CHAPTER XV

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION
V
| ITHIN recent years, one or two pamphlets {| have appeared, presenting what claims to ai) be a story of the crucifixion as recorded | by an eyewitness. The story told therein ~ is very short and merely throws some light of a questionable nature on a few points of the story of the crucifixion. The statements in that pamphlet which were worthy of consideration were taken from several reliable sources, and fic titiously enlarged by an unknown author who was merely making his appeal to those who desire a surprising story. The true story of the crucifixion is recorded in a number of ancient writings, all of which are very dependable and consistent in their outline of the incidents. Even Judas left a brief outline of his connection with the affair and what he noted of it. His story merely substantiates some of the points contained in the other records. The principal and most complete outlines of the story are contained
in the three manuscripts written by different [241]
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scribes and preserved in the monasteries of Tibet, Egypt, and India.
It is generally believed by Biblical students that the only record or story of the crucifixion is that contained in the Christian Gospels, and the critics of the Christian doctrines and Biblical stories have often argued that they did not believe the story at all because they could find no verification or sub- stantiation of it in other records, or in the writings of contemporary historians. These persons seem to forget that at the time of the crucifixion the event was one of paramount importance to the followers of Jesus, and to the several sects, the members of which were associated with the work being done by Jesus and His Apostles. The event was of little importance from a national point of view, and from the point of view of the orthodox Jews and the powers of Rome. For this reason, contemporary historians, writing of the broader and larger events of the day, did not look upon the crucifixion of a religious leader as an event of such national importance or such worldly consider- ation as to warrant a place in their writings. From our present-day point of view, the crucifixion ap- pears as one of the most important events in the history of civilization; but that is because time has given us the proper perspective and the results of
the crucifixion have enlarged themselves into a [ 242]
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world-wide effect that is still vital to the lives of men and women. Many events in recent years have passed by hardly noticed in the historical rec- ords, and have since become of extreme impor- tance. The assassination of one man in one coun- try in Europe, some years ago, might have passed by with little comment in the newspapers, and certainly without any comment at all in the history of the nation, if the future developments associated with that event, or gradually resulting from it, had not quickly given it a place of world-wide impor- tance, connected with one of the greatest wars in the history of mankind.
In the case of the crucifixion of Jesus, the real importance of the event and the greater effect of it evolved very slowly, and only after many centuries had passed. Those who wrote about it while it was still fresh in their minds dealt with it, not as an event of world-wide importance, nor as an event that needed to be set forth in minute detail, but as an event that had its categorical place in the scheme of things associated with the purely reli- gious activities of their sect; and for this reason they recorded only those points which had a reli- gious or spiritual significance, accordance to the in- dividual writer’s personal opinion. Hence the dif-
ference in presentation of the story, and the dif- [ 243 J
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ference in emphasis of the various points involved. This explains the lack of details in the Gospels.
However, in the record of the writers who in- tended to preserve the complete story in the ar- chives of the Great White Brotherhood, and its associated organizations, the matter was viewed as one that had an important connection with the series of events that had occurred in the history of the Great White Brotherhood in ages past. The writers presented evidence in the relationship of this event with similar events substantiating the doctrinal teachings and traditions of the Cosmic and spiritual laws as made manifest in the lives of every great Avatar, and every great leader of man’s evolution. In the opinion of these writers, many incidents connected with the crucifixion were of extreme importance and were carefully recorded, while the same incidents were passed over as inconsequential by the writers of the rec- ords published in the Christian Bible.
Another reason for a considerable difference be- tween the story as told by the Gospel writers and the story told by the scribes of the Great White Brotherhood, lies in the fact that the writers of the Christian Gospels were writing for the pur- pose of establishing and maintaining certain doc trines and principles which were becoming the
foundation of a new religious sect. Therefore, [ 244 J
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The emblem shown above is one of the oldest of the popular mystical signs, and has been mistakenly attributed to the Ameri- can Indians because it was found freely used in some of their mystical decorations. Recent research found it engraved among the very old symbols of the Mayans in Yucatan, where it was probably in use hundreds of years before the Christian Era. It has also been found as one of the signs in the ancient Buddhist Zodiacs, and is a symbol in the Asoka inscriptions. It was the sectarian mark of the Jains and the distinctive badge of the sect of Xaca Japonicus. The earliest form of the cross found in the Christian catacombs is in this form. This symbol is one of the most sacred in use in the monasteries of Tibet by the Great White Brotherhood. In Christian symbolism this cross is sup- posed to represent two capital Gammas, crossed and reversed, and is used as the sign of “faith in the crucified.”
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they had to adhere to the traditional story of the crucifixion, as it had been officially outlined by the Apostles and presented as the theological basis for the Christian foundation. Every incident of the crucifixion inconsistent with these theological prin- ciples and foundation traditions had to be elimi nated from their stories, not for the purpose of deception, but in order that those unprepared and unready for the complete story would not be con- fused, or their attention distracted from the prin- cipal elements, by the presentation of mystical ele- ments reserved only for the inner circle and the more advanced followers.
From this the reader will understand that the complete story and the real facts of the crucifixion were accessible to and known by the Holy Fathers who established the early Christian church in the fourth to seventh centuries A.D. In fact, these Holy Fathers had easier access to these records and to many others now lost or hidden, than we of the present time, despite any connections we may have with the greatest and most complete existing li- brary of secret manuscripts.
We know that the Holy Fathers of the early church had access to these secret records, because in the council meetings of the early Christian church, and in the discussions that took place
between the highest authorities of the early church, [ 246 ]
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reference was made to certain portions of manu- scripts and official records dealing with the cruci- fixion and other incidents of the life of Jesus, which are now concealed or which have been destroyed. That many such records were destroyed is proved by the fact that at certain times in the past these various councils of the early church authorized the destruction of certain manuscripts which were dis- cussed by them, because they decided that the existence of such records might embarrass them in the future. The official records of many of these Councils contain long and lively discussions re- garding these manuscripts and their contents; and we find that a number of eminent authorities in the early church seceded from the Councils and brought the wrath of the early church upon their heads by their refusal to agree to the destruction of these important manuscripts and the plan to conceal facts which were known.
In previous chapters of this book I have referred to the statements of some of the Holy Fathers, which showed how familiar they were with the secret or hidden details of the life of Jesus. Un- questionably many of these important records and manuscripts are preserved in the Vatican at Rome, today, for it was the ambition of the Holy Fathers during the seventh to twelfth centuries to procure
and take away from public or even private study, [ 247 }
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all books and manuscripts in the rare collections in Oriental lands which might contain statements dif- fering from those established by them as the official traditions and doctrines of their church. We know, for instance, of one incident which took place during the Crusades to the Holy Land, at which time one magnificent library containing twenty thousand rare manuscripts of historical im- portance, dealing mostly with religious matters, and especially with the affairs preceding and dur- ing the lifetime of Jesus, was destroyed completely —reduced to ashes after a selected few of the manuscripts were forwarded to Rome.
Fortunately for us, some very important manu- scripts have survived all of the destructive proc- esses, and it is from these that many incidents re- garding the life of Jesus have been extracted for this book. The incidents of the crucifixion, taken from these records, are especially illuminating, and because they are too long to be placed in any one volume, I find it necessary to select at this time merely the high lights from these records, and piece them together in the following paragraphs.
First of all, we find that the crucifixion of Jesus did not come about at the hands of the Jews, as a protest against His teachings or as a punishment for His attempted leadership. The idea that the
Jews persecuted and eventually crucified Jesus is [ 248 ]
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a viewpoint adopted by the Holy Fathers of the early Christian church, because it was consistent with the theological principles they wished to es- tablish, and consistent with the traditions they wished to make the basis of their doctrines.
It is generally contended by Christian authori- ties that Jesus was an outcast among the Jews except for the few hundreds or thousands who constituted His followers; but there is no founda- tion for this idea in any of the incidents of His life, nor in the facts as we find them. While it is true that the Jews did not consider Jesus a Jew, but a Gentile, and many of them ridiculed the idea that anyone from Galilee or anyone who was believed to be a Nazarite could do anything that was good, nevertheless they would not have cruci- fied Him because He was a foreigner, nor even if they had considered Him an “upstart” in their midst. The idea that He was destroying their re- ligion or wrecking their church is not supported by any of the real facts. Jesus, Himself, said, on more than one occasion, that He came not to destroy the law or the words of the prophets, nor to belittle the prophets and pull them down from the high place they held among the Jews, but to fulfill the predictions of the prophets, and to sup-
port the laws they had established. [ 249 ]
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It has also been said that Jesus attempted to turn the faith of the Jews from their one God toward another, or a trinity of Gods, and for this reason brought condemnation upon His work. We find no foundation for this belief either; and when He, Himself, was asked as to what was the first commandment, He answered: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind.” Certainly that was consistent with the Jewish religious viewpoint, and could not have been antagonistic. While it is true that He did criticize a few of the practices in the Syna- gogue, and did attempt to direct the thoughts of the people to higher ideals, this in itself would not have warranted the Jews to crucify Jesus, nor to do more than simply ignore Him.
Jesus was no more radical than Isaiah had been, and no more liberal in His orthodoxy than Micah. He did not attempt to establish a new sect or a new church of any kind, despite the statements of many Christians who think that Jesus Himself established the first Christian church and started the first Christian movement toward the founda- tion of a separate and individual sect. Even if He had done so, this would have been no new thing in that land, for among the Jews there were vari-
ous sects, some very old, and some very new, such [ 250]
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as the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Nazarites, Nazarenes, Kuthites, Boethusians, and many others. And yet not one of the founders of these various sects was ever punished by death. Jesus may have proclaimed Himself as a Messiah, much to the disgust of the strictly orthodox, but accord- ing to Jewish custom any member of the House of Judah might have believed it without being killed by the Jews for such a belief. He may have re- ferred to Himself, although we have no record of it, as the “unique and only begotten Son of God,” but we doubt that the simple claim of being the “Son of God” would have antagonized them in any way; for every Jew believed that God was his “Father” and always prayed to God as his Heav- enly Father, and referred to himself as the Child of God. Such a conception of the Deity was com- mon in Israel.
The one outstanding point in connection with the crucifixion of Jesus is the use of the cross. That one thing tells the story that Rome had ordered His death, and that it was a Roman punishment and not a Jewish one, for the Jews would have stoned Him, in their usual manner, had they de- sired to get rid of this man for any reason. The fact that His death was ordered in the Roman manner, and at the hands of those officially dele-
gated to carry out the death sentence in a legal [251]
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manner, indicates that the whole affair was not one of mob violence or religious persecution on the part of the Jews, but a sentence officially pro- claimed at Rome.
We must remember that more important than the claim of the Apostles or the Disciples of Jesus that He was a Messiah, and the Son of God, was the title being bestowed upon Him by the enthusi- astic followers, who idolized Him, and, without discrimination or discretion, proclaimed Him “King of the Jews.” This was a serious thing, and the real reason for His crucifixion.
The Jews were anxious to have a leader, whether he was the true Messiah or one antici- pating or representing a Messiah to come. And if this self-appointed or truly ordained leader brought them a message of peace and happiness, and per- formed miracles of healing, he would have been tolerated by the majority of the Jews if not by all of them. The restlessness among the Jews in Pales- tine and their hopes and plans to be freed from the yoke of Rome had caused Rome considerable anxiety in the past. Everywhere the spies of the Roman government were watching for the possible uprising of a rebellion, and the selection of a leader that might start another war; and when the whis- perings or even the open professions of the en-
thusiastic followers of Jesus proclaimed Him the [ 252]
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“King of the Jews” it was a matter serious enough to be immediately reported to Rome and be given official attention. Jesus was undoubtedly feared by Rome, according to many ancient records that deal with just this phase of the matter. His simple teachings were opposed to those taught as the ofhi- cial doctrines of the Romans. His preachments tended toward holy socialism, and the tyrannical imperialism of Rome could never harmonize with such teachings as this. The only offense that can be attributed to Jesus throughout His whole career was a political offense from the Roman point of view. The Roman standing army in Israel and the spies maintained by the Romans made it possible for that government to take stringent measures whenever there seemed to be a traitor in their midst or a possible uprising.
Caiaphas would appear to have been a spy for the Roman government if we are to judge by the secret reports that he made to Rome regarding the activities of Jesus. On the other hand, he may have been merely a personal enemy, for he certainly did do everything possible to keep Rome informed about Jesus and to make it difficult for Jesus to con- tinue His work. Even though Caiaphas was an eminent leader of the Sanhedrin, he did not repre- sent this body in the reports he made, nor in the
attitude he assumed. It is even indicated that Caia- (2533
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phas went so far as to present large sums of money for the purpose of procuring evidence and making sure that a warrant would be issued by Rome for the arrest and trial of Jesus. So we find in this man a greater enemy to Jesus and His work than Judas.
It appears from some of the ancient records that most of the contentions and revolts that became quite popular in Palestine at about this time were purposely attributed to Jesus, or more precisely to His followers. Gradually Rome became convinced that it could end the enormous expense to which it had been placed in constantly investigating and watching the Christ movement in Jerusalem, and cut short the trouble it had experienced in dealing with these matters by removing the leader of the so-called new political faction. Therefore, by the time Jesus entered Jerusalem for the purpose of carrying on the culminating phases of His work after a long and successful tour in the outlying sections, a warrant for His arrest was already in the hands of officials in Jerusalem. Owing to the fact that He arrived at the approaching festival period, it was deemed advisable not to interfere with the quietude and sacred peacefulness of the Jewish Feast Days. Caiaphas anticipated an up- rising when the hour for the arrest came, and such an event would have been disastrous to the tradi-
tions of the church, and would have upset the cele- [ 254]
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bration of the Feast pilgrims, and incidentally would have detracted from the very large finan- cial harvest which always resulted when there were so many thousands of pilgrims in Jerusalem.
There are a number of references, in the ancient records, showing that an assassination of Jesus had not only been thought of, but had been planned by some of the hirelings of both the religious fanatics of Jerusalem and the local Roman authorities. It was decided, however, that such an act would be attributed to the Jews rather than the Romans, because the Romans had every reason and every power to proceed openly and have Jesus con- demned as a political troublemaker.
The story of Judas as presented in the Christian version is a garbled one, modified in order to illus- trate the fact that among the followers of Jesus, as with every great leader or Avatar in the past, there was one who represented the evil forces and principles of the world, and who typified the un- trustworthy element met with in all phases of life. The facts of the story are that the officials ap- pointed to arrest Jesus realized that if they at- tempted to arrest Him in public while He was preaching or performing His miracles, they would have to contend with a mob situation resulting in the use of arms and force, the destruction of life
and property, and the creation of a condition not [255]
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desired by either the Roman or Jewish people. Therefore, it was decided to arrest Jesus in private, when He was outside of the city and accompanied by but a few of His followers. Someone was needed, however, who could identify Him at a distance in the white raiment which so many of the Essenes wore. Judas was willing to serve in this case for the bribe that was offered him, and in truth he did typify the element in life which the story in the Christian Bible presents.
That Jesus knew of the coming events and that treachery and false reports were about to end His career, is evidenced not only in the Christian stories but in many of the private records. The soldiers representing the Roman government fol- lowed the directions of Judas, and found Jesus in His usual environment in the Garden of Geth- semane where He was wont to hold secret con- sultations with Nicodemus, Mathaeli, Philopoldi, and Yousef of Arimathea. While the soldiers were arresting Jesus, Yousef of Arimathea made off hastily to inform others of what had occurred, and to make immediate plans to aid Jesus. Pilate was consulted and he agreed to delay matters till after the Feast days. He feared there had been some illegal trickery or action in what had occurred, that criticism would result, and that his own posi-
tion was in jeopardy. Reading between the lines [ 256 ]
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of the various ancient stories, we cannot feel that Pilate was moved by any inner or outer sentiment in his dealings with Jesus that was impersonal or unselfish.
The warrant called for immediate trial, and Pilate found reason legally to delay matters with- out antagonizing the Roman authorities, and yet serve his own purpose. There were those who called upon Pilate representing themselves as Jews, and others representing themselves as supporters of the Roman government, who demanded that the order of the Emperor’s prefect be carried out at once. The warrant was of a nature that called for the death sentence if the person arrested was found guilty as charged. It is recorded that the decisions of the minor judges and witnesses were reported to Pilate that very night, but there was not found in these decisions that testimony which Pilate believed was sufficient for him to permit im- mediate execution. In some of the Christian stories there is an intimation that some persons in Pilate’s household were followers of Jesus. We find no reason for this statement except that Pilate himself had had some absent healing conducted by Jesus, which had resulted in the cure of a diseased hand. But if all those who had been healed or helped by Jesus had been true followers of Him, there would
have been such a multitude of followers in Jerusa- [257]
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lem that no one would have even dared to plan the crucifixion, let alone carry it out. It is not uncommon for Avatars to have the very arm that was once paralyzed and cured become the arm and the hand that smites them fist. Pilate was plead- ing for delay, but pressure was being brought to bear and he yielded.
The attempt to transfer the case to Galilee, be- cause Jesus was not a Jew, and therefore bring it under the direction of Herod, who was attending the Feast in Jerusalem, also failed. Herod himself was not in such a position of stability and so free of criticism that he dared to take part in an affair that he knew was a more serious matter than ap- peared on the surface. The intriguers, in the mean- time, feared that Jesus might slip out of their clutches, but no attempt was made by His fol- lowers to do otherwise than demand fair trial and sufficient delay to enable them to prepare their defense. Jesus Himself seemed to be unconcerned regarding the controversy among the higher magis- trates, for it is recorded that during these very bit- ter hours He continued to give treatments, teach, and carry on with a peaceful mind. We must think of the majesty of such a mind that was able to do this, knowing, as Jesus knew, what was really in store for Him. The followers of Jesus who were
attempting to prepare some defense for Him, or to [ 258}
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secure His freedom, recalled the fact that it was customary on the occasion of such Feasts to give life and liberty to some criminal, and this point was presented before the officials with the request that the multitude preferred Jesus as the one who should be the receiver of such a Feast gift. Even this plan failed. Finally, Pilate turned Jesus over to the mob of accusers and personal enemies, and the process of scourging began as a preliminary to the crucifixion. The manner in which the leaders of the mob exerted themselves at this time, as re- corded in all the records, shows that the greatest enmity and ill feeling was felt on the part of a few of the Jews who were personal enemies. However, the Apostles and the brethren of the Essenes silently were carrying on their plans and appealing to higher authorities to save the life of their Master. Those who knew what was being done in the form of appealing to the Emperor for a reconsideration, and appealing to other authori ties for intervention, could not understand why these things did not come to an issue more quickly; and according to the records, a great many of the followers of Jesus thought that more trickery was being perpetrated, while those who knew realized that Jesus had advised them of the real nature of the crucifixion, and how it would terminate, and
what it meant to the great work of the secret or- [ 259 J
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ganization. Therefore, there were two groups who watched the developments: one moved by anxiety lest each hour would produce no effect that would stay the proceedings, and the other group that knew intuitively, and perhaps from secret infor- mation given them, that all would not end as the others believed.
Nearly a week had elapsed since the warrant had been issued and hour by hour passed until finally the body of Jesus was raised on the cross on Golgotha, a little hill, just outside the city walls, that was so round and suggestive of the shape of a skull that it was called Golgotha. Here other con- demned men had been crucified, as had been the custom of the Romans for many years. The cross had always been a device for Roman crucifixion and persecution, and an emblem to the Essenes, of man’s suffering, tests, and trials; but the raising of this particular cross with its precious burden, became at once a new symbol to the Brethren of White Clothing and the secret Brotherhood, and from that hour the cross had a new meaning in spiritual and mystical thought. The Jewish fac tions which had gathered round to witness the raising of the cross, dispersed to prepare for the approach of the Sabbath, and only the Gentiles
and the brethren of the secret organizations re- [ 260 }
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mained there to watch and to protect the body of their Master.
Considerable comment has been made in recent years, and perhaps in many of the years gone by, concerning the words spoken by Jesus while on the cross. Those who have tried to argue that Jesus was not the great Master and Son of God as claimed by the Apostles and the Disciples, refer to the words in the Book of St. Mark XV:34, which are given there, in one of the languages which Jesus spoke as “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated in the Bible as meaning, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The Book of Matthew gives practically the same word- ing. However, the four books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John agree in saying that immediately after speaking these words, Jesus yielded up the Ghost, or gave up the Ghost.
These words spoken by Jesus, and the statement that He gave up the Ghost are highly significant in a mystical sense. It was the Holy Ghost which Jesus yielded up at that moment, and this was the same Holy Ghost that came into the womb of Mary ahd manifested the creative power of the Logos; and the same Holy Ghost that descended upon Jesus at the time of His baptism, and which infused Him with the authority and power to be
the living representative of the Logos on earth. At [ 261]
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the time of yielding up the Holy Ghost, while on the cross, Jesus permitted the special power and authority to return to the Cosmic Consciousness and leave Him as one who had completed His mis- sion and was no longer the living power of the Logos on earth. This is why Luke expresses the incident by having Jesus say, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” and John wrote that Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Every mystic will understand that these refer- ences to giving up the Holy Ghost cannot possibly refer to the giving up of life, vitality or vital con- sciousness. Those who have attempted, since the fifth century A.D., to advance the idea that Jesus actually died while still on the cross, or that His transition occurred at that time, attempt to use the term “giving up the Holy Ghost” as meaning giv- ing up life and consciousness. If the Holy Ghost is to be considered in this particular instance as meaning vitality, life, and animation, then we must be consistent and interpret the term in the same way in every instance where it has been used in connection with the life of Jesus. Can we say then, that when Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Ghost descended upon Him, that it was life, vital- ity, and consciousness, and that this was the be- ginning of His existence as a living being? It is quite evident by the whole story of the Baptism in
[ 262]
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the Christian Gospels that the descent of the Holy Ghost was the Holy authority and Divine power coming into the body of Jesus, or into His con- sciousness, completing His preparation and per- fection of development as a Divine Son of God, an Avatar, and the living Christ. It was the reversal of this process—the Holy Ghost and the Christ- hood withdrawing into the spirit and consciousness of God, which occurred on the cross as the culmi- nation of His brief mission and the end of His ofh- cial Christhood.
We realize, now, that the words, “Eloi, Eloi, lama, sabachthani?” could not mean, “My God,. My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” and that there is either some hidden meaning in this ex- pression or the words have been misinterpreted. Going to our ancient records and the original ver- sion and transcriptions that are recorded in reli- able archives, we find that the words written there are “Heloi, Heloi, lama sabachthani?” We find, then, that what Jesus said was, “My Temple of Helois, My Brethren of Helois, why hast thou forsaken me?” and that He was referring to the Brethren of the Temple at Helios where He had been initiated. They were expected to prevent any unnecessary suffering and be ready to render any aid that was necessary. Just at this time, in the
midst of His intense suffering, Jesus was not aware [ 263 ]
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of all that was being done for Him, and probably looked upon the absence of so many of the breth- ren as a lack of attention at a crucial moment. It was at this moment that Jesus entered into the stage of transition from Divine Master to human Master, and the transition had its culmination in the Ascension as described in the next chapter. We see, therefore, that the problem regarding His last words on the cross resolves itself into a further indication of His real majesty and Divine attune- ment.
Just as the sun was casting its last rays over the horizon, and the sky seemed to be darkening more rapidly and threatening a storm, which appeared highly significant to the faithful ones, a commotion was occurring in the palace of Pilate; for a herald had arrived with a document bearing the private seal of Tiberius, and all were anxious to know its contents. This document instructed Pilate to can- cel the warrant and to stay all proceedings until a complete investigation could be made by Cyrenius. In the meantime, Jesus was to be set at liberty until a full report could be made.
Pilate immediately sent a messenger to those who were in charge of the crucifixion stating what had occurred, and instructing that no further per- secution or torture of the body was to be per-
mitted. In fact his instructions stated that if there [ 264 }
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was any life still in the body of Jesus, it was to be taken down from the cross and sent to a hospice to be cared for. This was the news anticipated by Nicodemus, Mathaeli, and Yousef of Arimathea, and of course it was unpleasant news to the in- triguers, and especially the Covenanters.
The storm soon broke and delayed the removal of the body of Jesus for a few hours, but in that time food and drink were given Him, and support was placed under His body to prevent it from pull- ing too greatly upon the nails which tortured His flesh. The few faithful ones noted with great anxiety that a somber stillness and a numbness was passing over the body, and that gradually Jesus lost consciousness. At the earliest possible mo- ment, when the storm quieted, torches were brought and an examination of the body revealed that Jesus was not dead. The blood flowing from the wounds proved that the body was not lifeless, and so the cross was immediately taken down and the body removed from it. The body was then taken to a burial vault owned by Yousef of Ari mathea, which had supposedly been built for the care of his family; being a wealthy man he made it an elaborate and well-constructed burial place. The body was placed in a special part of the tomb which had been prearranged for its reception, and
physicians connected with the Essene Brotherhood [ 265 J
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were at hand to render every possible assistance in caring for the wounds.
The Essenes had secured permission for the use of this tomb as a burial place for Jesus, and the authorities had granted this permission in the be- lief that it was to be the permanent tomb of Jesus. Therefore, shortly after the body was placed in the tomb, some outer guards belonging to the Brother- hood announced the coming of the officials who were to inspect the tomb and approve of the burial. Jesus had just attained complete conscious ness and His wounds had been dressed sufficiently for the Essenes to wrap the body in clean white clothes, in preparation for a short sleep, when the officials reached the tomb. The officials were per- mitted to watch the closing of the tomb and affix their seals upon the stones and the door which closed it securely. Apparently everything of an official nature to make the tomb a permanent burial place had been done according to law, and yet ac cording to our records, much was left undone be- cause the Essenes had made sure that the officials did not go too far in the process of sealing and closing every means of entrance and exit. The de- scription of the tomb in the records from which I quote is not complete enough for us to understand thoroughly its form and structure, and we are not
sure whether there were two doorways or only [ 266 ]
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one. It appears, however, from all records, that a great stone was used to close up the doorway after the doors had been shut, for the purpose of hiding the doorway so that the burial place, which was in the side of a rock, would not be too apparent or attract too much attention. It was also recorded that Nicodemus was fearful that some trick might be played, as he realized there were those who knew of the trickery on the part of Caiaphas, and that the resentment of the followers of Jesus might take the form of some plan to thwart the law. So he demanded that the sepulchre be watched, for the satisfaction of Caiaphas and the law.
Late in the night, the storm which had only partially ceased, raged fiercely again throughout the whole valley of Judea, and thunder and light- ning echoed and flashed in the mountains round- about. According to the records, it was an un- usually severe storm and it cleared the streets of Jerusalem and the roads just outside of the walls of all pilgrims, and even forced some of the guards and soldiers under cover.
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4 aie ee
Pe ie v * era ts
Cuarpter XVI
THE SECRET FACTS OF THE RESURRECTION
V
Co =~ 3] UST before sunrise, Yousef of Arimathea IS $49) and other Essenes who had been hiding l%tes6| nearby approached the tomb when the AneA@| guards were trying to protect themselves ~ from the rain under the shelter of some cattle houses at some distance. Using the means they had previously provided, and taking advan- tage of the laxity of the officials in sealing the doorway properly, they caused this great stone to be thrown over, and the doorway to be opened. When they entered the tomb, they found Jesus resting easily, and rapidly regaining strength and vitality. After an hour the storm ceased sufficient- ly for the Essenes to escort Him from the tomb. Jesus had used every one of the powers coming into His being through the perfect attunement He had with the Cosmic, to restore strength and con- sciousness to every part of His body and to all of His highly developed faculties. Therefore, it was possible for the Essenes to place His body upon a
colt and cover Him with some heavy garments [ 269 ]
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while they led the colt with its precious burden through the mild rain and deep darkness to a se- cluded place belonging to the Brotherhood, not far from the walls of the city.
In the Book of John in the Holy Bible, we have one of the interesting facts concerning the cruci- fixion which appears in the ancient records from which I am quoting, and which incident is often overlooked by the most critical of the Bible stu- dents. It is that although it was a common prac tice to break the bones in the body of every cruci- fied person, and to cause their bodies to hang upon the cross for several days so there would be no pos- sibility of the body remaining alive, nevertheless the body of Jesus was taken down without the bones being broken, even though the soldiers broke the bones of the two criminals that were upon the crosses close by. This was not an oversight on the part of the soldiers by any means, for not only did they fulfill the law by breaking the bones of the two criminals, but they had been so accustomed to this procedure for many years that we cannot be- lieve that after having performed their duty with the other two, they would forget the practice, momentarily, in the case of the third body upon the cross. The ancient records, to which I have been referring, state that when the soldiers were
notified that the body must be taken down imme- [ 270 ]
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diately because a release had come, and that every- thing must be done to permit Jesus to regain His consciousness and strength if He had not passed through transition, they realized that they were not to injure, torture, or in any way affect the ease and comfort of Jesus, but to relieve Him as quickly as possible from the agony in which they found Him.
It may be interesting to call attention to the fact that nowhere in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, is the positive statement made as an observation of one of these disciples that Jesus died on the cross or that He was dead when they removed Him from the cross and placed Him in the tomb. In John XIX:33 there is the statement that the soldiers believed Jesus to be dead, but St. John does not make a positive statement of his own, and when he continues by mentioning the spear thrust we have no reason to believe it was more than a surface wound, while, on the other hand, the fact that blood and water flowed forth would indicate that Jesus was still alive. I know that in the Apostles’ Creed, used in the average Christian church, the statements therein refer to the fact that Jesus suffered and died on the cross, and it is commonly believed that the statements in this Apostles’ Creed were taken from the state-
ments made by the different Apostles. The truth [271]
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of the matter is that the present-day Apostles’ Creed went through a number of changes in the centuries after the crucifixion, at the various high Councils of the Holy Church, and the first drafts of the creed, which I have before me, are consider- ably different from those later adopted. In the third of the five drafts of this creed, we find the statement that Jesus was “fastened to a cross, He rose the third day.” In the first and original draft, the statement is that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate and “on the third day brought to life from the dead.” In the last draft, the wording was changed to read, “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.”
The statement, in the early draft of the creed, that Jesus rose from the dead should be associated with the wording in Luke XXIV:5, wherein the question is asked of those who were seeking for Jesus, “Why seek ye the living among the dead?” We must bear in mind that Jesus was placed in a tomb that was intended for the dead, and in an environment intended exclusively for the dead, and surrounded by the so-called dead. In other words, the question might be re-worded as follows: “If you are looking for Jesus, the ever-living Son of God, why do you come to a cemetery and peer into tombs and sepulchres looking for Him? Why
do you expect to find a living person where only [272]
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the dead may be found?” The early drafts of the Apostles’ Creed clearly show that the idea meant to be conveyed was that after the crucifixion, Jesus was temporarily placed in a tomb among the dead, and that He quickly rose from that place and out of that environment, and returned again to His place among the living.
There is absolutely no intimation in the early drafts of that creed, nor in any of the discussions which occurred in the high councils of the church when the creed passed through its many changes in the different centuries, that Jesus was believed to have died on the cross, or in the tomb immedi- ately after the crucifixion. The creed was com- posed so long after the days of the Apostles and the writing of the Books of the Bible that it had to be invented and created like the many newer doctrines of Christianity. In the Roman Catholic Encyclopedia we find admission that many of the highest authorities state that the creed can be traced to no earlier period than the second half of the fifth century A.D.; and there is the further admission that the idea that the Apostles composed the creed on the day of the Pentecost is merely a legend, dating back to the sixth century. We read also this interesting statement in the Roman Catho- lic Encyclopedia: “Modern apologists in defending
the claim to Apostolicity (of the Apostles’ Creed) [273]
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extend it only to the old Roman form, and are somewhat hampered by the objection that if the Roman form had been really held to be the inspired utterance of the Apostles, it would not have been modified at pleasure by various local churches, and in particular would never have been entirely sup- planted by our existing form.”
According to the Rosicrucian and other ancient records, various persons came, after the Sabbath was over, to the tomb to see the body of Jesus, and to bring spices and clean linens and other things as was their custom in the case of any who had passed away, but they found the tomb open, and Jesus gone. The storm and lightning, and per- haps a mild form of earthquake, had left much ruin and havoc in the cemetery, and a number of tombstones were thrown over and a number of sepulchres were opened by stones rolling away or sliding down from their proper position.
The soldiers who were supposed to be on guard to watch and protect the body of Jesus, but who had slipped away into some sheltered place, were on hand bright and early to meet those who came to the tomb of Jesus, and they had a-very ready explanation of what had occurred. They did not admit their own neglect, which would have caused them to be severely punished and imprisoned, but
stated that during the height of the storm all of the [ 274]
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tombs were opened by some miraculous power and that a great blinding light came down and sur- rounded the tomb of Jesus, and in this light they saw mysterious figures which escorted Jesus, who had returned to life. This story did not appear to the soldiers to be much different from hundreds of other stories being told about Jesus and His miracles, and about the manifestations of God’s wrath, and God’s love, in connection with many unusual things during the preceding nine years.
The public, and especially the followers of Jesus, were ready to accept the story that the soldiers told. Since Pilate realized that the body of Jesus had been saved and that the stories were only an explanation to satisfy the curious, and since Rome had authorized the release of Jesus, and, therefore, cared little regarding His present whereabouts, no investigation was conducted, and the story of the soldiers and the followers became the accepted explanation.
The other incidents regarding the Resurrection, as told in the Christian Bible and in other sacred writings, may or may not be true in their minute details, for they are based upon testimony of vari- ous persons, and are somewhat conflicting. Only one fact of interest is noted in the Rosicrucian records regarding the tomb of Jesus, and this is to
the effect that during the first years after the [ 275 J
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Resurrection, the tomb of Yousef of Arimathea was used as a shrine by the Brotherhood, and by thousands who were followers of Jesus; the tomb was in a badly damaged condition, partly split open by a huge crack in the rock which sheltered it, and a crack in some of the stone masonry that sup- ported one side of it; the tomb had every appear- ance of having been struck by lightning during the terrible storm. If the storm did such damage as this to the Holy Sepulchre, and to the other tombs and burial places in the vicinity, we can easily understand why the soldiers conceived the story that they told, and why it was so readily accepted.
As quickly as possible the Essenes escorted and conveyed Jesus to a home of one of their brethren in Galilee. It was their intention to have Jesus rest and recuperate, and then escort Him to a place of secrecy and isolation for a time.
Jesus had recovered very rapidly so that He was able to walk part of the way on His journey. He was met by a few who knew Him and who were surprised to find Him still living. We have many traditional stories regarding His contact with His Disciples and others during the time of His re- cuperation.
The appearance of Jesus in the midst of His Disciples on various occasions during His period of
recuperation constitutes, in several cases, a mysti- [ 276 ]
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cal demonstration of the ability of the Master to project His personality and consciousness to places distant from His physical body. Such demonstra- tions of the higher spiritual laws as this were com- “mon not only to Jesus, but many of the eminent Avatars of the past, and, in fact, some of His Apostles and Disciples and many of the brethren of the Great White Brotherhood made themselves visible to others at distant points very often. We find in the present-day teachings of the Rosicru- cians, in various lands, the simple laws which help men and women to attain that high degree of psychic development which enables them at will to project the psychic or soul consciousness to a distant point and become visible and even sensible to the higher faculties of persons who are likewise developed to the proper degree of receptivity. The time was coming, however, for Jesus to close His public missionary work quite definitely, and enter that stage of silent activity into which all great Avatars of the past have entered, and which is always the goal of every messenger of the Great White Brotherhood. Jesus was devoting most of His time to teaching His Disciples the doc- trines and principles which they should present in their work with the public, and preparing them for the missionary work they would have to continue
after His retirement. [277 }
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The great change that had come about in the personal appearance of Jesus after the ascension of the Holy Ghost from His consciousness while He was on the cross, caused a great many, who had been familiar with His physical appearance and spiritual aura, to fail to recognize Him when they saw Him clothed in different raiment and appear- ing as a simple Essene during His days at Galilee. The Disciples knew that a still greater event in His life was imminent, and of course the eminent officers of the Brotherhood were already preparing for the final manifestation of His Divine place among men. For forty days Jesus continued His close association with His Disciples and Apostles, and we find that this forty-day period is significant again and coincides with the other forty-day periods mentioned in another part of this book. During these forty days Jesus attended several of the suppers or Symbolical Feasts which were typi cal of the Essenes, and which later became one of the forms of ceremony in the Christian church. One of these, the so-called last supper, became im- portant in Christian doctrines of Jesus’ life; but there were many other such Feasts thereafter in privacy not revealed in the Christian records, prob- ably because they were not significant or attended by as large a number of His Disciples as the one
referred to. [ 278 ]
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So, on the fortieth day the Apostles assembled, in accordance with instructions, on a mountain- top outside of the city of Jerusalem, where they would be separated from the multitude and out of sight of any passer-by. It was just at sunset that Jesus came into their midst and arranged them before Him in a group forming a semicircle, facing the setting sun. He stood before them so that as they faced Him they saw His magnificent figure outlined as a silhouette against the red and gold of the sky. He proceeded to explain to them the purpose of this unusual secret session, and the real work that was to be accomplished by them in the future. According to the records, He first an- nounced that not one of them was to leave the circle or depart from the mountaintop until he had received from His Father in Heaven the Holy Ghost and the Divine authority to carry on His work as an Official Apostle. In other words, He announced that Apostolic power was about to come to them from a Divine source, and that they must not break the spell of Cosmic attunement which He was about to establish until each one had experienced the influx of the Holy Ghost. In the light of what actually occurred, we can easily realize how important it was for Jesus to command them to remain where they were and not depart
too quickly; for He knew that there would come a [279 J
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moment when each would believe that the strange session had ended and that there was no further need for remaining on the mountaintop. Naturally, the Apostles asked questions, and it appears that they sought to determine what form of activity they should adopt and just how their work would affect the establishment of the King- dom of Heaven which Jesus had announced as im- minent. But Jesus replied by rebuking them for their inquisitiveness at that moment, and assured them that in due season all would be explained to them. He further stated that after the Holy Ghost had come upon them, and they went out in the world to carry on their individual missions, they would be representing the great work in all parts of the world. With further instructions regarding their first acts after they departed from the mount, Jesus directed each one to rise from his sitting position and fold his arms across the chest in the form of the Essene salutation. Then, stepping some paces away from them, but directly in a line be- tween them and the last edge of the setting sun, He lifted His hands and arms toward Heaven and prayed. While the Apostles watched and listened, a great light surrounded Jesus, and a mist formed over His head and gradually enveloped Him. When the mist lifted, and ascended toward the
sky again, they saw that Jesus was gone, and was [ 280 }
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no longer before them. In their astonishment, they looked toward one another as though each ex- pected the other to make some explanation, and a few of them were about to move from their assigned positions when one of them spoke and said, “Hold, for were we not warned to remain as we were until the coming of the Holy Ghost?” Realizing that the time for departure had not yet come, they remained standing, and in a few minutes there appeared before them two figures as faintly visible as though they were of a violet light. One of these figures addressed the standing Apostles, saying, “Gaze no longer into the mists in which your Master has ascended, for as He left you, so shall He come to you again and again; for His earthly mission is accomplished and He shall dwell in your hearts and in the hearts of those who love Him, and will henceforth direct the mission of His life through His messengers of light. Receive ye, therefore, from your Father which art in Heaven, the Holy Ghost and the Word, and by these ye shall have the power to teach and to demonstrate the spiritual laws of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the keys to the portals of the future.” Then the figures disappeared as if dissolving before their eyes, and the Apostles knew that they had been glorified by their Father in Heaven, and had re-
ceived the Holy Ghost. [ 281]
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In quietness and peace the Apostles journeyed to their homes in Galilee to dwell among their brethren of the Brotherhood. That night Jesus appeared among the High Priests in the monastery at Carmel, and retired to the rooms that had been set aside for Him as His sanctum; and the door of His public life was closed to mankind.
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