Sunrise Services
Perhaps the most "christian" of all Easter traditions is the Sunrise Service.
Throughout most of the professing church, christians gather very early on Easter morning as the sun rises in "remembrance of Christ's resurrection".
While a growing number of people are realizing that the very word "Easter" is actually the name of a pagan fertility goddess, they still cling to many traditions that stem directly from it's festival rather than the Word of Elohim.
Though many proclaim that the Easter Sunrise Service is a time of remembering when Christ rose from the dead on that early morning, they do not realize the history of that event nor the reality of the enemy's lies. The first recorded christian Sunrise Service took place in Herrnhut, by the Single Brethren, in 1732. These unmarried men went to the town graveyard to sing hymns to their "risen Savior" at dawn. (1)
Herrnhut, where the supposed "first" Sunrise Service took place, is a small municipality located in eastern Saxony, Germany. Germany is the origin of the dawn goddess "Easter" as documented by historians Bede and Jacob Grimm (2).
Sunrise Services themselves stem from ancient pagan origins relating to the worship of the sun as it rose early in the morning. (3)
The timing of the resurrection of our Messiah is covered in greater detail in The Feast of Firstfruits (the day He rose from the grave), but for now we'll just point out that even if Messiah rose on the first day of the week, He did not establish something new that broke the commandments of Yahweh. Firstfruits is the feast that points to Yahshua's resurrection and exemplifies His acceptable offering to the Father.
Throughout most of the professing church, christians gather very early on Easter morning as the sun rises in "remembrance of Christ's resurrection".
While a growing number of people are realizing that the very word "Easter" is actually the name of a pagan fertility goddess, they still cling to many traditions that stem directly from it's festival rather than the Word of Elohim.
Though many proclaim that the Easter Sunrise Service is a time of remembering when Christ rose from the dead on that early morning, they do not realize the history of that event nor the reality of the enemy's lies. The first recorded christian Sunrise Service took place in Herrnhut, by the Single Brethren, in 1732. These unmarried men went to the town graveyard to sing hymns to their "risen Savior" at dawn. (1)
Herrnhut, where the supposed "first" Sunrise Service took place, is a small municipality located in eastern Saxony, Germany. Germany is the origin of the dawn goddess "Easter" as documented by historians Bede and Jacob Grimm (2).
Sunrise Services themselves stem from ancient pagan origins relating to the worship of the sun as it rose early in the morning. (3)
The timing of the resurrection of our Messiah is covered in greater detail in The Feast of Firstfruits (the day He rose from the grave), but for now we'll just point out that even if Messiah rose on the first day of the week, He did not establish something new that broke the commandments of Yahweh. Firstfruits is the feast that points to Yahshua's resurrection and exemplifies His acceptable offering to the Father.
Goddess of the Dawn
"Ostara, Eástre seems therefore to have been the divinity of the radiant dawn, of up-springing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted by the resurrection-day of the christian's God. Bonfires were lighted at Easter and according to popular belief of long standing, the moment the sun rises on Easter Sunday morning, he gives three joyful leaps, he dances for joy ... Water drawn on the Easter morning is, like that at Christmas, holy and healing ... here also heathen notions seems to have grafted themselves on great christian festivals. Maidens clothed in white, who at Easter, at the season of returning spring, show themselves in clefts of the rock and on mountains, are suggestive of the ancient goddess" (4)
Easter, Eostre in the old Germanic tongue, was believed to be the goddess of the dawn. The word Eostre comes from an Indo-European root "aws" meaning, 'illumination, especially at dawn'. Eostre - 'eos-aster' therefore means: "dawn star".
As Jacob Grimm recorded in his research through German history the goddess of Ostara (Eostre as Venerable Bede called her) found, as Bede did, that the goddess was worshiped at the time of the spring equinox with rites surrounding the rising of the sun. This false goddess was considered not only a being of fertility, but of light as well, hence the association with the sun rise.
John Andrew Boyle cites from Dictionnaire Etymologique de la Langue Latine by A. Ernout and A. Meillet that hares were often believed to carry the lights of Eostre, as goddess of the dawn, hence the association of the "Easter bunny". (5) A strong link has been drawn between hares and Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, pleasure, and procreation (fertility) whose Roman counterpart was Venus, another goddess of fertility and sex. (6)(7)
This thread of fertility goddesses that is strung throughout time is a consistent picture of the enemy's attempts to guide people away from the truth and is still seen today.
Easter, Eostre in the old Germanic tongue, was believed to be the goddess of the dawn. The word Eostre comes from an Indo-European root "aws" meaning, 'illumination, especially at dawn'. Eostre - 'eos-aster' therefore means: "dawn star".
As Jacob Grimm recorded in his research through German history the goddess of Ostara (Eostre as Venerable Bede called her) found, as Bede did, that the goddess was worshiped at the time of the spring equinox with rites surrounding the rising of the sun. This false goddess was considered not only a being of fertility, but of light as well, hence the association with the sun rise.
John Andrew Boyle cites from Dictionnaire Etymologique de la Langue Latine by A. Ernout and A. Meillet that hares were often believed to carry the lights of Eostre, as goddess of the dawn, hence the association of the "Easter bunny". (5) A strong link has been drawn between hares and Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty, pleasure, and procreation (fertility) whose Roman counterpart was Venus, another goddess of fertility and sex. (6)(7)
This thread of fertility goddesses that is strung throughout time is a consistent picture of the enemy's attempts to guide people away from the truth and is still seen today.
What is HIS Perspective?
"So He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh's house; and there, at the door of the temple of Yahweh,
between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh
and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east."
- Ezekiel 8:16
Here the prophet Ezekiel is shown in a vision what Yahweh was seeing all along. These men with their backs to the temple and facing the sun were worshiping IT rather than its Creator! He said it was an abomination. Previous to that Ezekiel was shown women, sitting in the door of the north gate in the temple, weeping for Tammuz. This was a false Sumerian god of fertility whose mother was believed to be Semiramis - a possible precursor to false goddesses such as Easter. The myth of Tammuz and weeping for him is likely to be the basis for the season of Lent. Interestingly enough these two situations that Yahweh shows Ezekiel are seen even today in the 40 days of Lent and the Sunrise Service on Easter Sun-day!
I know and have heard the arguments that some would offer up in defense of this time. Many would say it is absurd to think that "the Lord" would condemn such practices as Sunrise Services and that they are not worshiping the sun!
To them I offer the following thought to consider:
In Exodus 32 we read of the infamous golden calf incident. Moses had gone up into the mountain to meet with Elohim and left Aaron "in charge". The people began questioning whether or not Moses was even alive and pressured Aaron into making an image. For whatever reason they decided to make the image of the bull is not entirely understood at this time but what is very clear is what is said in verse 5.
"So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, 'Tomorrow is a feast to Yahweh'."
Wow! Aaron made a molded image in the midst of the people proclaiming that this was the Elohim who brought them out of Egypt, and then proclaimed a feast to Yahweh. This is a very clear picture of the syncretism that we see today. Combining pagan idol worship with the worship of our Creator.
Looking at Deuteronomy 12:4 we see,
"You shall not worship Yahweh your Elohim with such things."
What things? All those listed in verses 2-3 that encompass false worship in the face of the living Elohim. Pagan, idolatrous images, pillars, and the like. In other words, no matter what ritual or tradition has been handed down to you if it is in opposition to what our heavenly Father deems acceptable in His sight then get rid of it!
The worship of the sun is the basis of most, if not all, pagan practices and religions around the world. The sun is an amazing part of the creation but it is just an object and not the Creator Himself. Our heavenly Father knows what is good for us and also what is harmful. When He points out things that are in opposition to His Word and tells us to stay away from them it is because of His great love for us. He knows what can ensnare and keep us from seeing the entirety of the truth of His perfect Word.
"Trust in Yahweh with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths."
- Proverbs 3:5-6
Resources:
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise_service
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostara
(3) The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1981, p.41.
(4) Grimm 1882: 291
(5) Boyle (1972:323—324)
(6) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/29573/Aphrodite
(7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_%28mythology%29
(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunrise_service
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostara
(3) The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1981, p.41.
(4) Grimm 1882: 291
(5) Boyle (1972:323—324)
(6) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/29573/Aphrodite
(7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_%28mythology%29