By David J. Stewart | September 2012
Don't
fall for the woefully ignorant psuedo-scholars on the internet who
continually claim that the inspired and preserved King James Bible has a
bunch of mistakes in it... BECAUSE IT DOESN'T! You can completely
trust your King James Bible. Here's one common error on the part of the
Bible-correcting crowd. Many false scholars ignorantly claim that the word
“EASTER” in Acts 12:4 is a mistranslation and should really be the word
“PASSOVER.” I'm going to prove to you with the Bible that “Easter” is in
fact the correct rendering of the Scriptures.
The word “Passover” in all the modern Bibles is blatant heresy! The 47 scholarly men who translated the King James Bible knew what they were doing. There were 53 men in all, but only 47 did the actual labor of translating. It's ridiculous that so many self-proclaimed know-it-alls these days so arrogantly think they are smarter than the 53 men whom God used to give us the beloved and trustworthy King James Bible in 1611.
The word “Easter” is found one time in the entire authorized King James Bible:
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, 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.” (Acts 12:1-4)
So here we have a situation in Acts chapter 12. Herod had just beheaded
James, it made the Jews happy. Now Herod desires to kill Peter also, but he
wants to wait until after “Easter” according to the King James Bible. Notice that the NIV
version has the word “Passover” instead of “Easter.” I will prove to you
from the King James Bible that “Easter” is in fact,
the proper word to use.
“Easter”
Is Translated Correctly In The King James Bible
The word “Easter” has been incorrectly translated “Passover” in all modern Bible versions. Only the trustworthy authorized King James Bible renders the proper word, “EASTER.” How do I know this? The Bible evidences it. Notice again in the passage of Acts 12:1-4 that King Herod killed James. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, Herod also had Peter arrested. Notice that Herod took Peter DURING the DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD and was going to bring him forth to the people AFTER Easter.
The Old Testament teaches that the DAY OF PASSOVER started the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. Notice in the following Scripture that the Day Of Passover occurred on the 14th day of the first month, but the Feast Of Unleavened Bread began on the 15th day of the month...
“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.” (Leviticus 23:5,6)
So we learn from this Old Testament Scripture that the day of Passover fell on the 14th day of the first month, and then the “FEAST of UNLEAVENED BREAD” began upon the 15th day of the first month.
The days of unleavened bread came AFTER Passover! Acts 12:3 tells us that Peter was apprehended DURING the “days of unleavened bread.” This means that the day of Passover had ALREADY occurred. “Easter” could not have been Passover, because Passover occurs BEFORE the days of unleavened bread. Passover had come and gone. Herod decided to bring Peter forth AFTER Easter.
This is the proper time sequence:
1. PASSOVER
2. DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
3. EASTER
So there you have it... the
Day Of Passover always kicks off the seven Days Of Unleavened
Bread, happening the day before the feast begins. So if Herod
arrested James during the Feast Of Unleavened Bread, the Passover was
already over. Easter is correct. Of course, Easter is a pagan holiday and
the Bible doesn't deny that. The Bible is simply teaching that James was
taken by Herod during the days of unleavened bread, and Herod was planning
to kill Peter after Easter.
Easter Was Originally a Pagan Holiday
The word “Easter” here does NOT refer to “Easter” as we know it nor does it refer to the “Passover” as it is wrongly translated in other Bible versions. Though many Christians celebrate “Easter” in remembrance of Christ's resurrection, Easter was originally a pagan festival (etymology of your dictionary should confirm this), which is what Acts 12:4 refers to and not the Passover. We will determine this by looking at the passage.
The Webster's New World Dictionary gives the following etymology (origin and development of a word), for the word “Easter” ...
“originally, name of pagan vernal [spring time] festival ALMOST COINCIDENT in date with paschal [Passover] festival of the church”
SOURCE: Eastre, dawn goddess—Austro, dawn
In other words, Easter was originally a pagan festival celebrated in the
spring time.
When the King James Bible says “EASTER” in Acts
12:4, it is correct; when the other versions say “PASSOVER” in Acts 12:4, they are incorrect. Again, “Easter”
in this passage is referring to a pagan festival.
Further Evidence From The Book Of Numbers
Passover only comes once a year on one day, the 14th of Abib ( Numbers 28:16). After the Passover, then comes the seven days of unleavened bread (Numbers 28:16-17), extending from the fifteenth day through the twentieth day...
Numbers 28:16-17, “And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.”
So when Peter was arrested during the days of unleavened bread (Acts 12:3), Passover had come and gone! This evidences 100% that “Easter” is the correct word that should be rendered in Acts 12:4. The Bible says that Herod was going to bring him forth AFTER Easter (which had not come yet). The angel of the Lord rescued Peter in response to the prayers of the church, who were gathered together praying for Peter after they heard that James had been killed. The Bible says in Acts 12:19 that the keepers of the prison were put to death by Herod for Peter's escape from the prison. In acts 12:23 the Holy Spirit struck Herod and He was eaten by worms and died. Herod is in Hell this moment in torments.
Don't listen to the Bible critics who always attack the King James Bible. The very fact that so many wicked people are attacking the King James Bible evidences that it is God's holy, preserved and inspired Word. Thank God for the precious King James Bible, the holy Words of God. My friend, if you are wrong on the Bible you are wrong on Jesus Christ, for He is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13). John 1:1-3,14 teaches that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
John 1:1-3 and 14, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Jesus is the living Word, and the Bible is the written Word. Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” To have the mind of Christ we must abide in the Scriptures. Jesus said in John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” Amen and amen!
Please don't get caught up into the modern Bible-correcting movement that's always finding fault with God's Word. Those hypocrites never go soul-winning, never take a stand against sin in American culture, never contend for the Christian faith, never make a difference for God. All they do is critic Bible-believing preachers, critic the inspired King James Bible, critic door-to-door soul-winners, but they never do anything to get lost sinners saved.
“Easter” belongs in the Bible in Acts 12:4. “Passover” is a woeful mistranslation. Now you know the truth! The New International Version (NIV) is perverted and it's homosexual translators in trouble with God for butchering the Words of the living God. The NIV 2011 is even worse!!! Jeremiah 23:36, “And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.”
