Brethren, I am sending this to pastor friends and acquaintances. There are many more I would send this to if I had their address. I have received a number of “Happy Easter” greetings and well wishes for the “Resurrection day.” I have also been somewhat surprised at brethren who otherwise seem more prudent, who broadcast on social media about their Easter celebration services. I am thinking most of you here would agree with what I am about to say. But if you will allow me to explain my bewilderment in this, please let me do so.
Regarding Easter, I truly do not understand brethren who coincide the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection with that of pagan Ashtereth. Nor do I understand how they can even follow along with the date of heathen tradition, which is not the anniversary of our Lord’s resurrection. We celebrate the resurrection every Sunday (which is why we gather on the Lord’s day and not Saturday). But Easter is not about the Lord’s resurrection. The concept of the Lord’s resurrection is only appended to the pre-existing heathen holiday. That is why there is a month’s difference between the actual anniversary of our Lord’s resurrection and the date of Easter this year. April 26 is the date to observe the Lord’s resurrection if you are not synthesizing it to coincide with the Vatican’s ancient Babylonian holiday. It is appalling to me how “Baptist” brethren follow in lockstep with mother Babylon as they observe Easter, calling it “resurrection Sunday.” Oh, they will say that the date is not really the issue, but that they observe the principle of the risen Saviour. If that is truly the case, then why not observe the resurrection of Christ on any other date than the one that Rome harmonized with the resurrection of Tammuz? These things are common knowledge and easy for anyone to see. It is so obvious to any Bible believer that the Easter traditions in both testaments were not of God. (Hint: wicked king Herod was NOT celebrating the Lord’s resurrection in Acts 12:4.)

God condemned the observance of the Ashtoreth/Ashtaroth/Asherah religion from which this holiday is designated. It was/is pervasive worldwide and called after many different names in different pagan cultures: Ishtar, Astarte, Ostara, Eostre, etc. The Wiccans today publicly praise the fact that Christians celebrate the same holiday they do. Even early Protestants were adamant against Christians observing “Easter” as the supposed resurrection day. This is because it was known to be in concord with ancient heathenism. It is not a matter of how devout or emotionally sincere we are as we mix the resurrection with heathen rites, sunrise services (Ezek 8:16), easter egg games, etc.- or even just relabeling their day as the “resurrection sunday.” The Ashtoreth tradition is NOT the date of the resurrection Sunday. So why do we say so as we ride along with the pervading occult tradition?

Furthermore, why would we imagine that it pleases God to assimilate a heathen holiday for a “good thing”? Perhaps we should honestly ask if “pleasing God” has anything to do with it. Was God ever pleased when His people worshipped Him with admixture of the heathen ways or observed heathen times? Did it please God when Israel worshipped the Lord at the golden calf or the high places, or the groves* of Baal*? (The groves אשירה ashirah [Phonecian Astarte] were Baal’s female Easter consorts. Baal means “Lord.” ).

So why is it so necessary to enjoin Babylon in the name of the Lord? If it is important to celebrate the anniversary of our Lord’s resurrection, why not do so on that anniversary? And why would some Christians brush this off as if this matter was a minor “hair splitting” issue of “misplaced zeal”? Perhaps because they are walking in lock-step with Rome in the spirit of Samaritan Christianity. In 2Kings 17:33-34, When the people “feared the Lord, and served their own gods, after the MANNER of the nations . . .” God said ” . . . .they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel;”

Yes, the Ashtoreth holiday tradition has great emotional sentiment to many. Some out of ignorance as they follow pastors and Christians who observe such things. Those who are familiar with the origins of Astoreth but continue to observe Easter do so out of regard for their own sentiment above that of God. And what can you say for pastors who follow the sentiment of the people rather than the word of God? What would God say of them? When we fall short in our purpose in such things, we not only fail the Lord, we do our people a great disservice. The discernment of other brethren in this matter is truly none of my business. However, since so many friends and acquaintances have shamelessly broadcast their Easter wishes to me and the public, I feel at liberty to likewise voice my opinion. Surely many will be angry at my disregard of their emotional attachment to that which they should know better. But if brethren will take public delight in the mongrelizing of the blessed resurrection, am I therefore constrained to hold my peace? Is their emotional sentiment of such greater importance than mine toward Biblical truth that I should not respond? And should I not be pained at seeing the shameless disregard of brethren toward God in is matter? I think not.

We all understand the pagan nature of most holidays, even the names of our months and days of the week are after pagan gods. We are not going to change the world’s institutions. We live in this world and we make the best of it as we can. But I see in Easter something that crosses a greater and more obvious line. The Babylonian resurrection of Tammuz is a satanic counterfeit to the most blessed event we hold dear. Unlike the Lord’s birth, the resurrection of Christ is paramount to everything.

To adulterate the observance of our Lord’s resurrection with a heathen counterfeit is serious. To observe the Lord’s resurrection according to the date of mystery Babylon’s counterfeit (even calling it by their ancient designation) is joining with her. How is it any different than the whoredom of Israel who observed the customs of the heathen at Baal-peor? All of this is bad enough. But what is worse is that this Ashtoreth holiday is always on Sunday, where the Midianitish woman is brought into the congregation in the sight of the Lord – and in the name of the Lord. Is this not a major point for the devil, who is ever seeking to adulterate the legitimate worship of the Lord? You may call it “Resurrection Sunday” but if you must do so according to the Babylonian date and tradition, you cannot deny an emotional tie to the tradition of Babylon.
” . . . .Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” Rev 18:4

Bro Les Potter