Everlasting Good News of Yahweh

Its that time of year again (Halloween) when children dressed in a variety of costumes come knocking at our doors and yelling in unison, “Trick or Treat”! Most will dip into their basket of goodies and drop a treat into the child’s goodie bag. Everyone smiles and happily part, not realizing that the trick is on both the ‘trick or treater’ and the homeowner. The trick is played by Satan as he goes about deceiving this world into following his ways and disobeying their Creator, Almighty Yahweh.

Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour. I Peter 5:8

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. 1 Timothy 4:1

We know the fate of the devil that deceives the world:

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:10

The question is, “Will you be a victim of his deceptions or will you be among those who have been enlightened to the truth concerning Halloween?”

Let’s consider the following historical references concerning Halloween.

Encyclopedia Britannica:

“Halloween, also called All Hallows’ Eve or All Hallows’ Evening,a holy or hallowed evening observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day. In modern times, it is the occasion for pranks and for children requesting treats or threatening tricks. In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain eve was observed on October 31, at the end of summer. This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.”

Encarta Encyclopedia:

“Origins, Halloween: Many of the ancient peoples of Europe marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter by celebrating a holiday in late autumn. The most important of these holidays to influence later Halloween customs was Samhain, a holiday observed by the ancient Celts, a tribal people who inhabited most of Western and Central Europe in the first millennium BC. Among the Celts, Samhain marked the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It was one of four Celtic holidays linked to important transitions in the annual cycle of seasons. Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended into the following day. According to the Celtic pagan religion, known as Druidism, the spirits of those who had died in the preceding year roamed the earth on Samhain evening. The Celts sought to ward off these spirits with offerings of food and drink. The Celts also built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites and performed rituals, often involving human and animal sacrifices, to honor Druid deities.”

The World Book Encyclopedia:

“Halloween is a festival celebrated on October 31. Its name means hallowed or holy evening because it takes place the day before All Saints’ Day.

Many superstitions and symbols are connected with Halloween. The Irish have a tale about the origin of jack-o’-lanterns. They say that a man named Jack was unable to enter heaven because of his miserliness. He could not enter hell because he had played practical jokes on the devil. So he had to walk the earth with his lantern until Judgment Day.

The Druids, an order of priests in ancient Gaul and Britain, believed that on Halloween, ghosts, spirits, fairies, witches, and elves came out to harm people. They thought the cat was sacred and believed that cats had once been human beings but were changed as a punishment for evil deeds. From these Druidic beliefs comes the present-day use of witches, ghosts, and cats in Halloween festivities.

The Druids had an autumn festival called Samhain, or summer’s end. It was an occasion for feasting on all the kinds of food which had been grown during the summer.

In the 700’s, the Roman Catholic Church named November 1 as All Saints’ Day. The old pagan customs and the Christian feast day were combined into the Halloween festival.”

The Roman Catholic Church chose to assimilate the pagan practices of their new converts into the worship of the Almighty rather than truly converting their mind to Yahweh’s ways. The protestant churches continued the practices of the RCC and we see those practices even today.

Many churches today actually sponsor Halloween parties in which the children dress up as witches, ghosts, warlocks, etc. What does Yahweh’s Word say?

Exodus 22:18 – “You shall not suffer a witch to live.”

Deuteronomy 18:10 – “There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that uses divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto Yahweh: and because of these abominations Yahweh thy Elohim drives them out from before you.”

Galatians 5:19 – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim.”

Should we allow our children to dress up like witches or any other occult character in light of these verses that reveal Yahweh’s heart? Doing so will only grieve His Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, there are many churches that are moving away from traditional Halloween parties by sponsoring alternative Halloween gatherings in which the children dress up as Bible characters or less occult/scary secular characters. I suppose alternatives are better than traditional Halloween parties, but why offer alternatives at all? Why not just stay home like any other ordinary day or hold them on a different day? It seems to me that alternative Halloween gatherings are simply watered down versions of traditional gatherings. They still stem from the same pagan origins.

There are many people that view Halloween activities as good, innocent fun.  That is part of the deception. Halloween has evil origins as the references above show. How, then, can they be considered good?

“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!” Isaiah 5:20

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

“… have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Ephesians 5:11

“After one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht (May 1st) and Halloween (or All Hallow’s Eve).” The Satanic Bible by Anton Levey page 96, section on Religious Holidays.

Halloween is a Satanic holiday in which people show their allegiance to him by glorifying the occult. It is a holiday that revolves around death and the macabre and it goes beyond the supposed innocent fun of trick or treating. All sorts of mayhem and murder take place on Halloween in the name of Satan.

On the night before Halloween the city of Detroit is set ablaze every year by arsonists. This night is referred to as Devil’s Night, Mischief Night or Hell Night. Similar, but not quite as destructive, activities take place in cities around the U.S. and Canada.

According to the Satanic Calendar Halloween, October 31st is a night for Human and animal sacrifice. Evangelist Dave Benoit tells of a mother finding a strange diary, called “The Book Of Shadows” in her son’s room. She, with fear and trembling, leafed through pages filled with satanic drawings. Then her eyes fell on these horrifying words, “Last year I stole a car at Halloween and ran over a kid and killed him. This year, at Halloween, I plan to do the same thing!” The words in his satanic diary proved to be true. He murdered a person the previous Halloween as a sacrifice to Satan.

One of the biggest problems with Halloween is that it desensitizes children to the occult, violence, death, gore, mutilation, etc. This desensitization is exacerbated by movies that glorify the same type of violence and gore. Movies like “Halloween”, “Nightmare on Elm Street”, Friday the 13^th”, and the Harry Potter series all serve to further desensitize children. And then we wonder why we have mass murderers and all sorts of evil activities taking place in society.

I encourage you to prayerfully consider not allowing your child to engage in any Halloween or alternative Halloween activities. I also suggest you turn off your porch light as a signal to trick or treaters that you do not want them coming to your door.

I highly recommend the Halloween article found at http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html. Please read it as it goes into much greater depth than I have here.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

“For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Messiah and Belial?” 2 Corinthians 6:14, 15