High Stakes (3 page)

Now, here again we run into inconsistency in the Bible. In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and Mary take the child to the temple to be blessed and sanctified and then return to Nazareth. In the Gospel of Matthew, the three of them flee to Egypt in fear of Herod's anger. They can't be in two places at the same time, so which one is right? Not only that, but if they did take the baby Jesus to the temple, would not Herod know of it, especially since he was looking for the child? Luke says that after the temple purification they returned to the city of Nazareth in Galilee and Christ grew up, making no mention of going to Egypt to hide from Herod. Now, since Herod did not die until almost four years later, why didn't Luke even mention the fact that Herod was a danger to the child Jesus? Was this story of Matthew a complete fabrication of the facts so that prophecy could be manipulated to apply to Christ? Many scholars think so.

Matthew specifically states that Herod killed all the male children who were two years of age and under in Bethlehem in the hope of destroying the newly born “king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:16). This act supposedly fulfilled another prophecy. Matthew then states an angel came to Joseph in a dream while he was in Egypt hiding and told him to go back to Israel (to fulfill another prophecy) because Herod was now dead. He then takes Mary and Christ to Nazareth (to fulfill yet another prophecy), where Christ grows up. Now, it seems clear here that the Gospel of Matthew was written with the obvious intent to fulfill Jewish prophecy as far as the Messiah is concerned, for it states each prophecy as it occurred. The Gospel of Luke does not do this and is a much more peaceful narrative.

Luke does not mention the star of Bethlehem or the wise men present at Christ's birth, only the shepherds to whom angels appeared to announce Christ's birth with a heavenly light. Matthew does not say anything about angels proclaiming the birth to shepherds (perhaps because there was no prophecy concerning angels proclaiming his birth). These two distinct accounts about Christ's birth and the several years after come into conflict with each other, especially as to the role of Herod and the danger to Christ. It seems probable that if King Herod had wanted Jesus dead, he could have killed him at any time during his first four years. The city of Nazareth was about sixty-five miles from Jerusalem while Bethlehem was very close to Jerusalem, so either was within easy distance of Herod's reach.

As you will see, this is perhaps the first of many conflicting accounts of Christ in the New Testament. It is these conflicts that create the possibility of untruth and downright fabrication that Biblical scholars are constantly pointing out. Can we trust these biblical accounts when they seemingly give different versions that go against each other? Scholars who defend the Bible will constantly use the argument of “omission” in their defense. In this case they might say that Luke just omitted the part about Herod and Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt. These types of arguments strain our credulity because the “omission” is so important and significant.

Francine says that the Gospel of Luke is fairly accurate and that in this section of Matthew there is indeed fabrication for the sake of prophecy. In other words, whoever wrote this portion of the Gospel of Matthew completely made up the story about Herod and the flight to Egypt. She says there are parts of both accounts that are incorrect, but that Luke's account follows what actually happened more accurately. She states that there was a supernova in the sky at the time of his birth and that many came to adore and give homage and gifts to the Christ child—almost like a modern-day baby shower. The three Magi, she states, were actually three wealthy merchants from the surrounding area and there were no angels proclaiming his birth to shepherds. She also relates that Christ was indeed taken to the temple to be blessed and sanctified according to Jewish law and custom.

The childhood of Jesus is addressed very little in the gospels. The Gospel of Luke gives us one account of Christ teaching in the temple at the age of twelve, but that is all that is related by any of the gospels. The story of Jesus teaching in the temple confirms what I wrote earlier and is another example of how Jesus's contemporaries viewed him and held him in an exalted state. Do you suppose that a little ragtag boy would be allowed in the temple to even listen to the elders there, not to mention actually teaching them? Of course not, but Christ was of royal lineage and came from a wealthy family and would have been treated with some deference and allowed into the temple. When, as I related earlier, his parents found him and he told them that “I must be about my father's business,” they did not understand. But it shows that Christ knew in some way that he was going to be a leader and teacher of men. You must realize these were the elders, the theologians of the Sanhedrin (lawmakers of Israel), and that they were held in rapt attention listening to a boy of royal heritage teaching them. Any other boy would have been viewed as an unruly, ostentatious, poor beggar kid who would have been thrown out of the holy council. They couldn't and wouldn't have thrown out a child of royal blood.

Even then he was trying to give the real truth to the Sanhedrin. The Gospel of Luke says he was twelve years old, but my guide says he was around ten years old when this incident took place. I don't think it's that important except it shows the infused knowledge that Jesus had and that he knew he was on a mission for God. This is so obvious in his aforementioned statement about his father's business. He meant, of course, God and not Joseph.

Before this incident in the temple, Jesus was like a normal Jewish boy who helped his father by working in a large compound for making furniture. As a child he would play with his brothers and two sisters and other friends and relatives like his cousin John, who would later be the Baptist. Among the friends he played with was Mary Magdalene, whom he did know as a child because she was from another fairly wealthy family. Jesus and Magdalene were actually childhood sweethearts, even if it was puppy love at that age. I will address later how Mary Magdalene became confused with Mary of Bethany and was branded a harlot.

There was an awful story that circulated for a time that Jesus shot birds with a slingshot for fun. This isn't even reasonable for an entity created by God as a direct report. Francine says that a bird he found was in bad shape with a broken wing and he healed it. This was the first time he used his healing powers. Francine also says as a boy he healed a rabid dog. This didn't seem to surprise anyone, because they all knew by infusion or observance that this was a child blessed by God.

As Jesus grew up he was allowed to have tutors and went many times to the temple to learn Jewish ritual law and the Hebrew language; but he, as well as most people in the area, spoke and wrote in the Aramaic language. As Jesus became more educated, not only in Jewish laws and traditions by his visits to the temple, but also in other subjects and philosophies by his tutors, he became more and more restless. Although he helped his father in his furniture business and was learning the skills of carpentry and furniture making, he knew he was destined for more.

Francine says that between the ages of fourteen and fifteen, he told his parents that he wanted to travel and study other countries and their religions. Both Mary and Joseph were not thrilled with this idea, but Jesus insisted that it was necessary for what he had to do. They reluctantly agreed and sent him with two house hold workers and two of his brothers, James and John, and gave him a good supply of money. In that day, it was not unusual for young teenagers to take on the responsibilities of adulthood. Women were often married at a young age and started having children because life spans were so short. Boys quickly became men and started working to help support their families, or even started their own families.

Thus we have the end of the childhood phase of Christ's life, and Jesus would now enter into a period of traveling and learning in preparation for what was to come. This period has long been termed “the lost years of Jesus,” but it was to be perhaps the most gratifying and happy period of his life. These were the years in which he learned his great background of wisdom and philosophy that he would put forth in his teachings, which, as we all know, changed the world.

C
AN YOU IMAGINE
how frightening it must have been for Jesus at the age of fourteen or fifteen years old to leave his home and go out to explore the world? Frightening and exhilarating in that he could now expand his horizons beyond the towns of Nazareth and Bethlehem and the city of Jerusalem. No longer would he be mired in the everyday boredom of a small town such as Nazareth, doing work that he knew was not for him in his father's furniture business. He was off on a great adventure and knew inside that he had to learn and gather as much information as possible from the many cultures and people that he would meet along the way.

Before we get into the actual travels of Jesus, though, let's discuss something that really has not been discussed by theologians or scholars regarding Christ—that is, the whole premise of his having psychic abilities. Don't you find it interesting that no one in the world of academia or theology has really brought up this idea? Whether it is because they feel they will be ridiculed by their colleagues or whether, in the case of theologians, they will be deemed heretics, it really doesn't matter, the fact is that no one has ever really addressed it and just common sense makes it blatantly clear that Christ had to have some, if not many, psychic abilities or talents.

Since I myself am psychic, perhaps I can recognize the outward appearances of psychic ability more than most. It is perfectly clear to me that Christ manifested psychic powers. Maybe scholars and theologians either don't recognize these manifestations of psychic abilities or are afraid to make any conclusions about them, and therefore never bring them up in their studies. But the fact remains that there is overwhelming evidence in the writings about Jesus that he had psychic ability.

First of all, the actions of Christ in his life would indicate emphatically that he had to have had some sort of communication with God. Francine says that he was clairaudient and was able to hear and speak with God directly and that God first contacted him when he was four years old. (Now, skeptics out there might say something to the effect that here we go again, and if Christ heard a voice he was probably schizophrenic). It is interesting that scholars and theologians have no problem with the seemingly endless parade of prophets who bring the word of God throughout the Old Testament. These prophets are even quoted extensively in New Testament gospels like Matthew. Do we question how these prophets got their information from God? No, we do not; we just accept these prophets as part of history and
assume
their information came from God.

Just what constitutes a prophet? A prophet is a person who foretells future events or gives messages from a divinity. In modern-day terminology, he or she would be a clairvoyant, a psychic, a medium or clairaudient. Soothsayers, seers and oracles would all come under the definition of being prophets because they foretold future events. Religious figures such as Buddha or Muhammad would also be called prophets, for they brought messages from a higher power or divinity.

To call Jesus Christ a prophet would not be wrong, for he foretold future events such as his Passion; but in reality, he was more of a psychic and teacher. He healed many with his psychic abilities of healing by the laying on of hands, and his miracles of healing are told in many places of the New Testament. We also know that he was clairaudient, not only by his actions, but we also know of his conversation with God in the garden of Gethsemane, in which he asked God to lift the burden of his Passion. God must have replied because Christ said, “Thy will be done.” So far we have Christ manifesting at least three different psychic abilities—clairvoyance (foreseeing the future), healing and clairaudience (hearing God).

We also hear of Christ walking on water, calming the sea in a storm, making a few fishes and pieces of bread into many, congregating fish for nets, making wine from water, raising the dead, and a multitude of other miracles. There are certainly some physical psychic abilities working here, where he can evidently manipulate the physical attributes of nature and the molecular structure of matter.

If, as the Bible says, these miracles attributed to Jesus took place, then we have a being who not only manifested psychic abilities like no other in history, but one who would seem to be empowered by our divine Creator to help him in his mission. The only problem that we seem to have doesn't come from Jesus, but from the works and manipulations of man, because as we have already asked—can we trust the accounts of the Bible?

I find it somewhat ironic that the very people (early Christians) who want the world to believe in the divinity of Christ are also the ones who threaten that divinity more than anyone else with their editing, manipulation and omissions of New Testament scripture that raise doubts as to its authenticity and truth. This is then compounded with a Church that has perhaps one of the most bloody and corrupt histories known to man in its search and implementation for power and control. I know I have said this several times, but if Christ came down to earth in this day and age, I don't believe he would want to call himself a Christian. It is a sad commentary for our wonderful Messiah.

 

Christ and his small entourage joined a trade caravan and set off first for the area we know as Turkey today. As an aside, when I visited Turkey I found that the Turkish people will fight you if you deny Jesus' trip to Ankara, where he eventually passed through again later on in life. I found Ankara to be a very holy place, more holy than most churches I've been to because Jesus had been there. The Turkish Christians also fully believe in the Anatola (the Mother God), and even their rugs show her in symbolism with her hands on her hips.

Jesus studied in Turkey at Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and today as Istanbul), its capital city. This was a meeting place of scholars, merchants, artisans and theologians, and this is where he was first introduced to various beliefs in Gnosticism. As he preached, Christ was a seeker of knowledge and wisdom and he avidly learned as many philosophies as possible from his travels. Francine says he stayed in a type of villa, using money from the family coffers. The picture of a poor, beggarly man—dusty and dirty—is just not factual. He wore fine garments and traveled with well-kept family and assistants. He ate at the best tables and studied with Persian and Arab scholars. He had a photographic mind and assimilated everything. While in Byzantium he became friends with a scribe who took down his thoughts and musings.

Francine says that Jesus stayed in Byzantium only a few months, but even then he seemed to gather crowds of people around him. You must realize that in Eastern countries they are used to holy people or prophets who come and go, especially if they are on their own journey or mission. Many fakirs (holy men) even today travel in India by delivering wisdom and then go on to village after village living off alms given them. Jesus attracted people because of his charisma and innate wisdom and even though he was still very young, he always seemed to make an impression on those around him.

His search for knowledge, combined with the exuberance of youth, spurred him onward toward the Far East. Francine says he left Byzantine and traveled eastward through the Anatolia region of Turkey, where he assimilated philosophy about the Mother God and then continued onward southeast into what was then known as Mesopotamia (Iraq) and the city of Babylon. From Babylon he went into what was then known as Persia (Iran) and eastward through Afghanistan into ancient India. Having money, he secured passages on trade caravans for protection and the best routes to India.

Francine says he stayed in India for close to ten years, studying under the Brahmans of the Hindu religion and also under Buddhist priests. While in India, he traveled to the areas of Kashmir and Tibet, seeking the highest teachers and masters possible for his studies. After some years, he sent his brothers back home to Israel with messages for his parents that he would be studying for an extended period of time. They put up a great resistance because James, who was very close to him and a sensitive in his own right, knew with all certainty that Christ's road would be fraught with pain and suffering and skepticism. Jesus more or less convinced them that they had to go back because his mission had to be done and was written in the scriptures, and also convinced them that they were needed at home and could help him more there by taking care of the family. So James and John and their servants went back to Israel, knowing that Jesus was staying on to study and prepare for what he had to do.

Francine says that while James was with Jesus, he did take notes and did to a certain degree document their travels with a journal or diary. She also says that sometime in the not too distant future, some or all of these writings will be discovered by archaeologists, much as the National Geographic Society recently found the Gospel of Judas.

Francine says Jesus was attracted to these Eastern philosophies because of their simple wisdoms and teachings of peace and that his brothers were more inclined to be skeptical because they had been ingrained with the ideas of Jewish rebellion against the Romans. As history tells us, later on these differences were made apparent when James and John became members of the Jewish Christians and James became their head, but we will get into that later in the book.

While in India and the surrounding areas, Christ again started attracting followers. According to Francine, he had several disciples while in India and crowds would gather to listen to this young but seemingly wise man from Israel. It is also at this time that Jesus became much more ascetic in his way of life to concentrate on his studies. He mingled with the poor and even did some healings.

Unlike the Bible that states Jesus' first miracle was at the wedding feast of Cana (when he turned water into wine), Francine says his first miracle was when he healed a boy of leprosy in the area of what is now known as Calcutta in India. This was not a startling revelation to a country both then and now used to seeing a prophet or holy man able to levitate, heal and give spiritual knowledge. Many of the holy men in India had done such acts. Francine says he was directed by God to do this, as it was a sort of baptism by fire for what was to come.

As he studied and learned, his old Judaic teachings of a vengeful and fearful God changed to that of a loving and compassionate God. Although the more passive religions of Hinduism and Buddhism attracted him, Jesus could not reconcile his total belief in one true God with all of their teachings. He did embrace the philosophy of reincarnation and also the many loving concepts of both religions. He also learned to communicate on the level of his audience…giving stories and parables to get his message across to the poor and illiterate, rather than preaching dogma that they could not understand. This wisdom was to serve him for the rest of his days.

For those of you who think this is pure fantasy, I have a big surprise in store for you. There are dozens of texts from Eastern scholars that indicate that Christ was indeed in India and the surrounding areas at that time. He was called by many names by different cultures of people—“Issa,” “Isa,” “Yuz Asaf,” “Budasaf,” “Yuz Asaph,” “San Issa” and “Yesu.” Many of these texts point out that he was a prophet or holy man from another land and some even point out that he was from Israel.

In Kashmir, in the city of Srinagar, are two separate fascinating monuments. First, there is the Roza Bal (or Razabal), which is purported to be the tomb of Jesus Christ. According to the beliefs of those in the area, Christ came to this area after his survival of the crucifixion and lived to be 120 years of age and was then buried in this tomb. Also, on a large hill of the city called the Takhat Sulaiman (Throne of Solomon), there is a monument that has four inscriptions, two of which are still legible. The inscriptions were recorded, however, and read as follows:

Now, these monuments are very perplexing to Christians. They logically relate to Christ coming back to this area after his survival of the crucifixion. Therein lies the problem, because the Christian faith believes Christ died on the cross. One of the monuments is even supposed to be his tomb! (Francine says that the tomb doesn't contain his body, because he actually died in France, but the people of the area so venerated him that they put up a symbolic tomb). Here we have two monuments in the obscure area of Kashmir that say categorically that Christ not only survived the crucifixion, but also came to this area after that event and lived. Both of these monuments are very ancient and date to the time of Christ, but are we to readily surmise that they are some elaborate hoax? What in God's name would be the point of creating such an ornate fake when it is believed that Christ wasn't even known outside of Israel yet? It was not for several hundred years after his supposed death that Christianity would even become a popular religion. Christian scholars cannot give a reasonable explanation for these monuments, while scholars who believe he did go to India say they are part of their proof that he did, and still other scholars who believed he survived the crucifixion also say this is proof of his survival.

Although the evidence seems to be substantial, it is not the only evidence that is out there concerning Jesus' travels. There are many Eastern texts that mention him and his works in the Far East. It is also interesting to note that one of the largest religions in the world, Islam, venerates Christ as a prophet and messenger from God. Muslims believe he survived the crucifixion and did not die on the cross. I certainly cannot relate all the sources here, for they are too many, but if you would like to read more about this time in Christ's life, you can start by reading the following books:
The Jesus Mystery
by Janet Brock;
Jesus Lived in India
by Holger Kersten;
The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ
by Nicholas Notovich; and
A Search for the Historical Jesus
by Dr. Fida Hassnain.