HALLOWEDEVE (HOLY EVENING OCT 31) IS A CHRISTIAN HOLIDAY CELEBRATED WORLDWIDE BY THE ORTHODOX
By Rev Dr Stephen MK Brunswick
The Orthodox know October 31st as a lesser Saints’ day (starting at Vespers / Sundown) and some Biblical fundamentalists may have points of argument that it’s not all that important. Some men esteem one day above another, and others esteem every day alike. There are many rejectionist statements such as this by those who are ignorant of the days. However this day, like many others are “made for man’s own good”. I would respond as OK, you can go on in ignorance. Biblically this day of Holy Evening changed our whole reality we live in, even the lifespan of men were changed as a result of this day. It’s the event in our Bibles that started the new earth, after the earth canopy broke in the flood of Noah. It began the time that we can no longer see all the angels, the lifespan of man changed to now be only 10% of what it once was, and so much more happened. This is all part of the commemoration by anyone who has a Bible and understands basic reading. So they see it as a day of edification (as all Scripture is Divinely Inspired, God Breathed, and profitable for doctrine, reproof and instruction in righteousness 2Ti 3:16). which we can commemorate, or we can also forget. Shouldn’t the church be the place for scientific knowledge and of all advancement and prosperity in the earth? If you agree then you’ll want to know about this. As we know advance doesn’t come from any but from God, and whenever the wicked flourish as the grass, it’s only that they will be cut down(even by nature), but the righteous shall be as trees that remain.
However, it says they who go on in ignorance, refraining from assembling together, as some do, they do this injustice unto YAHWEH, see Rom 14:5. I think whether you follow the Godly liturgy or not, probably doing worship to our great God is most important. So as long as you’re honoring God on the same days even better than the Scribes and Pharisees did, then you’ll step into His jurisdiction on earth “in some cases”. As Christ said,
[Mat 5:20 KJV] “20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Mat 23:2-3 KJV “2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”
As Christ re-iterated “the Kingdom is at hand” or at our finger tips (see Mat 3:2, Mat 4:17, Mar 10:7, Mar 1:15, Luk 21:31). So some are “missing out” and disconnecting partaking of His kingdom in us “the inheritance in the Saints”(Eph 1:18 and Col 1:12) as “the Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).
That righteousness is perfect law keeping, as it says Christ, who kept the law perfectly is our righteousness. He is “YAHWEH our Righteousness” and “I am YAHWEH I change not”, the standards remain, but the credit comes to us by faith through grace alone, each day starting new, realizing our position as in the new birth creation of the highest order in Christ. “Now that you have received Christ, so walk in Him”(Col 2:6) as everyone agrees who has been baptized or said the sinners prayer they will not walk according to sin anymore (1John 3:4 “Sin is transgression of the law”), but by faith will make attempts and daily do the Confession for each day they still have a flesh body and are finally Resurrected completely.
It is strange how people have gotten so far away from Orthodox teachings. So many Protestants who are ignorant of this Biblical and Traditional day have no idea of the wealth of knowledge surrounding the day. However, it does say “when they hear the word of the KINGDOM, then cometh the wicked one to steal the seed before it can be planted in his heart.” Really all the Bible is Nationalistic (Christ said we are to “seek first” His established Kingdom governance to “be done on earth”, and all His word is for our great victory along these lines of peoples and nations). So the devil will try to attack, lie about, and take ownership of and re-engineer against us, what is our good heritage(and still remains our precious possession given by God). The devil can’t create anything, he just lies about, perverts views and corrupts views (power of the air / thoughts). It is true that the devil, in his hatred of truth, copies many things that God originally made good and for His glory. However, God and His church will always have more of the ownership of those good things and the truth of Satan’s attacks will come out eventually. The lies, corruptions, and perverting the good things God made will not amount to anything at the end. God’s truth will triumph.
Some say the new Roman church tried to create “All Saints Day” November 1st (and the all Hallows/Saints Eve Halloween) as a Christian celebration when merging with the Pagan Celtic Druids. While something similarly did occur in the 8th Century, those Celts weren’t Pagan as they say, but were more Christian than Rome was. The Eastern and Orthodox roots of the Celtic church put the Roman church to shame.
The very last so-called Pagan Celtic Kings were sons of Niall of Ninehostages. They have registered pedigrees to King David. Not only several Davidic lines. Also really all of Ireland are known as “Sons of Aaron”, with registered pedigrees back to Jeremiah the Prophet and his Scribe Baruch, and the early Levites which came around 500BC, and many more times around then. Even the Welsh Pedigrees of Saints catalog several of these together with Christ’s family, Joseph of Arimathea, the Silurian British Kings and Queens, his daugthers etc. Those so-called “Druids” which the last pagan Kings are said to have consulted with, also have confirmed Pedigrees back to the Levites and the Sons of Aaron. History and Scripture confirm in numerous accounts that in 500BC Jeremiah the Prophet brought the Priesthood and the Royal Pharez line of Judah to Ireland to re-unite with the Zarah line of Judah where the world agreed they had long been firmly established. From Zaragosa Spain (also mentioned in Scotland Declaration of Independence) to the Pillars of Hercules (Judah Pedigree also), the sons of Dardanus Trojan house, the Grandsons of the Royal Judah line, are recorded as ranked in competition with the wisdom of King Solomon (far reaching international reach). This line birthed the line of Odin(a title meaning Hebrew Adon/Lord of the Royal Line of Judah), and all the Saxon Heptarchy of England, German Royal Houses, Scandinavian and most European. The exploits have been called Divine, but only as it relates to the anointing of the Sceptre Branch of Adam’s covenant tribes of Israel. This family was known as the descendants of Judah, who as one man, in the book of Jubilees could easily slay every Egyptian in the army of Egypt with his one sword.
Regarding the Calendars history also tells us so much more. Any quick look of the Bible will show you some shockers about the day. Most don’t know that this Celtic festival now called Hallowed Eve (Holy Evening) has been perpetually celebrated by the Celtic and the True Orthodox Hebrew church back to the time of Noah.
The Celtic Calendars provide several important witnesses also for the Biblical Hebrew calendar. Some say they don’t know where we all got this calendar. The Orthodox church in the 4th Century especially wrote down in the Apostles Didascalia that we all most keep track of the intervals of the Equinox and the first visible crescent New Moon after the Spring Equinox to know which day to begin the New Year and have the high holy days on the astronomically correct Biblical days called “feasts of YAHWEH” Lev 23 which are for ever. Get my book “the Sabbath in the Orthodox Church” for much more information how these all have been continued to be promoted by the early church fathers, declared kept in name by all, and kept literally by a remnant faithful.
Regarding the actual day we call Holy Evening October 31st, it’s a liberating and empowering knowledge I think you will enjoy. In Genesis 7:11 the Scriptures state that the flood came on the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month. The second month begins on about October 14th, and seventeen days hence is October 31st.
October 31st was the day that Noah boarded the ark and the great flood came upon the earth to destroy the first world. One year and 10 days later, Noah left the ark on Mount Ararat.
Our celebrations by the older true Orthodox Church was more well established in Britain long before the church could take much hold in Rome. What did take hold of the church in Rome, even Caesar’s family which Paul saluted, was called Royals of Britain. History records they turned Britain (especially Glastonbury) the outreach capital of the world, sending the Celtic Missionaries to Europe. We’ve cataloged hundreds of Saints of the first few centuries which were firmly rooted in England. In the Church of the Culdees, the oldest Celtic Church, the tradition has been ongoing as a celebration and commemoration of the pre-flood world and marks the date it ended.
Every year the Celts celebrate a period called Samhain(meaning end of harvest) on the 31st. Some translate the word “Samhain” more literally as the words for “summer’s end”. This is strictly a technical calendrical day marking the end of the season, and a cross-quarter day (between the Fall Equinox and the Winter Solstice).
Also many great events happened on the day, of which we commemorate, that included the great flood. It is good to realize the truths surrounding Holy Evening as it’s a day the earth has a susceptibility (magnetically and scientifically speaking) on this special day. These days only those in the occult know about it, and the rest are told not to discuss it, but remain ignorant. These things aren’t in the Bible for you to remain ignorant of it. “My people perish for a lack of knowledge”. However, at least we can agree that farmers use the calendars with solstices and equinoxes etc to know how to do harvests. Also the God of Israel expects us to know of the Eqinoxes in order to have the right calendar for the holy feasts. Middle markers (and quarter markers) for equinoxes are also very wise.
This day, Holy Evening is a day the water canopy over the earth broke, and the lifespan of men became 10% of what it once was. So much happened, as it is recorded in the Bible on this specific day that caused the flood. The whole earth being changed, and a man’s lifespan being only 10% of what it was, isn’t significant. As only after this flood God set the lifespan of a man, and made a new covenant with the rainbow etc.
So Hallowed Eve (Holy Evening) was a day of great cleansing for the earth.
As we’ve shown, the true celebration of Halloween was started by Noah and his sons.
According to Archbishop Ussher (the 17th century historian who compiled The Annals of the World), the Flood ended in 2348 B.C. and that the dispersion after the Tower of Babel took place about 2242 BC., during which time Noah’s sons and grandsons would have been alive.
These pure descendants of Adam brought the celebration eventually to Ireland. Irish Celts (Orthodox Christians, not in communion with Rome) and our Culdees were slandered and called pagans often, yet the whole world admits our artwork, liturgy, and calendars have from the oldest times till today remained the most widely esteemed of Orthodoxy(East and West). Even our ancient Abbey of St Gall, became later the major place of learning for the Latin church, our illuminated manuscripts of the Celtic churches remain today as one of the many great witnesses acknowledged by all, later taken up by Benedictines (Western Orthodox) etc. A larger study can be done on the historicity and wide ranging traditions attributed to the Celtic descended churches, that were originally established by Jeremiah the Prophet, the Royal House of David, and of both Royal lines of Judah (as protected by the Knights of the Scarlet Thread Zarah and Pharez), the House of Aaron (High Priests / Phineas Irish fighters), and later was established in Glastonbury, and multiplied by the First Century Apostles, namely the highest Royal Priest of His day, the founder Saint Joseph of Arimathea, together with most of the Holy Apostles who relocated to this ancient holy isle.
If you want to learn, seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be answered, knock and the door shall be opened. The Saints of the Most High will take the kingdom and possess it for ever and ever. The Faith in Christ is the keystone, and His church founded on the faith does prevail over the gates of hell. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. We teach only what has been taught by thousands in every generation, and not of any private interpretation, but widely acknowledged.
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