This entry is about the very old custom and tradition of the pagan holiday Samhain (pronounced 'SOW-wane'), known more recently as Halloween whose own origins are based somewhat on its preceding pagan holiday in a blending of the observance of Roman Catholic saints (the dead ones (their only kind), that is). First, let's have some background on this day from Wikipedia:Samhain (sɑːwɪn)[1] was a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures and was popularized as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer.[2] The date of Samhain was associated with the Catholic All Saints' Day (and later All Souls' Day) from at least the 8th century, and both the secular Gaelic and the Catholic liturgical festival have influenced the secular customs now connected with Halloween.[3]
The medieval Goidelic festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half". It was celebrated over the course of several days and had some elements of a Festival of the Dead. Bonfires (read about the origins of 'bone fires' and related pagan practices of the Druids and later, the Celts here; note: this is a secular source) played a large part in the festivities. People and their livestock would often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.[4]
Samhain is celebrated as a religious festival by some neopagans.[5]
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INTRODUCTION: In GENESIS 22, we saw how Abraham represented the Father Who was willing to sacrifice His own beloved Son; Isaac represented the willing Son Who laid down his life in obedience to His Father’s plan.
As discussed in Part 4, this was a kind of “spiritual skit” that played out the scene that would transpire on Golgotha centuries later when Christ out of obedience to the Father (and Himself, the willing Lamb of GOD slain from before the foundation of the Earth; REV 13:8b) would offer up His own life as the propitiatory atonement (the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins; JOHN 10:15,17-18).
Then the Holy Spirit very precisely inspired Moses as he penned this verse:
GENESIS 22:19
So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.
Take note that Abraham and the young men are mentioned here, but not Isaac. Obviously it’s a foregone conclusion that Isaac went home and didn’t wander about the mountain top – but it’s interesting that the Holy Spirit didn’t expressly mention Isaac leaving with his father. Why is that?
We’ll get into that and how the entire triune GOD is portrayed in GENESIS 24 as well as the church!
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It was a balmy, sunny and pleasant day in the ancient Italian city on August 23rd in A.D. 79. People milled about, on their various business, eating, drinking, visiting family and friends; children playing in the streets. Life was good.
The very next day, an unexpected disaster struck, an enormous volcanic eruption, killing the entire unsuspecting population of the city of Pompeii.
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Colonial America in the 18th century, people were prospering with hopes of a new life, on a new continent. Farms were flourishing on land both fertile and plentiful. Here was a land one could raise a family in and look forward to generations of blessing!
Orthopoxvirus Variola Virus, also known as Smallpox, suddenly struck.
More than four hundred thousand people suffered and died before the plague ended.
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