You may have seen the memes recently from those who claim that Easter is from Ishtar and that Easter is pagan, you may have wondered if there is anything there. Well, there is, and there isn't. Both sides have set up intellectual embattlements, and I've heard people on both sides make blatantly wrong or false assertions. With that said, I don't think either side is getting the point. The focus should always be on Christ.
Before we start, let us put on the correct spirit.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
Colossians 2:8
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Colossians 2:16-17
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.”
Romans 14:10, 13-15
There are two views on this, here is the basis for the predominate Anti-Easter view:
Genesis 10:8-10 says:
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord. And the beginning of his kingdom was BABEL, and Erech, and Accad,and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”
After the death of Cush, his father, Nimrod married his own mother and became a powerful King and a god-man to the people. Semiramis, his wife and mother, became the powerful Queen of ancient Babylon. Later to become the 'mother of god' and the 'Queen of heaven'.
Nimrod was eventually killed by an enemy, and his body was cut in pieces and sent to various parts of his kingdom. Semiramis told the people of Babylon that Nimrod had ascended to the sun and was now to be called "Baal", the sun god.
Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived and she taught that the moon was a goddess that went through a 28-day cycle and ovulated when full. She further claimed that she came down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River. This was to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.
Semiramis became known as "Ishtar" which is pronounced "Easter", and her moon egg became known as "Ishtar's" egg”(Easter Egg). Ishtar (Semiramis) soon became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to conceive. The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz.
Tammuz was noted to be especially fond of rabbits, and they became sacred in the ancient religion, because Tammuz was believed to be the son of the sun-god, Baal. Tammuz, like his supposed father, became a hunter. The day came when Tammuz was killed by a wild pig.
Queen Ishtar told the people that Tammuz was now ascended to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit. Ishtar, who was now worshiped as the "Mother of God” and “Queen of Heaven", continued to build her mystery religion.
After Tammuz was killed by a wild pig the “Queen of Heaven” proclaimed a Forty-Day period of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death of Tammuz. Every year, on the First Sunday after the first full moon, after the spring equinox, a celebration was made. It was Ishtar's (Easter) Sunday and was celebrated with rabbits, eggs and ham.
The truth is that the FORTY DAYS OF LENT, eggs, rabbits, hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient pagan religion of Mystery Babylon.”
“When Nimrod eventually died, the Babylonian mystery religion in which he figured prominently continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc.
“Later, when this adulterous and idolatrous woman gave birth to an illegitimate son, she claimed that this son, Tammuz by name, was Nimrod reborn.”[4] Semiramis “claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived [no human father] and that he was the promised seed, the ‘savior'” – promised by God in Genesis 3:15. “However, not only was the child worshipped, but the woman, the MOTHER, was also worshipped as much (or more) than the son!”[5] Nimrod deified as the god of the sun and father of creation. Semiramis became the goddess of the moon, fertility, etc.” ( http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html)”
We even see this worship in Old Testament Biblical times. There were appointed 40 days to weep for Tammuz, the Queen of Heaven's child. This was often preceded by wild drunken and gluttonous behavior, sound familiar?
“In verse 14 of Ezekiel 8, Ezekiel expresses his "dismay" at yet a greater abomination: "women . . . weeping for Tammuz." This is another pagan practice, a very sexual one involving ritual prostitution. Ezekiel saw them involved in a rite in which they were mourning the death of a Mesopotamian god whose myth said he was resurrected to new life, a mockery of the redeeming death and life-giving resurrection of the true Son of God. This vision reveals that paganism had deeply affected the women in Israelite society as well.” (https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/13229/Weeping-for-Tammuz.htm)
“Symbolism is very important aspect of pagan worship. If pagans have depictions of their moon goddess on a moon, history tell us and shows us about Semiramis and Tammuz (Nimrod) being worship as gods, and the bible clearly denounces the worship of the “Queen of Heaven”, why do your churches allow worship and prayer to their images and why do they addressed Mary as the queen of heaven knowing it was used for a false goddess? Like I said before, because your churches are still worshipping theses false gods. The worst part about it is that your priest, pastors and the pope know their worshipping them but the masses of people don't know the truth. Ask your leaders about these things and show them the proof, they will deny it. Your churches are under satan and your being deceived. Wake up to the truth because our Heavenly Father will not accept our ignorance because He knows we do not search for the truth and even those that will hear the truth won't believe. Share this truth with others and come back to the God of the bible.” (https://bibletrutheducation.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/jeremiah-4410-27-they-ar/)
And here is the Pro-Easter argument:
From History.com
“According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit's Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.”
So is Easter a Pagan Holiday? Maybe, maybe not but do the eggs and rabbits ultimately replace Christ as the focus of Resurrection Sunday? More often than not, little Easter goers actually walk away with very little of Christ and very much of the egg laying rabbit. Perhaps we should look more to the feasts that Christ fulfilled: Unleavened Bread, Passover, and First Fruits.
Christ came into Jerusalem on Unleavened Bread during the time the Passover Lamb was to be brought into the city on the same route. They shouted Hosanna and casted palms before Him. Christ was crucified as the ultimate Passover Lamb the day before Passover and his work was done. On Sunday, First Fruits, Christ rose as the First Fruits of the Resurrection. All in fulfillment of prophecy.
May I encourage you this year to think more about Christ and His glorious fulfillment of our salvation than you do Rabbits and Eggs.