Is Ash Wednesday in the Bible?
Here are three things about Ash Wednesday that you need to know. It’s not biblical; it’s not a day of repentance and why didn’t Jesus mention it?
Additionally, it’s a great and grave deception that Ash Wednesday “is a Christian holy day of prayer and fasting.”
But ask yourself, Which Bible character observed it? Which Scriptures show this? And why didn’t Jesus observe Ash Wednesday?
There are many religious practices that many so-called Christians perpetuate that are not biblical, Easter and Ash Wednesday are two such.
If this were true the Holy Bible would mention Ash Wednesday by name at least once. But it doesn’t!
The Bible does not mention Ash Wednesday. It does not identify it by name, type, or concept! Therefore, to me, it is of no spiritual significance.
However, using ashes at certain times during the year was a popular Jewish tradition, and maybe it persists in Israel today.
What Is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. It is a time of fasting and prayer for many Christians.
It occurs 46 days before Easter Sunday. That is, 40 fasting days, not counting Sundays.
The genesis of Ash Wednesday is uncertain. The exact date of origin is unclear.
The tradition of Ash Wednesday did not start in the early Christian Church. Consequently, there is no biblical evidence of its observance.
Nevertheless, the practice became more formalized with the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
Ash Wednesday And Repentance!
Ash Wednesday has no connection to repentance! It never has and it never will! Repentance is a separate matter.
The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are typically made from the burning of the palms blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday.
Again, this is a RCC ritual. It’s not Christian!
During the Ash Wednesday service, these ashes are applied to the foreheads of participants in the shape of a cross, accompanied by words like, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
This observance is most common in the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). However, many Anglican, Lutheran, and some other Protestant churches also observed it.
Ash Wednesday’s Cross of Ashes a Symbol of Repentance?
Nevertheless, the Bible is silent concerning the marking or placing of ashes on the forehead. This is a religious practice that the RCC perpetuates. But it’s not biblical!
Hardly any of the RCC rituals are biblical. They invent their own!
But the placing of ashes on the head and not on the forehead is a Jewish practice and thus found throughout the Bible.
The Jews place ashes on the head to indicate mourning. This was never a symbol of repentance. In the Bible, Tamar one of King David’s daughters was the first to demonstrate this.
Even then, it had no spiritual significance. But the RCC has blown it out of proportion and taken it to another level.
“And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers [colors] that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.”
2 Samuel 13:19
Tamar placed ashes on her head because her half-brother Amnon raped her. Therefore, by placing ashes on her head, she was indicating to all that she was mourning and in distress.
She didn’t place it on her forehead but on her head and in her hair.
The marking of the cross with ashes on the forehead and on “Ash Wednesday” is a deception of Satan.
The Lord Jesus is not in this as is the case with him and the RCC.
Such practices keep the spiritually ignorant enslaved to ignorance and religion.
Ashes on the Face – A Great Disguise
However, the next person to utilize ashes wasn’t mourning but he was using it as a creative and simple disguise.
“The Prophet” of God, the Bible didn’t provide his name, placed ashes on his face to disguise himself which allowed him to get close to Ahab, king of Israel, and remained unrecognizable.
“So[,] the prophet departed, and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face” (1 Kings 20:38).
However, as soon as he delivered the word from God to Ahab, he removed his disguise.
Recall, I wrote that the Lord God is a Spirit. Therefore, He doesn’t speak to us directly. Most times, He uses one of his angels or a person to speak to us.
This is a perfect example of that. Read the entire narrative in 1 Kings 20:1-43.
“And he hasted, and took the ashes away from his face; and the king of Israel discerned him that he was of the prophets” (1 Kings 20:41).
Again, note that “the prophet” didn’t just place ashes on his forehead but it was covering his entire face. It was his disguise.
What is the Religious Significance of Ash Wednesday?
As a result, we observe from the scriptures above, that neither Tamar nor “The Prophet” placed ashes on their forehead, nor did they repent while it was on them.
Don’t make the mistake of believing that marking a cross-of-ashes on your forehead on Ash Wednesday displays a time of repentance. It doesn’t.
And as a side note, babies cannot repent. They don’t know how to execute that!
This is a deception! This is not biblical.
In the Scriptures, the Jews utilized sackcloth and ashes to indicate fasting, repenting, and mourning.
But marking ashes on your face on “Ash Wednesday” is not the same thing (Esther 4:1; Daniel 9:3; Luke 10:13).
The former practice is scriptural but the latter is a spawn of Satan.
The world celebrates Ash Wednesday as the start of Lent. But is it even biblical?
What Is The Meaning of Lent?
They say, that Lent is a period of approximately 40 days of fasting, prayer, and repentance observed by many Christians, particularly in the Western Church.
They also say that it begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday.
However, the word “Lent” comes from the Old English word “lencten,” which means “springtime” or “lengthening of days.
Globally, many Christians, observe Lent as a time of preparation for Easter. They see it as one of the most important Christian holidays commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
During Lent, Christians may choose to fast or give up certain luxuries or indulgences as a form of self-discipline and sacrifice.
They may also attend special religious services, engage in acts of charity and penance, and reflect on their spiritual lives and relationship with God.
Finally, they say that the purpose of Lent is to deepen one’s faith and to prepare oneself for the joyous celebration of Easter.
Conclusion
Did Jesus Teach About Ash Wednesday?
So, to conclude, “Ash Wednesday” is not in the Holy Bible. Additionally, all its rituals and practices are man-made and Satanic-inspired.
Neither does it represent a day of repentance. Christians don’t need Ash Wednesday to repent. We repent daily!
Consequently, nowhere in Scripture or history did Jesus mention it.
Not only did Jesus not teach about this day but he never practiced it.
If it’s not in the Bible, and Jesus never taught it nor did his disciples, how could it be important?
If It’s Not in the Bible Don’t Embrace It
Folks, be wary of the customs and traditions that you follow. If they are not biblical discard them.
By keeping them you could be worshipping devils and demons in ignorance and furthering the kingdom of darkness instead of the kingdom of heaven.
I would rather follow Jesus than the RCC!
Finally, taking all of the above into consideration both Easter and Ash Wednesday are sailing in the same boat. They are the seeds of religion and not of Christ.
Worship the Lord God by adoring Jesus Christ. And one of the ways we do this is by adhering to his teachings.
We should never empower Satanic doctrines to scatter our focus from Jesus by practicing rituals that he never sanctioned.
So, be steadfast, unmovable, and always trusting in Jesus Christ.
