Conference yukon::christian_v7

    In a nutshell, they were trying to work their way to heaven and
    salvation is only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  It is not of
    works lest any man will boast.  God hates pride and it is evident in
    what happened at Babel.
    
    >language, and the next, they can't understand each other? Will God
>    again do this when computers have bridged the language barrier?
    
    I don't think so because the application is different.  There are
    company already out there claiming to be working on technology to
    reverse the Tower of Babel factor.  I believe Lockheed is one of them. 
    It seems to fit in nicely with God's eschatological timetable very
    nicely.
    
    The price has been paid.  Most of us won't be here when it's a factor
    ;-)
    
    Mike

    On this...
    
    but from a slightly different direction ;')
    
    The use of technology.
    
    The primary technology for construction in those days would have been
    stone, timber and pitch / tar as a 'binder' or 'mortar'.
    
    Just a couple of chapters previously in Genesis, Noah was called on to
    apply technology to the 'problem at hand'. And God blesed the use of
    the technology.
    
    Now, just a few short chapters (and generations) later, mankind is
    applying the same technology for his own purposes. Not to be obedient
    to God, but to exhalt himself.
    
    There is a principle we can apply to ourselves as we each deal in some
    way with technology today.
    
    H

� I have wondered for some time about the tower of Babel incident as
� recorded in Gen. 11:1-9.

The flood was a universal judgement for the sinful state of mankind.  Man
was still fallen and sinful at heart (Genesis 8:21), even though God had
preserved the few.  God gave a few more instructions to mankind;
particularly that they were to populate the earth - spread out and fill it:

    And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, be fruitful, and 
    multiply, and replenish the earth.

							Genesis 9:1 

Mankind rebelled against this instruction, and decided that he wanted to
make a name for himself, and stand against God.  Because 'perfect love' did
not reside in people's hearts, they were dominated by fear, and were thus
unable to rest in the security of God's promise never again to flood the
earth.  In their rebellious state, they built the Tower of Babel as a
landmark for their community to resort to, and they built it to be
flood-proof, in case God tried sending another flood (as He promised He
wouldn't...). 

If mankind had been allowed to persist in united rebellion, it would have
brought judgement on all mankind (cf Gensis 11:6).  God was merciful, and
split them into small groups by the simple means of dividing the language. 
Thereafter any judgement was on a limited number of people-groups, instead
of the evil pervading all mankind, and bringing a general judgement on them
again. 

So, Sodom and Gomorrah reached the point of destruction without touching
other nations.  The nations of Canaan later reached the same point when
Israel was led in. 

The command was - and is - to populate the earth with God's image.  This is
not popular with the devil, who does not enjoy seeing God's image wandering
about.  One of the devices he has used to counteract this is the 
destruction of children (as practiced by the Canaanites in particular, but
also by other fallen cultures on the way out). 

As well as limiting judgement, the division of the nations also opened the 
time for God to select one people group for His special presence - 
something hard for mankind to bear.  He selected Abraham, and the 
subsequent Israelites for this great honour, to be the nation to receive 
the Messiah to bring redemption for all who would accept it.  It was 
onerous for them, still a part of fallen mankind.  For all of mankind to be 
under the ten commandments wouldn't have been viable, and would have 
brought judgement much too soon.

God's plan is marvellous!

Note that the indication of prophecy is that at the end times the nations 
will again unite as a one-world government, with the inherent failings of 
the rebellion, which inevitably aligns itself against the LORD.  He returns 
to destroy it, preserving the saved for eternal life, and ruling for 1,000 
years on earth.  However, that will only happen in His time, and not in
man's or the devil's time.  The separation of the nations at Babel meant
that before judgement was reached, there would be another 5,000 years of
history in which the Messiah would bring redemption.


� Was he concerned those people would run out of oxygen once they reached a
� certain elevation? 
No ... ;-)
� What could those people have thought? One minute, they all speak one
� language, and the next, they can't understand each other? 
'Babel' is akin to the Hebrew for 'confused'.  I would imagine that the
name came from their state, rather than the other way round.  The plain was
previously called Shinar.  'Confused' I guess about sums it up!

btw - I would imagine that they were divided in to a number of language 
groups, rather than each individual speaking a different language.  Maybe 
extended family groups, to retain some coherence.

� Will God again do this when computers have bridged the language barrier?
No.  The one occasion covered His purpose.  Next time, it's fire (2 Peter 
3:6-7)

� Comments, if you please?

Done. ;-)    

						God bless...
								Andrew

re .0

	Bob,

	I vaguely remember an artists impression of Nimrod stood on top of the
	tower firing an arrow into the heavens. The legend being that Nimrod,
 	a hunter of men, had turned his attention to the heavens.

	However, the bible account does give us an indication of why God did
	what he did. Before looking at the account we need to see what God's 
	original purpose was for Adam and his offspring. Genesis 1:28 NWT reads 
	"Further God blessed them and God said to them : 'Be fruitful and 
	become many and fill the earth and subdue it, and have in subjection 
	the fish of and the flying creatures of the heavens and every living 
	creature that is moving upon the earth." Now as you know, Adam and Eve 
	rebelled against God and were removed from the garden of Eden. However,
 	God's purpose for Adam and his offspring to fill the earth had not 
	changed (compare Isaiah 45:18).

	Now we see in this account at Genesis 11, that shortly after the flood,
	mankind in general wanted to do their own thing in opposition to God's
	purpose for them. Verse 4 NWT reads "They now said : 'Come on! Let us
	build ourselves a city and also a tower with it's top in the heavens,
	and let us make a celebrated name for ourselves, for fear we may be 
	scattered over all the earth.' They wanted to make a name for 
	themselves, bringing them glory by building this great tower. The 
	intention being that it would keep them together, for they feared being
        scattered over all the earth. However, they were seeking glory from 
        themselves rather than God (compare John 5:44). As we have learnt his 
 	purpose was for them to fill the earth.
	
	Verse 6 NWT tells us God's view on what they were seeking to achieve,
	"After that Jehovah said : 'Look! They are one people and there is one
	language for them all, and this is what they start to do. Why, now
	there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be 
	unattainable for them." There was nothing wrong in them being one
	people and having one language, the problem was that they were using
	their God given gifts to scheme against Jehovah. In accordance with this
	thought, Ecclesiastes 7:29 NWT reads "See! This only I have found, that
	the [true] God made mankind upright, but they themselves have sought out
	many plans." Before mankind could accomplish his plan, God thwarted 
	them by confusing their language and scattering them over the surface 
	of the earth. Thus they had to leave off from making this city and the 
	celebrated name for themselves, for they were unable to have any 
	meaningful communication amongst themselves.

	Differences in language has been a major barrier between peoples of 
	other races over the years. And no doubt is major contributing factor 
	that has led to conflict and distrust. However, the fault lies with
	sinful mankind and not God. There is a wonderful prohecy in Zephaniah
	3:9 NWT, indicating that God will draw people out of all nations and 
	bring them together in peace "For then I shall give peoples the
	change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the 
	name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder." God is
	bringing people together, whatever their language or race, and giving
	them a pure language that is his teachings so that they can serve him
	shoulder to shoulder in peace (compare Isaiah 2:2-4 & John 13:34,35).

	Hope this helps, btw please check in your own translation of the bible
	the scriptures quoted. 

	Phil.

    This is an interesting question, and I think there are at least three
    explanations. Mike already mentioned one, viz. that the people were
    exhibiting pride in their attempts to reach the heavens and establish a
    name for themselves. (I'll let Mike follow up if he wishes.)

    A second explanation is that the people were, at such an early stage in
    mankind's history, already moving towards independence from God. We see
    in Gen. 11:6 that God knew what would result if they continued along
    this path:

         "And the Lord said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have
         one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that
         they propose to do will be withheld from them."

    Since it is in our best interest to remain cognizant of our dependence
    on God, God mercifully caused them to disperse.

    Speaking of dispersion, this brings me to a third explanation (which
    Andrew already mentioned - sorry for the repetition). From the days
    that Noah and his family left the ark, it was God's intention that they
    go forth and populate the earth. We see this command in Gen. 8:17; 9:1,
    7. When we get down to chapter 11, though, we see the people
    disregarding God's command and attempting to put down roots in one
    place.

    Compare, for example, Gen. 9:1 with 11:4...

         9:1 -> "So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them:
         `Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.'"

         11:4 -> "And they said, `Come, let us build ourselves a city, and
         a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for
         ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole
         earth.'"

    It was God's intention that they be scattered, and since they didn't do
    so by their own choice, God enforced the command.

    I don't know which of the three explanations I put the most stock in.
    Actually, though, they're not mutually exclusive, so I'm willing to
    accept all three.
    
    	BD�

    re: 867.4
    
    >They wanted to make a name for themselves, bringing them glory by
    >building this great tower. The intention being that it would keep them
    >together, for they feared being scattered over all the earth. However,
    >they were seeking glory from themselves rather than God
    
    >There is a wonderful prohecy in Zephaniah 3:9 NWT, indicating that God
    >will draw people out of all nations and bring them together in peace
    >"For then I shall give peoples the change to a pure language, in order
    >for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him
    >shoulder to shoulder." God is bringing people together, whatever their
    >language or race, and giving them a pure language that is his
    >teachings so that they can serve him shoulder to shoulder in peace
    >(compare Isaiah 2:2-4 & John 13:34,35).
    
    Titus 1:15
    To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and
    do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and
    consciences are corrupted.
    
    
    Jill

re .6

  Jill,

  That is a good scripture to quote especially if you include 
  verses 14 & 16. No doubt in the time of the building of the 
  tower of Babel, these persons thought they were doing the 
  right thing (an engineering feat) but had ignored God's will 
  for them.

  Today, man looks to the United Nations to bring peace security. 
  Many religious leaders have termed it as the last hope of peace 
  for all mankind. But by doing so they take no note of God's anointed
  one who is the only one who will bring about lasting peace and
  not man (Isaiah 9:6, Psalms 46:9).

  Isaiah 2:2-4 teaches that before lasting peace comes that persons 
  must stream to "the mountain of the house of Jehovah" (pure worship) 
  and be taught God's ways which include those of peace among brothers 
  and sisters whatever their race or language (compare 1 John 4:20-21).

  Phil.

	re.0

	If memory serves me correctly the specific issue at Babel was the
worship of Nimrod and his wife (Ishtar/Ashtar, I believe). This was a 
rebellion of great significance related to idolatry. 

	Throughout the Bible we see symptoms of the spiritual warfare taking
place. Satan and his followers are always inciting man to rebel against God.
Such was the case at Babel as well. In the end, God's wisdom is fully manifested
when His victory over His enemy is consummated through His creation, that is,
man. I know cuz I read the last two chapters of the book (Revelation 21 & 22). 

8*)

ace

>	If memory serves me correctly the specific issue at Babel was the
>worship of Nimrod and his wife (Ishtar/Ashtar, I believe). This was a 
>rebellion of great significance related to idolatry. 
    
    Since God likens idolatry to spiritual immorality, it makes me wonder
    why people still use the name "Easter" to celebrate Resurrection
    Sunday/Feast of Firstfruits.
    
    Mike

	re.-1

	Yes, Mike. You nailed that one!

	Ishtar, Ashtar, Easter.

	Take your pick.

ace

Only English and German-speaking people do this.

In most other predominantly Christian countries, the name is Pascha (or an
equivalent, such as P�cques), which means Passover.

/john

John,

>In most other predominantly Christian countries, the name is Pascha (or an
>equivalent, such as P�cques), which means Passover.

Passover refers to the incident in Egypt when the destroying angel "passed over"
the households who had the blood of the Lamb on their doorpost. A lamb was slain
to obtain this blood. It does not refer to the Lord's resurrection but rather
the sacrifice and shedding of His blood. To apply the sacrifice of the lamb to
the Lord's resurrection is to apply a great Old Testment type to the wrong New
Testament reality!  8*)

laters,
ace

There are numerous Biblical reasons that Christians refer to the resurrection
as the Lord's Passover from death into life, and have done so since the time
when the Apostles were still alive.

1 John 3:14 -- We know we have passed from death unto life ...

John 5:24 -- ... is passed from death unto life ...

And yes, Christ is the Passover Victim, but the completion of the Paschal
mystery is in the Lord's Passover from Death into Life.

/john

    You lost me here.  Please explain Ishtar, Ashtar, Easter?
    What do these mean?  How are they related?  
    
    Jill2

The English word "Easter" is the name of an ancient northern European pagan
spring festival.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with the middle eastern pagan goddess
called Astarte in West Semitic regions and Ishtar in Mesopotamia, but
certain people believe that it does.

Paganism was never a cohesive world-wide religion, and the northern
European festival was not named after a specific deity.

I do agree that it is unfortunate that English-speaking and German-speaking
Christians have such an unfortunate name for the Feast of the Resurrection,
but the relationship to Astarte/Ishtar is non-existent.

/john

Jill,

Easter's pagan roots as a celebration of the fertility goddess are well
understood by anyone who looks into it. Modern day christians tend to bury their
head in the sand and deny it because it has become so traditional in the church.
Because it is difficult to purge this leaven out, those who know better choose
to either deny a pagan connection or adopt metaphors to excuse it. Most are
probably not even aware of it.

A study of linguistics will show that there are a few base root langauges and
that all others are derived from these. This testifies to what happended at
Babel. I think there were probably 4 to 6 root languages. It also validates that
similarities in branch languages (those from a common root) is not unique to
German and  English speaking dialects. This occurs in all branch languages and
there are some words that crossover between root languages. 

Well, I'm not a linguist by any stretch of the imagination but this information
is not hard to find if someone really cares.

Ace

      Score me as one who believes that Passover FULLY encompasses the
      death and resurrection of Christ.  My reasons...
    
      Christ referred to the experience as THREE DAYS.  Three days
      scripturally, almost always refers to a LIVING TORMENT.  Paul's
      Damascus road exp., Abraham up Mount Moriah, Esther in the court
      of the king during the death decree, Joseph's brothers, the rains
      that fell in the book of Ezra and on and on.
    
      Jesus gives a 'hard saying' in John 6.  He says we must drink His
      blood and eat His body.  He then goes on to say that His blood 
      and flesh give life (verse 53).  In verse 63, he says His word
      and the Spirit are life, i.e. in spirit flesh/blood = revelation.
    
      God's word is spirit and there is a death and resurrection that do
      not refer to physical death and resurrection.  Romans 7 refers to
      the death spoken of in Romans 6:23, i.e. "the wages of sin is death."
      In Romans 7, it is seen that this is a death that Paul is dying.
    
      I believe the physical death and resurrection are *schoolmasters*
      pointing to a spiritual death and resurrection.  The death of Christ
      was experiencing the weight of sin pressing upon His heart.  The
      resurrection of Christ was His overcoming the temptation to despair
      by faith and holding onto His Father.  The blood of Christ is the
      revelation of this awesome self-sacrificing love.  The blood is the
      word/revelation (John 6:53,63).
    
      This all relates to Hebrews 10:1-4.  We still look at shadow.  We
      look at physical death, physical blood, a physical resurrection.
      There is motivating power in this revelation - but not enough to
      perfect the conscience from sin (see Heb. 10:1-4).  There is much
      more motivating revelation when one begins to see very image and not
      the shadow which points to the very image.  When one begins to see
      the agony of heart which Jesus endured WHILE ALIVE and when one sees
      the POWER of His Father's love which perfected Jesus faith and
      enabled Jesus to not be defeated, one is beginning to see the reve-
      lation that is so motivating that it can perfectly cleanse the
      conscience from any remembrance of sin.
    
      From the perspective which God longs for us to have ("My word is 
      Spirit"/very image and not shadow) both death and resurrection took
      place before the physical death of Christ.  Thus Passover is fully
      encompassing the death and resurrection of Christ as a type.
    
      It all depends upon whether we look to shadow or to very image.
    
    							Tony
    

    Re: .17
    
    Tony I followed you down to the last paragraph where you lost me.
    
          From the perspective which God longs for us to have ("My word is 
          Spirit"/very image and not shadow) both death and resurrection took
          place before the physical death of Christ.  Thus Passover is fully
          encompassing the death and resurrection of Christ as a type.
        
          It all depends upon whether we look to shadow or to very image.
    
    
    Explain this better please.
    
    
    Jill
    

    >Only English and German-speaking people do this.
    
    I don't ;-)

>    You lost me here.  Please explain Ishtar, Ashtar, Easter?
>    What do these mean?  How are they related?  
    
"Rain On Your Easter Parade" by David A. Ingraham
-------------------------------------------------
The preacher greeted his Easter morning crowd with a cheerful, "Merry
Christmas!"  When the twittering and chuckling finally settled, he explained
that since he would not see many of today's flock again until next Easter, he
wanted to give them a holiday greeting in advance.  Although its commercial
value pales in comparison to Christmas, Easter is the most important holiday
on the church calendar.  Attendance is traditionally higher on Easter Sunday
than on any other day.  Sermons and lessons on the resurrection of Christ abound
and in many churches, the Gospel of Jesus Christ emanates from the pulpit to
ears that may not hear it again until next year.  Easter bonnets, Easter
bunnies, Easter lilies, Easter eggs, baby chickens, and hot cross buns all lend
their ornamentation to the day when Christendom celebrates the resurrection of
Christ.  Nothing is so central to Church doctrine than the event thus
celebrated: "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your
faith is also vain...And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet
in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:14,17).  So what is the connection between the
foregoing ornaments of Easter such as rabbits, buns, and eggs, and the
resurrection of our Lord?  The answer to that question may rain on your Easter
parade.

Easter in Babylon
-----------------
The first hint of something amiss is the word "Easter."  Almost any resource
material will cite a Teutonic goddess by a similar name, "Eostre" or "Eastre."
"Eostre was the deity of both the dawn and spring, and 'the pagan symbol of
fertility.'  At her festival in April, sacred fires were lighted on the hills,
especially in the Nordic lands.  (At this same season, ancient Romans observed
the Feast of the Vernal Equinox)." (Krythe, 98)

Further investigation of this Teutonic name traces it back to Ostera, then
Astarte, then to Ishtar (once pronounced as we do "Easter").  Since Ishtar,
whole alternate name is Semiramis, was the wife of Nimrod, the priest and king
of Babylon, we can trace a direct line between the word "Easter" and the origins
of pagan religion.  According to legend, when Nimrod died, he proceeded to
become the Sun-god while Semiramis (Easter) proceeded to have an illegitimate
son named Tammuz, whom she claimed was the son of her deified Nimrod.  She
apparently claimed Tammuz was the promised seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15) and
demanded worship for both herself as well as Tammuz.  With only slight effort
one can imagine that the mother soon was worshiped as much or more than her
bastard son.  Tammuz was later symbolized by a golden calf as the son of the
Sun-god, Nimrod (Woodrow, 9-10; Exodus 32:1-6).  Moreover, when we discover
where and how the blessed Mother originated, the plot both thickens and worsens!

As the legend continues, an egg of wondrous size fell from heaven one day and
landed in the Euphrates River.  Some equally wondrous fishes managed to roll the
egg to shore whereupon several doves descended from heaven and incubated the
remarkable find.  Soon, out popped Ishtar (or Semiramis), the goddess of Easter.
The egg eventually became the universal symbol of fertility, and as such, can be
traced in pagan cultures worldwide (Woodrow, 153).  Predictably, it also became
the symbol of the goddess herself.  Therefore, at the very least, we have traced
both the name "Easter" and an element of its celebration, the "Ishtar Egg," to
Babylon.  Most significantly, both the egg and its hatchling predate the
resurrection of Christ by more than 2,000 years, eliminating any possible
connection among eggs, Easter, and Jesus.

During that 2,000 years, Babylonian paganism spread worldwide.  It was of this
heathen religious system that the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:21-23:
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was
darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the
glory of the incorruptible God into an image make like to corruptible man, and
to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things."

This religion became the diabolical substitute for Biblical truth.  Satan
cleverly counterfeited Truth with an insidious lie, perverting the minds and
cultures of men who suppressed the truth in unrighteousness.  Then, just as
Truth personified in Jesus became both knowable and known, the Deceiver wedded
Babylonian paganism to the church.  The church syncretized the celebration of
Easter with the resurrection of Christ.  Babylonian folklore claimed that Tammuz
was worshiped during the spring.  However after he was slain, his mother
(Easter) so wept that he came alive again.  The manifestation of his
"resurrected" life was the arrival of vegetation in the spring.  When Jesus
arose in the spring following His crucifixion, logic seemed to dictate a
connection between the ignominious fable and the glorified fact.  Then, when the
church later desired to become popular with both pagan and saint, it amalgamated
the celebration of Jesus' resurrection with the fertility rites, eggs, and other
accouterments of a pagan holiday.  After all, Easter celebrated the arrival of
spring, the resurrection of life from the dead of winter.  What could be more
appropriate?

Easter in the Early Church
--------------------------
Early Christians celebrated Resurrection Day on the same day as the Jewish
Passover, regardless of the day of the week on which it fell.  However, when
Gentiles became prominent in the early church, they required the celebration to
fall on Sunday.  A major conflict ensued contributing to the rift between the
Eastern and Western branches of the church.  "The Emperor Constantine called
the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.  The question of the date of Easter was one
of its main concerns.  The council decided that Easter should fall on Sunday
following the first full moon after the vernal equinox.  The astronomically
astute Alexandrians were given the job of computing the date.  Additional
difficulties were overcome when March 21 was chosen as the date of the vernal
equinox... The dating of Easter today follows the Nicaean reckoning.  The
Eastern Orthodox Church stipulates in addition that Easter must fall after
Passover" (Myers, 102-103).

Because the Eastern Orthodox Church continues to use the Julian calendar for
religious holidays, rather than the Gregorian calendar used in our Western
culture, it celebrates Easter 13 days later than the Roman churches and other
Western churches.  The Roman Church developed a high Mass for celebrating the
resurrection of Christ, but attached to it much of the paganism of the spring
festival.  Included in this package was the 40-day season of fasting known as
"Lent," adopted by Rome during the 6th century.  It corresponds to a 40-day fast
practiced by ancient Egyptians.  Others identify Lent with a practice among
Babylonian worshipers of Semiramis.  The death and resurrection of Tammuz was
celebrated by a great annual festival preceded by a Lenten fast (Tardo, 13-14).
For the next 1,000 years of Western history, little changed within Catholicism.
Only with the Reformation came changes in Easter celebrations as Protestantism
grew in size and influence.

Easter in America
-----------------
By the time Puritans came from England to America they had dropped the
celebration of holy days such as Christmas and Easter.  Their influence limited
all such celebrations in the colonies.  Only after the Civil War did Easter
services become prominent again in America.  "Perhaps it was the deep scars of
death and destruction which led people back to the Easter season.  The story
of the Resurrection was a logical inspiration of renewed hope for all those
bereaved by the war" (Myers, 104).

Meanwhile, isolated pockets of celebrants continued to recognize Easter in
America.  In 1741 Moravian believers began a long-standing custom of sunrise
services complete with trombone, choir, and singers.  In California in 1770
Father Crespi, a Franciscan monk, celebrated an Easter sunrise service under the
Cathedral Oak, marked today by an historical plaque.  Theodore Roosevelt held a
well-known sunrise service on Mt. Rubidoux in California in 1909, and the
Hollywood Bowl became host to the annual sunrise event in 1921.  In the Wichita
mountains of Oklahoma the Passion Play, 6 hours in length, begins at midnight of
Easter morning.  One hundred thousand people annually attend the play (Myers,
107).

Easter Ornaments
----------------
Originating in paganism, propagated by a faltering church, then traditionalized
by a burgeoning American continent, Easter eventually became firmly entrenched
in the culture of the United States.  With it came its pagan embellishments.
Most Americans embrace these ornamentations of the season without questioning
their religious significance.  When confronted, some find the exposure of their
error both intrusive and offensive; others become incensed by their own
negligenced in adopting such heathen trappings.

Perhaps the most common ornament of Easter is the brightly-colored, hard-boiled
egg.  Given its previously cited Babylonian origins, the Easter egg's rise in
significance and popularity over the millenian is not surprising.  "Eggs have
become closely associated with Easter, and are regarded as a symbol of
resurrection, for they hold the seeds of life, and represent the revival of
fertility upon the earth.  However, the egg as a life emblem is much older
than Christianity" (Krythe, 103).

Cultures worldwide have myths describing how the universe from an egg.  Among
some peoples, the "Heavenly One" once inhabited an egg which he broke in pieces,
creating the earth in the process.  In another legend, an egg split in two with
one half becoming gold, the other half silver.  The gold elements became the
sky, the silver elements became the earth.  The outer membrane became the
atmosphere, the veins became rivers, and the fluid became oceans (Myers,
110-111).

Egg painting may have originated in Persia and Egypt centuries ago.  When the
custom migrated into Europe, possibly by way of the Knights of the Crusades, egg
decorating became an elaborate art.  "Often eggs were dipped in red dye, but
in Hungary there were more white ones with patterns of red flowers.  Yugoslav
people have usually marked their eggs with X V, standing for 'Christ is
risen...' Women and girls of Poland and the south of Russia always began
working weeks ahead on eggs covered all over with designs.  There would be
lines that crisscrossed, tiny checkerboards, patterns of dots and plant and
animals shapes.  No two eggs were alike but the same symbols appeared again
and again.  A sun was for good luck, a hen or rooster to make wishes come true,
a deer for good health, and flowers for love and beauty" (Barth, 28-29).

Eggs have been given as gifts, eaten for fertility purposes, rolled down hills,
thrown into the air, used as marbles for play, hidden on church lawns and
grounds, hung about the neck to ward off evil, and worshiped as a source of
Life.  No legitimate connection exists between any such practices and the
resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Everybody know that rabbits don't lay eggs, but the relationship between these
two Easter phenomena is indisputable.  "To be perfectly correct, it is the hare,
not the rabbit, who should be honored as the most famous secular Easter
symbol... Easter is a movable feast dependent for its date on the phase of the
moon, and from antiquity the hare has been a symbol for the moon; the rabbit has
not.  Hares are born with their eyes open, rabbits are born blind; the Egyptian
name for the hare was Un, meaning 'open' or 'to open,' and the full moon
watched open-eyed throughout the night.  According to legend, the hare was
thought never to blink or close its eyes..."

The harlot of Revelation 17 symbolizes the religion of Babylon.  She is nothing
less than the moon goddess worshiped in ziggurats and towers of the ancient
Middle East.  Her name likely is Ishtar (Easter).  To our disgrace, she has
invaded and defiled what are purported to be celebrations of the resurrection of
Christ.  She does so through her ancient representatives, the Easter bunny and
the Easter egg.

Associated with fertility and reproduction is the Easter Lily.  "The fragrant,
waxy white flower we call the Easter lily is not a spring flower or an
American flower at all.  A lily growing on islands near Japan was taken to
Bermuda and then traveled to the United States to become our most special
Easter plant.  Flower growers have learned how to make it bloom in time" (Barth,
51).  Tardo adds, "Having become symbolic of the season, churches [sic]
worldwide decorate their altars with these beautiful flowers, and innumerable
thousands of them are given away to women at Easter as gifts.  Few, however,
realize the ancient significance of such gifts!  The so-called 'Easter lily'
has long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated
with the reproductive organs.  It was considered a phallic symbol!  One might
easily surmise what was being suggested by sending a gift of such nature in
ancient times"  (Tardo, 11-12).

Even the sunrise service originates not in Christianity but in the pagan rites
of spring.  "Sunrise services are not unrelated to the Easter fires held on the
tops of hills in continuation of the New Year fires, a worldwide observance in
antiquity.  Rites were performed at the vernal equinox welcoming the sun and its
great power to bring new life to all growing things" (Myers, 105).  

Although the hot cross bun is often associated with Good Friday, its real
significance pertains to Easter.  One of the stories remaining in tradition
today relates the origin of this bun "...back to the ancient pagan custom of
worshiping the Queen of Heaven with offerings of cakes marked with her image.
It is said that the Egyptians made buns with 2 horns on them to offer to the
moon goddess, and that the Greeks changed the symbol to a cross so the bun
could be more easily divided.  Anglo-Saxons marked theirs with a cross to
honor the goddess of light" (Krythe, 94-95).  The prophet Jeremiah apparently
referred to this raisin cake in Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-19,25.  This Queen of
Heaven's name is is Ishtar (Easter).  Hot cross buns are a veiled ascription of
worship to her.  By consuming them we participate in pagan Babylonianism.
Little wonder the Bible says to us: "...Come out of her, my people, that ye be
not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Revelation
18:4).

The wearing of Easter finery, new clothing, and hats and the so-called Easter
parade originated in heathenism.  Easter fires are a leftover from spring rites.
Ham for Easter is an English tradition expressing, of all things, bigotry toward
Jews.  Without exception, the ornaments of Easter are pagan in origin.  Informed
Christians who continue in these traditions and practices risk for themselves
the consternation of God.

Scripture abounds with numerous references to the idolatry spawned in Babylon.
It was worship of the Babylonian goddess that brought Israel to ruin.  Later in
Biblical history, when Christians began to mingle paganism with worship, the
Apostle Paul addressed the matter in this way: "Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness?  and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord
hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?"
(2 Corinthians 6:14-15).

The most notable passage addressing this religious system is also the passage
that connects its practices to the world in which we live today.  Romans 1
describes the societal declension that results from removing the true God from
His rightful place and prominence.  Replacing the Truth of God with a lie always
conveys predictable consequences.  The sexual revolution and the decline of
Western culture give us the spiritual signs of our times (Romans 1:24-25).  The
creature of veneration today is man; humanism has made an idol of SELF.  The
most obvious expression of this occupation with self comes next in Romans
1:26-27.  The downward spiral of paganism reaches into the most vital of our
culture carriers: education.  And since the world no longer retains God in its
education, the results speak for themselves in Romans 1:28-32.

If you find yourself characterized in some way in the above passages of
Scripture (and most of us DO, to some extent), please recognize that all of
mankind has been tainted by the reprobate mind.  The only institution of God
given to overcome the slippery slope of paganism is the Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church, however, finds itself in various levels of complicity with its pagan
adversary depending on the extent to which it participates in what are
undeniably pagan practices.  Furthermore, as individuals we must respond
appropriately to the light given us.  Willful sin which follows such
enlightenment makes the sinner even more culpable before God.  The Bible teaches
that sin and reprobation are universal problems.  Considering that the God of
Scripture is holy and absolutely righteous, we each stand condemned before Him.
It's a condition only He could solve and only because He wanted to do so.

Nearly 2,000 years ago God sent His Son, Jesus of Nazareth, born of a virgin and
without sin, to die on a cross.  He represented millions of people in His death;
He even represented YOU!  Because He didn't deserve to die EVER, His death
became the penalty paid for ALL our sin.  He was the sacrificial Lamb of God,
the innocent One slain on behalf of the guilty.  If you will simply identify
with Him, claim the forgiveness He offers, and trust Him as Savior and Lord, you
may this very moment receive Eternal Life.  Bow your head and pray something
like this: "Lord Jesus, I recognize that as a sinner I need a Savior.  I believe
that when you died on the cross you died for me personally.  Wash away my sins,
give me your eternal life, and help me to be clean before God all the days of
this life and in the life to come.  Amen."

Selected Bibliography
---------------------
Barth, Edna.  "Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs : Story of the Easter Symbols",
               New York: The Seabury Press, 1970.
Hazeltine, Alice Isabel, and Smith, Elva Sophornia. "The Easter Book of Legends
               and Stories."  New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co., 1947.
Krythe, Mamie R. "All About American Holidays." New York and Evanston; Harper &
               Row Publishers, 1962.
Meyer, Jr., Robert. "Festivals U.S.A. & Canada." New York: Ives Wasburn,
               Inc. 1967.
Meyers, Robert. "Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays." Garden
               City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972.
Sechrist, Elizabeth Hough, and Woolsey, Janette. "It's time for Easter."
               Philadelphia: Macraie Smith Company, 1961.
Van Straalen, Alice. "The Book of Holidays Around the World." New York: E.P.
               Dutton, 1986.
Woodrow, Ralph. "Babylon: Mystery Religion." Riverside California: Ralph Woodrow
               Evangelistic Association, Inc., 1966.
Tardo, Russel K. "Rabbits, Eggs, and Other Easter Errors", by Faithful Word
               Publications, Arabi, Louisiana.

� Southwest Radio Church, April 1993.
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  (405) 235-5396   (800) 652-1144     FAX (405) 236-4634
    

    Mike, thats really rather discouraging.  
    
    Thanks
    Jill  

And while partially true, it's also often full of baloney.

For example, the forty day fasting period (called "Forty Days" or
Quadragesima (Latin) or Car�me (French) and only "Lent" (Spring) in
English) is absolutely biblically based in Jesus' own forty day fast
and Moses' fast.

/john

And just because pagans celebrated the rising sun, why should Christians
not celebrate the biblical truth of the rising of Christ, "the Sun of
Righteousness."

/john

And just because pagans used processions in their pagan worship, why should
Christians not use processions to symbolize the Lord's commandment to "go
forth" and to bring him into the world.

/john

    Come out and be ye separate.  Be holy for the Lord your God is holy.
    
    Compromising the worship of God with paganism is spiritual immorality and 
    was the downfall of Pergamos (which means "marriage" as in married to the 
    world), Thyatira (which means "continual sacrifice"), and Israel during
    several different periods of its history.
    
Deuteronomy 13:1-3
    If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth
 thee a sign or a wonder,
 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee,
 saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us
 serve them;
 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of
 dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD
 your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
    
    Matthew 6:7
    But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they
    think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

re: last few

	John,

The main issue is "mixture". A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
Bring something worldly into the church and after a while in grows, infiltrates
and eventually corrupts the church. The Lord has called the church to be holy,
separated, and without blemish. Applying holy facts to pagan fables opens the
door for Satan to come in to corrupt the church's standing before Him, ruin her
testimony before man, and weaken her God given mission of destroying His enemy.

May His overcomers wake up!

ace

>Applying holy facts to pagan fables opens the door for Satan to come in
>to corrupt the church's standing before Him, ...

Baloney.

Giving up holy truth because there are similar pagan fables lets
Satan have all the good stuff.

"Life is sacred"  (oops.  pagans believe that.  we can't.)

"The Sun of Righteousness will spread like lightening from east to west".
(ooops.  Pagans worship the sun.  We have to ignore what Jesus said.)

/john

    This is a very interesting topic.  I've often thought of it.  Daryl
    Gleason is here on business and last Saturday we went to Fisherman's
    Wharf together in San Francisco.
    
    One of the things that reached out and grabbed me by the heart is that
    there are now every 20 feet a psychic with her crystals, cards and palm
    readings taking place.  15 yrs ago there'd have been street performers. 
    What a sad day it is when a major city in the U.S. appears as a
    godless, hedonistic society.  
    
    As I saw this, I asked myself where are the prophets of God?  Have they
    really ceased at Christ's death?  Are they in existence today?  Where
    are the missionaries for San Francisco?
    
    Are they in churches versus on the street proclaiming the gospel of
    Christ?
    
    I told Daryl that I had the most horrible urge to grab a woman who was
    having her palm read and tell her that this person could never assure
    her of the joy her soul is being robbed of.
    
    It was spiritually painful to watch.
    
    Where are the prophets of God?  Where are the missionaries?  Where are
    the Christians proclaiming the gospel on the mountaintop?
    
    I am ashamed of myself for being stuck in this way of living and not
    living life more in abundance of Christ.
    
    I actually find myself agreeing John... Just because Satan perverts a
    God-given belief doesn't mean we should abandon ours for fear of
    appearing worldly.  On the contrary, we should proclaim what is real
    and full of Truth so that the counterfeit can be seen for what it is.
    
    The reason this country is in the spiritual darkness it is in today is
    because of God's people.  If God's people were to humble themselves and
    pray AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS... God would heal this land.
    

    I never advocated the notion of forgetting the Great Commission.  I'm
    advocating representing our Savior in a manner that God's Word calls
    for.  Misrepresenting God is what kept Moses out of the promised land. 
    I think God takes this seriously.
    
    Look at what a person will say to you if they see you stumble or fall
    in your walk with God.  The world *KNOWS* how Christians should behave
    because of the law of God written in the heart of every man.  Pagans
    copying us is one thing.  Christians copying pagans ruins our
    testimony.  Easter/Ishtar/Astarte *IS NOT* a Godly holiday. 
    Resurrection Sunday/Feast of Firstfruits *IS*!
    
    Mike

      I think a good study of how Christians slowly replaced 7th day
      worship with 1st day worship would be very much like the Easter
      reply Mike introduced.  There is simply no command to 'honor'
      *Sun*day, and yet...
    
      (Not that I desire to rathole this, but it is every bit as solid
      an example as Easter is, imo.)
    
      Jill,
    
      What I meant was, if you look to shadow, you look to physical
      death, physical resurrection, and physical blood.  The physical
      resurrection took place *after* Passover and thus Passover is
      not as good a type.  However, if you look to very image death,
      resurrection, and blood, Passover becomes a more fitting type.
      
      Thats all I meant.
    
    						Tony

re.27
>Giving up holy truth because there are similar pagan fables lets
>Satan have all the good stuff.

Better stick with what the Bible says. Then you (and I) will, by God's mercy,
see the holy truth. The "good stuff" is found in the book. 

The resurrection of Christ should be celebrated and enjoyed by His lovers 
every morning, meeting Him, as Mary did at the empty tomb, for a fresh 
personal encounter. Then His presence will be real, living, and 
death-swallowing to us throughout the day. Such a relationship will 
spontaneously cause us to pursue the One who is Resurrection. He, as
Resurrection, then becomes our reality. 

Now that is something to celebrate.

Regards,
Ace

    Amen.
    
    Celebrate the resurrection aways.  Be constantly His.  Now thats truth.
    
    
    Jill

    Tony -
    
    Oh yea, sorry its been so long since we did this study.  How could I
    ever have forgotten.  Of course.  Romans 7:9 and His death and
    resurrection at a Spiritual level.  Forgive me its been a long
    week already :-) .
    
    Jill