We are continuing to share in-depth research into the Hebrew Roots Movement (HRM). It is also known as Hebraic Roots and Jewish Roots. You can read the introduction to this series here.

Adherents of HRM believe that Christianity left its Hebrew Roots centuries ago and that what they are doing now is bringing Christianity back to its “roots.”

The research format for this series is in two sections:

  • Section One — what adherents and critics believe about the doctrine and practice of the Hebrew Roots Movement
  • Section Two — what I believe about the doctrine and practice of the Hebrew Roots Movement

We are still in Section One of this series.

We looked at the HRM belief of keeping the annual Hebrew Feast days in the last two parts of our series. We turn now to the HRM belief that Christmas and Easter are really pagan holidays. While HRM teaches observance of Hebrew Feast days, they also teach that Christians should not be involved in celebrating Christmas or Easter.

HRM Beliefs about Christmas and Easter

Many in the Hebrew Roots Movement have given up the main Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter, due to the pagan origin and customs included in them. But there are others that still celebrate, under the context of them being holidays of their culture or family. All Hebrew Roots Christians observe the Biblical Holy Days to some degree, even if they disagree on whether we’re under the command to do so. We all agree that there are benefits to observing these days, whether spiritual or educational. Understanding Different Beliefs Among Hebrew Roots Christians

We understand and agree with the desire to celebrate Christ’s birth and resurrection, yet Christmas and Easter are undeniably manmade celebrations that began as borrowed pagan celebrations and over time have been further co-opted by the secular world. For these reasons, we have chosen different occasions to celebrate the Believer’s intent of Christmas and Easter. Therefore, while there is no God-ordained biblical feast after which we can model a celebration of Jesus’ birth, there is a series of 3 God-ordained biblical festivals that precisely speak of His death, burial, and resurrection: the Biblical Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. We celebrate those feasts in lieu of Easter. Our Beliefs

Not only can Christmas customs be described as “a descent from seasonal, pagan” practices, they relate specifically to the most famous of the ancient Roman pagan festivals, one that was tied to December 25. Saturnalia was observed during Roman times (at least as far back as several centuries b.c.e.—the exact origin is unknown). It was a festival of feasting, music, general merry-making, role reversals, and even hedonism and gladiator combat, in honor of the Roman god Saturn. Gift-giving was one of the most important elements of this festival, and children were bestowed with toys. Saturnalia celebrants would wear a “pileus”—a brimless, conical felt hat. Evergreen wreaths decorated homes, and Roman temples were decorated with evergreen trees. It was a festival of “lights,” with the lighting of candles and various objects. Short messages containing poetry and verse were gifted alongside presents (seen to be an early equivalent to our modern greeting cards). Round decorations, known as “oscilla,” were hung from trees, doors and other objects. (As for the “role reversals” in Saturnalia—men dressing as women, servants as masters, etc.—these same practices are a traditional part of Christmas’s “Twelfth Night” celebrations.) Christmas Trees

Constantine used religion as a political tool, and started to introduce the Babylonian mystery religions in 313 A.D. which then established a foothold with the holding of the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. In 375 A.D., the Church of Rome under Pope Julius I merely announced that the birth date of Christ had been “discovered” to be December 25th, and was accepted as such by the “faithful.” The festival of Saturnalia and the birthday of Mithras could now be celebrated as the birthday of Christ, even though the early church fathers, including Origen, stated for the record that it was blasphemous to celebrate this festival. Following the lead of Rome, the Church at Jerusalem commenced the celebration of Christmas, around 440 A.D. As Messianic believers we should seek G-d’s will in all we do.  Adonai commanded that we abstain from idols, this includes practicing pagan traditions and calling them “Christian”. Both Christmas and Easter are pagan celebrations and are not the actual days they propose to celebrate. We celebrate the actual days of the birth (Sukkot) and resurrection of Yeshua (First Fruits), which were already G-d ordained Feasts of Israel. What About Christmas?

It’s with great encouragement as I see many believers in these days starting to question the holiday of Easter. Many are starting to rename the observance to “Passion week”, “resurrection day” or even “First Fruits Service”. They are doing this because a majority of the memberships of these churches are starting to ask questions about the traditions and practices concerning Easter. Some uncomfortable questions are being poised to pastors and church leaders and they are having to admit that Easter is rooted in pagan spring rituals and ceremonies that are proven to date back thousands of years. It’s with great encouragement as I see many believers in these days starting to question the holiday of Easter. Many are starting to rename the observance to “Passion week”, “resurrection day” or even “First Fruits Service”. They are doing this because a majority of the memberships of these churches are starting to ask questions about the traditions and practices concerning Easter. Some uncomfortable questions are being poised to pastors and church leaders and they are having to admit that Easter is rooted in pagan spring rituals and ceremonies that are proven to date back thousands of years. The Hidden Pagan Roots Of Easter

‘Easter’ is one of the names of the pagan goddess, who Ha-Satan used to deceive the world and whose religion has caused suffering and misery.  Semiramis was clearly a false goddess, and her son Tammuz was an anti-Messiah, a false messiah (Christ) that has deceived millions. It is not difficult to discern the deception that Ha-Satan (the adversary) has successfully brought into the Church.   The seductive symbols of pagan religion has been incorporated into people’s lives, even to this day – continuing to obscure the truth of G-d.  From the passages in Jeremiah & Ezekiel, we can see the G-d does not approve of the mixing of True worship of G-d (YHVH) and false, pagan, gods. Pagan Origins of Easter

MODERN EASTER MIMICS ANCIENT EVIL PRACTICES IN HONOR OF THE GODDESS ISHTAR: Our Easter celebrations coincide with the timing of annual pagan celebrations in honor of the Goddess Ishtar, not the resurrection of Christ. This is a pagan religious practice started by Queen Semiramis, the moon goddess, who was the wife of Nimrod. The legend says that a great egg fell out of heaven and landed into the Euphrates River, and that Semiramis walked out of it. Bunny rabbits signify the breeding capabilities of Queen Semiramis who arrived from heaven as Ishtar the goddess of sex and fertility. After Nimrod died, she claimed that he became the Sun God Baal, Baalim, or Molech. She got pregnant by rays from his sunshine, and that their baby, named Tammuz, was Nimrod reincarnated. For years, this mystery religion was practiced in the following manner. Pagan priests of Baal would impregnate virgins in the Temple on Easter Day. Nine months later the children born from these rituals would be born on or about Christmas day to commemorate the new birth of the sun during the winter Solstice when the sun is thought to die and be reborn as the days begin to be longer after the shortest day of the year. By next Easter these newborns babes could be sacrificed, and eggs dyed in their blood when they are about 4 months old to celebrate the New Life of Springtime. This is what Easter was always about before the time of Christ and is still practiced behind the veil of Christian names and purposes. Israel had this same problem as recorded in Ezekiel 8:14, 15, & 16 where we find that women were weeping for Tammuz at the door of the Yahweh’s House (the Temple). Also, at the door of the temple, 25 men faced the sun in the East and worshiped the Sun. Easter Is Pagan

eBook

You can download a free eBook of Chapters One – Five of this study here. Please share with family and friends as God leads.

Next Time

In the next part of our special series, The ‘Hebrew Roots’ Movement, we’ll look at how critics of HRM respond to followers beliefs that Christmas and Easter are “pagan traditions” adopted by Christians.

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