This article will cover a holiday, called Halloween, that is celebrated in several parts of the world.
For many, this study is very basic and it addresses a very repeated topic. However, it needs to be repeated specially for the new brothers and sisters. It will be useful for those who are not so new but are having a hard time detaching themselves from the customs of the world that have nothing to do with the Scriptures. Yahweh tells us in:
Leviticus 20:23 [Version Israelita Nazarena - AI Translation]
You must not follow the practices of the nations I am driving out before you. Because it was on account of all these things that I abhorred them.
(Words of the Eternal in sapphire)
We are going to analyse this celebration that is not in accordance with the Scriptures but it should be clear that not all the festivals or celebrations that are not in the Scriptures are pagan (for example the celebration of a country’s independence). As long as there is no notion of idolatry, a celebration, or feast is not pagan.
Halloween, however, does have negative aspects that we are going to analyse.
ANCIENT ORIGINS
The term Halloween comes from the English expression ‘all Hallows’ Evening’ or ‘All Hallows’ Eve or all saints’ eve (Scottish e’en short for evening). The celebration is a mixture of pagan, Christian and modern traditions. Its roots lie in the ancient festival oh Samhain (pronounced ‘sow-in’) celebrated on the eve of October 31st. It was a pagan festival that marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter. It was believed that on that night of the change season, the spirits of the dead returned to visit the world of the living. That was the basic aspect of this pagan celebration. The initial practice of this festival was to light bonfires to guide the dead. The people would dress in ghost costumes to confuse evil spirits. They would prepare food offerings to appease the ancestors. Those were the basics of the custom.
HALLOWEEN:
IT WAS BELIEVED THAT
THE SPIRITS OF THE DEAD VISITED THE WORLD OF THE LIVING.Then came the Roman influence of this festival, which is very ancient. When the Romans conquered Britain in the first century, they merged the Celtic festival with the Roman festival of Feralia to honour the dead. They made a mixture, fusion. Then comes Christian Catholicism and modern influence. Pope Gregory III declared November 1st as All Saints’ Day and also the Day of the Dead on the 2nd of November to Christianise pagan festivals. This is also shared with December 25th, in the sense that it is a Christianised pagan festival. So only some customs are changed, but generally, they are maintained. The Church wanted to replace pagan rituals with Christian saints. It then becomes a night of Christian vigil, but it retains pagan elements, such as the use of bonfires from ancient times. The use of costumes, candles and symbols of death remained part of the popular celebrations.
THE IRISH MIGRATION TO AMERICA
In 1840, after a great famine, a million Irish people appeared in the United States (mostly in New York and Boston), bringing this custom of Samhain/ All Hallows’ Even festival. In 1920, it became popular as a children’s festival. So this thing that was born in the United States was taken to other parts of the world. This festival seems harmless, but you have to look closely at the root of it. And in conclusion, what is known as Halloween retains elements of cults of the dead, superstition, and darkness inherited from ancient rituals, contrary to sound biblical faith.
Leviticus 20:23-24 [Version Israelita Nazarena - AI Translation]
23 You must not follow the practices of the nations{Kenan} I am driving out before you. Because for having done all those things, I abhorred them
24 and said to you: You shall possess their land, for I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am Yahweh your God, who has separated you from other peoples.
<who has separated you from other peoples> – this has to do with sanctification, consecration. Yahweh’s people must follow only His commandments and statutes. In chapter 18 of the same book of Leviticus, verses 3 and 4, it says something similar:
Leviticus 18:3-4 [Version Israelita Nazarena - AI Translation] 3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim{Egypt}, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Kenaan{Canaan}, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes. 4 You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Yahweh your Elohim{God}.
Here, it talks about a past and a future. It is referring to the practices of the land of Egypt that are identified with the customs that one has to leave behind. And also the practices of Kenaan can refer symbolically to any new custom that appears, and one must obey only the laws and commandments of Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31 [Version Israelita Nazarena - AI Translation] 30 be careful not to be enticed to follow their customs after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, saying, "How did these nations worship their gods? "I too will follow those practices." 31 You shall not behave thus toward Yahweh your Elohim{God}, for they perform for their deities every abominable act that Yahweh detests; They even offer their sons and daughters in fire to their deities.
<offer their sons and daughters in fire to their deities> – presently it is not done as in ancient times, but it can be understood as letting the children practice those customs. The practice is being repeated as handing your children over to those customs.
Moving on to the Nazarene Writings (New Testament), to a passage from the apostle Sha’ul (Paul) in Ephesians:
Ephesians 5:7-17 [The Scriptures 2009 - TS] 7 Therefore do not become partakers with them. 8 For you were once darkness but now you are light in the Master. Walk as children of light 9 for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth 10 proving what is well-pleasing to the Master. 11 And have no fellowship with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather convict them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of what is done by them in secret. 13 But all matters being convicted are manifested by the light, for whatever is manifested is light. 14 That is why He says, “Wake up, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Messiah shall shine on you.” 15 See then that you walk exactly, not as unwise, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are wicked. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the desire of יהוה is.
This rebuke does not mean that one should go out into the streets to run over people and tell them they are pagans. This rebuke is made with teaching, the correct teaching. Everyone has the freedom to celebrate or not celebrate. Everything depends on the freedom and free will of each person.
THE BACKGROUND OF PAGANISM
Leviticus 17 has to do with the background of paganism. The context of this prohibition was that the Israelites would no longer sacrifice animals anywhere, as was done before, they had to take them to the priests to take care of the sacrifice. This is because there was a custom of making sacrifices to the deities, to the ‘gods’.
Leviticus 17:7 [Version Israelita Nazarena - AI Translation] . . . so that they may no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons . . .
It alludes to a custom that was related to this animal and beliefs in gods or deities that were made in the desert. An example would be the belief in spirits (false beliefs) as well as beliefs in the gods of Egypt, which were also false, but these practices existed.
However, we have to keep in mind that goats were among the animals that the people of the Eternal were permitted to eat. They even used no less than two of these goats for the celebration of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), one of the seven festivals of Yahweh. Nevertheless, in paganism they were used as sacrifices to pagan deities and gods. This is what was being avoided so that the the children of Yisra’el would not copy those practices.
The Eternal continues speaking about the goat-demons and the children of Yisra’el:
Leviticus 17:7 [New English Translation - NET] . . . acting like prostitutes by going after them{referring to the pagan nations}. This is to be a perpetual statute for them throughout their generations{referring to the children of the Eternal}.
These days, there are no longer any sacrifices. But sacrifices have a profound or symbolic background. The apostle Sha’ul (Paul) says:
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 [The Scriptures 2009 - TS]
14 Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness? And what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 And what agreement has Messiah with Beliya‛al? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever?
*Beliya‛al (Belial) has to do with the whole topic paganism and practices that can include the whole background of Halloween.
*The Hebrew word Belial means “worthlessness” or “wickedness,” and it later became associated with a personified figure of evil or the devil.
Hebrew Bible (Old Testament): Belial (בְּלִיַּעַל, beliyyaal) is not originally a name but a descriptive term (describes people who are corrupt, lawless, or morally depraved).
New Testament : equated with Satan or the devil, ultimate evil.
(Copilot)
Yeshua tells his followers:
Matthew 5:14 [TS] You are the light of the world
LIGHT HAS NO HARMONY WITH DARKNESS
A believer in Messiah cannot practice these dark things. How can light have harmony with darkness? What do believers and non-believers have in common? A mixture of light and darkness is not acceptable.
2 Corinthians 6:16-17
16 And what union has the Dwelling Place of Elohim with idols? For you are a Dwelling Place of the living Elohim, as Elohim has said, “I shall dwell in them and walk among them, and I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you.
This concept is repeated in both the book of Isaiah and in the book of Revelation.
<Get out> of where? This alludes to Babel, Babylon which is not a city or a place, rather it refers to customs that are related and symbolically called Babylon. It alludes to getting out of that state of paganism.
Yahweh says not to touch what is unclean, and He will receive you. The unclean or impure thing has to do with pagan practices. However harmless they may seem, one has to find out if one is really not doing something that Yahweh rejects. This is important because remember that Halloween has a historical background that was meant to be related to the spirits of the dead. There are even ritual customs to honour the dead. The Scriptures are clear, the dead are already dead, they do not exist, they do not continue living after death. There is no life after death. Therefore, anything that is believed alive after dead is not in accordance with the truth of Yahweh. The pagan nations did believe that there was life after death, not in the physical sense, but spiritually speaking, wandering around. These things are not in accordance with Scripture.
Isaiah 8:19-22 [Hebraic Roots Bible - HRB]
19 And when they say to you, Seek to the mediums, and to fortune tellers who peep and mutter; should not a people seek to its Elohim, rather than for the living to seek to the dead?
20 To the Torah and to the Testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light to them!
21 And they shall pass through it, hard pressed and hungry. And it shall be, they shall be hungry; he will rave and curse his king and his Elohim, and face upward.
22 And they shall look to the land. And, behold, distress and darkness and gloom of anguish; and they are driven to darkness.
<to the Testimony> – refers to the testimony of those who testify that they know and teach Torah and warn against paganism.
What occurs if someone has the knowledge and still continues practicing these things?
Verses 21-22 describes the consequence of not learning the truth. Sometimes there is difficulty when there is ignorance and one does not know what is behind these pagan festivals, this can be forgiven. But once someone has come in contact with a study such as this and understands what the truth is and takes no notice and continues in the same practice, the Eternal begins to work. So that so that divine justice takes place. Yahweh withdraws from people who do not do His biding. And His bidding is to turn away from these practices of the nations.
We must heed the warnings
Isaiah 5:20 [The Scriptures 2009 - TS] Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
In other words, they change things, they twist the Scriptures. The Christian churches sanctified these pagan festivals with Christian customs.
The celebration of Halloween, like many others, is about darkness and teaching children that it is acceptable to dress up, go trick-or-treating. These things that seem harmless are actually disguises to make something very dark appear as innocent light. We must be careful, open our eyes, and act accordingly, especially based on respect for Yahweh, His will, and His warning.
CONCLUSION
The Torah is the source of truth, it warns us about these celebrations.
Leviticus 23:1-2 [HRB] 1 And YAHWEH spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them, The set feasts of YAHWEH which you shall proclaim as holy gatherings, shall be these: These are My appointed feasts:
Leviticus 23 lists all the appointed times of Yahweh, starting with the Sabbath and His yearly other festivals. These are appointed times that Yahweh commands and that He expects us to observe. Any other celebration or festivity that is not mentioned here must be analysed, and it is up to each individual to celebrate or not. For example, a celebration in a country of the memorial of independence, as long as there is nothing idolatrous, there is nothing wrong , it is a harmless celebration. It is always necessary to analyse where the festivities come from to see if there is something dark and pagan about them.
You can analyse Christmas, but you already know that Christmas comes from ancient pagan origins and what the Catholic Church and Protestantism imposed. Remember that Christmas is an attempt to sanctify or Christianise a pagan Roman festival.
OBSERVE THE APPOINTED TIMES OF YAHWEH
Believers, who are strict in their commitment to the Torah, observe the festivals of Leviticus 23.
Exodus 31:13 “And you, speak to the children of Yisra’el, saying, ‘My Sabbaths you are to guard, by all means, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, to know that I, יהוה, am setting you apart.
<My Sabbaths> – refers to His days of rest. Not only to weekly days of rest (Sabbath), but to festive days of rest (Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First-fruits, Day of Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day).
Why is it important to understand this?
These Sabbaths are signs of a correct faith among believers. This is a sign between Yisra’el (believers in Yeshua are part of Yisra’el) and Yahweh throughout the ages. And Yahweh sanctifies them because they respect the commandments.
So respecting the Sabbath and the Holy days of rest is a sign that one is truly right with him.
Joshua, the successor of Moses, continued in that path of the teaching of the Torah. He had the obligation and responsibility to put into practice the commands that the Eternal, through Moses, had made. Many of the commandments could only be fulfilled once they had entered the promised land.
And when to being being careful with the pagan customs, Scripture says the following:
Joshua 24:14-15 [HRB] 14 Now, then, fear YAHWEH, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and turn away from the gods which your fathers served Beyond the River, and in Egypt; and you serve YAHWEH. 15 And if it seems evil in your eyes to serve YAHWEH, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve, whether the gods whom your fathers served Beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But as for me and my house, we will serve YAHWEH.
<Fear YAHWEH, and serve Him in sincerity and truth> – one must be loyal and be careful not to be negligent, having the prudence of doing what is right for Yahweh. The context is to eliminate beliefs in gods that do not exist. They are not just figments of the imagination, but if we continue in the practice of this dark festivals according to their past, then that is disrespecting Yahweh.
Verse 15 – It says that those who served here are referring to when in Egypt, Israel had assimilated beliefs in the gods, they had not stumbled upon that, they were in the ashes or in ignorance, or they had become lax in the matter of that behaviour that Jacob had taught against paganism. He says eliminate. This is a call to us that we carry around. Many people bring these customs from Christianity, including deities or saints, which are included here. Many of the saints come from Catholicism, and we must eliminate all those beliefs and any risk of paganism, such as with the Halloween celebration.
Serve Yahweh and serve Him correctly. However, you have the freedom to choose. If you do not think it is important to serve Yahweh properly, then choose, who you are going to serve. A mixture is not acceptable to Yahweh, and that is what the Messiah says in the book of Revelation. Luke-warmness is not accepted, we must define ourselves. Half-heartedness does not know Yahweh. If you continue to practice these dark customs, you are choosing to serve pagan deities and not the Eternal.
A person or the family that restores the Hebrew faith has to choose, firmly respect and revere Yahweh.
Source:
Gavriel Manfredi