EMPTY TOMB

A day or two before Easter I began receiving emails from a handful of people, all of whom, without being aware of each other’s requests, were asking me the same thing… “What is the EMPTY TOMB all about?”, “What is the “Napkin” covering Jesus’ face being folded and separate symbolize?”

Email requests are quite normal for me. I have received hundreds of such emails from people who have a range of questions about the things of “God” who I almost always respond to. I believe it is important to be available to those who seek and I am one who finds great joy in such.

Now, even though I receive many requests for “spiritual clarity”, what happened recently was different.

You see, the fact that these handful of people were all asking the same thing struck me as important. This feeling, that I NEEDED to do an essay on this very subject was only compounded by the multiple coincidences that followed after such requests, regarding the “empty tomb”, and “linen” etc.

I knew I had to write a short paper on the topic, and by “short” I mean… most likely extremely long… wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Don’t worry, I promise this time to me brief. 😉 I hope. In any event, it wasn’t until this moment RIGHT NOW, as I began to dig into this article that the TRUTH of this story opened itself up to me. So much so, that I had to call a dear friend to share my excitement.

I digress, over a week ago I knew I should probably write something on the topic, the problem is with the pain I am usually in it is very hard for me to sit for extended periods of time to write… sooooo, I answered the people who emailed me with questions briefly and vaguely, with the thought in the back of my mind that if I was really meant to write this paper, I would. And that if I was meant to have my eyes opened to MORE OF WHAT IT ALL MEANS… that too would come in time.

And so yes… You guessed it… It CAME in time… Early this morning. Much like MARY coming to the EMPTY TOMB early in morning as well. And so here I am after yet another cosmic reminder presented itself to me this morning about the “napkin”, “the linen”, and “the tomb”. So I am now writing the short essay I knew I was meant to share.

I am going to TRY and be brief, but believe me when I say, you need to make time for this entire paper regardless… To do this I am going to try and not over explain things, as I usually do… I am only going to share the revelation as it comes to me and if that leads me in other directions so be it.

So please follow me… into the EMPTY TOMB! I believe it will be very eye opening for you. (As always, I do not have time to edit, so please forgive any spelling, or grammar errors, see to the spirit of this paper, not the letter and execution of it. ;))

LET’S BEGIN with John Chapter 20

John 20 KJV
1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

There are seven days to creation people… Did you catch that? … Pay attention… This all takes place on the 1st day.

And what else happens on the 1st day? Anyone remember?

In the beginning God created the HEAVEN and the EARTH… The SPIRIT and the TEMPORAL… The CHRIST and the SOUL… The SPIRIT MAN and the NATURAL MAN… and THE EARTH… the NATURAL MAN was ignorant… UNTIL, the spirit of God moved upon their understanding.

On the 1ST DAY of the week… God said LET THERE BE LIGHT! … now pay attention… And the LIGHT according to JOHN 1 is the WORD OF GOD… Which, also happens to be THE TRUTH which SETS A PERSON FREE.

1st Day – Light = Word = TRUTH

John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: YOUR WORD is TRUTH.

So we find that the story of Christ’s RESURRECTION … is actually the STORY OF MAN’S TRUE BEGINNING. It is the story of MAN waking up from the tomb that has become of their life. The resurrection is FINALLY at hand. This is why I was meant to write this paper. To show you that the BOOK is no longer sealed.

Let’s refresh… Mary comes early to the TOMB on the first day of the week.

The 1st day is also found in Genesis 1.

Gen 1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And GOD SAID, LET THERE BE LIGHT: and there was LIGHT.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the FIRST DAY.

Mary came to the TOMB on the 1st day early.

Mary in Greek literally means “rebellion, man’s rebellion”. This is why we also find the TRUTH (Jesus) as rebellion’s child.

This is a picture of US coming to the realization of who we ARE my friends. I am meant to write this paper to let those reading know, you have been born again… It is the 1st day of the week… the Books have been opened… TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY. It is the day when the TRUTH is finally CALLED GOOD. “he saw the light, that it was good” – and the day when we are to no longer walk in darkness but in the light.

Notice that when Mary first came to the TOMB it was not only early, which means WE ARE IN THE FIRSTFRUITS of this great change, but it was also STILL DARK…. And so, this also means for us that the Morning SUN (truth) hasn’t completely risen for all, as of yet… BUT IT WILL, IT IS, AND NOTHING CAN SNUFF IT OUT.

John 20 KJV
1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

So let’s now discuss the TOMB… the SEPULCHER… You see, it is not a real TOMB, it is an allegory. The TOMB is actually the mindset of carnal man. It is the intellect of man. One could go so far as to say the TOMB is one’s identity. And within this identity are the Beliefs that formed it… Now for years man has made the mistake of saying that CHRIST is found within this TOMB… But in the 1st day we find, when the STONE is rolled away, that the LIVING Christ is not found within carnal mankind’s identity at all. But more on this later.

Now out of this Identity man speaks… And so this TOMB in affect is also analogous to the way carnal man thinks, it is how they speak… Their words and their thoughts… This the TOMB that was SEALED with the STONE.

Romans 3:13
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips

Carnal religious leaders were also called white washed tombs … And yes, many of those looking for CHRIST, which is the power and wisdom of God have also gone to these TOMBS to find it.

And up until this point… There was no escape from this TOMB. It was SEALED up with a stone.

And what is the STONE that sealed the TOMB UP… What is the STONE that kept the TRUTH hidden away from OUR THOUGHTS, TONGUES, AND “THROATS”?

Well, it is the same STONE that people are said to be killed with. THE LAW OF MAN. THE LIES OF MAN. THE RELIGION OF MAN. This is the STONE that kept the TRUTH hidden from our hearts and minds.

Deuteronomy 27:8
And thou shalt write upon the STONES all the words of this LAW very plainly.

So, on the 1st day… the day when the TRUTH is finally revealed. (Christ rises from the dead) — which is speaking of our awakening into truth… That WE are CHRIST truly … Well, even though all of this is happening today, as told in the story with Mary arriving at the tomb early, we find mankind is still in darkness, ignorant of the truth, the TOMB (identity) that had kept the DEAD BODY — let me write that again… the TOMB that held the DEAD BODY no longer was SEALED BY THE STONE.

And, after finding the STONE had been rolled away… SO TOO, when the STONE is rolled away from our understanding we find, CHRIST is NOT found WITHiN the idea of who we are…

What I mean to say is, the TRUTH is nowhere to be found in who we think we are … The TRUTH we will soon see IS who we are… Period.

We are the BODY PEOPLE! We are the Body of Christ. The scripture’s explain this clearly.

1 Corinthians 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

THE LIES OF MAN, the LAW OF MOSES, which kept the TRUTH buried away within us, has been rolled away… This was done, because THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS ON THE 1ST DAY… The LIGHT = word = truth is RESURRECTED within us again.

Now, after seeing this MARY quickly runs to PETER (upon which I will build my church) … AND THE other disciple WHOM JESUS LOVED.

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

And the ONE JESUS LOVED arrives at the TOMB first.

This is important to note… Because their are two types of disciples on the first day… THOSE THAT DENY THE TRUTH and those THE TRUTH SIMPLY LOVES… note: the one Jesus loves has no name, no fame, and yet the ONE JESUS LOVES ARRIVES at the NOW OPENED TOMB first.

And who is the ONE who JESUS LOVES? … That’s right Lazarus… The ONE Jesus FIRST raised from the dead. Lazarus is a picture of the forerunners, those that were asleep and woke up.

John 11:5
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Those who ARRIVE at the TRUTH before anyone else. Those who kept their EARS close to Jesus’ heart.

John 13:23
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

The DISCIPLES that JESUS LOVES… the TOMB IS OPENED first for them. Their EYES are enlightened first. Those that DENY the TRUTH three times, arrive NEXT. However, ALL arrive on the FIRST DAY… some arrive at this understanding a bit later than the others.

An interesting side note: After talking with my dear friend Larry Leake about my findings he mentioned how Jesus and Lazarus were the ONLY ONES whose lives were in jeopardy. The religious lost wanted both Jesus (The Word of TRUTH) and Lazarus (Those who are raised with it) to be put to death… It is also interesting to note, that those who wanted more, also ONLY came to see Jesus (The TRUTH) and Lazarus (Those raised with it)

John 12:9
Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.

And I must say, here on the 1st day… WHICH IS ACTUALLY the DAY WE ARE IN… the 1st day NOT THE last, as I have believed in the past and many others declare. We are going to find MANY PEOPLE coming to find the TRUTH and those RAISED BY IT.

And so, there are two types of disciples indeed that come to the EMPTY TOMB. Both of great importance. Both with the revelation that something is going on within us all.

The disciples that do not deny the truth simply get to this revelation first. And those that ARRIVE at the TRUTH first, well, the very first thing they do is to STOOP DOWN… and this is important. Because the ONE WHO JESUS LOVED who arrived at the TOMB first HAD TO STOOP DOWN to then LOOK IN. Sort of like saying, a person must first HUMBLE themselves before knowing a thing. If a person believes they know it all, they cannot know a thing. The One who Jesus loves STOOPS DOWN first to look in, as we must also be humbled to look within NOW THAT the STONE HAS BEEN REMOVED.

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

Ironically, the word STOOP doesn’t mean DUCK.. it actually means to “BOW ONE’S HEAD” and “INSPECT CURIOUSLY AND SINCERELY”.

One must first humble oneself to be able to diligently LOOK WITHIN.

Now, I want to point out that the ONE WHO JESUS LOVED, the ONE THE TRUTH RESURRECTS FIRST, the FIRST FRUITS, after humbling themselves and LOOKING within… they do NOT GO WITHIN. Because, they SAW THE LINEN CLOTHES LYING!

If the SEPLUCHRE is our throat, if the TOMB is the way we think and the way we speak in our ignorance, what would the LINEN clothes be? Is it not ironic, that within the “THROAT” of Carnal Man we find LINENS (false beliefs) LYING? – which is why the ONE THE TRUTH RAISES does NOT GO WITHIN the TOMB at first.

And what are the LINEN CLOTHES symbolic of? The lies of mankind that we covered ourselves with because we felt naked (ashamed)

Exodus 28:42
And thou shalt make them LINENS clothes to COVER their NAKEDNESS

In Genesis we see them covering themselves with fig leaves and we easily see the symbolism there. Well, the same thing is happening here. LINEN, you will find, is the perfect material for the garment of death (ignorance).

Ironically, the “MAN clothed in LINEN”, is a big character in scripture, and very obviously an allegory of US. While, linen is very obviously symbolic of the LIES (BELIEFS) we clothe ourselves with to cover up our fear and shame.

DEAD BODIES almost always clothed in such a way. “To be carnally minded is DEATH”.

So, broaden your belief for a moment… LAZARUS, the ONE who Jesus Loved, the ONE who the TRUTH resurrected, the ONE who comes to the OPENED TOMB first is symbolic of people like you and me… Those who arrive first, who submit themselves and humble themselves (stoop down) to look within. And what is it that WE and the ONE THAT JESUS LOVES in scripture are LOOKING WITHIN? …. That is right, THE TOMB!

Notice, you will not find the TRUTH in the TOMB… No, it is WITHIN US… the ONES THE TRUTH RESURRECTED… There is NO TRUTH in the TOMB (throats of mankind) all that is found there are DISCARDED LINENS and NAPKIN. This all will start to make sense I promise you.

So, the ONE JESUS LOVES, who arrives at the tomb first, look withing the TOMB, which we now know is the THROAT, A SYMBOL of where OUR WORDS COME FROM… And he SAW THE LINEN LYING…

5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.

We now know the LINEN is symbolic of the BELIEFS people have covered themselves with. Note also in scripture, those clothed in LINEN are those DEAD, DYING and yes, the rich man who ultimately is tormented. LINEN = the false beliefs of religion and mankind.

And those who come to the knowledge of the truth first, look within the throats, mouths, and hearts of man as well, and ALL they see is the LINEN LYING.

You can’t find the LIVING among the DEAD — until LIFE enters the DEAD.

Today, I look around and see so, so many speaking from what they have been told as truth, and those beliefs LIE! And it took me awhile to ENTER THAT TOMB too… The first to the TOMB is also the LAST to enter in. There is a great revelation in that for those with eyes to see.

So, since all that was found was LINEN LYING, the ONE WHOM JESUS LOVED did NOT ENTER the TOMB.

Lazarus was already RAISED from that DEATH. He was already asleep and wrapped in lies. And what was the first thing that JESUS DEMANDED be taken off of LAZARUS when he awoke?

THAT’S RIGHT… THE GRAVE CLOTHES!

The LIES I myself have believed were taken away, and I myself have also LEFT MY LINEN CLOTHES in the GARDEN AND FLED NAKED AND UNASHAMED.

Mark 14:52
And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

And so now, it is SIMON PETER’S TURN… which is why I am sharing this very powerful article with the world, because I know this insight is more then my own. What I mean to say is, for over a week I labored to understand this parable and could not find anything to share with those who had asked… and NOW TODAY… WHAMO! Like lightning from heaven, IT ALL FALLS INTO PLACE… and, I know it true.

This is not the work of my hands alone… And so now, symbolically it is SIMON PETERS turn… to SEE what “Lazarus” saw first. And by Lazarus I mean those that come to the empty tomb first… SIMON PETER also sees the LIES and FALSE beliefs within the IDENTITY or the THROAT of man. Now that the stone is rolled away it is easy. And that is what many DISCIPLES today are finding. They have arrived at the TOMB and realized there was NO TRUTH in it at all… Only the garments that cover it’s dead body, and kept true knowledge from us.

Within the INTELLECT of CARNAL MAN (tomb) we, like the ONE JESUS LOVES and SIMON PETER see nothing but the LIES of “LINEN” (false beliefs)

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,

Notice, HOW SIMON PETER… the ONE who DENIES THE TRUTH… The one who BETRAYS THE TRUTH… DOES walk into the tomb however. Without stooping, mind you. Now at first when I sat to write this I saw this as a bad thing. But after pondering it, I realized YOU HAVE TO GO WITHIN the TOMB to REALLY know that YOU CANNOT FIND THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD… and more importantly… that the LIVING WILL RISE FROM THE DEAD.

Many of my dear friends, are SIMON Peter, if you will… and they are still to arrive at the tomb, but they will and when they do… They too, will see that within the Intellect of man is NO GOOD THING. And then together, we both will come to the revelation of the truth.

I hope those SIMON PETERS of the world also will find that LINEN LYING… And most importantly, that the NAPKIN that was used to cover the FACE is wrapped together in a place by itself.

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Let me explain, The FACE is THE WISDOM OF ALL… In scripture to know someone face to face, was to intimately know them. It is easy to find the LINEN lying… but in a place all by itself, not only will you find that the lies have been taken away, you will find the “napkin” which was not FOUND LYING with the LINEN, wrapped together IN A PLACE BY ITSELF has ALSO BEEN REMOVED…

When the STONE is removed, on the 1st day of the week, early in the morning MARY (OUR ONCE REBELLIOUS SOUL) leads us to the discovery that the STONE is rolled away, and where we believed THE LORD WAS… THE LORD WASN’T. This at first is a sad thing… UNTIL the LORD OF LIGHT AND TRUTH is REVEALED WITHIN OUR TRUE HEART AND RISES WITHIN US AND BECOMES US…

For in point of fact, we were the ones that died, and we are the ones that RISE AGAIN. But to have this revelation, the stone needs to be rolled away, we need to GO WITHIN, to HUMBLE OURSELVES (STOOP) and see the LIES that have been stuck in our throats for too long. When we do this, we also know that THE DAY OF THE LORD IS FINALLY HERE. Because now that the STONE is rolled away, WE CAN BELIEVE!

This is the 1st day, it is the day of TRUTH… WE CAN KNOW GOD FACE TO FACE… which also means, we can know our TRUE SELVES.

8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he SAW, and BELIEVED.

ONCE YOU (see) UNDERSTAND all of this… YOU BELIEVE!

But until this day, you did not TRULY BELIEVE, neither did you truly enter in…

But I say unto you, the STONE has been rolled away… the beliefs (linen) found lying that once covered us in death are CAST OFF… the Napkin keeping the wisdom of all from our sight wrapped together in a place by itself.

9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.

… because you did not know the scripture, that THE TRUTH MUST BE RISEN… AGAIN… AGAIN… AGAIN… AGAIN from the DEAD (CARNAL MANKIND). So now

And if JESUS RISE AGAIN… that means he has RISEN BEFORE… WHICH also means “he” has DIED before.

Now see if you can catch this?

“THE SAME… WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH THE WORD.” This ALL has happened before and NOW the TRUTH will RISE AGAIN in US!

THERE IS NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN… around, and around, you go, where you stop nobody knows 😉

This has happened before and NOW people will believe that the TRUTH MUST RISE AGAIN… FROM THE “DEAD”.

And I have been telling you for years who the DEAD are that the TRUTH (CHRIST) rises from… US!

He that ascends is also he that first descends… He who rises is first he who falls.

And NOW, even though it is still dark early in the morning of the 1st day of our CREATION it is time for us all to RISE AGAIN!

And NOW, the saying becomes clear… You CANNOT FIND THE LIVING among the DEAD.

THE DOORS to where the disciples could be found were shut…. then the same day, being the 1st day of the week, when the DOORS WERE SHUT – the TRUTH STOOD AGAIN… saying…. PEACE BE UNTO YOU!

19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Think it no coincidence that I change my Facebook Title Page to a picture of my wife and I resting on a cot, with the words BE AT PEACE written above us all… For today is the day, LAZARUS IS COMFORTED… Today, is the day, when the LIGHT WILL FINALLY SHINE… and everyone, everywhere, will say… “It is good!”

20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

The TRUTH showed the disciples that THEY IN FACT were the HANDS AND SIDE… Hands (power and authority) – Side (womb)

1 Corinthians 12:15
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?

THE HAND OF GOD are the DISCIPLES OF TRUTH to whom the TOMB has been opened, and to whom the STONE has been rolled away, linen lying left behind, and the ability to know God face to face… as it was before, as it will be again.

And finally the most important revelation of all… Not to simply be able to say, “If you have seen ME, you have seen Jesus”, but to KNOW IT WITH ALL YOUR HEART. “as he is in the world, so are we”

Now read this last line very carefully…

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

The Father SENT JESUS into the world to SAVE PEOPLE as GOD’S SON… and then God’s son revealed this to HIS DISCIPLES and they were sent into the world the same way… and so on and so on… all the way down to me.

“The same was in the beginning with God” – “There is nothing new under the sun”

And so, I say unto you… AGAIN… Be at peace… and I have been INSPIRED TO SHARE this with you, so too I pray to inspire you to do the same. For we are all one and the TOMB IS OPEN, the VEIL and STONE TAKEN AWAY, so help the ONES JESUS LOVES to take off those grave clothes… Because the DAY OF THE LORD IS HERE.

It is not the LAST DAY, as Martha had thought… but it is TODAY and we should be glad in it.

Jacob Israel
(Please do share with as many people as possible, subscribe, comment, and let us together help others to enter in and BELIEVE!)