posted on
As this weekend approaches, most Vincentians will prepare for the observance of the Christian/Cultural Easter festival on the dates highlighted on the Gregorian calendar. “Good Friday” and “Easter Sunday” are two such revered days associated with the Easter season. Can the observance of Easter be justified by the teaching of the Holy Scriptures? Is Easter really the commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah? A quick study of the Bible will reveal that this is not the case.
Yahshua the Messiah frankly addressed the question of whether men can follow their own traditions and ignore Yahweh’s commandments. He quoted the words of the prophet Isaiah to support his assertion that those who are in error are those who superimpose the traditions of nominal religion on the commandments of Yahweh. Yahshua said in Matthew 15:3, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of Elohim because of your tradition?” In verse 6 he continues: “And you have nullified the word of Yahweh because of your tradition. Then he quoted Isaiah 29:13: “This people honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they adore me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.
Can the word “Easter” be found in the Bible? Interestingly, it can only be found once in the King James Version in Acts 12:4. However, a careful examination of the Greek text reveals the fact that the word “Easter” is not found there! Nor is it found in the Aramaic New Testament. Both texts read “pascha,” which is derived from the Hebrew word “pesach.” It means Passover. If you scan later versions of the Bible, you will find that this term was changed to Passover. So if Easter is not a doctrine that can be substantiated by the Bible, why do Christians continue to celebrate this custom?
The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius, Chapter XX1V, p. 208 reveals that early apostolic believers observed Passover rather than Easter. When the peoples of the nations entered into the Truth, they associated the resurrection of the Messiah in the spring at Passover time with the common spring festival of paganism.
The concise edition of Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language shows that Easter is the same thing as “Eastre”… the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn! Dr. Solomon Zeitlin, states in the Jewish Quarterly Review, Vol. LX, January 1970, article “The origin of the term Edom for Rome and the Roman Church”. –“During the first three centuries of the Christian era, many Christians, especially in Asia, celebrated Easter (Passover) on the 14th day after the new moon of Nisan. This is why they were called Quartodecimans. At the Council of Nicaea, 325 CE, those who celebrated the 14th day of Nisan were declared heretics. Christians were forbidden to celebrate Easter when Jews celebrated Passover. The Emperor Constantine, who presided over the Council, said: “Let us have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd. Epistles were sent to the assemblies with the warning not to celebrate Easter on the 14th day of Nisan. Eusebius refers to these epistles as “feast epistles”. ”
The practices associated with Easter: Lent, Easter Sunrise Services, Easter Rabbits and Eggs and Hot Cross Buns are rejected by the Almighty Yahweh in Ezekiel 8 and Jeremiah 10. Dr. Alexander Hislop in his book – The Two Babylon, states: ” Among the pagans this Lent seems to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz, which was celebrated with alternating weeping and rejoicing, and which in many countries was considerably later. to the Christian festival, being observed in Palestine and Assyria in June, therefore called, the month of Tammuz; in Egypt in the middle of May, and in Great Britain some time in April. Dr. Hislop also states that the little ones breads were once offered in worship to the queen of heaven, a custom apparently originating over 1500 years before the common era Jeremiah 7:17-20 condemns this practice.
If we believe the Word of Yahweh to be the truth and the manual for the daily life of mankind, a new culture will emerge as we strive to adhere strictly to the teachings of Scripture. Yahshua the Messiah celebrated Passover with his disciples on the date and time prescribed by the scriptures. [Leviticus 23:5, Luke22]. He presented the new Passover emblems (his body and his blood) and he asked his followers to continue observing the Passover in commemoration of his death anniversary. So let us strive to get rid of all remnants of sun worship and honor Yahweh in spirit and in truth.
Ulrick Sutherland
Assemblies of Yahweh
aoysvg
