[Greetings friends and listeners!]

This world celebrates Halloween, supposedly, a Christian festival.  This Halloween is featured by colors black, red, and orange.  Motif: spiders, bat, vampires, witches.  What are the features?  They are darkness, death, demons, demonism, devil, destruction, evil, horror, the macabre, skeletons, skulls, vampires and bats, witches, and witchcraft. 

What does this tell you?  Do you know where all these features of this celebration and the custom came from?  Does the Bible tell us to pray for the dead?  Is the dead conscious?  Should a Christian participate in these?  What does the Bible say? 

Talking about Halloween, it’s important for us to go back and see when and where this custom or festival started. 

Many centuries before Jesus, the Celtics and the Droid people of the Western Europe celebrated November 1 as the “Feast of Taman .”  And this is in relation to the Celtic New Year and also in honor of their sun god.  And it is celebrated [in the] previous evening as the festival of Samhain. 

Now, what is this Samhain?  Samhain is actually the “lord of the dead”.   Now, let us remember that the God who created heaven and earth is not the god of the dead but of the living. 

Again, I’d like to challenge all of you to look into your Bibles and read and follow me through the Bible. 

If you have your Bibles with you, please open with me and if in case you don’t have, you could just jot down on a piece of paper and pen or pencil the following and follow it up as soon as possible. 

In Matthew 22:32, we read Jesus Christ saying, concerning the resurrection of the dead, He said, “…[ 31] have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ( in verse 32, He said) I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Another passage in Luke 20:38, it says, “For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live to him.” 

Therefore, we see from the Biblical account that God is not the god of the dead but of the living.  And this Samhain who is celebrated on November 1 is the lord of the dead.

What else is the historical account saying about this celebration?  They believed that the souls of the dead are trapped in bodies of animals.  On this day, Samhain can be persuaded to set some free if offer of food and drink is made.  Details of this celebration could be read in many reference books.  Some of them are in the book Halloween: an American Holiday, an American History by Lesley Bannatyne published in 1998, in page 2. 

Another book that you might want to refer to is the book titled Celebrations: The Complete Book of American Holidays pages 258-259. This is the 1972 edition.  Also, the Encyclopedia of Religion, 1987 edition pages 176-177 and of course, the Encyclopedia Britannica.  There are many passages which mention these things in these reference books.

But the important thing here is how about Jesus Christ?  How about the apostles?  How about the early Christians?  Did they observe Halloween? Of course we know that the Bible never stated that they observe Halloween neither the history books. 

Six centuries after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that will be about six hundred years, Pope Boniface IV, in May 13, 610 dedicated a pagan Roman temple to Mary and declared a new holiday to honor Christian martyrs.  It is called the All Saints Day.  But the pagan custom of worshipping the dead did not stop.  It simply changed into a new dress by calling it Christian. 

Two hundred years later, in the eighth century, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day to November 1.  Why?  To exactly coincide with the pagan worship of the god of the dead, Samhain, the venerated god of the dead for the pagans. 

Meanwhile, the customs, the dress, the relics—all remain.  Further down in history, another ecclesiastical personality created All Souls Day and designated November 2.  However, later on this was all combined back to November 1 and called All Hallows Day since the celebration starts in the evening of October 31.  All Hallows Evening later become commonly known as Halloween.  So we see here the development that these things were instituted by the Roman Church six centuries after the time of Christ, the apostles and the early Christians.  But even then, long before that, the pagans were already observing and celebrating these pagan festivals. 

In the eighth century B.C., the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians.  2 Kings 17:16-18, “And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. (17) And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Eternal, to provoke him to anger.”  Because of that, God allowed them to be taken into captivity.  What were some of the commands, which ancient Israel violated which led to their captivity?  In Deuteronomy 12:29, “When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations [meaning pagans] from before you, where you go to possess them, and you succeeded them, and dwell in their land; (30) Take heed [or take care] to yourself that you be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before you; and that you enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.”

So, it’s not a matter of inquiring how they did it and for Christians to follow how the pagans did it.  Continuing in verse 31, he said, “You shall not do so unto the Eternal your God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hates, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. (32) Whatsoever things I command you, observe to do it: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”  Therefore we see here that the command of God is not to get from pagan holidays and add that to Christian celebrations.  We are not to add or even to diminish from the commands of God. 

In the book Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life, a collection of essays, edited by Jack Santino, 1994 edition, pages 39-40, he mentioned here that Halloween celebration has been modernized and Christianized.  However, he himself said that the core of Halloween remained on some level, unchanged.  The paganism, the witchcraft, the horror, and other things, blackness and death, still remain to this day. 

It’s important for us to find out who is behind these celebrations.  Who is actually this one represented as Samhain, the lord of the dead?  And have you ever wondered why is there a proliferation of masks on this day, everybody trying to go and attend functions and masquerade balls wearing masks?  Why hide?  It is time that we begin to unmask the personalities behind this celebration because in actual fact, masks have to do with deception. 

Let the Bible interpret and find out for us what is happening in this world.  And who is causing us to be blinded and masked from the reality and truth of this matter. 

I’d like you to open with me to Revelation 12:9, we read here, “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceives the whole world…”  We see here a statement saying that Satan has deceived the whole world, not just ten percent of the world, not just the world of pagans, not 50 percent of the world, but the whole world which includes all of the major Christian religions.  Now, that’s the reality of the Bible, don’t believe me, believe what you read in your own Bible.  And God is not telling a lie.    And it says that about Satan, “… he was cast into the earth, and his angels [meaning the demons, billions of them] were cast out with him.”  So we see here the reality of what is happening to this world.

Now, most of the people of this world remains in blindness, in spiritual blindness.  The Bible also mentions that.  Let us read what the apostle Paul has to say about spiritual blindness on this earth.  In 2 Corinthians 4, I’d like you to follow me in verse 4.  It says here, “In whom the god of this world…”  We find here that there is an impostor god of this world.  Somebody is representing the God of heaven and earth and palming off himself as the god of this world.  What did he do?  He “… has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”  So we see here a power that is blinding the minds of the peoples of this world.  And in Revelation, it talks about deceiving the whole world. 

Now, we begin to put two and two together and see the connection here.  Why is this of all the Christian celebrations, very bizarre, very different, very unique, talking about dead, and destruction and horror and demonism?  Naturally we are beginning to see who the real personalities behind it actually are. 

Now, is this for us Christians to celebrate?  Should we participate in pagan celebrations like this? 

I’d like us to open to 1 Corinthians 10.  All Christians should be aware of what they are doing and what they are following.  1 Corinthians 10, starting in verse 20.  The apostle Paul was inspired by God to say, “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles [meaning the pagans] sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that you [he was referring to the Christians] should have fellowship with demons [or demonism, or demonic worship or demonic celebrations just like Halloween is.]

To many people, it seems innocent, it seems fun but God does not look at that as fun.  Continuing in verse 21, he said, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord [talking of the Passover symbols], and the cup of demons [meaning their food]: you cannot be partakers of the Lord's table [referring again to the Passover celebration], and of the table of demons [referring to worship following pagan celebrations that have to do with demonic worship].”  In verse 21, he even asked, “Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?”  Are we stronger that the demons?  Or even God, He does not allow these things. 

This power of death, and destruction and the fear of death, actually, Halloween is featured by fear, horror, blackness, death, red, blood, and all kinds of horrifying masks and images and witchcraft.

The Bible talks about these things.  Who is expected to deliver us and to destroy these things from our midst as Christians?  Hebrews 2:14-15, it says here, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood [meaning we have become humans], he also [meaning Jesus Christ] likewise took part of the same [Jesus Christ also became a human.  Why?] that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”  And we know that to be Satan.  That was God’s intention to destroy him, his power, the power of Satan the devil.  And what else, verse 15, “And deliver them who through fear of death [all people fear death.  The God planned to deliver all of us who] were in their lifetime subject to bondage.”  Subject to this kind of bondage and corruption. 

So we see here that Jesus Christ came principally to also destroy that power.  Yet, we find many Christians innocently participating and celebrating in the things that God condemned. 

Now, other Christian leaders will say, “oh yes, that’s true, but you know, we are not really celebrating Satan.  We’re not celebrating the pagan customs.  We are just celebrating the dead.  You know, we would like to honor the dead.” 

Now, let’s again look into your Bible whether that is God’s will for us.  Are the dead conscious? That’s the important question.  If we are to celebrate the dead, are the dead conscious and worth praying for, visiting and honouring them?  What does the Bible say concerning the dead?

I’d like us to look into the Bible, and open to Ecclesiastes 9:5.  Ecclesiastes 9:5 reveals to us the inspired word of God concerning the state of the dead.  Are they conscious?  Do they know what is happening?  Let us read Ecclesiastes 9:5, it says here, “For the living [we, who are living] know that they shall [or we shall] die: but the dead know not any thing [in other words, the dead is unconscious], neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”  And in verse 6, “Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.”  No more participation in any activity on this earth.  So even if we serve them food and drink, even if we visit them, even if we give them flowers, they don’t know these things.  They don’t feel honoured.  More, maybe it’s more for us to assuage our sadness and emotion. 

Now, but it’s very important for us to really find out about the state of the dead because it has to do with whether we will be serious in our celebrations or not. 

We’d like to offer a very important and enlightening booklet on this subject consisting of over 65 pages.  It’s entitled What Happens After Death.  And it asks and answers very vital and important questions.  For example, does the Bible teach that we have an immortal soul?  Now, that is also a very important topic where many people don’t really know the answers.  Majority probably believe that we have an immortal soul.  And also it addresses where did this immortal soul teaching come from?  Definitely not from the Bible but it came from the pagans.  Not from the Bible, not from God, not from Jesus Christ. 

Now, I’d like you to ask this question to yourself: If we all have already an immortal soul, why is it that the Bible still talks about the resurrection from the dead?  You know, an immortal soul, an immortal person does not die.  He is conscious, and as claimed even at death he is still conscious, somewhere.  If he is conscious and if he is alive and if the reality of this person has not died, why is it that the Bible talks about a resurrection and it is the hope for all Christians?  Have you ever thought about that contradiction?  And also, secondly: If indeed, the saints re already up happy in heaven or somewhere else, why is there a need for Jesus Christ to come back to this earth and raise up the saints at His coming?  If they are all alive in heaven, is it logical for Jesus Christ to gather all of them from heaven, already happy and rejoicing all these years, haul them back to earth and raise them up from the grave.  Does that make sense to you? 

Now, obviously, there are many things that are taught by religious leaders and preachers which are not in line with Biblical teaching.  Indeed as we have read, this world is full of deception.

Now, this booklet will also answer questions, what about reported life and death experiences?  Many people have stories to tell and this booklet answers that. 

Another question, are there saved humans in heaven right now?  Where re the saved?  Are they rejoicing?

Perhaps it is important for us to look at the very words of Jesus Christ himself.  When He came to earth, He came from heaven and He would know if there were people in heaven when He came.  He will be the firsthand witness of who are in heaven and what is happening in heaven because He has His words recorded for us concerning these things.  And many people believed that the saints are now in heaven. 

Let us see what Jesus Christ has to say.  Please open with me to John 3:13.  John 3:13, I’d like you to believe what you read in the Bible.  Don’t believe me for what I said but for what you read in your own Bibles with your own eyes.  What did Jesus Christ say?  He said, “And no man has ascended up to heaven [meaning no person has ever climbed up or went up to heaven.”  Now, you cannot mistake that statement.  And He added], but he [meaning Himself] that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.  And the later part of course is a parenthetical commentary by the writer John when he wrote this.  When he wrote this, Jesus Christ was already in heaven.  But he was quoting what Jesus Christ mention when He was on earth. 

Now, that is surprising to many people who have maybe not read their Bible or have not understood what is written in their Bible.  Now, some of you will say, ‘well, maybe that was what Christ said before He died, but definitely after He died, things would have changed.  After the law has been nailed to the cross and other things have been done away, certainly after His resurrection, things would have been different.  The holy people of God would have ascended with Him to heaven after that.  Is that true?  Is that teaching or supposition true?

Let us read from the Bible again and let the Bible be our authority not the words of men.  In Acts 2, the apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost.  The very first Pentecost after Christ died and resurrected some seven weeks after His death and crucifixion.  In the message and sermon of the apostle, Acts 2:29, he said, “Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David [King David of Israel, the man after God’s own heart who wrote the psalms and sang song to God.  What did he say?], that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.”  He did not say, “well David is in heaven but his body is here.”  He said, “He is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.”  And what else did he say?  Let’s read in verse 34.  The apostle Peter should know, he is the chief of the apostles.  Now, notice, verse 34, read it with your own eyes, “For David is not ascended into the heavens…”  Didn’t you see that?  I’ll read it again.  The Bible tells you, for David is not ascended into the heavens.  “… but he says himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, (35) Until I make thy foes your footstool.”  I’m quoting from the psalms. 

So we see here the plain teachings of scriptures and this does not contradict the words of Christ when Christ said no man has ascended to heaven.  Now if the patriarch David, the man after God’s own heart, from whom Jesus Christ descended by lineage is not even ascended in heaven, how about the rest of the dead?  Now, certainly, that is not part of the plan of God to have people in heaven right now.

Now, another thing that I’d like you to notice, people think that we have an immortal soul.  But if you would read your Bibles very carefully, you would notice that the word immortal in the Bible refers only, only to God, not to men.  Now many people carelessly read their Bible or interpret their Bible.  But let us see what the Bible says. 

I’d like you to open with me to 1 Timothy 1:7.  It says “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  So it’s talking about God, being immortal.  This verse by the way does not refer to any other being on this earth.  Moving on to 1 Timothy 6:16.  I’d like us to read this very carefully, “Who only has immortality [talking about God, Jesus Christ who only has immortality], dwelling in the light which no man can approach…”  So we see here that He alone has immortality as the other translations render it.

Now, there are many other topics in this booklet that I mentioned.  What is the Biblical view of heaven?  And what is the Biblical view of hell?  Another thing that many people would be surprise to know, if God is full of love and compassion and mercy, will the wicked be tormented forever in an ever burning hell?  Where are our love ones now?  What does the Bible say?  The true message of the Bible gives us comfort and peace of mind.  God is a loving God.  But this world lies confused and blinded from the truths of God. 

I therefore want to encourage you to request for our free booklet, What happens After Death and also keep listening to this program. 

In conclusion therefore, Jesus Christ said, “by their fruits you will know them.”  And Satan, a very clever and wise being has been successful in inserting a celebration about him and his hosts of demons, even among many Christians. 

Truly, the verse saying that Satan has deceived the whole world is very true.  And it has happened and is happening even now at this time. 

Finally, Halloween celebration is featured by death and the horror of death, honouring the god of horror and the god of the dead, Satan or Samhain.  We read that God is not the god of the dead.  So we would like to offer you as well in addition another free booklet called Holidays or Holy Days: Does it Matter Which We Keep? It also discusses a subject on the celebration of darkness which has to do with Halloween. 

So listeners and friends, we appreciate your having listened to this program, and we’d like to encourage you to keep listening.  You’ll learn a lot more biblical truth and not simply the teachings of men. 

[So for today, thank you for listening, and for the Good News of the World Tomorrow, this is Ed Macaraeg.  Have a good day.]