Christians and Halloween
Halloween has become a cherished commercial holiday in America—especially among kids. Every year by mid-September, stores are filled with Halloween themed displays and merchandise. Millions of costumes are sold, along with spooky decorations and obscene amounts of candy. Amusement parks follow suit, switching their themes to dark and scary. Haunted houses pop up all over communities (the Sheriff Station’s is most popular in ours). Houses in neighborhoods follow suit with jack-o’-lanterns on porches, tombstones on lawns, and spiderwebs everywhere. Then, on October 31st at sunset, the tradition culminates with millions of children emerging from their homes armed with pumpkin buckets and pillowcases. Pirates, zombies and superheroes march in unison with flashlight-armed parents in toe. They spend the next few hours knocking on any door with a porch-light on, and reciting a polite ‘trick or treat’ to any that open. That’s how I remember Halloween as a child, and not much has changed in 40 years. Controversies aside, it’s easy to see why kids enjoy it so much.
But Christians have been split over the decades on how to handle this cherished American pastime. Its occult imagery and presumed roots have caused many to take pause (myself included). Some choose to ignore it, while others denounce it passionately. Others celebrate Halloween alternatives, such as harvest festivals. These usually include costumes and candy but omit the other darker elements. Still, others participate in Halloween enthusiastically, having fun with it in a non-religious context. To them, it’s not a real celebration of the occult and, therefore, harmless. Grace in all of these options should be granted (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8).
That said, there’s a new option I’d like Christians to consider. For years I skipped Halloween, only participating in the handing out of candy. My kids were disappointed, but seemed to trust my judgement (bless their hearts) and we still enjoyed quite a bit of candy! But, I never saw any redeeming value in it and opted to let it pass by every year. Then an epiphany hit me. Why waste any opportunity to teach my kids good theology? I now believe that Halloween presents such an opportunity, particularly in regard to the book of Genesis.
Christians and Genesis
As a biblical creationist, I’m concerned about the modern church’s rejection of the early chapters of Genesis. Modern scientific theories about origins have tempted Christians to doubt the creation account and reinterpret it in accordance with modern ideas—Big Bang, Darwinism, millions of years, etc. Theologians with good intentions tell us we can’t take Genesis literally because “science” has shown the early chapters of Genesis to be inaccurate.
In other words, instead of trusting God’s Word (Genesis 1-11) to inform us about man’s ideas about the past, we’ve decided to trust man to inform us about what God really meant to say.
This is a backward hermeneutic. Genesis 1-11 is not only part of the inspired Canon, it is foundational to the rest of the Canon. If we don’t trust the foundation, we undermine what it supports.
Confusion about Death and Suffering
What does this have to do with Halloween?
Ask yourself this question. What is Halloween all about? What symbols and themes do we normally see on Halloween? (tombstones, corpses, skeletons, ghosts.)
The answer should be obvious. The primary theme of Halloween is death. Just look around! And death just happens to be an area of great confusion for the modern church. Let me explain.
By and large, the church no longer understands the origin of death and suffering, because it no longer accepts the sequence of events recorded in Genesis 1-11.
Scripture tells us clearly that God, originally, created a “very good” world with no death and suffering in 6 literal days (Genesis 1). All animals and man were made on days 5 and 6. Their food, interestingly, was not to be other animals, but vegetables.
Gen. 1:29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.
God then declared all of creation “very good” and ended his creative work on the 6th day.
Gen. 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Some time later, Adam sinned (Genesis 3), bringing corruption and death into the world for the first time.
Compromised Interpretations
Modern theologians, however, have reinterpreted the book of Genesis to incorporate the concept of millions of years. Some speculate the days could have represented long intervals of time (Day-Age Theory, Progressive Creationism). Others place a gap of billions of years between the initial creation and verse 2 of chapter 1 (Gap Theory, Historical Creationism). Others completely dismiss Genesis as figurative (Theistic Evolution, Framework Hypothesis).
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But, what these theologians fail to realize is this would mean death and struggle preceded the creation of Adam by millions of years and, therefore, preceded the sin of Adam. Death was not caused by sin at all (so they argue). God created it during the long creation era! He even called it “very good!”
Trusting Biblical History
Scripture, however, clearly tells us that death and suffering are the result of Adam’s sin.
Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
The entire creation now suffers and waits anxiously for deliverance from this bondage and corruption.
Rom. 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
This means God did not originally create the suffering and death we see in the fossil record. The fossils we see today, therefore, could not have preceded Adam and, therefore, could not be millions of years old.
Trusting Biblical Prophecy
God has also revealed that a restoration is coming, when all animals will cease from predation (killing other animals for meat), and return to vegetable diets.
Is. 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Ask yourself, why would God want to cause the wolf and leopard to dwell in peace in the coming millennial kingdom with the lamb and goat, and why would He cause the bear and lion to go back to eating plants with cattle and oxen, if the original design of predation was very good?1 Why does “very good” need restoring?
As you can see, the whole Bible is undermined when Genesis is not read in a straightforward logical way. The Gospel message starts in the book of Genesis and only makes sense in light of Adam’s Fall.
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If death and suffering preceded man by millions of years, then death is not the result of Adam’s sin. It was included in the “very good” creation. There would be no reason to end it in the coming restoration.
End-times theology does not make sense without the foundational history of Genesis 1-11. Death in Scripture is described as the last enemy which God will destroy along with all His other enemies (1Cor. 15:26). Death was the result of our sin which we committed in our ancestor, Adam. It all makes perfect sense when we trust God’s Word from beginning to end.
Does it really matter?
But some will say, What’s the big deal? The origin of death is not essential to the Gospel!
In one sense, I would agree. One can certainly be confused about the origin of death and suffering, and still be redeemed by Christ. Perfect theology is not a requirement for salvation (thank God), and no one is going to be denied merely because they misinterpret Genesis. If one confesses faith and believes in the true Christ, and repents of their sin, they are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and assured salvation (Rom. 10:9, Eph. 1:13).
I would not go so far, however, as to say a proper interpretation of Genesis is unimportant to the Gospel. The Gospel starts in Genesis with the Fall, and the prophecy of the coming seed (Gen. 3:15). The history we read in Genesis is the very reason the Cross became necessary. It is the foundation of the Gospel!
Furthermore, what kind of witness will we be to the next generation if we admit we really don’t believe the first book of the Bible? Why would they want to trust us regarding the latter books?
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With that in mind, you have to admit, attacking Genesis is a clever scheme on the part of our adversary. If you can’t get Christians to deny the Bible outright, perhaps you can get them to doubt the most foundational portion of it. If they won’t deny the Cross, perhaps they’ll sever it from its historical roots to undermine the faith of the next generation.1
Our kids, from young ages, are taught that death reigned millions of years before the first man evolved on earth. And most churches, today, will not offer a counterargument. They embrace the Cross (and are saved), but have severed it from its foundation.
Psa. 11:3 If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
The Halloween Opportunity
To counter this scheme, I would urge Christians to start thinking differently about Halloween. Instead of changing the traditional imagery and customs, use them. Use the emphasis of death on Halloween as a tool to teach your kids the true history of death (the biblical history).
As you go out collecting candy in costumes with your kids, take in all the imagery—tombstones, ghosts, depictions of evil. We Christians understand this imagery, for we understand the realities behind them. More importantly, we understand their origin and ultimate fate. Rather than removing the symbolism, explain it!
Halloween Bible Study
After a night of walking and collecting obscene amounts of candy, return home for an annual Halloween Bible Study. This is by far our kids’ favorite Bible Study of the year. On Christmas and Easter, it’s customary for families to read and discuss the Nativity and Resurrection accounts. Why not discuss the Fall on Halloween?
While enjoying the fruits (candy) of your labor, start out by reading the account of Adam’s fall and banishment from the Garden of Eden (Genesis Chapter 2-3). This should stimulate a healthy discussion and numerous questions from your kids. Discuss with them the imagery they observed and why it is relevant to the Fall account. Explain to them that the Fall and subsequent Curse are real history and not just stories. It’s the perfect opportunity to explain the true origin of death and suffering, and why the chronological events of Genesis matter. Explain to them the myth of millions of years and how the Flood explains the fossil record. You’ll find the symbolisms and imagery of Halloween to be the perfect springboard for these discussions and you’ll find your kids very interested in what the Bible has to say about them.
Then, move to another passage in the Bible which describes a different fall. Many are not aware that Satan also fell in Eden according to Ezekiel 28:11-19. Ezekiel describes in vivid detail the being who incited the King of Tyre. Soon the reader realizes this passage is actually describing Satan himself, who incites men to sin against God. He was once a beautiful cherub (angelic being) who dwelled in the Garden of Eden and elsewhere in the heavens, until he rebelled against God.
Ezek. 28:12…‘You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering ….. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.
Satan was the being who incited the Serpent just as he did the King of Tyre and countless others. Yet, originally, he was “very good.” He roamed the heavens and earth, and walked in the Garden of Eden “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” He was originally an angel and a magnificent one at that. Then he fell and became our adversary.
Teach your kids about the reality of Satan. He is not an idea or a concept. He’s a real being, as are other fallen angels. The Bible describes him as a roaring lion (1Pet. 5:8), looking to devour anyone who might trust him. His methods have changed little over time. Did God really say…..?
Teach your kids to recognize his subtle lies. Did God really say six days? Did God really say created from the dust? Be sure to also explain the difference between fantasy and reality—between real witches, devils and pirates, and the ones portrayed in movies. Teach your kids the difference between fantasy and the real practices of the occult—seances, ouija boards, channeling, tarot cards, etc.
Fall Season and the Fall of Man
The timing of Halloween also offers great symbolism. The Fall Season in America just happens to be the time of year when the nights become longer than the days and the leaves begin to die and fall off trees. As the cold season takes hold, life becomes harder. Winter is a time of death for many forms of life, and the Fall Season marks the beginning of this time. This symbolism fits perfectly with the events of Eden.
Candy and God’s Grace
What does candy have to do with any of this?
Actually, the candy you’ll collect is packed with potential symbolism as well. Here you are walking around in the midst of the worst depictions of the Curse, and yet you’re out there gathering your favorite treats. Even in a cursed world, God’s grace is available in abundance. I can’t think of a better illustration.
The Full Gospel
Finally, end with the good news. The story does not end here. Your theme verse of Halloween should be Gen. 3:15—the prophetic announcement of a coming Son (seed) of the woman—a Savior who would defeat our Adversary.
Gen. 3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
Before Adam and Eve were ushered out of the Garden, God promised a coming Savior who would defeat our adversary. Christmas is just around the corner from Halloween, when we celebrate the fulfillment of this promise—the birth of Christ. But, Halloween is a great opportunity to celebrate the prophecy of Christmas. From the beginning, the Curse has had a Promise attached to it. The works of the devil will not last. They will be defeated by a male descendant of Adam and Eve. We know now this Promise is fulfilled in Christ who entered this world a man and bore the sins of mankind on the cross. The devil’s fate was sealed that day, along with the fate of death, evil and suffering.
They will, one day, be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14) and will not exist in the new heavens and earth (2Pet. 3:13, Rev. 21:1). Through Jesus Christ, we now have a place in this new coming world.
1Cor. 15:45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
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Rom. 5:15 …For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! …18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
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As Paul Harvey used to say, this is “the rest of the story.” This is the full gospel from start to finish—from creation, to corruption, to the Cross and culmination of the new world.1
Compromise on the book of Genesis has caused great theological confusion, but God’s word is clear. The backdrop of this story needs to be told. Why not start with our kids on Halloween?
Need help? Click here for a printable PDF Halloween Bible Study Guide based on this article.
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Possible concerns and objections
But what about the pagan roots of Halloween?
This is something individuals will have to wrestle with on their own. If it is indeed true that Halloween symbolism is based in ancient pagan ideas, that’s not an issue for me. You will hear similar criticisms of Christmas and Easter—that many of their symbols have pagan origins. I know at least some of it is true.
But, how wonderful is it that they’ve been replaced with new meanings?! Christmas is an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Christ, and Easter, His Resurrection. I’m looking to use their symbols to teach my family about the true God. If there are some symbols that have roots in paganism, so what? They’ve been given new meanings, and I’m perfectly fine with this. I’m going to use them for good! I will offer my kids new ways to think about them. This may not work for others, but I’m at peace with it. That said, each one has to be convinced in his own mind (Rom. 14).
Should the fall of man and death really be celebrated?
No, the Fall and Curse should not be celebrated. We rather should reflect on the Fall and Curse, and celebrate God’s grace in the midst of it. We don’t celebrate the problem, but, rather, the solution. Before Adam and Eve were ousted from the Garden, they were given the promise of a coming Savior—the Seed of the woman—a male descendant who would defeat the devil (Gen. 3:15). Christ will one day throw death into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14). Indeed, Christ has already defeated sin and death on the cross, sealing their fate. That is what we celebrate on Halloween, and that great truth becomes more vivid when we correctly understand the biblical view of death.
My kids are too young for this. They get too scared.
Every parent needs to understand their children and what they can handle, and limit their exposure accordingly. Of course, some kids are too young to see certain Halloween decorations, and some Halloween activities should be avoided at all ages. The same goes with all other holidays. There is much that needs to be avoided in the world, and parents need be on guard at all times.
I’m not familiar enough with the Genesis origins debate.
That’s okay. Get familiar! God commands everyone to be ready with a defense (1Pet. 3:15). Perhaps it’s time to start looking into how you can defend Genesis—the most attacked book in the Canon. There are many free resources available.
Click here to view our top recommended websites and links.
Take the time to become familiar. Paul tells us there is a war raging against the knowledge of God. We all need to participate in this war to some degree, casting down the arguments that are raised up against it.
Cor. 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
With that said, your Halloween message should be simple.
1) God originally created a “very good” world.
2) Through Adam, sin and death entered into the world.
3) Through Christ, sin and death have been conquered.
4) Those in Christ will inherit a new, very good world at the end of the age, which will never be marred by sin or death.
There’s something wrong with this approach. It’s not sitting right with me.
If that’s how you feel, listen to your conscience. Paul said, whatever we do without faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). If you don’t have peace about using Halloween in this way, you shouldn’t. Follow your conscience.
But I don’t take the days of Genesis literally.
In the passage below, the days of creation are likened to the days of the work week.
Ex. 20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: …… 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
While this is not an essential salvation issue, it is an issue of biblical authority. By trusting man’s theories over God’s revelation, you’re missing out on a tremendous blessing. Abraham trusted God in the most difficult times and was blessed. Imagine if he listened to man’s wisdom when he was told to leave Ur of the Chaldeans and move to Canaan. Imagine if he would have withheld Isaac in accordance with man’s wisdom. That’s a test I would have failed but the father of our faith has shown us the way. If he can believe God in that, we can certainly believe what God tells us about the days of creation.
Doesn’t the Bible command us not to participate in the occult?
Yes, and if you view this as doing that, please do not participate. Scripture is very clear about participation in the dark arts. God warned the Israelites,
Deut. 18:9 “When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the LORD your God has not appointed such for you.
I do not view Halloween as participating in occultism, anymore than watching a sci-fi thriller. The kids at your door know nothing of the practices mentioned above, nor do their parents waiting on the sidewalk. But if it violates your conscience, I would strongly urge you to not participate in any way.
There is real participation in the occult today in the form of seances, ouija boards, channeling, tarot cards, etc. And we should be wary of these practices and warn our kids about them. In fact, part of the reason for observing Halloween, in the manner I’m suggesting, is to create an opportunity to talk about these things. Our kids need to know the difference between the real occult and the fantasy we see on Halloween and in Hollywood. Your conscience, however, must take priority in determining your approach. If you cannot participate in faith, then nothing else matters (Rom. 14:23).
Something that may help you come to terms with this, though, are some of the novels written by C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R Tolkien. Both used fantasy occult imagery in their novels (Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings) to express good biblical concepts. Sorcery, magic, witches, wizards and evil creatures are utilized throughout to illustrate good messages of God’s faithfulness. Why not use the imagery of Halloween in the same way?
Halloween is harmless. There’s no need to do a Bible Study.
That may be true, but I look at it more as an opportunity. Sure, you could teach these principles to your kids any time, but why not take advantage of the imagery of Halloween? Kids are naturally fascinated with what the Bible has to say on these topics, and it’s unlikely they will be covered in Sunday school.
Furthermore, why waste an opportunity to turn a secular holiday into a religious holiday? I personally try to find ways to put God at the center of all holidays, even those considered to be secular in origin. Why let any holiday be about anything but God—particularly one as popular as Halloween?
Suggested Reading
The Origins of Death and the Halloween Opportunity
Explaining the Gospel through Holidays – Part 1: Halloween
Footnotes
1. The cartoons used throughout this article by Answers in Genesis were used with permission, though the article itself has not been specifically endorsed by them.