Preview: The Signs of Immanuel - Part 1 - The Holy Shroud of Turin
Prologue Part 1 - The Search for Jesus
Dear Followers and Subscribers,
I’ve been researching and writing The Signs of Immanuel, so I thought I would share a draft preview of the Prologue. The goal of the book is to consolidate all the research around the Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and dig into the Scriptures to build faith in Jesus Immanuel.
Here is a draft concept of the cover.
Jupiter is crowning Regulus in the Lion of Judah, rising in the East. Venus and Mercury are in Virgo, clothed with the rising sun, and the moon at her feet on September 11th, 3 BC.
Prologue
**Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14, ESV
Immanuel (also spelled Emmanuel, Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל ʿImmânûwʾêl) denotes “God is with us”. Was Immanuel, Jesus Christ? The answer is found in Matthew Chapter 1, when an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
21She [Mary] will bear a son, and you [Joseph] shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).** 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. Matthew 1:21–25
In Matthew 1:23, the angel quotes from Isaiah 7:14** to Joseph in the dream, that the virgin, his wife Mary, shall conceive and bear a son, Immanuel. Joseph protects and respects her Virgin Birth by waiting and “knew her not” until after she gives birth to Jesus, honoring her and the angel. Then, he names the boy Jesus as the angel commands in the dream. For Jesus will “save his people from their sins” through the future Crucifixion and Resurrection.
In Hebrew, the names “Immanuel and Jesus” reflect the Gospel story. The name, “Immanuel”, tells us who He is: God with us. While the name “Jesus”, Yeshua in Hebrew, denotes “the Lord saves.” Thus, Jesus Immanuel is the Lord God who saves us.
The Synoptic Gospels include the Books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, while John is also a Gospel but is unique. John’s account consists of the “Book of Signs,” the miracles of Jesus, to be covered in more detail. Scholars use these testimonials to understand the life of Jesus on Earth and His teachings. Archaeologists also use these books to search for evidence of Jesus. For example, the Shroud of Turin may be evidence of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
The Shroud of Turin
(Source: public domain, Shroud.com)
The Shroud has been scientifically examined, revealing a man’s image with wounds that match the Crucifixion of Jesus. Furthermore, scientists have discovered that the image was not painted onto the Shroud, but the image was the result of a supernatural energy burst. A quote from a TBN documentary states,
The technology required to create the image simply doesn’t exist, and every attempt to replicate it has failed. The best, if not the only, explanation is radiation. The unofficial theory suggests the body emanated a brief, intense burst of electromagnetic energy that produced heat and/or ozone, a reactive form of oxygen, faintly discoloring the fibers that formed the image of the man.1
Though artifacts like the Shroud of Turin help to build faith that Jesus Christ was supernaturally raised from the dead, Christians rely upon faith in taking the Scriptures literally that Jesus was born of a Virgin and was crucified and then rose again from the dead. What if, like the Holy Shroud, there is more evidence in the Heavens which proclaim His glory, starting with the Virgin Birth, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection? Evidence that can only lead one to conclude that there is an omnipotent God.
This book investigates the writings of modern scholars, ancient historians, Biblical genealogy, the original Greek, Hebrew, and especially the Mazzaroth (Hebrew for constellations) to provide a timeline of signs of the Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Immanuel. The approach taken correlates the Scripture with the “Gospel in the Stars”. This is not astrology, but Biblical Astronomy, the Mazzaroth.
First, let’s compare two documentaries. One creates doubt in those searching for the true Gospel story, and one that builds up faith.
The Search for Jesus Documentary
The reception of the year 2000 documentary, Peter Jennings Reporting: The Search for Jesus, was deeply polarizing, drawing 10 million viewers, while receiving intense criticism from traditional Christian groups.
While one might expect a film about Jesus to build faith, this one did the opposite. It intentionally or unintentionally succeeded in planting seeds of doubt in those searching for the truth. Peter Jennings portrays Jesus as being merely a man and not the Son of God by bringing together various views not based upon the literal Bible. The documentary fosters debate and presents both sides of the argument, while systematically dismantling the Biblical narrative.
Was Mary a virgin? The documentary suggests other alternatives that go against Jesus being the Incarnate Son of God born of a virgin.
Did Jesus rise from the dead to save us from sin? Similarly, sources cast doubt and suggest Jesus was a man who was primarily focused on humanitarian objectives, not a Savior of mankind from sin. This goes against what the angel tells Joseph, for Jesus will save His people from their sins.
Fortunately, for those who believe in Him and follow His commands, there is no debate. Jesus is the Son of God. Unfortunately, the polished documentary, The Search for Jesus, was watched by millions, and the misleading experts were featured. Even if 10% of the viewers left with seeds of doubt, then ~1 million were deceived and still searching or merely living as atheists and agnostics.
If a documentary can plant seeds of doubt, can a book plant seeds of faith in Jesus Christ? My goal in writing this book is to plant seeds of awesome wonder in the omnipotence of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the Lion and the Lamb. My prayer is that these seeds take root and grow into a strong, steadfast faith in God the Creator and Messiah.
The Star of Bethlehem - Legend or Literal?
In the very first 10 minutes of The Search for Jesus, Jennings states,
“…we came to realize that the debate about Jesus the man and his teachings is as vigorous and exciting today as it has been in any century, and the disagreements begin right at the beginning. Do you think there was a star in the east?”
The late Marcus Borg, a theologian who challenged literal interpretations of the Bible, responded,
“I think the star is - um - purely legendary and symbolic.”2
To be continued…
TBN. (2025). [Youtube] Uncovering the TRUTH About the Image of JESUS on the Shroud of Turin | Praise on TBN.
Jennings, P. (2000). [Youtube] The Search for Jesus (FULL). Religious Studies.