Years ago, my wife and I saw the Shroud of Turin exhibit in Atlanta that was a replica of the original. The original Shroud resides in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, as it has for over four centuries. Few artifacts in the world have stirred the imagination, provoked controversy, raised hypotheses – and for some, fortified faith – as has the Shroud of Turin. It is believed by many to be the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion.
It bears a yellowed image of a naked, crucified man and is believed by millions of Christians to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. It bears the image of Jesus front and back and is similar to a photographic negative in appearance. It is an amazing sight for sure.
I read an interesting article about it in Newsmax magazine, and it seems that not only Christians were fascinated by it but even Hitler wanted to steal it to use it in his black magic ceremonies. There were marks of His wounds on the shroud that show that Jesus was tortured in a way that the Romans tortured people who were criminals in those days, and it all points to the fact that what happened and where this shroud originated was 2,000 years ago in the Jerusalem area, about the time of Passover in the spring.”
According to the article, the forensic evidence of the bloodstains matches another purported shroud that is said to have been wrapped around Jesus’ head after the crucifixion. It’s AB blood and that blood matches the cloth called the Sudarium, which, at the moment is another historical cloth which is on display in Spain.
I visited Israel and the land is covered with shrines etc. that are places reputed to have been the exact location that was visited by Jesus. My wife and I were baptized again in the Jordan River in a location believed to be the same place Jesus was baptized. I prayed on my knees in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed and was betrayed by Judas and taken by the Roman soldiers. I visited Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem and the tomb of Golgotha where His body laid for three days prior to the resurrection. I saw many places where miracles occurred including the pool where He healed the leper. I prayed at the temple wall, and we sailed the Sea of Galilee in a replica boat similar to the one Jesus and the disciples sailed on. I even visited Jericho and saw the site where the walls that came tumbling down once stood, (yes those stones are still there).
I don’t know for sure that the locations of all these sites were exactly where Jesus walked or just nearby. The only place I am dead certain about is that Jesus walked up the temple steps where Jesus used to go and teach. I sat on those steps and listened to a sermon on Easter morning and yes it was quite moving. To be sure there are detractors to many of the sites, but there is just too much evidence to deny His existence.
In Israel, people from all over the world worship 24/7 and the Bible comes alive as we actually see with our own eyes where the places recorded in the Bible occurred and are yet to occur in the future like Megiddo where the Battle of Armageddon will be fought and the Mount of Olives where Jesus will set His feet. This site overlooks the East gate of Jerusalem, the gate Jesus will triumphally enter Jerusalem through when He returns.
Seeing all that made me feel like Moses visiting with God with his face glowing. Although my face was not physically glowing I was glowing all over throughout my body after my visit. When I returned to America I felt much like I think Moses felt when he descended to the unholy throng he was leading through the desert. The glow disappeared and the secular seemed to overwhelm the holy.
My hope is to go back to Israel. My wife has trouble walking now and there was a great deal of walking on our trip, but we are looking for ways to surmount that problem and one more time enjoy the glow and draw as close as I’ve ever been to my Savior. I highly recommend that you go there. No doubt Satan will try to talk you out of it saying it is not safe. I say baloney on that, it is safer than most cities in the world, and even if it was unsafe, which it is not, what better place to meet one’s maker than in His holy Promised Land? Just remember that God is with you and there is but one true God and worship Him.
Deuteronomy 31:20
For when I bring them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and are satisfied and become prosperous, then they will turn to other gods and serve them, and spurn Me and break My covenant.