True Meaning of Lent

What is Lent? Why is it practiced by the Christians of this world? Does the scripture command it? Did Christ or any of his apostles observe Lent? What about the early church? What does the scripture teach about Lent?

Besides New Year’s, other holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day are celebrated by secular people. But Lent is mostly observed only by believers. Many people put ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday. For the next 40 days, they fast until Easter, abstaining from certain foods or physical pleasures. It is said to follow Jesus Christ’s 40-day fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-2). Some quit smoking. Others quit drinking. Still, others give up overeating or cursing. People vow to give up anything to prepare them for Easter.

People who observe Lent are said to be pious and dedicated. But is it really a scriptural belief?

We will examine Lent and its practices, customs, its history, and its true meaning according to Scripture, “not according to the imaginations of men” (Mark 7:7-9).

Exploring the purpose of Lent

The Catholic Encyclopedia puts it this way, “the real aim of Lent is, above all else, to prepare men for the celebration of the death and Resurrection of Christ…the better the preparation the more effective the celebration will be. One can effectively relive the mystery only with a purified mind and heart. The purpose of Lent is to provide that purification by weaning men from sin and selfishness through self-denial and prayer, by creating in them the desire to do God’s will and to make His kingdom come by making it come first of all in their hearts.”

On the surface, this belief sounds sincere. However, it does not agree with God’s Holy Word, the Scriptures. Understanding the Holy Scriptures is true divine knowledge (John 17:17). The Lord commanded Christians through the apostle Paul, “Continue in the things which you have learned; Not only do you know that you learned them from someone else, but you also know that you have known from childhood the Holy Scriptures that can make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scriptures are inspired by the Spirit of God; They are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for teaching in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, and worthy to do every good work.” (II Tim 3:14-17).

First, understand the “celebration” of Christ’s death - Good Friday and His resurrection - “Easter Sunday”. These holidays are deeply rooted in ancient paganism. Both of these are fakes established by mainstream Christianity to change the Passover season. The Passover and Unleavened Bread were observed by Christ, the early apostles, and the New Testament Church, including the Gentiles. The Lord commands His people to observe them even today (I Cor. 5:7-8).

Second, Scripture tells us that we have been cleansed, sanctified, set apart, and made pure in the sight of the Lord by the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:11-14, 22; 13:12). It is by faith (Acts 15:9) and by His faithfulness and prayer (John 17:17; 1 Timothy 4:5) and by humbly submitting and obeying the Lord (James 4:7-10) that we make ourselves clean before the Lord. No amount of fasting, abstaining from physical pleasures, or any other form of self-denial will purify us.

Third, you cannot “create within yourself the desire to do the Lord’s will.” It is true that God has given mankind the institution of self-will. However, the carnal mind cannot obey the Lord. “And they that walk according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; Those who walk by the Spirit think spiritual things. … For the carnal mind is enmity against God; It does not and cannot obey God’s law.” (Romans 8: 5, 7).

Always led by the Holy Spirit, only a loved man can do the Lord’s will “for God is at work in you. It is He who gives you the will and power to act according to His will.” (Phil. 2:13, Bible).

Fourth, it is a false tradition taught by the Christianity of this world that “He will first come into your hearts to establish His kingdom.” This is not taught in the scriptures. The Lord has not established His kingdom in the hearts of men. (Soon we will publish an article on understanding the Kingdom of God.)

So where did Lent come from? How is it so widely observed in mainstream Christianity?

Recognized by the Roman state religion

Believe it or not, Lent was never observed by Christ or his apostles. He told his disciples, “Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; Behold, I am with you even to the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28: 19-20). Jesus never commanded them to observe Lent or Easter. He did, however, command them to keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. In fact, during His last earthly Passover, Christ gave detailed instructions on how to observe the Passover. He also instituted the symbols of the new Passover (John 13:1-17).

Consider Alexander Hyslop’s; In his book The Two Babylons: “There are many differences between the Easter festival we read about in church history, that of the third and fourth centuries, and that which is now observed in the Roman Church. And in those days it was not known by anyone by the name of Easter … The festival [Passover] was not an idolatry, nor was there a season of Lent before it. ‘It must be known,’ wrote the fifth-century monk Cassianus of Marseilles.

The Church in the first century did not observe Lent! It was first addressed by the Church of Rome at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, when Emperor Constantine officially recognized the Church as the state religion of the Roman Empire. Any other Christianity that held doctrines contrary to the Roman Church was considered an enemy of the state. In 360 AD, the Council of Laodicea officially mandated the observance of Lent.

At first, people did not observe the fasting period for more than a week. Some kept it for a day or two. Others falsely believed that only 40 hours passed between Christ’s death and resurrection and kept it at 40 consecutive hours.

Eventually, it became a 40-day period of fasting or abstinence from some. “The emphasis was not so much on fasting as on their renewal for Easter preparation. They fasted for a specified period of time, although it was not necessary for the faithful to fast every day. However, as the years went by, more and more emphasis was placed on fasting… In the early centuries (especially from the fifth century), the observance of Lent was very strict. Only one meal a day was allowed, and that too in the evening; Meat, fish, eggs and dairy products were strictly prohibited in most places. Even meat is not allowed on Sundays (Catholic Encyclopedia).

From the ninth century, the strict rules of Lent were relaxed. Then, the emphasis shifted from fasting and abstinence to confession of sin and penitence. According to the Apostolic Constitution Pope Paul IV’s Poenitemini (February 17, 1966) “Absolution is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the feast or Fridays observed throughout the year, and abstinence is to be observed with fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday” (Catholic Encyclopedia).

Today, Lent is “turning away from sin and from sinful things…forsaking sin and turning from its ways”. It is a time of repentance, that is, sorrow for sin and conversion to the Lord.” According to this tradition, by observing fasting and self-discipline during the season of Lent, believers “purify their hearts and renew their lives with the truth of self-control.”

But Scripture makes it clear that self-control—temperance—comes only through the working of the Lord’s Holy Spirit in the life of the redeemed mind (Gal. 5:16, 17, 22). Fasting alone cannot produce divine self-control.

Paul warns that the use of self-denial is only a tool for believing in self-discipline. He also called it “self-discipline worship”. “If you are dead with Christ to the worship of the world, do you still live according to the customs of the world, walking according to the imaginations and teachings of men: Do not touch, do not taste, do not touch? By enjoying all these things perish. Although such teachings contain the so-called wisdom of self-willed worship, mystical humility, and carnal oppression, these are of no use but for the maintenance of the flesh.” (Col. 2: 20-23).

The Lord did not design penance as a tool to turn from sin when you “beat yourself” or “discipline yourself”: “When a man afflicts his soul, and bows his head and lies down like reeds and ashes, is it a day of fasting that I love? Will you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the Lord? Looseth the fetters of iniquity, loosens the bonds of the yoke, sets free those who are bound, breaks all yokes, shares your food with the hungry, brings the poor and the destitute into your home, clothes you when you see the naked, is not your flesh longing for you? (Isa. 58: 5-7).

So what does the scripture say about penance?

Repentance is designed for the Lord’s people to humble themselves and draw nearer to the Lord - through such penitence they learn to think like the Lord and live according to His way of life in all things. Consider what the prophet Jeremiah wrote: “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom; A mighty man should not boast of his prowess; A rich man should not boast about his riches; The Lord says that the one who praises should praise because he knows me and realizes that I am the Lord who does grace, justice, and righteousness on earth; I am well pleased with these, says the Lord.” (9:23-24). Fasting and prayers alone help Christians draw closer to God.

The origins of Lent’s roots

Lent is from the Anglo-Saxon Lencten, meaning “spring”. Lent originated from the ancient Babylonian mystery religion. “The fast of forty days of penance was borrowed directly from the Babylonian goddess worshipers … This Lent seems to have been an essential prelude to the great annual commemoration of the death and resurrection of Thomas among the idols” (Two Babylons).

Tammuz is the Antichrist of the Babylonians - one of Satan’s many false Christs!

The feast of Tammuz was usually celebrated in June (also known as the “month of Tammuz”). Lent was held 40 days before the feast, and “weeping and rejoicing were celebrated alternately” hence Lent’s name “spring”; It runs from spring to early summer.

The Scriptures record that the ancient Jewish people worshiped this Antichrist: “He led me into the passage of the north gate of the house of the Lord; Behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. Then he said: Son of man, have you seen this? Say to me that you will see more abominations than this,” (Ezek. 8: 14-15). This is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord!

But why did the Roman Church establish such an idolatrous holiday?

”The Roman Empire continued its usual policy of reconciling Christianity with paganism. It took the step of merging Christian festivals with pagan festivals. Many difficulties notwithstanding, they changed the calendar by skillful means, which, in general, was by no means an easy matter, joining paganism and Christianity—Christianity now completely immersed in idolatry. In this, and many other things, shook hands (the two Babylons).

The Roman Empire replaced Passover with Easter and moved the idolatrous Feast of Tammuz to the beginning of spring in June; this was “Christianization”. Lent moved with it.

“Thus the change of Easter had great consequences. At that time, it brought with it great corruption in the Church and great superstitions about the abstinence of Lent.” (Two Babylons).

Before Lent and giving up personal sins, on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, they would have a “doing anything” celebration. In this, they commit great abuse and great sins for their share. - Even today the world celebrates it as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday.

Abomination disguised as Christianity

God is not a God of strife but a God of peace (I Cor. 14:33a). He never instituted Lent, a false messiah full of abuse and his false resurrection.

The Lord commands His people to follow Him - not the traditions of men. The ways of the Lord are higher than those of man (Isa. 55:8-9). Humans cannot decide for themselves what is good and what is wrong and how to properly worship God. Because “above all things the heart is twisted and wicked, and who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9), and “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not of himself, and that his steps are not of him who walks” (10:23). The Lord who shaped us and gave us life knows how we should worship him. We will walk according to His will.

To be a Christian and serve the Lord properly, you must walk in “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord” (Matthew 4:4), and understand that His holy scriptures “cannot be broken” (John 10:35).

The Lord commands Christians to flee from idolatrous traditions and the customs of the world. These are the ways of being led and deceived by Satan (II Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9).

A Lenten religious observance may seem sincere and heartfelt. But it is deeply rooted in false idolatry that distracts from God’s plan.

God hates all pagan observances (Jer. 10:2-3; Lev. 18:3, 30; Deut. 7:1-5, 16). They cannot be “Christianized” and people cannot purify them. That includes Lent.

This is the true meaning of Lent; now you know it.