Easter  -  myth that it has replaced the Passover. What do rabbits and eggs got to do with Christ dying for our sins ?

The word Easter is found only once in the Authorized King James Version of the Bible (in Acts 12:4). This is only one of the few mistakes in that very accurate translation (there are only a few others).

Acts 12:1-4  " Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)  And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. "

The New King James Version corrects that mistake. 

Acts 12:4  (from New King James Version)  " So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. "

To clarify the matter regarding Easter let us look into Funk and Wagnalls New Encyclopedia for more information on Easter.

Easter   " ........ The origins if its name is unknown. Scholars, however, accepting the derivation proposed by the 8th-century English scholar St. Bede, believe it probably comes from Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated a month corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts. "

I myself (Ray Wegner) believe the origins of Easter go much further back, back to the pagan goddess Ishtar. 

In the ancient world over much of the near East a goddess prevailed (of course this was and still is a false god or goddess that never existed in reality); she represented the power of fertility in nature. This goddess had various names like the Mother, Great Mother, or Mother of  Gods (more accurately Mother of false gods); she went by various names like Inanna or Ishtar, Anat or Atargatis, Rhea or Dietynna, Baubo, Ma, Allat, or Cybele.  I believe the word ' Easter ' is derived from its roots - Ishtar. 

This is why we have Easter bunnies, and eggs during Easter. Rabbits are symbols of fertility (anyone who has ever raised rabbits knows full well how quickly bunnies can multiply). Eggs are also symbols of fertility.

Ishtar was and still is a fertility deity, and was the most widely worshiped goddess in ancient Babylonian and Assyrian religion. She was worshiped under various names and forms. Most important as a mother goddess and goddess of love, Ishtar was the source of all the generative powers in nature and mankind. She was also apparently a goddess of war and capable of severe cruelty. Her cult spread through W. Asia, and she became identified with various other earth goddesses. One of the most famous of the Babylonian legends related the trials of her descent into the underworld in search of her lover Tammuz and her triumphant return to earth. In Sumerian religion, where her cult probably originated, she was called Inanna or Innina.

The Phoenicians knew this false goddess as Astarte, sister and consort of Baal, a false god worshipped in much of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Some of the ancient Hebrews also worshipped Baal, and Baal worship was one of the things the God of Israel (who is the only true God and who was later born as the human being Jesus Christ) was so angry about. 

This Astarte worship spread to Europe and the name for this false deity became Ostera, the Anglo-Saxon false goddess of spring, and the rising sun. The old English word for Easter, "Eastre" refers to Ostara. This no doubt is the origins of Easter sunrise celebrations - this is not Christ these people are worshipping, but instead the false god Ishtar, or Astarte or Ostera, that is associated with the rising sun !!

What happened next is that the false religious leaders, who claimed to be Christian, but who were really just false Christians - sent out missionaries to convert the tribes of northern Europe to their particular false brand of false Christianity. This was sometime around the second century A.D. These missionaries realized that the time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (which the Passover points to and commemorates) roughly coincided with the Teutonic springtime celebrations (that originated with the idolatrous worship of this false goddess). So some strange marriage between paganism and false Christianity was hatched, in order to accommodate the pagans and absorb them into false Christianity.

Eggs and rabbits are two of Easter's most common symbols, and these have ancient associations with spring and the goddess of fertility. They have absolutely nothing whatever to do with Jesus Christ and Him dying on the cross for our sins. In fact Christ had to die for people's sin of worshipping false god's and goddesses.

The Queen of Heaven

Jeremiah 7:17-18  " Seest 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 other gods, that they may provoke me to anger. "

Jeremiah 44:15-19  "  Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

"  As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

"  But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

" But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.

" And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her, without our men? "

Jeremiah 44:20-27  " Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people which had given him that answer, saying, The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye, and your fathers, your kings, and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into his mind?  So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.  

" Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.  

" Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.  

" Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them. Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

" Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs. And this shall be a sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil: Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life. "

Who was this Queen of Heaven ?  None other than Ishtar - Diana the Queen of Heaven. This false goddess of fertility that was worshipped so much throughout that part of the world (and who went under various names). This idolatry is still with us today, but it has insidiously weaseled itself into mainstream professing Christianity through various vain, senseless customs, like Easter rabbits, Easter eggs, Easter sunrise celebrations and association with the Day of the Sun (Sunday).

Paul's Conflict With Worshippers of Goddess Diana Queen of Heaven at Ephesus

This account can be read in your Bible in Acts chapter 19. Paul's preaching was so effective in Ephesus that many believed in Jesus, and brought together their books on various curious arts concerning their past idolatry and burnt the books in a huge bonfire. The estimated value of the books burnt was apparently around $10,000 (probably much more in our present dollars).

However Demetrius the silversmith, who had a business making silver shrines of and for Diana called together a meeting of the workmen, and others involved in related businesses concerning the goddess Diana. They felt their business and livelihood were being put in jeopardy by Paul, since Paul taught that   " there be no gods, which are made with hands. "  

Acts 19:26-28  "  Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:  So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. "

This is very interesting. The real motive for persecuting Paul by Demetrius the silversmith, and his business partners appeared to be economic. They didn't want to lose their lucrative business of making expensive images and idols and other paraphernalia for the whole religious worship of this idol. However, they stirred up an uproar claiming their real concern was to protect the worship of the goddess Diana of the Ephesians. 

Do you realize there are also very powerful economic interests in existence today in our nation of Canada (and all around the world), who make a lot of money on idolatry. Look at all the economic activity generated at Easter. All the chocolate bunnies and other goods sold. All the various paraphernalia associated with the holiday, that businesses cash in on. Christmas is even bigger, yet there isn't a shred of evidence that Christ was born on Christmas day. Thus the false gods are promoted by the religious and business establishment, because they benefit so much from the continuing of a false system, that is a farce, fraud and sham. 

Acts 19:34  " But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.  And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another. But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.  For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. "

This idolatrous worship of this goddess of fertility from which Easter has its pagan origins, could very easily take a very, very sinister twist here in these corrupt last days.

I will now descend into a little speculation, but I sense something rotten so feel compelled to speak up. Call this intuition, or maybe you can call it paranoia - I simply believe I smell something foul in the religious and political wind. Let me explain to you my hunch where this whole idolatrous mess may be headed. This is by no means certain - just my gut feeling.

The Catholics call Mary - The Queen of Heaven, and the Mother of God. Yet there isn't a shred of evidence that Mary is today alive and in heaven. She along with David is dead and buried. The resurrection of the saints has not happened yet. It will happen at the last trump, when Christ returns and resurrects the saints. Look for some kind of connection to Mary and other various influences.

We have a very powerful feminist movement that began in the USA, and which is spreading like a plague all around the world. The feminists don't like the idea of a male God figure, and all that talk about God the Father. They don't like the emphasis on God being a masculine figure, and all that patriarchal stuff in the Bible. They want their feminist ideology to be reflected in the religious instruction. So look for the beginnings of the feminization of God, Jesus Christ and the Bible (this seems to have started already), by those who are fervently pushing their feminist doctrine and ideology.

Look for the environmental movement to start getting seriously involved in this ancient goddess worship. You know how people reverently refer to Mother Nature. You know the attempts to put a spiritual twist to nature and the environmental movement. I can see some sinister attempt to connect this goddess of fertility with the modern political environmental movement.

There is also some connection with the Wiccans, since they are deeply involved with this goddess of fertility. 

Look for more emphasis on Mary, and the idolatrous worship of Mary (we are only supposed to worship God and Mary is not a God). Look for further feminization of the Bible, and perhaps even new updated translations that attempt to inject the feminist ideology more and more into mainstream professing Christianity. Then look for some sinister efforts by the forces of evil (Satan and his fallen angel cohorts) to get this whole business deeply tangled in with the old ancient idolatry of worshipping the Queen of Heaven, or Ishtar , or the various other names this goddess goes by.

There are some disturbing references being made regarding the late Princess Diana - referring her to the Queen of Heaven. Many call her the Queen of Hearts. I expect to see something weird come out of the Princess Diana cult. Many still see plenty of opportunities to feast on her dead bones. When will these greedy, unscrupulous people stop feasting on her bones and blood ?

In conclusion let me refer you to the Bible and Christ's words regarding the Passover and His sacrifice for our sins. These are the words He spoke to His disciples and to us, while he observed the annual Holy Day - the Passover.

Luke 22:15 " And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer: "

Luke 22:16-20  "  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: This do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."   

If you want to honour and remember Christ and His sacrifice for your sins then please do it in the proper way - keep the Passover ceremony yearly on the annual Holy Day of Passover. 

Anyone interested in keeping the Passover in its proper context should contact me for further information.