The image we've included in this article is one of the most famous of the what is known as the Holy Shroud, also referred to as the Shroud of Turin, and the Shroud of Christ. Supposedly, the body of Jesus Christ was shrouded in it and a print of his face was left on it. In his book, Enigmas del Cristianismo (Enigmas of Christianity), the author, José Gregorio González, informs us that, "The byzantine artists, who recreated Jesus' face did so with a style of their own that appears to have been born from direct observation of the relic that is preserved in Turin." (Translation of the original Spanish)
The Holy Shroud of Turin in Light of the book of Isaiah
Many sindonologists (scientists who study sindonology, which deals with the Holy Shroud of Turin) affirm that there are many compelling reasons to accept the authenticity of the Shroud of Christ.
In Enigmas del Cristianismo (Enigmas of Christianity), we read:
"The shroud is proof that the man in the cloth was crowned with a crown of thorns when he was alive, and that he was crucified with the wrists being pierced through the lower radioulnar joint, as was customary in those types of punishments. Experts have been able to reconstruct the trauma that the man who was wrapped in the shroud endured. They discovered that he was whipped at least 120 times with a typical Roman whip known as the 'flagellum taxillatum', and that he was pierced in his side through the fifth and sixth rib with a spear that went through the right lung. They also discovered, among other things, that his shoulders show that he did not carry a cross, but rather a single piece of wood weighing around 110 pounds, known as the 'patibulum', that was affixed to the vertical beam that formed the cross at the execution site."
Details of the crucifixion were taken from the four gospels, which give us much of the information we have today on the crucifixion of the Son of God. But, there is another book of the Christian Bible many of whose scriptures also give us important information about the crucifixion of Jesus. This is why we need to truly know the word of God before using it to form hypotheses.
The scripture of Isaiah 52:14 reveals something very important about the topic we're discussing. The birth, life, and death of Jesus on the cross at Calvary were foretold in the Old Testament. Sadly, many people, including "experts", either do not know this or do not know how to distinguish what are known as "shadows" of the Savior. They do not take into consideration all of the truths on a topic with which they are dealing before they conjecture. We read, "As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man...."
The face, or visage, that is captured on the Holy Shroud of Turin does not show facial nor bodily disfigurement. Why then would we say that it shows the image of the body of Christ, whose face, according to scripture, was disfigured from the cruel treatment he endured?
Mr. González calls any thing, any saying, phenomenon, apparition, event, or whatever it might be, Christian if it appears to him that it is related to Christianity. Let us be very careful with labeling something as Christian simply because it looks Christian on the surface.
Recommended Reading:
Does The Christian Bible Shed Light On The Reptilian Conspiracy?
Examining The So-Called Conclusive Proof Of Reincarnation - Manna Minutes Podcast