That the worship of Tammuz was popular generations before the Word came to earth as Jesus Christ is evidenced in Ezekiel 8:14-16. Here the prophet is taken to God’s temple in vision and is shown an abominable sight–Israelite women “weeping for Tammuz.” Ezekiel was also shown a number of men facing east while bowing before the rising sun, which represented Tammuz, the son of the son god. The women were weeping for Tammuz because, according to heathen legend, he had been killed by a wild boar at age 40. Therefore, the women were mourning for 40 days in commemoration of the event–one day for each year of his life. During those 40 days the women would deny themselves a pleasure. The 40 days are today referred to as the Lenten Season, or Lent. “Ash Wednesday” marks the beginning of Lent. To further recognize Tammuz’ importance, a wild boar was killed and ham was eaten on Easter Sunday. Following the so-called Protestant Reformation, protestants left off the observance of Lent but retained all other aspects of the Easter celebration.

Later, Tammuz’s mother, Semiramus, died. In order to keep the divine family’s spiritual presence alive, a legend was devised in which Semiramus, following her death, ascended to the sun where, after cavort- ing with Nimrod–now the sun god–she was given a title and dispatched back to earth inside a giant egg. The egg containing the newly crowned Goddess of Fertility landed in the Euphrates River where it was rolled up on the bank and sat upon by birds until it hatched, at which time out came Easter who, among other things, changed a chicken into an egg-laying rabbit. With this the rabbit-egg-chick aspect of the Easter celebration was born. In some pagan societies children were physically sacrificed to Easter and their blood used to die the eggs that the rabbit had laid. Today religious people sacrifice their children spiritually by having them celebrate the pagan holiday which features rabbits, chicks and died eggs.

Over the years the observance of Easter has remained one of the most poplar pagan rituals observed by the Institutional Church. It is interesting to note that the festival honoring the goddess wasn’t restricted to any particular area of the world. Easter was also known as Isis (Egypt), Athena (Greece), Minerva (Egypt and Greece), Diana (Ephesis), Cybele (Rome) and Ashtoreth (Palestine and Israel). Secular his- tory records that the goddess of love was being worshiped at the time of the vernal equinox some 1500 years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

Pope Gregory XIII, in an attempt to “… meet the pagans half way,” manipulated the Julian calendar in order to make Easter and Jesus’ resurrection coincide. This joining of Jesus and Tammuz satisfied the “saved” pagans who had entered the church en masse.

The embracing of paganism by the Institutional Church having become commonplace, and church evan- gelitic and missionary programs having been established, the worship of the heathen goddess of fertility eventually spread to the British Isles, and by 1752, to the New World where Easter, along with the obser- vance of Christmas and the Sunday Sabbath, continue to this day to demonstrate to the world the power Satan has over the professing Christendom. God’s Words to the church should snap her out of her spiritual stupor: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord’ and do not what I command you” (Lk. 6:46)? “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites as it is written, ‘This people honors Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as (My) doctrines the commandments of men. All too well you reject the commandment of God that you may hold to your tradition'” (Mk. 7:6-9). The observance of Easter is a commandment of men, not of God. We are commanded by God to observe Christ’s death by celebrating Passover and taking what is called “Communion” until He returns (1 Cor. 11:26). Nowhere are we told to commemorate His birth or resurrection. Nor are we told to conduct “sunrise services” in His honor by emulating the custom the pagans and some Israelites practiced in honoring Tammuz. Such practices are abominations to God. To reject the Lord’s Words makes one accursed, removed from Him, bewitched and foolish (Gal. 1:6-10; 3:1). In second Corinthians 6:14-7:1 He commands that His saints not be spiritually united with unbelievers in that there can be NO fellow- ship between His people and false religion because light and darkness, faith and faithlessness, His Temple and Satan’s temple, believers and infidels, Christ and Belial do not mix. In spite of Ezekiel 22:26 the church mixes the holy with the profane, and in so doing, profanes God. Bear in mind that what happened in Old Testament times was recorded for OUR instruction (1 Cor. 1:11). We are warned in Colossians 2:8 not to follow the traditions of religious men and the world. Today “Good Friday” (Tammuz’ death day) and “Resurrection Sunday” (his resurrection day) are celebrated by millions. Jesus warned us about these and other of Satan’s “… things of man” in Matthew 16:23. He warns us again in Deuteronomy 12:30,31: “… take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them (the heathen) … do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ Do not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done for their gods.” He goes on to speak specifically of people sacrificing their children to their gods. As previously mentioned, some pagans did this in honor of the goddess Easter.

Paul warns the church in Second Corinthians 11:4,12-15 about false prophets who preach a false gospel (Gal.1:6-9) which exalts a false Christ. This false Messiah leads people into paganistic practices such as the celebration of Easter, Christmas and the Sunday Sabbath, none of which were observed by the early church. He commands that we examine ourselves to see if we are in “THE (one and only) FAITH”– “… THE faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

“But I celebrate Easter (Christmas, the Sunday Sabbath) in honor of God” falls on deaf ears. It matters not why one defies God; what matters is that one does. He said not to learn how the heathen honor their gods and so honor Him (Deut. 12:30,31). When one rejects His Words he exalts himself above the Lord, thereby committing idolatry. In Jeremiah 10:2-4 God specifically warns against observing what we call “Christmas.” In Exodus 20 we are commanded to remember THE Sabbath and to keep IT holy (commandment #4). He also said that not one word–not so much as a jot or tittle–can be altered in the Law (Mat. 5:18), which Paul said was holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12). When one finds that one’s religion does not line up with the Bible one is commanded to “… come ye out from among them … and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing.” Only then, the Lord says, will He be one’s God and one will be His people (2 Cor. 6:17, 18). Have questions or comments? Contact me at LPJ4142@gmail.com or P.O. Box 2352 Athens, TX U.S.A. 75751 or (903) 677-5642.