High Stakes (17 page)

One of the controversies that has always surrounded Christ is whether or not he was in actuality Divine. Some believe he was a myth put forth by Christians and Jews and they cite the fact that there are no historical references to Jesus other than in Christian writings. They say that none of the major historians of the time mention anything about the existence of a man known as Jesus Christ, and in actuality this is true. You would think that great historians of the time like Josephus would have mentioned him in their writings, but the truth is that they did not, and it is still a puzzle to many scholars and historians today. Francine says that one reason for this is that Christ's public life was confined to such a small area, and although he drew large crowds of Jews, many did not accept him as a Messiah or the Christ because they were solidly indoctrinated into the Judaic faith that was highly influenced by the Sanhedrin. If indeed Christ had been wholeheartedly accepted by the Judaic people, there would be no Judaic religion today. The Judaic religion had a long history even in Christ's time, and the strength of Judaic tradition and faith overrode the new teachings of Jesus among the vast majority of the people. Yes, Christ had his converts and followers, but most of them still remained loyal to the Judaic faith and became Jewish Christians. You must also remember that during Christ's public life, no semblance or structure of a church or religion had yet formed. The gospels also highly exaggerated his influence on the majority of the followers of the Judaic faith, and were instead used to convert followers of other religions; which is why Jesus sent his disciples to other lands to preach his words.

Many of the Jewish Christians and eventual Gnostics also didn't necessarily believe in his divinity because they knew he survived his crucifixion, did not die and was not resurrected. Most believed he was a great prophet and teacher who carried a message from God and who was human like the rest of them. One of the primary figures of the early Jewish Christian church in Jerusalem was Christ's brother James, who certainly didn't believe in his divinity but certainly did believe that Jesus was a great prophet and messenger with divine teachings for all. Paul and some of Christ's disciples were the ones who really emphasized the divinity of Christ. They initially, by word of mouth, put forth stories of his miracles and teachings in sermons to anyone who would listen. It was not until several de cades later that they started to put these stories in writing, and they were definitely slanted from the actual truth to help propagate their new religion that would be called Christianity. As with all religions, they tended to overexaggerate the deeds of their heroes or founders to make a favorable impression that their religion was greater than any other.

In the book
The Templar Revelation—Secret Guardians of the True Identity of Christ,
by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, the authors point out an example of how the Gnostics felt about Christ. They write about a doctor whose name was Bernard Raymond Fabré-Palaprat, who allegedly got his authority from what is known as the “Larmenius Charter.” Johannes Marcus Larmenius claimed to have written this charter in 1324. He was appointed to be the grand master of the Knights Templar by the supposed last grand master, Jacques de Molay, before he was burned at the stake in 1314 by the Catholic Church and the king of France, who were trying to destroy the Knights Templar. This charter supposedly outlines the continuation of the Order of Knights Templar by containing the signatures of all the subsequent grand masters of the Knights Templar, of which Fabré-Palaprat was now grand master. Fabré-Palaprat also possessed another document of significance called the
Levitikon,
which was a version of John's gospel that had blatant Gnostic overtones and had supposedly been written in the eleventh century. He used the
Levitikon
as the basis for founding the Johannite Church (original Christians) in Paris in 1828, and it certainly had Neo-Templar philosophies.

The
Levitikon
has two parts in its makeup. The first part has religious doctrines that are taught, which include the nine grades of the Templar Order. The second part has much more controversy, as it contains the Gospel of John as it is mainly put forth in the New Testament but omits several significant portions and adds some very contentious writings to it. All of the miracles of Jesus are eliminated, as are certain references to Peter, including the story where Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” The last two chapters of the original Gospel of John are also eliminated, which refer to his resurrection. In addition, any writing that puts forth that Christ was an initiate of the mysteries of Osiris, the major Egyptian god of his day, and that he had passed on these mysteries and esoteric teachings and knowledge to his disciple John “the Beloved” were included. It also says that Paul and some other Apostles founded the Christian Church, but they did so without any knowledge of Christ's “true” teaching. According to Fabré-Palaprat, these
secret
teachings that were given to John the Beloved had great influence on the beliefs of the Knights Templar. It also fits in with what my guide Francine says about Jesus learning the “ancient mysteries” in Egypt just before he went into his public life.

What has always been amazing to me is the fact that we have the writings of Christianity on the one hand and, on the other, the equally massive collection of writings from Gnostics and Jewish Christians that, in so many cases, are directly in contradiction. In researching all of these religious writings we can become so confused at the interpretations, discrepancies, omissions, contradictions and blatant falsehoods that it leaves us with our head spinning in wondering who is telling the truth. It really boils down to the premise that if “truth” has been put forth by Christianity, why are there so many adherents of Jesus Christ who have writings against the “truths” of Christianity? If the opponents of Christianity's “truth” were other religions, you could understand their opposition, but other religions don't attack Christianity near as much as the so-called “heretical” sects made up of fellow believers in Christ. A multitude of Christian secret societies throughout history have sprung up, claiming that they have secret knowledge of the real truth about Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene and Christ's life. Some of these societies became so popular or powerful that the Catholic Church literally tried to suppress them through annihilation in which thousands died.

Why did so many fellow Christians rebel against the teachings and dogma of the early Catholic Church? Could it be that they were based on lies about his death and resurrection and the omission of his true relationship with Mary Magdalene? If truth is put out, you might have a few detractors; but truth is truth and you wouldn't have thousands of fellow Christians fighting those “truths” if they were all really true. There is definitely something fishy going on or, as others like to say, there is something rotten in Denmark.

I have tried to give you the truth as I know it to be. Again, whether you believe what I say or not, we all have to go back not just to the core of faith, because that can be shaken with historical fact…but to our real core knowledge that Christ was here on this world and walked among us. Jesus' message was simple. It became complicated because of religion and humankind's need to modify his teachings, change them and omit them for their own agendas of a political and moneymaking nature. Scholars don't know who wrote the four canonical gospels, but it is certainly safe to say that the early Church edited them highly and that they eliminated many other gospels and books that are now contained in what we know as the Apocrypha. These omitted texts held great truths that were kept out of the public eye for centuries. Many of Christ's teachings were edited, such as those on reincarnation and the true nature of God. Many of the facts of Christ's life were omitted or completely made up and exaggerated. Christianity today can condemn an author such as Dan Brown for writing a book of fiction, but they won't condemn themselves for also writing, in many cases, a fictitious account of Jesus Christ.

So with all of this and still carrying Christ as the Messiah in our hearts and soul, what do we do? It's easy—we go on loving and realizing why he came—and, as I stated, he really survived what humankind tried to do to him. His divinity is real and his resurrection was real—it just happened at his real death, when he was eighty-six or so; just as all of us are resurrected at our deaths. Jesus didn't have to die for our sins, nor did he come to die for our sins…he came to teach us and give us the knowledge of our all-loving Creator.

Do we celebrate Christmas? Literally for God's sake, I hope so; but maybe, just maybe, it will be a Christmas filled with true joy and the real meaning of Christmas. It doesn't matter what month or date we celebrate it or what anyone says about where he was born or even how he was born. The fact is he came into the world, this world of darkness, then and now and all through the difficult times in which humankind has suffered, fought, survived and died in the last two thousand years…and brought a light of hope of the hereafter; and that the true temple of God resides in our soul and our DNA that come from a loving Creator. Easter should also be celebrated with the renewed revival of not only our belief in our Lord but a confirmation of this God-man, who taught love and purpose in our life, and that we are just here to learn and then ascend back home to the Other Side from whence we came.

My Guide told me something so many years ago that I have shared only with my research groups. We know that on the Other Side everyone is happy. But she remembered once that she was listening to a lecture by our Lord, who talks to all of us over there. Francine says during the course of the lecture, he remarked without pain or remorse, but more as a matter of fact, that he had been aware of what would happen after his death; but he had hoped, or at least the human part of him hoped, that humankind would not take his simplistic teachings and turn them into political control and prejudice. He said that, sadly, all everyone seems to remember is a bleeding and bloody figure hanging on a cross…not the good works or the healings or the miracles or the love and forgiveness of an all-loving God. Francine says he added, if there is such a thing that people call rapture, it will be the coming of the knowledge of why he came and why he did suffer.

So I wear a cross in honor of Jesus—not one that has him on it in a state of crucifixion; but one that reminds me of the Jesus who lives on in joy and happiness and always walks with us. I am not special, I am only the reporter, not the editor. Only God is the editor. I have to write again that more than any other book I've written, I felt His hand on mine, and when I faltered, it was as if He said, don't stop now, keep on going. So I did.

This Christmas I'm going to gather my family around me and tell them the true story of this God-man, this great and glorious Mystical Traveler who came to bring light to this dark world. I'm also going to encourage them, and all of us, to not just go out and get into a commercial glut, but maybe exchange one gift that we made or something really special and then go out and give of our time to those who don't have as much. Maybe then Jesus wouldn't have lived and eventually died in vain and his words will take root and bloom instead of falling on the barren rocks of our ignorance.

With so many perspectives on the Bible, I find it important to honor more than one interpretation.
The Mystical Life of Jesus
cites the Bible using translations from the King James and Douay-Rheims versions.

Sylvia Browne
is the #1
New York Times
best-selling author of
Insight; Phenomenon; Prophecy; Visits From the Afterlife; The Other Side and Back; Life on the Other Side; Sylvia Browne's Book of Dreams; Past Lives, Future Healing;
and
Adventures of a Psychic.
She has been working as a psychic for over fifty years, and appears regularly on
The Montel Williams Show
. She has also appeared on
Larry King Live
,
Good Morning America
, CNN, and
Entertainment To night
. She lives in California. Visit her web site at
www.sylvia.org
.