2 Chronicles 33:6 (CSB)
He passed his sons through the fire in Ben Hinnom Valley. He practiced witchcraft, divination, and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a huge amount of evil in the LORD’S sight, angering him.
This verse refers to King Manasseh of Judah. He is remembered as one of Judah’s most wicked kings. His father King Hezekiah had been a God-fearing man but his son was the opposite, and Judah became a place of widespread idolatry. The occult and pagan practices included child sacrifice, witchcraft, divination, sorcery and consulting mediums and spiritists. King Manasseh even defiled the Temple of Jerusalem by erecting pagan altars and carved idols inside of it. The people of Judah were led deeply into sin. God then allowed King Manasseh to be captured. Manasseh finally humbled himself and repented. God forgave him, Manasseh returned to his throne, he tore down all the idols that he had previously had built, he served God and told Judah to serve the Lord.
Tonight is Halloween 2026, and people have decorated their houses with ghoulish imagery, dressed up in costumes, gone to halloween parties and gone out trick and treating. All of this seems, on the face of it, innocent fun, but is it? The world is becoming more evil and people are being led into darkness. What appears to be fun, is not. Several years ago, I too would join in with halloween celebrations, but I no longer have anything more to do with it. I repented of my sins and asked God to forgive me.
On the ancient Celtic pagan festival of Samhain on October 31st, it was believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred on that evening and spirits could roam the earth that night. In Christian traditions October 31st is called All Hallows’ Eve, November 1st is called All Saints’ Day and November 2nd is called All Souls’ Day. It is a three day observance called Allhallowtide. October 31st has been turned into a secular, commercialized event that promotes imagery of witches, monsters, skeletons, demons, zombies etc. These are things that are connected to darkness and evil.
Dear God,
We pray for people to realise the implications of this halloween night. To recognise that the imagery on show tonight is not of light and goodness, but it is of darkness and evil. We pray for people’s spiritual eyes to be opened. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
