The Truth About Easter

[Mysteryman]

Quote flaja: "You have a Bible reference for this? And why would anyone living anywhere in the Mideast risk eating meat that had not been refrigerated for 12-24 hours?"


Hi

I am a hunter and love deer meat. I also am a retired farmer. In the spring of the year, you can kill an animal and hang it for a couple of days and it will be just fine. In fact it cures and tastes better if you do hang it for a couple of days. The same in the fall of the year when I hunt deer. After a kill, I hang it for a couple of days. The temps are cooler in the spring and in the fall. Even in the East as well.

 

[Guest]

Hi

It was a common pratice (Social gathering) in those days to break bread and drink wine . Most, if not all of the time, the bread was leaven bread . But during the passover meal, Jesus and his disciples used unleaven bread.

When people say that they are only worshiping the resurrection of Christ. And then by their actions do a Last supper service using unleaven bread and wine. Their actions speak more of what they are actually believing, than their words do. In fact , their words are empty and hold no value, because their actions are what is truly in their hearts. (say one thing --- do another)

Paul went to Corinth. and put a stop to this so called pratice . As there is no purpose in doing a literal eating and drinking of the Lord's supper. But there is nothing wrong with coming together to eat bread and drink wine in a social gathering. Which like I said, was a common pratice.

Then, as now, a worship service for the Church should not be a social gathering. You are not worshipping the Lord if you are gossiping or trying to trying to get a date for next Saturday night or negotiating a business deal.

 

[Guest]

Quote flaja: "You have a Bible reference for this? And why would anyone living anywhere in the Mideast risk eating meat that had not been refrigerated for 12-24 hours?"


Hi

I am a hunter and love deer meat. I also am a retired farmer. In the spring of the year, you can kill an animal and hang it for a couple of days and it will be just fine. In fact it cures and tastes better if you do hang it for a couple of days. The same in the fall of the year when I hunt deer. After a kill, I hang it for a couple of days. The temps are cooler in the spring and in the fall. Even in the East as well.

I know about curing wild game, but you won't cure anything here without refrigeration. Here in Florida we have temperatures comparable to Israel. You'd have to be a fool to risk eating meat that hasn't been refrigerated for 24 hours just about any time of the year. If Easter falls late in April it can be 90 degrees. This past Easter saw temperatures in the mid-80s and this was after having a record-breaking cold winter.

 

[Mysteryman]

Hi

It was a common pratice (Social gathering) in those days to break bread and drink wine . Most, if not all of the time, the bread was leaven bread . But during the passover meal, Jesus and his disciples used unleaven bread.

When people say that they are only worshiping the resurrection of Christ. And then by their actions do a Last supper service using unleaven bread and wine. Their actions speak more of what they are actually believing, than their words do. In fact , their words are empty and hold no value, because their actions are what is truly in their hearts. (say one thing --- do another)

Paul went to Corinth. and put a stop to this so called pratice . As there is no purpose in doing a literal eating and drinking of the Lord's supper. But there is nothing wrong with coming together to eat bread and drink wine in a social gathering. Which like I said, was a common pratice.

Then, as now, a worship service for the Church should not be a social gathering. You are not worshipping the Lord if you are gossiping or trying to trying to get a date for next Saturday night or negotiating a business deal.

You totally lost me here by what you just said.

 

[Mysteryman]

Quote flaja: "You have a Bible reference for this? And why would anyone living anywhere in the Mideast risk eating meat that had not been refrigerated for 12-24 hours?"


Hi

I am a hunter and love deer meat. I also am a retired farmer. In the spring of the year, you can kill an animal and hang it for a couple of days and it will be just fine. In fact it cures and tastes better if you do hang it for a couple of days. The same in the fall of the year when I hunt deer. After a kill, I hang it for a couple of days. The temps are cooler in the spring and in the fall. Even in the East as well.

I know about curing wild game, but you won't cure anything here without refrigeration. Here in Florida we have temperatures comparable to Israel. You'd have to be a fool to risk eating meat that hasn't been refrigerated for 24 hours just about any time of the year. If Easter falls late in April it can be 90 degrees. This past Easter saw temperatures in the mid-80s and this was after having a record-breaking cold winter.

Then cook the meat ! Which they did also before the passover meal.

 

[Guest]

Quote flaja: "You have a Bible reference for this? And why would anyone living anywhere in the Mideast risk eating meat that had not been refrigerated for 12-24 hours?"


Hi

I am a hunter and love deer meat. I also am a retired farmer. In the spring of the year, you can kill an animal and hang it for a couple of days and it will be just fine. In fact it cures and tastes better if you do hang it for a couple of days. The same in the fall of the year when I hunt deer. After a kill, I hang it for a couple of days. The temps are cooler in the spring and in the fall. Even in the East as well.

I know about curing wild game, but you won't cure anything here without refrigeration. Here in Florida we have temperatures comparable to Israel. You'd have to be a fool to risk eating meat that hasn't been refrigerated for 24 hours just about any time of the year. If Easter falls late in April it can be 90 degrees. This past Easter saw temperatures in the mid-80s and this was after having a record-breaking cold winter.

Then cook the meat ! Which they did also before the passover meal.

You wouldn’t let cooked meat go without refrigeration for more than a few hours in a hot climate anymore than you wait a day’s time without refrigeration to cook it.

 

[Mysteryman]

I know about curing wild game, but you won't cure anything here without refrigeration. Here in Florida we have temperatures comparable to Israel. You'd have to be a fool to risk eating meat that hasn't been refrigerated for 24 hours just about any time of the year. If Easter falls late in April it can be 90 degrees. This past Easter saw temperatures in the mid-80s and this was after having a record-breaking cold winter.[/quote]


Then cook the meat ! Which they did also before the passover meal.[/quote]

You wouldn’t let cooked meat go without refrigeration for more than a few hours in a hot climate anymore than you wait a day’s time without refrigeration to cook it.[/quote]


Exodus 12:6 & 7 & 8

 

[MMarc]

Easter also means Goddess of the East, which is the land of Babylon.

No it does not. Easter is derived from the Old English, i.e., Saxon, word for spring. The only evidence there is that Easter ever had anything to do with any religion is hearsay.

If so then why was it instituded by Constantine in 325 AD????

Yes it also comes from the old English Eostra, this is where we derive the word Eostrogene as in the fertility hormone in women. Nothing wrong with that but as a goddess? Hmmm

Hence Easter like Ishtar or Ashtaroth, means the spring Goddess of fertility. So why is the name Easter so important to you? Why not just call it Firstfruits according to the Word of God or resurrection day?

It is Jesus you want to worship right? And if Jesus fulfilled the law of Moises, please find in Lev 23 what feast mentions Easter worship. Thanks

Not beating up on you but do some deeper research if this is important to you.

 

[Guest]

Exodus 12:6 & 7 & 8

12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same
month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

The Israelites counted their days from sunset to sunset. Keeping the Passover lamb until the 14th day of the month and then killing it in the evening means it would not be killed until the 15th of the month. Then it had to be completely eaten before the next morning, i.e., mid-day for the Israelites.

 

[Guest]

If so then why was it instituded by Constantine in 325 AD????

Constantine, speaking Greek, did not have a word for Easter. He would have known the Jewish Passover and the Christian Passover.

Yes it also comes from the old English Eostra, this is where we derive the word Eostrogene as in the fertility hormone in women. Nothing wrong with that but as a goddess? Hmmm

Nope.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/estrogen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrogen

Estrogen was not a word until the late 1930s because the hormone that is known by this word was not identified until then. And the word is derived from Latin/Greek estrus meaning a period of fertility for female mammals and gen/gonos meaning to generate. Estrogen has nothing to do with Easter.

 

[Mysteryman]

Exodus 12:6 & 7 & 8

12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same
month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

The Israelites counted their days from sunset to sunset. Keeping the Passover lamb until the 14th day of the month and then killing it in the evening means it would not be killed until the 15th of the month. Then it had to be completely eaten before the next morning, i.e., mid-day for the Israelites.

Hi

The passover lamb was killed on the 14th day, not the 15 th day of the month of Abib. The word "evening" means before sunset. Eating it in that night, again, means before sunset. After sunset had fully come, starts their morning . The 14th day is the first day that they were taken out of Egypt.

 

[Guest]

The passover lamb was killed on the 14th day, not the 15 th day of the month of Abib. The word "evening" means before sunset. Eating it in that night, again, means before sunset. After sunset had fully come, starts their morning . The 14th day is the first day that they were taken out of Egypt.

The Hebrew word translated as evening means dusk. It is before sunset, but only by a matter of minutes. The process of killing the Passover lamb and getting it ready for cooking would not be complete until after sunset, i.e., on the 15th of the month.

http://www.abcog.org/faqcal3.htm

“In Christ's time, thousands of Passover lambs were sacrificed in the Temple each year. According to Josephus (Wars, IV, 9, 3) this took from 3 p.m to 5 p.m. However, if his numbers are correct, modern meat-packers suggest that it would have taken morning and afternoon to do it. Some suggest that the most important lamb, that for the High Priest's family, was sacrificed at 3:00 p.m. It is clear that Christ died when the sacrificial ritual was at its busiest.

“According to George Wolf, "Lexical and Historical Contributions on the Biblical and Rabbinical Passover. New York: Moriah Offset, 1991. p.24-25:
Lev. 23:5 On Nisan 14 is the Lord's Passover sacrifice.
Deut. 16:4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh [i.e., the passover lamb], which thou sacrificedst the first day [of Unleavened Bread, Nisan 15] at even, remain all night until the morning.
Deut 16:6 You shall sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun.

“Thus the original Passover was to be sacrificed at sunset at the end of Nisan 14, just as the evening began of Nisan 15, the first Day of Unleavened Bread.â€

But regardless of when the Passover lamb is actually killed, it was to be cooked and eaten right away. The lamb had to be completely eaten or completely burned up with fire before daybreak because the Israelites had to be on the road before the Egyptians had time to realize what had happened during the night.

 

[Mysteryman]

The passover lamb was killed on the 14th day, not the 15 th day of the month of Abib. The word "evening" means before sunset. Eating it in that night, again, means before sunset. After sunset had fully come, starts their morning . The 14th day is the first day that they were taken out of Egypt.

The Hebrew word translated as evening means dusk. It is before sunset, but only by a matter of minutes. The process of killing the Passover lamb and getting it ready for cooking would not be complete until after sunset, i.e., on the 15th of the month.

http://www.abcog.org/faqcal3.htm

“In Christ's time, thousands of Passover lambs were sacrificed in the Temple each year. According to Josephus (Wars, IV, 9, 3) this took from 3 p.m to 5 p.m. However, if his numbers are correct, modern meat-packers suggest that it would have taken morning and afternoon to do it. Some suggest that the most important lamb, that for the High Priest's family, was sacrificed at 3:00 p.m. It is clear that Christ died when the sacrificial ritual was at its busiest.

“According to George Wolf, "Lexical and Historical Contributions on the Biblical and Rabbinical Passover. New York: Moriah Offset, 1991. p.24-25:
Lev. 23:5 On Nisan 14 is the Lord's Passover sacrifice.
Deut. 16:4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh [i.e., the passover lamb], which thou sacrificedst the first day [of Unleavened Bread, Nisan 15] at even, remain all night until the morning.
Deut 16:6 You shall sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun.

“Thus the original Passover was to be sacrificed at sunset at the end of Nisan 14, just as the evening began of Nisan 15, the first Day of Unleavened Bread.â€

But regardless of when the Passover lamb is actually killed, it was to be cooked and eaten right away. The lamb had to be completely eaten or completely burned up with fire before daybreak because the Israelites had to be on the road before the Egyptians had time to realize what had happened during the night.

Hi

The reason I pointed this out, is because it is relevant. The Passover lamb was killed , cooked, and eaten before sunset. On the 14th day of Abib.

The phrase - going down of the sun -- is after the apex of the sun. The "evening" starts right after the apex of the sun.

 

[Guest]

The reason I pointed this out, is because it is relevant. The Passover lamb was killed , cooked, and eaten before sunset. On the 14th day of Abib.

The phrase - going down of the sun -- is after the apex of the sun. The "evening" starts right after the apex of the sun.

The sunset that begins the 14th or the sunset that ends it when the 15th begins?

Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

The Exodus meal did not begin until after sunset. So the lamb was killed sometime after solar noon on the 14th and then cooked so it could be eaten sometime after sunset but so late that the meal could not be eaten by the next sunrise.

According to Matthew 27 Jesus died on the cross sometime after the 9th hour of the day. If the Hebrew day begins at sunset and sunset in Jerusalem around the Spring Equinox is around 7pm solar time, then the 9th hour would be 4am solar time. This means Jesus could have been dead by sunrise.

But is it not likely that the Romans would start a crucifixion before sunrise; less light means less spectacle. So the chronology in Matthew 27 could be based on Roman time keeping. If the Romans began their day at sunrise and sunrise in Jerusalem near the Spring Equinox is about 7am solar time then the 9th hour would be 3pm solar time- about the time suggested for the death of the High Priest’s Passover lamb- which would be appropriate since the High Priest was Jesus’ chief accuser.

 

[Mysteryman]

The reason I pointed this out, is because it is relevant. The Passover lamb was killed , cooked, and eaten before sunset. On the 14th day of Abib.

The phrase - going down of the sun -- is after the apex of the sun. The "evening" starts right after the apex of the sun.

The sunset that begins the 14th or the sunset that ends it when the 15th begins?

Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

The Exodus meal did not begin until after sunset. So the lamb was killed sometime after solar noon on the 14th and then cooked so it could be eaten sometime after sunset but so late that the meal could not be eaten by the next sunrise.

According to Matthew 27 Jesus died on the cross sometime after the 9th hour of the day. If the Hebrew day begins at sunset and sunset in Jerusalem around the Spring Equinox is around 7pm solar time, then the 9th hour would be 4am solar time. This means Jesus could have been dead by sunrise.

But is it not likely that the Romans would start a crucifixion before sunrise; less light means less spectacle. So the chronology in Matthew 27 could be based on Roman time keeping. If the Romans began their day at sunrise and sunrise in Jerusalem near the Spring Equinox is about 7am solar time then the 9th hour would be 3pm solar time- about the time suggested for the death of the High Priest’s Passover lamb- which would be appropriate since the High Priest was Jesus’ chief accuser.

Hi

No, the passover lamb was killed, cooked, and eaten before sunset. On the 14th day of Abib. In the morning they were to burn it with fire, whatever was left over. In Exodus 12:12, the word "night" means before sunset. Because after total sunset, it was the beginning of the morning. Then in verse 14 , the Lord said - "this day" shall be unto you for a memorial. The 14th day was the day that God led Israel out of Egypt. And verse 17 confirms this - "self same day". And verse 18 clarifies that it was on the 14th day of the month of Abib.

Bless - MM

 

[Guest]

No, the passover lamb was killed, cooked, and eaten before sunset. On the 14th day of Abib. In the morning they were to burn it with fire, whatever was left over. In Exodus 12:12, the word "night" means before sunset.

Exodus 12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

The word night means night. It does not mean during the daylight.

 

[veteran]

What a bunch of confusion...

EASTER
A feast or festival of the Christian church that commemorates the resurrection of Christ. It is observed and celebrated on the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or after March 21--or one week later if the full moon falls on Sunday. In other words, Easter falls between March 22 and April 25.
Easter was originally a pagan festival honoring Eostre, a Teutonic (Germanic) goddess of light and spring. At the time of the vernal equinox (the day in the spring when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length), sacrifices were offered in her honor. As early as the eighth century, the name was used to designate the annual Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
The only appearance of the word Easter (KJV) is a mistranslation of pascha, the ordinary Greek word for "Passover" <Acts 12:4>.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)


In the KJV Bible, in all 28 cases except the one in Acts 12:4, the word 'pascha' is translated to "passover". The actual word pascha means 'passover' and is of Aramaic origin. Herod was not waiting for Easter to come, he was waiting for the Jewish passover to end in order to bring Peter before the people in judgment.

The word Easter is from the word Eostre, an old pagan holiday. That's where ideas of bunny rabbits and eggs (symbolizing fertility) came from, for there is no Easter bunny nor Easter eggs mentioned in God's Word. Many pagans when converting to Christ kept the name of the old pagan holiday, and used it for celebration of Christ's Resurrection.

No true Christian would ever intend to celebrate pagan Easter, but Eostre is where the Easter bunny and eggs originate in celebration of a rite of Spring. YET some of God's People still do unknowingly celebrate Easter connected with sexual fertility; it's called "Spring Break" which college students do who trek to the beaches and resorts to get away from their parents and practice sexual immorality!

Christ Jesus is our Passover Lamb sacrificed for us, per 2 Cor.5:7. If He is not still every Christian's Passover Lamb, then they have not His Covering over them, because that was the purpose of the original passover lamb. And Christ was crucified to the hour of the required passover sacrifice on a Wednesday evening, before sunset. The Friday to Sunday idea is a tradition that came out of the Catholic Church, and it's obvious intent was to try and move His crucifixion time away from the Hebrew passover timing.

And when we take Holy Communion with Christ, we do it in remebrance of His death, as He said to do it.

Luke 22:17-20
17 And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
19 And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.
(KJV)

1 Cor 11:24-26
24 And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.
25 After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come.
(KJV)

Communion is for the purpose of remembering Christ's Blood shed on the cross for us, symbolic of The New Covenant. Anyone who would associate Communion with Satanic ideas that Christians kill Christ over and over when they do that is NOT a real Christian.

Those who still want to paint up Easter eggs, and keep to the Easter bunny commercialism, fine, but it's still important to realize where the origin of those things came from. It's even more important for a member of the ten lost tribes of Israel dwelling among Gentiles, because pagan worship is how they originally fell away from God and were cast off.

 

[westtexas]

Easter falls between March 22 and April 25.
Easter was originally a pagan festival honoring Eostre, a Teutonic (Germanic) goddess of light and spring. At the time of the vernal equinox (the day in the spring when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length), sacrifices were offered in her honor. As early as the eighth century, the name was used to designate the annual Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
The only appearance of the word Easter (KJV) is a mistranslation of pascha, the ordinary Greek word for "Passover" <Acts 12:4>.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)(Copyright (C) 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)


In the KJV Bible, in all 28 cases except the one in Acts 12:4, the word 'pascha' is translated to "passover". The actual word pascha means 'passover' and is of Aramaic origin. Herod was not waiting for Easter to come, he was waiting for the Jewish passover to end in order to bring Peter before the people in judgment.

I personally think that it is a correct translation. Acts 12:4 states it was DURING the Days of Unleavened Bread. Passover is the first day of this week long festival. If it was during this festival, Passover was already over. Herod Agrippa was not a jew but was an Edomite, I think he awaited the Spring Festival of Easter.

Westtexas

 

[Physicist]

Maybe everyone in England KNEW about the Anglo-saxon goddess of spring, so it was not necessary to cite historical sources for the future doubter who is not familiar with Anglo-Saxon history?

If this goddess was so well known, Bede would not have had to mention her at all.

And if the Anglo-Saxons had once worshipped this goddess, why is there no mention of her in any other written source? Why is she not mentioned in Beowulf or The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?

"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).

What is the source of Newman’s information? What tells us that vernal festivals were general among pagan peoples?

[quote:2csghygs]“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).

Again, what is the source of this claim?

“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).

Mere repetition of Bede’s claim. Contrary to popular opinion repeating a lie does not turn the lie into the truth.

“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: “dawnâ€], and in Germany, Ostara [this comes from the German word Ost: “east,†which is the direction of dawn]†(Englehart, p. 4).

Again, what is the source of this claim?

I do not see the reason why Bede would INVENT such a ridiculous thing, considering that the public, Anglo-Saxons, would have considered Bede an idiot for inventing such a thing that THEY would be in a position to KNOW about!

If the Anglo-Saxons knew about this goddess, Bede would not have needed to mention her. But if Bede didn’t make her up, why is he the only person to ever say anything about her?

The problem is only with conspiracy theorists who love to cause schism among Christ's flocks...

Yea; like the people who insist that Easter is pagan when they have no evidence for their claim because they want Christians to feel guilty about celebrating Easter.[/quote:2csghygs]

I am uncertain as to what exactly is your hypothesis. Are you claiming that ancient cultures did not track the celestial sphere and did not schedule their rituals and celebrations about the equinoxes and solstices? I would think even a cursory bit of research would show that is a false hypothesis. The Druids, for example, had their Beiltein festival (Spence, Druids, their origens and history) and the Romans their celebration of Zepherus (Jordan, Encyclopedia of the Gods) that matched the Spring Equinox. Eostre, or Ostara, was the Germanic goddess of Spring, hence the name for the Holiday.

The Jews had their Passover festival that Christians transformed into Easter.