12:4 The term "Easter", not "Passover", is used in the KJV here - is this correct?

No (CP V4 KJV). Why the translators of the KJV did this makes no sense at all because they correctly translated the Greek root word Pascha as Passover everywhere else in the KJV.

The term Easter originated in paganism - it has nothing to do with Christ or Christianity. It had to do with the worship of "Ishtar", "Ashtoreth", and "Astarte", etc, names given to the pagan Babylonian goddess of the Canaanites known as the "Queen of Heaven", which the Israelites also worshipped when they were away from God (CP Judg 2:11-13; 1Sam 7:3-4; 1Ki 11:1-11; Jer 7:18). Solomon lost his kingdom, and his salvation, for worshipping Ashtoreth. According to Mosheim's History of the Church 1, p370, the term Easter was introduced into Christendom in 519A.D.

It was adapted by the church to denote the anniversary of the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, although there is no warrant in scripture for a special annual observance by Christians of the resurrection. Scripture teaches that Christians celebrate the Lord's death and resurrection every time they partake of communion - there is no one special day of commemoration mandated in scripture (CP Lu 22:19-20 with 1Cor 11:23-26). Paul received this revelation of the Lord's supper from Jesus Himself.

The word shew (KJV), means to celebrate, proclaim "…the Lord's death until He comes" means Jesus' total victory over the cross, which includes His death, burial and resurrection. The early church celebrated the Lord's death and resurrection every day (CP Ac 2:46).

This leads us now to the question of "Good Friday", another holy day, which Christians commemorate as the day on which our Lord died and was buried. Again, there is no warrant in scripture for Christians to observe a special annual day commemorating the death and burial of our Lord when this too is celebrated by Christians every time they partake of communion.

Furthermore, our Lord could not have been crucified and buried on Good Friday as is taught, or these scriptures are meaningless (CP Jonah 1:17 with Mt 12:40; 27:63; Mk 8:31, 9:31, 10:34; 1Cor 15:3-4). Jesus said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth before He would be raised up again. A day totals twelve hours (CP Jn 11:9).

Therefore a day and a night totals twenty-four hours, and three days and three nights total seventy-two hours. We should note here that in God's order of time night precedes day (CP Gen 1:3-5; Lev 23:32).

The Jewish day commenced at 6.00pm in the evening and continued until 6.00pm the next evening. On that basis if Jesus had been buried on the evening of "Good Friday" He would not have risen until Monday evening, yet He had already risen when the women got to the tomb before daybreak on Sunday (CP Mt 28:1-7; Mk 16:1-9; Lu 24:1-7; Jn 20:1-10).

In accordance with Gen 1:3-5 and Lev 23:32 this means that Jesus was buried on Wednesday evening and rose again on Saturday evening after the conclusion of the weekly Sabbath. Jesus was not buried on "Good Friday" before the commencement of the weekly Sabbath, as so many in the church believe, but on Wednesday, before the next day's - Thursday - Sabbath, which was a special "high day" Sabbath (CP Jn 19:31-32, 38-42).

A high day Sabbath is a special Sabbath, a day of great, solemn celebration, such as the day of the great feast in Jn 7:37 (CP Jn 7:37). This Sabbath is completely different from the normal weekly (Saturday) Sabbath.

Clearly, we learn from all this that there is no authority in scripture for Christians to observe either "Good Friday" or "Easter" as "holy days". Rather, Christians are forbidden in scripture to be bound by any particular day (CP Ro 14:1-8; Ga 4:9-11; Col 2:13-17).

It should be noted in closing here that at least the days referred to in those three scriptures were divinely designated holy days under the Old Covenant, whereas "Good Friday" and "Easter" are days introduced into the church and adapted to Christianity by men, not God, centuries after our Lord and Saviour died. See also comments on Mt 27:50; Mk 16:1; Jn 19:31; Ga 4:9.

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