If you were to ask someone who they associate Passover and easter with, in response, you might hear something like “Passover is Jewish and easter is Christian”.

While both of those thoughts are commonly held beliefs, technically neither of them is correct. Passover didn’t originate with the Jewish religion and the celebration of easter didn’t originate with Christianity.

Neither are Passover and easter similar, even though they occur during the same season of the year.

Passover is Biblical – But Not Necessarily Jewish

While the Jewish religion obviously celebrates Passover, Passover actually began as a BIBLICAL celebration rather than a Jewish celebration; and yes, there is a difference. The Jewish religion doesn’t necessarily even adhere to it’s own Bible, let alone the (Re)new(ed) “covenant / “Testament”.

Contrary to popular belief, the word “Jewish” is not synonymous with “Biblical”; even when it is associated with the “Old Testament”. The Jewish religion would want you to THINK that it began with Abraham: But it didn’t. Certainly it’s roots are there, but the faith of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses was very different than that of modern day Judaism, or even the Jewish religion in Yeshua’s day.

While the Jewish religion does utilize the “Old Testament” as part of it’s foundation, there are also other writings, such as the Talmud, Mishnah, Zohar, the Code of Jewish Law, and others that are also considered sacred, and of vital importance, to the Jewish religion. For some, some of these texts may even take precedence over their “Bible” (which is basically the christian “Old Testament”. And along with extrabiblical texts, Judaism also holds VERY tightly to a multitude of man-made traditions. So while the “Jewish” religion does have Biblical roots, it has since strayed far away from them. Even way back in Yeshua’s day, 2,000 years ago, it had already gone far afield. This is what Yeshua said to the Jewish spiritual leaders of His day:

You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, you don’t believe Me.

John 8:44-45

The first Passover can be found in the Bible as recorded in Exodus chapter 12. The events of Exodus 12 occurred long before the Jewish religion devolved into what Yeshua knew it as and what we know it as today.

But since Passover didn’t begin as a Jewish holiday, there is no reason to relinquish it solely to the Jewish religion. It is a BIBLICAL instruction. It’s not just a Jewish tradition.

refused to let them go despite Moses relating the Most High’s instructions for him to do so. As a result, God sent a series of plagues upon Egypt.

We have all heard the story. As God began to prepare for the 10th and final plague, Israel was to place the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. You can read more about Passover in Exodus 12:14, Leviticus 23:4-5, and here.

But in regards to the first Passover mentioned in Exodus 12: For our purposes here, most of us know that the spirit of death passed over every Israelite home that had blood applied to the door posts: You might say that they were “saved by the blood”. And of course, in similar fashion, the blood of Yeshua saves and protects God’s people today.

So as a memorial to Israel’s salvation, God instructed all of His people to keep the Passover, every year, forever. He made it clear that it was not just for that one event. It wasn’t just for the “Old Testament” and neither was it an invention of the Jewish religion. The Scriptures are very clear (Leviticus 23) that Passover was established by Yahweh God as a perpetual memorial for His people. Of course as Judaism began to develop into what it is today they continued to practice it and add to to it. But Passover predates the modern Jewish religion quite a lot.

Passover began a BIBLICAL instruction for ALL of God’s people and it remains so today.

easter is Pagan

The very name of the “easter” celebration reveals its focus. The word “easter” is a derivative of the word “ishtar” who is an ancient, pagan, sex / fertility goddess. There are ancient writings about Easter / Ishtar that predate Yeshua by hundreds of years back to at least the 5th century BCE.

It wasn’t until 700 years later, around 200 – 325 AD, that the celebration of this sex goddess was incorporated into christianity and easter / ishtar began to be fully embraced as a “Christian” celebration.

The celebration of Ishtar / easter is a pagan holy day. It has just been dressed up in a christian costume with a ferry tale Biblical context, a purely pagan name, and complete with it’s own rituals. It is then presented to the undiscerning masses as something “Godly”. Even with its obvious pagan attributes; religious people are still able to pass easter off as a righteous, religious exercise.

These days, both easter and the Passover are successfully misrepresented by dogmatic religious people (christians, pagans (yes paganism is a religion), and Jews). Very few people care enough to do their own research in order to understand these things for themselves.

Not only is there no Biblical instruction to celebrate easter, but there ARE

The ungodly despise the things of God

In times past, the catholics mercilessly persecuted early Christians and other Believers who kept the Passover. The catholics referred to them Quartodecimans (Latin for “14thers”) and Judaizers. Why 14thers? Because Passover is to be celebrated on the 14th day of the Biblical new year (NOT the 14th day of the Jewish new year; but the 14th day of the Biblical new year).

The Passover was so despised by the Catholics that during the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD they sanctioned the celebration of easter to be held near the time of Passover in order to distract and discourage people from celebrating it.

The Council of Nicea was derived of Catholic and civilian government leadership. They joined together in order to create state enforced edicts while pretending to be Biblical and “Christian”. This is part of the reason that, just like the Jewish Religion, the Christian religion is also full of man made doctrine that is opposed to the Bible. The celebration of easter is just ONE example of this.

But back then the catholics hated anything and everything that had to do with Passover. Through their political influence they declared that celebrating Passover would be officially scorned while celebrating ishtar would be mandated. And then they mercilessly persecuted all true Believers who didn’t comply with their edicts.

A desire to scorn the people and things of God is built into the DNA of the people of the world, including religious people: It always has been. People haven’t changed. So as you choose life, according to the ways of the Most High, you will probably experience some pushback from those who don’t. The things of God are as foolishness to men.

The only way to come into union with God, is to embrace what He embraces and to reject what He rejects.

Exchanging the things of God for pagan traditions of men

Exchanging the Biblical instruction to celebrate Passover for the man made, pagan tradition of easter is clearly contrary to Scripture. Along with the 10 Commandments mentioned above, in Matthew 15:3 Yeshua asks members of the Jewish religion, “why do you break the command of God by your tradition”? And in Mark 7:13 Yeshua again tells the religious people that they were making the word of God of no effect through their traditions.

Even today, that’s exactly what happens when someone allows easter and other pagan festivals into their life. Whether they intend to or not, they make the word of God to no effect by polluting it with man-made and pagan traditions.

We see this same idea of polluting the precepts of God with man’s traditions in Galatians 1:13-14. In this passage Apostle Paul is addressing an issue involving dogmatic members of the Jewish religion who were trying to incorrectly and inappropriately implement a Biblical concept. They were trying to say that outward obedience to a particular Biblical instruction is a “requirement” for “salvation” and of course it’s not (at least not in the way they were trying to make it be).

There are still many in the Jewish religion, AND in Christianity, who do the SAME thing. They trade the clearly expressed instructions of God for traditions of men.

So what about celebrating the resurrection?

In this context some might ask if it is wrong to celebrate the resurrection of Yeshua. A detailed response to that question is beyond the scope of this article but the short answer is definitely no. But the resurrection has no real correlation to easter. Why would Yeshua’s resurrection be celebrated by utilizing fertility eggs, bunnies, sunrise services, and easter baskets? It’s not. It’s not necessarily what Passover is about either.

Celebrating the resurrection isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, there is absolutely no Biblical instruction to do so.

Passover vs easter/ishtar

There is absolutely no Biblical instruction whatsoever to celebrate easter / Ishtar or even the resurrection in any way. As mentioned above, Yeshua says it very clearly in Matthew 15:3: “Why do you transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” That’s exactly what easter / ishtar is all about: Transgressing against the heart of the Most High God.

On the other hand, even though Passover has been attributed to and misapplied by the Jewish religion, the fact remains that it is still a God-ordained, Bible based memorial unto the Messiah that God’s people are invited to celebrate and instructed to participate in forever. It is referenced all through the Scriptures.

So if someone were to ask the question, originally stated above, “who is Passover and easter associated with”, a good response would be Passover is associated with the God of the Bible and His people, whereas easter is pagan. Accordingly, there is absolutely no Biblical instruction to celebrate or honor her (ishtar). easter is a wholly human, pagan tradition, wholly and completely contrived by man (and/or the devil).

Aligning with Heaven

So as you are learning to align with the Divine, you will want try to pay close attention to the details. This article is a step in that direction.

There was a good note in our online community: “It really doesn’t matter what you think is right. It doesn’t matter what you want to do. If you want to align with the Most High God, then you need to be in step with Him rather than expecting Him to come into alignment with you”.

The more you come into union with the Divine, the more grace you will experience in your life. Grace is the empowering presence of the Most High God. I don’t know about you, but I want to live in His empowering presence continuously.

I’m looking forward to the days when God’s people are released to defeat the devil in that final battle on earth between right and wrong, good and evil.

For those who align with the Divine, Passover vs ishtar / easter is just one element of that victory: But it IS an important element.

The conflict between Passover and easter / Ishtar is not a new one, but it’s one that you need to be familiar with. Reject everything that is pagan and embrace everything that is of Yeshua.

Parson Rayphe for
One New Man at
Chosen Glory