The Pagan Left has dominated the Culture War in America far too long
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” Col 2:8
Did you know that Noah Webster, America’s Schoolmaster, said during our founding era, “…that the man who weakens or destroys the divine authority of the Bible may be accessory to all public disorders that society is doomed to suffer.”
The term “Culture War” has become common in describing contemporary American life and politics.
Is it possible for a Biblically faithful culture to survive in this cultural war that has essentially determined the ways of thinking, living, and behaving in a post Christian society?
Let’s Quell the controversy over Christmas and its traditions.
Every Christmas season many of us are confronted with various notions about the origins of Christmas and many cherished Christmas traditions. But what can we learn from the original writers of history itself about these controversial ideas?
It’s been called “the most wonderful time of the year.” Christmas for most of us has enjoyed a long history of traditions that make the heart of the winter season a rich time of festive celebrations.
For many of us, growing up in America in the late 20th Century, our memories from childhood include the happy songs of Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls with boughs of holly, and “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” There’s nothing wrong with any of that. When I was a child, singing Christmas songs like Silent Night and Joy to the World … around the piano with my grandmother… well, nothing could be more delightful to enthusiastic, ever-optimistic young children. Although Santa, for my generation, played a fairly significant part of the wide array of Christmas traditions… there was never the slightest thought that “the night before Christmas and all through the house…” was ever anything more than an amusing way of celebrating the ‘rest of the story’ that was more fully expressed when we sang “Joy to the world, the Lord is come” and “O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.” In fact, singing Christmas carols for our neighbors on cold winter nights in December will always be a treasured memory from childhood, through adolescence, and through college days as a young adult. We never lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas. And no one, that I can remember, ever behaved like a Scrooge or a Grinch that stole the heartbeat of Christmas, which was always about the birth of Jesus, 2,000 years ago.
Many Christians today have lamented the fact that modern commercialized society has made Christmas into a highly secular time of year.
There’s probably no better way to realign our hearts and attitudes in our perverse generation than to enter God’s presence with thanksgiving on our lips.
Why should we all give thanks to God?
Psalm 95:2 tells us: “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving…” But why?
Proverbs 29:2 observes a fact about the result of influence in a culture for good or bad. It says, “When the righteous are in authority and become great, the people rejoice; but when the wicked man rules, the people groan and sigh.”
After living through the social and political roller coaster of the last decade of American society, that Scripture passage in Proverbs 29 certainly bears witness for all of us, doesn’t it? Let me read it again with some amplification…
“When the (uncompromisingly) righteous…” (i.e. those who are godly and in right relationship with Almighty God)… when that kind of people “flourish by increasing in number and in authority over the land, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan as if in mourning.”
We’ve all endured a lot of groaning and complaining going on particularly about the wicked corruption in the ruling class, haven’t we? People have good reason to complain about the compromised morality of all kinds that goes on at every level of society.
It’s natural to look at that, as most of us always have, and complain about the influence of wicked rulers, but isn’t it interesting to reflect on that proverbial insight in light of the contrasts that we’ve seen under the dramatic differences in federal administrations of the past 8 years.
There’s another timely observation in Proverbs 28:1. It tells us that “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” … It goes on to say in verse 2, “When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.”
What a thought-provoking observation of contrasts! Do you see it? The upstanding Righteous leaders who are bold as a lion… are as different from the wicked who are fearfully looking over their shoulders because of all the wicked deeds that have earned them many enemies… as the wise, discerning, and organized ruler is peculiarly distinct from the multitude of bureaucratic rulers of a land of cowering rebels.
Benjamin Franklin wrote that “A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins.”
When you return from a day at work, or out shopping, or driving on the highways, or just interacting with the general public, would you say that the God-fearing, morally pure population of your country is “flourishing” and increasing in authority over the land?
Remember… all that must happen for evil to flourish in a culture is for the good people to keep quiet and do nothing. Light dispels darkness. It’s not the other way around.
It’s no wonder the enemy of humankind successfully deceives so many to think they should just let their little light be hid under a ‘basket’ and cower in the shadows of the evil influences. That’s how to keep low-information voters in the dark, ignorant, and fear-filled by whatever demonic deception they think they can’t overcome by faith in the Giver of all good things from above.
A 2020 Barna survey of Americans found that while 51% of American adults said they have a “biblical worldview,” only 6% of American adults actually hold this worldview with core Biblical beliefs… You know… basic things like:
Jesus is the sinless and eternal Son of God,
the Bible is totally true in all its moral principles, and
salvation is on the merit only of Christ’s sacrifice.
Yet, a 2020 Pew Research study discovered nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) actually believe that UFOs are really proof that intelligent life exists on other planets. So, did you catch that? A whole lot more Americans believe in extra-terrestrials than believe in the God of the Bible! What have they been listening to? How could they be so off track?
[For the purposes of the Barna survey, a “biblical worldview” was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists; the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches; Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic; a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or do good works; Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth; and God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today. In the research, anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview. the Barna website: www.barna.org .
By the way… if you want to get Biblical perspective on that topic – UFOs and E.Ts – it’s really pretty simple. There are only two possible explanations. And neither of them fit with the delusions of the Star Trek fantasy that created conscious physical beings from some faraway planet are probing Earth from millions of miles out in space. There’s a section in my book, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, that helps simplify that confusion.
In a 2020 interview on CBN news with pollster, Dr George Barna that was recorded early in the Covid pandemic crisis, it appeared most American Christians were motivated by fear, and seeking solutions from government rather than from God or the Bible (see the report at https://youtu.be/oRYVEdnWKWY).
Hearing that, do you think God’s providential appointment and removal of national rulers, like the Bible says in Daniel 2:21, might correlate with the spiritual and moral temperature of the population base? History has tended to reflect that a generation gets the leadership of its own making. Yet, you’d find it difficult to find even 10% of our nation’s church leaders laboring to influence their congregations with Biblical insights to inform their decisions on how to vote in local and national elections. Perhaps the ‘groaning’ and complaining we’re experiencing these days should be more appropriately directed toward those we’ve entrusted for our spiritual education. What do you think you could do differently to make a difference in your own community’s backyard? Maybe you could put in a good word to your pastor for starters. Why not ask him to give you his thoughts after listening to a four-minute YouTube on why Christians should vote? Here’s a summary of what he will hear.
You’re in a conversation and someone says why vote? Politics is ugly and God is Sovereign no matter who’s in office. What would you say?
It’s true that God is always in charge. Scripture is clear that nothing can ultimately derail God’s plan. But does that mean we don’t need to care about what happens in government? No. And here are three reasons why.
Number one… Freedom isn’t normal! Even if you’re not a political activist, my guess is that you’re probably grateful that you live in a place like the United States rather than Venezuela or North Korea. But we often don’t understand why our experience has been so much different and better than people in other parts of the world. Freedom from tyranny, constitutional rights and civil liberties are all we’ve ever known. We tend to forget how rare and abnormal our experience is.
Most people throughout history never experience the kind of freedom Americans have taken for granted in our lifetimes. In fact, the majority of people around the world do not live freely today. Those of us who were born into Freedom didn’t do anything to earn it. But even if we didn’t do anything to earn our freedoms we are responsible for what we do with them.
To whom much is given much is required. Will we leave our country as good as we found it? Can we make it even better for future generations? That leads to the second point.
Governments, like everything, require maintenance! If we decide to never again mow the lawn, replace the brakes on our car, or fix the leak in our roof… God is still in charge and he will still accomplish his purpose. But, we still do those things because we don’t want to live our life surrounded by lawns, cars, and houses that were never maintained. That’s how it works with governments too. By educating ourselves, voting, and running for office… free people do the work necessary to maintain our freedom.
Our commitment to these things doesn’t demonstrate a lack of trust in God’s sovereignty. It’s really the way we steward what God has given to us. And it’s the way we show kindness to our neighbors… which leads to the third point.
Well-maintained governments make life better for everyone. Ideas are not neutral. Ideas have consequences! And bad ideas have victims. When bad ideas take root in government, people get hurt. By taking care of our government we don’t just fulfill a civic duty… we make life tangibly better for other people. Babies who would otherwise die… get to live. People who would otherwise be punished for speaking the truth… get to speak. Parents who would otherwise lose the right to direct the upbringing of their children… get to have the final say. Communities that would otherwise be unsafe… are able to thrive. Justice exists where it didn’t before. These decisions are not simply a matter of taste like vanilla or strawberry. In some cases it could be life or death.
Yes, God is in charge. And we can trust him. But God has placed us on Earth to care for the world He created… including the government. He didn’t create any of us for indifference.
So, next time someone says it’s not important to vote because God is in charge anyways… remember these three things.
Number one – Freedom isn’t normal! What we enjoy as Americans is a gift. Squandering gifts isn’t trust it’s ungratefulness.
Number two – governments, like everything, require maintenance. We should vote for the same reason we mow our lawn. Things get worse if we don’t personally take care of them.
Number three – well-maintained governments make life better for everyone. Voting isn’t simple a duty. It’s a chance to tangibly improve other people’s lives. When we have those chances, we should take them.
Jesus said “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16.
How many people aren’t able to give glory to God who is in heaven… because we are not doing our job of maintaining our government by voting? The righteous are bold as a lion and willing to vote.
Could it be that God, himself is allowing modern idolatry to run its course until the people cry out for God’s intervention? If we honestly think that might be even remotely possible, then what are we doing – in faith – to prepare for the harvest of souls who will need to be discipled much more Biblically than the traditional churches have done in recent generations? This is something worth serious ongoing discussion and prayerful planning in every congregation of true believers… but wise builders must lead the way… not just those gifted with gifts of exhortation and academic instruction. We need gifted men… Bold men… courageous men… strong men… with many different gifts working together. And that’s the way our Creator made “the body” to have interactive dependence on all its various members.
Are there indications that God is using the current crisis of dictatorial governmental intrusion into the lives of citizens to urge His people to declare all the word of the Living God more boldly? And by declaring the word, I don’t mean only shouting John 3:16 to a crowd, overwhelmed by an ocean of worldly noise! I mean every true follower (disciple – mathētēs) of Jesus (Mat 10:25), personally getting their ministry assignment (diakonia in 2 Co 5:18) from the Holy Spirit and strategically working in fellowship (koinonia in 1 Jo 1:7) with their local assembly (Ekklesia in Rev 2:29) of every true faithful believers (pistos in1 Co 4:2) and doing it with courage and action. (see an example in Act 9:6)!
Without the help of the mainstream news, you’ve probably heard reports about the most amazing public display of unity for a cause – in Canada. Cheerful, freedom-loving, hard-working, and determined truck drivers rallied to do more than voice their dissent. Investing days of tireless journeying across sub-zero prairie, over 50 thousand truckers and hundreds of thousands of fellow Canadians did what every faithful father and mother would do for their family. They dared to peacefully express their demand for truthful honest integrity from their nation’s leadership. They fought to preserve their God-given freedoms. Many of them were God-fearing believers, unashamed to declare their love for Christ out in the open.
There is no doubt that public demonstrations like the Canadian trucker’s convoy displayed a righteous kind of courage that alerted many God-fearing citizens to pray for their country and to vote.
It became painfully obvious to masses of the public that the mainstream Media doesn’t want you to know this even happened… And the government showed their shockingly clear disdain for the freedom-loving citizens of Canada also.
Trucker convoys in Canada, massive protests through the streets of Europe, and large rallies in Washington D.C. — The widespread public protests that have voiced strong disagreement with governmental policies… like the mandates for all people to get injected with highly questionable, experimental chemicals …have erupted across the entire world. They have made up the largest protest movement in human history. They dwarf ‘Black Lives Matter’ & the so-called ‘Woman’s March’ by tens of millions.
If you want updated insight on current world news events that you’re not getting from the highly censored MSM, I think you’d like to check out a podcast from a committed Christian who’s seen a lot of life as a retired marine? His moniker is “AWK.” It stands for “And we know,” as in Romans 8:28… that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. His name is L.T and he’s a citizen journalist who really knows how to scour the internet for important content to help destroy vain speculations and high-sounding arguments raised against the knowledge of God. A lot of believers have found here, honest and down-to-earth reporting on a lot of issues that they’re not getting elsewhere. You’ll find And We Know on Rumble because it’s too filled with awkward truths to be allowed on YouTube.
Why is it important for Christ-followers to realize what has been happening with events like the truckers’ convoy in Canada and the huge fleet of Dutch farmers with their tractors, protesting scandalous government actions in the Netherlands?
Do you think God might be using these colossal events to alert many people to a reality much farther reaching than the events themselves? That should be something we could easily pray for, shouldn’t it?
Like all of you, I was spiritually blind to many things before Jesus healed my disability and opened my spiritual eyes to the discernment of Godly wisdom found in His word. None of us know the things we don’t know. How will we ever escape from the paths of destructively dangerous and hidden deceptive potholes in the road of life if someone doesn’t put some light on our pathway?
Why would otherwise quiet citizens jump into the public fray by joining a Freedom Convoy or attending a Trump rally in Madison Square Garden?
How can we pray God would “deliver us from evil” if we’re not willing to pray that God would use a not-so-righteous judge like Samson to deliver us from the evil of our day… AND do our part to make it possible by exercising our privilege to vote?
There are all kinds of reasons why millions of busy, law-abiding citizens at their own expense would stick their physical necks out into the dangerous storm of controversy. Can you think of a few?
They not only want to express their opinion about unlawful government actions over the citizens of their nation, they want to make it clear that they will not bend any further in capitulating to those who think they can demand worshipful obedience as if those tyrants were gods. Natural rights are God-given rights. Common sense doesn’t need scientific consensus to make it true. When the proverbial “emperor has no clothes,” then somebody with child-like observational skills and the courage of a faithful soldier has to stand up and refuse to bow… Are not the righteous bold as lions? Don’t lions vote with their actions?
We may live in what academics like to call a “post-modern” or “post-Christian” era of history… but the politically IN-correct foolish academics have been dead wrong for decades. We’re seeing an AWAKENING in this generation that will build upon and enlarge the awakening that birthed the first God-orchestrated constitutional republican nation in history. Freedom is not a gift from the hands of an earthly king…one who can take it away again. Freedom is a spiritual gift from the only wise and transcendent Creator who sustains the entire universe and whose kingdom will never end.
The freedom to live can only come from the Giver of life… and it’s not the government.
The freedom of liberty to speak one’s thoughts can only come from the One making it possible for us to think those thoughts.
The freedom for humans to choose what they allow into their homes, their thoughts and their bodies can only come from the Redeemer who gives His created beings the choice to accept or reject His wisdom and gift of eternal relationship with Him.
The freedom to express God-fearing religious convictions can only come from the Grace of the One who created such awe-inspiring wonders as the starry heavens and conscious ability to honestly worship the One who made them all.
The freedom to peaceably assemble with other humans and petition their government to correct misguided grievances can only come from the One who commanded His assembled ‘ekklesia’ of two or more of His faithful creatures to proclaim His kingdom and authority to the whole world.
If we really believe that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and ever heart shall confess that He alone is Lord – Master – Sovereign – over all… then don’t we have an obligation to Him to proclaim liberty throughout the land? Shouldn’t we do as Proverbs 24:11 directs and “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter…?”
Shouldn’t we call upon God in the day of trouble? Can’t we trust in Him to fulfill His promise to rescue us when we faithfully commit to honor Him?” (Psalm 50:15)
The founders of our unique American nation determined in cast bronze metal the words on the liberty bell for a reason – you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land…
It is written in the Scripture given to Moses in Leviticus 25:10… “And ye shall … proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof…”
Through many dangers, toils, and snares God’s amazing grace has led us as a nation. He’s done it even through trials – trials that could have been avoided. How? Only if we, His people, had diligently hearkened unto Him and faithfully done what we were commissioned to do. But God is always faithful.
His prophet Malachi says (in Malachi 3:7):
“Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.”
America’s Condition is pretty bad.
We now have a political party in America that is willing to allow thousands of terrorists, murderers, rapists, thieves, brutal gangs, and poisonous drugs into America in exchange for votes. We have a political party that has “lost” over 300,000 children – one can only imagine the suffering many of them are enduring – in exchange for votes. One of the first things Biden did when taking power four years ago was end Trump’s policy of DNA testing to see if those bringing in children were truly related to them. This party’s lust for power and to see America transformed into a weak, globalist nation is literally insatiable. It is hard to imagine that their collective conscience could have become so seared.
It is also hard to imagine that such a large portion of America’s media would become complicit in such heinous activity. They know it is occurring; the sad truth is that they don’t care about these children, the fentanyl deaths, and the inevitable suffering from the criminal portion of the illegals that have come in. Obviously, their ideologies matter more than the children.
And it is hard to believe millions of Americans choose to look the other way. What has happened to our nation?! I don’t hate any of these people; I want to see all of them saved. I do, however, hate what they are doing. A true revival, transforming the hearts of millions of Americans, is necessary to change these things. How is that going to happen? Having the right people in government is important, but as we know, they cannot transform hearts, and America is sick at a heart level. Government leaders can and must reform America, but will only be able to do so after God revives it, transforming hearts.
This is why we pray for both. We must continue contending for revival; and we must continue to contend for reformation in our government, praying that evil is removed and God-honoring patriots are elected. This upcoming election is crucial beyond words. We would not survive four more years of woke, Marxist, antichrist leadership. Very few people are capable of leading us in the level of reformation needed. Keep praying that they are elected.
And, for now, let’s all do our part to help whomever we can to get to the voting booths… to muster up the boldness of a righteous lion… to vote… and vote for those who will govern in respect to our God-given constitution so we all can have another chance to be the salt and light to preserve the right to disciple our nation for Christ’s kingdom.
Bonus Segment
And certainly, we must pray for an awakening in the church, God’s instrument to provide salt (preservation) and light to the earth. A large percentage of the American church lost its savor, and the light grew dim. And regarding her assignment of being a voice for truth and morality? Well, let’s just say her silence screams, “Lukewarm, irrelevant, and cowardly!” God, however, knows how to restore and revive His people. He is doing so, and is about to rain fire on them – FIRE!
Be encouraged, praying Christian. The God who has motivated our prayers is answering them. Many American people are now seeing our fallen condition, making them ripe for revival. Corruption and evil are being exposed in our government, setting the stage for reformation. Many in the church are tired of complacency, compromise, woke leaders, and lack of power, which is creating a hunger for true presence and power. All is ready. Keep praying!
And finally, pray for the protection of President Trump. I know in my heart that many – here and abroad – want him dead. God works through our prayers. The prayer that allowed for his protection on two occasions – that we know of – must continue. Pray for Trump, his family, and those around him. Pray that evil plans will be exposed, and that every plan fails.
Declare that no weapon formed against him will prosper. And pray that he will be drawn into a very close relationship with God – Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-anointed, and Spirit-empowered. Pray these things DAILY!
And I want to leave you today with a message of hope that I heard from our good podcasting friend, Dutch Sheets on his podcast called “Give Him 15.”
“Toward the end of the 19th century, Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel awoke one morning to read his own obituary in the local newspaper: ‘Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who died yesterday, devised a way for more people to be killed in a war than ever before, and he died a very rich man.’
“Actually, it was Alfred’s older brother who had died; a reporter had botched the obituary! However, the account had a profound effect on Alfred Nobel. He decided that he wanted to be known for something other than inventing the means for killing people in war, and amassing great wealth in the process. So, he initiated the Nobel Peace Prize, the award for those who foster peace. Nobel said, ‘Every man ought to have the chance to correct his epitaph in midstream and write a new one.’”(1)
I guess you could say that we are re-writing America’s epitaph.
Pray with me:
Father, we Americans have modeled greatness, and a loss of greatness. We now exemplify weakness, depravity, greed, pride, and so much more. You said, “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches” (Jeremiah 9:23). We have done all of the above.
And yet, Your mercies are great and endure forever. You are turning our nation, awakening us to our nakedness, and have raised up much intercession to fuel this. We thank You. Continue this, Father, allowing us to write a new epitaph.
We pray for the safety and protection of President Trump, his family, and those around him. Stop EVERY plan to take him out. Expose all of those endeavoring to do so.
And give us the leadership we need at this time in history. Motivate people to vote, and to do so based on biblical values. Cause them to see that their actions are writing America’s epitaph.
We ask all of this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let’s continue to ask our Father to give the world of true proclaimers of God’s liberty the opportunity to step up to the spiritual battle. It’s going to be won through prayer and the declaration of truth over evil powers that naturally-minded people aren’t expected to understand.
Scott Lively’s newsletter of Oct 26, 2024 quoted his website at ScottLively.net, saying: Christians who can’t balance the aspirations of Christianity with the realities of politics sabotage their own interests by imposing an unrealistic standard of moral perfection on people who run for office: a standard God Himself never imposed on the people that He raised up as Judges during the 400 year Israelite Republic that America is modeled upon.”
This is what King Solomon was talking about when he wrote…
“The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.”
Solomon went on to say, in a different translation, that…
When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.
A poor person who oppresses the poor is like a pounding rain that destroys the crops.
To reject the law is to praise the wicked; to obey the law is to fight them.
Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the LORD understand completely.
Proverbs 28:1-5
As always, King Solomon declares some important wisdom for us all to apply today to give us guidance for prayer and action so that we can encourage others to have hope.
Indeed… God’s righteous servants are as bold as lions… and while evil people don’t understand God’s justice… those who follow the LORD understand completely.
So, let’s all learn from this and boldly… prayerfully… and faithfully share these treasures with others as God gives us providential opportunities.
With the free-flowing exchange of ideas, the public discussion inevitably enlarges. More and more people discover logical, technical and biblical validity for rejecting government leaders and policies that shamefully scorn the Most High God and support actions that ‘steal, kill and destroy’ our Creator’s image bearers. He loved them enough to redeem them through death on the cross. Will we love them enough to bear our cross daily and live our remaining days sacrificially in His service? And don’t forget that common sense doesn’t need scientific consensus to make it true.
** If you have gained benefit from this report, you will appreciate browsing our other posts at ReclaimYourLegacy.com… and sharing them with loved ones. Your support financially and in prayer is deeply appreciated. Please consider clicking on the ‘donate’ button on the website to find the method that best works for you. If God leads you to be one of our dedicated recurring support team members, your decision is a high honor for us as we continue in this work together to “destroy speculations and every high thought raised against the knowledge of God.” Thanks so very much… and may God’s providential blessings go before you all the days of your life.
From Scott Lively’s newsletter of Oct 26, 2024 rec’d at my Gmail.
From his website at ScottLively.net, “Christians who can’t balance the aspirations of Christianity with the realities of politics sabotage their own interests by imposing an unrealistic standard of moral perfection on people who run for office: a standard God Himself never imposed on the people He raised up as Judges during the 400 year Israelite Republic that America is modeled upon.”
From Dutch Sheets’ Give Him15 for October 29, 2024
Could you imagine how the enemy of humanity might possibly scheme to deceive the masses by employing professional institutions that were once trusted to be a friend?
If there exists one clearly understood fact about the devil, of which practically every true follower of Jesus is very aware, it’s his number one characteristic – he’s the master deceiver. Revelation 12:7 identifies that serpent of old as “Satan, who deceives the whole world.”
Can you imagine… tricking the whole world of humanity to almost universally believe in a lie?
This is Time to Prepare for coming Storms – every leader Needs to be a vocal watchman (vigilant sentry).
Like Esther, you fathers, elders, deacons, ministers, and bishops… must respond to the compelling message of Mordecai in the Bible book of Esther. And almost nobody has yet told us what that ‘compelling message’ is.
Various kinds of unbelievably insane eras like ours today, have happened many times before on this earth. We’re not the first. But in previous generations of mankind, the craziness was typically more localized in a certain region or empire – like crazy Caesar Nero’s Rome near the end of Christ’s Ekklesia’s first generation, or Bloody Mary’s medieval England at the dawn of the Reformation, or the murderous regime of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Today, it seems to be the whole planet Earth is under an evil spell of wicked forces in high places. It’s been that way all along of course, only now, lots more people are realizing that the evil is a direct war against the Creator and His set-apart people, Christ’s Ekklesia, the kingdom of God’s blood-redeemed family.
When millions of people in countries all over the entire world are dying unexpectedly and prematurely, while millions more are being handicapped for life, you can understand why practically all your friends and neighbors are wondering how to explain these tragedies to their children.
How does the Bible direct Gods children to respond to injustice and intentional harm done by todays pharaohs?
Churches all over the world are often accustomed to proclaiming on the day we call “Easter”, “The Lord is Risen… followed by the refrain, “The Lord (or He) is risen INDEED!” This is the message of Resurrection Sunday. In the Bible, it was the celebrated ‘feast day’ of First Fruits, following the Feast Day of Passover and the Feast Day of Unleavened Bread. The people of Yahweh – the Israelites from the time of Moses, down through 15 centuries, to the time of Jesus and His disciples 2000 years ago – celebrated these appointed, HOLY, Feast days… HOLY Days… Holidays. That’s where we get the word – Holiday.
There is no doubt in the mind of any true believer that Jesus the Messiah – the Anointed LORD sent by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) – is the central theme of the whole Bible.
Psalm 40:7 “Then I said, ‘Behold I come; in the scroll of the book, it is written of me.’”
Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
The word used in Genesis 1:14 – seasons – is wrongly translated. It’s the Hebrew word “MOEDIM”… What does that mean? Appointedtimes of the Lord. It has nothing to do with seasons like we think of spring, summer, autumn and winter. God put the lights in the firmament of the heaven so we could know when these appointed times – these MOEDIM – are to be celebrated.
Did you count all five of the purposes that the Creator designed for the luminaries of the firmament?
The last two are days “days” and “years.” The first one is “to divide the day from the night.” For the most part those three purposes make the most sense to us because we easily relate to the difference between the appearance of the day and night sky. The idea of “years” reflects the annual cycle of the Earth around the sun. We see the grand display of the constant rotation of the 12 major constellations used by astronomers from Adam’s son Seth and Great grandson, Enoch, down through time… to identify the passage of each year.
I looked up the word “signs” to see what I could learn from the original Hebrew language about it. There the King James translation into English does a fair job. We think of signs the way we describe a message used to inform us about something coming just ahead of our field of vision. A stop sign conveys a clear message. A directional sign or street sign helps us navigate our path. But most modern people today have not been told that our Creator deliberately positioned the stars on His celestial “canvas” to communicate as sign posts and even gave them names. Isaiah 40:26 says:
“Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.”
When I dug into the knowledge of the ancients, like the book of Job and others, I discovered that the pagan ideas of the zodiac and what we call astrology, was actually an ancient idolatrous corruption of what God made and calls the “MAZZAROTH” in Job. It’s truly what we can glorify God by calling it biblical astronomy. The classic scripture in Job 38:31-32 notes”
“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide the Bear with her satellites?”
These are all names of star groups with very meaningful and prophetic names. I like to take students on an amazing journey of discovery about God’s signs in the heavens in my book and talks, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, but I noticed something else.
Did you ever look at the meanings of the letters used to spell the Hebrew word for signs?
אוֹתʼôwth, oth; probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:—mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.
It’s the word “OTH” in Hebrew. It’s made up of three Hebrew characters. First is the sign for “first.” It’s the letter “aleph,” the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet… equivalent to our letter “A” or the Greek letter “Alpha.” Next is the letter used as a connector, the way we use the word “and.” It’s the Hebrew letter “vav.” And last is the Hebrew letter “tav.” It was used from ancient times before Moses to signify a person’s signature. It looked like our letter “X.” It is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, like our letter “Z” or the Greek letter “Omega.” It literally means “the last.”
The word for sign in Genesis 1:14 and many times throughout Scripture is the very message that Jesus repeated three times in His Revelation to His apostle John when He identified Himself as, “I am the First and the Last.”
So, let’s get back to these “appointed times” – or seasons – as God purposed His starry host.
Leviticus 23:1-2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.”
NASB translates it more accurately as: ““Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:”
The first three “appointed times” are Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. They are each one day long. They are all in consecutive sequence, one day after the other (Leviticus 23:4-14).
Deu 16:16 “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost) and at the Feast of Booths,…”
All Israelite men were to come each year to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, also referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was an appointed time… an exact series of days on the Hebrew calendar. The fact that Jesus was tried, condemned, crucified, buried and resurrected during this appointed time – this MOEDIM – is no accident. It was an appointment set by Father God.
Fifty days afterward, the Feast of Shavuot or Pentecost, was celebrated – marvelously fulfilling the Old Testament prophet Joel’s prophecy, pouring out God’s Holy Spirit on all mankind. The gospel of Christ’s Kingdom was affirmed to all the people of every language group on Earth that was there in Jerusalem for the Appointed Time. These together make up the springtime feasts. They were all witnessed as parts of Messiah’s first coming to precisely fulfill the prophetic Scriptures that were celebrated each year in anticipation of that once-in-history Advent.
Was all this celebration of appointed times only for ethnic Jews?
Numbers 10:14 “If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.”
Just as unrelated gentiles in Moses’ time were welcomed into the household of faith if they believed and acted obediently on their belief in Yahweh, we see God’s acceptance of non-Jews into His family available to all who believe in New Testament times.
1 Co 5:7 “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebratethe feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Because the passion of Christ took place the week of Passover (Matt. 26:1–2), the early church quickly understood that Jesus fulfilled the symbolism in the Passover meal as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
The marking of blood on the doorposts (Ex. 12:7–13) has a clear tie to the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross (Rev. 1:1–8), and it is therefore no surprise to see the Lord’s disciples link His death to the Passover throughout their writings.
Matthew describes parts of the sequence of events in chapter 21. After Jesus fulfilled Zecheriah’s prophecy, which foretold, “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’” Mat 21:5
Then Jesus “entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, but you are making it a ROBBERS DEN.” Matthew 21:12-13.
What are they doing that Jesus has to interrupt. They’re cheating people in the house of God.
What has to be done before celebrating the Passover? You clean out the leaven of sin. Messiah had to do it … He said, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, BUT YOU ARE MAKING IT A ROBBERS DEN.’”
How did the Jews then make the Father’s House a den of thieves?
For visitors from out of town wanting to obey the Passover command to bring a personal sacrifice, they had to exchange their foreign currency to Roman coins with idolatrous images on the coins. The moneychangers were charging exorbitant exchange rates, stealing from the people.
All this and much more is part of the story of the Feast of Unleavened Bread… the Feast of Passover. What did Roman Catholic religion do to change it into Easter?
Jesus never celebrated an Easter in His life! So how was this holy day changed? And who changed the day He observed, chose, and established as the holy day for eating the emblems of His supreme sacrifice, representing His body and blood? Where is the Biblical record confirming the authority for this replacement? Is this what Jesus wanted to be done?
HOW PASSOVER WAS ABANDONED AND REPLACED
Nobody denies that the early New Testament believers did not celebrate anything like Easter. They continued observing Passover, but now the Passover Appointed Time had a whole new significance and gloriously expanded meaning.
The Apostle Paul maintained the customary observance of Passover, as it was given to him by Jesus Himself. He wrote:
“For I received of the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed [not Easter Sunday!] took bread.” 1 Corinthians 11:23
Keep in mind Jesus Christ was betrayed during the night of Nisan 14 (Luke 22:15-22), which was considered the evening portion of the day of Passover (Exodus 12:6-13). Remember, God begins a new day at evening, commencing at sunset (Genesis 1:5).
With this well-known fact in mind, how then was it changed from the 14th of Nisan (Passover) to the Sunday, following the first full moon, after the vernal equinox, and then assigned the pagan name Easter (Ishtar-te)?
This is no minor change from the original observance that Jesus Christ set forth (especially since people in the Roman Empire were condemned to die when they refused to obey this change). Doesn’t it seem presumptuous, if not heretical, to overrule the authority of Jesus’ own example? Do you really think this is a light matter? How could such a blatant disregard for our Lord’s example and commands be allowed? This is a question all of us should seriously ask ourselves!
First, we have to understand the contention between the Western congregations led by Rome and the Eastern congregations in Asia. This debate intensified during the second century. It’s historically known as the Quartodeciman controversy.
“Quartodeciman” is simply a Latin term indicating fourteenth. Second century writings reveal the change from the fourteenth of Nisan (Passover) to Easter, with all of its pagan connections, associations, and typologies of fertility and fruitfulness. This was unequivocally contested and rejected by the congregations of Jerusalem and the East. It came to a head when Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna (who was personally taught by John the apostle), faced off with Anicetus, the preeminent bishop of Rome, in about 95 A.D.
You can read the details about this second century controversy in records of the Catholic Church itself.
“The dioceses of all Asia, as from the older tradition [Passover], held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast of the life-giving Pasch Passover… However, it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world [primarily the West, represented by Rome] to end it at this point [allegedly a non-biblical based fast ending on Easter Sunday], as they observed the practice, which from apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time… Synods and assemblies of bishops [not Jesus Christ’s example or the Gospel records!] were held on this account and all with one consent through mutual correspondence drew up an ecclesiastical decree [superseding Christ’s personal example as recorded in the Gospels] that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated on no other day but, the Sunday [Easter] and that we should observe the close of the paschal fast on that day only. A letter of Saint Irenaeus is among the extracts just referred to, and this shows that the diversity of practice regarding Easter had existed at least from the time of Pope Sixtus. Further, Irenaeus states that St. Polycarp [bishop of Smyrna], who like the other Asiatics, kept Easter on the fourteenth day of the moon [which is really the Passover], whatever day of the week that might be, following therein the tradition which he [Polycarp] claimed to have derived from St. John the Apostle, but could not be persuaded by Pope Anicetus to relinquish his Quartodecimen observance. The question thus debated was therefore primarily whether Easter was to be kept on a Sunday, or whether Christians should observe the holyday of the Jews… Those who kept Easter [Passover] with the Jews were called Quartodecimans” (Catholic Encyclopedia, emphasis added).
Clearly, whether you want to attribute it to the devil or misguided theologians of the first few centuries of the traditional church, there was a long-term agenda to challenge all associations connecting Jewish foundations with Christ’s ekklesia. Remember, Paul said, the household of God (the Church) is…
“built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets [not Synods, Councils, and bishops], Jesus Christ himself being the chief comer stone” Ephesians 2:20.
There was never any such authorization to change this major point of doctrine, disconnecting from Jesus Christ’s own worship exemplified by His life, habits, and customs (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). Jesus Christ never celebrated an Easter in His life! Easter has no Biblical connection by any who claim Christ as their Savior.
Regardless of these verifiable facts; the trend finally became law in A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicaea. Again notice, from the Catholic Encyclopedia: “The emperor himself [Constantine] writing to the churches after the council of Nicaea, exhorts,
Emperor Constantine called for and presided at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325
“At this meeting the question concerning the most holy day of Easter was discussed, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present [regardless of the example/commands of Jesus Christ and the original apostolic fathers, Matthew 26:17-30] that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day [Easter Sunday]…And first of all it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hand with enormous sin… for we have received from our Savior a different way [Where, is the Biblical proof or Christ’s authorization? Do you see the bitterness toward the Jews?] …and I myself [Constantine] have undertaken that this decision should meet with the approval of your sagacity in the hope that your wisdoms will gladly admit that practice which is observed [Easter Sunday] at once in the city of Rome and in Africa, throughout Italy and Egypt… with entire unity of judgement.”
And finally, under the article “Councils” in the Catholic Encyclopedia again, we read about the purpose of the Council of Nicaea. ‘The first ecumenical, or council, of Nicaea (325 A.D.) lasted two months and twelve days. Three hundred and eighteen bishops were present. Hosius, bishop of Cordova, assisted as legate of Pope Sylvester. The Emperor, Constantine, was also present. To this council we owe the Creed of Nicaea, defining against Arius the true divinity of the Son of God [Arius challenged the divinity of Jesus Christ], and the fixing of the date for keeping Easter [which opposed the Quartodecimans who observed Passover]
It was now made “official”: Easter Sunday, the day after the first full moon, after the spring equinox, became the day to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. This was a serious and critical shift of theology. Critical, because it not only changed the day of the observance, but changed the focus, the meaning of the observance. It now became an observance and celebration of His resurrection, contrary to the Biblical admonition of remembering His death!
Notice what Paul says,
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death [not His resurrection] till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Our Lord put purposeful significance on Passover concerning His death. This is crucial to understand. Passover is about the death of the sacrificial lamb. That’s what gave us access to eternal life.
Unleavened Bread and First Fruits are two Holy Days afterward for good reason. Unfortunately, combining His death and resurrection, as well as His removal of our sin… into one holy day… and calling it Easter, blurs the profound meaning of all these events by taking away the emphasis that each one deserved in the mind of God in recording the Torah.
We can’t help but ask, “how can we justify the institutional appointment of a holiday that was never recognized by God in the Bible and is symbolically synchronistic with paganism… yet completely eliminate and ignore the Biblical holidays that God’s word specifically commands to be observed throughout all generations of His people?”
If the church today knew about all the additional biblical holy days throughout the year, it would clarify how each step in the salvation/atonement process is prophetically explained. Their enriched meanings and sequence give us understanding and spiritual edification that is lost on the pagan day called Easter, which has no associated symbols or Biblical themes pointing us to our Redeemer.
When you combine the power of a secular tyranny, like Rome, with the fertility symbols and practices adopted from the many outright pagan religions that saturated Rome, what do you expect? Forced compliance and persecution, marginalized the true Ekklesia, reducing its influence. The conversion of the Barbarians, Goths, Vandals, and Huns who overthrew the Roman Empire, may have shown acceptance of Christianity; but their conversion was nominal at best, further filling the Church with pagan practices and superstitions.
Throughout history, the number of Christians remaining faithful to the commandments and testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17) has been small, when compared to traditional Christian communities that have been heavily influenced by the teachings of Greco-Roman culture. Theological Distortions to the original teachings of the Bible, made by many of the popes, bishops, councils, synods, and emperors of the Roman Catholic Church, are despicable. The hard reality is that much of traditional Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, is not faithful to Scripture.
Notice what Jesus says: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye who work iniquity [lawlessness]” (Matthew 7:22-23).
God’s Seasonal Plan
Seriously, it would do all of us some good to consider this possibility. It is very plausible one can think he is pleasing God when in fact he is not. It’s indispensable to our Lord that we worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Love of the truth is living the truth. It’s easy to say we love and believe the truth, but we must love by “doing” (1 John 3:17-18). The hearers are not justified. Acting on what we know, or living our faith, is key to justification and pleasing the true God (James 2:15-26).
Notice: “And why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and don’t do the things that I say? Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings, and does them, I will shew you who he is like:” Read the remaining verses located in Luke 6:46-49. They are revealing in light of the historical record we’ve discussed today. We’re expected to believe and obey. God expects those who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them (Romans 8:9) to be an example to others by living the Faith.
It’s the height of arrogance to ignore and alter God’s word in areas He holds the exclusive prerogative to define. The historical record of the Passover/Easter controversy is a prime illustration of man’s attempts to dodge God’s authority. There is absolutely no Biblical directive or Christ-like example throughout the whole Bible authorizing the institution of Easter as a Christian holy day! It’s simply a man-made tradition, with no justification for assimilating ancient pagan fertility rites and symbols, well connected to the “sun-worshipping” religions of Babylon and Rome. Sadly, over the years, it has contributed to misdirecting much of the vast Christian community, rendering the laws of God to no effect because of the traditions of men. Even Yeshua himself had to personally deal with this same deception during His ministry. Notice what He said.
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:6-9).
If we never receive the challenges to purge out fruitless and clever distortions from our lives, how can we expect to please our LORD? Why not consider following the example our Messiah left us, and begin keeping the Passover instead of Easter, in the context of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ? The heart of this issue is whose laws will you obey: those of Jesus the Messiah, or the decrees and traditions of men, compromised by the fashion and consumerism of our culture?
After the Council of Nicaea, the Roman government grew more entangled with doctrinal matters of the Church. That derailed it further from the mission Jesus established.
“Theodosius became the last emperor to rule the entire Roman Empire before its administration was permanently split between the West and East (A.D. 379-398). He made Christianity the State Religion of the Roman Empire. Institutionalized church membership was compulsory. Forced conversion filled state sponsored “churches” with unregenerate people.
Jesus declared his victory over the “gates of hell” by voluntary, spiritual and moral means. It was the work of HIM building HIS Ekklesia, one human life – like lively stones – at a time. Up to that time conversion was by a genuine change in heart and life. But now the military spirit of Imperial Rome had entered the Church.
Some would say that the Church had conquered the Roman Empire. But in reality, the Roman Empire had conquered the Church. It began remaking the Church into the institutionalized image of the Roman Empire. The Church had changed its nature, and continued its great Apostasy predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. It became a political organization in the Spirit and pattern of Imperial Rome.
The Imperial Church of the 4th and 5th centuries began a millennium of Papal abominations, making it an entirely different institution from the persecuted Church of the first three centuries. In its ambition to rule, it forgot and lost the Spirit of Christ” (Halley’s Bible Handbook, “Paganization of the Church,” p. 760??).
Now, I’ll give you the details about this second century controversy found in the actual records of the Catholic Church itself. A careful reading of this might help clarify the debate over Easter.
“The dioceses of all Asia, as from the older tradition [Biblical Passover], held that the fourteenthday of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast [of the life-giving Pasch Passover]…
However, it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world [primarily the West, represented by Rome] to end it at this point [allegedly a non-biblical-based fast ending on Easter Sunday], as they observed the practice, which from apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time…
Synods and assemblies of bishops [not Jesus Christ’s example or the Gospel records!] were held (meaning ‘convened’) on this account and all, with one consent, through mutual correspondence, drew up an ecclesiastical decree [superseding Christ’s personal example as recorded in the Gospels] that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated on no other day but the Sunday [i.e. Easter] and that we should observe the close of the paschal fast on that day only.
A letter of Saint Irenaeus is among the extracts just referred to, and this shows that the diversity of practice regarding Easter had existed at least from the time of Pope Sixtus. Further, Irenaeus states that St. Polycarp [bishop of Smyrna], who, like the other Asiatics (meaning the eastern church), kept Easter on the fourteenth day of the moon [which is really the Passover], whatever day of the week that might be, following therein the tradition which he [Polycarp] claimed to have derived from St. John the Apostle, but could not be persuaded by Pope Anicetus to relinquish his Quartodecimen observance. The question thus debated was therefore primarily whether Easter was to be kept on a Sunday, or whether Christians should observe the holyday of the Jews… Those who kept Easter [Passover] with the Jews were called Quartodecimans” (Catholic Encyclopedia, emphasis added).
5 Major Differences Between Passover and Easter
Most consider Passover a Jewish holiday and Easter a Christian one. But when we compare the biblical Passover with Easter, we find big differences.
If you asked most people what they would associate the words Passover and Easter with, you would probably get something like “Passover is Jewish and Easter is Christian.” But would this basic answer be correct?
There is a big difference between Passover and Easter, but you may be surprised to learn that it isn’t that one is Jewish and one is Christian.
So, what is the difference between Easter and Passover? What do we discover when we compare them to each other: Easter vs. Passover?
Here are five major differences between the biblical Passover and Easter.
Difference 1: Passover’s biblical origin vs. no biblical reference for Easter
The origin of the Passover is found in Exodus 12.
The Israelites had been under harsh slavery to the Egyptian Pharaoh, who had refused to let them go. Because of Pharaoh’s stubbornness, God sent a series of plagues on Egypt and was about to send the 10th and final plague: killing the firstborn of all people and animals.
God would spare, or “pass over,” only those who smeared lamb’s blood on their doorway (Exodus 12:12-13).
The day was called the Passover and was to be kept by Israel as a memorial of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:14; Leviticus 23:4-5).
What about Easter?
You can’t find Easter commanded in the Bible. The word is actually located in Acts 12:4 in the 1611 King James Version, but most scholars recognize it as a clear translation error (modern translations replace it with the word Passover).
There are over 70 references to Passover in the Old and New Testaments—but no legitimate references to Easter.
One of the significant differences between Passover and Easter is this: The Creator God commanded Passover to be kept by His people. He never commanded anyone to observe Easter to commemorate Christ’s resurrection.
Who commanded Easter’s observance?
It is a historical fact that the Catholic Church commanded Easter’s observance at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Church leaders did not appeal to scriptural authority, only their own authority, to make the change. Sadly, Christ’s warning against substituting human tradition for the commandments of God was ignored (Matthew 15:3; Mark 7:13).
The Council of Nicaea established that Easter would always be celebrated on a Sunday and wouldn’t be tied to the phase of the moon, thus distinguishing it from the biblical Passover.
Difference 3: Passover’s fixed day vs. Easter’s movable day
God ordained the Passover to be kept annually on a specific day: the 14th day of the first month on the Hebrew calendar (Deuteronomy 16:1; Leviticus 23:5).
The Catholic Church persecuted the early Christians who kept the Passover, calling them Quartodecimans (Latin for “14thers”) and Judaizers.
The Passover was so despised that “in 325 CE the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox” (“Calculating the Easter Date,” timeanddate.com).
This gave Easter a movable date that wouldn’t fall on the Passover. Even then, the Western churches use the Gregorian calendar and the Eastern churches use the Julian calendar, so their dates for Easter differ.
Difference 4: Passover as a memorial of Jesus’ death vs. Easter as a celebration of His resurrection
Jesus Christ was ordained as the Passover Lamb that would be sacrificed to make freedom from the penalty of sin possible (John 1:29). The Passover of Exodus 12 pointed forward to Christ’s sacrifice 1,500 years later! Just as the Israelites were saved from death by the lamb’s blood, we can be saved from eternal death by Christ’s blood. (To learn more about Christ as the Passover lamb, read “Why Is Jesus Called the Lamb of God?”)
The Passover of Exodus 12 pointed forward to Christ’s sacrifice 1,500 years later! At His last Passover, Jesus instituted unleavened bread and wine as new symbols—representing His broken body and blood. He commanded us to “do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). The apostle Paul taught us to keep it on the “same night in which He was betrayed”—the evening of the Passover (1 Corinthians 11:23).
Easter purports to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. The problem is, though His resurrection was essential, Christ never commanded that it be celebrated with an annual observance or holiday. There is also no record of the apostles or early Church celebrating it. Plus, biblical evidence shows Jesus didn’t even rise on a Sunday morning.
Difference 5: Passover symbols vs. Easter symbols
The symbols of the Passover are full of meaning.
Jesus Himself is “our Passover” and “sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The unleavened bread represents His sinless and broken body (Matthew 26:26). The wine represents His blood that was poured out for us (Matthew 26:28). The foot washing represents the humility and serving attitude of Jesus, which we are to emulate (John 13:5-8, 9-11, 12-15).
Every element of the biblical Passover is grounded in deep spiritual meaning.
The primary symbols associated with Easter are eggs and bunnies. But these have deep roots in ancient pagan practices. Bunnies and eggs are ancient fertility symbols that were appropriated years after Christ’s resurrection. Even the name Easter has origins in an ancient pagan goddess.
There are stark differences between Passover and Easter. We hope our readers will deeply consider these differences, reject Easter’s meaningless traditions and take a closer look at the biblical Passover and other “feasts of the Lord” found in the Bible.
Like the separatist Pilgrims who fled religious persecution in their homelands to courageously face an untamed wilderness 400 years ago right now, we are facing a challenge of giant proportions. Can we dare to proclaim, “Thank you Almighty God for your abundant mercy and your grace to lead us on?”
