Why do Messianic Jews Not Celebrate Easter?

Nearly as often as we are asked why we do not celebrate Halloween and Christmas, we are confronted concerning our hardcore stance against the practice of the holiday known as Easter. Usually, these questions come from the same individuals who struggle with our position on the two holidays previously discussed.

In order to answer these questions, we must take a similar approach to that used in the previous two chapters. To begin with, why would “Christian” parents teach their children that it is a sin to lie and then tell them that a rabbit laid colored eggs?

Further more, why do many churches insist upon not only condoning this lie, but incorporating it into their worship services? Also, why do these same “Christians” become disturbed when their children grow up and lie to them?

Any proper study of the history of Easter must begin with an examination of the origins of the day’s name itself. Our English word “Easter” is derived from “Eostra,” which is the name of a Germanic fertility goddess.

Previously this same goddess was known as “Eastre,” “Astarte” and originally “Ashtaroth.” This is important to note, considering the number of times the latter name appears in Scripture.

We read in Judges 2: 13-14 “They forsook Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers who despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.” Again in Judges 10: 6-8 it is recorded that, “The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Yahweh, and didn't serve him. The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon. They vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year: eighteen years oppressed they all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.”

Later in I Samuel 7: 3-4 we see that the Children of YHWH had not yet learned their lesson and so, “Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If you do return to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only.” Then in I Samuel 12: 10 we read, “But they forgot Yahweh their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. They cried to Yahweh, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh, and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.”

So it is that we may see clearly that Ashtaroth has shown her ugly face time and time again to the professing Children of the True God. We can also see that each time a majority of the “Children” have been mislead into the worship of this pagan fertility goddess and each time the true Children have had to make a choice and repent of their evil ways.

At this point it should be noted that there exists absolutely no legitimate evidence that the festival of Easter was ever celebrated by the first century believers. This is a blatantly pagan feast and is in honor of the Queen of Heaven whom the Prophet Jeremiah condemned the Children of YHWH for worshiping in Jeremiah 44.

This is just another pagan festival which was supposedly “Christianized” more than three centuries after Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection. However, as we have already stated, it is a violation of YHWH’s holy Law to take a pagan worship practice and call it in honor of Him.

History and the Scriptures record that early believers in Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice celebrated Passover on the 14th day following the first new moon after the appearance of the Aviv, or “green ears” of grain, in the wheat fields. Today, however, most “Christians” celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox and unashamedly label it the “Christian Passover.”

So how did this happen?

History records that the date was set during the council of Nice in 325 A.D. There it was decreed that “the time honored tradition of Easter” should be preserved in favor of the biblically commanded feast.

Some will wonder why this was done. The fact is that the Roman Emperor Constantine, who had declared himself to be a “Christian” was in fact clinging to his old sun worship practices and, in an attempt to appease the fleshly natures of both himself and other “converts,” he called the Council of Nice for this primary purpose, and he stated so in a letter to the churches, an excerpt from which follows here:

“ ….Constantine, August, to the Churches.

...When the question arose concerning the most holy day of Pascha (Passover) it was decreed by common consent to be expedient, that this festival should be celebrated on the same day by all, in every place...

...And truly, in the first place, it seemed to everyone a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this most holy solemnity, who, polluted wretches, having stained their hands with a nefarious crime, are justly blinded in their minds...

...It is fit, therefore, that rejecting the practice of this people, we should perpetuate to all future ages the celebration of this rite, in a more legitimate order… Let us then have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.

...For what can they rightly understand, who, after the tragical death of our Lord, being deluded and darkened in their minds, are carried away by an unrestrained impulse wherever their inborn madness may impel them...

...it is necessary that this fault should be so amended that we may have nothing in common with the usage of these parricides and murderers of our Lord;

...it should be considered that any dissension in a business of such importance, and in a religious institution of so great solemnity, would be highly criminal… ”

Among the many points of interest here is the fact that Constantine made it a “highly criminal” offense to continue practicing the Passover feast as commanded in Scripture. Of course anyone who has ever studied world history knows that it would be a very risky business to commit such a crime in the Roman Empire.

Also, the very fact that he had to command people to stop practicing the biblical Passover is evidence that such was still the common practice some three centuries after Yeshua’s resurrection. So why then do so many “Christians” and indeed many who do not even profess to be in Covenant with YHWH, claim that Easter is a tradition handed down from the Apostles?

Frankly, it is an excuse of the flesh. Perhaps it would be good at this time to take a look at exactly what were the original practices of Easter.

History tells us that in Babylon, on the day which is now called Easter, the high priests of Ashtaroth would attempt to impregnate young, virgin girls on the altar of Baal. Nine months later, right around the feast of Baal-mas, the children conceived from these unions would be born and their mothers would become full fledged priestesses of Baal, which in fact made them little more than glorified prostitutes.

Three months after they were born, these children would be sacrificed upon the same altar on which their mothers were impregnated and the priests would dip eggs in the blood of the murdered children. This would be done on the anniversary of the children’s conception and the whole mess was thought to bring fertility back to the soil.

So what about the Easter Bunny? Surely that is simply a lot of fun, right?

Actually it comes directly from Babylonian sun worship as it was initiated by Ashtaroth. According to history, Ashtaroth was the wife of Nimrod, the evil man whom the Bible tells us was personally and directly responsible for the rebellion at Babel and the building of the tower there.

After Nimrod died, Ashtaroth established the first Baalistic mystery religion by telling her subjects that Nimrod had ascended into the heavens and become the Sun, whom she dubbed Baal. She had sealed her authority in the religion as its high priestess, but a few years later she became pregnant and, true to her scheming nature, she told her followers that she had been impregnated by the rays of the sun and that the child, a boy whom she named Tammuz, was in fact the reincarnated sun god.

In case the reader is wondering, yes this is the same Tammuz for whom the women were weeping in the Book of Ezekiel. This became an important part of the Baalistic religion after Tammuz died.

The Bible records that Nimrod was a mighty hunter and Babylonian folklore states that Tammuz was equally as great. However, he met his demise when he was attacked in the forest by a wild boar.

Being the reincarnated sun god, Tammuz possessed a great deal of power and so he granted himself one final wish. He was a lover of rabbits and so he used his power to turn a bird which was nearby into a rabbit and thus we have the Easter Bunny laying eggs.

Further more, historians record that Ashtaroth was so upset over the death of her son, that she commanded all of her subjects that on her high day, which later came to be known as Easter, anyone who truly loved her would kill a wild boar and eat it in remembrance of Tammuz. Thus, we find the origins of the traditional “Easter ham” and the reasoning behind so many professing Children of YHWH partaking of this un-kosher dish of which He commanded in numerous places throughout the Scriptures we are not to eat.

So we have seen that the most common Easter activities are of pagan origins and that it is a direct violation of the commandments of YHWH for His Children to engage in such activities.

While many will claim that it is okay to break YHWH’s commandments, because Yeshua has come and died for our sins, Malachi 3: 6 states, “For I, Yahweh, don't change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed” and Hebrews 13: 8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” How then, can we even begin to rationalize such thinking?

Many have also tried to say, “But that’s not what it means to me.” Frankly, it does not matter what it means to us, but we should be careful to note what it means to YHWH.

When believers around the world practice these customs, they are dishonoring Him. In fact, by doing those things which are of Baalistic origins they are honoring Baal, who is in fact Satan, the god of this world.

So, is Easter something in which a “Christian” should take part? Now that you know the facts it is up to you to find the answer.