EASTER - a short history

Discussion in 'Faith and Religion' started by Seawolf1090, Apr 16, 2011.


  1. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    Easter is the central religious feast in the Christian religion. Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. People all over the world celebrate this resurrection on Easter Day or Easter Sunday, two days after Good Friday and three days after Maundy Thursday. Now officially Easter lasts for the fifty days until Pentecost. Easter also marks the end of Lent, a season of fasting, prayer, and penance. There is Good Friday 2011 before Easter.
    The exact origins of this religious feast day's name are unknown. Some sources claim the word Easter is derived from Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility. Other accounts trace Easter to the Latin term hebdomada alba, or white week, an ancient reference to Easter week and the white clothing donned by people who were baptized during that time. Through a translation error, the term later appeared as esostarum in Old High German, which eventually became Easter in English. In Spanish, Easter is known as Pascua; in French, Paques. These words are derived from the Greek and Latin Pascha or Pasch, for Passover. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection occurred after he went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover (or Pesach in Hebrew), the Jewish festival commemorating the ancient Israelites' exodus from slavery in Egypt. Pascha eventually came to mean Easter. Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, as opposed to a single-day observance. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry, a time in which Christians believe he survived various temptations by the devil. The day before Lent, known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week and includes Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples; Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion; and Holy Saturday, which focuses on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. The 50-day period following Easter Sunday is called Eastertide and includes a celebration of Jesus' ascension into heaven. In addition to Easter's religious significance, it also has a commercial side, as evidenced by the mounds of jelly beans and marshmallow chicks that appear in stores each spring. As with Christmas, over the centuries various folk customs and pagan traditions, including Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets and candy, have become a standard part of this holy holiday.
     
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  2. skyking

    skyking Monkey+

    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 14, 2015
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  3. beast

    beast backwoodsman

    you left out some important parts of the history of easter
    the time we celebrate it doesnt coincide with the pagan rites of spring by accident
    nor are the easter egg or bunny christian symbols but actually pagan ones
    they signify rebirth and fertility
    the early church set most of its holidays right on top of pagan ones intentionally
    as a way to try and lure more converts and to try and override the pagan ones
    all hallows eve was a satanic and pagan holiday before christianity created saints
    christmas very closely follows saturnalia, the pagan new year
    its pretty interesting once you dig into the catholic churches archives
     
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  4. skyking

    skyking Monkey+

    yep , they've been wanting and trying to deceive us from the get go beast
    I decided once I heard the truth about Easter and christmas that if I was claiming to be born again I couldn't continue in the lies passed down by my forefathers and it stopped at least in my family with my generation.
    I urge anybody that reads any material I post to question it's validity until YOU search and find out whether it's right or wrong.Never take my word on it.
    thanks for coming into agreement with me here beast
     
  5. skyking

    skyking Monkey+

    The Mystery of the Door (Threshold Covenant)

    The Threshold Covenant I first learned about this covenant during Passover of this year.I have always believed covenants to be the very important and also the most neglected part of our teaching in today,s churches or the bible as a wholeJim Staley does a good job explaining it in the final part of his teaching as does Rico.


    Please if you run across a good study on this please share it.This is only being shared to hopefully peak your interest as I know it has mine and has added valuable insight into covenants and history .I realize these are in depth studies and are posted for those that seek and enjoy uncovering truths in scripture.



    Spring Feasts - Passover Week

    Scot Dryer
    Spring Feasts - Passover Week on Vimeo
    vimeo.com
    This is a detailed narrated tutorial of Passover Week in Messiah’s life set to a chart\timeline. A wonderful, scripture rich tutorial that lines up with the feasts from Exodus to 1 Corinthians. A wonderful tool to put in the hands of unbelievers and loved...


    The Threshold Covenant by Henry Clay Trumbull
    this is a great research and thorough writing ,highly recommend it
    http://hopefaithprayer.com/books/The Threshold Covenant - Henry Clay Trumbull.pdf


    This is a teaching by Rico Cortes that was done earlier this year.
    "The Threshold Covenant: The Covenant of the Door"
    John 10:1-3 "Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out." Robbers When you cross the threshold of a home, you imply covenant with those who live within that home. Entering the house any other way brands you as a thief.
    Saturday March 12: Rico Cortes on Vimeo

    Passover pt 3

    Redeeming the First Born and the Threshold Covenant
    Jim Staley

    In the final teaching on this series, Jim reveals the purpose behind the blood of the lamb on the doorposts, the significance to the firstborn and what really happen when the Spirit went through Egypt that night. The concept of the Threshold Covenant alone is foundational to understanding the real reason why blood had to be shed to begin with. This will change everything on how you look at that last plague of the Exodus and how it relates to us today.






    THE THRESHOLD COVENANT
    http://www.injesus.com/message-archi...shold-covenant
    Craig Hill pastor of Family Foundations International.

    I have found that there are several profound principles and practices in the Bible that we, as westerners, totally miss simply because the eastern imagery is unfamiliar to us. One such practice, the understanding of which is a key that opens profound new insight into the Bible, is a particular type of blood covenant known as the "Threshold Covenant".

    In the ancient East, when a host became aware that a guest was to call on him, if he wished to receive and honor that guest, he would pour out a sacrifice of blood at the threshold of his dwelling. The sight of this blood sacrifice was then taken by the guest to be an invitation to pass over, or step across the blood-stained threshold and enter into a covenant of hospitality with the host. Since the blood on the threshold represents the life of the host, the greatest insult a guest could convey would be to step on the threshold, and thus in the blood (Hebrews 10: 26-29).


    Blood Covenants

    Covenants in the East have for centuries been ratified by the outpouring of blood. While blood in the western mind is usually thought to represent death, the the eastern mind, blood represents life, God told the Hebrew people in Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls".


    So the blood poured out on the threshold was representative of the life of the host. This greeting customs was, and still is in many parts of the Middle East today, commonly known and practiced.


    The costliness of the blood was indicative of the degree of honor to be conveyed to the guest. If the guest was to be lightly esteemed, the blood of a dove or pigeon might be offered. If he was to be honored more highly, then perhaps the blood of a goat or an ox may be used. If the guest was a king, then the blood of a very special animal called "the fatted calf" reserved for a king, would be used.


    So, when an invited guest crossed the threshold of the host's home, he was agreeing to come in peace and to support, bless and honor that host while in his home. No honorable man would cross the threshold of a host's home with an intent to rob, kill, or do the host harm. The host, on the other hand, by receiving the guest, was obligated to defend, protect and provide for the guest while in his home. To an eastern mind, how strong is that covenant of hospitality? So strong that a host would even protect a stranger who has passed over, or covenant-crossed his threshold, to the same degree that he would protect one of his own family members.


    Abiding Under the Shadow:

    We find recorded in Genesis 19:1-11 the account of Lot receiving into this home as guests two angels, whom he believed to be strangers on a journey. The wicked men of the city came that evening to Lot's home and demanded that he grant them access to the two strangers that they might homosexually rape them. Lot, as a covenant host, responded that he would not give them up, but rather would protect these guests to even a greater degree than he would protect his own virgin daughters, because, he states, "they have come under the shadow of my roof" Genesis 19: 6-8.


    This phrase "to come under one's shadow," is very interesting. It is a Hebrew idiom denoting the covenant commitment of a host to protect one who has covenant-crossed the threshold with all available resources, even unto the death of the host. Without threshold covenant understanding, Lot's response makes no sense to us as westerners. However, this insight opens up for us the incredible statment God is making to us in Psalm 91: 1-2 when we are told, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY." God is stating here that, to the same degree Lot was willing to protect those who had passed over this threshold, with all available resources, God is willing to do the same for all who have covenant-crossed His threshold where the blood of the Messiah is poured out.


    Undestanding Passover:

    Let's now look at how this custom of threshold covenenat applies to the Passover. In ancient times, it was common practice for a king to travel throughout his land securing the loyalty of his subjects and ridding the land of his enemies. Usually, the king would travel with a large entourage of diplomatic emissaries, his harem, and his army. In each village, either he, personally, or one of his diplomats would pass over (covenant-cross) the threshold of the homes of each loyal family, enter in that home in peace, and delcare the terms of the kingdom. However, wherever the king found a disloyal family who refused his sovereignty over them, he would not pass over the threshold of that house, but rather would send the army in and rid that home of his enemies. How would the king tell which families were loyal to him and which were not? The primary indicator was the blood poured out at the threshold of the house, inviting him in.


    This understanidng of the historic, eastern threshold covenant greeting custom and its apllication to the visit of a king is critical in understanding the events surrounding the Hebrew Passover recorded in Exodus 12. I believe that this event has been taught, by many Jewish and Christian teachers, in the opposite manner from the way in which it actually happened.


    "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 (threshold very bottom of the doorway). And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through (abar) to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over (pasakh) the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you" Exodus 12: 22-23.

    In looking at the Hebrew verbs used in this passage (abar and pasakh), it became evident to me that the way I had looked at this event all of my life was exactly the opposite of the way it actually happened. I had alwasy been taught that the Passover event had to do with the blood of the lamb being placed on the door of the house to ward God off and make sure that He didn't come into the house. The concept was more of God being a wrathfull killer, Whom you want to ensure will not come into your house.

    The actual event was just the opposite. God told Israel that when He saw the blood on the lintel and doorposts of their homes, He would pass over (Covenant-Cross)(pasakh) that door. In other words, He would come into that house and not allow the army (destroyer angel of death, that He had released to destroy the Egyptians) to come in to harm them. He would rather instead send the destroyer (army) into the houses of the disloyal enemies who did not place the blood of the lamb on the lintel and doorposts of their houses to welcome the conquering King.


    an observation: When we look at the lintel and door posts. It creates a Chet, the 8th letter of the Hebrew aleph-beit. which means life. So the angel of death would have seen the the LIFE (God made manifest throught the Blood of Jeshus, King of King and Lord of Lords) was a guest. And the angel would know the Blood of the creator and not harm the occupants. WOW.
    added by editor



    While this threshold covenant greeting custom would have been very familiar to the Israelites of that time, it is very foreign and unfamiliar to most of us as modern westerners. Consequently, many of us have misinterpreted the purpose of the blood of the lamb in Passover. Which picture of God more describes the relationship you have embraced with Him? Do you perceive God as someone to invite into your home, or someone to ward off and keep out of your home?

    Once we understand the eastern concept of threshold covenant ant the Jewish Passover, we are now prepared to understand the New Covenant made by the blood of Messiah Yeshua (Jeremiah 31: 31-34). Yeshua came to give up His life and pour out His blood at the threshold of His Father's eternal dwelling. In the New Covenant, God Almighty reverses the roles form the Hebrew Passover. He now says, "I wish to treat you as a king, and to invite you to step across the threshold where the most precious blood in the universe is poured out. This is not the blood of a goat, a bullock or even "the fatted calf." This is My own blood poured out through Messiah Yeshua." When we step across this threshold, we enter into a blood covenant with Him, thus obtaining His authority and benefits including eternal life, healing and protection.

    Article by Craig Hill
    Family Foundations International, in Littleton, Colorado


    The Mystery of the Door (Threshold Covenant)
    John 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
    John 10:2 "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep."
    Jesus spoke these words to people who understood the threshold covenant. It was common in the East for a sacrifice to be made at the doorway of one's home when welcoming a guest. It was understood that when stepping over the threshold to enter someone's home, you were a guest, coming into a covenant of sorts with those who lived there, and that you would not bring each other harm. If he/she enters the home by some other way, not crossing the threshold, there is no such implied covenant on his part. He may even despoil or kill the head of the house without any breach of the law of hospitality (this was an earlier law of India).

    The people did not understand what Jesus was saying...John 10:7--So Jesus said to them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
    8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
    9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
    10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and [fn] have it abundantly."

    Jesus calls Himself the door, which is interesting because He said in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

    In Revelations, we are told of a door that is open in Heaven...and a voice calling, "Come up here...
     
  6. skyking

    skyking Monkey+

  7. skyking

    skyking Monkey+

    Poison in the Passion of the Christ part 1 of 11

    Poison in the Passion of the Christ part 1 of 11

    well...since I'm already stepping on some folks sacred church toes may as well include this since it's such a popular easter movie
    Exposing all the unbiblical errors in the Passion of the Christ.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7_4l...layer_embedded

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XjJi...eature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKDW6...eature=related

    this should get you started

    I did not remember that bridge scene either...
     
  8. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    The main reason the Bible was translated into common languages (from Latin) was so the masses (that is us) could see the beauty and simplicity of God's promises, guidelines, and securities. Translators often gave their lives because of their works. William Tyndale told a bishop that he would that a plowboy could understand the Bible as well as he. They treacherously killed Tyndale for his work. The point of all this is: if you read/study/"mull over" God's word (Bible) and pray about it then He will give you "revelation knowledge". You will learn what God has in store for you and hopefully you can get close to the vision of His will for your life. Being in the center of His will for you is a marvelously rewarding goal. All the trappings of studies, stoic teachings, and "visionaries" will fade into unimportance. You can embrace a life filled with compassion and love for God, Jesus, and their children. Even the unsaved will take on a new "face". The gifts of the Spirit will manifest in your life and lifestyles. Am still working on most of this--have had my highs and lows. I like walking in His garden much better than on stony ground.
     
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