Before Delving into Yeshua's Crown
The "Keter" (כֶּתֶר) is a significant concept in Kabbalah. Keter means "crown" in Hebrew. The Keter is the topmost of the ten Sefirot in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, otherwise known as Jacob's Ladder. The Sefirot represent the attributes or emanations of the Devine. The Keter represents the highest and most abstract of the divine emanations in creation. Keter is often associated the first stirring of creation. The Keter represents "Divine Will."
A Crown of Thorns
Luke 24.42 -- saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
In the Garden of Gethsemane, before his crucifixion, Yeshua expressed profound submission to God's will in his prayers. This moment highlights His human struggle against the impending suffering of the crucifixion, revealing His deep anguish yet ultimate obedience to the Father's plan.
That moment also reflects the dual nature of the Messiah in Christianity—His divine will and human will—demonstrating how He fully embraced His mission as the Messiah. Thus, "Not my will, but yours be done" encapsulates the essence of faith, obedience, and the struggle inherent in following God's will.
Luke 22:44 records Yeshua's intense prayer before his arrest. In the face of tremendous personal anguish, great drops of blood fell from his pours* as Yeshua sought to align His human will with divine intent, emphasizing the importance of surrendering to God's greater plan.
* This may describe a rare medical condition called hematidrosis, where extreme stress causes blood vessels around sweat glands to rupture, mixing blood with sweat.
In Kabbalah, before creation, is the Source of Creation from which all other emanations flow is called the Ein Sof. Ein Sof means "without end" or "infinite" in Hebrew. It refers to God in His pure, transcendent essence, beyond any attributes or manifestations. The Ein Sof represents God prior to His self-manifestation in creation. The term emphasizes God's boundlessness and incomprehensibility. Ein Sof is considered to be beyond human understanding or description. It's seen as nameless and formless, transcending even the sacred divine names in scripture.
Genesis 1.1 -- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
In Kabbalah, the Ein Sof is described paradoxically as both the fullness of being and absolute nothingness which became realized through the process of creation and the spiritualization of existence. Kabbalists use the term Ein Sof to discuss God's transcendent nature.
The first emanation of the Ein Sof is the Keter.
The Keter is associated with the highest aspects of divinity. Like the concept of divine glory in Christianity, the Keter in Kabbalah represents aspects of the divine that transcend human understanding.
While Christianity and Kabbalah are distinct religious and mystical systems with separate contexts and traditions, in both Kabbalistic and Christian traditions, divine emanations and glory are often described in terms of light, or spiritual illumination. The contemplation of Keter in Kabbalah and the glory of God in Christianity both relate to mystical experiences of the Divine.
In the New Testament book of Hebrews it says:
Hebrews 12.2 -- "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,"
In terms of mystical concepts or events, the ressurection of Yeshua is as profound any. I am not aware of any actual religious artifact that is better evidence of supernatural light than the image on the Shroud of Turin. The Keter, the Crown of Thorns, that topped Yeshua's head is undoubtedly the brightest location on his image.
The crown appears bright in the image because of the way the Shroud's image was allegedly imprinted at the moment of Yeshua's ressurection. The detailed bloodstains and puncture wounds on the forehead and nape of the neck caused by the crown of thorns are well-documented, but the brightness is more about the image's characteristics than the blood quantity itself. I can't help wondering if there are other associations that can be made between Jacob's Ladder and the image on the Shroud. For example, another very bright area on the Shroud is at Yeshua's feet. On Jacob's Ladder this is the location of the Shekinah.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another."
2 Corinthians 3:18
Epilogue:
Below are other articles on my blog about the Shroud:
This blog post has references to the Shroud:
