Where did Halloween come from? Straight out of the dark, dark Medieval ages.
What does this picture say? If you don’t want to be contaminated by the paganism,
Keep your distance!
Do you need visible evidence that there was an Apostasy from true religion, an evil power (the little horn of Daniel’s vision). Look at Halloween today. Then look at the prophecy in Daniel 8:8,
Daniel 8:8–12 8… the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 9And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, …12And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
It happened just as prophesied, the work of the apostate Church. This is just one example.
In its present context, Halloween is a religious festival, albeit a pagan religious festival. Our world today isn’t as far removed from paganism as we might think.
Two thousand years ago the ancient Celts were keeping each year on October 31 the Festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) as New Year’s Eve. For them, November 1 was new year’s day. Here is a short video that shows what it meant to those people.
The Celts, scattered across Europe from Turkey to Ireland, believed that on the night before New Years, a boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. Ghosts of the dead returned to earth, and other worldly spirits came out, making it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to predict the future. They built huge bonfires to dance around and burn their crops and animal sacrifices to their Celtic gods. They donned costumes typically consisting of animal heads and skins to ward off ghosts.
During the 400 years the Romans ruled the Celtic lands, November 1 became a day to honor the Roman goddess of fruit. The symbol was the apple, which probably explains the tradition of bobbing for apples today on Halloween.
At this time of year it was believed that the invisible “gates” between the natural world and the spirit world would open, allowing free movement between the two. They really believed in these “spirits.”
In 609, Pope Boniface IV dedicated a day to honor all Christian martyrs, and Pope Gregory III later expanded the festival to include all saints as well as martyrs on October 31—presumably to give a sacred flavor to the pagan celebration.
November 1 became “All Saints Day” to honor the saints in heaven. In 1000 AD, the church made the next day, November 2 “All Souls Day” it is said to honor those still in Purgatory!
What was the church doing? They were replacing a pagan celebration with a related church-sanctioned holiday, and keeping the associated pagan customs everybody loved—the big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels and devils. Those who wanted the pagan festival had it with the sanction of the church, and those not wanting to celebrate pagan festivals now had something of a “positive” value, said to be honoring saints and martyrs. All could enjoy the holiday with clear conscience.
The evening before the double festival became “All Hallows Eve,” now called Halloween.
It was a “Christianized” PAGAN celebration, but still TOTALLY pagan.
Scripture has a perfect parallel to this lesson in the little minor book of the not-so-minor prophet Haggai. It was a lesson being given to young priests in training. (Isn’t that what we are in a spiritual sense?)
Can HOLINESS be transferred by contact?
Let us read the lesson carefully. Haggai chapter 2.
Haggai 2:10–12 10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12“If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
Do you get the picture? Take a holy garment, and touch it to something unholy, does the holy make the UNHOLY clean?
The answer is NO.
Something HOLY cannot make something UNHOLY clean.
Holiness cannot be transferred by contact.
Now the other side of the picture:
Haggai 2:13–14 13And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.” 14Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
If the unclean touches the CLEAN, the clean will become UNCLEAN.
UN-cleanness CAN be transferred by contact, but not CLEANNESS.
Isn’t that the lesson of Halloween? Giving the pagan festival a supposed-Christian connection does nothing to HALLOW it. It does nothing to change its history, nature, or influence.
Touching something CLEAN with something UN-clean will make the clean object DIRTY. But touching something DIRTY with something CLEAN will not make the dirty item CLEAN!
In another metaphor, changing the LABEL does not change the PRODUCT.
Neither will our having the very best Christ-like associations or opportunities change US. WE ourselves must make the change, and from the INSIDE OUT. WE must take on the likeness of Christ ourselves if we would become like Christ.
Evil can be transferred by contact, but not good.
To become holy takes TIME. FOCUS. Effort. Prayer. A heart of reverence for God. A heart seeking God.
You can’t HALLOW paganism. It is still All Pagan.
1 Peter 1:14–16 14as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
Remember,
You can’t hallow Paganism. Keep your distance, run from it!!
Things to remember:
1. We read in Daniel about the little horn, representing the Catholic Church. This little horn cast down the Truth to the ground and Pagan practices came into the church. Halloween was one of them. It originated from the Celtics who would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. Later it became a day of burning and looting, and many other terrible things the teen mind could imagine. It has been less dramatic and frightening in modern times.
2. The Catholic Church replaced a pagan celebration with a related church-sanctioned holiday while keeping the associated pagan customs everybody loved. Yes, it was adapted as a church holiday with pagan customs everybody loved; none-the-less totally pagan.
3. Haggai asks, does touching a holy garment to something unholy make the unholy clean? The obvious answer was “NO!” If we touch something nice and clean to anything filthy we know the clean will become dirty. Paganism with whatever name you put on it, is still UNCLEAN in God’s sight, and should be in ours. The Lord said, “Be holy for I am holy,” set apart for God’s purpose. Those whom God approves will keep themselves pure by never associating with the world of the ungodly.
Bottom Line:
We don’t want twisted truth––it is a LIE!!