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Test 4 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5

only untold MISERY and SUFFERING on UNIVERSE OF DIFFERENCE to Him! Not to
them! And, further, THEIR sufferings are people, no. But to GOD!
intended as a monumental witness and warning So what’s so “mature” about Easter?
to us! (I Corinthians 10:11.) Today, the kiddies grow up believing
When YEHOVAH God described the rabbits lay eggs. Maybe even their mothers do.
terrible ABOMINATIONS of our ancestors Admittedly, bright colors, having a hand in the
through the pen of the prophet Ezekiel, He cooking, dyeing and hiding of eggs is exciting.
included as the very WORST of their heathen Admittedly, being invited to the White House
practices the sunrise services acquainted with lawn for the annual egg-rolling party is exciting.
the pagan ideas of sun worship! The Easter ads are attractive; the new suits and
The direct carry-over into our times is hats are exciting. Chocolate bunnies taste good.
unmistakable. So do egg-shaped jelly beans.
“Then he brought me to the door of the In fact, just about everything acquainted
gate of the Eternal’s house which was toward the with Easter is exciting to people -- including the
north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for early morning forays to the mountain top, the
Tammuz" [the “sun” god, and fake “divine son” new clothes, the parades, the well-known song,
of the pagan goddess called the “queen of “In Your ‘Ishtar’ Bonnet” (pronounced Easter!)
heaven,” and appearing in dozens of guises in -- with the conceivable exception of going to
many different pagan religions]. church.
“Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen And if human involvement in it -- which
this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou is to say, human excitement, joy, “fun” and what
shalt see greater abominations than these! And may appeal to human reason -- were to decide
he brought me into the inner court of the whether or not it is right, the “decision” would be
Eternal’s house, and, behold, at the door of the obvious!
temple of the Eternal, between the porch and the But, again, whose opinion counts?
altar, were about five and twenty men, with their Ours doesn’t.
backs toward the temple of the Eternal, and their Neither does yours. Nor does anyone
faces toward the east; and they worshiped the else’s!
SUN TOWARD THE EAST." (Ezekiel But YEHOVAH God’s does!
8:14-16.) The sun is “toward the east” at its And YEHOVAH God Almighty says
rising! such pagan mementos of sex (rabbits for their
Here was a SUNRISE service -- utterly fantastic reproductive qualities; eggs as symbols
CONDEMNED as the most blasphemous and of fertility and life; the sun at its daily “rebirth”
abhorrent abomination IN YEHOVAH GOD’S etc.) are a stench in His nostrils.
SIGHT. So: It’s not “our idea” about Easter -- but
But, had the prophet Ezekiel waited to what YEHOVAH God says that shall decide.
get the men’s opinions on what they were doing, And it’s ANYTHING but immature!
he would have heard a far different story! YEHOVAH God has held the same opinion for
“Why sure we observe these sunrise billions of aeons! And that’s pretty mature! The
services,” they would have said. “Doesn’t letter said: “But some Christians make them
everybody?” “And besides,” others would have [some of the things connected with it -- Easter]
chorused, “What difference does it make?” really Christian!”
Again, we say, not a bit -- if there is no Do “Christians” decide what is or is not
God! Christian?
But the God who inspired that little fact Does a “Christian,” observed eating
of human corruption says IT MAKES A mud, make the mud clean? Do “Christians” who