EASTER, A PAGAN FESTIVAL
Most believers in YAHSHUA celebrate the pagan festival of Easter because they are ignorant of the facts. They think Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of YAHSHUA and the vast majority have never examined the facts.
The Easter festival started in ancient Babylon with Nimrod and his wife, Semiramis. Nimrod was the son of Cush and the grandson of Ham (Genesis 10:6,8). He lived in Mesopotamia and was the first person to attempt to create a world government. He created a religion, government and economy designed to unite all the peoples of the world. He also started a building project which is referred to as the tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-4,9).
YAHWEH did not want one man to rule the world so He confused their language and scattered them throughout the Earth (Gen. 11:5-9). Nimrod and Semiramis continued to propagate their religion until Shem slew Nimrod. This original Babylonian religion went underground, but after a time it resurfaced.
Semiramis was the high priestess of the religion. She gave birth to a son whom she called Tammuz. Her son was conceived after Nimrod died and was a bastard child. Semiramis invented a story in which she claimed a sun beam impregnated her and Tammuz was the reincarnation of Nimrod. Nimrod-Tammuz became a god who was worshipped and Semiramis became a goddess. She is known by numerous names, including Astarte, Ashtoreth, Ishtar, Isis, Aphrodite, Venus, Artemis and Diana, and is considered to be the mother of God and mankind by her followers. She is also the fertility goddess and the goddess of the hunt.
The English word Easter is the transliteration of Ishtar. The Easter festival is the celebration of the reincarnation of Nimrod in the body of Tammuz. It is also the celebration of the resurrection of Tammuz.
After Roman Catholicism became the official religion of the Roman Empire, in the Fourth Century, it sought to attract pagans to it by incorporating pagan festivals. The Easter festival was merged with the celebration of the resurrection of YAHSHUA. Catholicism adopted many of the Babylonian traditions of Easter such as the egg, hot cross buns and early morning worship services. Legend says Semiramis came to earth in a large egg which fell from heaven and the hot cross buns were offered to the queen of heaven. The Hebrew people were warned not to worship Ashtaroth (Yirmeyah-Jeremiah 7:17-20). The resurrection of Tammuz was celebrated at sunrise. Even though YAHSHUA rose from the tomb just after sunset on Saturday night most believers celebrate His resurrection on Sunday morning.
In the King James version the Hebrew word "pascha" is translated Easter. It should be passover. This is a serious error in the KJV and it has led millions of believers to accept the ancient Babylonian festival of Easter as being Biblical. The mixing of Easter with passover has prevented the vast majority of believers from understanding the true meaning of passover. YAHSHUA was the passover Lamb who died and shed His blood to cleanse all believers of their sins. He was crucified on passover, entombed on the feast of unleavened bread and rose from the tomb on the feast of first fruits exactly three days and nights (72 hours) after He died.
YAHSHUA fulfilled the first three feasts by His death, entombment and resurrection. The coming of the HOLY SPIRIT on the day of Pentecost fulfilled the feast of weeks. The three remaining feasts (Trumpets-Atonement-Tabernacles) are yet to be fulfilled. The rapture, Second Advent and the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom will be fulfilled on the very days of these three feasts. This truth has been hidden by the mixing of Easter with pascha.
"My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge" (Hoshea 4:6). The major problem with the bride of YAHSHUA is that it is ignorant of the Word of YAHWEH! Believers have blindly accepted numerous traditions without ever questioning them. The idea that YAHSHUA was crucified on Friday and rose from the tomb Sunday morning is one tradition which has no Biblical support. The belief that YAHSHUA was born in December is another tradition that comes from the ancient pagan feast of Saturnalia.
It is time for every true believer in YAHSHUA to follow the example of the Bereans and "examine the Scriptures daily" to see if the traditions of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches are Biblical.
Wake up children of YAHWEH!
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