One of the most fascinating time periods from history to me is the few years following the Savior's crucifixion. Little is mentioned of it in scripture, and yet there are some remarkable historical accounts that do exist which help fill in the gap of our collective memory during those dramatic years. For anyone who is open, some remarkable truths are within reach.
I write about that time period here because it is so difficult to find a single narrative containing the events and people with the correct relationships, in their proper sequence, and in their true context. My hope is that doing so will help those with similar interests to find some leads, answers, or confirmations to their questions. Another reason for sharing these things is because those events surrounding and including the crucifixion, are being repeated at this moment, and they are and will involve many who are on the earth now.
What follows is a comparison of those times with current and future day events, along with some doctrinal insights.
Doctrinal Backbone
600 years before Christ, a faithful Jew living in Palestine faithfully lived the lesser law of the Gospel then known as The Law of Moses. He stood apart from the church members of his time in that he recognized The Law he followed was merely a collection of steps and procedures that helped bring repentant sinners back to oneness with God. He knew the outward procedures of The Law were a means to that end, and not the end in and of themselves. In his own words:
Nephi, like his Father, was privileged to experience a visitation from a divine messenger who showed him a vision of the metaphor of an iron rod which led to a tree full of beautiful fruit (1 Ne. 8, 11). Through this vision he would have understood that as important as the rod of iron was in acquiring the fruit of the tree, the rod itself was not the ultimate experience, but a means to an end.
Church and temple experiences are like the rod of iron, leading the truth seeker on to a divine experience, which is the metaphoric fruit of Lehi and Nephi's vision. To say that ones' church or temple experiences are the highest and greatest achievements one can experience in life would be like Nephi saying, "the rod is the destination", rather than the fruit at the end of it. In focusing on the outward aspects of the gospel we become like the Pharisees of old, indoctrinated in the methods that lead to salvation, rather than the fruit of salvation itself. In doing so we 'miss the mark', which was then and is now considered sin (חטא, "sin" means to "Miss the Mark").
Historical Narrative (with added insights)
As I proceed I invite you to look for the shadows and interpretation of ancient events with our day. I like to think of Nephi's time as something like the Mayflower days of American History. Both had a voyage across the seas and began a new world. Many of the events that happened following those voyages in the establishment and downfall of nations mirror each other. In observing those patterns I marvel at the wisdom, divine plan, and curious sense of simplistic and repetitive orchestration of our Father in Heaven.
Over the next 600 years Jewish culture and tradition lead the church into a state of having many technically active, though apostate members of the church, at least in the sense that many had become blind to the precepts of a once purer faith. The Saducees, Scribes, and Pharisees were living in a perpetual state of missing the mark in what still was considered the true and living church. They had priesthood authority and the rites and ordinances of salvation were among them.
Annas and his son in law, Caiaphas, were the High Priests of the church and were evil and conspiring men, whose conspiracies began against the family of Christ before He was even born [ii]. Their power compounded an already impure religious culture by creating fear in the hearts of its adherents - fear of breaking a complicated Law, and fear of The Council who upheld, enforced, and further convoluted it.
Such was the culture among the people when Jesus Christ began His ministry, but despite the false precepts among church members, many truth seekers recognized who the Savior was and the divinity of His mission. Fear of the council pervaded many of the hearts of those who believed in or associated with Him (Matthew 5:22).
Everything the Law of Moses taught defined what it meant to be unclean, therefore to be associated with anyone of a questionable nature would have invited ridicule and the feared perception of being unclean (other labels exist today, like 'crazy', 'apostate', 'eccentric', etc). Many of those rules about what constituted uncleanliness feel like they were rooted in culture, and driven by fear. Everything about that culture from my reading of New Testament literature speaks to the heavy oppression and fear that existed.
Even at the hour of the Savior's sacred suffering in the Garden, and the few hours following, His disciples struggled to stand beside Him, as they vanish from the scriptures during His last several hours of life when persecution and the danger of The Council became the greatest threat.
At the Savior's public excommunication and crucifixion, many church leaders stood by as witnesses to the event, mocking Him while He suffered there (Matthew 27:41). But there were those who despite the oppressive fear based culture stood by Jesus - an astounding majority of which were women who showed no fear in their public love and loyalty to the Savior. Among them were His mother Mary, His wife Mary Magdalene and her family members the Bethany sisters, who were the in-laws of Jesus (John 19:25) [ii]. Only one of His apostles, probably John, was mentioned as being present (John 19:27).
Mary Magdalene and the other female followers of Christ are only mentioned a few times in our current scripture, but their role in His life and following him in death is significant. There were attempts in early Christianity, especially during the Council of Nicaea under the direction of Emperor Constantine, to minimize the role of women in scripture, and to propagate other doctrinal biases resulting in the incomplete and even altered scriptures we have now [i].
Joseph of Arimathea, eldest brother of Christ [ii], as well as Nicodemus, who are often characterized as living in fear of the council (John 3:2; John 19:38), courageously and publicly stepped forward to handle matters pertaining to the dignified and proper burial of the Savior. By virtue of their high public status, probably their wealth, and Joseph's familial connection to Jesus, they legally acquired rights to His body from Pilate.
The scriptures indicate that Joseph and Nicodemus then removed Him from the cross and placed Him in a tomb with spices and oils of a royal value (John 19:39), but they don't clearly indicate the intimate role many women had in working with Joseph and Nicodemus to prepare the body of the Savior (Luke 23:55-56). In a group effort, Mary Magdalene lead in the anointing of His body and provided His clothing, which was white. They placed white under clothing and a head piece upon Him, and covered His body in a white sheet from head to toe. They laid Him on the stone bed of the tomb, and rolled back the stone slab covering the entrance [ii].
Their public acts removed any trace of doubt as to their loyalty to Christ in the minds of His antagonists and followers alike, and sealed their ultimate fate as banished members of their now fulfilled religion. The first to stand before the council following the Savior's own trial was Joseph of Arimathea. The Sanhedrin immediately sentenced him to death for his public support of Jesus. Then, because of the insufficient time to carry out his death sentence due to the quickly approaching Sabbath, they placed him in prison. He was rescued three days later by the resurrected Savior [iii], who had just come from first visiting His beloved wife, Mary, at the tomb.
Persecutions of Christ's followers continued for the next two years. During that time a plot grew among church leaders to remove and silence Christ's faithful first line of family members and most zealous supporters. One of Christ's disciples named Stephen experienced his own public excommunication and death sentence which was carried out by his fellow church members and leaders according to the Old Law of Moses through stoning, making him the first documented public excommunication and death sentence for Christ's sake (Acts 7:54-60).
About the same time the closest members and supporters of the Savior were gathered and subjected to a sort of public excommunication and banishment ceremony. They were then placed in two or three of Joseph of Arimathea's own boats and exiled from Judea and their church [ii].
They sailed westward on well established trade routes familiar to Joseph from his career as a tradesman under the Roman Emperor appointed title of Nobilis Decurio [iv]. They landed at Marseilles France, and then according to the dictates of the Holy Spirit, went their separate ways as apostate members of their old faith which was now fulfilled, and as the newest members, earliest pioneers, and missionaries of the new faith they helped establish throughout Europe which would later be referred to as, Christianity [ii].
Conclusion
At some point in the journey to the Tree it becomes necessary to faithfully let go of the iron rod, and reach toward the fruit to which the rod leads. God is that fruit. Whatever deadness exists in the Law, or among the church with all its ordinances, covenants, programs, positions, people, and even its temples will all be made alive in Christ at His return.
Similar events to those which transpired for the earliest followers of Christ during that transition of churches are repeating themselves now. Some who are awakening to their forordained purposes and messages of truth to share are facing excommunication by local councils of the true church - councils which for the sake of tradition and culture struggle to see those truths which have not been taught or manufactured from their own pulpits.
As in times of old, mainstream members of the church persecute those unpopular rising voices, ironically providing the opposition they need to pass their individual tests and prove themselves again to their creator in the heat of their refining fires, in preparation of their own intimate experiences with the fruit of the Tree.
Like the early faithful followers of Christ who were banished from the church, modern day front line defenders of truth and those who have partaken of the fruit of the tree work toward the establishment of the New Law, the New Zion (Moses 7:62–63), the prophesied church and Kingdom of God on the earth that will welcome the return of the King of Kings, the true shepherd of Israel (Ezekiel 34:22-31).
Citations
[i] Glenn Kimball, "Hidden Politics of the Crucifixion", 1998
[ii] Personal and / or shared knowledge
[iii] edited by H.C. Kim. (1973). The Gospel of Nicodemus (Gesta Salvatoris): edited from the Codex Einsidlensis, Einsiedeln Stiftsbibliothek MS 326. Toronto: Published for the Centre for Medieval Studies by the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies
[iv] The Incredible History of God's True Church. Triumph Publishing Co., Altadena, CA. 1984, p. 54
[v] Annales Ecclesiastici, vol. I, p. 327; The Drama of the Lost Disciples, p. 63; More information can be found in the Ecclesiastical Annals of the sixteenth century Vatican library, Cardinal Caesar Baronius (1538-1609 A.D.).
I write about that time period here because it is so difficult to find a single narrative containing the events and people with the correct relationships, in their proper sequence, and in their true context. My hope is that doing so will help those with similar interests to find some leads, answers, or confirmations to their questions. Another reason for sharing these things is because those events surrounding and including the crucifixion, are being repeated at this moment, and they are and will involve many who are on the earth now.
What follows is a comparison of those times with current and future day events, along with some doctrinal insights.
Doctrinal Backbone
600 years before Christ, a faithful Jew living in Palestine faithfully lived the lesser law of the Gospel then known as The Law of Moses. He stood apart from the church members of his time in that he recognized The Law he followed was merely a collection of steps and procedures that helped bring repentant sinners back to oneness with God. He knew the outward procedures of The Law were a means to that end, and not the end in and of themselves. In his own words:
And, notwithstanding we believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. For, for this end was the law given; wherefore the law hath become dead unto us, and we are made alive in Christ because of our faith; yet we keep the law because of the commandments. And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (2 Nephi 25:24-26)If you've ever sat in a church meeting or temple ceremony and wondered why we go through these things repeatedly, or maybe even sensed there was more to those outward rites than meets the eye, you may relate to the emotion Nephi felt. As uplifting as those rituals can be, they are not the end, but are rather a means to an end. The question then arises, what is that end?
Nephi, like his Father, was privileged to experience a visitation from a divine messenger who showed him a vision of the metaphor of an iron rod which led to a tree full of beautiful fruit (1 Ne. 8, 11). Through this vision he would have understood that as important as the rod of iron was in acquiring the fruit of the tree, the rod itself was not the ultimate experience, but a means to an end.
Church and temple experiences are like the rod of iron, leading the truth seeker on to a divine experience, which is the metaphoric fruit of Lehi and Nephi's vision. To say that ones' church or temple experiences are the highest and greatest achievements one can experience in life would be like Nephi saying, "the rod is the destination", rather than the fruit at the end of it. In focusing on the outward aspects of the gospel we become like the Pharisees of old, indoctrinated in the methods that lead to salvation, rather than the fruit of salvation itself. In doing so we 'miss the mark', which was then and is now considered sin (חטא, "sin" means to "Miss the Mark").
Historical Narrative (with added insights)
As I proceed I invite you to look for the shadows and interpretation of ancient events with our day. I like to think of Nephi's time as something like the Mayflower days of American History. Both had a voyage across the seas and began a new world. Many of the events that happened following those voyages in the establishment and downfall of nations mirror each other. In observing those patterns I marvel at the wisdom, divine plan, and curious sense of simplistic and repetitive orchestration of our Father in Heaven.
Over the next 600 years Jewish culture and tradition lead the church into a state of having many technically active, though apostate members of the church, at least in the sense that many had become blind to the precepts of a once purer faith. The Saducees, Scribes, and Pharisees were living in a perpetual state of missing the mark in what still was considered the true and living church. They had priesthood authority and the rites and ordinances of salvation were among them.
Annas and his son in law, Caiaphas, were the High Priests of the church and were evil and conspiring men, whose conspiracies began against the family of Christ before He was even born [ii]. Their power compounded an already impure religious culture by creating fear in the hearts of its adherents - fear of breaking a complicated Law, and fear of The Council who upheld, enforced, and further convoluted it.
Such was the culture among the people when Jesus Christ began His ministry, but despite the false precepts among church members, many truth seekers recognized who the Savior was and the divinity of His mission. Fear of the council pervaded many of the hearts of those who believed in or associated with Him (Matthew 5:22).
Everything the Law of Moses taught defined what it meant to be unclean, therefore to be associated with anyone of a questionable nature would have invited ridicule and the feared perception of being unclean (other labels exist today, like 'crazy', 'apostate', 'eccentric', etc). Many of those rules about what constituted uncleanliness feel like they were rooted in culture, and driven by fear. Everything about that culture from my reading of New Testament literature speaks to the heavy oppression and fear that existed.
Even at the hour of the Savior's sacred suffering in the Garden, and the few hours following, His disciples struggled to stand beside Him, as they vanish from the scriptures during His last several hours of life when persecution and the danger of The Council became the greatest threat.
At the Savior's public excommunication and crucifixion, many church leaders stood by as witnesses to the event, mocking Him while He suffered there (Matthew 27:41). But there were those who despite the oppressive fear based culture stood by Jesus - an astounding majority of which were women who showed no fear in their public love and loyalty to the Savior. Among them were His mother Mary, His wife Mary Magdalene and her family members the Bethany sisters, who were the in-laws of Jesus (John 19:25) [ii]. Only one of His apostles, probably John, was mentioned as being present (John 19:27).
Mary Magdalene and the other female followers of Christ are only mentioned a few times in our current scripture, but their role in His life and following him in death is significant. There were attempts in early Christianity, especially during the Council of Nicaea under the direction of Emperor Constantine, to minimize the role of women in scripture, and to propagate other doctrinal biases resulting in the incomplete and even altered scriptures we have now [i].
Joseph of Arimathea, eldest brother of Christ [ii], as well as Nicodemus, who are often characterized as living in fear of the council (John 3:2; John 19:38), courageously and publicly stepped forward to handle matters pertaining to the dignified and proper burial of the Savior. By virtue of their high public status, probably their wealth, and Joseph's familial connection to Jesus, they legally acquired rights to His body from Pilate.
The scriptures indicate that Joseph and Nicodemus then removed Him from the cross and placed Him in a tomb with spices and oils of a royal value (John 19:39), but they don't clearly indicate the intimate role many women had in working with Joseph and Nicodemus to prepare the body of the Savior (Luke 23:55-56). In a group effort, Mary Magdalene lead in the anointing of His body and provided His clothing, which was white. They placed white under clothing and a head piece upon Him, and covered His body in a white sheet from head to toe. They laid Him on the stone bed of the tomb, and rolled back the stone slab covering the entrance [ii].
Their public acts removed any trace of doubt as to their loyalty to Christ in the minds of His antagonists and followers alike, and sealed their ultimate fate as banished members of their now fulfilled religion. The first to stand before the council following the Savior's own trial was Joseph of Arimathea. The Sanhedrin immediately sentenced him to death for his public support of Jesus. Then, because of the insufficient time to carry out his death sentence due to the quickly approaching Sabbath, they placed him in prison. He was rescued three days later by the resurrected Savior [iii], who had just come from first visiting His beloved wife, Mary, at the tomb.
 |
| 1st Century Fishing Boat |
About the same time the closest members and supporters of the Savior were gathered and subjected to a sort of public excommunication and banishment ceremony. They were then placed in two or three of Joseph of Arimathea's own boats and exiled from Judea and their church [ii].
 |
| Ancient Trade Routes |
Conclusion
At some point in the journey to the Tree it becomes necessary to faithfully let go of the iron rod, and reach toward the fruit to which the rod leads. God is that fruit. Whatever deadness exists in the Law, or among the church with all its ordinances, covenants, programs, positions, people, and even its temples will all be made alive in Christ at His return.
Similar events to those which transpired for the earliest followers of Christ during that transition of churches are repeating themselves now. Some who are awakening to their forordained purposes and messages of truth to share are facing excommunication by local councils of the true church - councils which for the sake of tradition and culture struggle to see those truths which have not been taught or manufactured from their own pulpits.
As in times of old, mainstream members of the church persecute those unpopular rising voices, ironically providing the opposition they need to pass their individual tests and prove themselves again to their creator in the heat of their refining fires, in preparation of their own intimate experiences with the fruit of the Tree.
Like the early faithful followers of Christ who were banished from the church, modern day front line defenders of truth and those who have partaken of the fruit of the tree work toward the establishment of the New Law, the New Zion (Moses 7:62–63), the prophesied church and Kingdom of God on the earth that will welcome the return of the King of Kings, the true shepherd of Israel (Ezekiel 34:22-31).
Citations
[i] Glenn Kimball, "Hidden Politics of the Crucifixion", 1998
[ii] Personal and / or shared knowledge
[iii] edited by H.C. Kim. (1973). The Gospel of Nicodemus (Gesta Salvatoris): edited from the Codex Einsidlensis, Einsiedeln Stiftsbibliothek MS 326. Toronto: Published for the Centre for Medieval Studies by the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies
[iv] The Incredible History of God's True Church. Triumph Publishing Co., Altadena, CA. 1984, p. 54
[v] Annales Ecclesiastici, vol. I, p. 327; The Drama of the Lost Disciples, p. 63; More information can be found in the Ecclesiastical Annals of the sixteenth century Vatican library, Cardinal Caesar Baronius (1538-1609 A.D.).
Thank you Eric. Great learnings and insights here. Let's no be judgmental. The only one who can judge is the Lord. There is much we don't understand and know. Remaining open to the Spirit and light of the Lord, loving one another will prepare us for the higher law of Zion.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful essays. It takes courage, gained through faith in the Lord, to write these. There are many growing pains due to the transition from Telestial to Terrestrial, but I know all things are possible through Jesus Christ. And as the Apostle Paul wrote:
ReplyDelete"35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."- Romans 8:35-39
Excellent essay, as usual. I find it interesting that two sorts of people make it to the tree in Lehi's dream. One group partakes of the fruit and looks around and are ashamed. The other group falls at the base of the tree in humility and partakes. It all comes back to pride, and pride is enmity with God. Interesting about the meaning of the Hebrew word for sin. This first group to reach the tree miss the mark, even though they have partaken of the fruit.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eric!
ReplyDeleteEric thank you for spreading TRUTH !
ReplyDeleteI've thought of Joan of Arc today. Jillie has a bust of one and I have one made for myself when I sculpted her. Joan went through a lot of hard times. I hope the bust helps you too. I wish I could say more. Best of wishes, I have my prayers and hopes for you... Still your friend in the gospel.
ReplyDeleteI just want to publicly thank you and Julie to opening up these teachings so that we can learn and take it to the Lord ourselves. Having peace is a wonderful blessing and I for one stand with you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this extra in site to take to the Lord. I appreciate all your doing in helping us understand a broader view of teachings.
ReplyDeleteThank you Eric for being a voice of truth. You are supported as you know from angelic beings and Christ himself. I am grateful for your thoughtful and doctrinal approach to sharing truth. It is coming through to me with the power from God. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this article, Eric. As with each of your essays, truth is exposed and a sense of clarity and light powerfully accompany your words. Your strong desire to seek truth and research it continues to bless my life and I thank you for that with all my heart! May the Lord continue to bless you and your family.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. Light and truth permeates your message and you guys have led me to search the scriptures with renewed excitement again and again. The fruit of your sharing is good.
ReplyDeleteYou have an amazing gift! Everything you write, and put in perspective, helps so much. Keep sending us these words of wisdom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the podcast with you and Julie Rowe number 80. I usually like to listen to things and come to a conclusion all that is said on my own. I have had family Express concern about Julie Rowe excommunication. And of course, why would anybody not be concern to listen to someone if they have been excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. I used to write to Julie Rowe privately often some years ago. And of course if this is not appropriate to be said here, do not post it after you read it. But after listening, I still have not heard of anything to conflict with the light of Christ, or enlightenment I receive from the holy ghost. I know that a lot of times I would like to say more, and so I'm testing the waters. Please do not post this, are part of this if it's not appropriate. I don't know how to contact Julie Rowe anymore.
ReplyDeleteBut I still feel the same as the day she talk to me in person on the phone. Julie Rowe felt like a close friend. She felt like a sister. I still feel the same way every time I hear her talk. I know she's very bold, and a lot of times people can mistaken that for pride. But I still feel that she is still the same as she was then.
This here is to Julie Rowe personally. I remember when you asked me to sculpt a bust of Joan of Arc. And to do other artwork for you in the past. when it was done I remember saying don't worry about payment, but instead, just be a friend to me.
I did just want to inform you though, that I have written a lot in my personal book that, perhaps someday, I will share with others. From the time I talked to you last till this time, I've gone through so many different experiences. I even fell surprisingly into apostasy for a short moment. I was trying to help another in a dark place that ment I would have to walk in darkness to get there. The antidote to poison is not to be found with more poison. I I per took of that poison. I realized later I needed to have those experiences so that I could gain a broader view of things. I don't want anyone to ever go were I went. I was not ever able to help that person. They didn't want it.
In this book that I have wroten, shares my testimony. I've talked about the atonement. I've talked about spiritual experiences I've had. In the end of the book I've talked about my love for the person people call Joseph Smith. I cannot hold in my emotions when people talk about him in a lot of ways. He is more like the Savior, Jesus Christ, than any other person I have ever met. In the hardest work. He is the most cheerful person. In such work where most people would get frustrated, short-tempered, are ill will towards someone else because they're just tired, he is still cheerful. I love that man. In the end, I don't want recognition when that book is done. I am nothing without my Savior. It is only the Savior that I want others to recognize. He is the true author of good in all our lives. He is my best friend I never could deserve. And despite me, He still wants me. And I know it is the same for everyone.
I think my biggest concern, is our whole human family. I hope we all can influence everybody towards our Savior. Thank you guys again. My prayers not only goes for you, but to everyone. Be safe. Your friend.
Eric, as you and your family have recently been in my thoughts and prayers even more than usual, I returned to this post and noticed something I had not picked up on previously. The date you posted it was 27 June 2019 - exactly 175 years after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith, another True Messenger who faced tremendous persecution, and even death, for sharing Light. Thank you for your courage and faithfulness. May God continue to bless you as you serve Him.
ReplyDeleteI have studied Hebrew for about ten years. A few days ago, my daughter asked me about Isaiah 5:28. I studied it in the Hebrew. What I found surprised me, and made me think of what I had just recently heard about Julie Rowe. Here is the literal translation of that verse, according to what I have learned about the language:
ReplyDeleteDisciples Divide, (cut off) my, his
Diligent teachers All his strength
They(fem. pl) tread, go (fem. pl.) Divide, Split, Part, Swiftly, Speedily,
(like) (flint)
As if an Enemy, Afflicted, We will Plan, Account His,
Seek Occasion, Remove, Roll Away His, Like Sweeping Away, the Edge, Overflow