Rabbits, Eggs, & Sun
Why are these in church, and does it matter?
Introduction
Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD.
Is Easter in the Bible?
In Acts 12:4 we see Peter being arrested, and it says they were intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. This is the only place in the Bible the word Easter appears... the only one. That should be a red flag. And it is a red flag. The Greek word that got translated to Easter is pascha. Pascha is mentioned 29 times, and 28 of them were translated to Passover. If you read the correct translation you will get:
Acts 12: 4
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
How did the King James Version translate to Easter in 1611? For one thousand six hundred years everyone knew it was the Passover, and now we have Easter. It's only one word, but look at the global celebrations that happen under that word... and let's break it down a bit.
How would Easter get there? Even if Easter is not in any other book of the Bible, and never has been used as instruction for us, it had to come from somewhere? About 300 years after the crucifixion Constantine the Great merged Christianity with Pagan rituals to form the Roman Catholic Church. Easter is one of the compromises that Constantine made to bring Christians and Pagans to the table. He wanted peace. His new religion combined elements from both sides. If we look at this from a few different angles it isn't hard to reconcile at all. In fact it's a great example of how to rightly divide the word.
Get the timing right.
Judaism celebrates Passover, because that's when the angel of death passed over their house if they marked their doors with the blood of an innocent lamb. It was a foreshadow of what was to come when Christ's blood would be shed for us. Passover has always been set by the solar calendar, which is sunset on the 14th day after the spring equinox.
Leviticus 23: 5
In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.
The Christians celebrate Passover in memory of the original, but also to remember Christ . He was sacrificed on that Passover and became our Passover.
1 Corinthians 5: 7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
That's when blood sacrifices stopped. He was sacrificed as the Passover Lamb. Christ shed his blood for all. Post crucifixion Blood sacrifices are sacrilegious.
1 Corinthians 5: 8
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
We were told to keep the feast. That is set by the solar calendar, period. We know the exact date. It doesn't float. The next logical question is why is Easter celebrated the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox? Did you catch what happened? This switches the counting from days (solar) to the moon (lunar). The Passover is always the same, whereas Easter is always different. That's not God's way. People will say that it doesn't matter what day, as long as we're celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ our Savior. To that point I agree. But there are some issues with this "Easter" thing that are worthy of consideration:
Why do we have a rabbits?
Why do we look for colored eggs?
Why do we have a sunrise service?
In short these are what's called traditions of man. They have been around for generations, and have official standing with authority in modern society. These are simply a few of the many pillars of confusion we are called out of.
Our love for God is real.
We can look at facts without questioning anyone's heart, we're simply talking about a habit or practice. I don't care what denomination or religion you claim. If you seek Christ you are facing the Light. However, there is a comfort in numbers that has allowed these variations to manifest with confidence. What I want to show you here is how God feels when he sees you doing these things. Not how I feel. It's between you and Him, not you and me. God is Love, but you're crazy if you think that's his only emotion. He's pissed when he gets back, and this has a lot to do with it.
How did we get here? Well, while Judaism and Christians celebrated Passover, the Pagans had their own spring festival that celebrated sex and fertility. There are two main goddesses. Both represent the spring, fertility, are lunar based, and both are Pagan. Many think they are the same, some argue differences, but the net result is the same.
Why do we have a rabbits?
Rabbits trace to Ostara who was a Pagan spring goddess. The rabbit was a symbol for her because of their breeding. The bunny didn't really take root until around 1300 in Germany. That's roughly 1,300 years after, and they've had 700 years to work it into culture. That's called a tradition of man. We do it, but it's not scriptural.
Why do we look for colored eggs?
The other goddess was named Ishtar (or Easter in English). She was the moon goddess, and fell to earth in an egg. Therefore eggs were symbolic for life and health. They were exchanged with others at the spring equinox. Their priests would impregnate virgins on the equinox, and a year later when the children were 3 months old they would sacrifice them and use the blood to color the eggs. Constantine's compromise was to adopt the egg claiming it represented the new life Jesus brought through the resurrection. From there it became a decorating contest over the generations up to today... but the first color was red. How do you think that makes God feel?
Amos 5: 21
I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.
He doesn't want anything to do with what you're doing!
Mark 7: 13
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
He's saying these traditions and actions blind you to what God wants you to know. It's a distraction, and it makes you complicit.
A Babalon Trinity?
The Pagans also believed that the sun god (Baal) and moon goddess (Ishtar) had a child named Tammaz. Tammaz was killed, and it was believed he ascended to be with Baal and the worshipers to form their trinity. Yes, their own version of father, son, spirit. Once again I ask how you think that makes God feel?
Ezekiel 8: 13
He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
God told Ezekiel you think what you're seeing is bad... look at this!
Ezekiel 8: 14
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
The women were weeping for Tammuz. Ishtar's son. They are worshiping the wrong son! They think it's the right one, but look at their practices...
Ezekiel 8: 15
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
Again, God tells him it gets worse. This is a progression. We went from bad to worse, and now a deeper level.
Why sunrise service?
See if this rings a bell, and if you're doing this?
Ezekiel 8: 16
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
Where were they facing? I don't care how pretty your sunrise is, this is a holy moment and people are facing the sun instead of the alter. This is your sunrise service, and the very roots of it. It may feel all beautiful to you, but how does it make God feel?
Ezekiel 8: 17
Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
God said have you seen this?
"they commit the abominations"
"they have filled the land with violence"
"have returned to provoke me to anger"
"they put the branch to their nose"
What in there is good?
What in there let's you justify what you do? Do you know the price for that level of willing ignorance:
Ezekiel 8: 18
Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
That's not "my good and faithful servant". That's a pretty heavy sentence... there won't be any church leaders behind you when you stand before God and answer for your role. If you participate you are complicit. End of story.
The first KJV was translated in 1611. How many variations in English have appeared in the the last 300 years, and what version are you in? On top of that, who's teaching you?
Welcome to the game.