The Shroud of Turin Controversy

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The Shroud of Turin Controversy

by Sandra Lamb

Many important discoveries are continually being made concerning the Shroud of Turin. More actually towards it being authentic, than it being a fraud. As two of the most debating questions are, "How did this image get on the cloth to begin with?" And is this truly Messiah Yeshua on the Shroud of Turin? For if the man on the cloth put His own mysterious crucified bodily imprint on there, then He is more than just a mere man. And the fact, that this image is something no one can figure out or reproduce, makes it a very special and interesting dilemma indeed. For if this is in fact, Messiah Yeshua on the Shroud of Turin, then we not only have the Bible as verification, but now have the physical evidence as well concerning Yeshua and His mission here on earth. For the Shroud of Turin, has made Yeshua, the center of attention. Which is why the Shroud of Turin has become so controversial. Because Messiah Yeshua appears to be on the Shroud of Turin.

But Yeshua always made Himself a controversy, to those who could not make up their mind about who He really is. Yeshua told the Jews, "I am from above: I am not of this world" (St.John 8:23). And the Shroud's imprint is not of this world either. That is why there is nothing like it, in all the world. Yeshua became a stumbling stone and a rock of offence (1Peter 2:6-8). So is the Shroud of Turin. As science stumbles over His image and over the carbon dating and it becomes an offence to its authenticity. Yeshua claimed to be The Resurrection and The Life (St.John 11:25). And yet, is it not possible some form of radiation left an imprint on the cloth, because of supernatural causes because of who Yeshua claimed to be, and is?

Another interesting phenomenon, is we can see a photographic negative imprint on the Shroud, when at the time of the cloth, photography was not even invented. And the fact that the Shroud of Turin is still able to adapt to even more of the latest scientific technology available. Its as if the man on the cloth, could see into the future of what was to come to pass, to be able to adapt to our future technology. For Yeshua also predicted future events, before they took place. As His disciples came to Yeshua, showing Him the buildings of the temple. Yeshua told them, "See ye these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down". And forty years later, in the year 70, the Romans killed 1.1 million Jews. And in the process, fire was set to the temple, causing the gold leaf ornamentation on the temple ceiling to melt. As the gold flowed down the walls into the crevices within the stones. The Romans had later, pried apart the stones to remove the gold. Fulfilling what Yeshua had stated earlier, that not one stone would be left upon another (Matthew 24:2). He also had foreknowledge of people as well. As Yeshua saw Nathanael approaching Him, He told him of what kind of character he was, and that He had saw him under the fig tree, before Philip had called him to meet Him (St.John 1:47-48). His first encounter with the Samaritan woman coming to draw water at the well, left her so stunned, she left her water pot at the well to go and tell others at the village that Yeshua had told her everything she had ever done (St John 4:1-42). He told His disciples where to go, and who they would meet, and what to say to the person they were to follow to the upper room, in order to prepare for the Passover (Luke 22:8-13). And it happened, just as He said. He also predicted and told His disciples His own manner of death, and resurrection, before it had actually took place (Matt 20:18-19). And other future predictions which He made are now starting to unfold, this day, before our very eyes (Luke 21:10-36). Because for Him to have such foreknowledge of people, events, and about Himself with such detail, and with one hundred percent accuracy, then surely if this man on the cloth is Messiah Yeshua, and He is whom He claimed to be, He would have known future events, in order to make His crucified bodily imprint more adaptable to the latest photographic and scientific technology available, which He knew would be invented later on, towards the end of this age, in order to be able to see it more clearly. Could this not be the One, Who declares the end from the beginning? (Isaiah 46:9-10)

And just as Yeshua shows His body on the Shroud of Turin in our time, Yeshua also showed Himself physically in His day, right after His resurrection, to His disciples who were in doubt concerning Him. As He appeared right after His resurrection to Mary Magdalene, and then also to the two men on the road to Emmaus, whom He also expounded the word to them from Moses and all the prophets concerning Himself. He also appeared behind locked doors to His disciples, after His resurrection to show that He was in a resurrected body of another dimension, and yet was alive, and that death had no power over Him. As He showed Himself to a doubting Thomas, His hands and feet and pierced side, before Thomas would say, "My Lord and My Elohim". And asking His disciples to handle Him, and to give Him something to eat, so that they would not think He was some kind of ghost (Luke 24:37-44). To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of Elohim. (Act 1:3). And so Yeshua gave plenty of infallible proofs after His resurrection, to take away all the doubts the disciples had in the beginning, and get them ready to be a witness upon this earth concerning Him and what He had done.

But Yeshua also stated, "Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believe" (St.John 20:29) For the blessed reality does come, when we believe, without necessarily seeing Him. So what is the reason behind the Shroud of Turin? Nobody, can come up with all the answers to that, but Elohim Himself. But perhaps, Yeshua knew the world needed to have physical evidence concerning Himself, just as He had given to His disciples when He appeared to them. And because we live in a physical world, He understood that this skeptical scientific world of ours, needed to have physical reality placed in front of their eyes, because through either ignorance or unbelief, the world as a whole disregards His Word concerning Himself, as the Savior who came and died for the sins of the world. And so the Shroud of Turin becomes that tangible witness, to our unbelieving world. And to those who believe in Yeshua, it is a precious photographic image of Himself, for His church to become more familiar with His passion, and appreciate even more of what He went through to die for them.

And yet, we do not read anything in the Bible at all, concerning Yeshua leaving His imprint on the Shroud He was wrapped in. But there is a good reason why it may not have been mentioned. Mainly for the fact that the chief priests and the Pharisees who did not believe in Yeshua, took heart to what Yeshua stated, when He said, that He would rise again from the dead. Even though they did not believe it, they were more receptive of what Yeshua said, than His disciples were. Because the world had gone after Him, (St. John 12:19) with the miracles Yeshua had performed, and especially with raising Lazarus from the dead. And knowing what Yeshua had said, about rising from the dead. It would have been a even further threat to them now, then when He was alive. For even Pilate knew that the chief priests and elders were envious of Yeshua, when they asked him to crucify Him. Which is why they came to Pilate for permission to guard the tomb, to make sure the disciples would not come and steal away the body sometime during the night. As they put a seal on the stone and set up a watch over the tomb. So that after the soldiers who had set up watch, saw what had really happened, they told the chief priests (Matt 28:4). The chief priests then gave large amounts of money to the soldiers to proclaim that the disciples had stolen His body (Matt 28:11-15). So the possibility of it not being mentioned in the Bible, was it had to be kept secretly hidden and not be recorded, in order for the Shroud not to be confiscated, and put into the wrong hands to be destroyed, because it gave proof to His resurrection. And in that time period, for them to have seen a unusual bodily imprint on His burial cloth, they would have known something had happened. The scripture also says, "And there were also many things which Yeshua did, the which, if they should be written everyone, I suppose even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written"(St.John 21:25). And so the many things which Yeshua did, that were not written, out of Elohim's sovenignity, could have included His burial cloth with His image imprint on it, for safe keeping.

Some very interesting comparisons I see, is the fact that every eye can see Yeshua now in His crucified body on the Shroud of Turin, all over the world through internet access. And every eye shall see Him physically appear, alive when He comes back the second time. "Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him and they also which pierced Him:"(Rev.1:8). Also in heaven, Yeshua will still visibly bear the marks of His crucifixion, as a reminder to us of what He did for our salvation. " And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain"(Rev.5:6). As Yeshua also after His resurrection, appeared behind closed doors, showing doubting Thomas, the marks of His crucifixion in His resurrected body (St.John 20:26-27). Even so, now on earth we can visibly see His crucified marks through the Shroud of Turin, as a reminder as well. So on earth, as it is in heaven.

The Shroud of Turin takes us back like a time machine, to what really happened to Yeshua. He left us a awesome photographic image imprint of His crucified body, that shows everything He went through, and confounds the minds of this scientific age, as He did with the religious leaders in His day, when He literally raised the dead. Only now to raise His image imprint on His burial cloth, is a miracle in itself. Which makes everyone marvel and wonder as to "How did this image get on there?" For the natural cannot comprehend the supernatural. For Elohim's ways are higher than our ways. Elohim does not work according to our logic. And the Shroud of Turin does not make any logical sense whatsoever, as to how it came into being. But one thing it does do, is it challenges the heart and the mind with, "Who do you say that I Am? "

What is also interesting about the Shroud of Turin, is the Biblical similarities you will find on the cloth of what happened to the man on the Shroud, coincided with what happened to Yeshua during His crucifixion. For when you put the Bible along side of the Shroud of Turin, they both go together as written and physical evidence. For there is definite confirmation between what the scripture says about Yeshua, and what you see on the Shroud of Turin. I will not go into all the details, but anyone can research this out for themselves if you will go to www.shroud.com.

Also what is significant, is in the Hebrew Sriptures, in the book of Daniel, concerning the last days in which we live in. (Dan.12:4). Daniel had seen a great vision concerning the time of the end, and was revealed to him what would be coming to pass, just before the Messiah would come back the second time, to reestablish His kingdom upon this earth. For the first time He came, He was cut off. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not himself (Dan.9:26). And not for Himself, but for the sins of the world, was He crucified, as we see on the Shroud of Turin. And during the end of the vision Daniel was told, "But thou oh Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased". And in this day of age we now live in, we can travel with such great speed, as we go to and fro throughout the world, in such a short time. And our knowledge has also increased through internet access capability. We have entered a information highway, where such enormous resources of information can be found on the internet with just a click of a mouse. Including much information concerning the Shroud of Turin, that has become so readily available, than it ever has before. As well as being able to see His crucified body, all over the world, at any time, which was not seen continually before our eyes in the past, as it is right now.

For only a faint image could be seen on the Shroud of Turin, on down through the centuries until 1898, when photograph Secundo Pia made the first photograph of the Shroud of Turin, and produced the first photographic negative imprint that gave a more clearer picture of who was on the Shroud of Turin. Then in 1976, was the first time a VP-8 image analyzer was used on the Shroud. A computer image enhancer, that showed the Shroud image had a unique three-dimensional information, encoded in it. And in 1978 the Shroud of Turin Research Project Team Inc. (S.T.U.R.P), did their first extensive scientific examination of the Shroud of Turin. Coming up with the conclusion, (1981 report) that there were no pigment, dyes, stains or paints ever found on the Shroud fibrils. And that the Shroud image, had a real human form of a crucified man that was scourged. They concluded that it was not a product done by an artist. And in 1998, certain pollen grains were identified by Dr. Avinoam Danin, an Israeli botanical expert, that evaluated the plant and pollen evidence on the Shroud, and had concluded its location to be somewhere in the Middle East. And yet there is much more research which I have not mentioned, that has already been done. And future research is not to far away. For as the time of the end draws even closer, knowledge concerning the Shroud of Turin may also be increased, until finally, in Elohim's timetable, He will reveal how genuine the Shroud of Turin really is.

And so as the controversy goes on about the Shroud of Turin, Yeshua also continues to reveal Himself in such a way, that not everyone needs to know all the scientific reasoning behind the Shroud of Turin to know that it is Him on the cloth, and to know it is genuinely real. Knowing that this is Elohim's way, of putting man's salvation on display.

I wrote a poem on what I saw, the Shroud of Turin.

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