The Sunday Mail
Shadreck Matindike
Many people, both Adventists and non-Adventists, ask whether the Adventists celebrate Easter.
Seventh-day Adventists believe that the Scriptures are the inspired revelation of God to men; and that the Bible is the sole rule of faith and practice.
With that in mind, let us trace the historical origins of those holidays and the perspective of Adventists later.
Tammuz was respected and worshipped as the Son of the Sun and the first letter of his name became in time the symbol of sun worship. Human sacrifices to the sun god were offered on cavern wood resembling the first letter of his name, known as the cross. His birthday, the December 25th, was honoured, as well as the first day of the week which was called the Sun’s day, or Sunday.
They began to honour the day of the sun and also to Semiramis they set aside a time in honour of the moon. They set aside the first full moon after the vernal equinox (the beginning of spring), or the 21st of March.
The first Sunday after this full moon was a day of celebrations dedicating it to the rebirth of life and fertility. Rabbits and eggs were used in the celebration as symbols of reproduction, as well as other practices not worthy to mention.
When people in later centuries combined Pagan Practices and Christian Practices, the 25th of December was repainted the birth of Christ and the Celebration of rebirth the Easter holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus.
Tammuz is also mentioned in the Bible. While yet a young man, Tammuz, a hunter like his supposed father, was killed by a wild boar. What weeping there was in the kingdom! And the 40 days before the time of the celebration for the moon were set apart as days of weeping for Tammuz. (Ezekiel 8:14-16)
In Ezekiel, the eighth chapter, we read of the women’s weeping for Tammuz; and the people’s turning their backs on the temple of God, and worshipping the sun toward the east. They also worshipped the moon goddess, who became associated with fertility, making cakes to this “queen of heaven.” (Jeremiah 7:18)
The great distinguishing mark of the heathen was Sunday worship and the mark of God’s people was the Sabbath. (Ezekiel 20:12, 20)
There is nothing much on the Easter days from respected Adventist books and completely nothing from the Holy Bible.
Since it’s not in the Bible, Seventh-day Adventists do not “officially celebrate” those Easter days, however it’s not wrong to “take advantage” of it.
George W Reid (former director of the Biblical Research Institute at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church in the US) wrote: “The name ‘Easter’ never appears in the Greek New Testament. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Eostre, the name of the goddess of spring.
“By the 8th century this name had come to be applied to the anniversary of Christ’s resurrection. Although there exists no clear Biblical reason for observing Easter as a religious festival, in parts of the world the public is so oriented to Easter observance that it is a time of year when they become open to special studies in the Bible.
“An opportunity opens to reach out to the public with the fuller message of Christ, often with good response. Under such circumstances Easter and its surrounding events can lend themselves to evangelistic outreach without, however, assigning any special religious meaning to the day itself.
“Wherever there is opportunity to advance the message of Christ without compromising Biblical truth, the ‘wise as serpents, harmless as doves’ counsel of Christ is appropriate.’
I thus conclude the following:
Seventh-day Adventists cannot officially celebrate Easter because it’s not in the Bible. Officially celebrating it would contradict the belief of the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice.
However, they take advantage of those days.
1. On Easter people may only hold church services provided the surroundings understand Easter have pagan roots and the purpose is to bring all to Christ.
2. Church members should invite the helpless in society to come to church where they can share food together pondering on the redemptive work which is being done by Jesus.
3. Offerings given can be used to help the poor and for building projects
4. God helping us, let us make this coming Easter an occasion, unlike the world, that can be recorded in heavenly books and an opportunity to spread the Third Angel’s message.
“Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
References:
Review and Herald, December 9, 1884
Adventist Home
Shadreck Matindike is a Seventh-day Adventist and writes in his personal capacity. You can reach him at [email protected]
