Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah who rose from the dead. He is the Eternal King whose reign is foretold by the prophets and priests of old. Let us trace the signs that verify this.His name means "Savior" and his birth was predicted by prophets and foreseen by seers.
His cross is the most basic symbol of the cosmology of the people of Abraham and the sign of Reality.
He was born in David's city of Bethlehem, of the Tribe of Judah, of the Virgin Mary.
His coming was marked by the alignment of Regulus, the King star with Jupiter, the King planet in the constellation of Leo at the beginning of the Jewish New Year in 3 BC. The conjunction produced the appearance of a single extraordinarily bright star.
In Genesis 49:9-10, we read: "You are a lion's cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness-- who dares to rouse him? The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his."
The association of Messiah with the tribe of Judah and the lion clarifies Jupiter's triple conjunction with Regulus within the constellation of Leo, The Lion.
The Messiah-King was visited by wise men from the East who brought gifts fit for a king.
Like Abraham and Moses, both princes yet regarded as foreigners, King Jesus' noble lineage was not recognized by the Jewish authorities.
When the people used palm fronds to greet Jesus as he entered Jerusalem, they greeted him as one to be enthroned. Fresh palm tree fronds were used ceremonially at the installation of rulers. Even today fresh palm tree leaves are “employed on occasions of installation to the position and rank of a sovereign, and to the office of a priest of high rank.” Fresh palm tree fronds are used ceremonially at the installation of rulers even today. (For more on this, go here.)
When He appeared before Pilate he did not deny that he was the King of Israel.
Mocking Him, the soldiers crowned him with thorns and dressed Him in royal purple.
While on the Cross, many read the sign that named his crime: "King of the Jews."
In death, His body was layed in the tomb of Joseph, the Aramathean. "Aram" is an old word meaning ruler or exalted. Sarah's people were Aramatheans and the blood line of Messiah is traced through the mothers. When we consider Sarah's story we recognize her as a type of Israel. To her the promise of a son was given. Initially, she laughed at the promise because she thought only in natural terms and she was beyond the age of child bearing. Then in her later days, she received the promised son and even insisted that he alone was to rule over his father’s territory. This is what happened to the Jews. They were given the Messianic promise and they laughed at Him. Long after the promise was made, Messiah was born and made known in Israel, but many of the leading Jews wanted Him dead. However many more followed Him and insisted that He was the King who was to rule over His Father’s kingdom.
Before he died at age 108, Israel's leading rabbi, Yitzhak Kaduri, left a signed note indicating Messiah's identity: Yeshua - Jesus.
A few months before, Rabbi Kaduri had surprised his followers when he told them that he met the Messiah in dreams and visions. His manuscripts, written in his own hand, have crosses painted by Kaduri all over the pages.
Many Jews have attempted to explain away the crosses, arguing that the great Rabbi Kaduri was not a Christian. Of course not! However, he was wise and prayerful, and he knew the tradition and cosmology of his people. Those combined to lead him to Jesus, Messiah and King.
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15 comments:
Alice,
I just read the article about Rabbi Kaduri and noticed this passage...
“The revelation of the Messiah will be fullled in two stages: First, he will actively confirm his position as Messiah without knowing himself that he is the Messiah. Then he will reveal himself to some Jews, not necessarily to wise Torah scholars. It can be even simple people. Only then he will reveal himself to the whole nation. The people will wonder and say: ‘What, that’s the Messiah?’ Many have known his name but have not believed that he is the Messiah.”
"...without knowing himself that he is the Messiah." That doesn't sound right. It sounds like the rabbi expected this to be the first coming of the Messiah, not the glorious 2nd coming. It just sounds strange.
Phil
I agree. That's why I wrote that the good Rabbi wasn't a Christian. However, he has Messiah's identity right and recognizes 2 stages.
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death and to those in the tombs bestowing life!
Hindu astrology divides the heavens into twelve signs, and 28 "nakshatras". Regulus is in the nakshatra called "Magha":
"Magha gives fame that lasts through the generations. Those born under it seek a high reputation for themselves, a kind of kingly or paternal status."The Sanskrit "magha" is related to the Persian word "magus", from which we get Greek "magi":
The Greek word is attested from the 5th century BC (Ancient Greek) as a direct loan from Old Persian maguš. The Persian word is a u-stem adjective from an Indo-Iranian root *magh "powerful, rich" also continued in Sanskrit magha "gift, wealth", magha-vant "generous" (a name of Indra).
Thank you, Dharmashaiva. This is very good information. Yet another connection between the biblical story and the old sidereal astronomy which informed the thinking of the Afro-Asiatics.
I hope you are well, my friend.
I look forward to next year, when, for one rare moment, East and West will be united in proclaiming Christs Resurrection and Glory.
Allelulia, Christ is Risen!
Andrew, Easter and Pascha fell on the same Sunday last year. It was wonderful!
Orthodox Easter is usually later since it must come after Passover as a witness to the Jews that Messiah is risen.
What would truly be wonderful and a very great miracle would be for the Great Schism to be healed, for there to be one Church. Imagine the testimony to the world!
Alice,
It never ceases to amaze and confuse me how people like Rabbi Kaduri can know who the Messiah is and be too ashamed to proclaim Him to the world. And for his followers to vehemently deny that the Rabbi was telling the truth? I bet if his note had said any name other than Yeshua they would have believed it.
Angela
Angela, Your commments are astute. This one put a smile on my face. I'd love to sit and have a cup of coffee with you! Bet we could talk for hours.
Alice, here is my lengthy take on the whole crucifixion drama:
According to the canonical gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Jesus, the son of Mary, was crucified in order to atone for the sins of humanity. This doctrine of vicarious atonement is central to Christian doctrine. However, the very book, the Bible, which narrates the story of the crucifixion, declares vicarious atonement to be contrary to the laws of the Torah which occur in the Pentateuch or the first 5 books of the Bible. Deuteronomy 24:16 declares that no one can be put to death for another person’s sins as “every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus would have vigorously upheld this law as he personally warned of the punishment for breaking even the least of these commandments which he stated would endure as long as the heavens and the earth endured. Matthew 5:17-19 states:
17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Furthermore, according to the Gospel of Matthew 15:24, Jesus declared that his mission was solely to Israel:
”But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
As a prophet zealous for the law, Jesus would not have been anxious to ‘save’ anyone but those who ascribed to the doctrines in the TaNaKh (Old Testament). The TaNaKh heartily condemns the ‘goyim’ or those not recognized as Hebrews. Isaiah 34:2 states:
“2 For the indignation of the Lord (yhwh) is upon all nations (goyim), and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.”
Furthermore, crucifixion upon a cross hewed from a tree would have invited upon the crucified victim the curse of God as well as the defilement of the land and its people, an act that would have nullified any supposed benefit such an action would bring. According to Deuteronomy 21:22,23:
22 “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
It is blatantly obvious from the above Biblical passages that Jesus could not have volunteered himself as a victim for the vicarious atonement of humanity’s sins as Christian doctrine proclaims. Such a doctrine would have been anathema to a Jew who so vigorously supported the Torah. One must conclude that the Gospel narratives have been altered to support a foreign doctrine which advocated the sacrifice of a demigod who volunteered to undertake crucifixion in order to benefit humanity. One such god was the Greek Titan Prometheus who, according to the myth, stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity. His punishment was permanent crucifixion upon a rock where Zeus’ eagle ate his liver which was nightly renewed so that the punishment would be interminable. The Romans retold this tale so Prometheus became a part of Roman mythology. Since the Greeks and the Romans occupied Palestine for a period of approximately 900 years (330 BCE – 637 CE), it is little wonder that this myth became imbedded into the culture of occupied Palestine. The upshot is that the researcher must look for an alternative explanation for the crucifixion tale as it is told in the Gospels.
It is evident from the above verses in the Gospels of Mark, John and Thomas the Contender, that Jesus and his disciples had devised a plan so that they could control the hostile situation created by the officials of the temple cult instead of waiting for their enemies to strike. The plan was put into action when Judas went to the temple officials and apparently offered to betray Jesus. The plan was that Judas would identify Jesus’ double, Thomas, as Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus would be hiding in a newly built tomb. When the temple officials and the Romans were convinced of his death, he would escape to Galilee where he and his followers would reassemble under the protection of friends and relatives.
The proposal that Thomas was Jesus’ double also explains the third disconnect; the necessity for Judas to identify Jesus to the crowd sent by Jesus’ enemies. Judas identified Thomas as Jesus and the crowd fell for the subterfuge because Thomas’ resemblance to Jesus was so matched that Thomas could easily be mistaken for Jesus. Judas was obviously one of Jesus’ most trusted companions or he would not have been entrusted with such a mission. Unfortunately, this loyal disciple has been vilified for more than two thousand years for successfully accomplishing his mission.
The mission was overwhelmingly difficult and Thomas did follow through with his commitment. He not only volunteered to endure a crucifixion, he had to impersonate Jesus in such a way that the ruse would not be discovered by either the temple officials or by Pilate. According to Mark 14 and 15, Thomas as Jesus accomplished this feat by remaining silent before the priests except to affirm that he was the Messiah. He also remained silent before Pilate. Thomas confirmed that he was the Messiah to assure the chief priests that he was Jesus, thus preventing any further search. He probably remained silent before Pilate as there were too many present (Mark 15:8) who had heard Jesus speak. Thomas may have feared, that where his appearance would not betray him as an imposter, his voice might.
The ruse succeeded and Thomas successfully replaced Jesus on the cross. Thomas’ stoic dedication to his role in the plot held intact until the pangs of death caused him to utter the ultimate statement of despair; his belief that God had deserted him. Perhaps he had committed to his role in the plot with a belief that God, through a miracle, would rescue him. He had witnessed many miracles before and may have thought that Jesus’ intercession would induce God to save him from death. The crucifixion lasted only 3 hours, which was not enough time to kill the victim. Even Pilate, when informed that Jesus died after such a short time, refused to believe that a crucified victim could expire so quickly (Mark 15:44). So, it may be that Thomas was not fatally wounded and survived the ordeal.
The second disconnect or Jesus’ command to his followers to meet him in Galilee after the crucifixion is solved once we understand that Jesus was not crucified, but instead he had arranged for his double, Thomas, to take his place, so that he and the disciples could escape safely. Prior to the crucifixion, Jesus arranged to be hidden in a tomb. This plan is hinted at in the Gospel of Matthew 12:40 where Jesus says: “Just as Jonah was in the whale’s belly for three days and three nights, so the son of man (Jesus) will be three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth.” This tomb is where Jesus, along with a young follower, hid until it was safe to flee to Galilee. Jesus left the young man at the tomb knowing that some of his followers, who were not informed of the plan, might return to the tomb to complete the burial rites, which were impossible to implement due to the start of the Sabbath. The young man duly informed the women to remind the disciples that Jesus, as was planned, would meet his companions in Galilee.
At this juncture the question of the disposal of Thomas’ body must be addressed. It is obvious that Thomas’ body was brought to the pre-arranged tomb where Jesus was hiding as this was the location to which the women went to anoint the body. These women, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome (Mark 16:1), witnessed the crucifixion from afar (Mark 15:40) and were unable to have a clear view of the victim. They were also not informed that it was Thomas on the cross and not Jesus. To prevent the plot from being exposed, only the disciples were aware of the arrangement. According to Mark, the women only viewed the body after Joseph of Arimathaea had wrapped it in fine linen. The women then followed the funeral procession to the tomb with the other disciples (Mark 15:45-47).
When the loyal followers brought the body to the tomb, Jesus had already fled. It was safe for Jesus to start his journey to Galilee as there were numerous witnesses who unwittingly testified that it was Jesus who had been crucified. Because all but the plotters thought Jesus was dead, nobody was looking for a fugitive Jesus, so it was safe for him to flee Jerusalem for Galilee. However, it was necessary that the mourners, who followed the funeral procession, witness the interment. It was also crucial that the body remain enshrouded and without the anointing ritual as the women, who performed this ritual, were unaware of the plot and would recognize that it was not Jesus who was on the cross. If the truth were gossiped about, the lives of Jesus and his disciples would all be forfeit to the officials of the temple cult as well as the Roman authorities. Thus, the anointing was delayed until after the Sabbath. By that time, Thomas’ body had been removed to another location; perhaps to Lazarus’ tomb which, according to John:11, had been emptied when, upon being called forth by Jesus, he walked away from his place of interment.
Perhaps Thomas had survived the crucifixion and was carried to a location where he could recover from his wounds. In any case, when the women returned to anoint the body, they found a tomb without a body to anoint. It was occupied only by Jesus’ young companion who advised them to remind the disciples that Jesus had gone to Galilee, the location where they agreed to meet after the crucifixion. According to Mark 16:8, the women were so terrified that they did not deliver the message. Perhaps, they suspected the truth of the crucifixion plot and were frightened that the authorities would include them as accomplices should they discover that the tomb was empty, so they remained silent. Another reason for their continuing silence may have been that the wounded Thomas was entrusted to their care.
Somehow, rumors of the empty tomb spread abroad. Speculation on the whereabouts of the crucified Jesus led to a belief that he had experienced an immediate resurrection. As believers in the resurrection, the women may have even bolstered the rumor that Jesus was not in the tomb because God had taken him to heaven body and soul as He had previously done to the ancient Prophet Elijah. The story of Elijah’s miraculous journey to heaven was a belief required of every Jew, and it was a precedent for a belief in a resurrection prior to the appointed Day of Resurrection. In any case, exactly how and when the resurrection rumor became a Biblical ‘fact’ is unknown. However, the trip to Galilee may have been referenced by the historian, Titus Flavius Josephus (37-100AD) in his book, Jewish Antiquities 18.85-87.
One must ask whether Jesus actually made the trip to Galilee successfully. According to Josephus, a man whom he identifies as the Samaritan Prophet (Galilee was in Samaria) attempted, along with his followers, to lay the cornerstone for a Samaritan center of worship on Mount Gerizim in 36AD or approximately three years after Jesus’ flight to the area. This act closely parallels the attempt by Jesus and his disciples to occupy and control the temple in Jerusalem (Mark 11:15,16). Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, interpreted this attempt as a revolt against the Roman occupation. He sent his army to the location and dispersed the crowd. Pilate claimed to have executed the ring leaders. If Jesus was the Samaritan Prophet, he may have escaped with the crowd.
It is also interesting to note that many of the early Gnostic (see note) Chrisitan communities did not believe that Jesus was crucified, but another took his place on the cross. According to the Wikipedia article, Simon of Cyrene, who is mentioned in Matt 27:32, was one such person:
“According to some Gnostic traditions, Simon of Cyrene, by mistaken identity, suffered the events leading up to the crucifixion, and died on the cross instead of Jesus. This is the story presented in the Second Treatise of the Great Seth, although it is unclear whether Simon or another actually died on the cross. This is part of a belief held by some Gnostics that Jesus was not of flesh, but only took on the appearance of flesh.”
The Gnostics, who specifically taught that Simon of Cyrene was crucified in place of Jeues, were the Basilideans; the followers of Basilides who taught from 117-138 AD. Others who taught a similar doctrine were the Docetics, who preached that Jesus was not crucified, but that a phantom appearance took his place on the cross. Docetism was already in existence when the New Testament (canonical gospels, epistles etc.) was being written.
Here is Jesus' identity, based on anthropological, historical and scientific data:
http://biblicalanthropology.blogspot.com/2013/10/who-is-jesus.html
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