Acts 12:4 ~ Is "Easter" MISTRANSLATED? (Part 1 of 2)

Hello Friends!

Welcome to an all-new Encouraging Concepts multi-part “topical” Bible study series SEEKING to “rightly” address the often hotly-debated PASSAGE concerning the “Easter” celebration – Acts 12:4 ~ Is "Easter" MISTRANSLATED?

Acts 12:4 ~ Is "Easter" MISTRANSLATED? (Part 1 of 2)

OPENING POINTS TO PONDER: Many opponents of the prospect for a PERFECT Bible available today in the English language have made much mayhem concerning the proper TRANSLATION of the Greek word "Pascha" as "Easter" referenced in the twelfth chapter of the Book of Acts found within the New Testament record:

…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 – Acts 12:4

And as we carefully approach this word "Pascha" as translated "Easter" in our Authorized King James Bible, certain folks seize upon this poignant point imagining that they have indeed found positive PROOF that the Bible is in fact NOT the absolute PERFECT powerful “Word of God” Divinely INSPIRED as such. Thankfully, for true LOVERS of God’s WONDERFUL Writ, these folks are woefully – WRONG!

THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: The Greek word "Pascha" appears 29 times in the New Testament and 28 of those times the word is rightly rendered as "Passover" in historical reference to the “night” when the “Lord” Himself would powerfully “pass through” the “Israelites” to Sovereignly “smite” all the “firstborn” throughout the “land” of “Egypt” thus setting God’s people “free” free from some 400 years of bewildered BONDAGE abroad:

For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord – Exodus 12:12

QUIZZING QUESTION: However… Is the English word "Easter" as encompassed in Acts 12:4 an actual MISTRANSLATION of the Greek word "Pascha" and thus RATHER to be rendered as "Passover" accordingly? ~ NO!

In fact, the Greek word "Pascha" in this SPECIFIC passage is indeed PROPERLY translated "Easter" as uniquely appropriate. And it is to this excellent point of which our explorational serious “study” of the “scriptures” themselves will CHALLENGE and as a result – Clearly REVEAL!

What is “EASTER” Anyway?

We are all quite familiar with the annual “Easter” conclave celebrated throughout the world in various FORMS and FASHIONS today. Incidentally, this phenomena of warped WORSHIP had ornately originated from the ancient pagan festival surrounding the FEMININE goddess Astarte (a.k.a. “Ishtar”) and has ALWAYS been celebrated late in the SPRING month of APRIL. In its original form, this “Easter” eluded to an elaborate CORRUPTED celebration of the earth’s ability to "regenerate" itself after the long WINTER solstice supposedly representing a revealed “religious” resurrection – REPRODUCTIVE ritual!

And it is for this SPECIFIC reason the common symbols adopted for the various “Easter” festivities would become the Rabbit (logo for "Playboy" magazine) and the Egg (fertility factor) respectively. Therefore, BOTH of these idyllic icons are indeed symbolic of their own REPRODUCTIVE rite rituals. Similarly, at the CENTER of this ATTENTION was the alluring awestruck Astarte / Ishtar character… The dreaded demonic – FEMALE deity!

BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: The pagan goddess Ishtar is also BIBLICALLY known as the "queen of heaven" according to the Old Testament narrative of “Jeremiah” the Divinely “called” courageous “Prophet of God” of whom was Sovereignly “sent” to humbly WARN the wayward “people of God” themselves:

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 7:18

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? 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 – Jeremiah 44:17-25

And yet ANOTHER powerful “Prophet of God” named “Ezekiel” the “Son of man” was ALSO Sovereignly “sent” by our Great “God” Himself to “speak” a right REBUKE concerning the “wicked” and “great” and even much “greater abominations” piously PRACTICED by these maniacal “men” within the “house of Israel” in kind:

Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations… – Ezekiel 8:5-6

And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, the Lord seeth us not; the Lord hath forsaken the earth… – Ezekiel 8:9-12

These “seventy men of the ancients” ruling over the “house of Israel” actually THOUGHT that their EVIL acts dauntingly “done” in the “dark” were ultimately UNSEEN by their “God” exclaiming “the Lord seeth us not” as He has surely “forsaken the earth” concerning our UNGODLY actions – Evolving EVIL!

World’s FIRST Religious CULT!

POIGNANT POINT: According to external extra-Biblical support from popular HISTORICAL narrative folklore flare, this “Tammuz” was actually the SON of this elusive Ishtar herself (a.k.a. “Semiramus”) and also her HUSBAND in kind! (see The Two Babylons: Alexander Hislop, 1853-1858). It is here where this satanic story of infectious  INCEST uniformly UNVEILS the deeply demonic dictates of this HEINOUS harlot. THEOLOGICAL error LEADS one unto – MORAL failure!

This tumultuous tale begins in the Old Testament book of Genesis taking place shortly AFTER the world-wide “flood” that was SENT by our great “God” via His “righteous” just JUDGEMENT upon “sinful” mankind. It is also where we FIND a certain “mighty hunter” introduced as the “one” named “Nimrod” of whom was “beginning” to brashly “build” his own “kingdom” known as “Babel” in the “land of Shinar” abroad…

…And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar – Genesis 10:8-10

As this sordid story ensues, eventually this nasty “Nimrod” would be wrongly WORSHIPPED as the pagan satanic SUN GOD along with his woefully WICKED wife “Semiramus” of whom would similarly become the bogus – MOON GODDESS!

And as terrible TRADITION touts, this “Semiramus” enjoyed a SHARED power of paganism along with “Nimrod” and thus DECLARED herself as the “Queen of Heaven” to be wanly WORSHIPPED as such. Eventually, this “Nimrod” was suddenly killed by being gored via a wild boar. And as a result, “Semiramus” had then claimed to have given BIRTH to an immaculate conception of her own SON incepted through “Nimrod” in kind. And WHAT was HIS name? She named him “Tammuz” and was BELIEVED to be… The REINCARNATION of NIMROD!

Incidentally, the Prophet “Ezekiel” dutifully DECLARES that there were waning “women“ woefully “weeping” at the “door of the gate” leading to the “Lord's house” on behalf of the “one“ named “Tammuz” himself:

He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz… – Ezekiel 8:13-14

Ultimately, this traumatic TRADITION tells us that “Nimrod” the fleshly FATHER of this “Tammuz” had dauntingly DIED at the age of 40 years old. Thus, to honor him in his PERPETRATED passing, this “Semiramus” began a regimented RELIGION of a fortified FASTING mandated specifically for the duration of 40 days in full: ONE day for EACH year representing the licentious life of this MANIACAL man. Thus began a brand NEW annual pagan pragmatic PRACTICE born of man-made rank “religious” resolution that REMAINS in place to this very day… The LAUNCH of “LENT”!

Our Great “God” clearly DETESTS the wrongful WORSHIP of this “Tammuz” born in “Babylon” and He absolutely FORBIDS the satanic practice of wicked WORSHIP unto the “Sun” itself, ESPECIALLY within His choice “church” family! Therefore, the observance of the CORRUPT concept know today as “LENT” is composed clearly from a fickle FORM of sinister “spiritually” fatal – FALSE WORSHIP!

CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: These powerfully PERVERTED rank RITES and RELIGIOUS rituals of “greater abominations” piously PRACTICED by the “house of Israel” within the “inner court“ of the “Lord's house” would “yet again” take place as they “worshipped the sun” forcefully facing “toward the east” during SUNRISE on what would eventually become known around the WORLD abroad as “Easter” morning:

Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east… – Ezekiel 8:15-16

Rest assured, the “house of Israel” and the “house of Judah” will in NO way elusively ESCAPE the “Lord’s” looming “anger” and “fury” due to an assumed uncondemning “light thing” concocted of their own EVIL imagination:

Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.  Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them – Ezekiel 8:17-18

And as the DISOBEDIENT chided “children of God” caustically “commit” the audacious “abominations” consummated “here” in the “temple of the Lord” itself, they pridefully “provoke” His thrice Holy RIGHTEOUS and JUST juxtaposed – Judgement!     

To be CONTINUED…

In closing:

To better “understand” this SERIOUS study segment, we must begin 4,500 years ago back in the book of Genesis concerning the “Tower of Babel” itself. This is the satanic birth place of the FIRST world-wide rank “religion” of which ALL people SHARE the common wicked WORSHIP of the mother/son caustic CULT cultivated by the TWISTED tale concocted by this “Semiramus“ character concerning “Tammuz” of whom represented BOTH the wanton wife and sordid son of gnarly “Nimrod” himself – The Great-Grandson of Noah!

In Genesis chapter 10 we find different post-flood people groups representative of “Cush,” “Ham” & “Shem” and as a result, MANY different religions, cults and demonic deities arose. And among the THOUSANDS of fallen FALSE fickle gods and goddesses of whom were WORSHIPPED thoroughly THROUGHOUT human history, absolutely ALL of them can be traced back to this “Nimrod” along with “Semiramis” and their son “Tammuz” in tow…

Other names for “Semiramis” include:

Queen of Heaven

Queen of Babylon

Asherah

Mother Earth

Mother Nature

Gaia

Other names for “Nimrod” and “Tammuz” include:

Baal

Molech

Other names for various Mother & Son cultic facades include:

Isis & Horus of Egypt

Osiris & Baal & of Free Masonry

Mary & Jesus of Roman Catholicism

Then in Genesis chapter 11 we find this “Nimrod” inspired by “Satan” himself (initial “Anti-Christ” prototype) had sought to “build” a tall “tower” in the “city” of “Babel” to “reach unto heaven” with evil INTENTIONS to mindfully “make us a name” and thus established the very FIRST fleeting one-world ruling “religious” order:

And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth – Genesis 11:4

This ancient “religion” birthed this initial mother/son system of which WICKEDLY promoted CO-EQUAL recipients of WORSHIP wonder consisting of serving "cakes" in its honor. It eventually involved the “parents” painting eggs and hiding them for the “children” to find on this special "holy day" (holiday) CELEBRATED for the "Queen of Heaven" also known as "Ishtar" (think: “Easter”). This OCCULTIC order was headquartered in “Babylon” until the fall of the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. The order then moved its base of operations to Pergamus located in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) until the fall of the Roman Empire when it finally migrated to the sentinel "seven-hilled city" illustriously located in Europe and remains there to this day – Rome, Italy!

Incidentally, this Babylonian bequeathed “Queen of Heaven” had ALSO laid claim to having BIRTHED an incensed immaculate conception of her own son “Tammuz” born from her womb… Sound familiar? In fact, the Roman Catholic Church also refers to its own founding of a certain matron named “Mary” as the bequeathed “Queen of Heaven” herself and is said to be the sinless contested CO-MEDIATOR alongside “Jesus Christ” her beloved SON in kind (see Catechism of the Catholic Church: Paragraphs 491, 966, 969 & 2677 and Pope Pius X, 1835-1914: Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum 14 and Vatican Council II, 1962-1965 p. 420)… This is NOT coincidence!

And just how INFLUENTIAL has the CULT of this “Nimrod” become throughout “Christendom” history itself? There are numerous cursed CORRUPTIONS that have “crept” into the true “church” and “Bride” of “Jesus Christ” throughout the millennia (this “Easter” in particular) of which we find absolutely NO superior support offered ANYWHERE in the Bible. And SEVERAL of them are indeed unique to the – Roman Catholic Church…

However, MANY other pious PERVERSIONS can also be found (Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, Fortune Telling, Mysticism, Positive Confession and other Occult practices) neatly nestled quietly within nearly all Protestant main-line denominations and “independent” Evangelical Non-Denominational growing groups galore. Not to mention the plethora of crass so-called “Christian” caustic CULTS in existence (Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism, Christian Science and Seven Day Adventist) found to be “preaching” and promoting “another gospel” message of DAMNATION throughout the world – TODAY!

REAL REFLECTIONS: From the historical Old Testament references “written” by Jeremiah and Ezekiel as powerful “Prophets of God” within the “scriptures” themselves, we can CLEARLY determine that these evil “Easter” festivals have NEVER had ANY appropriate association with our great “God’s” perfect PROPHETIC plan “concerning” His chosen “children” within the “nation” of “Israel” itself NOR within the “church” of His “Only Begotten Son” our precious “Lord Jesus Christ” Himself… NEVER! 

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha ~ Come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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