [Someone said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.”] [48] But Jesus replied to the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?” [49] And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers! [50] For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother, and sister, and mother.”

Let's talk about it. A DETAIL WE OFTEN READ PAST: THE TOWER OF BABEL WAS NOT JUST A TALL BUILDING TO SHOW OFF. IT WAS AN OCCULT ATTEMPT TO BUILD A PHYSICAL GATEWAY INTO THE HEAVENLY DIMENSION. We usually treat the story of Babel like an architectural failure that resulted in multiple languages. But the true intent of Nimrod and the ancient builders was an act of supreme spiritual rebellion. In Genesis 11, the people gathered to build a tower that "reaches to the heavens." In ancient Mesopotamia, these Ziggurats were designed as massive temples for astrology and demonic worship. They were attempting to force open a gateway into the spiritual realm to access the power of the heavens without submitting to the Creator. God did not strike the tower with lightning out of fear. He saw the danger of absolute human unity focused purely on evil. He declared, "Now nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them." God intervened with swift, tactical precision, confusing their language to scatter the rebellion and halt their occult pursuit. The Lord protects His boundaries, and human arrogance will never build a staircase high enough to usurp the Throne. What is your take on this? Do you believe humanity is once again trying to "build a tower" to become their own gods through extreme technology and pride?

Babel, or Babylon, was built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10). It was the seat of the first great apostasy. Here the Babylonian cult was invented, a system claiming to possess the highest wisdom and to reveal the divinest secrets. Before a member could be initiated, he had to confess to the priest. The priest then had him in his power. This is the secret of the power of the priests of the Roman Catholic Church today. Once admitted into this order, men were no longer Babylonians, Assyrians, or Egyptians, but members of a mystical brotherhood over whom was placed a pontiff or high priest whose word was law. The city of Babylon continued to be the seat of Satan until the fall of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires, when he shifted his capital to Pergamos in Asia Minor, where it was in John’s day (Revelation 2:12–13).

Babel, or Babylon, was built by Nimrod (Genesis 10:8–10). It was the seat of the first great apostasy. Here the Babylonian cult was invented, a system claiming to possess the highest wisdom and to reveal the divinest secrets. Before a member could be initiated, he had to confess to the priest. The priest then had him in his power. This is the secret of the power of the priests of the Roman Catholic Church today. Once admitted into this order, men were no longer Babylonians, Assyrians, or Egyptians, but members of a mystical brotherhood over whom was placed a pontiff or high priest whose word was law. The city of Babylon continued to be the seat of Satan until the fall of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires, when he shifted his capital to Pergamos in Asia Minor, where it was in John’s day (Revelation 2:12–13).

A Little Light Reading. The Mystery of Mother Mary . Doug Bachelor. “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, hence- forth all generations will call me bless- ed.” —Luke 1:46–48 Can you imagine picking out your own mother before you were born? Think about it. Would you pick a wom- an of means—perhaps a working mother who could help provide for all your material needs so that you would never be in want? Or would you pick a mom who, while per- haps not impoverished, might not be able to buy you everything you want, but who would always be around? It’s almost a silly fantasy, isn’t it, to pick your own mother? Yet, strangely enough, this is exactly what Jesus did. What an enor- mous responsibility—to mother the Savior of the human race. Whomever Jesus picked would no doubt be a very special person. 5 The Mystery of Mary After all, she would be charged with car- rying the incarnate God in her womb and caring for and guiding Him through child- hood. It’s a staggering task, and I don’t know who would have the courage to vol- unteer for the job. Who has a good enough resumé to raise Jesus? Being a mother is hard enough, right? Well, Jesus picked a young woman named Mary. As we consider this special person in the history of the world, so many questions come to mind. How did Jesus go about choosing her? I don’t think He merely lined up a bunch of Hebrew girls and went eeny, meeny, miny, moe! It was an extremely seri- ous decision, so what made her so special that God would entrust the life of Jesus to her? How did it change her life—and our lives? It’s not a surprise, then, that Mary has taken a special place in the annals of our faith. Even before she gave birth, she knew that generations far beyond her time would know her name and her special role. (See 6 The Mystery of Mary Luke 1:46–48.) This wasn’t arrogance on her part; it was a simple statement of fact. When God intervenes in human history, nothing is more important. In fact, God certainly intended us to know about the most famous and beloved mother in all of history, so it requires our special attention and study, and that’s what this brief book sets out to do. When Jesus chose Mary, He picked somebody who would be a part of the story of salvation. Who was this special woman, and what can we learn about her from the Scriptures? Let’s find out … What’s in a Name? Did you know that the name “Mary” is the most popular name for females in the United States? The U.S. Census Bureau in- dicates that the name is twice as popular as choice number two, which happens to be Patricia at this time of publication. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to conclude that the name Mary is so popular because of its prominent place in Scripture—you don’t 7 The Mystery of Mary know a lot of people named Jezebel, do you? Mary is a special character in the Bible; her high calling draws us to her story. While we choose—or don’t choose, as it were—names because of what they rep- resent, the name Mary is something of an enigma. Mary is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Miriam. (The Latin form is Maria.) There are many other variations as well, such as Marie. The first time you find a “Mary” in the Bible, it’s through the story of Miriam in the Old Testament. The name “Miriam” can mean rebellious, strong, stubborn, or resistant. It might mean “stubborn waters” or “strong waters” or “waters of strength.” Scholars are not exactly sure. It might not have been strictly Hebrew either, but Egyptian. Indeed, Miriam had a brother whose name was Moses, which was very much an Egyptian name. There are pha- raohs named Moses, such as Tut-Moses. The Egyptian word “Mir” means love or beloved. So, does Miriam mean rebel- lious, which fits the years the Israelites were 8 The Mystery of Mary wandering in the desert, or does it mean beloved? We do know that one of Miriam’s primary roles was to preserve her brother, who would someday be her savior. In a sim- ilar way, Mary was to preserve Jesus, who was also to be her Savior. Mary’s Family Tree One of the most intriguing aspects of Mary is her genealogy; she has a remark- able and prophetic pedigree. As you prob- ably know, Jesus was born of the house of David. As you study the two genealogies of Christ in the Bible, you’ll see at the end of Matthew’s genealogy, it says, “And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16, my emphasis). But in Luke’s genealogy it says, “Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, be- ing (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli” (Luke 3:23, my emphasis). Matthew traces Jesus’ lineage down through Joseph, “the son of Jacob.” Luke follows it down through Joseph, “the son 9 The Mystery of Mary of Heli.” Why the difference? Is it a contra- diction—an error? We need to take a closer look at this difference to see that it actually reveals something special. Indeed, listing Mary in the genealogy was a very uncom- mon thing to do in the Jewish world—but the Bible goes a step further. Some commentators indicate that Heli’s father—Mattan or Mathan, possibly the same person with a slight variation of spell- ing—could have had two boys: Heli and Jacob. If that is the case, the two were ob- viously brothers. So it is possible to under- stand Matthew’s and Luke’s discrepancy by concluding that Heli was the father of Mary and Jacob was the father of Joseph. It was not uncommon in Bible times for a person to marry a first cousin or even a sister-in- law. In fact, a biblical law dictated the im- portance of preserving a family inheritance by marrying a daughter of the land if there was no son to inherit it. “And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the 10 The Mystery of Mary children of Israel each may possess the in- heritance of his fathers” (Numbers 36:8). If Heli’s only child was Mary, then in order to keep the inheritance in that family, Joseph would have needed to marry her. Joseph probably married Mary because his first wife had died. This reference in Numbers explains how she very well could have married “within her father’s tribe” and how she too could be from the house of David. Mary had royal blood. How old was Mary when she married? Some commentators suggest she was only 13 or 14 years old, believing that people al- ways married really young in those days. But she could have been as old as 18 or 19, and I believe her maturity and grace be- lie the notion that she was barely past her pre-teen years. (From what we know about Joseph, it appears he was considerably older than Mary when they married.) During Christ’s young and tender years, Mary had an incredible responsibility to teach Jesus. Would God put His Son in the hands of a flighty or ignorant human being? 11 The Mystery of Mary I think she was very educated and could read. We shouldn’t underestimate what a mother can do. Suzanna Wesley, whose father was a pas- tor, was likewise well educated. She and her husband Samuel had 19 children. She was very gifted and so influential in the lives of her children that she is called the “mother of Methodism,” since two of her boys grew up to lead this movement—Charles and John Wesley. She taught her boys to read Scripture by the time they were five! Though it wasn’t common for girls to go to the synagogue where boys were taught, Mary might have learned to read at home from her father. Just imagine the respon- sibility she had of raising and training the Messiah. How seriously would you take raising your children if one of them was the Son of God? Should it make any difference? You might think, “Well, I’m just raising your garden-variety sinner. I don’t need to wor- ry about it.” We should think of all under our care as God’s sons and daughters. We should earnestly ask, as I’m sure Mary did, 12 The Mystery of Mary for the Holy Spirit to guide us as parents. I can imagine that it was from Mary’s own lips that Christ first heard the teachings of the Old Testament Scriptures. Highly Favored It’s clear that even in the most indirect sense, the Bible writers believed Mary to be a special figure in history. But God’s own opinion of Mary comes in the most direct way possible—through an angelic messen- ger sent personally by the Lord: “The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of Da- vid. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ ” (Luke 1:26–28). Notice how the angel was sent by God to a particular region and city. Nazareth was a 13 The Mystery of Mary town many considered to be on the wrong side of the tracks, yet a betrothed virgin liv- ing there was highly favored by God. “But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and consid- ered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob for- ever, and of His kingdom there will be no end’ ” (Luke 1:29–33). Who wouldn’t be troubled by such a vis- it? Mary certainly was, yet the angel sensed her gentle heart and told her not to be afraid. He even called her by name. Gabriel again assured her that she had found favor 14 The Mystery of Mary with God. Wouldn’t you like to know from the lips of an angel that God found favor with you? It’s the experience Mary had, and I’m sure one she never forgot. And then she received the big news— she would conceive and give birth to a Son who would be called Jesus. Furthermore, this Son of the Highest would be given the throne of David and would reign over the house of Jacob. His kingdom would never end. There is deep prophetic significance to this announcement to Mary. Every Jewish mother from Abraham—indeed, every mother since Eve—knew that someday the Seed of the woman would be born (Genesis 3:15). God would come to earth in the form of a man to be a clear revela- tion of God’s will; He would ultimately be our Substitute and Savior. These are the three big reasons that Jesus came: to show us the Father, to be our example, and to ultimately trade places with us to take our suffering, to take our sin, and to give us His goodness. He gave us His strength 15 The Mystery of Mary and took our weakness in order to make this exchange. But He would have to be born first. He would have to be loved and raised, and God found a woman who, with humility and grace, accepted His high calling: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38). However, I’m afraid there are some er- rant teachings about Mary that have be- come popular and unfortunately diminish the profound saving work of our Savior. Mary in Myth There are more misunderstandings and myths about Mary than any other mother in history. So whenever the understanding of the role and mystery of Mary comes up, it’s necessary to pause and clarify her role from Scripture. She is certainly a Bible character that deserves our attention. Yet there are a few churches that take a solemn, healthy respect for the character of Mary too far. In essence, they deify this humble human being. 16 The Mystery of Mary I have already clearly established that Mary was chosen by God and is a tremen- dous person worthy of our study. I expect to see her in the kingdom of heaven; I can’t wait to ask her what it was like to be chosen to give birth to the Messiah. But are we to ven- erate her and treat her as a kind of goddess? Indeed, Mary—often called the Queen of Heaven—has been exalted by some to be on a level with God and, by extension, the Trinity. They even think we should pray to her. I believe that in doing so, they lessen the work and importance of Jesus. Furthermore, it really does a great disservice to Mary and her story. It makes a person with whom we can identify into someone who is beyond our comprehension. Yet once you understand how real and normal Mary was, if God could help her conceive and raise the most important per- son who ever lived, there is also hope for us. But if Mary was a supermom, what hope does it give to the rest of us? Let’s take a moment to demystify some popular but false conceptions of Mary by 17 The Mystery of Mary analyzing by the Scriptures those character- istics and powers that have been attributed to her. The Nature of Mary As a child, I used to believe that the Immaculate Conception was about Jesus being born of Mary, but it’s not about Christ’s conception at all—it’s about Mary’s conception. Some say Mary was born in the womb of her mother but was not tainted by a doctrine called “original sin.” “The Immaculate Conception is a dogma of the Catholic Church main- taining that from the moment when she was conceived in the womb, the Blessed Virgin Mary was kept free of original sin and was filled with the sanctifying grace normally conferred during baptism. It is one of the four dogmas in Roman Catholic Mariol- ogy. … The Immaculate Conception should not be confused with the perpetual virginity of Mary or the 18 The Mystery of Mary virgin birth of Jesus; it refers to the conception of Mary by her mother, Saint Anne.” Moreover, “The proclaimed Roman Catholic dogma states ‘that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin’ ” 1 While Mary would have been a godly woman, how many humans does the Bible say were ever sinless? Only one—Jesus Christ. (See 1 Peter 2:21, 22.) Otherwise, the Bible makes it very clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immaculate_ Conception 19 The Mystery of Mary (Romans 3:23). That would include some of the other most cherished and mighty Bible figures—Daniel, John the Baptist, Elijah, and Elisha. While I agree each and every person here was a holy man or woman, Mary was still human and, therefore, she sinned. Like you and I, Mary needed the redemptive sac- rifice of her Child. Some insist that Mary had to be sinless because Jesus couldn’t be tainted by sin. Can a pure white lily grow out of a murky swamp? Yes. And Mary being a sin- ner could still give birth to a perfect child. In fact Mary herself confesses her need for a Savior: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46, 47). If Mary were sinless, why would she need a Savior? She needed forgiveness just like you and I do. 20 The Mystery of Mary Where did the Immaculate Conception dogma arise? Why was it invented? The pri- mary reason is from a misunderstanding of the nature of Jesus. You might have heard the question asked in this way: “When Jesus was born, did He have the nature of Adam before Adam fell into sin or after the fall?” As you are aware, Adam and Eve did not have an engrained propensity toward evil. When they were first created, they weren’t motivated by selfishness. After they sinned, they became enslaved to the tendencies to- ward self. So when Jesus was born, did He have the attributes of Adam’s nature before or after the fall? People have debated this question for centuries. Some say Jesus had the nature of Adam before the fall, so He really didn’t have the attraction to sin like we have. The problem with this view is that Jesus cannot then be our example on how to overcome sin. How can Christ be born with this “ad- vantage” and yet be “in all points tempted” as our High Priest who can “sympathize with our weaknesses”? (Hebrews 4:15). 21 The Mystery of Mary Instead, it seems biblical to conclude that Jesus took the nature that Adam had after the fall, yet He was without sin. Let’s face it—many things about Jesus’ makeup are a mystery! But why else would the Bible go through all of the trouble to list the ge- nealogy of Jesus with all of the sordid char- acters in His family tree? God wanted us to know that Jesus was as fully human as He was fully God. Moreover, if Jesus had the nature of Adam before the fall, would he not have some of the physical characteristics of Adam? How tall was Adam? Some schol- ars say that people before the flood had a mighty stature, perhaps 18 feet in height! Physically, Jesus inherited the body of the people of His time—or the Bible certainly would have let us know. In fact, the Bible says the exact opposite of Jesus: “He had no form or comeliness that we should look upon him, and no beauty that we should desire him” (see Isaiah 53). Did Jesus have any DNA from Mary? I believe He did. Could it be that when you 22 The Mystery of Mary looked at Jesus and then looked at Mary, you would see some similarities? It seems natural and biblical to assume it. Christ was both human and divine. Sometimes we try to make Him so divine that we forget that He really can relate to us. Jesus is even called our elder Brother (Hebrews 2:17). We have a human family connection to Him. That means Christ did not resist sin and temptation with anything that is not available to you and me. He can provide us with the same victory that He had. The devil claims that fallen people can- not obey, yet Jesus obeyed, having the fallen nature of Adam. Christ’s life disproves the claims of Satan. We, too, may obey through the same help Jesus received. He truly is our Example in all things. If we make Mary out to be perfect be- cause Jesus had to be totally untouched by sin, what hope does it leave us mere humans to overcome a sin in our life? It is interest- ing to think that Jesus, who was born in her, had to recreate Mary just like He recreates us. What started out as a miraculous birth 23 The Mystery of Mary within her resulted in her need to have the miraculous “born again” experience that every Christian needs. Mary had to look to the cross the same way you and I look to the cross. I’m sure she grew and went through a metamorphosis in her experience just like all Christians who ask Jesus to live in their hearts. We destroy this precious symbolism by making Mary something she is not. The Mary of the Bible Was Mary divine? Some have suggest- ed that Mary is more than a human who was miraculously conceived. They believe that she shares an equal place with Jesus in heaven—a person who is both human and divine. Yet the Bible seems to make it abundant- ly clear Mary was just like any other person. She was very much human. We need to be absolutely sure about this—and it’s a sad fact that this teaching was born from pagan beliefs. It’s blasphemy to call something God that isn’t God, and the goddess myth of Mary has tragically 24 The Mystery of Mary filtered down into our faith. Its roots are in Babylon, when Cush married Semiramis, who claimed to be both divine and human, and who begat Nimrod. When Nimrod grew up, he married Semiramis. They also had a child by incest. In the ancient art of those days, we often find images of a moth- er nursing a baby conceived by the gods. Images of Jesus being held by Mary were copied from these pagan sources. I believe that the deification of Mary is what the devil has always planned. In Genesis 3:15, God promises the Messiah to the world. The devil sought to counteract this truth about Jesus by counterfeiting it in advance. We see this paganism in false gods like Ishtar, Tammuz, Aphrodite, and Horus. These are mere idols, yet these pagan ideas invaded the church to deify Mary, who was very real and very human. How do we know from the Bible that Mary was human? For one, when Jesus turned 12 years old, His family went up to Jerusalem to the Passover (Luke 2:41). Large groups traveled 25 The Mystery of Mary together on these big pilgrimages. It was like a large parade with hundreds of peo- ple moving along as a crowd. People saw friends and family and spent time socializ- ing along the way. Joseph and Mary trusted Jesus as they traveled. He was an obedient and helpful child, not the type of boy who got into trou- ble the moment you turned your head. He was so obedient and compliant that in the journey back home, they didn’t really wor- ry about Him when He didn’t show up for supper. They assumed He was somewhere safe with their kin. They actually got a day- and-a-half down the road before they start- ed to frantically search for Him. They’d lost track of Him and had to retrace their steps. Can you envision being entrusted with the Son of God, the national treasure, and then losing Him? The searching parents finally found their child in the temple, sitting at the feet of scholars. He was listening to them and also asking them such profound questions that the religious teachers were dumbfounded 26 The Mystery of Mary that this child could be so perceptive and intuitive. Mary asked Jesus, “Son, why have You done this to us?” (Luke 2:48). It is true that He was her Son, but His answer is reveal- ing. She basically said, “Your father and I have sought you anxiously. You’re supposed to stay with us. We’re your parents!” When a Jewish boy turned 12 years old in those days, he went through a religious ceremony called a bar mitzvah. It was a turning point when the young boy was recognized as a man. In this context, Jesus firmly yet kindly responded to His earthly parents, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (v. 49). He was letting His mother and father know His relationship to them had changed. In essence He was saying, “I am your child, I have been committed to your care, but now I understand My responsibility to My heav- enly Father.” When Jesus attended His first Passover as a 12-year-old, I believe it dawned on His mind that the lamb He saw slain was His 27 The Mystery of Mary life calling. He was trying to explain to His parents, “My primary calling is not to be in submission to My earthly father and moth- er, but to My heavenly Father. I’m yours, but I’m not really yours. I am the Son of God. Joseph is my father, but I have another Father.” That must have been an epiphany for Mary. This little story also tells us that Mary wasn’t omniscient, or all-knowing, a char- acteristic of the divine. When Jesus asked her if she “knew,” it was clear she didn’t know. She didn’t know everything, and she was often shocked and surprised by events related to Jesus. Indeed, in Matthew 13:55, we read, “Is this [Jesus] not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?” (my em- phasis). Had the people in the Bible known Mary to be something divine, they certain- ly don’t indicate that fact here in this pas- sage. Had she been a miracle worker, they might have said, “Oh, yes—this is Mary’s child; no wonder He also works miracles.” 28 The Mystery of Mary But far from that, they seemed to think His family was absolutely ordinary. Mary was a normal person like us, who, at one point, even seemed to have doubted Jesus’ man- ner of fulfilling His mission, as we’ll see in a little bit. Mary’s Relationship with Jesus The Bible records these revealing words in Luke 2:17–19: “Now when [the shepherds] had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concern- ing this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shep- herds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart” (my emphasis). The word “ponder” here is another way to say she “wondered.” She knew something was special about her child, but she didn’t know what exactly. She wasn’t all knowing. 29 The Mystery of Mary Again, in Luke 2:33, the Bible explains that Mary “marveled” at what others said about Jesus. Even though she was given a prophet- ic picture of Jesus, she was still thunder- struck, much like the special but all-too-hu- man disciples. Mary had doubts like Moses had doubts—all very human responses. After Jesus grew into adulthood, He was baptized in the Jordan River by his cousin John the Baptist. I’m sure Mary must have been excited. You can sense this in her through the little story regarding the wed- ding feast in the town of Cana. Wedding feasts sometimes lasted a week in those days. And as often happens today, the host of that wedding hadn’t planned for the number of people who showed up. It was only the third day of the celebration, and they ran out of grape juice. So Mary ap- proached Jesus to say, “They have no wine” (John 2:3). Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come” (v. 4). When He called her “woman,” it was not a disrespectful way 30 The Mystery of Mary to speak to mothers in Bible times. It was equivalent to being called “Madam.” Yet while Christ was respectful to His mother, the term He used to address her created some separation. He didn’t call her “mother” or even “Mary.” Some churches venerate Mary to an exalted position, but in this example, we find Christ doing nothing to exalt Mary. In fact, He seems to mildly rebuke her by saying, “My time has not yet come.” Mary then turns to the servants and says, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (v. 5). He was letting Mary know He was no longer under her thumb. He had obeyed the com- mandment to honor His father and mother perfectly, but after 30 years, He was saying He was to be especially about his heaven- ly Father’s business. He distanced Himself from her. Christ then turned the water into wine for the guests to enjoy. Again, the focus on the Bible story is Jesus, not Mary. Christ came to give us His pure life, symbolized by grape juice. In exchange, Jesus took our sinfulness onto Himself, just like the sour 31 The Mystery of Mary wine was offered to Him on the cross. The Bible is filled with powerful symbols about Jesus—it’s not asking us to focus on Mary, but totally on Him. Another short incident between Mary and Jesus, found in Luke 8, reinforces this relationship. “Then His mother [Mary] and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, ‘Your mother and Your brothers are standing out- side, desiring to see You’ ” (Luke 8:19, 20). Perhaps Jesus was teaching inside Peter’s home and someone slipped Him a piece of paper with the note: “Son, I really would like to speak with you.” In light of how some people uphold Mary on a level with Christ, the reply of Jesus in this setting is very interesting. You might think, if Mary was the “Mother of God,” Christ would drop everything and quickly exit the house. But the Bible says differently. “He answered and said to them, ‘My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it’ ” (v. 21). 32 The Mystery of Mary Jesus does not identify Mary as a sinless saint or goddess to be worshiped. Anyone who seeks to do the will of God can be part of the family of God. We cannot set the mother of Jesus apart from other peo- ple! Certainly we should honor her, but not venerate her. Like all of us, Mary needs the Savior in her life. Any other teaching takes away from Jesus. Did Mary Have Other Children? Another dogma about Mary is that she was perpetually a virgin, even after having Jesus. This is supposed to separate her from the human race, to deify her existence, in that she was untainted by normal human biological needs or actions. First, this gives the unbiblical impression that sex is somehow sinful. It’s possibly a mis- interpretation of the Scripture that says, “In sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). It’s the same teaching that has led to the cel- ibacy restriction in the Catholic priesthood, but God says that marriage is good and “the bed is undefiled” (Hebrews 13:4). 33 The Mystery of Mary But more to the point, the Bible makes it abundantly clear that Mary and Joseph certainly knew each other intimately in the physical sense. Matthew 1:24, 25 says, “Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (my emphasis). The word “till” here is very important. It makes it clear that most people would have known that Joseph and Mary were intimate with each other, so the Bible clarifies that it only happened after their son was born. It very much insinuates they ended up having a normal married life afterward. And why wouldn’t they? At the same time, it doesn’t mean that Mary had other children. The Bible tells us that Jesus had at least six siblings. Four brothers are actually named, as we read in 34 The Mystery of Mary Matthew 13:55. While the names of His sis- ters are not mentioned, the Bible uses the plural word “sisters” (v. 56), so there were at least two girls. It is likely that Joseph had six other chil- dren before he married Mary. That means all of Jesus’ siblings were older stepbroth- ers and stepsisters. If this were true, then it appears Mary gave birth to only one child, Jesus. How could this be? In Bible times, it would have been con- sidered very disrespectful for Jesus to leave the family business and become an itiner- ant preacher after Joseph died, especially if He was the oldest of the siblings. It was always the youngest who was more free to leave home. The oldest was supposed to get a double inheritance and take over the fam- ily business. In the parable of the prodigal son, which son left home? The younger one. Another reason it appears that Christ was the youngest brother is the way His old- er brothers related to Him. There is more than one instance where you read of Jesus’ siblings trying to tell Him what to do during 35 The Mystery of Mary His ministry (see Mark 3:31). Younger brothers would not relate this way toward an eldest brother in the Hebrew culture. Additionally, the fact that Joseph had died by the time Jesus began his earthly ministry supports the view that he was sub- stantially older than Mary, having already had a prior family. One more incident in Scripture seems to show that Jesus was the only child born of Mary. When Christ hung dying on the cross, He committed the care of His moth- er to the disciple John. Why not to one of Mary’s children? Likely it is because she had no other blood children. It suggests that Mary was probably a stepmother to the others. The Bible’s lack of reference to Mary’s other children is an argument that she didn’t have another child by Joseph, not that she didn’t have a normal, healthy marriage relationship with her husband. It’s a bit of a stretch to say she was perpetually a vir- gin, and it’s a dogma that has no basis in the Bible. 36 The Mystery of Mary When a pope speaks from the throne as vicar of God, it’s saying that his words are above Scripture—it’s dogma, not Bible doc- trine. Errant beliefs about Mary came from this sort of teaching, as each century the church gradually exalted Mary higher and higher. They would even dub her “Mary, Mother of God.” It’s not really appropriate to give her that name that sounds superior to the Creator. God is infinite; it is only by a divine act that a finite being was chosen to be the surrogate for the everlasting God. You can’t technically be the mother of the Creator; it seems to suggest that God had a beginning. Instead, Mary was responsible for the human side of Christ; the Holy Spirit, of course, was responsible for the divine part of Jesus. How We Relate to Mary We can see that Mary was very much human, just like you and me. So outside of having a healthy respect for this blessed godly person of God, how should we relate 37 The Mystery of Mary to Mary on a spiritual level? Should we wor- ship her? Should we pray to her? In Matthew 2:11, the wise men arrived at Joseph’s household and presented their gifts to Jesus. They worshiped Jesus. If there was any sense that Mary deserved adoration, it’s likely we would have read about it here. Instead, we read that Mary was perplexed by the attention given to her child. Mary would have worshiped Jesus also and would have rebuked anyone bow- ing down to her or a likeness of her. You simply need to read Exodus 20, which says, “You shall have no gods before Me, and do not bow down to idols,” to know how Mary felt. What about prayer? Should we pray to Mary? Where in the Bible are we com- manded to do such a thing? More than a billion people in the world do so without any biblical support, as though she is di- vine. Pope John Paul addressed a shrine to Mary in June 1999, saying, “Hail, Daughter of God the Father, Mother of the Son of God, Bride of the Holy Spirit, and Temple 38 The Mystery of Mary of the Trinity.” On what basis did the pope do this? Certainly not the Bible. In fact, Jesus specifically taught people to pray in Matthew chapter 6: “In this man- ner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name” (v. 9). We are to pray directly to the Father. In fact, we don’t need any intercessor other than Jesus! Many people believe that since God commands a vast universe, it’s hard to hear every prayer, thus praying to Mary might get you a better audience. But this insinuates that God isn’t really godlike, doesn’t it? God can hear you, and when you pray in Jesus’ name, you don’t need anything else. Jesus stands for you; why would you need Mary when you have Jesus? Praying to or before a statue of Mary is actually breaking the commandment against idols. While I’m sure God hears these sincere prayers before statues of Mary, He would rather you go into a closet and speak to Him directly. Hebrews 4:15, 16, says, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted 39 The Mystery of Mary as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We can go straight to Jesus, boldly before God, to receive forgiveness. To suggest that we might need Mary to be heard by God insinuates that the Lord is not all-knowing or is disinterested in our prayers. Moreover, Matthew 6:6 says to not pray in vain repeti- tion. This would include the Hail Mary. You won’t get credit for praying over and over again. Jesus was very clear about it! But one other Bible teaching conflicts with the idea of praying to Mary. The Scriptures clearly show that when a person dies, they are in the grave until the resurrec- tion. “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). And, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the com- ing of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself 40 The Mystery of Mary will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:15, 16). Jesus compares death to sleep (John 11:11–14). Just as God created people from the dust of the earth, so to the earth will they return (Genesis 2:7 and Ecclesiastes 12:7) until the resurrection (John 5:28, 29). That means Mary is still in the grave, awaiting the resurrection morning at the second coming of Christ. You cannot communicate with the dead. In fact, the Bible condemns those who attempt to speak with the deceased (Deuteronomy 18:10–15). Mary is not an intercessor for Christ because she can’t be, physically or spiritually—“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Assuming an Assumption? Another teaching about Mary that might be used to get around the fact that Mary is now sleeping in Jesus is that the Lord came down to earth with angels to pick up Mary 41 The Mystery of Mary after she died. They say that if Moses was resurrected, why not Mary? Well, we don’t have to assume that Moses was raised from the dead, because the Bible, in the book of Jude, tells us directly that he was. However, it is totally silent on the notion that Mary was assumed into heaven. And now, as deceptions always do, it has gone way too far. The same teaching sug- gests that she is now by the throne of Jesus, a part of a holy quartet rather than a wor- shiper of the Holy Godhead. It’s blasphe- mous theology because it’s totally outside the Bible. Still, we know that Jesus loved Mary, even if He hasn’t come down to resurrect her just yet. The last act of His life was car- ing for His mother, committing her to John, His trusted disciple, who took Mary into his own household. I believe that Mary is prob- ably buried around Antioch somewhere, because that’s where John went. We know that she will be raised with Peter, James, and John, who are all waiting in a dreamless, peaceful sleep. “Many of those who sleep in 42 The Mystery of Mary the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlast- ing contempt” (Daniel 12:3). Many believe that Mary blesses the human race, but rather, she was blessed by God. The idea we should pray to Mary and that she has the power to bless us with gifts is unbiblical. Luke 1:48 says that “all nations would call her blessed,” but she is not the one who blesses. We have the same opportunities as Mary to be blessed; scores of people in the Bible were also blessed. We were certainly blessed with what Mary did, but she’s not dispensing divine bless- ings today. She can’t! Instead, it is Jesus who blesses, because He is alive: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). So in light of all these Bible truths, what are we to make of all those visions of Mary across the globe? Well, I agree that some genuine people might be seeing some- thing appear before them, but it’s not Mary. 43 The Mystery of Mary I believe this because I believe the Bible teaches that when someone dies, they re- main in the grave. It’s very dangerous, then, to go before a statue and ask a blessing from Mary. Remember, the devil himself can appear as an angel of light. Is it possible that the dev- il will use visions of Mary to guide people away from God? The book of Revelation says the devil will do this powerfully. There are few figures in history that are as be- loved as Mary—not only do Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox believers love Mary, she is beloved by Muslims. Did you know that Mary is the only female ad- dressed by name in the Koran? Her unify- ing presence could be a positive influence in the spiritual world, but outside the context of the Bible, it could be exceedingly difficult and deceptive. That’s why the Bible must be our final guide in all matters of faith. Many false teachings are directly at- tributed to Mary. In one vision, she’s pur- ported to have said, “I want the lay people to obey the pope, bishops, and all the priests. 44 The Mystery of Mary They are my most beloved sons and have received the power to forgive sins. … For this reason, even my Son Jesus comes down from Heaven to earth in obedience to them” (Tabloid, “Mary’s Touch,” September 24, 1994). Only Jesus has the power to forgive sins, and Jesus is subject to no one’s orders here on earth. Do you see the biblical prob- lems this can create? If anyone can attribute a teaching to Mary, how can we know what is true? That’s why God gave us the Bible, to share what His Son teaches us. So you don’t need to be confused or de- ceived by false teachings or erroneous ap- paritions of Mary. Never forget that God knows your heart, so you don’t need to go through Mary. She can’t hear your prayers; she is peacefully asleep in the Lord, waiting for His soon return. Mary’s Pierced Heart There is an interesting event that took place eight days after Christ was born. Jesus was circumcised and brought to the temple in Jerusalem to be dedicated to the Lord as 45 The Mystery of Mary a firstborn son, as all Jewish firstborn males were to be presented. Joseph and Mary trav- eled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, about seven miles away, where Jesus was regis- tered in the temple. There is prophetic significance to this event that goes deeper than the simple oc- currence. Since a woman in prophecy rep- resents the church (see Jeremiah 6:2), we see in this portrait of Mary a connection be- tween the church and Jesus. Mary is a type, a symbol, of the church, and Christ is the head of the church. If I were to pick a wom- an to be my mother, I would pick someone who would bring me to church. Christ and the church still need to come together. Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the tem- ple where He was dedicated. In the church I pastor, we dedicate children to the Lord when they are young. Now this is different from baptism. Dedication is the parents’ choice for their child. Baptism must be the individual’s choice. I don’t believe it’s appro- priate to baptize babies because they need to first repent from their sins, confess them, 46 The Mystery of Mary and believe on Christ. Babies obviously cannot do these things. But parents can still dedicate them to God and ask for the Lord’s blessing on their children. When Jesus was brought to the temple, they met Simeon, one of the priests. Simeon had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would see the Messiah before he died. In this context, he says, “Lord, now You are letting Your ser- vant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have pre- pared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gen- tiles, And the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:29–32). After sharing this beautiful prayer, Simeon turns to bless the family, but specif- ically addresses Mary with these prophetic words: “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a 47 The Mystery of Mary sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Not only does Simeon predict that there will be resistance to Christ and opposition to His mighty work, but a sword would pierce Mary’s own heart. It is interesting to note that in Bible prophecy, a sword rep- resents the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12). How was Mary’s heart pierced by a sword? People in her time believed that someday the Messiah would come and conquer the Romans. Even Jesus’ own disciples spoke of using swords to resist Rome (Luke 22:38). People misun- derstood Christ’s point about swords; the Lord is speaking of the power of the Word of God. Mary’s hoped that her Son, the Messiah, would destroy the Romans and set Israel free. But her heart would be pierced when she herself saw Jesus die on Calvary. Her heart would be broken and her hopes dashed of seeing Christ sit on a temporal throne in Jerusalem. 48 The Mystery of Mary I believe Mary’s heart would also be pierced today if she knew about all the undue exaltation given to her. Mary was a real person in history. She was 100 percent human; she was zero percent divine. While this shakes a lot of people because they be- lieve Mary to be on par with the divine, she would be devastated to know that she’s been placed on the pedestal of a goddess that be- gan with ancient Babylon. The conquering sword she would no doubt point us to is the Word of the Lord piercing into our own hearts to convict us of sin and help us see our need for cleansing. She would point us to Jesus; as John the Baptist said, she would seek to decrease so that Jesus could increase in our lives (John 3:30). Assurance of Heaven How do we get to heaven? Can Mary help us get there? The Bible says, • “Through Him we both have ac- cess by one Spirit to the Father” (Ephesians 2:18). 49 The Mystery of Mary • “He is also able to save to the ut- termost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). • “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). Jesus makes intercession because He paid it all. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary.” All of us, just like Mary, can live Spirit-filled lives. Jesus is not too busy to hear you; He wants to hear your prayers. He looks down and longs to hear you pray to Him just as if you are the only soul on earth for which He died. Jesus is the lad- der between heaven and earth. He came to earth as a man to reconcile us to God. In His name, we access God and His salvation. The story of Mary can be our story. Her experience of having Christ miraculously come alive within her can be ours. Just as the mother of Jesus was chosen to receive 50 The Mystery of Mary the Holy Spirit within her womb, so we may receive Jesus within our hearts. Mary is transformed. The One who she nurtures ends up nurturing her. When you have a new birth experience, you will grow on the sincere milk of the Word (1Peter 2:2), you will nurture Christ within you until He transforms your whole life. You will move from receiving the Word to proclaiming the Word. Mary, the mother of Jesus, became Mary, the follower of Jesus. You also may have the miracle of new birth within your heart when you receive Jesus. It’s a transformation Christ wants to have in your life, even if you’ve been deceived or have misunderstood the biblical role of Mary. You can thank God—now He has shown you the truth. It will set you free!

A NUGGET OF TRUTH. WHY CELEBRATE EASTER? Easter is a day that is honored by nearly all of contemporary "Christianity" and is generally understood to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The holiday often involves a church service at sunrise, a feast which includes an "Easter Ham", decorated eggs and stories about rabbits. Is it truly the day when Jesus arose from the dead? Where did all of the strange customs come from, which have nothing to do with the resurrection of our Saviour? The first thing to understand is that professing Christians are not the only one who celebrated a festival called "Easter." "Ishtar", which is pronounced "Easter" was a day that commemorated the RESURRECTION OF ONE OF THEIR gods that they called "TAMMUZ",who was believed to be the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON of the MOON-GODDESS and the SUN-GOD. In those ancient times, there was a man named NIMROD, who was the grandson of one of Noah's son named HAM. Ham had a son named CUSH who married a woman named SEMIRAMIS. Cush and Semiramis then had a son named him "Nimrod". After the death of his father, NIMROD married his own mother and became a powerful king. Read Genesis 10:8-10 Nimrod became a god-man to the people and SEMIRAMIS (Ishtar), his wife and mother, became the powerful QUEEN OF ANCIENT BABYLON. Nimrod was eventually killed by an enemy, his body was cut in pieces and sent to various parts of the kingdom. Semiramis had all of the parts gathered, except for the one part that could not be found (reproductive organs). Semiramis claimed that Nimrod could not come back to life without it and told the people of Babylon that Nimrod has ascended to the sun and was now to be called "Baal", the SUN GOD. Queen Semiramis also proclaimed that Baal would be present on earth in the FORM OF FLAME, whether CANDLE or lamp, when used in Worship. To proclaim her divine authority, she allegedly changed a bird into an egg laying RABBIT. As the cult developed, the priests of Ishtar would impregnate young virgins on the altar of the goddess of fertility AT SUNRISE on ISHTAR SUNDAY. Semiramis claimed that she was IMMACULATELY CONCEIVED. She taught that the moon was the goddess that went through at 28 day cycle and ovulated when full. She further claimed that SHE CAME DOWN FROM THE MOON IN A GIANT MOON EGG that fell into the river Euphrates. This was to have happened at the time of THE FIRST FULL MOON AFTER THE SPRING EQUINOX. Semiramis became known as ISHTAR " which pronounced " EASTER " and her moon egg became known as "ISHTAR'S EGG". Ishtar soon became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the SUN-GOD BAAL that caused her to conceive. The son that she brought forth was named TAMMUZ. Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they become sacred in the ancient religion, because TAMMUZ was believed to be the son of the SUN-GOD, BAAL. Tammuz, like his supposed father, became a hunter. The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig. Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the SACRED CANDLE or lamp flame as FATHER, SON and SPIRIT. Ishtar, who was now worshipped as the "MOTHER OF GOD and QUEEN OF HEAVEN", continued to build her mystery religion. The queen told the worshippers that when TAMMUZ was killed by the wild pig, some of his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and the stump grew into a full new tree overnight. She also proclaimed a FORTY DAY PERIOD OF TIME OF SORROW (THE LENT), each year prior to the ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF TAMMUZ. During this time, NO MEAT WAS TO BE EATEN. Worshippers were to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of BAAL and TAMMUZ, and to MAKE THE SIGN OF THE "T" in front of their hearts as they worshipped. They also ate sacred cakes in the marking of a "T" or cross on the top. Ishtar also proclaimed that because Tammuz was killed by a pig, that a PIG MUST BE EATEN ON THAT SUNDAY. By now, you should have made a connection that PAGANISM has infiltrated the contemporary "Christian" Churches, and further study indicates that this paganism came in by way of the ROMAN CATHOLIC SYSTEM. The truth is that Easter has nothing to do with the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 4:24 says that "God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. " The TRUTH is that the FORTY DAYS OF LENT, EGGS, RABBITS, HOT CROSS BUNS and EASTER HAM have everything to do with the ANCIENT PAGAN RELIGION OF THE MYSTERY BABYLON. These are all anti-christ activities. Satan is a master deceiver, and has filled the lives of well-meaning, professing Christians with idolatry. These customs of EASTER honor Baal, who is also Satan, and is still worshipped as the "RISING SUN" and his house is the " House of the Rising Sun." How many churches have sunrise services" on Ishtar's day and face the rising sun in the east? Because the papacy had paganized truth Christianity so deeply and completely under Satan's leadership, modern-day "believers" are generally unaware of the origins of the WHAT, WHY, WHEN, and HOW of what the actually believe today. These are the last days, and it is time to repent, come out and be separate.

THE TRUE ORIGIN OF EASTER By David C. Pack Easter is a worldwide tradition involving many customs that people believe to be Christian. What is the origin of Lent and sunrise services? How did rabbits, eggs and hot cross buns become associated with Christ’s Resurrection? Is Easter mentioned in the Bible? Did the apostles and early Church keep it? The answers will shock you! Most people follow along as they have been taught, assuming that what they believe and do is right. They take their beliefs for granted. Most do not take time to prove why they do the things that they do. Why do you believe what you believe? Where did you get your beliefs? Is the source of your religious beliefs the Bible—or some other authority? If you say the Bible, are you sure? What about Easter? Since hundreds of millions keep it, supposedly in honor of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, then certainly the Bible must have much to say about it. Surely there are numerous verses mentioning rabbits, eggs and egg hunts, baskets of candy, hot cross buns, Lent, Good Friday and sunrise services—not to mention Easter itself. Easter requires close scrutiny and this booklet examines it carefully. Bible Authority for Easter? Notice Acts 12:1. King Herod began to persecute the Church, culminating in the brutal death of the apostle James by sword. This pleased the Jews so much that the apostle Peter was also taken prisoner by Herod. The plan was to later deliver him to the Jews. Verse 3 says, “Then were the days of unleavened bread.” The New Testament Church was observing these feast days described in Leviticus 23. Now read verse 4: “And when he [Herod] had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions [sixteen] of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” Is this Bible authority for Easter? This passage is not talking about Easter. How do we know? The word translated Easter is the Greek word pascha (derived from the Hebrew word pesach; there is no original Greek word for Passover), and it has only one meaning. It always means Passover—it can never mean Easter! For this reason, we find a Hebrew word used in the Greek New Testament. Once again, this Hebrew word can only refer to Passover. And other translations, including the Revised Standard Version, correctly render this word Passover. Instead of endorsing Easter, this verse really proves that the Church was still observing the supposedly Jewish Passover ten years after the death of Christ! Now let’s go to the other scriptures authorizing Easter. This presents a problem. There are none! There are absolutely no verses, anywhere in the Bible, that authorize or endorse the keeping of Easter celebration! The Bible says nothing about Lent, eggs and egg hunts, baskets of candy, etc., although it does mention hot cross buns and sunrise services as abominations, which God condemns. We will examine them and learn why. The mistranslation of Acts 12:4 is a not-so-subtle attempt to insert a pagan festival into scripture for the purpose of authorizing it. We will examine the Passover more closely later. A Brief Look at Passover The well-known Old Testament Passover story centers on God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt through ten miraculous plagues. These included how the death angel would “pass over” all the houses where the Israelites lived. They were instructed to put blood over their doorposts to ensure that only the firstborn of Egypt would die. In this first Passover, it was only the blood of the slain lamb that protected each Israelite home. While Egypt suffered the plague of death, the Israelite firstborn were delivered by blood. By obeying God’s command and by faith in His promise to protect them, they were spared from death. The Passover account is found in Exodus 12:12-14. Verse 14 states that the Passover ceremony was commanded by God to be an annual memorial feast to be kept by Israel “forever.” (This command is repeated in Leviticus 23:5.) Exodus 12:15 introduces the seven-day festival called the Days of Unleavened Bread (also repeated in Leviticus 23:6-8), which was to immediately follow the Passover feast each year. This is why Acts 12:3 states, “Then were the days of unleavened bread,” before mentioning the Passover in the next verse. These days were always kept in conjunction with one another. What About the New Testament? If the Passover was instituted forever, then New Testament instruction for its observance should be clear. This instruction is found in I Corinthians 5:7-8: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast [of unleavened bread, which always followed Passover, as explained above]…” Christ, as the Lamb of God (John 1:29; Acts 8:32; I Peter 1:19; Rev. 5:6), replaced the Old Testament lamb eaten on Passover evening each year. The New Testament symbols of the bread and wine were instituted so that Christians could eat the body and drink the blood of Christ, the true Lamb of God. Jesus’ sacrifice replaced the need to kill a spring lamb. Luke 22:19 shows that Jesus substituted the bread and wine to be taken annually in commemoration of His sacrifice for the remission of our sins—both spiritual and physical. Early Christians kept the Passover, not Easter. Notice this from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edit., Vol. 8, p. 828: “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers…The first Christians continued to observe the Jewish festivals [God’s festivals of Leviticus 23], though in a new spirit, as commemorations of events which those festivals had foreshadowed. Thus the Passover, with a new conception added to it, of Christ as the true Paschal Lamb…continued to be observed.” The original apostles and early New Testament Church did not observe Easter. Notice: “In the second century AD, Easter Day was, among Christians in Asia Minor [these would be the Gentile churches that Paul raised up in places such as Philippi, Colossae, Galatia, etc.—and he warned the Galatians (4:9-10) about taking days such as Easter] the 14th of Nisan [or Abib] the seventh month of the [civil] Jewish calendar” (World Almanac, 1968 edit., p. 187). The date described here is not Easter Day, but rather the Passover—which was kept on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan) of the sacred calendar. The apostles and early Church did not observe Easter! Despite the overwhelming proof that God’s Holy Days, as listed in Leviticus 23, are still to be kept by Christians today (Acts 2:1; 12:3; 18:21; 20:6, 16; I Cor. 5:7-8; 16:8), almost no one who claims to believe in the God of the Bible keeps them! Almost no one who professes to worship Jesus Christ observes the Passover as He commanded! Why? Since instruction to observe Easter is not in the Bible, and God’s permanent command to keep Passover is, then where did Easter originate? After surveying the origin of Passover, we are ready to study the origin of Easter. When Easter Came to America Easter has long been known to be a pagan festival! America’s founders knew this! A children’s book about the holiday, Easter Parade: Welcome Sweet Spring Time!, by Steve Englehart, p. 4, states, “When the Puritans came to North America, they regarded the celebration of Easter—and the celebration of Christmas—with suspicion. They knew that pagans had celebrated the return of spring long before Christians celebrated Easter…for the first two hundred years of European life in North America, only a few states, mostly in the South, paid much attention to Easter.” Not until after the Civil War did Americans begin celebrating this holiday: “Easter first became an American tradition in the 1870s” (p. 5). Remarkable! The original 13 colonies of America began as a “Christian” nation, with the cry of “No king but King Jesus!” The nation did not observe Easter within an entire century of its founding. What happened to change this? Where Did Easter Come From? Does the following sound familiar?—Spring is in the air! Flowers and bunnies decorate the home. Father helps the children paint beautiful designs on eggs dyed in various colors. These eggs, which will later be hidden and searched for, are placed into lovely, seasonal baskets. The wonderful aroma of the hot cross buns mother is baking in the oven waft through the house. Forty days of abstaining from special foods will finally end the next day. The whole family picks out their Sunday best to wear to the next morning’s sunrise worship service to celebrate the savior’s resurrection and the renewal of life. Everyone looks forward to a succulent ham with all the trimmings. It will be a thrilling day. After all, it is one of the most important religious holidays of the year. Easter, right? No! This is a description of an ancient Babylonian family—2,000 years before Christ—honoring the resurrection of their god, Tammuz, who was brought back from the underworld by his mother/wife, Ishtar (after whom the festival was named). As Ishtar was actually pronounced “Easter” in most Semitic dialects, it could be said that the event portrayed here is, in a sense, Easter. Of course, the occasion could easily have been a Phrygian family honoring Attis and Cybele, or perhaps a Phoenician family worshipping Adonis and Astarte. Also fitting the description well would be a heretic Israelite family honoring the Canaanite Baal and Ashtoreth. Or this depiction could just as easily represent any number of other immoral, pagan fertility celebrations of death and resurrection—including the modern Easter celebration as it has come to us through the Anglo-Saxon fertility rites of the goddess Eostre or Ostara. These are all the same festivals, separated only by time and culture. If Easter is not found in the Bible, then where did it come from? The vast majority of ecclesiastical and secular historians agree that the name of Easter and the traditions surrounding it are deeply rooted in pagan religion. Now notice the following powerful quotes that demonstrate more about the true origin of how the modern Easter celebration got its name: “Since Bede the Venerable (De ratione temporum 1:5) the origin of the term for the feast of Christ’s Resurrection has been popularly considered to be from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre, a goddess of spring…the Old High German plural for dawn, eostarun; whence has come the German Ostern, and our English Easter” (The New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1967, Vol. 5, p. 6). “The fact that vernal festivals were general among pagan peoples no doubt had much to do with the form assumed by the Eastern festival in the Christian churches. The English term Easter is of pagan origin” (Albert Henry Newman, D.D., LL.D., A Manual of Church History, p. 299). “On this greatest of Christian festivals, several survivals occur of ancient heathen ceremonies. To begin with, the name itself is not Christian but pagan. Ostara was the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring” (Ethel L. Urlin, Festival, Holy Days, and Saints Days, p. 73). “Easter—the name Easter comes to us from Ostera or Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, for whom a spring festival was held annually, as it is from this pagan festival that some of our Easter customs have come” (Hazeltine, p. 53). “In Babylonia…the goddess of spring was called Ishtar. She was identified with the planet Venus, which, because…[it] rises before the Sun…or sets after it…appears to love the light [this means Venus loves the sun-god]…In Phoenecia, she became Astarte; in Greece, Eostre [related to the Greek word Eos: “dawn”], and in Germany, Ostara [this comes from the German word Ost: “east,” which is the direction of dawn]” (Englehart, p. 4). As we have seen, many names are interchangeable for the more well-known Easter. Pagans typically used many different names for the same god or goddess. Nimrod, the Bible figure who built the city of Babylon (Gen. 10:8), is an example. He was worshipped as Saturn, Vulcan, Kronos, Baal, Tammuz, Molech and others, but he was always the same god—the fire or sun god universally worshipped in nearly every ancient culture. (Read our free booklet The True Origin of Christmas to learn more about this holiday and Nimrod’s role in its early history.) The goddess Easter was no different. She was one goddess with many names—the goddess of fertility, worshipped in spring when all life was being renewed. The widely-known historian, Will Durant, in his famous and respected work, Story of Civilization, pp. 235, 244-245, writes, “Ishtar [Astarte to the Greeks, Ashtoreth to the Jews], interests us not only as analogue of the Egyptian Isis and prototype of the Grecian Aphrodite and the Roman Venus, but as the formal beneficiary of one of the strangest of Babylonian customs…known to us chiefly from a famous page in Herodotus: Every native woman is obliged, once in her life, to sit in the temple of Venus [Easter], and have intercourse with some stranger.” We must now look closer at the origin of other customs associated with the modern Easter celebration. The Origin of Lent According to Johannes Cassianus, who wrote in the fifth century, “Howbeit you should know, that as long as the primitive church retained its perfection unbroken, this observance of Lent did not exist” (First Conference Abbot Theonas, chapter 30). There is neither biblical nor historical record of Christ, the apostles or the early Church participating in the Lenten season. Since there is no instruction to observe Lent in the Bible, where did it come from? A forty-day abstinence period was anciently observed in honor of the pagan gods Osiris, Adonis and Tammuz (John Landseer, Sabaean Researches, pp. 111, 112). Alexander Hislops, The Two Babylons, pp. 104-105, says this of the origin of Lent: “The forty days abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess. Such a Lent of forty days, in the spring of the year, is still observed by the Yezidis or Pagan Devil-worshippers of Koordistan, who have inherited it from their early masters, the Babylonians. Such a Lent of forty days was held in spring by the Pagan Mexicans…Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt…” Lent came from paganism, not from the Bible! (To learn more about the Lenten season, read our article “The True Meaning of Lent.”) Eggs, Egg Hunts and Easter Eggs have always been associated with the Easter celebration. Nearly every culture in the modern world has a long tradition of coloring eggs in beautiful and different ways. I once examined a traveling display of many kinds of beautifully decorated egg designs that represented the styles and traditions of virtually every country of modern Europe. Notice the following: “The origin of the Easter egg is based on the fertility lore of the Indo-European races…The egg to them was a symbol of spring…In Christian times the egg had bestowed upon it a religious interpretation, becoming a symbol of the rock tomb out of which Christ emerged to the new life of His resurrection” (Francis X. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, p. 233). This is a direct example of exactly how pagan symbols and customs are “Christianized,” i.e., Christian-sounding names are superimposed over pagan customs. This is done to deceive—as well as make people feel better about why they are following a custom that is not in the Bible. Notice: “Around the Christian observance of Easter…folk customs have collected, many of which have been handed down from the ancient ceremonial…symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals…for example, eggs…have been very prominent as symbols of new life and resurrection” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1991 ed., Vol. 4, p. 333). Finally, the following comes from Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought, James Bonwick, pp. 211-212: “Eggs were hung up in the Egyptian temples. Bunsen calls attention to the mundane egg, the emblem of generative life, proceeding from the mouth of the great god of Egypt. The mystic egg of Babylon, hatching the Venus Ishtar, fell from heaven to the Euphrates. Dyed eggs were sacred Easter offerings in Egypt, as they are still in China and Europe. Easter, or spring, was the season of birth, terrestrial and celestial.” What could be more plain in showing the true origin of the “Easter egg”? An “Easter” egg is just an egg that pertains to Easter. God never authorized Passover eggs or Days of Unleavened Bread eggs, but there have been Easter eggs for thousands of years! It naturally progressed that the egg, representing spring and fertility, would be merged into an already pagan springtime festival. Connecting this symbol to Christ’s Resurrection in the spring required much creativity and human reasoning. However, even highly creative human reasoning has never been able to successfully connect the next Easter symbol to anything Christian, because there is not a single word about it anywhere in the New Testament! The Easter Bunny Here are two additional quotes from Francis Weiser about the origin of the “Easter bunny”: “In Germany and Austria little nests containing eggs, pastry and candy are placed in hidden spots, and the children believe that the Easter bunny, so popular in this country, too, had laid the eggs and brought the candy” (p. 235) and “The Easter bunny had its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore…The Easter bunny has never had religious symbolism bestowed on its festive usage…However, the bunny has acquired a cherished role in the celebration of Easter as the legendary producer of Easter eggs for children in many countries” (p. 236). Here is further proof of the origin of Easter eggs and rabbits. It demonstrates how no one has ever been able to connect the Easter bunny to anything Christian, let alone to the Bible: “The Easter bunny is not a true Christian symbol” (John Bradner, Symbols of Church Seasons and Days, p. 52), and “Although adopted in a number of Christian cultures, the Easter bunny has never received any specific Christian interpretation” (Mirsea Eliade, The Encyclopedia of Religion, p. 558). None of this will stop scores of millions of professing Christians from decorating their lawns and houses with Easter bunnies each spring. Consider this last quote: “The hare, the symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt, a symbol that was kept later in Europe…Its place has been taken by the Easter rabbit” (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1991 ed., Vol. 4, p. 333). Even in modern times, rabbits have remained common symbols of fertility. While their rapid rate of reproduction is well known, another problem arises with rabbits—they do not lay eggs! While both are clearly fertility symbols, there is no logical way to connect them. In a world filled with pagan tradition, truth and logic can be lost. Merging these symbols with Christianity makes an already idolatrous practice worse. There is nothing Christian about any of these symbols. The true history of these fertility symbols, rabbits and eggs, is completely unknown to all the unsuspecting children who have been led by adults to think them so special. The entire concept that these are Christian is a lie foisted on innocent children who will believe that “the moon is made of cheese” just because someone tells them so. While these are shocking facts, they are true nonetheless. A Counterfeit Savior? One of the central themes of the New Testament is that Jesus Christ came to die for mankind’s sins and offer redemption to a world cut off from God. The master counterfeiter (Satan the devil, called the “god of this world” in II Cor. 4:4) seeks to counterfeit every aspect of God’s plan. He “deceives the whole world” (Rev. 12:9). As the arch-deceiver, he would not be content to counterfeit all other aspects of Christianity but not the identity and worship of the true Savior! Who is the real “savior” central to the “Easter Sunday” tradition? Is it the Jesus Christ of the Bible? If you say “yes,” are you sure? History answers this question plainly, with this: First notice that “…the conception of a Saviour-God was quite normal in the ancient pagan world…a conception of salvation underlies the notion of such Gods as Osiris, Attis, and Adonis…” (John M. Robertson, Christianity and Mythology, p. 395). And then this: “It has often been urged that this belief in the Resurrection of Jesus is due to ideas of divine resurrection current in the contemporary world…stories of Attis, Adonis, and Osiris…In the pagan stories the rising again is a joyous reversal of defeat; in the Christian story it is the complement of victorious death. It may be said that Attis and Osiris saved by rising again, Jesus by dying…the Easter observance did not arise at once out of belief in the Resurrection, but developed later by gradual stages out of the Jewish Pasch. The notion implied in the Easter greeting Christ is risen is a secondary development; the idea comes from this festival and from its occurrence in spring; the festival does not come from the idea. The idea of Christ’s resurrection was injected into the old practice of Easter observance and not the other way around” (A. Nock, Early Gentile Christianity and its Hellenistic Background, pp. 105-107). And, finally, the powerful theme of this oft-repeated counterfeit is made most clear by the famous historian, James George Frazer: “Now the death and resurrection of Attis were officially celebrated at Rome on the 24th and 25th of March, the latter being regarded as the spring equinox, and…according to an ancient and widespread tradition Christ suffered on the 25th of March…the tradition which placed the death of Christ on the 25th of March…is all the more remarkable because astronomical considerations prove that it can have had no historical foundation…When we remember that the festival of St. George in April has replaced the ancient pagan festival of the Parilia; that the festival of St. John the Baptist in June has succeeded to a heathen Midsummer festival of water; that the festival of the Assumption of the Virgin in August has ousted the festival of Diana; that the feast of All Souls [following Halloween] in November is a continuation of an old heathen feast of the dead; and that the Nativity of Christ himself was assigned to the winter solstice in December because that day was deemed the Nativity of the Sun; we can hardly be thought to be rash or unreasonable in conjecturing that the other cardinal festival of the Christian church—the solemnization of Easter—may have been in like manner, and from like motives of edification, adapted to a similar celebration of the Phrygian god Attis at the vernal equinox…It is a remarkable coincidence…that the Christian and the heathen festivals of the divine death and resurrection should have been solemnized at the same season…It is difficult to regard the coincidence as purely accidental” (The Golden Bough, Vol. I, pp. 306-309). We can summarize the above source. The Roman Catholic Church had a practice of incorporating pagan festivals—of pasting “Christian” names over them and calling them “Christian.” This was done to make “Christianity” more palatable and familiar to heathen worshippers, whom the Church was trying to attract. How did such a state of affairs develop? It can now be better understood why the apostle Paul wrote the Corinthians to beware of the subtle deceit of “another Jesus whom we have not preached.” He said, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted…” (II Cor. 11:3-4). People today can think that they are worshipping the true Savior when they are really worshipping a false savior—another Jesus! The entirety of traditional Christianity is actually worshipping Baal, the mediator and sun god, who was named after his “wife” Ishtar (who was actually his mother Semiramis)—who we will later see is the one the Bible calls the “Queen of Heaven.” People can worship in ways that represent things that are far different than what they sincerely believe or intend. Consider the following classic example. Sunrise Services Sunrise services are mentioned in the Bible. But what God says about this custom is not what you expect. Notice these astonishing verses. The prophet Ezekiel was being shown, in vision, an important prophecy concerning the sins of God’s people in our time. The entire context of these verses needs to be examined carefully to understand the heightening condemnation toward which God builds in His conclusion: “…Turn you yet again, and you shall see greater abominations that they do…and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz…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. Then He said unto me, Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing…that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they…have returned to provoke Me to anger…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” (Ezek. 8:13-18). Observing sunrise services is serious to God! He so hates this vile practice that He will ultimately destroy all who persist in it (Ezek. 9)! It is no “light thing” to God that many millions do this every Easter! It may seem “beautiful,” “religious,” and “deeply moving” to those participating in it, but God has forbidden His true people to devise their own religious customs and ideas. He is not interested in what people may personally feel or think is right. He is interested in those who care about what He thinks! As far as God is concerned, ancient sun worship, dressed up in Easter finery and bonnets, is just modern packaging of a very old, idolatrous pagan custom. Consider God’s own words in Deuteronomy 12:28-32 (NKJ): “Observe and obey all these words which I command you…When…you…dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them…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…Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.” God tells Christians to never mix what is godly with what is pagan—or the true with the false! Do not let men tell you that what God says makes no difference. It does! Hot Cross Buns When I was in the first grade, all the children in my class had to sing a solo of his or her choice. I will never forget this terrifying moment. I was so embarrassed and nervous that I picked the shortest song in our little songbook, “Hot Cross Buns,” and sang it before the class. Of course, I had no idea what I was singing. Though short (it was only fifteen words), I have never forgotten the lesson of its meaning. Notice 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 to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.” The cakes offered to the queen of heaven were these same hot cross buns that millions of children sing about today (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, p. 107). What seems so innocent is not innocent at all. Who is the “queen of heaven”? Ashtaroth—The Queen of Heaven Astarte (Easter)-worship was always associated with the worship of Baal or sun worship. Astarte was Baal’s wife. Notice that another name for Astarte was Ashtaroth. The following quote makes this point clear: “What means the term Easter itself? It is not a Christian name. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven…Now, the Assyrian goddess, or Astarte, is identified with Semiramis by Athenagoras (Legatio, vol. ii. p. 179), and by Lucian (De Dea Syria, vol iii. p. 382)…Now, no name could more exactly picture forth the character of Semiramis, as queen of Babylon, than the name of ‘Asht-tart,’ for that just means ‘The woman that made towers’…Ashturit, then…is obviously the same as the Hebrew ‘Ashtoreth’” (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pp. 103, 307-308). Notice this conclusive quote from Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia: “Ishtar was the Great Mother, the goddess of fertility and the queen of heaven.” So, in actuality, Ashtaroth (Ishtar) was Nimrod’s harlotrous, mother/wife widow, Semiramis, as many other ancient historians attest! Easter is now established as none other than the Ashtaroth of the Bible! We can now examine the scriptures that show how God views the worship of this pagan goddess—by any name! God Calls Easter Evil Now that we know that Easter is the goddess Ashtaroth, we need to look into the Bible and see what God thinks of her. Look at this verse: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord…And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth [Easter]” (Jdg. 2:11, 13). The context shows that God allowed His people to be taken from their land into captivity as a result of this sin! It continues, explaining how God delivered His people over and over again through a series of judges. After each deliverance, Israel returned to the same false gods, which in turn brought another captivity, via conquest by the nations around them. They never seemed to learn, as verse 19 makes clear: “And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves…in following other gods…and…they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.” In chapter 10, verse 6, Israel repeats this pattern of stubbornness. And God, just as stubbornly, still calls it evil. Baal and Ashtaroth worship reappeared during Samuel’s time. Samuel told Israel, “…put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only…Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only” (I Sam. 7:3-4). Later, in I Samuel 12:10-11, Samuel publicly recounted Israel’s history to them. He reminded them that they continually returned to obeying God, only to fall backwards into idolatry again and again! It has been said that “The only thing man has learned from history is that no one learns from history.” George Santayana took it further, saying, “Those who do not learn the lesson of history are doomed to repeat it.” This lesson describes ancient Israel—but it also describes today’s modern world. Because Israel could not stay on track, they were eventually taken into captivity, becoming lost to history! One more time of captivity and punishment is foretold to happen again soon. One Final Example The Bible states that King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. Yet, he made a mistake that God considered so great that, after his death, He punished Solomon by removing the kingdom from his son. His mistake? He married a woman who led him into the worship of Easter (Ashtaroth). Notice I Kings 11:4-6: “For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods…For Solomon went after Ashtaroth the goddess of the Zidonians…And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.” Verses 11-12 demonstrate that the kingdom was taken from his son. Two Churches: The Great Switch There are two completely different churches pictured in the New Testament. One, the true Church that Jesus built, is described as the bride of Christ, forsaking involvements with this world and its customs in order to be pure when He comes for her. But, throughout the New Testament, it was prophesied that false teachers would creep in and gain control of the church organization. True Christians would have to flee from many of their original congregations to continue to obey God. They would, therefore, be a “little flock,” often scattered, never having political power in this world. The world has kept little track of this small, scattered, persecuted Church, but Christ promised that He would never leave or forsake it and that “the gates of hell [the grave] shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Though it has periodically had to scatter for its life (Acts 8:1; Dan. 12:7), Christ has faithfully kept His promise to remain with it, empowering and strengthening it through His Spirit. Despite continual persecution—even during periods of great martyrdom by the large popular churches that have always sought to destroy it—a remnant has always remained throughout the last nearly 2,000 years. It has continued to “keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12). God has always commanded His Church not to keep pagan festivals! This little Church has been willing to obey Him. The inset 12th chapter of Revelation gives a brief overview of its history, including God’s promise to protect it through future, horrific world punishment. Paul warned the Thessalonian congregation, “…the mystery of iniquity [lawlessness] does already work” (II Thes. 2:7). This mystery was already having an influence within the true Church just twenty years after Christ established it in 31 AD. It was the very Chaldean Mystery, embodied in Christmas and Easter—its two greatest festivals! Invariably, the arrival of these false pagan celebrations required true Christians to flee. It is this same pattern at work that has caused this booklet to have to be written. Since the death of Herbert W. Armstrong (the leader of the Church of God from 1934 to 1986), the prophesied “falling away” (the Greek word apostasia here means “to defect from truth”) before the Return of Christ (II Thes. 2:1-3) has now occurred. Many of Mr. Armstrong’s writings are no longer available and all have been rewritten by The Restored Church of God. Thus, the previously described true Church organization joined the other church of this world that is founded on lawlessness. Gradually, this church, centered at Rome, adopted more and more pagan doctrines and practices until the only discernible difference between it and pagan religion was its use of the name of Jesus Christ. This is how Easter came to be celebrated in place of the true Christian Passover. The entire false religious system of today masquerades under the banner of “Christianity.” All of its organizations have adopted pagan practices. The Quartodeciman Controversy: From Passover to Easter What does history say about how and when the idolatrous pagan festival of Easter came to replace the Passover service ordained by God? A series of extensive quotes tell this story—commonly referred to as the “Quartodeciman Controversy.” Several sources are quoted so that the story of how the counterfeit Easter came to replace Passover will be perfectly clear. This problem—Passover versus Easter—became so pivotal, as a test of the power of the great church that wished to stamp out the “little flock,” that eventually disobedience brought the death sentence upon any who continued to keep either God’s Sabbath or His true festivals. Make no mistake! Whether one keeps God’s Passover or celebrates the pagan Easter is serious! First notice the following by Eusebius (a well-known historian of the early Church) from his work, Ecclesiastical History, Book V, chapters XXIII and XXIV: “A question of no small importance arose at that time. For the parishes of all Asia, as from an older tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should be observed as the feast of the Saviour’s passover…the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the following words the tradition which had come down to him: “We observe the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of the Lord’s coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles…and, moreover, John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord…and Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia…the bishop and martyr Sagaris…the blessed Papirius, or Melito…All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the rule of faith.” The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia states, “Quartodeciman, a term used to describe the practice in the early Church of celebrating Easter on the 14th of Nisan (die quarta decima), the day of the Jewish Passover (Ex. 12:6). Quartodecimanism, prevalent in Asia Minor and Syria in the 2nd century, emphasized the death of Christ, the true Paschal victim (Jn. 18:28; 19:42), while Roman practice emphasized the observance of Sunday as the day of the Resurrection. Implicit in these two positions is the disputed chronology of Holy Week. As Christianity separated from Judaism, gentile Christians objected to observing the principal Christian feasts on the same day as the Jewish Passover. “Roman efforts to induce the Quartodecimans to abandon their practice were unsuccessful. On a visit to Rome (c. 155), St. Polycarp of Smyrna amicably discussed the question with Pope Anicetus without, however, reaching agreement. Pope Victor (189-198) sought unity through a series of synods held in both East and West; all accepted the Roman practice except the Asiatic bishops. When Victor attempted coercion by excommunication, St. Irenaeus of Lyons intervened to restore peace (Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. 5.23-25). During the 3rd century Quartodecimanism waned; it persisted in some Asiatic communities down to the 5th century” (Vol. 12, p. 13). The following very lengthy statement from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, well summarizes and details the story of how Easter slowly came to replace the Passover by AD 325 within visible, organized “Christianity”: “Although the observance of Easter was at a very early period in the practice of the Christian Church [false], a serious difference as to the day for its observance soon arose between the [true] Christians of Jewish and those of Gentile decent, which led to a long and bitter controversy…The Jewish Christians…(observed) the 14th day of the moon at evening…without regard to the day of the week. The Gentile Christians (Roman Catholics)…identified the first day of the week with the resurrection, and kept the preceding Friday as the commemoration of the crucifixion, irrespective of the day of the month. “Generally speaking, the Western Churches (Roman Catholic) kept Easter on the 1st day of the week, while the Eastern Churches [including the remnant of the true Church] followed the Jewish rule [the true Christian Passover]. “Polycarp, the disciple of John the Evangelist (last of the 12 apostles), and bishop of Smyrna, visited Rome in 159 (sic) to confer with Anicetus, the bishop of that see, on the subject, and urged the tradition which he had received from the apostles of observing the 14th day. Anicetus, however, declined. About forty years later (197), the question was discussed in a very different spirit between Victor, bishop of Rome, and Polycrates, metropolitan of proconsular Asia. That province [embracing churches founded through the apostle Paul, like Antioch and all of those identified in Revelation 2 and 3 as the true Church] was the only portion of Christendom which still adhered to the Jewish usage. Victor demanded that all should adopt the usage prevailing at Rome. This Polycrates firmly refused to agree to, and urged many weighty reasons to the contrary, whereupon Victor proceeded to excommunicate Polycrates and the Christians who continued the [correct] Eastern usage. He was, however, restrained (by counsel from other bishops) from actually proceeding to enforce the decree of excommunication…and the Asiatic churches retained their usage unmolested. We find the Jewish usage (the true New Testament Passover) from time to time reasserting itself after this, but it never prevailed to any large extent. “A final settlement of the dispute was one among the other reasons which led Constantine [Roman Emperor] to summon the council at Nicaea in 325. At that time the Syrians and Antiochenes were the solitary champions of the observance of the 14th day. The decision of the council was unanimous that Easter was to be kept on Sunday, and on the same Sunday throughout the world, and that none hereafter should follow the blindness of the Jews. [Or, in other words, no one was allowed to follow the example of Christ and the true Church He founded!]…The FEW who afterwards separated themselves from the unity of the [politically organized] church, and continued to keep the 14th day, were named Quartodecimani [from the Latin word for 14], and the dispute itself is known as the Quartodeciman controversy” (Vol. VIII, pp. 828-829). This is a very powerful quote making absolutely plain the full story of what happened and how it happened. History records that Polycarp was martyred on the way back from Rome (burned to death in a farmhouse), just days after his meeting with Anicetus over the issue of keeping Passover or Easter. He was almost certainly killed because he would not compromise regarding the proper keeping of the Passover. The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia states this: “Occasionally, the Quartodecimans celebrated Easter on the day that other Christians were observing Good Friday. Originally both observances were allowed, but gradually it was felt incongruous that Christians should celebrate Easter on a Jewish feast, and unity in celebrating the principal Christian feast was called for” (Vol. 5, p. 8). Now read this quote from the same source, concluding the matter of how the Council of Nicea “decided,” for all, the matter of Easter versus Passover: “As for Easter, the Fathers decreed (1) that all Christians should observe it on the same day, (2) that Jewish customs should not be followed, and (3) that the practice of the West, of Egypt, and of other Churches should remain in force, namely, of celebrating Easter on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox” (Vol. 5, p. 433). The 1909 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia says, “After the Pope’s strong measures the Quarterdecimans seemed to have gradually dwindled away. Origen in the “Philosophumena” (VIII, xviii) seems to regard them as a mere handful of wrong-headed nonconformists. SECOND PHASE—The second stage of the Easter controversy centers around the Council of Nicaea [AD 325] granting that the great Easter festival was always to be held on a Sunday, and was not to be coincident with a particular phase of the moon, which might occur on any day of the week” (Vol. 5, p. 228). The truth is that the Passover was always tied directly to the moon, regardless of the day of the week on which it fell! (The word month is derived from moon.) The 14th day of Nisan (Abib) was God’s instruction (Exodus 12:1-6)—not the nearest Sunday to this or any other date. This same edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia, when describing the final decision at Nicaea in AD 325, quotes the words of the Emperor Constantine, writing to all the churches: “At this meeting the question concerning the most holy day of Easter was discussed, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day…And first of all it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin…for we have received from our Saviour a different way [this is false because Christ did not ever instruct “a different way”]…And I myself have undertaken that this decision should meet with the approval of your Sagacities in the hope that your Wisdoms will gladly admit that practice which is observed at once in the city of Rome and in Africa, throughout Italy and in Egypt…with entire unity of judgment.” (Vol. 5, p. 228). Finally, this same source continues a few paragraphs later with, “The final decision always lay with accepted ecclesiastical authority…was primarily a matter of ecclesiastical discipline and not astronomical science” (p. 229). These two short phrases make it clear that church authority at Rome, and not God’s Word, determined whether Easter or the Passover would be kept. Only the “few” remained faithful to the truth—and it has always been this way. Eventually, as the false pagan church grew in political influence, the death penalty was imposed on anyone found keeping God’s seventh-day Sabbath or His other Festivals, such as the Passover. True Christians have always had to flee to wherever they could continue keeping God’s commandments and truths. (Read our free book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!.) Throughout the centuries, though ignored and persecuted by the world, these same Christians (a single true Church of God) have always held to and kept the truth of God on this vital doctrinal point—as well as many other true biblical doctrines! The Passover Was Commanded We have already seen that God never instructed, but rather actually commanded against, keeping Easter. It has always been His purpose that the Passover should be kept once a year—forever. The early portions of this booklet briefly discussed the New Testament instruction to keep the Passover through the newly instituted symbols of the bread and wine. The New Testament Passover also includes an ordinance of humility called the footwashing. This instruction is found in John 13:2-15 and was commanded by Christ to be taught to all who would learn God’s doctrines. Christ commanded His disciples, “Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them…Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20). This instruction includes the Passover, with the footwashing and the symbols of the bread and wine. It also includes keeping the Days of Unleavened Bread and the rest of God’s annual feast days. If you are determined to no longer participate in this world’s Easter tradition, then The Restored Church of God can help you learn what is entailed in keeping God’s New Testament Passover service. What Will You Do? Can Easter be kept “in honor of Christ”? Some may say, “Okay, I know Easter comes from paganism—but I’m not pagan! I celebrate it in honor of Christ. I focus on Him.” Because God knew that Israel would feel this way when they encountered the religious customs of pagan nations, and would try to use false customs to honor the true God, He gave the instruction in Deuteronomy 12:28-32. God always commanded that people worship Him exactly as He instructed! So did Christ. Jesus told the Pharisees, “Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition…in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:6, 9). Mark’s parallel account adds an important element: “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition” (7:9). These verses have clear application to those who reject the Passover that they may keep pagan Easter. Hundreds of millions keep the rank idolatrous pagan feast known as Easter, believing themselves to be honoring Jesus Christ! Most are in complete ignorance of what they are doing. God’s answer to all is “…the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30)! From Easter Back to the Passover The following is from the conclusion of Herbert W. Armstrong’s booklet The Plain Truth About EASTER. It follows a brief overview of the importance of keeping God’s Passover instead of pagan Easter: “We need to return to the faith once delivered. Let us humbly and obediently observe this sacred ordinance [Passover] as we are commanded, at the scriptural time, after sunset, the 14th of Abib [Nisan] according to the Sacred Calendar.”

Micah 5: "1 Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek. 2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting*. 3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. 5 And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. 6 And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall he deliver us from the Assyrian, when he cometh into our land, and when he treadeth within our borders. 7 And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the LORD, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men. 8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. 9 Thine hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. 10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots: 11 And I will cut off the cities* of thy land, and throw down all thy strong holds: 12 And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers: 13 Thy graven images also will I cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thine hands. 14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities*. 15 And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury upon the heathen, such as they have not heard."