Our Pagan World : The Easter Myth Exposed! : Part 5

OUR PAGAN WORLD -- THE EASTER MYTH EXPOSED! : PART 5

Copyright 1994 - 2008 Endtime Prophecy Net

Last Updated : July 23, 2006

New Life And The Sun Or Resurrection And The Son, Eggs And
Rabbits, Aurora And Her Son Lucifer, Satan's Fall, Distorted
Myths, Satanic Lies, Satan The Light Bearer, Jesus The True
Light Of The World And Real Morning Star, Father Of Lights,
Woman Of Revelation 12, Ishtar, William Tyndale's And Martin
Luther's Links To Roman Catholicism, Emperor Constantine And
Edict Of Milan, Biblical View On Materialism And Worldliness,
Roman Catholicism's Earthly Empire, Satan's Offer, Compromise
And Hiding Our Light, Ecumenism And One World Religion, Roman
Politics & Christianity An Ungodly Marriage, Lip Service Only
Byzantine Era, RCC Symbolic Of Babylon, New "Queen Of Heaven"

Considering all of the historical material which we have now
covered, I hope that you can see, (unless, of course, you
simply desire to continue living under strong delusion), how
Easter, or more appropriately, the Feast of Ishtar, is based
upon pagan rites, which among other things, celebrated human
sexuality. While the Feast of Ishtar does celebrate new life,
it is by no means the New Life, or Eternal Life, which has
been promised to us by our Heavenly Father, through our faith
in the Sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. In a historical
sense, the Festival of Easter/Ishtar celebrates the rebirth,
or the return of the Sun from the South, (not the actual
Resurrection of the true Son), each year, and was symbolized
by the alleged resurrection of Tammuz/Baal/Osiris in the
various cultures of the Middle East, and nothing more. This
festival was to thank the gods for the growth of crops, and
for the fertility of women and beasts, which occurred during
the warm Spring season.

As we have also seen, the idea of associating rabbits and
colored eggs with the festival, (both of which are symbols of
fertility), can be traced back as far as the ancient Germans,
and their version of Ishtar, who they called Ostara. If we
consider that the Anglo-Saxons appear to have adopted some
of their gods from the Romans, (don't forget that they were
an important part of the Holy Roman Empire), then I wouldn't
be the least bit surprised if somewhere in the remote past,
rabbits and eggs could be tied into the Roman celebrations
as well. Please note, however, that I have not yet verified
this point.

This brings us to another important point I wish to discuss
in this series. You will recall that in part two, I stated
that the Roman version of Ishtar/Ostara was known as Aurora.
While her name is spelled quite differently from the others,
nevertheless, her function in Roman mythology was the same
as that found in the other pagan belief systems. Aurora was
a companion of the sun god, and associated with the dawn.
The online Encyclopedia Mythica states in part:

----- Begin Quote -----

Aurora is the Roman personification of the dawn. She is also
the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Eos. Aurora is
seen as a lovely woman who flies across the sky announcing
the arrival of the sun.

----- End Quote -----

The Perseus search engine also states the following under
the name Greek name 'Eos', who, as I have stated earlier,
was the equivalent of the Roman Aurora:

----- Begin Quote -----

The Greek name of Aurora (q.v.), the goddess of morning,
whence the epithet Eous is applied to all the eastern parts
of the world (Ovid, Fast.iii. 406). She was the daughter of
Hyperion and Thia or Euryphassa. At the close of each night
she arose from the couch of her consort Tithonus and, drawn
on a chariot by the steeds Lampus and Phaâ€˜ton, ascended to
heaven from the river Oceanus to announce the coming of the
sun to gods and mortals. In Homer she accompanies the sun on
his course, and in the tragic poets is identified with
Hemera or the Day.

----- End Quote -----

As an interesting side note, the Encyclopedia Mythica also
states that one of Aurora's sons was Lucifer; but as we
Christians know from the Scriptures, the Romans were by no
means the very first culture to honour him. This demon of
darkness, who is ironically referred to as the Light Bearer,
a term derived from the Hebrew words 'heylel' and 'halal',
meaning to shine, to boast, or to be praised, is mentioned
way back during the time of the Babylonian Empire. In fact,
as I mention in my old article 'Satan: Origin, Purpose And
Future', in Isaiah chapter fourteen, the king of Babylon is
compared to Lucifer; who, because of his pride, fell from
Grace, as we see by the following verses:

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst
weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I
will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the
stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet
thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the
pit." Isaiah 14:12-15, KJV

"And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven." Luke 10:18, KJV

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called
the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he
was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out
with him." Revelation 12:9, KJV

"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of
the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he
laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast
him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal
upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till
the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he
must be loosed a little season." Revelation 20:1-3, KJV

"Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the
LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be
unpunished...Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty
spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:5, 18, KJV

One thing which is rather obvious, is that these pagan myths
contain a number of elements which are also a part of our
Christian faith; however, the problem here, is that in these
myths, the truth is totally distorted, perverted, and in
fact reversed from reality. Allow me to give you a clear-cut
example. According to Roman mythology, Lucifer, who was the
supposed son of Aurora/Ishtar/Easter, is represented by the
planet Venus; which, as some of you will already know, is
often referred to as the 'Morning Star'. This again reveals
the terrible deception which not only permeates the ancient
myths, but which is also a core belief of modern luciferian
doctrine.

You see; modern Luciferians/Satanists, believe that Lucifer
is actually the true 'Light Bearer', and the 'Morning Star',
while Jesus Christ is the imposter. In their deception, they
are of the belief that Jesus has usurped the position and
power which truly belongs to Lucifer. But allow me to remind
you what the Bible has to say about this terrible deception:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put
darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter
for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20, KJV

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14, KJV

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices." 2 Corinthians 2:11, KJV

"...He [Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, and abode
not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he
speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar,
and the father of it." John 8:44b, KJV

So just like all of the other false gods and goddesses we
have discussed in this series, Satan, or Lucifer, is a liar
and a deceiver. As Jesus says in the above verse, there is
absolutely no truth in Satan's claims. He is not the true
'Light Bearer', and is not the true 'Morning Star'; Jesus
Christ is, as we see by the following verses:

"Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who
stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:"
Psalms 104:2, KJV

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light:
they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon
them hath the light shined." Isaiah 9:2, KJV

"And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy
One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and
his briers in one day;" Isaiah 10:17, KJV

"In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the
light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it
not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The
same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that
all men through him might believe. He was not that Light,
but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the
true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world." John 1:4-9, KJV

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of
the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness,
but shall have the light of life." John 8:12, KJV

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
John 9:5, KJV

"Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light
with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come
upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not
whither he goeth...I am come a light into the world, that
whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."
John 12:35, 46, KJV

"The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for
brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD
shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy
glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon
withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting
light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended."
Isaiah 60:19-20, KJV

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon,
to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the
Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are
saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the
earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates
of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no
night there." Revelation 21:23-25, KJV

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of
David, and the bright and morning star."
Revelation 22:16, KJV

It stands to reason then, that if Satan is a liar and a
deceiver, then his mythological mother, Aurora, must be one
as well, when she claims that she heralded the rising of the
sun god each morning, just as Eos was associated with the
dawn by the Greeks, Ostara was associated with the dawn by
the Germans, Ashtoreth was the wife/companion of the sun god
Baal, Ishtar was the wife/companion of the sun god Tammuz,
and Isis was the sky goddess who supposedly brought Osiris
back to life. It is all based upon nothing but lies, and a
twisting of Scriptural truth. We have already seen that Jesus
is the true Light of the world, and the Morning Star. What
you may not know, is that the Bible also compares God to the
Sun, as we see here:

"For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give
grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them
that walk uprightly." Psalms 84:11, KJV

So if anyone has a right to be symbolically compared to the
physical Sun, it is our Heavenly Father, because as I point
out in such articles as 'The Children Of Light: Are You One
Of Us?', He is in fact referred to by the Apostle James as
the 'Father of Lights'. He is the brightest that there is.
He is the most glorious of them all:

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and
cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17, KJV

It may also surprise you to know that just as these pagan
moon goddesses received their glory from a powerful sun god,
the Bible also tells us that in a prophetic sense, Israel,
(or the Endtime Church, depending on your interpretation),
likewise receives her glory from the Sun, (meaning God), and
has the Moon under her feet. Similarly, just as these pagan
goddesses were 'star goddesses', who were represented by
heavenly bodies in the sky, the symbolic woman of Revelation
chapter twelve is also crowned with twelve stars, as we see
by the following verse:

"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon
her head a crown of twelve stars:" Revelation 12:1, KJV

For more on the above topic, please refer to my series 'The
Woman In The Wilderness And The 144,000'. So again, in all
of these myths, we see that whether we are talking about
Isis, Ishtar, Ashtoreth, Astarte, Eos, Easter, Ostara or
Aurora, they are all associated with the sun god in some
way; either by bringing him back to life, or by announcing
his arrival, or in some other way. Similar to the Bible, we
find the elements of the Sun, Moon, and stars mentioned; we
find a mention of Satan the 'Light Bearer'; and we even find
a resurrection story dealing with the Sun, but not the true
Son of God. Can you see the terrible deception which is at
work here, and the satanic twisting of Biblical truth? In
actuality, it appears that we are really dealing with just
one myth here, that is quite consistent throughout thousands
of years of world history, with merely some minor variations
existing between these various cultures.

While we can find reasons to easily explain why the ancient
cultures believed in so many different gods and goddesses,
the question I would like to ask you is this: Why is it that
the Easter myth has persisted even to our modern day? Is it
possible that there is some kind of driving force which has
purposely kept it alive in spite of the modernization of our
society? Of course, I am being rhetorical, because I already
have an answer which seems to make perfect sense.

There are several facts in our story which all seem to point
to the same source. Please consider the following:

1. Both William Tyndale, and his fellow Reformer, Martin
Luther, were greatly influenced by the Roman Catholic Church.
In fact, according to the sources I've read, William Tyndale
was a Roman Catholic priest, while Martin Luther was a Roman
Catholic monk, before they rebelled against the 'holy mother
church'.

2. Historically-speaking, the Roman Catholic Church has had
very negative feelings towards the Jews. It was only recently
that Pope John Paul II offered apologies to the Jews.

3. A large part of Tydnale's work was achieved while he was
in Germany, in the company of Martin Luther. This very area
was the stronghold of the false goddess Ostara, to whom
sacrifices were made around the time of the Passover.

4. We know for a fact that William Tyndale repeatedly used
'Easter', and derivatives thereof, in his translation of the
New Testament. It seems quite plausible that, given his
negative sentiments towards the Jews, Luther may have done
the very same thing. As we saw in part one, the English word
'Easter' is derived from the Saxon word 'Eostre', so this
adds weight to the idea that Martin Luther may have replaced
'Passover' with 'Eostre', just as Tyndale replaced it with
'Easter' and 'Ester'.

5. The ancient Germans, who were a part of the Holy Roman
Empire, appear to have adopted some of their gods from the
Romans, and simply renamed them. Thus, the goddess Aurora of
the Romans became the German goddess Ostara/Eostre, who then
became the 'Easter' of the Anglo-Saxons of Great Britain; and
as we have already seen, she can actually be traced all the
way back to the Isis, Ishtar and Ashtoreth of the Middle East.

Taking all of these points into consideration, it seems
rather evident that the idea of integrating the name of this
pagan Ishtar/Easter goddess, and the rituals associated with
her, into our Christian faith, and then popularizing and
perpetuating it, was accomplished by none other than the
Roman Catholic Church; and this is not the only time that
she has resorted to these kinds of tactics.

So our next question should probably be: Why would the Roman
Catholic Church do this?

As I explain in other articles, during the fourth century,
the founding fathers of the Roman Catholic Church seriously
compromised our Christian faith, in order to consolidate
their power and wealth, and to expand their influence over
the pagan masses throughout the Roman Empire. This treachery
began in earnest during the reign of Emperor Constantine, due
to the fact that it was at that time, in the year 313 A.D.
to be precise, that Constantine issued the historical Edict
of Milan, by the which, after years of being a persecuted
faith, Christianity was formally established throughout the
Roman Empire as a 'religio licita'; that is to say, a legal
religion. In other words, it was at that time that Christians
were transformed from being the victims in the coliseums of
Rome, and an ostracized minority religion, to becoming quite
prominent, respectable citizens in the empire, even owning
wealth and property. Sadly, as you will know, this attitude
was contrary to the original teachings of Jesus Christ, and
His first Apostles, who instructed us as follows:

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth
and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also...No man can serve two masters: for
either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he
will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon." Matthew 6:19-21, 24, KJV

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the
world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is
not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the
flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world
passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the
will of God abideth for ever." 1 John 2:15-17, KJV

"No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of
this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be
a soldier." 2 Timothy 2:4, KJV

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever
therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of
God." James 4:4, KJV

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out
of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
John 15:19, KJV

"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world...They are not of the world, even as I am not of the
world." John 17:14, 16, KJV

Sadly, going by the historical record, we're given the clear
impression that the leaders of the early Roman Catholic
Church wanted to do the exact opposite. Rather than remain
an ostracized society, the RCC leaders seem to have wanted
to be accepted by Rome. They were no longer willing to pay
the price of being social outcasts in the world because of
their unwavering faith in Jesus, like John, James and the
other Apostles had been. They desired to be a part of the
world, and they foolishly lusted after power and wealth. In
short, it is safe to say that they accepted the very offer
which Jesus had wisely refused in Luke chapter four, as we
see here:

"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed
unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give
thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me;
and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt
worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said
unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve." Luke 4:5-8, KJV

Why did Jesus do this? Because as He would later say to
Pilate just prior to His Crucifixion:

"...My Kingdom is not of this world..." John 18:36a, KJV

What about yours?

One of the methods that the Roman Catholic fathers used in
order to achieve their worldly objectives, and to strengthen
their position within the Empire, was to adopt and blend
many pagan beliefs and practices, with the pure Christian
doctrine which had been carefully passed down to them since
the time of Jesus Christ and His original Apostles, only a
few centuries before. And as history clearly shows us, that
is all the time that is really required, in order to pollute
a faith. Just look at the sad spiritual condition of the USA
today, after barely two hundred years of existence. She has
gone from being a God-fearing nation, which was founded upon
Biblical principles, to becoming a 'multi-cultural society',
where even our school-aged children are now taught to say
the more politically-correct 'happy holidays', lest they
offend someone who is not a Christian. America's leaders are
teaching American children to hide their spiritual light
under a bushel, which is totally contrary to what our Lord
instructed us to do, as we see here:

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 5:16, KJV

"Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words
in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall
the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of
his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:38, KJV

So, as I was saying, Roman festivals in honour of the gods
were transformed into Christian holy days. This was made
particularly easy when the dates of the Roman festivals
closely coincided with those of Christian holy days. As we
have now seen, this is precisely what happened in the case
of Roman Spring fertility rites and the worship of the sun,
and the day of our Lord's Resurrection. The bishops of the
fourth century accelerated the process of polluting and
perverting our faith, in order to entice the pagans into
joining the new institutionalized version of Christianity.
To just expect the heathen to suddenly abandon their own
gods, in order to embrace the new Christian God, would have
undoubtedly caused some rather serious problems for the
Roman government; so it seems that there may have been a
very gradual process involved here; a process which resulted
in compromise on the part of the so-called 'church fathers'.

This process of assimilation has continued to our very day.
All over the world, Roman Catholicism has adopted some of
the customs and beliefs of the native peoples. Some of you
reading this will know exactly what I am talking about.
Furthermore, at this very moment as I write this, a subtle
plan to create a 'One World Religion', under the guise of
so-called 'ecumenism' is under way. Exactly who is heading
this movement? None other than the Roman Catholic Church;
because apparently, they are convinced that they, and their
pope, will be the official head of this new religion. As I
have pointed out before, the Roman Catholic Church views
itself as being far superior to all other religions, and the
inerrant voice of God on Earth. For a more in-depth look at
this topic, please visit the following URL at our web site:

Roman Catholicism Articles

At this point, I want to say something which I don't want
you to forget, because I really believe that it is of the
Lord; and that is this: The Christians of the fourth century
did NOT 'Christianize' Rome. The truth of the matter is that
Rome secularized, and institutionalized, Christianity. Rome
turned our faith into a very worldly, and violent, religion.
While we often hear the story of how Rome was so filled with
secret Christians, that it was bound to be converted sooner
or later, my suspicion is that Constantine's conversion, if
it ever really occurred at all, may merely have been nothing
more than a strategic move on his part. After all, like all
Roman emperors, Constantine was a shrewd ruler, who had to
constantly protect himself from ambitious adversaries, even
within his own ranks. Perhaps he realized that here was a
powerful force which he could use to his advantage, in order
to unite the Empire under one common faith, as long as he
controlled that faith. In other words, Roman politics and
Christianity became entwined in an ungodly marriage. For
more information regarding this topic, please refer to my
article 'Christian Warfare: Is It Scripturally Justified?'.

In my view, Roman Catholicism is perhaps the most polluted,
materialistic, idolatrous branch of so-called Christianity
that I have ever seen. From the time that Constantine set up
his capital in the ancient Greek city of Byzantium, (later to
be renamed Constantinople, and currently known as Istanbul),
until now, the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy has been drunk
on worldliness, power, and wealth. Similar to backslidden
Israel of old, the RCC seems to worship God in name only, and
has glorified herself in her many richly-decorated church
buildings and other materialistic possessions, but she has
lamentably forgotten her Maker:

"For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth
temples..." Hosea 8:14a, KJV

"Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with
hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth
is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the
Lord: or what is the place of my rest?" Acts 7:48-49, KJV

"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near
me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but
have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward
me is taught by the precept of men:" Isaiah 29:13, KJV

"He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied
of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth
me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
Mark 7:6, KJV

During the Byzantine Period, Roman Catholic Churches sprung
up all over the Empire, and her leadership revelled in their
positions of power and wealth, while the common people were
burdened with indulgences, while still being denied true
Salvation and the truth of the Gospel, because the Word of
God was maintained in the language of scholars; that is, in
Latin. As I pointed out in 'The History Of The KJV Bible',
when the brave Reformers of the fourteenth and sixteenth
centuries began to translate the Holy Scriptures into
English, so that their countrymen might better understand
God's Plan of Salvation, the 'holy mother church' reacted
violently, and a clear record of her bloody deeds can be
found in 'Foxe's Book of Martyrs', a copy of which you will
find on our 'Armageddon' Hotline server.

Literally millions of people were killed by her all across
Europe and the Middle East as a result of their refusal to
accept Rome's brand of Christianity. Now, while I personally
am not yet convinced of this particular view, is it really
any wonder then, that from the time of the Reformers until
now, many people have been strongly convinced that the Roman
Catholic Church, or the popish church as she has been called,
is the Biblical Babylon the Great Whore, in whom was found
the blood of Prophets and of Saints? Truly, she has ridden
upon the political beast of the world, and has proclaimed
herself the queen of the Christian faith, the 'holy mother
church', just as Babylon in the Book of Revelation is
called:

"...MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:5, KJV

This leads us to our final topic for this series. We have
seen how the 'Easter' goddess has been loved and worshipped
from culture to culture down through the ages. The question
I would like to ask you is this: Is it possible that she is
still worshipped today in a very subtle way? We have already
seen that the day which has been designated to celebrate our
Lord's Resurrection from the dead has been besmirched by the
name of this false sex goddess, but does the deception truly
end there? Is it possible that this deceptive mistress of
disguises, who has gone by many different names down through
the ages, has acquired a new identity in our modern times?
Before you dismiss this possibility, please consider the
following tantalizing hints.

From previous Scriptures I have shared with you, we know that
the ancient Israelites worshipped Tammuz and Ishtar, or Baal
and Ashtoreth if you prefer. In the Books of the Prophets,
there are some rather startling clues which may help us to
answer my previous questions. For example, in exposing how
the Israelites worshipped Ishtar, the Prophet Jeremiah wrote
the following lines:

"The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire,
and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen
of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods,
that they may provoke me to anger." Jeremiah 7:18, KJV

"But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out
of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven,
and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done,
we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the
cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then
had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.
But since we left off to burn incense to the queen of
heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, we have
wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and
by the famine. And when we burned incense to the queen of
heaven, and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make
her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto
her, without our men?...Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken
with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We
will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn
incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink
offerings unto her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and
surely perform your vows." Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25 KJV

This 'queen of heaven' is none other than Ishtar, the
wife/companion of Tammuz, who, as we saw in part three of
this series, was also worshipped by the Israelites. Here
again are the verses in order to refresh your memory:

"He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt
see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me
to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward
the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man?
turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations
than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the
LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the
LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and
twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD,
and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun
toward the east." Ezekiel 8:13-16, KJV

What is amazing about the verses from the Book of Jeremiah,
is the fact that the Israelites were so blind, so deceived,
and so backslidden in their hearts, that they were convinced
that they had been blessed by Ishtar, the 'queen of heaven'.
Notice that they even go so far as to tell Prophet Jeremiah
that the minute that they stopped worshipping Ishtar, and no
longer offered sacrifices to her, their troubles returned in
the form of war, invasion, famine, etc. In other words, they
were convinced that their blessings were dependent on their
adoring that pagan goddess, and NOT on adoring the true God
of Heaven, who had spared them time and time again from
their enemies. What a far cry from the praises of King David
only a few centuries before, who wrote among other things:

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will
remember the name of the LORD our God." Psalms 20:7, KJV

Having said that, allow me to ask you now: Is there a major
world religion today, in which literally millions of people
worship a spirit which manifests itself as a beautiful woman
surrounded by stars? Similar to Ishtar of old, is not this
modern spirit also reverentially referred to as the 'Queen
of Heaven' by her millions of faithful followers? Just as
the Israelites believed that their blessings were a result
of their veneration of Ishtar, do not these modern believers
diligently obey the words of their 'goddess' as well, and do
they not also constantly refer to her as 'Blessed Mother'?
It is also very interesting to note that, just as Ishtar was
associated with the sun god, it is claimed by the followers
of this modern 'Queen of Heaven', that they too have seen
miracles occur in association with the sun. Personally, if I
were a member of this religion, I would be terribly troubled
by the information that I have just relayed to you. For more
information on this topic, allow me to refer you to my series
entitled 'Lying Wonders Of The Endtime'. In conclusion then:

Happy Easter?

I don't think so; unless, of course, you are also comfortable
with William Tyndale referring to Christ as our 'easterlamb',
or 'esterlamb'; or should we really be saying 'Ishtar's Lamb'?

I pray that this series has been informative, and a blessing
in your life.