The Amazing Story of
Easter




Ancient man's pagan, religious urge found expression in a variety of beliefs, ideas and practices centering around a sense of a supernatural 'other world.' This 'world', though invisible, was believed by pagan, religious man to have POWER over his everyday life.

Since the dawn of his religious consciousness, pagan men and women regarded this 'supernatural world' with a mixture of awe, fear, and hope. They sought to bring their lives into harmony with it. Life was a struggle for survival and a preparation for death.

Pagan men and women offered up sacrifices and prayers to the 'MYSTERIOUS FORCES', of this Mystery Religion, which they believed controlled the workings of nature on their behalf. Their hope in offering these sacrifices and prayers was to ward off catastrophe . . . to ensure fine hunting . . . to obtain bountiful harvests . . . and to live again beyond the grave.

Primitive man sought to understand the elements of nature as powers to be worshipped, since they effected his life so directly.





The Cycle of Primitive Worship

In the Spring of the year pagan man sought fertility for himself and for his land. Bountiful crops would assure food for himself and his household. It was during this springtime of the year, at the Vernal Eguinox, that the goddess he worshipped was fertilized by the god he worshipped.

In the Summer of the year the hot, arid land he lived upon became brown and barren. At this summer-time, directly on the Summer Solstice, the goddess he worshipped caused the god he worshipped to to be killed by being hacked into pieces.

At the Autumn of this yearly cycle the sun started 'dying'. At this Fall of the year, directly on the Autumn Equinox, the goddess he worshipped then began WEEPING for the murdered god.

At the Winter Solstice the sun started to come back to 'life'. The days were growing longer and the nights shorter. The goddess who had been 'fertilized' at the previous Vernal Equinox gave 'BIRTH' to a son at the Winter Solstice. The god had been reborn!

At the Februa, forty days after the 'birth of the son' . . . the MOTHER goddess was ritually cleansed of childbirth.

The pagan, religious year had come full circle. Again . . . the Vernal Equinox . . . the goddess 'Mother of the Husband' married her god son/husband to refertilize the earth.

This CYCLE OF WORSHIP would be enacted in pagan man's religious year . . . every year.

By the RITUALS enacted on the exact dates of the Vernal Equinox . . . the Summer Solstice . . . the Autumn Equinox . . . and the Winter Solstice . . . pagan man was warding off catastrophe, ensuring fine hunting, obtaining bountiful harvests, and giving him 'hope' of living beyond his grave.

These MYSTERY RELIGIONS dramatized the annual decay of vegetation in the AUTUMN as the death of a 'divine' youth whom a goddess mourned. Later the celebrations were with estatic joy as the 'reborn youth' returned in the Spring with the vegetation.

Participation in each of these rites at the appointed time of the SUN was believed by pagan man to cleanse the devotee of his sins and MYSTICALLY unite him with the gods.

These pagan ceremonies generated powerful emotions, thus this worship of the pagan gods has flourished from the beginning of time. Because of the powerful emotions these ceremonies generate, this Pagan Worship of Mystery is still flourishing today.

Every year, just after the harsh winter months are over and the earth is turning green with the fresh new growth of Spring, there is a day which is celebrated even today. This DAY is THE most important day in Christian Worship. This DAY was set apart by the Ancient Pagans as the special day for the worship of The Goddess of The Dawn. This PAGAN WORSHIP, still set today according to the Vernal Equinox, is more familiarly known to this deceived world as EASTER.





The Pagan Worship of EASTER

Compton's Encyclopedia, 1956, Vol 4, EASTER says . . . "Many Easter customs come from the Old World . . . colored eggs and rabbits have come from PAGAN ANTIQUITY as symbols of NEW LIFE . . . our name 'EASTER comes from 'EOSTRE', an ancient Anglo-saxon goddess, ORIGINALLY OF THE DAWN. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other PRE-CHRISTIAN spring festivals."

Funk and Wagnalls Standard Reference Encyclopedia, Vol. 8, 1962, page 2940 tells us of these 'pre-Christian' spring festivals . . .

Although Easter is a Christian festival, it
embodies traditions of an ancient time ante-
dating the rise of Christianity. The origin of
its name is lost in the dim past; some scholars
believe it probably is derived from Eastre,
Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of
spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated
Eastre monath, corresponding to April. Her
festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal
equinox, and traditions associated with the
festival survive in the familiar Easter bunny,
symbol of the fertile rabbit, and the equally
familiar colored Easter eggs originally painted
with gay hues to represent the sunlight of
spring.
Such festivals, and the myths and legends
which explain their origin, abounded in an-
cient religions. The Greek myth of the return
of the earth-goddess Demeter from the
underworld to the light of day, symbolizing
the resurrection of life in the spring after the
long hibernation of winter, had its counter-
part, among many others, in the Latin legend
of Ceres and Persephone. The Phrygians be-
lieved that their all-powerful deity went to
sleep at the time of the winter solstice, and
they performed ceremonies at the spring equi-
nox to awaken him with music and dancing.
The universality of such festivals and myths
among ancient peoples has led some scholars
to interpret the resurrection of Christ as a
mystical and exalted variant of fertility
myths.

The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop tells us of the doctrines of 'Semiramis' . . .

"She (Semiramis) taught that he
(Nimrod the Babe) was a god-child; that
he was Nimrod, their leader REBORN;
that she and her child were divine. This
STORY was widely known in ancient
Babylon and developed into a well es-
tablished WORSHIP - The Worship of The
Mother and Child!
Numerous monuments of Babylon
show the Goddess Mother Semiramis with
her child Tammuz in her arms."

'Ishtar', the original 'Semiramis' of Babylon was the goddess worshipped during this ancient spring festival. Collier's Encyclopedia, Vol. 15, page 748 tells us of 'Ishtar' . . .

Ishtar, goddess of love and war, the most important
goddess of the Sumero-Akkadian pantheon. Her name
in Sumerian is Inanna (lady of heaven). Sh was sister
of the sun god Shamash and daughter of the moon god
Sin. Ishtar was equated with the planet Venus. Her symbol
was a star inscribed in a circle. As goddess of war she was
often represented sitting upon a lion. As goddess of physical
love she was patron of the temple prostitutes. She was also
considered the merciful mother who intercedes with the
gods on behalf of her worshippers. Throughout Mesopo-
tamian history she was worshipped under various names in
many cities; one of the chief centers of her cult was Uruk.

Vol. 3, page 13 tells us this goddess was known as 'ASHTAROTH' to the Hebrews . . .

ASHTAROTH [æ | teroth], the plural of the Hebrew
'Ashtoreth, the Phoenician-Canaanite goddess Astarte, deity
of fertility, reproduction, and war.

Watson's Biblical and Archeological Dictionary, tells us more about this MOTHER GODDESS, 'Ashtaroth' . . .

ASHTAROTH, or Astarte, a goddess
of the Zidonians. The word Ashtaroth pro-
perly signifies flocks of sheep, or goats; and
sometimes the grove, or woods, because she
was goddess of woods, and groves were her
temples. In groves consecrated to her, such
lasciviousness was committed as rendered
her worship infamous. She was also called
the queen of heaven; and sometimes her
worship is said to be that of "the host of
heaven." She was certainly represented in
the same manner as Isis, with cows horns
on her head, to denote the increase and de-
crease of the moon. Cicero calls her the
fourth Venus of the Syrians. She is almost
always joined with Baal, and is called a god,
the scriptures having no particular word to
express a goddess. It is believed that the
moon was adored in this idol. Her temples
generally accompanied those of the sun; and
while blood sacrifices or human victims
were offered to Baal, bread, liquors, and per-
fumes were presented to Astarte. For her,
tables were prepared upon the flat terrace-
roofs of houses, near gates, in porches, and
at crossways, on the first day of every month;
and this was called by the Greeks, Hecate's
supper.
Solomon, seduced by his foreign wives,
introduced the worship of Ashtaroth into
Israel; but Jezebel, daughter of the king of
Tyre, and wife to Ahab, principally estab-
lished her worship. She caused altars to be
erected to this idol in every part of Israel;
and at one time four hundred priests attended
the worship of Ashtaroth. 1 Kings 18:7

The Interpreter's Dictionary, Vol 3, page 975 tells us of Ishtar's role as 'The Queen of Heaven' . . .

Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility, who was
identified with the Venus Star and is actually en-
titled "Mistress of Heaven" in the Amarna tablets.
The difficulty is that the Venus Star was regarded
in Palestine as a male deity (see Day Star), though
the cult of the goddesss Ishtar may have been intro-
duced from Mesopotamia under Manasseh. It is pos-
sible that Astarte, or Ashtoreth, the Canaanite
fertility-goddess, whose cult was well established in
Palestine, had preserved more traces of her astral
character as the female counterpart of Athtar than
the evidence of the OT or the Ras Shamra texts
indicates. The title "Queen of Heaven" is applied
in an Egyptian inscription from the Nineteenth
Dynasty at Beth-shan to "Antit," the Canaanite
fertility-goddess Anat, who is termed "Queen of
Heaven and Mistress of the Gods." This is the most
active goddess in the Ras Shamra Texts, but in
Palestine her functions seem to have been taken over
largely by Ashtoreth.


177. Astarte Plaque from Tell Beit Mirsin,

about 1450 B.C.
Ash' toreth (ash to-reth), Astarte, a Canaanite
goddess. In south Arabic the name is found as
Athtar (apparently from athara, to be fertile,
to irrigate), a god identified with the planet
Venus. The name is cognate with Babylonian
Ishtar, the goddess of sensual love, maternity
and fertility. Licentious worship was con-
ducted in honor of her. As Ashterah and Anat
of Ras Shamra she was the patroness of war as
well as sex and sometimes identified with
these goddesses. The Amarna Letters present
Ashtoreth as Ashtartu. In the Ras Shamra
Tablets are found both the masculine form
'Athtar and the feminine 'Athtart. Ashtoreth
worship was early entrenched at Sidon (1
Kings 11:5, 33; 2 Kings 23:13). Her pollut-
ing cult even presented a danger to early Is-
rael (Judg. 2:13; 10:6). Solomon succumbed
to her volumptuous worship (1 Kings 11:5;
2 Kings 23:13). The peculiar vocalization
Ashtoreth instead of the more primitive Ash-
taroth is evidently a deliberate alternative by
the Hebrews to express their abhorrence for
her cult by giving her the vowels of their word
for "shame" (bosheth). M. F. U.

The Layman's Bible Encyclopedia, page 209, EASTER tells us . . .

"An annual celebration observed by much of the Christian church,
commemorating Christ's resurrection. Modern observance of Easter
represents a convergence of three traditions; (1) The Hebrew
Passover, celebrated during Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew
lunar calendar: (2) The Christian commemoration of the
'crucifixion' and resurrection of 'Jesus', which took place at the
feast of the Passover: and (3) The Norse OSTARA or EOSTRA
(from which the name, 'EASTER' is derived), a pagan festival
of spring which fell at the VERNAL EQUINOX, March 21.
Prominent symbols in this celebration of the RESURRECTION
OF NATURE after the winter were rabbits, signifying fecundity,
and EGGS, colored like the rays of the 'RETURNING
SUN' and the northern lights, or aurora borealis."




THE EASTER EGG

EGGS have nothing to do with The Resurrection of our Savior . . . but the EGG WAS a sacred symbol to the Babylonians! An EGG of wondrous size fell from heaven into the Euphrates River. From this marvelous EGG the Goddess Astarte (EASTER) was hatched!

From Babylon . . . the Mother of False Religion . . . was scattered to the various parts of the earth. With them they took the idea of the 'Mystic Sacred Egg'. Each pagan nation had its own representation of the 'Sacred Egg'. The Greeks had their Sacred Egg of Heliopolis . . .



THE EASTER BUNNY

The Encyclopedia Britannica, EASTER tells us,

"Like the Easter EGG, the Easter HARE came to
Christianity from antiquity. The HARE is associated
with the moon in the legends of ancient Egypt and
other peoples . . . Through the fact that the Egyptian word
for 'HARE'. 'UM' . . . means also 'open' and 'period'. The
HARE came to be associated with the idea of 'periodicity'
both lunar and human, and with the beginning of new
life in both the young man and young woman and so
a SYMBOL of FERTILITY and of the RENEWAL
OF LIFE."

Easter EGGS and RABBITS are the symbols of SEXUAL FERTILITY in the ancient, pagan religions.



HOT CROSS BUNS

Another custom closely associated with EASTER is the baking and eating of 'hot CROSS buns'. The CROSS is the original SIGN of the god . . . Tammuz. It is the LETTER 'T'.

The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop on pages 197-200 tells of 'The Sign of The Cross' . . .

"The magic virtues attributed to the so-called SIGN OF
THE CROSS, the worship bestowed on it, never came from
(Yahshua or His Apostles). The SAME sign of the CROSS
that Rome now worships was used in the Babylonian Mys-
teries, was applied by PAGANISM to the same magic pur-
poses (signing oneself, kissing the cross, holding the
cross, wearing it as a charm), was honored with the same
honors. That which is NOW CALLED the 'Christian Cross'
was originally . . . the mystic TAU of the Chaldeans and Egyp-
tians - the TRUE ORIGINAL FORM of the letter 'T' - the
initial of the NAME OF TAMMUZ . . . That mystic Tau was
marked in baptism on the foreheads of those intiated in
the Mysteries . . . The mystic Tau, as the symbol of the great
divinity, was called "the sign of life"; it was used as an
amulet ('good luck charm') over the heart; it was marked
on the official garments of the (pagan) priests, as (now)
on the official garments of the PRIESTS OF ROME . . . The
Vestal Virgin of Pagan Rome wore (the CROSS) suspended
for their necklaces, AS THE NUNS DO TODAY . . . men as
well as women wore earrings and they frequently had a
SMALL CROSS suspended to a necklace or to the collar
of their dress . . . it was also appended to the robes of
the Rot-n-no; and traces of it may be seen in the fancy
ornaments of the REBO showing that it was already in
use as early as the FIFTEENTH CENTURY before the
Christian era . . .
The CROSS thus . . . regarded as a sacred emblem was
the . . . symbol of Bacchus, the BABYLONIAN MESSIAH, for he
was represented with a head-band covered with crosses . . .

We have already PROVEN one of the rites of the Ancient Fertility Worship of Ishtar was a period of weeping for the 'dead god', Tannuz. Through the 'weeping of his Mother', Ishtar (Easter) . . . he mystically was 'revived'.

Each year men and women grieved with Ishtar over the death of Tammuz . . . at the Autumn Equinox!

Even the People of Jerusalem practiced this ABOMINABLE WORSHIP! Ezekial 8:14 tells us . . .

"then he brought me to the door of the gate of
Yahweh's House which was toward the north; and behold,
there sat WOMEN WEEPING FOR TAMMUZ."

In the Springtime of the year the 'risen god' came back to the PEOPLE! The resurrection of Tammuz because of, and through, Ishtar's grief was dramatically represented annually in order to insure the success of the crops and the FERTILITY of the people.

When the new vegetation began to come forth, those ancient people saw in this symbol that their 'saviour' had come from the underworld! This 'coming forth' was supposed to be the thing that ended winter and caused spring to begin.

Hot 'Cross' Buns are in reality 'TAMMUZ' Cakes! These 'Tammuz Cakes' were made and used in the worship of Ishtar . . . The Queen of Heaven . . . for it was SHE who brought the god back to ensure FERTILITY.

When the 'god returned to Fertilize the Mother' . . . on the exact day of the Vernal Equinox, the people mystically held him in their hands and ate him . . . mystically uniting with him and his 'Mother' in WORSHIP!

In the day of the Prophet Jeremiah, our Father Yahweh REBUKED His people for this.

Jeremiah 7:17,18,20 . . . "Seeth thou not what they
do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the
fire and the women knead their dough to make cakes
to The Queen of Heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings
unto gods that they may provoke Me to anger . . . Therefore
thus saith Yahweh; Behold Mine anger and My fury
shall be poured out upon this place, upon men, and
upon beast and upon the trees of the field, and upon
the fruit of the ground; and IT SHALL BURN AND SHALL
NOT BE QUENCHED."

When the 'god returned' . . . he RETURNED AT SUNRISE . . . on the exact day of the Vernal Equinox.

Many Encyclopedias will make the statement that EASTER is 'The worship of a pagan goddess' . . . and at the same time will state this celebration is one of 'the most inportant Christian celebrations of today'.

In each of these Reference Works a statement is made, in one form or another, that Easter is the day on which the Christian Church commemorates our Saviour's Resurrection. Was our Saviour Resurrected on Sunday morning?

The answer is NO! Our Saviour was not Resurrected at sunrise on Sunday morning!

Most people today are deceived into 'believing' our Messiah was Resurrected on 'Easter Sunday Morning'! They 'believe' they are honoring His Resurrection by celebrating an 'Easter Sunrise Service'. This 'belief' is based on the Scripture of Matthew 28:1, KJV, which says . . .

"In the END OF THE SABBATH, as it began to DAWN
toward the first (the word 'day' has been added) of the
week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see
the sepulchre."

FALSE Preachers will tell YOU this 'dawning toward' the First of the week was at sunrise! This is a FALSE CONCLUSION!

Scriptural days begin and end at sundown. This 'dawning toward' the first day of the week was in the end of the weekly, Saturday Sabbath which was at SUNSET.

Genesis 1:5 tells us . . .

"And Yahweh called the light DAY and the darkness
he called NIGHT. And (notice) the evening and the
morning were the first day."

Notice . . . the evening (night) comes FIRST . . . then the morning (day) comes next.

Read Matthew 28:1 again for affirmation that the two Miriams came at the end of the Sabbath. Just after sunset, while it was still twilight, the two Miriams went to the sepulchre and found it empty. Jesus had already risen and had already departed.

One of the most vital pieces of information that Bible gives is the FACT our Saviour gave a SIGN to prove He was the True Messiah!

Matthew 12:39,40 . . . "But he answered and said unto
them, An evil and adultrous generation seekth after
a sign; and there shall NO sign be given to it but the
SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH.
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in
the fish's belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days
AND three nights in the heart of the earth."

Jonah 1:17 tells us of that 'Sign of the Prophet' . . .

"Now Yahweh had prepared a great fish to swallow
up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish
three days and three nights."

For our Messiah to Fulfill the Sign he gave, He would have to be in the grave THREE days and THREE nights.

Yet . . . the Christian world teachs He was #1 Placed in the grave on 'good Friday' and that #2 He rose at sunrise on Sunday morning.

If . . . Jesus was placed in His grave on Friday at sunset and was RESURRECTED on Sunday at sunrise . . . then He was only in the grave . . . Friday Night . . . Saturday Day . . . Saturday Night!

Did our Saviour FAIL to Fulfill the ONLY SIGN HE GAVE? If HE FAILED to perform this sign, then He lied . . . and would NOT BE the True Messiah!

Friday Night, Saturday Day, and Saturday Night are only two nights and one day. Was our Saviour confused? Or . . . is this whole world DECEIVED as your own Bible says in Revelation 12:9? Satan has deceived this whole world! Could this LIE of a 'Sunday Sunrise Resurrection' be one of the ways Satan has so subtly deceived the world?



Which DAY was The Messiah Put IN The Grave . . .
Which DAY did He RISE?

There is a reason this World is in confusion over 'when' our Messiah was placed in the grave. This 'reason' being this whole world has rejected Yahweh's FEAST DAYS which show His Plan for mankind! Through the Prophet Hosea Yahweh said, If YOU reject knowledge then I will reject YOU!

The World has rejected a Feast of Yahweh which is observed the same season of the year in which Easter is observed. This Feast of Yahweh reveals Understanding of the Burial and Resurrection of our Messiah.

Our Messiah said in Matthew 18:3,

". . . Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and
become as little children ye shall NOT ENTER into The
Kingdom of Heaven."

I can dare say most six year old children can Understand the simple fact there are not three days and three nights from Friday at Sunset to Sunday at Sunrise. I also dare say it is incredible that the 'wise and intellectual' of this world have not realized this even yet!

Yahweh first sheds light on the Burial and Resurrection in Leviticus Chapter 23. In verse 2 Yahweh tells us,

" . . . concerning the Feasts of Yahweh which ye shall
proclaim to be Holy Convocation, even these are My
Feasts."

These Holy Feasts are not 'feasts of the Jews' . . . as many would say. These Feasts which are proclaimed in Leviticus Twenty-three are The Feasts of Yahweh, Creator of the worlds!

In Leviticus 23:21 Yahweh tells us His Feasts are a Statute FOREVER. Yahweh's Feasts are not 'done away' . . . as many would like to think.

Leviticus 23:7,8 tells us the First Day and the Last (Seventh) Day of this significant FEAST OF YAHWEH ARE Sabbath Days . . . Holy Convocations! These Holy Sabbath Days are days of REST just as the WEEKLY, Seventh Day Sabbath IS. No WORK is done on the Feast Day Sabbaths just as No WORK is done on the Weekly Sabbaths. The one, vital difference between the Feast Day Sabbaths and The Weekly Sabbath is . . . The Weekly Sabbaths always fall on Saturday. The Feast Day Sabbaths can fall on ANY DAY OF THE WEEK . . . and still be a SABBATH!

It is vital that you Understand this difference between the Weekly Sabbaths and the Feast Day Sabbaths.

Another vital FACT you must have in your mind are the FACTS about the Sacrifice of our Messiah.

Fact #1 . . . At the time of the Passover our Saviour was to be killed . . .

Matthew 26:2 . . . "Ye know that after two days is
the PASSOVER and the Son of Man is betrayed to be
sacrificed."

Fact #2 . . . Our Messiah died as our Sacrifice. He paid The Death Penalty for us that we may live . . . Romans 6:23. As our Sacrifice, or Messiah is enabling us to Keep Yahweh's Passover according to his Ordinance.

Fact #3 . . . The Messiah is our Passover Lamb!

1 Peter 1:19 . . . "But with the precious blood of
the Messiah, as of a LAMB without blemish and without
spot."


John 1:29 . . . "The next day John seeth YAHSHUA
coming unto him and saith, Behold the LAMB OF YAHWEH
which TAKETH AWAY THE SIN of the world."


1 Corinthains 5:7 . . . "Get rid of the old leaven that
ye may be bread of a new baking, as it were, Unleavened
Passover bread. For the MESSIAH OUR PASSOVER was
SACRIFICED FOR US."

Fact #4 . . . Our Saviour was Sacrificed for us on the exact same DAY at the exact same TIME the passover lambs were being slaughtered on the Temple Mount . . . or He could not BE our 'Passover Sacrifice'!

Is this a provable FACT? Of course it is! Letting Scripture interpret Scripture we can Understand the Ordinance of the Passover Lamb . . . and the exact 'day' it was to be 'kept up' . . .

Exodus 12:6 . . . "And ye shall keep it up UNTIL the
fourteenth day of the same moon: and the whole assembly
of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the
two evenings."

This lamb was to still be alive on the fourteenth day . . . and THEN it was to be killed 'between the two evenings'.

The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, edited by J. H. Hertz, Second Edition, Soncino Press, page 254 explains the meaning of 'between the two evenings' . . .


6, at dusk. Better, towards even (M. Fried-
lander); lit. 'between the two evenings'. Accord-
ing to the Talmud, the 'first evening' is the time
in the afternoon when the heat of the day begins
to decrease, about 3 o'clock; and the 'second
evening' commences with sunset. Josephus
relates that the Passover sacrifice 'was offered
from the ninth to the eleventh hour', i.e. between
3 and 5 p.m.


Leviticus 23:5 . . . "in the fourteenth of the First Moon
toward evening Yahweh's passover lamb is to be offered."

The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, by Hertz, page 250 gives a clearer meaning of the 'PASSOVER' in Leviticus 23:5 . . .

at dusk is the LORD's passover. Better, towards
even is a passover unto the LORD (Friedlander);
i.e. a paschal offering in honor of the LORD.

The passover lambs were slaughtered on the Temple Mount on the fourteenth day in the afternoon. The man of the household had the responsibility of killing this lamb for his household. The woman of the household then had the responsibility of roasting . . . not boiling . . . this lamb until it would be thoroughly done. This roasting process would take at least 3 to 4 MORE HOURS.

Our Messiah FULFILLED the Passover Lamb requirement. Yahshua did not abrogate Yahweh's Law in any way. Yahshua was Offered on the Fourteenth Day of The First Moon between the two evenings.

Immediately after that sunset would begin the fifteenth day. Scriptural days begin and end . . . at sunset . . . Genesis 1:5. Sundown on the fourteenth would be the beginning of The First SABBATH of the Feast of Unleavened Bread . . . on the Fifteenth Day!

Leviticus 23:6,7 . . . "And on the Fifteenth Day of the
same Moon is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto Yahweh:
seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the First
Day ye shall have an Holy Convocation, ye shall do
no servile work (A SABBATH).

The World does not know THE FACTS about the Feast Day Sabbaths . . . and THE FACT these Feast Day Sabbaths can fall on ANY DAY of the week. With this FACT firmly in mind we can then Understand Mark 16:1 . . .

Mark 16:1 . . . "And when THE SABBATH WAS PAST, Mary
Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome
had BOUGHT sweet spices that they might come and
anoint him."

This 'Sabbath' was NOT the Weekly Sabbath! This particular Sabbath was the Sabbath of the First Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Now compare Luke 23:56 . . .

Luke 23:56 . . . "And they returned
and PREPARED spices and ointments and RESTED The
Sabbath Day ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT."

In these TWO SCRIPTURES there are TWO SABBATHS! One Sabbath was already past when they BOUGHT the spices. Then . . . they prepared the spices thay had BOUGHT AFTER the Sabbath had already past. Then . . . they RESTED on The Sabbath according to The Commandment . . . the WEEKLY SATURDAY SABBATH according to The Ten Commandments!

By Understanding these previous Scriptures we KNOW our Saviour was not put into the grave on 'Friday before the Weekly Sabbath'. We KNOW Yahshua our Messiah was placed in His grave on Wednesday just before sunset . . . BEFORE The Sabbath of The Feast of Unleavened Bread!

The diagram above shows the Two Sabbaths that came in that one week. Now, we know and understand it was before the Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that Joseph of Arimathea demanded the Body of Yahshua . . . And NOT before the weekly Saturday Sabbath.

Mark 15:42,43 . . . "And now when the even was come
because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the
Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable counsellor,
which also waited for the Kingdom of Yahweh, came,
and went in boldly unto Pilate, and DEMANDED the body
of Yahshua."

In Mark 15:46 it is stated Yahshua's body was wrapped in linen and laid in a sepulchre. A stone was then rolled in front of the door. This BURIAL was taking place on a Wednesday afternoon . . . just BEFORE SUNSET . . . as Scripture does prove!

Prove this yourself! Count forward . . . Wednesday NIGHT, Thursday DAY, Thursday NIGHT, Friday DAY, Friday NIGHT, Sabbath DAY. There are Three NIGHTS and Three DAYS in this time sequence.Our Messiah was NOT Resurrected Sunday Morning at Sunrise! Yahshua Rose Saturday SABBATH evening . . . being exactly three days and three nights in the grave . . . and fulfilling the ONLY SIGN He gave that He was the True Messiah.



The Establishment of EASTER . . . NOT The Passover . . .
as THE most important Christian Holiday

Throughout this article we have found these very Modern Christian symbols of Modern Easter . . . eggs, rabbits, and SUNRISE resurrection . . . are nothing more than the very ANCIENT symbols and practices of the Ancient, Pagan Worship of Ishtar . . . the Great Virgin Mother, Queen of Heaven, and Goddess of the Dawn.

This Ancient Worship has come down to this present age . . . almost INTACT! The only thing that seems to have changed is the NAME OF THE WORSHIP!

The Layman's Bible Encyclopedia tells us a very important FACT about the Establishment of the Date of the Resurrection . . .

"The fixing of the date of the celebration of (sic)
Jesus' resurrection was the occasion of much CONTROVER-
SY in the early church."

'What' was this 'CONTROVERSY?' Collier's Encyclopedia, 1980, Vol 8 page 492 tells us . . .

EASTER, the church feast which commemorates the res-
urrection of Jesus Christ, is considered the most ancient and
most important festival of the Christian year.
In many languages, the
Greco-Latin title taken over from the Hebrew word Pesach,
the Passover, is retained, and appropriately so. For the Jew-
ish Passover, which recalled to memory the deliverance of
the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt, was, in the very eyes
of the Christians, a foreshadowing of that redemption of
man from sin through the death and resurrection of Christ
which is commemorated at Easter. This connection may
account for the movable character of the feast.
Prior to the time of Pope Victor I (189-c, 198), the West-
ern churches as a rule kept Easter on the first day of the
week, while many of the Eastern churches, conforming to
the Jewish rule, observed it on the fourteenth of the month
of Nissan. Through the energetic efforts of Pope Victor, the
latter practice gradually disappeared.

The 'CONTROVERSY' was based on the question of FOLLOWING The Law of Yahweh OR The System of Pagan Mystery which Constantine the Great followed. The Council of Nicaea, convoked by this same Constantine in the year 325 c.e. settled this 'controversy'. Collier's Encyclopedia, Vol 17, page 520 tells us . . .

NICAEA, COUNCILS OF (naisa' e), were two in num-
ber (1) The First (First Ecumenical), in A.D. 325, convoked
by Constantine, condemned Arianism, which was essentially
a denial of the divine nature of the Word, and so of the Son of
God, Christ. The traditional number of bishops present was
318 (see Genesis 14:14); the real number was probably
about 270. The council defined the doctrine that the
Son is consubstantial with the Father. In the
drawing up of the formula leading parts were taken by St.
Athanasius and Hosius, bishop of Cordoba; the latter prob-
ably presided. The council promulgated the famous
Nicene Creed in its original form. It also decided that
Easter should thenceforth be celebrated everywhere at the
same time in accordance with the Alexandrine computa-
tion.

What is the 'Alexandrine Computation'? Collier's, Vol 5, page 144 tells us . . .

The Easter date is notoriously one of great oscillation; it
may occur on any day between March 22 and April 25, in-
clusive. The rule is that Easter must fall on the first Sunday
after the full moon following the vernal equinox, March 21.
And according to the English Book of Common Prayer, " . . .
if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter-day is the
Sunday after." The date has been subject to much strife and
argument. It has, naturally, great historical meaning. The
Gregorian correction is now followed by most churches; but
since Easter is based on the moon, it is still necessarily out
of adjustment with the sun.

Funk & Wagnall's Standard Reference Encyclopedia, Vol 8, 1962 gives us this information . . .

An important historic result of the differ-
ence was that the Christian churches in the
East, which were closer to the birthplace of
the new religion, and in which old traditions
were strong, observed Easter according to
the date of the Passover festival, while the
churches of the West, whose communicants
were descendants of Greco-Roman civiliza-
tions, celebrated Easter on a Sunday.
Settlement of this difference was one of the
objects of the Roman emperor Constantine
in convoking, in 325 A.D., the Council of
Nicaea (see NICAEA, COUNCILS OF). The
Council ruled unanimously that the Easter festival
should be celebrated throughout the Christian
world on the first Sunday after the full moon
following the vernal equinox; and that should
the full moon occur on a Sunday and thereby
coincide with the Passover festival of the
Jews. Easter should be commemorated on the
Sunday following. Coincidence of the feasts
of Easter and Passover was thus forever to
be avoided.

The 'Nicene Creed' states in part, 'Let us have nothing to do with the wicked rabble of the Jews."

Modern Christianity . . . in following the 'Nicene Creed' now has its PART with the ancient, pagan religions that worship the GODDESS OF THE DAWN . . .

Ishtar . . . Ashtoreth . . . Easter!

Universal World Reference Encyclopedia, 1948, Vol 5-6, EASTER says,

" . . . the name and the
festival have their ORIGIN in the worship of a pagan
goddess of spring; it is NOW THE MOST IMPORTANT
OF CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS."

This 'FESTIVAL' is today THE most important of Christian Festivals! Yet . . . it is The Worship of a PAGAN GODDESS!

The Last Two Million Years, The Reader's Digest Association, 1981, page 216, tells us 'how' the worship of a pagan goddess became THE most important Christian Festival,

Pagan rites absorbed.
By a stroke of tactical genius the Church, while
intolerant of pagan beliefs, was able to harness
the powerful emotions generated by pagan
worship. Often, churches were sited where
temples had stood before, and many heathen
festivals were added to the Christian calendar.
Easter, for instance, a time of sacrifice and
rebirth in the Christian year, takes its name
from the Norse goddess Eostre, in whose honour
rites were held every spring. She in turn was
simply a Northern version of the Phoenician
earth-mother Astarte, goddess of fertility.
Easter eggs continue an age-old tradition in
which the egg is a symbol of birth; and cakes
which were eaten to mark the festivals of
Astarte and Eostre were the direct ancestors
of our hot-cross buns.

WHY were the pagan rites ABSORBED rather than being ABOLISHED COMPLETELY? Many pagans have been drawn to Christianity but so strong in their mind was the adoration for the MOTHER goddess that they did not want to forsake her. Compromising church leaders saw if they could find some similarity in Christianity WITH the Mother goddess worship . . . they could increase their numbers by bringing many pagans into their fold. Who did they USE to REPLACE the GREAT MOTHER ISHTAR? Mary, the mother of Jesus was the most logical solution. The pagans could continue their prayers and devotion to the GODDESS . . . just change her name to MARY! This would give the pagan worship of the Mother the appearance of Christianity. The Christian Religion was effectually drawn into the Romish System.

The Encyclopedia Britannica states during the first centuries of the church no emphasis was placed upon Mary whatsoever.

It was Constantine the Great, the 'saviour of Christianity' . . . in the early part of the Fourth Century c.e. who encouraged the worship of Mary as a goddess! Since Rome had long been a center for the worship of the MOTHER GODDESS of paganism, we need not be surprised that ROME was one of the first places Mary Worship became established . . . as a DIRECT RESULT of PAGAN INFLUENCE!

Grolier's Encyclopedia, 1966, Vol 17 . . .

Easter: A Day of Joy
Though not all Protestants observe Lent and
Holy Week, all Christians celebrate Easter
Day, commemorating the Resurrection. Easter
Day invariably falls on a Sunday, the first
Sunday after the full moon following the
spring equinox, usually late in March.
The name of this holiday and the time it
is celebrated have led people to believe that
an earlier holiday existed on this day before
the Christian observance. For many ancient
nations joyously celebrated the end of winter
and the "resurrection of the sun" at this sea-
son of the year; and some devoted this festival
to Eostre, Germanic goddess of spring.
The Church Fathers turned this heathen
holiday into the Christian celebration of the
Resurrection. And Christians the world over
observe this day with great rejoicing. Some
greet each other with: "Christ is risen! Christ
is risen!" And all think of Jesus, who con-
quered death so that those who follow him
may gain everlasting life.
On Easter people go to church services and
delight in the sight of great masses of Easter
lilies that decorate the altars. For the Chinese
the peony is the king of flowers and symbol
of spring. But to the people in church on
Easter day, the fragrant lily with its trumpet-
shaped blossoms is the symbol of purity and
the welcome harbinger of spring.
The churchgoers enjoy the flowers and the
music and the sermon of the day. And from
time to time they look about them to observe
the gay clothes that people wear, since it has
long been the custom for people to put on
their newest clothes on Easter Day.
The Eastern Orthodox Easter Parade
In countries where the Eastern Orthodox
Church dominates, a quite different parade is
put on during Easter. The worshippers gather
early on Saturday night in an elaborate ritual.
And at midnight, led by their priests in richly
embriodered vestments, carrying images and
lighted candles in their hands, they go out
into the night in search of Jesus.
It is almost dawn when the people return
home to eat the Easter bread with white
cheese and honey and the richly colored hard-
boiled eggs.




Yahweh's WARNING!

A STRICT WARNING issues from the Holy Scriptures against the adoption of PAGAN PRACTICES! Yahweh says in Deuteronomy 12:32 . . .

"What thing soever I command you . . . OBSERVE TO
DO IT: thou shalt not add thereto, not diminish from
IT."

Yahweh then WARNS in DEUTERONOMY 8:19 . . .

"And it shall be, IF thou do at all forget Yahweh thy
Father and WALK AFTER GODS and serve them and wor-
ship THEM I testify against you this day that ye shall
SURELY PERISH."

Mankind's own reference books say the worship of Easter . . . A PAGAN GODDESS . . . is THE most important Christian practice today! Can our Creator be pleased with this?

As far back in time as the Scriptural Books of the Kings were being written this female goddess was being worshipped! Our Creator was very displeased and said in 1 Kings 11:33 . . .

"Because that they have forsaken
ME and have worshipped ASHTORETH the female god
of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites,
and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon and
have not walked in MY WAYS, to do that which is
right in MY EYES, and to keep MY STATUTES and MY
JUDGMENTS, as did David his father."

The prophets of deceit have always outnumbered the PROPHETS OF YAHWEH. As we have seen on 1 Kings 18:19 Baal's prophets were 450; Ashtoreth's prophets were 400. Elijah proclaims in 1 Kings 18:22 that he thought he only remained a Prophet of Yahweh.

Revelation 12:9 tells us Satan has deceived this whole world! Our Saviour warned His People of deceit when He spoke of The Last Days. In Matthew 24:4,5 Yahshua tells us many would come against His Name and DECEIVE MANY.

How can this deceitful worship be practiced today? Surely the Early Believers knew the difference between Baal-Ashtoreth worship and the Worship of YAHWEH! The answer is . . . Yes, they KNEW THE DIFFERENCE! NONE of the Early Belivers directly under the care of the Apostles celebrated Easter!

After the death of our Saviour severe persecution arose at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1) and the Believers were scattered abroad. This is only the first small persecution. Ten Great Persecutions came thereafter upon The Established House of God.

The Believers were scattered abroad, forced into slavery, and even put to death in some of the most horrible ways man could imagine.

Baal and Ashtoreth worshippers had pre-eminence! From approximately the year 70 c.e. to the years 312 c.e. Baal and Ashtoreth worshippers openly practiced their RELIGIONS under the benevolent eyes of man's ruling government.

When Constantine became Emperor of Rome . . . after the Tenth, Last, Greatest Persecution under Diocletian . . . Baal and Ashtoreth worshippers THEN disguised the many, PAGAN customs then practiced into 'looking' SCRIPTURAL!

By the time Constantine came to power The House of Yahweh as an Established Organization had died out . . . just as Prophecy said it would. There is no TRUE Organization to say to the decieved world . . . 'EASTER is a Pagan Celebration!!. Thus. the PAGAN celebrations became the CHRISTIAN celebrations of today!

DO NOT PRACTICE IT!

Shortly Easter Sunday Morning will be upon us. Almost the entire Christian World will participate in a 'Sunrise Service' they BELIEVE to be in celebration of the Resurrection of our Messiah. Factually, this is a PAGAN CUSTOM celebrated long BEFORE OUR SAVIOUR WAS EVEN BORN! Yahweh CONDEMNS this Pagan Practice through the pages of your own Bible!

Those same Christians reject a Feast of Yahweh which is Ordained FOREVER. Read of Yahweh's Feasts in Exodus Chapter 12, Leviticus Chapter 23, Ezekiel 45:21, Isaiah 66:21 and Zechariah 14:16-21. Yahweh's Feasts will be KEPT in His Soon Coming Kingdom!

When Yahweh's Kingdom is Established on Earth ALL Baal and Ashtoreth worship will STOP entirely. Only our Father, through His Son Yahshua our Messiah, will be WORSHIPPED! The Worship of the True Creator will be ALL that will be honored for the next 1000 years! Those whom Yahweh is CALLING OUT NOW will Reign in that Soon Coming Kingdom, under Yahshua, during that 1000 year period.

Revelation 20:4-6 . . . "And I saw thrones and they
sat upon them and judgment was given unto them:
and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for
the WITNESS of Yahshua and for THE WORD OF GOD
and which HAD NOT WORSHIPPED THE BEAST, NEITHER
HIS GOD, NEITHER HAD RECEIVED ITS MARK upon their
foreheads or in their hands; and they lived and reigned
with the Messiah a thousand years . . . This is the first
resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection on such the second death
hath no power, but they shall be priests of God
and of the Messiah, and shall reign with him a thou-
sand years."

It would be much better to obey God VOLUNTARILY now, reaping those joyous REWARDS . . . than to voluntarily DISOBEY GOD and reap 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' just before being cast into the lake of fire to be burned up and gotten out of the way!

There is NO SALVATION to the worshippers of BAAL AND ASHTORETH!

Revelation 18:3,4 . . . "For ALL NATIONS have drunk of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the
kings of the earth have committed fornication with her,
and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through
the abundance of her delicacies.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying Come
out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her
sins, and that ye receive not her plagues."

Don't you think it is time to come out of pagan worship and start obeying God?

ONLY YAHWEH IS ABLE TO GIVE YOU ETERNAL LIFE!
















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