WELCOME

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HALLOWEEN:

Is it a Trick-or-Treat?

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                As you look at this question you might remember the times of dressing up and going door knocking for something good to eat.  Or you might think of the times that little children that came to your door all dressed up and think that nothing could ever be wrong with that. If you were to look at the countless News Paper Articles you might say that you were right. But the truth of the matter is that there is a real danger in this Holiday that many people don’t even realize.   

                When we look at Halloween many think that it is just some Holiday that the Satanist decided to pick to worship Satan.  But Halloween has been around much longer than what most people even realize. One little fact is that Halloween was banned in the United States until 1845 and because of a famine in Ireland many emigrants came to the United States bringing with them their Druid Holidays. One of those Holidays was the festival that marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year. In this festival they would worship a god SAMAN (Shamhain). He was their, “lord of death and evil spirits.” This pagan god was seen as a ghostly skeleton, holding a sickle in his hands. We today know him better as the GRIM REAPER. 

                History tells us that in the 800’s the Catholic Church tried to establish a new holiday on Nov. 1st.  This Holiday was called “All Saints Day” or “All Hallows”. (Hallows means saints) The night before this festival was called “All Hollows’ Eve” Then the name was changed to “All Hallow e’en.” Which then the word Halloween gets its name from. No matter how the holiday received its name is not important, but rather what day it was done and what they did on that day which is important.

                Oct. 31st what could ever be wrong with this day?  Remember that some believe that it was just a day that the Satanist chose to worship Satan on. But looking into other false religions we find something very shocking.

                In Egypt we find many festivals, but one stands out from the rest.  It is the Festival and Mysteries of Osiris at Dendera, which is held October 28th-November 6th

This Festival celebrated the annual death and rebirth of Osiris, the god of the afterlife. According to the myth, Osiris was killed and dismembered by his brother Seth. When Osiris wife had heard what was done, she went and found the pieces of her husband and put him back together. According to the legend that after his body was placed back together, he was able to have a son (Horus) with his wife. Since Osiris was able to bring forth life from his dead body the Egyptians believed that he had triumphed over death thus becoming the god of the afterlife. 

                Notice the days in which this festival takes place on: Oct. 28th – Nov. 6th some might say that there is nothing wrong with this but we find an Egyptian god of the afterlife being celebrated. Now look at Halloween and the god that is worshiped on this day, SAMAN who is to the Druids the lord of death and evil spirits. And when do we celebrate him on Oct. 31st. We must say that it is strange at the very least.

In 1st Kings 12:25-33 we find Jeroboam afraid that the Children of Israel were going to turn back to God and would then return and kill Jeroboam. So, Jeroboam sets out to build two golden calves and places them in Bethel and Dan. He then ordains a feast telling the people that they should “behold their gods that brought them out of Egypt.” As verse 30 states that, “this became a sin.” 

                I would like for you to look at verses 32 & 33.  Notice that the feast that Jeroboam devised in his own heart was found in the 8th month and the 15th day.  You might say that this has nothing to do with our Halloween because Halloween is found in the 10th month and the 31st day.  But one thing we must remember is that in the Bible days the Jewish people did not have our Calendar as we know it.  The Jewish people used two types of Calendars: A Civil Calendar which was the official calendar of kings, childbirth, and contracts and a Sacred Calendar which was used for all the Jewish festivals.

                Since we are talking about a festival of the Children of Israel, then we must use the Sacred Calendar. The 8th month on this calendar is the month of Heshvan. Compared to our calendar it runs from Oct. 16th – Nov. 13th. The 15th day of Heshvan would be our Oct. 30th.  The day before the world celebrates Halloween. Is this just a mere consequence? NO

                Look at the 28th verse.

1 Kings 12:28 Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

                At first glace we don’t find any god of the dead being worshiped here. But have you ever wondered where Jeroboam got the idea of worshipping the golden calves? The answer to that is found in Exodus 32: 19-24. Remember the golden calf that Aaron made for the Children of Israel?      

                As the Children of Israel were waiting for Moses up on the mountain, we find that they became in-patient with him and decided to make their own gods. As we know the story, we find that on the return of Moses he sees the calf and becomes very angry. This is calf that Jeroboam gets the idea for the two calves that he set up for the Children of Israel to worship in 1st Kings.  But where did Aaron come up with the first calf? In Exodus 12:40-41 we find that the Children of Israel had spent 430 years in bondage to Egypt.

                As Moses soon realized that it was easier to bring the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt than it was to get Egypt out of the Children of Israel. Now remember in Egypt they had a festival called, “Festival and Mysteries of Osiris at Dendera.”  As we have brought out that this festival was celebrated in honor of the Egyptian god Osiris “the god of the underworld.”  But how does the Golden calf that Aaron and Jeroboam tie into all of this? 

In Egypt they have an animal called an “Apis Bull.”  The Apis bulls were the earthly incarnation of a god - but unlike other animals who could only intercede with deities on behalf of humans, the Apis Bull was believed to be the very god himself living amongst the human population. They were chosen for their special markings and were indeed treated as gods on earth - when the bulls died they were then mourned, mummified and then buried with the same glory that occurred with the death of a pharaoh. The Apis Bull was worshipped because it was believed to be the Egyptians god Osiris. Many times, his name is found with the name Apis-Osiris.  According to Plutarch “Apis was a fair and beautiful image of the soul of Osiris”. 

When we look back into the Bible, we find that the children of Israel worshipped these images for many years, and just like 1st kings 12:30 says, “And this thing became a sin”.  In the book of 2 Kings 17:14-18 we find the Children of Israel once again worshipping these golden calves, but they added to their sin.

                In verse 16 we find that not only did the Children of Israel worship the two calves, but they also had made a grove in which they worshipped. Notice the last word in this verse. Baal. When most Christians hear that name, they remember the many times that his name is mentioned throughout the Bible. But who is he really? 

                The word Baal means "master" or "owner". Baal was a common name of some Syrian and Persian deities. Baal is still the principally thought of as a Canaanite fertility deity. The cult of Baal celebrated annually his death and resurrection as a part of the Canaanite fertility rituals. These ceremonies often included human sacrifice.  

                According to mythology we find that the story of Baal and the story of Osiris are surprisingly seemlier. The Babylonians account of Baal plays out as him being the fertility god just like his Egyptian counterpart Osiris. In both accounts the god is killed and brought back to life because of the love of the gods’ wife. So, with that said, we can come to the conclusion that Osiris and Baal is indeed the same pagan god just with a different name.  Look at the following verse: Genesis 10:6 And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. 

                The reason why this verse is so important is because we find that these sons of Ham become great nations. Cush is the father of Nimrod who is the founder of Babylon. And we find Mizraim is the founder of Egypt. Egypt in Arabic is spelled Misr.  Phut becomes allied with Egypt (Mizraim) and becomes the nation of Libya. Canaan becomes the father of the Canaanites. And since these all are brothers, it would be easy to see how they all had the same myths. You might ask why the different names. When the language was changed after the fall of the tower of Babel so too was the names changed of their gods. But the fact remains that they were still the same old so-called gods.

                Through out the world there are many festivals that celebrate the dead. Also, in many customs we find a so called god or lord of the dead being worshipped. A true child of God knowns there is only one True God. Some might say, “What is the difference between Jesus Christ and these pagan gods; didn’t he do the same as them?” The difference is that while other false gods claim to have been raised from the dead Jesus Christ is the only one that was raised from the dead. In Mark 12:27 it states that, “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”

                Another difference between the false Idols and Jesus Christ is how they are worshipped. When we find a false idol being worshipped, we find people being sacrificed. According to Romans 12:1it says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

                If you still have the question about who the true living God is, then the best place to look is in the book of 1 kings 18:18-40. We find that Elijah proved without a doubt that Baal (the god of the dead / Osiris or any of the countless other names) was not a true God, but only a trick that satan had fooled the people with. Elijah asks the people, “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.”

                In conclusion I hope that anyone that reads this will see that Halloween is not just an ordinary holiday. It is more then just a holiday that people dress up and receive candy. The truth is that satan has dress up Halloween up to be quite but in fact it is a festival of the dead.  The Bible also gives us a commandment in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 that we are not to have fellowship with idols and to be separate from all unrighteousness.

                I hope that I have proven that Halloween is a trick and not a treat for those that claim to be a servant of the Living God, Jesus Christ.

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Bro. Jon. Leslie

The Church of Jesus Christ

2797 Bryant St.

Portage, In.