Genesis of Easter and Lent

Where is Easter mentioned in the Scriptures? Acts 12:4 in the King James version is the only place that does, but in error! It says, “And when he had apprehended him [Kepha /Peter], he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.”

There is no other mention of Easter in the Scriptures. However, we note that this word “Easter” was translated from the Greek, pascha (G3957 – πάσχα) or pas’-khah, which is linked to the Hebrew: pesach (H6453 – פֶּסַח) or peh’-sakh. The actual translation should have been PASSOVER – not Easter. In the previous article, we looked at the origins of Easter, which was eventually linked to the observance of Lent, on the claim that the 40 days of fasting were linked to the 40 days the Messiah spent fasting in the wilderness. However, the timing is off by 6 months, because the Messiah’s fast actually came 40 days before the fall festivals and not the spring festivals.

ROMAN CATHOLIC INSTITUTIONS

The history and chronology of the establishment of Easter and Lent are widely publicized on the web. Here are some key facts from the Britannica:

There was a controversy over the timing of the celebration of Messiah’s death and resurrection: The churches opted for the Sunday celebration, and the Quartodecimans (“14th day” proponents) remained a minority.

The English word Easter, which parallels the German word Ostern, is of uncertain origin. One view, expounded by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century, was that it derived from Eostre, or Eostrae, an Anglo-Saxon goddess possibly associated with spring and fertility.

According to a Catholic publication, “In 461 A.D., Pope St. Leo established the duration as 40 consecutive days before Easter. Pope Gregory the Great, in the sixth century, added the dispensing of ashes the preceding Wednesday (Ash Wednesday), making Lent 46 days. Sundays were considered feast days and not included in the count.”

FACTS ABOUT LENT: