What Really Happened at ''Easter''?

KOINONIA HOUSE ^ | March 2007 | Chuck Missler Ph.D.

[Uri’el-2012]

What Really Happened at ''Easter''?

Most reasonably informed Christians are well aware that many of the traditions
that surround the Christmas holidays have pagan origins and very little correlation
with the actual events as recorded in the Bible. However, most of us are surprised
when we discover that some of what we have been taught about “Easter”
is not only in error, but deliberately so!

Many, of course, are aware that the name “Easter” actually originates with the
pagan worship of Ishtar (or Astarte) that was traditionally observed at the time
of the vernal equinox, nominally about March 21 or 22. Traditional pagan fertility
symbols of both rabbits and eggs continue to be associated with this holiday.

However, the name as commonly used is also currently associated with the events
surrounding the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which actually
occurred on the Jewish Passover and is clearly defined in the Scriptures as the 14th of Nisan.

Read more here

[Uri’el-2012]

Easter and Passover have coincided every year since 2000.

The early church sought to hide Passover with their calculations.

But Yah'shua has revealed His Word in these latter days.

b'shem Yah'shua

[Dog Gone]

[goodnesswins]

Thanks for posting this....I'll ignore the idiots

[Cicero]

Of course there's a connection between Easter and Passover--a typological connection. The Church Fathers and Bible commentators have been making that point for almost 2000 years.

But Jesus was crucified on a Friday afternoon. He and the two thieves were taken down and buried late that afternoon, so as not to violate the Passover Sabbath, which began at sundown that day. And Jesus rose again on the third day, which was a Sunday morning--Easter.

The Last Supper was a kind of Passover meal. But it was celebrated on Thursday night, the evening before the Jews celebrated Passover. Jesus had entered Jerusalem for the Passover, as he had done with his family every year ever since he was a little boy. But presumably anticipating His death on Friday, He celebrated what amounts to the fulfillment of the Passover meal (in Christian eyes) a day early.

Easter also became associated with springtime and the rebirth of life that occurs then. That might be thought pagan, but it is part of the natural cycle of life, as decreed by God in Genesis after the Flood. The religious calendar and the natural agricultural calendar of the seasons are related at several points. And why not, since God created nature?

[Radix]

How long will it take for this thread to be backroomed?

I was raised a certain way, but when I was about 20 or so, I found myself on a different path.

One thing that I have learned over the years is that the counsel of the Bible, (Collosians 2:8 for example) to "beware the traditions of men" does not carry much weight among most folks.

[CheyennePress]

Celebrating the proper dates or celebrating on an old pagan holiday never really bothered me. I know what I'm celebrating, I know that reasons therein, and I can take Christian symbolic meaning from traditions that have been co-opted. Aside from personal spiritual meaning, what difference does it make?

Good post.

[Doctor Don]

The Christian church needs to rename the day called Easter. "Resurrection Day" better says it and says it all!

[Uri’el-2012]

Setting a Date for Easter

The Council (of Nice) unanimously ruled that the Easter festival
should be celebrated throughout the Christian world on the first
Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox; and that
if the full moon should occur on a Sunday, and thereby coincide with
the Passover festival, Easter should be commemorated on the following
Sunday. As a result of the Council of Nicea, and amended by numerous
subsequent meetings, the formal church deliberately attempted to
design a formula for “Easter” which would avoid any possibility of
it falling on the Jewish Passover, even accidentally!

b'shem Yah'shua

[sourcery]

Start of Passover = Sundown Nisan 15, 5767 [Hebrew] = Sundown on Monday, April 2, 2007 [Gregorian]. Passover lasts for either 7 or 8 days, depending on the sect.

Here is the correlation between Gregorian Easter and the first day of Passover, from Gregorian year 2000 through 2009 (ignoring the 1/4 of the Hebrew day that overlaps the previous Gregorian day):

2000:
    Passover: 
        Thu, 5760 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
        Thu, 2000 April 20
    Easter: April 23, 2000

2001:
    Passover:
	Sun, 5761 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Sun, 2001 April 8
    Easter: April 15, 2001

2002:
    Passover:
	Thu, 5762 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Thu, 2002 March 28
    Easter: March 31, 2002

2003:
    Passover:
	Thu, 5763 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Thu, 2003 April 17
    Easter: April 20, 2003

2004:
    Passover:
	Tue, 5764 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Tue, 2004 April 6
    Easter: April 11, 2004

2005:
    Passover:
	Sun, 5765 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Sun, 2005 April 24
    Easter: March 27, 2005

2006:
    Passover:
	Thu, 5766 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Thu, 2006 April 13
    Easter: April 16, 2006

2007:
    Passover:
	Tue, 5767 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Tue, 2007 April 3
    Easter: April 8, 2007

2008:
    Passover:
	Sun, 5768 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Sun, 2008 April 20
    Easter: March 23, 2008
 
2009:
    Passover:
	Thu, 5769 Nisan 15 [Hebrew]
	Thu, 2009 April 9
    Easter: April 12, 2009

[Cicero]

I believe that Pope John Paul II tried to get together with the leaders of the Orthodox Churches to settle on a common date for Easter. Should I take it that your screenname is based on St. Xenia, the homeless wanderer of St. Petersburg?

So far, there hasn't been much success, but I don't believe it should be impossible to find some way to do it.

As you suggest, the Jewish Passover is based on a lunar cycle, and to some extent the western date for Easter is, too.

[safisoft]

Should we confuse the supposed Biblical experts with inconvenient facts? Few care that the sola scriptura of the Reformation really just exchanged the post-Nicean Roman authority for the pre-Nicean dogma of equally confused "church fathers." When disconnected from the root, the branches tend to think that they are what supports everything.

The history of "easter" is the most documented, and most ignored paganization of the faith and practice of Scripture that ever existed. Most "christians" just unknowingly quote Plato and "spiritualize" their error.

Don't confuse them with the facts. As for me and my house... we will keep the Feast next Monday night. We will eat unleavened bread for seven days... just like our Master did. We remember...

[Uri’el-2012]

Thank you for your research.

Prior to 2000 Easter and Pesach would only coincide 5 or 6 times in 19 years

[fahraint]

Thanks! I believe you are correct....

Some believe Yeshua was crucified on Wednesday, and I am persuaded..

http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/3days3nights.html

[Bob Loblaw]

I remember when I visited Israel.

I saw lots of churches. One church said it was on the very site where Jesus was born.

Another church said it was on the very site where Jesus was buried.

I remember think that it was not so important to know where exactly Jesus was born or where exactly Jesus was buried.

What was far more important -- to me, anyway -- was to know that Jesus was born and that Jesus died and was buried -- and that he was resurrected.

So, whether Jesus died on a Friday or on a Wednesday, isn't terribly important -- to me, anyway.

[Uri’el-2012]

Please put this in Religion under worship

[Uri’el-2012]

Here is an older thread

Why Should Christians Keep the Passover?

[Radix]

Don't confuse them with the facts."

 

Gosh, who am I to even thinking of suggesting that anyone might consider Googling "Mystery Religion"?

 

Or God forbid, Googling ..."Babylon Mystery Religion"? 

 

Nobody, so I'll just go back about my business.

[Uri’el-2012]

XS>Constantine as the first Pontiff of the Roman church condemned Passover where Yah'shua celebrated with bread and wine and replaced it with the pagan Easter.

The Roman Office of the Pontifex Maximus began in 712 BC

Later all Roman Emperors held the title Pontifex Maximus.

Emperor Constantine held the title from 306 to 337 AD

Constantine convened the Nicene Council in 325 AD and issued this edict:

ON THE KEEPING OF EASTER.

From the Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council.
(Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20.)

When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was
universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the
feast on one day; for what could be more beautiful and more desirable,
than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of
immortality, celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same
manner? It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the
holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the
Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and
whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom,(1) we may
transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter,
which we have observed from the time of the Saviour's Passion to the
present day[according to the day of the week]. We ought not,
therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour
has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and
more convenient course(the order of the days of the week); and
consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest
brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the
Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without
their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the
right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led
by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They
do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, in their blindness
and repugnance to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two
passovers in the same year. We could not imitate those who are openly
in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most
certainly blinded by error? for to celebrate the passover twice in one
year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still
be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such
wicked people[the Jews]. Besides, consider well, that in such an
important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought
not to be any division. Our Saviour has left us only one festal day of
our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired[to
establish] only one Catholic Church. Think, then, how unseemly it is,
that on the same day some should be fasting whilst others are seated
at a banquet; and that after Easter, some should be rejoicing at feasts,
whilst others are still observing a strict fast. For this reason, a Divine
Providence wills that this custom should be rectified and regulated in a
uniform way; and everyone, I hope, will agree upon this point. As, on
the one hand, it is our duty not to have anything in common with the
murderers of our Lord; and as, on the other, the custom now followed
by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of
the North, and by some of those of the East, is the most acceptable, it
has appeared good to all; and I have been guarantee for your consent,
that you would accept it with joy, as it is followed at Rome, in Africa,
in all Italy, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, in all Achaia, and in the
dioceses of Asia, of Pontus, and Cilicia. You should consider not only
that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but
also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we
should have nothing in common with the Jews. To sum up in few
words: By the unanimous judgment of all, it has been decided that the
most holy festival of Easter should be everywhere celebrated on one
and the same day, and it is not seemly that in so holy a thing there
should be any division. As this is the state of the case, accept joyfully
the divine favour, and this truly divine command; for all which takes
place in assemblies of the bishops ought to be regarded as proceeding
from the will of God. Make known to your brethren what has been
decreed, keep this most holy day according to the prescribed mode; we
can thus celebrate this holy Easter day at the same time, if it is granted
me, as I desire, to unite myself with you; we can rejoice together,
seeing that the divine power has made use of our instrumentality for
destroying the evil designs of the devil, and thus causing faith, peace,
and unity to flourish amongst us. May God graciously protect you, my
beloved brethren.

from DOCUMENTS FROM THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICEA [THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL] A.D. 325

This is the Decree from the first Pontiff of the Roman church to all the world.

Emperor Constantine, Emperor of the Roman Empire

He had issued an Edict making Sunday the day of rest

In 321 CE, while a Pagan sun-worshiper, the Emperor Constantine
declared that Sunday was to be a day of rest throughout the Roman Empire:

"On the venerable day of the Sun let the magistrates and people residing in cities rest,
and let all workshops be closed. In the country however persons engaged in agriculture
may freely and lawfully continue their pursuits because it often happens that another day
is not suitable for gain-sowing or vine planting; lest by neglecting the proper moment
for such operations the bounty of heaven should be lost."

Council of Laodicea circa 364 CE ordered that religious observances were
to be conducted on Sunday, not Saturday. Sunday became the new Sabbath.

They ruled: "Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day."

b'shem Y'shua

[Conservative til I die]

Man, no one wants to read this Judaizer bunk.

2 things: Just because some Christian symbol or rite is similar to something that was or is pagan does not mean that it too is pagan. I mean, it's just basic logic. Buddhists might use incense. It doesn't mean that Catholics are Buddhists because we use incense.

Simply put, Easter celebrates Christ. It celebrates no one else.

Second, the whole eymology argument against Easter is silly. It's called Pascha or something similar in most languages other than English.

[Uri’el-2012]

May the Lord bless you and keep you:
The Lord make his Face shine upon you:
and be gracious to you:
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
and give you peace.

b'shem Yah'shua