Halloween, or Samhain, is an occultic observance celebrated every year on October 31st by millions of children and their parents. The celebrants put on costumes and go “trick or treating.” Some see this as a fun time for all; others see this as a night of demonically inspired mayhem. Such activities may seem innocent, but they are definitely not. They are a form of worship of the dark powers, and a true follower of Yeshua must never, ever participate in such activities, as plainly shown by the scriptures below:
Leviticus 19:26-31 – Do not practice divination or sorcery… nor turn to mediums or and familiar spirits.
Leviticus 20:6 – I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and familiar spirits.
Deuteronomy 18:10-12 – Anyone who practices witchcraft, or sorcery, or conjuring spells is an abomination.
Isaiah 8:19 – “When men tell you to consult mediums and familiar spirits, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”
Isaiah 47:13-14 – Behold, the astrologers, the stargazers, and the monthly prognosticators shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them. They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame.
Jeremiah 10:2 – “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles…”
Ephesians 5:11 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
Historical Background
Halloween has almost completely pagan origins. It began as an ancient Irish and Scottish celebration of the change of seasons from fall to winter, a time to bring the animals out of the open fields and into the barns. It was the harvest festival of the Druids, celebrated with the bonfires and the offering of sacrifices.
It was believed that the spirits of the dead would freely roam about on this day, looking for bodies to indwell or possess. The invisible gates between heaven and earth would open, allowing those of the spirit realm to freely move between both realms. Superstitions were allayed by wearing costumes and making lots of noise. These behaviors were believed to scare the dead away.
The Catholic Church took over the Samhain celebration around the 5th century A.D., renaming it All Hallows Eve. It was meant to be a celebration honoring the saints. Part of the celebration involved going door to door asking for small cakes in payment for saying prayers for dead relatives.
The Objects of Halloween
- Costumes – The celebrants put on costumes and go “trick or treating.” Superstitions were allayed by wearing costumes and making lots of noise. These behaviors were believed to scare the dead away.
- Food – The treats or food were left at their doors for the visiting spirits. This was believed to appease the spirits so they would not destroy their homes, animals, or crops but simply pass on by.
- Eating Fruit – To the occultist, the eating of fruits is symbolic of bringing life. (Note that the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil resulted in death).
- Apples – To the occultist, the practice of bobbing for apples represents two pagan traditions: divination and the fertility ritual.
- Pumpkins – The carved pumpkin or jack-o-lantern symbolizes the deal that a man named Jack made with Satan to keep himself out of hell at his death. Since Jack could go to neither heaven nor hell, he had no choice but to wander around the earth with a single candle placed inside a turnip to light his way. The hollowed-out turnip later became the pumpkin.
- Black Cats – The black cat is believed to be a reincarnated spirit who has prophetic abilities.
To Celebrate or Not
Halloween has long been known as “The Festival of the Dead.” The ancient rituals today are still performed by those involved in witchcraft who continue to call the celebration “The Feast of Samhain.” It continues to be the major day on which witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination. One of those practices is to learn the secrets of life and wisdom by lying on a grave and listening to the messages from familiar spirits or by calling them up from out of the grave, all practices thoroughly forbidden by Yahweh in scripture (see 1 Samuel 28).
Taking part in Halloween celebrations can lead many to believe that true followers of Yeshua endorse the promotion of witches, witchcraft, familiar spirits, divination, spirit guides, the walking dead, and other occultic practices. Engaging in these practices, even such seemingly innocent practices as putting on costumes and gathering treats, can unwittingly open the door to the demonic. Satan and his demons are real beings set on our destruction and love an open door! Scripture firmly and unequivocally denounces these practices. Dabbling in the demonic can also invite Yahweh’s judgment. Instead, Paul commands us to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (see Ephesians 6:11-18).
Conformity
Psalm 4:3 – “But know that Yahweh has set apart for himself those who are godly…”
Hosea 2:13-17 – I will punish her for the feast days of the other gods, and take their names out of her mouth.
Romans 12:2 – “Do not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of Yahweh.”
Many will celebrate Halloween this year and continue to claim that this is a “Christian” thing to do. I’ll be blunt – you cannot be conformed to the patterns of this world; you cannot partake in the satanically inspired pagan rituals that have been brought into the church and still be holy, be set apart, be different from the non-believing masses. Doing so makes you a hypocrite, a whitewashed tomb (Matthew 23:27), and your witness has become tainted, corrupt, and ineffective. It is impossible for you to bring glory to our Lord and Savior!
Inappropriate Responses
Leviticus 19:26-31 – Do not practice divination or sorcery… nor turn to mediums or and familiar spirits.
Ephesians 5:11 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
Buy candy, lots of candy. Buy a pumpkin and carve it into a jack-o-lantern. Buy or make a costume, put it on, then go trick or treating. And all the better if the costume portrays a witch or wizard – make sure you carry a wand, too. Don’t forget to put a black cat in the window. All of these satanically inspired pagan practices are a stench in Yahweh’s nostrils and an abomination to his ears. Have nothing to do with them.
The Church of Satan Response
The Church of Satan sees Halloween as an opportunity for the average American to indulge in secret Satanist fantasies. In an interview given to Destiny Image in 1997, Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan, said:
“I am glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year. We think because we are not performing any demonic rituals or human sacrifices that we are on safe ground,” he wrote. “But did you know that as soon as you dress up, whether you color yourself or put on a costume, the enemy owns you? Because by doing so, you have turned over your legal rights, and you have dedicated yourself and your kids to celebrating the devil’s holiday. You have just made a pact with the enemy, and you are already sacrificing your children spiritually by dressing them up and changing their identity.”
Conclusions
Ephesians 5:11 – “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather rebuke them.”
The Bible unquestionably, unequivocally, and resolutely speaks disapprovingly about occultic practices, spirits, and witches and condemns not only the practice of such things but also the people who are involved in it. As true followers of Yeshua, we are to have nothing to do with the occult, and that includes participating in celebrations that have been brought into the church calendar in attempts to overwrite pagan agendas. The true follower of Yeshua neither willingly opens a door for Satan and his demons to walk through nor provokes Yahweh’s judgment. The true follower of Yeshua knows this and avoids these occultic activities, not wishing for even their actions to cause others to stumble (see 1 Corinthians 8).
I urge all true followers of Yeshua to refocus purely on Yeshua, to repent, and to purge themselves and their churches from the worldly, Satanically inspired, outside influences and from the incorporation of pagan practices into church-sponsored celebrations. Yahweh has appointed seven moedim (dress rehearsals) – the church needs no others.
Final Thought
Deuteronomy 18:10 – “Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the fire, or who is an astrologer, a soothsayer, a diviner, a sorcerer, one who casts spells, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits, or one who inquires of the dead.”
The increasing popularity of Halloween is linked to a corresponding rise in paganism accompanied by an increasing mainstream interest in occult-related activities like astrology, witchcraft, necromancy, and spell casting. You cannot be conformed to the patterns of this world; you cannot partake in the satanically inspired pagan rituals brought into the church and still be holy, be set apart, be different from the non-believing masses. Instead, be transformed, renew your mind, do that which is good and acceptable and perfect so that your witness will bring glory to Yahweh, Yeshua, and the Ruach Ha’Kodesh.
Website: https://raptureparty.net
Email: jeff@raptureparty.net