“THE TRUTH ABOUT OCTOBER 31ST:”

A succinct guide on the spiritual significance of this controversial date

by Joel Mott
October 31st, 2024

Ancient Roots:
History books inform us that the ancient Celtics celebrated “Samhain” as early as the 9th century on October 31st-November 1st. This was a pagan tradition that marked the beginning of their New Year and it was believed that the boundary lines between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. Accompanied by many acts of superstition such as dressing up as animals and various creatures to ward off unwanted dead spirits, the underlying notion was that the supernatural world came closer on this day.

In 835, the Catholic Church’s “All Hallows Day”, a day dedicated to honoring saints and martyrs of faith, was moved to November 1st, thus making October 31st “All Hallows Eve” and was later named “Halloween”.

Some modern historians speculate that the reason Pope Gregory IV of the Catholic Church placed “All Hallows Day” on the same day as the Celtic’s pagan festival was to quell the darkness of a rigorous pagan tradition.

Here, it is intriguing to note how even from centuries ago, the secular world recognized how spiritual realities became more accessible on this date.

Now, we will look at two notable historic examples of how God indeed opened up the supernatural realm on this day and we will consider how it may be on His heart to issue great demonstrations of reformation and revival still today!

Oct 31st, 1517 - Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door of the Catholic Church in Wittenberg, Germany, an act that in turn, initiated a worldwide movement called the Protestant Reformation. This confrontation resulted in a significant relinquishing of a corrupt religious system and allowed the Church to embrace a true understanding of direct access to God’s presence and spiritual freedom.

Oct 31st, 1904 - The day in which the first signs of a major move of God were documented when 17 people confessed Jesus as their Savior in Evan Robert’s meeting at Moriah Chapel in Loughor, South Wales. This turned into an outpouring known as the Welsh Revival where more than 100,000 would be saved in the following six months. This movement of salvation and revival spread to surrounding countries and even impacted California as Frank Bartleman of the Azusa Street Revival asked Mr. Roberts to pray for the same type of visitation to come to Los Angeles.

This week, let’s believe that a new installment of reformation and revival is coming to our nation! In a holy and prophetic sense, perhaps God is awakening us to the supernatural realm and what is possible in our own cities as we open up our hearts to the Holy Spirit.

This is a day that God institutes significant spiritual and societal shifts. It was not intended for acts of superstition and witchcraft but rather for a deluge of the power and influence of Heaven to a people that are meek, bold and desperate for God!