Saturday, March 30, 2013

Ishtar/Easter



This is but a primer, you have to go further into personal study to fully understand what Ishtar/Easter is all about. This is a fascinating subject as well as disturbing. My wish and only wish is to point you in the right direction.

*Spring Equinox-The sun is resurrected and gains prominence over the night. Fertility celebrations involving symbols such as the eff and prolific hare-Easter*

*Passover-Spring-Speaks of redemption. Messiah, the Passover Lamb, would be sacrificed for us*

The story of Easter is a tumultuous one at best. Easter has always confused me. I remember as a child making Easter baskets, some times going on Easter hunts. While my parents were not religious, I do remember receiving large Easter baskets filled with toys, what’s not to like about that, I didn’t know or care for that matter the significance. Later that night for whatever reason we would sit around and watch the 10 Commandments movie.

Today Easter is the highest of all biblical or Christian celebrations, it is the day of his Jesus(Yeshua) Resurrection. Since he rose early people tend to have sunrise services, this is attributed to the sun worship of pagans, this is nothing new. The Prophet Ezekiel mentions it,

15 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.

16 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 worshiped the sun toward the east Ezekiel 8:15-16

The question remain, what’s wrong with Easter? Since it isn’t represented within the scriptures, we should do one of two things. First see what is written about Easter and Second, what is written about Nimrod. The two go hand in hand. To better understand this confusing issue, we have to take it one step at a time using simple deduction.

Names within scripture have always had significant meanings. Take the name Nimrod for instance. It comes from the Hebrew verb “marab” meaning to “Rebel”or “The Rebel.”

8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar(Gen 10:8-10).

This scripture speaks of Nimrod as a mighty hunter before the Lord. This could mean he was a hunter of beast or of Men. We know Nimrod established a kingdom. We also know Nimrod understood the prophesy about a babe to be born to be a ruler. As the story goes, the star gazers noticed a new star rising in the east. Every night it grew brighter. Nimrod had a meeting with the magicians and astrologers. They agreed a new baby was being born to challenge his rule. To prevent this all new baby boys would be killed. The babe to be born to his humble servant Terah is Abraham. To prove himself Nimrod used his gifts for evil selfish gain. He used fear of the wild beast to unite the people. He taught them how to hunt and how to build walls around the city for protection. He also convinced the people to look upon him as the Lord of the Earth instead of the true God, with this cunning he established the kingdom of Babel. Nimrods Babel is somewhat disputed:

11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.

3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”

8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth(Gen 11:2-9). This could be associated with or to Nimrod. This structure was a man made structure with the temple at the top, built to worship the “the host of heaven,” also to thwart God’s plan so if another flood occurs he Nimrod would be safe.

God whom is a jealous God speaks of concerning the “queen of heaven”

17 Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. 19 Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the Lord. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?”

20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place—on man and on beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground. And it will burn and not be quenched”(Jer 7:17-20).

Jeremiah warned of the consequences

16 “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! 17 But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to 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 we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. 18 But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.”

19 The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission?”

20 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the people—the men, the women, and all the people who had given him that answer—saying: 21 “The incense that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the Lord remember them, and did it not come into His mind? 22 So the Lord could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which you committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, an astonishment, a curse, and without an inhabitant, as it is this day. 23 Because you have burned incense and because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord or walked in His law, in His statutes or in His testimonies, therefore this calamity has happened to you, as at this day” (Jer 44:16-23).

The “host of heaven” is the worship of the sun, moon, and stars (Gen 2:1). This brings us to Nimrods wife Semiramis(highest heaven), in some writings she was Nimrods wife as well as mother. The word “son” probably means “descendant”. Even though she the Queen of Babylon or the Babylon system, it doesn’t mean she married her son to continue in power, this is debatable, however, we do know she was the wife of Cush. As the story continues or tradition, Nimrod became a god like man to the people, his wife/mother became Queen of Babylon. Nimrod was killed by an powerful enemy and his body was cut into many pieces and sent to various parts of his kingdom. Semiramis had all the pieces gathered except for one part that couldn’t be found. Supposedly his reproductive organ couldn’t be found, without the organ Nimrod couldn’t come back to life, rumor has it he ascended to the sun which was now being called Baal the sun god. The back story to the mystery of why and how Nimrod was murdered was Shem. Shem gathered 72 men to help him capture Nimrod. Shem killed Nimrod and cut his body into little pieces. He told his men to take a piece of the body to the cities under his rule. Shems purposes was to turn the people to the true God. Semiramis taught she was immaculately conceived, she also taught the moon was a goddess that went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full. She further claimed that she came down from the  sky in a giant egg that fell into the Euphrates river. This occurred during the time of the first full moon after the spring Equinox. Tradition yet again teaches she was pregnant by a holy spirit or from an adulterous relationship. To better under why many believe Christianity copied other religions take a look at Mithraism:Relationship with Christianity. This occurred during the time of the first full moon after the spring Equinox. Semiramis became none other than Ishtar which is pronounced Easter. She soon became pregnant, she claimed the rays for the sun god Baal caused her to conceive. The child that came about was Tammuz. Tammuz like his father Nimrod, now Baal was also a great hunter, also Tammuz was fond of rabbits. He was eaten by a wild pig, which proves to be disturbing since he was a great hunter. To remember Tammuz death Semiramis created a forty day period of time of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of his death. This is also where we get the erroneous celebration of Lent.

The false teachings of Babylon stays with us today, as the so called Church doesn’t challenge but teaches the false doctrine of Ishtar/Easter. Here’s but another example of the compromising Church. Ever wonder why Easter is erroneously translated Easter in the KJV.  Teachers say Act 12:4 speaks of King Herod was planing to celebrate Easter; not Christians. Never the less, with this explanation, Easter is still erroneous. The Emphatic Diaglott is a transliteration directly from the original Greek says Diaglott(i) 4 whom also having seized he placed into a prison, having delivered to four sets of four soldiers to watch him, intending after the PASSOVER to lead out him to the people (Acts 12:4).

Easter isn’t about:

Rabbits-One of the animals associated with the pagan goddess Ishtar. It was a symbol of productivity and fertility.

Eggs-A symbol of productivity and fertility. The creation has inherent life within itself and developed without and apart from and ever living creator. The egg is a symbol of serpent worship! It is a symbol of self creation apart from God/Yahweh. It is a symbol of darkness and deceit rather than light and truth.

Hot Cross Buns-Used in the worship of the “queen of heaven, the goddess Ishtar/Easter. Also denounced by the Prophet Jeremiah(Lev 2:11).

Easter Ham-First, we shouldn’t be eating pork of any kind. This animal was the offering of choice for those pagans who were too poor to offer a pic at the festival honoring “the queen of heaven.’ The Prophet Isaiah wrote about this pratice(Isa 65:3-5).

Easter Sunrise Worship-Easter was the name of the goddess of dawn and was worshiped  at the dawning of the sun. In which God/Yahweh referred to as an abomination(Ezekiel 8:15-16).

Lent-Mentioned above

Good Friday-Jesus/Yashua was killed on the execution stake on Wednesday afternoon, not Friday. Refer to the Bullinger’s time line below.

Jeremiah 10:2 teaches

2 Thus says the Lord:

“Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;
Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

Also we can’t forget God’s warning against false gods.

29 “When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

32 “Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it(Deut 12:29-32).

The first Passover happened in the book of Exodus in chapter 12. Read the account for yourselves

The Passover Instituted

12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.

12 ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike 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. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29 And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

The Exodus

31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

33 And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt[a] was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

Passover Regulations

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies(Ex 12).

Taken from The Seven festivals Of The Messiah:In conclusion, in the first Passover, Yesua is the Temple Cleanser (the spiritual temple is the physical body of the believe). In the second Passover, Yesua is the Healer of body and soul. In the third Passover, Yesua is the Bread of Life. In the fourth Passover, Yeshua is the lamb of G-d slain for the sin for the sins of the whole world.

Events During the Last Day Before the Passover Nisan 14th-”The Preparation Day” (John 19:31) The Day of Jesus’ Death

(Corresponds to our Tuesday sunset to Wednesday sunset)*

Judas’ plot to betray Christ:
Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10, 11, Luke 22:1-6

“Preparation” for Last Supper:
Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13

“The even was come”; plot for betrayal:
Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:17

The last supper; foot washing:
John 13:1-20

Announcement of betrayal:
Matthew 26:21-25, Mark 14:18-21, John 13:21-30

Supper eaten; “New Covenant” proposed: bread and wine instituted:
Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-23

First prophecy of Peter’s denials:
John 13:31-38

Strife over greatest:
Luke 22:24-30

Second prophecy of Peter’s denials:
Luke 22:31-34

They go to Gethsemane:
Matthew 26:30-35, Mark 14:26-29, Luke 22:39, John 18:1

Third prophecy of Peter’s denials:
Mark 14:30-31

Agony in garden:
Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:40-46

Christ arrested:
Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-50, Luke 22:47-54, John 18:2-11

Lazarus escapes:
Mark 14:51, 52

Trials – all through Tuesday night:
Matthew 26:57; 27:31, Mark 14:53; 15:19, Luke 22:54; 23:25, John 18:12; 19:13

“Sixth hour” (our Tuesday midnight) Pilate’s speech: “Behold your king.”
John 19:14, 15

Christ led away to be killed:
Matthew 27:31-34, Mark 15:20-23, Luke 23:26-31, John 19:16, 17

Discussion with Pilate about inscriptions:
John 19:19-22

Dividing of garments:
Matthew 27:35-37, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-34

“It was the third hour and they crucified Him” (Our 9:00 a.m. Wednesday)
Mark 15:25, 26

“The sixth hour” (our Wednesday noon) and darkness:
Matthew 27:45-49, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44, 45

“The ninth hour” (our Wednesday 3:00 p.m.) Christ cries out, dies on stake.
Matthew 27:50, Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:46, John 19:28-30

Many subsequent events:
Matthew 27:51-56, Mark 15:38-41, Luke 23:47-49, John 19:31-37

Christ buried IN HASTE, BEFORE SUNSET (our Wednesday about 6:00 p.m.) BEFORE THE “HIGH DAY” (The first day of unleavened bread, an annual Sabbath); our Wednesday sunset:
Matthew 27:57-66, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:31-42

* After Bullinger’s Companion Bible, Ap.156, 157, 158.

To not inundate you with to much information. It is however your/our responsibility as a believers to know and share God’s truth. I leave you with The Passover from my booklet that is coming soon entitled “The Salvation Handbook. Enjoy and have a happy Passover.

Passover
We believe in observing the Passover memorial supper from the New Testament era which is the annual observance of the Savior’s death. During this time, we partake of the unleavened bread (Matzoth) which represents the broken body of the savior and the cup which represents His blood (Lk 22:17-20; 1Cor10:16). We believe it is scriptural to use wine as opposed to grape juice, but do make exceptions if there are those among us who may have had alcohol problems in the past. However, we do not believe that children should partake of the Memorial Passover until the age of accountability. The observance of the Passsover Memorial is to begin after sunset on the evening of the 14th day of the scriptural month of Abib (March/April)(Lev 23:5; Num 28:16). The scriptural months are determined by the visible new moons (Deut 16;1). The first day of each month is determined by the appearance of the crescent. during the Passover, we practice feet washing to show forth humbleness and service of one to another (Jn 13;12-17).

Written by John The Revelator