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🐞 Miss Tilia's Garden 🌳 🥚 What Is Easter Without Eggs The children came running through the garden gate, laughing and full of joy. “It’s Easter!” one shouted. “There have to be eggs hidden in here somewhere!” said another. They scattered across the garden paths, peeking under leaves, behind stones, and beneath the low-hanging branches of Miss Tillia. But something was off. “I can’t find any,” one child said, standing up slowly. “Me neither,” another replied. They searched harder. “No candy!” one said. “No eggs!” said another. “And where’s the bunny?” their faces fell in disappointment. As their voices grew quieter, the garden did too. Bright flowers began to droop. Soft petals curled inward. The golden light that once danced through the branches faded into a pale hush. “Do you feel that?” one child whispered. “The garden feels sad.” They gathered at the base of Miss Tillia, her great branches stretching gently above them. “Miss Tillia,” a small voice asked, “what’s wrong with your garden? Where are the Easter eggs and the candy?” For a moment, Miss Tillia said nothing. Then her leaves rustled softly, like she was taking a breath. “You came searching for things that were never the reason this day was made.” she said gently. The children looked at one another, confused. “No eggs?” one asked. “No candy?” said another. Miss Tillia’s voice was warm, wrapping around them like sunlight. “This is the day the Father gave everything, gave His son, so you would never doubt His love for you.” They listened closely now. “Sometimes,” she continued, “we make wrong choices. We say things we shouldn’t, or do things that hurt others. Those things can make our hearts feel heavy and far away from Him.” A small flower near her roots trembled, then slowly, softly, began to lift its head. “But Jesus loves you so much,” she said, “that He chose to take all that hurt upon Himself so that you wouldn’t have to carry it.” A single beam of light slipped through her branches. “And when He rose again,” Miss Tillia whispered as the leaves turned green again, “it showed us that love is stronger than death forever.” Suddenly, petals began to open and the garden burst to life. Color spilled across every path. Flowers bloomed all at once, brighter than before. The air shimmered with warmth and joy, wrapping around the children like a hug. “It’s alive again!” one child laughed. “It’s even more beautiful!” said another. From Miss Tillia’s branches, something new began to grow. Round pieces of fruit appeared, soft and shining in every color. “Come,” she said kindly. “Take one.” The children each reached up and picked a piece of fruit. One took a bite and gasped. “It tastes like chocolate!” “No, mine tastes like strawberries!” another said. A third giggled. “Mine tastes like bubblegum!” Miss Tillia’s leaves rustled with quiet joy. “It tastes like the flavor of joy to you,” she said, “because that is part of the gift.” The children held their fruit a little closer. “What gift?” one asked softly. “The gift of forgiveness,” she replied. “The gift of being made new. The gift of love that never leaves you.” She paused, then added gently: “What He gives is sweeter than candy because it stays.” The children sat together in the bright, colorful garden, no longer searching the ground, but holding something far better in their hands and in their hearts. High above them, a small ladybug 🐞 rested on a bright new leaf. You don’t have to search for the greatest gift, it has already been given. You are loved. You are forgiven. And because He lives… your heart can be made new too. Sometimes we look for joy in the things everyone tells us should make us happy, but what if the real gift is something we’ve never thought to look for? #christianwriter #christianfiction #christianfantasy #stacyfrantz #MissTillia

THE ORIGINS OF EASTER The Origins of Easter Traditions: Where They Really Came From For centuries, Christians have celebrated a holiday called Easter, associating it with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But a closer look at its history reveals that many of its customs, the name itself, and even the timing of the festival were adopted from ancient pagan practices, not prescribed in Scripture. The English word “Easter” comes from Ēostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility. Even today, many pastors preach from modern translations like the NIV or ESV all year, but switch to the KJV for Easter services because it uses the word “Easter.” This is a mistranslation—the biblical event is Passover, not a festival named after a pagan goddess. The customs surrounding Easter make its pagan roots unmistakable. Decorating eggs, a symbol of new life and fertility, originated in pre-Christian spring rituals. The Easter Bunny, a hare sacred to Ēostre, symbolizes abundance and reproduction. Assigning Christian meaning to these symbols does not erase their origin—it only masks it. Over time, these traditions were not merely preserved—they were actively assimilated into Christian practice. Many early converts brought their pre-Christian customs with them, and the Church, seeking to make the faith more accessible and appealing, often allowed these familiar practices to remain. While the intention may have been cultural accommodation, the result blurred the distinction between God’s truth and human tradition, embedding fertility rites, seasonal celebrations, and symbolic imagery into the commemoration of Christ’s resurrection. Even the timing of Easter highlights its pagan connections. Easter is calculated based on the spring equinox and the first full moon thereafter, a method borrowed from ancient seasonal festivals. Jesus, however, was crucified during Jewish Passover, which follows the lunar calendar and includes the preparation of the Passover lamb. When Easter falls weeks apart from Passover, it demonstrates that its timing is guided by pagan tradition rather than Scripture. Some Christian influencers on social media claim that Easter is historically supported by early Church leaders. Yet these claims often rely on selective or misleading references. Early Christians consistently celebrated Christ’s resurrection during Passover, using the Greek term Pascha, meaning Passover. The English word “Easter” did not appear until the 8th or 9th century. There is zero evidence that early believers celebrated with bunnies, colored eggs, or other pagan customs—these were later additions, long after the time of the apostles, as pre-Christian practices gradually blended into Christian observance. Misrepresenting selective writings gives the false impression that Easter reflected the biblical observance, when in reality, it became a paganized festival imposed on the Church centuries later. Scripture repeatedly warns against blending God’s truth with human traditions (Jeremiah 10:2; Colossians 2:8). Coloring eggs, celebrating a fertility bunny, keeping the name of a pagan goddess, observing a festival based on equinox calculations, or relying on mistranslations like “Easter”—none of this honors God. These pagan practices infiltrated Christian worship and continue to mislead believers when accepted without discernment. The truth is undeniable: Easter, in name, customs, timing, and translation, is a pagan festival that predates Christ. The resurrection of Jesus deserves a commemoration rooted in Scripture—not fertility rites, colored eggs, bunnies, equinox calculations, mistranslations, or social media myths. Christ commanded His followers to observe communion in remembrance of His sacrifice, not to adopt pagan festivals. God warns that He will not be worshiped in the ways the pagans worshiped their gods (Jeremiah 10:2). Honoring Christ rightly requires clarity, discernment, and obedience, keeping our worship firmly grounded in His Word rather than in the shadows of ancient paganism.

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.”

A NUGGET OF TRUTH. Happy Good Friday to all. What began on Thursday night in Gethsemane so many years ago, will conclude on Sunday morning, with remembrance of the Day of the Resurrection of our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. The three days, and three nights, in the heart of the Earth, ended with glorious Victory over death and the grave, for all who believe in and live for Jesus. Thank you Jesus Christ. Amen EASTER OR PASSOVER? "Easter or Passover: Which Should Christians Celebrate?" I’m frequently asked, “Why do you celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection on Passover instead of Easter?” To which I always reply: “Because God ordained the feast of the Passover in Exodus 12, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ fulfilled it on the very day of Passover by becoming our Passover Lamb. He did not become our Easter bunny. Easter is never to be confused with the Passover, nor celebrated by Christians. It’s a pagan holiday named essentially after "Ishtar" the pagan goddess of sexual fertility, and subsequent goddesses down through the ages with similar names. It has nothing to do with Christ, nor does it have anything to do with Bible-based Christianity.” Inevitably, however, "Easter-keeping Christians" will demand that I show them in the Bible where it says not to celebrate Easter. To which I always reply, “Show me in the Bible where it says Christians are to stop celebrating the Passover and instead celebrate in its place the ancient pagan holiday of Easter.” Of course, they cannot show this because nowhere in the Bible does such a command exist. God not only ordained the feast of the Passover, but clearly and unequivocally commanded that it be kept “forever.” As it’s written in Exodus 12:14: Exodus 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. The word “for ever” in that verse is translated from the Hebrew word olam (i.e., Strong’s H5769), which means “the vanishing point” and depicts something so far out into the future its end can never been seen. Why would God command the feast of Passover be kept “forever”? Because Christ Jesus would eventually give His lifeblood on that cross at Calvary on Passover day, becoming the Passover Lamb, the once-and-for-all-times sacrifice for God’s wayward children. And without that redemptive sacrifice, we could not live eternally. Passover is thus a “forever” thing. If you abandon it, you essentially (albeit unwittingly) abandon your quest for eternal life through Christ, the Passover Lamb. Yet Christians cast aside God’s command to keep the Passover “forever” without even giving it a second thought, and substitute in its place the ancient pagan holiday of Ishtar. Mistranslated in Acts 12 It’s important to note that the word “Easter” itself appears nowhere in the Bible, with the exception of Acts 12:4, where it’s mistranslated into English from the Greek word Pascha, which quite literally means “the Passover.” In other words, in the original Greek manuscripts from which our modern-day English Bibles are translated, there is no word for “Easter” because it simply does not exist in the Bible texts. It’s a completely un-Biblical concept. Pascha has one meaning, and one meaning only: it means “the Passover.” In fact, the word Pascha is used 29 times in the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, and in every single case except Acts 12:4 it’s properly translated “Passover” in the English translations. The word “Easter” itself is the Old English transliteration of the Babylonian (i.e., Chaldean) name Ishtar or Astarte, the goddess of love and sexual fertility. In the ancient Germanic language she was called Ostara, Eastre or Eostre, the goddess of springtime and new life. We even get the name of the female sex hormone, estrogen, from this goddess. So you can see the profound relationship of the name to sexual fertility and “new life.” The goddess’s name, by the way, is neither Hebrew nor Greek. And it’s most certainly not Christian. Christ Jesus never taught “Easter,” nor did any one of the 12 apostles -ever! In reality, the Babylonian Astarte, or Ishtar, or the later ancient pagan Germanic version of this goddess, known as Ostara, Eastre or Eostre, was a pagan goddess known as the “queen of the heavens.” You can check Jeremiah 7:17-20 to see how God feels about this pagan “queen.” He cursed His own people Judah over their worship practices that centered around this supposed heavenly “queen”. As it’s written: Jer 7:17 Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? Jer 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. Jer 7:19 Do they provoke Me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? Jer 7:20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. The ancient Germanic goddess Ostara, or Eastre, depicted by artist Johannes Gehrts (1853-1898) at springtime with leaping rabbits, winged cherubs, storks (a pagan symbol of child birth) and in the fine details at the bottom of the painting, little children out in the grass undergoing a fertility ritual. God does not like it in the least when His people – and make no doubt about it, Christians are His people today – hanky around with false gods the feasts made to them. So go ahead and bake your little cupcakes with colored jelly bean “Ishtar eggs” on them, representing since ancient times the sacrifices made to this goddess of sexual fertility. Boil some eggs and paint them bright colors and hide them in the tall grass and send the little kiddies out to find them. It’s so fun. Tell them the “Easter bunny” put them there. When your children get old enough to ask you what in the world this has to do with Christ’s excruciating death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection which provided salvation for our sins, just shrug your shoulders and bite your lip. Why? Because there’s absolutely no connection between the two. One is part of the reality of Christianity. The other is part of ancient pagan fertility rituals connected directly to a false goddess whose worship "was despised" by our heavenly Father. You see, rabbits and eggs have always been ancient symbols of sexual proclivity (i.e., “quick like a bunny”) and sexual fertility, respectively. According to Francis X. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs, p. 233, “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.” Clearly, this is an example of how pagan symbols and customs have become “Christianized” over the centuries in order to make the church more palatable to pagan peoples. James Bonwich, in his book Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought, writes that the egg as a symbol of new life goes all of the way back to pagan Egypt. He writes, “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.” According to author Francis Weiser, writing in his book, the Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customers, “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). Even the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1991 ed., Vol. 4, p. 333) agrees, stating, “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.” The great historian, Will Durant, in his 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.” Alexander Hislop, in his book The Two Babylons, (pp. 103, 307-308) writes, “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…” Even the Microsoft Encarta Multimedia Encyclopedia gets it right, stating, “Ishtar was the Great Mother, the goddess of fertility and the QUEEN OF HEAVEN.” In chapter 17 of the book of Revelation we learn of another “Great Mother” goddess connected to sexuality and lust – but this time, spiritual rather than physical lust -- who is loathed by our heavenly Father and is referred to by Him as “the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth” because she’s the very opposite of Christianity yet seeks to absorb and thus debauch Christianity. As it’s written: Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. Clearly, the ancient goddess Ishtar and her many subsequent iterations down through the ages (Astarte, Ashtoreth, Ostara, Eostre, etc.) is the forerunner of “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” which rises to worldwide prominence in the final days of this flesh earth age as the enemy of Christ and His Christian saints. Did the Ancient Church Father’s Celebrate Easter? Did the ancient church fathers celebrate Easter? Nope. They did not. Here’s what the Encyclopaedia Britannica (11th edit., Vol. 8, p. 828) has to say about it: “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, 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.” Again, Jesus Christ became our eternal Passover Lamb, the perfect sacrifice given by God for our sins. He did not become our Easter bunny. As it’s written in Revelation chapter 21, in the eternal age it’s the Lamb who provides the great light that illuminates the city New Jerusalem and its saved peoples: Rev 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. That’s the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, beloved. Walk in His light and not the “light” of the ancient pagan mystery religions. Here is the definition of the word Easter from the respected Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words: EASTER (Greek Pascha) – mistranslated “Easter” in Acts 12:4, denotes the Passover. The phrase “after the Passover” signifies after the festival was at an end. The term Easter is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pash held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast...From this Pasch the pagan festival of Easter was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate western religion as part of the attempt to adapt Pagan festivals to Christianity. What Vine’s Expository Dictionary is saying is that the word translated “Easter” in Acts 12:4 should have been properly translated “Passover.” But after the apostles were no longer around, The celebration of Easter was eventually substituted by the early Roman church for the proper feast of Passover. Why did this un-Biblical substitution take place? It was chiefly because the ancient holiday of Easter was a very popular pagan springtime celebration of sexual fertility and new birth. Though it was named after Ishtar, the pagan goddess of sexual fertility (and subsequent iterations of this goddess, including the Germanic goddess Ostara, or Eastre), the early church apparently felt that by moving the celebration of Christ our Passover to the popular pagan holiday of Easter, they could gain more converts to the church. Thus Easter became one of many “traditions of man” which began taking the place of the True feast days (such as the Passover) ordained and commanded by God in Exodus chapter 12 and Leviticus chapters 23 through 25. In New Testament times, it was one of the original acts of substituting the vain traditions of man for God’s specific commands. Easter/Astarte/ Ishtar/ Ostara/ Eastre, are basically the same as the Old Testament “Ashtoreth,” (6253 in your Strong’s Concordance i.e., “the Phoenician goddess of love and increase”). This is why the bunny rabbit was chosen as the symbol of this holiday. The bunny is both the ancient and modern symbol of sexual proclivity (just ask Hugh Hefner of Playboy magazine fame), and has been for centuries. In short, the English word “Easter” in Acts 12:4 is a purposeful mistranslation of the Greek word "Pascha". It should have been translated “Passover” just as it is all 28 other times it appears in the original Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. The end result of its being mistranslated as Easter has been to lead all of Christianity into unwittingly celebrating the holiday of a pagan sex goddess, rather than celebrating the actual Passover feast day specifically set aside by God to worship Christ as the Passover Lamb who died for our sins. During the time of the early church, Ishtar worship was one of the chief pagan rivals to Christianity. And because unwitting Christians do not know their Father’s Word, and do not understand Christ’s great redemptive act in relation to the Old Testament Passover, Ishtar (in the form of Easter) is still today Christianity’s great rival and substitute, pushing the Holy Passover aside. Here is the definition of the word Passover from Vine’s Expository Dictionary: PASSOVER (Greek Pascha) – the Greek spelling of the Aramaic word for the Passover, from the Hebrew pasach, to pass over, to spare, a feast instituted by God in commemoration of the expiatory [i.e., sin purging – ED] sacrifice of Christ. The word signifies (1) the Passover Feast, e.g., Matt. 26:2; John 2:13, 23; 6:4; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:39; 19:14; Acts 12:4; Heb. 11:28; (2) by metonymy, (a) the Paschal Supper, Matt. 26:18-19; Mark 14:16; Luke 22:8-13; (b) the Paschal lamb, e.g. Mark 14:12 (cp. Ex. 12:21); Luke 22:7; (c) Christ Himself, I Cor. 5:7 In short, Vine’s correctly explains that Passover (i.e., Pascha) is the feast day ordained by God for the celebration of Christ’s great sacrifice through which our sins are purged upon repentance. According to Exodus 12:6, the Passover is to be celebrated each year, starting 14 days after the beginning of the Hebrew new year, which on modern calendars is 14 days after the spring equinox. Some 1500 years after that first lamb was sacrificed for the sins of the People by Moses and the children of Israel before their exodus from Egypt, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, was willingly crucified on the Passover (John 19:14-18), offering Himself up once and for all times (Heb. 10:10) as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. He thus became our once-and-for-all-times Passover sacrifice. As St. Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Christ Jesus is our Passover Lamb. He’s not our Easter bunny. We should not degrade Christ’s great day in which He provided us the victory over sin (and the gift of eternal life), by associating it in any way, shape or form with the abomination of pagan Ishtar (Easter). The Seed of God, Jesus the Christ, is found in all of the Bible-based Holy Days. Those Holy Days were shadows of the body to come. The Holy Days picture the plan of redemption for us from God. And they’re to be kept forever. They are not to be substituted for carnal “holy days.” In Matthew 15:6-9, 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.” St. Mark’s parallel account in Mark 7:9 adds an important element: “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition.” These verses have clear application to those who reject the Passover that they may keep pagan Easter instead. Jewel Fitila

THE ORIGINS OF EASTER (Google Docs file link provided in comments and at the end for easy navigation of clickable Bible citations) Before we explore the “Origins of Easter”, let's briefly highlight what Christians ought to be celebrating in this season. In other words, let's clearly state what this season is all about. In summary, it is about God expressing His Love by sending His Son to die and pay for the sins of the world; and then three days after His death He was raised to life, i.e. resurrected; and this mission of redemption was patterned after the Passover, when God redeemed the Israelites from the land of slavery, Egypt. In other words, Jesus Christ came to FULFILL the Passover, which was why He had to be crucified on the day of the Passover. I'll briefly highlight the Scriptures to support these assertions: John 3:16 [16] For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall NOT perish but have eternal life. NIV John 1:29 [29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! NIV 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 [7] Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, OUR PASSOVER LAMB, has been sacrificed. [8] THEREFORE LET US KEEP THE FESTIVAL, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. NIV Speaking of Passover, the first day of Passover on 14 Nisan, 5786 (Lev 23:5), begins at sunset on March 31st and ends at sunset on April 1st, 2026, on the Gregorian calendar, which is today at the time of writing this. So in Hebrew I say to you, “Chag Pesach Sameach”, meaning “Happy Passover”. As Paul mentioned in the Passage above, Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb has already been sacrificed, so we can now KEEP the Festival from a new perspective (paraphrasing). Besides that, Jesus Christ inaugurated the Lord's Supper on Passover and commanded us to take Communion in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:15, 19-20), so it is also appropriate on this Passover day to KEEP the Festival by taking Communion and pondering the Lord's Passion, which affords us forgiveness and deliverance from the captivity of sin and death (1 Cor 11:24-26, Heb 2:14-15) As I do not want to stray too far from the topic I seek to address, I would like to refer you to some other posts and Free resources that adequately address what I've said in the paragraph preceding the quoted Passages above, with links provided at the end. With respect to Jesus Christ FULFILLING the Passover and the other Biblical Festivals, with particular attention to details, get the book “The Biblical Festivals of God”; and I strongly recommend reading the post, “Jesus Christ The Passover Lamb”, especially after we're done with the current post; and you could also check out the post, “How Can Jesus Pay for The Sins of Others”. The HEART of the PASSion Week was PASSover, pun intended. Interestingly, the Passover, which originated in the Old Testament, was combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and this was a week-long festival (Lev 23:5-8, 2 Chron 35:16-19, Ezek 45:21). So it is quite interesting that we also refer to the period of Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection as the Passion Week, counting from the Triumphant Entry to Jerusalem. With regards to the Passover, Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper on the Passover (Mark 14:12, 22-24); and He was crucified on the Passover (John 19:14 TPT). In the post, “Jesus Christ The Passover Lamb,” using Scripture, the Biblical reckoning of a day as being sunset to sunset, and the Jewish sects in Jesus’ day, it was demonstrated how plausible it was for the Lord's Supper and crucifixion to have occurred on the Passover as described by the Gospel accounts. The point I want to make however, is that the theme of the Passion Week was the Passover; and the festival of the Passover has its origins deeply rooted in Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments. The topic at hand however, is to deduce the origins of what Christians have come to celebrate as “Easter”. Unlike Passover, “Easter” has another origin story that most Christians are unaware of, or apathetic to; and its story is NOT rooted in Scripture, but rather in history and tradition. It is an uncomfortable truth from Church history, but a truth that needs to be addressed. There is no question about it, we as Christians are expected to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ commanded it (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Cor 11:23-26). But there was a controversy in the 2nd century Church referred to as the “Quartodeciman controversy,” about when to commemorate Jesus’s death and Resurrection. “Quartodeciman” comes from the Latin “quartodecimus”, meaning “fourteenth.” It refers to Christians who celebrated the event on the 14th day of the Jewish month Nisan—the same time as the Passover, regardless of the day of the week (Lev 23:5). The Quartodecimans were mainly in Asia Minor (Eastern Church). And in Polycrates of Ephesus letter defending the Quartodecimans (referenced from the Church historian Eusebius of Caesarea), he claimed that the observance of Nisan 14 followed the Apostolic tradition passed down by Apostle Philip and John, both of whom were Jesus’s disciples. On the other hand, the Roman and Western Church always celebrated on the Sunday after Passover. Their emphasis was focused on Sunday, the first day of the week, because that was when Jesus Christ was first seen after His resurrection (Mark 16:9 TPT). Victor I, Bishop of Rome from 189-199AD, tried to excommunicate churches in Asia Minor for keeping Nisan 14, but like I said Polycrates of Ephesus defended the Quartodeciman practice in his letter to Victor I, saying they followed apostolic tradition. Furthermore, Irenaeus urged Victor I not to cut off whole churches since previous Bishops of Rome disagreed on the same matter but remained in peace. His position was that of tolerance and unity in the face of differences, a position confirmed by Scripture in matters that are not fundamental in the faith (Phil 3:15-16 NKJV). In the 4th century, Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, and this Quartodeciman controversy was part of the controversies that were addressed in that meeting. This time however, the idea of tolerance, or the fact that the Quartodecimans were following the Apostolic traditions, did not matter, all that mattered was trying to forge uniformity and distance the Church from anything Jewish. It can be deduced from Constantine's letter, that in the subject of “Easter” antisemitism was a deciding factor. Not only did he say vile things against the Jews, but he also argued that Christianity shouldn't have anything in common with the Jews, including the Passover. [note - emphasis through capitalization added by me] ... “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, and are, therefore, deservedly afflicted with blindness of soul. For we have it in our power, if we ABANDON THEIR CUSTOM, to prolong the due observance of this ordinance to future ages, by a truer order, which we have preserved from the very day of the passion until the present time. LET US THEN HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THE DETESTABLE JEWISH CROWD; for we have received from our Saviour a DIFFERENT WAY. … Note that even though the Jews were the ones practicing and celebrating Passover, it wasn't they that originated the Feast, it was God Himself; and Scripture refers to the festivals as “APPOINTED FESTIVALS OF THE LORD”, not Jewish festivals (Lev 23:1-2). So Constantine was wrong on this point of trying to distance the Church from the Jews (John 4:20-22, Rom 9:4-5), and also by regarding the Biblical Festival of Passover as a “Jewish custom”. Secondly, did Jesus Christ come to introduce such a “different way” that required the changing of the date on which He instituted Communion, and commanded us to do it in remembrance of Him? I don't think so. It is the antichrist's job to alter established Biblical dates, NOT Jesus Christ (Dan 7:25-26, 1 John 2:18-19). Just a reminder, Passover was to be celebrated on the 14th day of the first month, Aviv, aka Nisan (Lev 23:5). So the date CHOSEN to celebrate “Easter” was to be the first Sunday after the full moon, following the Spring Equinox. This was to divorce the Church from any connection to the Jewish calendar or the Biblical festival of Passover. So you can see that the foundational idea of “Easter” was to disconnect the Church from the Biblical Passover, so how is it that people still argue that “Easter” is Biblical? You may want it to be so, but its origins tell a different story, Constantine did NOT want the Church to have anything in common with the Jews, even at the expense of rejecting the Passover and weekly Sabbath. I'm not even going to waste any time dwelling on the name itself, “Easter,” which has connections to the pagan goddess “Ishtar” or “Ēostre”, same false deity with different names depending on the culture; or the fact that the symbols of this pagan goddess also match the symbols of “Easter”, speaking of the “Easter bunny” (a rodent), and “Easter eggs”, which have NO positive connection to Scripture. I mean the rabbit, Biblically speaking, is considered an unclean animal (Lev 11:6-8); Yet, for some reason, it is the mascot of the most sacred season of Christianity. Anything symbolizing a religion or religious activity must carry deep spiritual meanings related to that faith or practice. So, the question is: what are the deep spiritual connotations of the words “Easter,” the “Easter bunny,” or “Easter egg” in relation to Scripture and the Lord's Crucifixion and Resurrection? I'll say it again, apart from the theme of Jesus’s death and Resurrection, “Easter” has no connection to Scripture, it is man-made in everything else. It is quite a cocktail and mystery to me that everything else can be bad, except for one ingredient, but we're still willing to gulp it without asking any questions. I don't think God is okay with this kind of compromise and complacency, please carefully study Jesus’ letters to the churches in Revelation 2&3 (Rev 2:2-5, 14-16, 20-23, 3:1-3, 15-19). Think about it for a moment, hatred for a people group was an applauded reason that shaped the formation of a doctrine, NOT Scripture (2 Tim 3:16). God’s Word and the prophetic significance of Passover was set aside, because of the blind hatred of a people group by some persons. Moreover, we need to HONESTLY ask if there is room for such hatred in Christianity, given that Jesus Christ commanded us to Love our enemies and do good even to those who hate us (Luke 6:27-28, Matt 5:44-46, Rom 12:17, 20-21)? Also remember that Jesus Christ Himself forgave everyone involved in His crucifixion—including the Romans, among whom Constantine was later a Roman emperor (Luke 23:34, read also Acts 7:59-60). If—despite there being NO VALID Reason—Christians were to choose to HATE the Jews and everything associated with them, then, for the sake of consistency, they would also have to HATE the Romans and everything associated with Rome. After all, it was the Roman governor who held the authority to crucify Jesus Christ, and who ultimately ordered His scourging and crucifixion (John 18:31, 19:1-6, 10). So the hypocrisy is obvious if we're being honest. Also let's not forget that Jesus Christ and the early Apostles were ALL Jews. So hatred of the Jews is unjustifiable (Matt 25:40, Rom 15:26-27, Gal 6:6). It's already NOT looking good for the origin of “Easter”, but let's see if its unifying effort is justified. Some might argue that the controversy surrounding the subject threatened the unity of the Church, just as we saw Victor I trying to excommunicate certain churches. So they say for this reason “Easter” was a necessity to “unite” the Church. It is evident that during the lifetime of the Apostles, controversies did arise that threatened the Church; however, they were resolved in a manner fundamentally different from the process that later gave rise to what is now called “Easter”. Scripture was central in the Early Church for resolving controversies, as the Apostles appealed to the Word of God to establish truth and bring unity (2 Tim 3:16–17, Eph 4:11-16). For instance, it was highlighted in previous posts how the Council at Jerusalem resolved the circumcision issue, where proponents of circumcision tried to make it a necessity for salvation (Acts 15:1). Granted, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas argued vigorously against that idea (Acts 15:2-12), but the final decision was pinned on Scripture and the approval of the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:13-18, 28, Amos 9:11-12 NKJV). Again, there was the controversy of some people saying that the final resurrection had occurred (2 Tim 2:16-18). Even though there is no Biblical reference to a Church Council to address this controversy, Paul adequately dealt with it in his letters, addressing the false teachers and the subject of resurrection (1 Tim 1:20, 1 Cor 15:12, 35, 1 Thess 4:13-18). In his letter to the Thessalonians, he highlighted a key end-time event that must occur before the coming of Jesus Christ and the final resurrection (2 Thess 2:1-4). This referenced event of the antichrist desecrating the Temple and claiming to be God can be pinned to Scripture, specifically the prophecies of Daniel (Daniel 7:11, 26, 9:27, 11:31, 12:11), which Jesus Christ also referenced when He prophesied about the end-times (Matt 24:15). I'll also attach a two-part series titled, “Biblical Ciphers and Codes”, where part two covers a bunch of important things pertaining to the end-times. Controversies come and go, and at times divisions may be necessary (1 John 2:18-19, 1 Cor 11:19). The Apostles NEVER advocated unity at all costs, especially at the compromise of Truth (2 John 1:9-11, Rom 16:17-18, 1 Cor 5:11-13, 2 Cor 6:14-17, 2 Tim 3:1-5, 2 Thess 3:6, 14-15, Titus 3:10-11). So the appeal to foster “unity” is NOT sufficient justification to establish “Easter”, especially when doing so abrogates the Word of God and the commands of Jesus Christ. The fact is that the Church would always be faced with one controversy or the other, because the devil is actively fighting against Her (Eph 6:10-13, Rev 12:11-12, 17, 2:14-16, 24-25). There will be people inspired by demonic spirits propagating lies and confusion that CANNOT be anchored on Scripture, yet their ideas would be alluring (1 Tim 4:1-3, Matt 24:24-25). NOT IF, but WHEN we face such a situation, should we adopt the “Easter” model where we try by all means to accommodate or “unite” the Church as best we can at the expense of the Truth of Scripture, or would we stand by the Truth and uphold what Scripture says? I can tell you that the former is easy, comfortable, and WRONG, but the latter is harder, uncomfortable, but RIGHT. Siding with the crowd is easy and comfortable, but God calls us to side with the Truth, even when it goes against the crowd or political correctness (Ex 23:2-3, Lev 19:15). UNITY in the Church CANNOT be forged on man-made compromises. Rather, UNITY in the Church MUST be forged by the Spirit, on the premise of God's Word (Eph 4:3-6, 11-16, Phil 2:1-2, Rom 15:5-6, 1 Cor 1:10). Note that the “oneness of mind” being referred to in the cited Passages is NOT merely a matter of adopting a shared human consensus, but of embracing the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit (**1 Cor 2:10-12, 16**, Gal 4:6). In other words, a group of people may reach agreement and share a single mind on a matter, but if their thinking is NOT aligned with the mind of Christ as revealed in Scripture and through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:16), then they CANNOT be truly united in Christ, even though they appear to have one mind. Unity in the Church requires that our minds be transformed (Rom 12:2), and this transformation is an essential part of our conformation to Christ (Rom 8:29, Gal 4:19, John 17:22-23, 26). We as humans must be honest and humble enough to admit that our thoughts are NOT ALWAYS best, even when our intentions are good (Prov 16:1-5, 25, 3:5-7, Isaiah 55:8–9). Therefore, it is impractical to establish lasting UNITY based on our own reasoning, or the adopted views of others. True and enduring UNITY—regardless of our differences and proclivities—can ONLY be achieved in God by adopting the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit, thereby gaining God’s perspective (Isaiah 30:1, 1 Cor 2:10-12, 16, John 17:20-23, 26). In other words, unity should NOT be forged on the ideas and philosophies of men, but rather by the Spirit of Christ and His direction, as revealed in Scripture (Matt 28:19-20, John 16:13-15, 2 Peter 1:20-21). After all, it is the Church of Christ–NOT the church of man–therefore it stands to reason that the thoughts of Christ should shape and govern His Church. Paul played a crucial role in teaching the doctrines that guide the Church today (Eph 3:2-12, 1 Cor 2:1-5, 13-14), yet he understood that the focus must NOT be on himself or other leaders (1 Cor 1:12-13). This was reinforced in his own life to guard him against pride (2 Cor 12:6-10); and he taught that church leaders are merely servants, while God alone gives the growth (1 Cor 3:3-11, 21-23, 4:6-7). For this reason, he placed no confidence in himself, even while serving with sincerity (1 Cor 4:1-4, 2 Cor 1:12, 3:5). He also upheld the truth above himself, so that even in the unlikely event of his failure, others would not be led astray (Gal 1:8-9, 1 Cor 9:27). The point is that UNITY in the Church should NOT be founded on people, but SOLELY on the Person of Jesus Christ (Eph 4:13, 15-16, 1:22-23). The doctrines of men must NEVER supercede the doctrine of Christ. I have emphasized that in addressing controversies, it is essential to remain anchored in Scripture. I will now apply that same standard to demonstrate why the origin of “Easter” is unsound. Interestingly, a situation very similar to the “Easter” issue occurred in Scripture, I'm talking about the: redesignation of a God-instituted festival in favor of a man-made festival on a different date, while still claiming it was the same festival God had commanded. After Solomon’s reign, the nation of Israel divided into two kingdoms: Judah, with its capital in Jerusalem, and Israel, with its capital in Samaria. From the time of Moses, God had instructed that He would select a specific place in the Promised Land where all their sacrifices were to be brought (Deut 12:5, 11). No one was to offer sacrifices to God wherever they pleased, even if they lived far from the place God would choose. Those living at a distance were instructed to sell their produce, bring the money to the chosen place, and use it to buy what was required for their offerings (Deut 12:13-14, 14:24–26⁠). There was no exception. In the time of David, God chose Jerusalem as that place, and Solomon was commissioned to build the Temple there (2 Sam 7:12–13, 1 Kings 5:5, 6:37-38). When the kingdom split, Jeroboam, king of Israel, thought to himself that if he allowed the people to continue going to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple, they might return their allegiance to the king of Judah (1 Kings 12:26–27). So he decided to fashion two idols and present them as the same God who had brought the Israelites out of Egypt (1 Kings 12:28–30). So we see that he essentially “rebranded” God (1 Kings 12:28, Ex 20:2-5). Not only that, but in the name of convenience, he convinced the people that they could offer sacrifices to God anywhere (1 Kings 12:31, Deut 12:2-6). Those who knew Scripture, especially the Levites, recognized his lies and contradictions to God’s Word, so they did NOT stay but went to Jerusalem (2 Chron 11:13-16), while the majority of the people remained. Lastly, the king of Israel CHOSE his own date to mimic the Feast of Tabernacles (1 Kings 12:32–33, Lev 23:34-36, 39-42), so that those in his domain would not have to go to Jerusalem, since it was one of the three Festivals that required all Israel to gather there (Deut 16:16). His reason for doing all of this was to maintain “unity” in his kingdom. Sound familiar? Leviticus 23:34 [34] “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the FIFTEENTH DAY of the SEVENTH MONTH the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. NIV 1 Kings 12:32-33 [32] He instituted a festival on the FIFTEENTH DAY of the EIGHTH MONTH, LIKE the festival held in Judah… [33] On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, A MONTH OF HIS OWN CHOOSING, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites… NIV So in essence, Jeroboam addressed the “unity” issue by disregarding God’s Word and commands; by setting his own terms of worship—changing dates and making things “convenient” for the people; yet, in this cocktail mix of man-made definitions, he still claimed that it was the SAME God of Israel being worshipped, and that his festival was no different from the one in Jerusalem. The sin of Jeroboam plagued every generation of the kings of Israel after him. And after all those years, when God pronounced judgment against the kingdom of Israel (headquartered in Samaria), He declared that the people would mourn the removal of the very idols Jeroboam had made (Hosea 10:5-8). Consider that: they had become so attached to those false gods that losing them brought grief. In other words, they had embraced the lie so deeply that they were unwilling to let it go. It is quite striking when we consider their behavior and how they were able to follow the lie of Jeroboam for centuries. Yet it is not so surprising when we realize that we are no different when it comes to the “Easter” issue. Indeed, there is nothing new under the sun (Eccl 1:9). In comparison, the same appeal to “unity” was used as the basis for “Easter.” God’s appointed date of Nisan 14 was set aside, and the Passover disregarded, in favor of a “newly” defined observance with its own date. Yet, despite these changes, it is still claimed that “Good Friday” conveys the same meaning as the crucifixion of Jesus, which occurred at Passover (John 19:14 TPT). In reality, the entire sequence of the Passion, culminating in the resurrection, begins from the reference point of the Passover. “Easter,” on the other hand, fixes its focus on Sunday and works backward, without any real connection to Passover. If the reference point of Passover is removed, then—like Jeroboam—it CANNOT be claimed that it is still the same festival commanded by God, which Jesus Christ came to FULFILL. Scripture EXPLICITLY identifies Christ as our Passover Lamb, showing that Passover is the true reference point (1 Cor 5:7, John 1:29). Just to be clear, it should be understood that ordinarily an individual (Rom 14:5–6), or a group of people (Esther 9:20-32, Joel 2:15-19, 2 Chron 20:3-4, 13-15), can consecrate any day to the Lord, and it would be acceptable in God’s sight. However, the problem with “Easter” is that God Himself had already consecrated a specific day and called it Passover (Exod 12:14, Lev 23:5), and on that very Passover, Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper with His disciples and commanded that it be observed in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19–20, 1 Cor 11:23–26). Therefore, it is inappropriate for human beings to alter what God has instituted by consecrating another day and assigning it the same significance as the one God originally ordained. Jesus Christ said He came to FULFILL the Scriptures (Matt 5:17), and after His resurrection, two of His followers had the privilege of hearing Him demonstrate this directly from the Scriptures (Luke 24:25–27, 44–49). Even today, many teach from Scripture—especially the Old Testament—uncovering profound truths that point to Christ. Passover itself is one of those Scriptures pointing to Him; therefore, it CANNOT be set aside, along with its rich prophetic significance, in order to embrace “Easter,” whose origin is NOT rooted in Scripture, but rather in a misguided attempt to foster “unity,” while at the same time expressing hostility toward the Jews. Yet Scripture makes it clear that Jesus Christ came to UNITE both Jew and Gentile as ONE (1 John 4:20-21, Isaiah 49:5-6, [John 10:14-16, Acts 2:38-39], Rom 11:1-2, 11-29, Eph 2:14–22, Gal 3:26-29). I've skipped several details, but I believe it is clear enough to see that the origin of “Easter” is NOT Biblical. While it may feel comfortable to keep, it rests on man-made foundations, which are certain to collapse (Ps 127:1-2, Matt 7:24–27). Its name, symbols, and the reasons for its creation form a house of cards that will surely fall. God Himself uproots whatever He has not planted (Gen 11:3-9, Matt 15:13, Heb 12:26-27). And you may be wondering why God hasn’t taken decisive action concerning this, seeing that it has continued for so long. Perhaps it is because He is merciful, giving people an opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:3-4, 8-9). In the past, people have often assumed that God’s apparent silence on a matter meant what they did was acceptable in His sight (Ps 73:1-28, 94:7-15, 50:16-23, Isaiah 42:14, 57:10-13, **Jer 44:15-28**). But that is not the case—God always sends warnings before judgment (Amos 3:7, 2 Chron 36:15-16). I believe He is sending a warning to the Church now, because judgment will come upon ALL, and it must begin with the Church before extending to the world (1 Peter 4:17-18). I know this may be an uncomfortable truth, and I can relate to the discomfort I felt when the Holy Spirit first brought it to my attention, particularly through the writing of “Early Steps in Christianity” (first and second editions). In fact, the main updates in the second edition focused on Chapter Six, which covers Communion—the Lord’s Supper. I have openly acknowledged the challenge this revelation brought, and the journey of repentance it has led me on personally. Yet I cannot fully express the peace, joy, and comfort I have received from the Lord as a result, which reassures me that this is indeed the right path. What I’ve presented in this study may be troubling to some. Please know that it is not my intention to cause distress, but if this is what it takes to bring the truth to you, then it will be worth it in the end (2 Cor 7:8–10). For others, it may take time to fully embrace what I’ve shared, but I trust God to make things clear as we continue to hold fast to the fundamental truths of Scripture (Phil 3:15–16). All I ask is that you reflect on this, pray about it, and remain open to hear from God on the matter. I also pray that He grants you the grace to act on what He reveals. That said, I hope you are awakened to the Passover and come to understand its New Testament significance. Once again, I encourage you to access the FREE book, “The Biblical Festivals of God”, and go through the two-part series, which I have combined into a single document titled “Jesus Christ the Passover Lamb”. Thank you for the privilege of your time. I hope this study has been helpful. God bless you, and Shalom! Google Docs link for current post: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_ORIGINS_OF_EASTER/ Full Series of “JESUS CHRIST THE PASSOVER LAMB”: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/JESUS_CHRIST_THE_PASSOVER_LAMB-FULL_SERIES/ Other posts you might be interested in: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/HOW_CAN_JESUS_PAY_FOR_THE_SINS_OF_OTHERS/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/THE_OLD_TESTAMENT_IS_THE_SHADOW_OF_THE_NEW_COVENANT/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/What_Paul_Meant_by-The_Law_of_Sin_and_Death-Rom_7and8/ For the Free PDF of "Early Steps in Christianity" (E.S.C): https://selar.com/EarlyStepsInChristianity For Paperback or Hardcover copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKW4H91N For the Free PDF of "The Biblical Festivals of God" (TBFG): https://selar.com/TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod For Paperback copies: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKPP5N6J Follow-up Post to the book, TBFG: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/BIBLICAL_CIPHERS_AND_CODES-FULL_SERIES/ I'd like to also encourage you to go through the following resources: https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/TO_BE_LIKE_JESUS_FULL_SERIES/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/The_Premise_of_Christianity/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Jesus_The_Redeemer/ https://daniel-olatunji-publications.netlify.app/Building_on_Legacy/ #Jesus #JesusChrist #Theology #Christianity #BibleStudyWithDanielOlatunji #BibleStudy #TheBible #Scripture #TheLivingWord #Truth #Free #FreeBooks #EarlyStepsInChristianity #TheBiblicalFestivalsOfGod #Passover #Easter #ChurchHistory #Repent #Repentance #Obedience

ANOTHER KAMEL AND KNAT SATIRE NEWS STORY WARNING! Rated G-PS for POLITICAL SATIRE The Kamel and Knat Rocker Ted Nugent Adds New Stage Name "Good Bunny" and Challenges NFL to Hire Him for 2027 Superbowl Halftime Show- Democrats Furious Click Below for Important Details: https://open.substack.com/pub/kamelandknat/p/rocker-ted-nugent-adds-new-stage?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Last night, I attended a worship service while millions of people worldwide watched the Super Bowl. Exhausted from an overnight train ride, I went to bed early. However, I couldn’t resist watching the first few minutes of the “All-American Halftime Show” on YouTube. This morning, I was delighted to discover the new lyrics Kid Rock added to his closing number. While critics may argue that Bad Bunny’s performance drew more viewers, it’s important to remember that worldly popularity holds no significance in the afterlife. Even Jesus had many followers that turned away when He make challenging statements like “…unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” (John 6:53) Being in God’s will often means choosing less popular options.

Franklin Graham : Happy birthday ( yesterday ) to my sister Ruth, or as we called her growing up, Bunny! We are pictured here in 1963 with our father Billy Graham and sister Anne Graham Lotz. #Throwback