10/25/2025
Most know that Halloween has evil origins...however...I would like to point out some biblical facts that maybe not as many are aware of.
Most people know that the true name for Halloween is Samhain. It was given this name about the same time that the date was permanently fixed to October 31st by the pagan Celtics. Before this time however, the date of Halloween was based on a different basis. The date of Halloween was set to fall one month exactly after the Feast of Tabernacles on the Jewish Calendar. The Feast of Tabernacles falls on 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September to late October based on the solar calender). Halloween was set to come one month later. Here's why!
Most of you know the story in the Bible of the young prophet and the old prophet (1 Kings 13) but the biggest question is why was the young prophet sent to speak to king Jeroboam? See, Jeroboam did not want the people of Israel to return for thier appointed Feast time (There were others that required them to return to Jerusalem to sacrifice. This was one of them.) 1 Kings 12:27 said " If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah." May I remind you there was conflict between Rehaboam and Jeroboam (1 Kings 12). So Jeroboam devised a plan, "even in the month he had devised of his own heart" (1 Kings 12:33) and set up golden calves at both Dan and Bethel and people came and worshipped and this became a sin (1 Kings 12:28-30) "And he made an house of the high places and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi."(1 Kings 12:31) Only Levites were allowed to be priests. So all this is going on and Jeroboam is getting ready to burn incense on the alter he has built for his new Feast day. Here is where our young prophet steps in.
1 Kings 13:1-6 " And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before."
Now the young prophet spoke of King Josiah who would come about 300 years later. So if Josiah was to destroy all these altars and priest and he himself served the Lord, how do
we still have Halloween today? The answer lies with Josiah's father, Manasseh.
See, by the time we get to king Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33), things have gotten much worse in Jerusalem. Manasseh has added a whole new spin to the sinful "worship" and "holiday" set forth by king Jeroboam.
2 Chronicles 33:1-7 " Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: But did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. Also he built altars in the house of theLord, whereof the Lord had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:" So Manasseh has added child sacrifice (verse 6) observed times, used enchantments, witchcraft, dealt with familiar spirits and with wizards. Now this is starting to sound more like the Halloween that we know about. 2 Chronicles 33:10 "And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken."
So God stepped in!
2 Chronicles 33:11-13 " Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God." So Manasseh repented and eventually Josiah did exactly that which was prophesied 300 years before. So how is Halloween still around? Take a quick note where he was taken captive, Babylon! Babylon heard all the things which Manasseh and his forefathers did during his supplication to God (Verse 13) while he was bound in fetters in captivity (Verse 11). Didn't the children of Israel sin and they were also taken into Babylon captivity. In fact, Jeremiah spoke to the people many times warning them not to learn or to practice the customs of that area, but they didn't listen. They were also forbidden to marry those people as well but they did that too (See Ezra Chapter 10)
So practices did not completely end for God's people then and some still practice the way of Babylon today. I'm sure you've heard the phrase: "Well I don't do all that other stuff, it's just a fun time to get the kid's candy." When God sends a young prophet to speak against this very thing all those years ago, it might be a good time to take notice. The phrase is also used:"Well I'm not doing it for that reason, God knows my heart." You are correct, only God know the intents of the heart. But when God's people were warned to refrain from these things and did not Jeremiah said this: "
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:9-10
So, now you know the whole story about the origins of Halloween. On a side note, a colony arrived in Ireland approximately 701 A.D. by the name of Danaan. Could these people be from the tribe of Dan which was one of the cities in which Jeroboam built a calf?
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15
