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I have up to this point given a detailed account of the apostasy encountered by the early Gentile Church under the influence of Constantine. Why did this man turn from established orthodoxy handed down by the apostles? The answer comes when we see what was in the heart of such a man that caused him to accept certain values and beliefs. We are the recipients of his "false-belief system today." For an example, let us see into his heart as we examine why the Christian Church today celebrates and observes Easter instead of Passover as God COMMANDED!
From the Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council. (Found in Eusebius, Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20.)
When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was universally thought that it would be convenient that all should keep the feast on one day; for what could before beautiful and more desirable, than to see this festival, through which we receive the hope of immortality, celebrated by all with one accord, and in the same manner? It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, (1) we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter, which we have observed from the time of the Saviour's Passion to the present day [according to the day of the week]. We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week); and consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them? They do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, in their blindness and repugnance to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two passovers in the same year. (Oh by the way...if Constantine had read the Bible you would see that God allows for the celebration of Passover exactly one month later for those who were unclean when it was supposed to be celebrated, or who traveled from such far distances that they could not make it in time) Again Constantine is wrong!
We could not imitate those who are openly in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most certainly blinded by error? for to celebrate the passover twice in one year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such wicked people [the Jews]. Besides, consider well, that in such an important matter, and on a subject of such great solemnity, there ought not to be any division. Our Saviour has left us only one festal day of our redemption, that is to say, of his holy passion, and he desired [to establish] only one Catholic Church. Think, then, how unseemly it is, that on the same day some should be fasting whilst others are seated at a banquet; and that after Easter, some should be rejoicing at feasts, whilst others are still observing a strict fast. For this reason, a Divine Providence wills that this custom should be rectified and regulated in a uniform way; and everyone, I hope, will agree upon this point. As, on the one hand, it is our duty not to have anything in common with the murderers of our Lord; and as, on the other, the custom now followed by the Churches of the West, of the South, and of the North, and by some of those of the East, is the most acceptable, it has appeared good to all; and I have been guarantee for your consent, that you would accept it with joy, as it is followed at Rome, in Africa, in all Italy, Egypt, Spain, Gaul, Britain, Libya, in all Achaia, and in the dioceses of Asia, of Pontus, and Cilicia. You should consider not only that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we should have nothing in common with the Jews. To sum up in few words: By the unanimous judgment of all, it has been decided that the most holy festival of Easter should be everywhere celebrated on one and the same day, and it is not seemly that in so holy a thing there should be any division. As this is the state of the case, accept joyfully the divine favour, and this truly divine command; for all which takes place in assemblies of the bishops ought to be regarded as proceeding from the will of God. Make known to your brethren what has been decreed, keep this most holy day according to the prescribed mode; we can thus celebrate this holy Easter day at the same time, if it is granted me, as I desire, to unite myself with you; we can rejoice together, seeing that the divine power has made use of our instrumentality for destroying the evil designs of the devil, and thus causing faith, peace, and unity to flourish amongst us. May God graciously protect you, my beloved brethren.
We at Bet Emet Ministry are aware through the study of history of the compromise which led the institutional church into apostasy (departure from the true faith). We at Bet Emet feel the Lord has called us to awaken those who are asleep to the facts of the terrible apostasy from the faith of Jesus and who are comfortable in their compromise with paganism in the practice of their own faith (mainline Christianity). I do hope this treatise peeks the interests of many, causing more investigation of the subject and more light on the nature of the great apostasy to whom multitudes are not aware. With the intriguing prospect that mysteries and conspiracies of the past can become common knowledge, perhaps more "ordinary" believers like myself will join in the process of the restoration of the truth in these latter times.
This anti-Judaism which became anti-Semitism (even anti-Israel), exempted the church, in its opinion, from following the scriptural commands of the Sabbath and the holy feasts, such as Passover. The church equated obedience to these scriptural mandates with following Judaism (called today “being under the Law”). They supposed that since the Jews were so proud of observing the Sabbath and holy feasts, they would be in league with Judaism if they also followed these things. Of course, since many in Judaism (but not all) denied the truth of Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah, the church thought keeping the Sabbath and Passover would be equated as associating with those who deny Messiah (Christ). This, of course, was a false doctrine which overcame the church.
Answer for yourself: Have you ever investigated why the Jews reject the "Christian Jesus?" Well, until you do then you will not possess the knowledge that explains why, and once having such knowledge, then your study of the Jesus of the New Testament becomes paramount in your life because the arguments of the Jews are often irrefutable.
All Christians and Jews, centuries later, are affected by this apostasy. Most Christians think of Sunday and Easter as biblically mandated holy days and are totally ignorant of this being false doctrine and pagan worship days. Also, there are many Jewish people who think of Yeshua as leader of a Gentile (thusly pagan) religion, forgetting his Jewishness and his defense of the Law as a rabbi. Both mainstream Rabbinical Judaism and mainstream Christianity stubbornly follow their respective traditions, voicing the idea that to do otherwise would leave one "not a Jew" or "not a Christian" as the case may be. The few Christians who faithfully keep the Sabbath and enjoy the Jewish holy feasts are consigned to being a cult by mainstream Christianity. They are mostly not respected as real Christians. The minority of Jewish people who accept Yeshua as Israel's valid Messiah are viewed as traitors and apostate Jews by the mainstream Jewish community. By some they are likened to being non-persons.
Thankfully, in response to this dilemma, the Father has raised up the Messianic Jewish Movement. This movement is the joining together of Jewish believers and righteous Gentiles (we prefer the term non-Jewish or Ephraimic believers). This is a union of observant Jews who accept Yeshua as Messiah and non-Jewish believers who keep the Sabbath and enjoy the holy feasts. The effect is a new Israel, a unified holy people who are separated from paganism. We respect Christians because they are followers (ideally) of Yeshua and we respect Jews because they are preservers (ideally) of the commandments of God. Of course, we do believe for our Jewish brothers, to be fully obedient to the commandments, should rethink Yeshua in light of current Biblical studies that have cut through 2000 years of fairy tales. Only when both the Jews and the Christians uncircle their wagons, so to speak, can intelligent dialogue concerning "the prophet" like unto Moses, who Moses commanded to be followed, be accomplished. In addition, we believe in order for our Christian brothers and sisters to fully follow Yeshua they should obey the commandments of the Law, which Yeshua himself kept and said would be kept and taught by those faithful to the Kingdom of God.
In many of our writings at Bet Emet we are dealing with the problem of the historical denial of the scriptures by the Gentile church. What I found was that the whole issue of church apostasy comes down to a time and a man who transformed the environment and system in which Christianity and Judaism operated. I propose that the events which culminated in and included the rule of an Emperor named Constantine formed a satanic conspiracy; one that must be overturned by an equally powerful divine conspiracy, prayerfully accomplished in our time.