We have published several pieces of literature on this misunderstood topic, including a booklet, titled, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” and an Editorial, in Update #89, on the celebration of Easter.

In this Q&A, we would like to include several additional reasons, which clearly prove that it is absolutely WRONG for a true Christian to celebrate these holidays. These additional reasons are adopted from Professor Philippe Walter’s book, “Christianity–the Origins of a Pagan Religion,” copyright 2003, 2006. Walter is professor of medieval French literature, and has published numerous books on the Middle Ages. In his above-cited book, Walter makes several startling statements about the real origins of Easter and Christmas, as well as their customs.

It has been well-known that Halloween was originally referred to as “Samhain” (compare our Q&A on Halloween). It is celebrated today by the Roman Catholic Church on November 1 as “All Saints’ Day.” That is the time, according to pagan belief, “when the beings of the Otherworld have temporary permission to visit the living and is also the moment when the living gain furtive access to the Otherworld” (Walter, page 35). Walter explains that pagans believed in the Otherworld “as a place of choice for ghosts and is primarily the world of fairies” (page 36).

Less known, however, is the fact that certain rites and customs, which are celebrated on Christmas and Easter, have the same pagan origin of a supernatural belief in ghosts and fairies that leave the Otherworld on those days to visit the living.

Walter explains on page 52:

“For Christians, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus… The commemoration of Christ’s birth on December 25 resulted from seasonal and mythological associations to pagan beliefs that are older than Christianity.”

Walter continues to explain the pagan belief that by the end of December and on “New Year’s Day” (January 1), “fairies… enter the homes of those who worship them… One must take pains to prepare the meal that should be offered to them in a clean and isolated room… the meal with fairies is also held at the birth of certain predestined children. This is why fairies show up on the night of the birth of heroes… Thus it seems entirely natural to fix the Nativity of Christ on this night of the Mothers (or night of the fairies) on which the birth of profane heroes was already celebrated. The setting of Christmas on December 25 seems a clear association with the pagan custom of attaching the fairy repast to the birth of an exceptional individual” (Walter, pages 55-56).

Walter asks the question whether “the Midnight Mass [which is celebrated on Christmas in the middle of the night] supplanted the pagan rite of a communion meal with beings from the Otherworld. The common presence of bread and wine both in the fairies’ meal and in the rite of Christian Communion serves to underscore a reference to the same sacred rite” (page 55).

Walter also points out the seeming incongruity between Judaism and orthodox Christianity, when Christians slaughter pigs and eat their flesh, including on Christmas. He states on pages 93-94: “… the saint [Saint Anthony] has always been depicted accompanied by one of these animals. It is indeed quite paradoxical to see a pig accompanying a saint of Paradise, for the Bible and the Koran have found no virtue in this animal and have saddled it with the most extreme taboos. As heir to the Hebrew scriptures, Christianity should have followed Judaism on this point, yet it did not… Merlin is accompanied by piglets, and these animals become the seer’s confidants… in making Saint Anthony a guardian of swineherds, Christianity was merely transferring the old beliefs of Indo-European paganism.”

Walter continues to explain, beginning on page 60, that “Santa Claus.. is simply the good natured avatar of a mythical figure… the beneficent… fairy figure from the Otherworld who periodically visits men to give them gifts.”

Regarding “Saint Nicholas,” whose day is sometimes celebrated on December 6, but who “merged” with Santa Claus into one personage, Walter states on page 67:

“The folklore of Santa Claus (who became Father Christmas) pushes to the forefront Saint Nicholas’s connection to the Otherworld. Indeed, Nicholas is a genie of passage.”

He concludes, on page 72: “Christmas clearly belongs to an enchanted time that allows the Otherworld to break into and enter the human world.”

Walter reaches the same conclusions regarding the celebration of Easter. He points out on pages 100-101:

“Easter can be understood as a date marking an intense circulation between the Otherworld and the human world… The Easter Bunny, for example, is a springtime reincarnation of [a mystical figure] and belongs among the host of magical animals that haunted the medieval imagination… its mystical role is much older than Christian civilization, for it can be found in ancient Buddhist and Chinese mythology. According to these myths, a rabbit lives on the moon, were he prepares food of immortality. Easter eggs seem analogous to this food… The druids of an earlier era also believed in the magical power of the egg…”

On page 122, Walter explains:

“Easter was thus a Christianized version of a double tradition: It constituted a Christian reply to the Jewish Passover and gave a Christian dimension to the great Celtic myths of passage to the Otherworld.”

The reasons, then, why true Christians must abstain from the observance of holidays such as Christmas and Easter, are manifold. Firstly, God told us not to worship Him in the way the pagans worshipped their gods, by adopting pagan customs and incorporating them in our worship. Deuteronomy 12:30-31 tells us:

“… take heed to yourself… that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods…”

In addition, we have seen that many of those pagan customs are DIRECTLY related to the superstitious belief in spirits, ghosts, fairies and demons, who–according to that belief–leave the Otherworld and visit the living on certain days, including on the days of Christmas and Easter. These spirits are clearly demonical in nature, and Paul tells us that we must not have anything to do with demons and avoid them at all costs. He tells us NOT to observe religious rites, which are derived from pagan worship, so that we do not come in contact with demons. Note 1 Corinthians 10:20-22:

“… the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”

This warning is far too serious than to be ignored!

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

While “forever” may indeed convey an absolute sense of being perpetual or interminable, “forever” is also used metaphorically and in a conditional sense.

The Hebrew word that is translated many times as “forever, is “owlam.” It can be found in Daniel 12:2. In this case, the English word “everlasting” is used to translate the Hebrew word “owlam”: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to everlasting contempt.” This prophesied occurrence speaks of a future time when the fate of many humans will be decided on a perpetual and eternal basis.

Jesus also taught about life that would be endless. In John 6:51, He states: “‘I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.'” The Greek word “aion” translated as “forever” in this passage is used by John in a similar context as he contrasted that which is temporary to that which is permanent: “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

In numerous instances the eternity of God is revealed through the use of the word “forever.”

One such example is found in the “Song of Moses” as recorded in Deuteronomy 32. Quoting from verses 39-40, God proclaims His own endless life: “‘”Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, ‘As I live forever…'”‘”

Another illustration appears in Revelation 4:9-10: “Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever…”

In this context, consider these parallel concepts about God’s existence–His life–being forever:

Deuteronomy 33:27: “The eternal God is your refuge…”

Psalm 90:1-2: “LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

Isaiah 57:15:”For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy…”

In examining the concept of “forever,” we also see that many of those who met Jesus also rejected Him, because they believed that the Messiah could not be subject to dying. Following statements from Jesus about His imminent sacrificial death, some reasoned from a wrong understanding of Scripture: “The people answered Him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, “The Son of Man must be lifted up”? Who is this Son of Man?'” (John 12:34). In Micah 4:7, it is stated: “‘…So the LORD will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on, even forever.'” None of His day understood that Jesus would die and yet live again, because God would raise Him from death. Even His disciples were at first confused about what was to happen to Jesus. We have this statement from Jesus in Revelation 1:18: “‘I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.'”

Although Jesus Christ had existed from eternity, He did cease to live for a short period. He was brought back to life through the power of God–and so He now lives and will do so forever. We see from what Jesus experienced, then, that application of the ideas about “forever” must be understood in context.

Look at this statement that appears in Exodus 21:6: “‘then his master shall bring him to the judges, He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER'” (Compare Deuteronomy 15:17).

Does this verse mean that a servant in this circumstance will continue serving the same master for all of eternity? Obviously not, as both the servant and his master eventually died! The word translated here in Exodus 21 as “forever” is the same Hebrew word “owlam” that we have already seen used in earlier examples about living forever.

The “NASB Study Bible” translates “owlam” in Exodus 21, verse 6, as “permanently.” The NIV presents a portion of this verse as: “‘Then he will be his servant for life.'” “Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible” offers definitions for “owlam” that include “eternal” and “perpetual” but also includes the idea of “lasting.” As we see, the service of a particular individual was a life-long commitment–lasting as long as either the servant or master lived.

In another place where “owlam” is translated “forever,” the obvious intent is for a lifetime. In this example, the mother of Samuel is quoted: “But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, ‘Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the LORD and REMAIN THERE FOREVER'” (1 Samuel 1:22). But we know that Samuel died–that he is not NOW still before the LORD! (Compare 1 Samuel 25:1).

In Biblical usage of the word “forever,” we see that the context and application MAY be for something that will come to an end. God said of the Temple that Solomon built, “‘For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually'” (2 Chronicles 7:16). However, because of the sins of Israel and then Judah, God caused this Temple to be destroyed! (Compare 2 Chronicles 36:15-21).

When studying the concept of “forever” in context, we see a variety of intended meanings. The word can express a never-ending condition or situation, but it can also refer to a certain limited period of time, based on the life of the parties involved and also dependent on relevant conditions.

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

Surprising as it may sound to some, the Bible nowhere identifies a particular person as “the Antichrist.” Even though religious preachers and programs may be talking about the “coming Antichrist,” they really misapply certain Scriptures to promulgate such a false concept.

It is correct that the Bible says that two individuals, called the “beast” and the “false prophet,” will appear on the world scene, and that Satan will use them, as his instruments, to bring havoc to this world. Scriptures also refer to the “false prophet” as the “man of sin,” and they speak of the “beast” as the “king of the north” or “King Jareb of Assyria.” But the Bible nowhere says that either one of those two persons–either the “beast” or the “false prophet”– is “THE Antichrist.”

To give just one example, the following explanation of the “antichrist” in the “Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,” by W.E.Vine, must be rejected, as totally lacking all Scriptural support and being actually in contradiction with Scripture: “What the apostle [John] says of him [antichrist] so closely resembles what he says of the first beast in Rev. 13, and what the apostle Paul says of the Man of Sin in 2 Thess. 2, that the same person seems to be in view in all these passages.”

The idea that “antichrist” applies to an end-time ruler fighting God did not originate in Scripture, but in human tradition. The idea to limit “antichrist” to one individual has also given rise to the most wide-spread interpretations. As Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia points out, “Different interpreters have at various times identified the Antichrist with the Roman emperors Nero, Diocletian, Julian, and Caligula; with the Samaritan sorcerer Simon Magus (see Acts 8:9-24); and with Muhammad, the founder of Islam. At the time of the Reformation, Protestants quite generally held the pope to be the antichrist, and Roman Catholics regarded Martin Luther similarly. In the controversy between the Roman church and the Greek church, the name was applied, by those who opposed them, to popes and Byzantine emperors.”

It is a fundamental mistake to limit the concept of “antichrist” to just one particular person.

The word “antichrist” is used exclusively by John in four places. The context shows what is meant by “antichrist.” Let us review these four passages, as quoted from the Authorized Version:

1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists…”

1 John 2:22: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”

1 John 4:3: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

2 John 7: “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come [literally: coming] in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”

From these passages, we see that “antichrist” is not limited to a particular person, but that it describes a wrong “spirit” or false teaching, pertaining to Jesus Christ and God the Father. The word “antichrist” literally means, “an opponent to Christ.” John says that there are MANY “antichrists” in the world, not just one. And he explains that “antichrist” is not limited to the identification of a person still to come in the future, but that the spirit of antichrist was already active at the time of John. It has been in the world ever since. And so, the spirit of antichrist will most certainly permeate, influence and possess the “beast” and the “false prophet,” but it is not limited to just those two individuals.

The spirit of antichrist denies that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God the Father (1 John 2:22). It denies that Jesus came in the flesh (1 John 4:3)–that is, that He became a human being (John 1:14). It denies that God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit, impregnated the virgin Mary to bring forth Jesus the Christ. It denies that Christ, the Son of God who had lived for all eternity as the second member of the God Family, became fully man to be able to overcome sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3) and to DIE for us (Philippians 2:5-8; Revelation 1:18), so that we could obtain forgiveness of our sins, release from the death penalty for our sins, reconciliation with God the Father, and hope of eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23).

And finally, the spirit of antichrist denies that Christ is coming, today, in the flesh (2 John 7). That is, as will be explained, Christ is living His life spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, in the physical bodies–the “flesh”–of His disciples. The New King James Bible says, accurately: “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” The Williams translation says that Christ “continues to come” in the flesh.

Some commentaries claim that this means that Jesus Christ will appear at His Second Coming as a man. This is a terrible misapplication of Scripture. Even though Jesus Christ is called at times the “Man Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 2:5), the context shows that such a passage refers to His present function as High Priest, intervening on our behalf, as He lived as a man and as He can therefore sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:14-15). The Bible does NOT say that Christ will return or come again as a man. As a man, He could die, but the Bible says that Christ has died once and will NEVER die again (Revelation 1:18). Christ is today an immortal glorified God Being in the Family of God, and this is how He will return (1 Corinthians 15:45; Titus 2:13).

When the Bible says that antichrist denies that Christ is coming in the flesh, something altogether different is being addressed. The spirit of antichrist denies that Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, lives in His disciples today (compare Galatians 2:20). It denies that Christ is, in that sense, coming into His disciples; that is, flesh and blood human beings. It denies that Christ is coming right now in the flesh or the physical bodies of His disciples by living His life spiritually in His people. It denies that others should be able to look at Christ’s disciples and recognize Christ living in them. It denies that, even though we have been reconciled with God the Father by the death of His Son, we “shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:10). It is only because Christ was resurrected from the dead and lives His life in us today, that we are able to inherit eternal life. Christ said in John 14:19: “Because I live, you will live also.”

By extension, the spirit of antichrist denies that we have to keep God’s commandments, because Christ only lives in us if we obey Him. 1 John 3:24 says: “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, AND HE IN HIM. And by this we know that He ABIDES IN US, by the Spirit [which] He has given us.” Christ said in John 14:15-18: “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper that [it] may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth… I will not leave you orphans, I WILL COME TO YOU.”

The spirit of antichrist DENIES the entire saving work of Jesus Christ–who He was before He became a man; who He was when in the flesh; who He is today; what He DOES today; and that He lives His life in the flesh of His disciples who OBEY Him.

Rather than limiting “Antichrist” to just one person to appear on the world scene in the future, the Bible warns of the spirit of antichrist which has been in this world for a long time, and which will prevent us, if we fall prey to it, from inheriting eternal life.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link