THE SIGN OF JONAH

Illustration of the biblical story of Jonah

SUSPEND YOUR ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS ABOUT JESUS AND JUST EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE. 

In the Gospel of Matthew (12: 38-40) and Luke (11:29-32), the scribes and Pharisees say to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”  

Jesus, Yeshua's response is emphatic: 

"... no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah, because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights."

With those words, Yeshua made a prophetic statement foreshadowing his crucifixion. Yeshua said that "a sign will be given" and that there would be no other sign like it. 

Were these promises fulfilled? Is there "a sign" for anyone who wants to see one? 

The standard theological view is that Jesus was pointing to his forthcoming crucifixion, yet the scribes, Pharisees and even the Apostles saw the crucifixion and they still didn't understand.  Could Jesus have been speaking of the "Linen Clothes" that John and Peter saw when then they got to the tomb?

John 20:4-9 -- Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

What the Apostles John and Peter saw in Jesus's tomb is what is known today as the Shroud of Turin and the Sudarium of Oviedo. John and Peter didn't speak of the empty tomb and they hadn't yet seen Jesus. They spoke of the linen clothes lying in their places. 

Technology has brought the Shroud and Sudarium  together for the first time since they were in the tomb. The knowledge we have today has enabled scientists, even atheists, to believe what John and Peter did not understand -- that Jesus had to, and did, rise from the dead. 

The Shroud of Turin, the "alledged" burial linen clothes of Jesus, is an anatomically accurate image of the story in Gospels. Everything is correct and accurate historically. It is literally a picture of the passion and death of the one claimed to be Yeshua Hamashiach. It makes it very real that he was beaten, scourged and crucified. 

A Perfect Sign

The story is all there. There is not a more perfect sign that could possibly have been given for anyone to see that proves the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus.

For thousands of years the world has had to rely on words written by others. Jesus is quoted, but the words were put down by other men. The story on the Shroud is from Jesus directly. The ink is his original blood. The original actual message testifies of the truth of what is written in the New Testament. 

The Evidence of the Miracle is a Miracle

The images are the result of dehydrative acid oxidation of the linen. The blood is human blood. How the images got on the cloth is a mystery. 

Some one-of-a-kind, inimitable, defying imitation, matchless, unrepeatable, irreplicable, unfathomable form of molecular transport method has transfered the images of the scourged, crucified man to the linen.

There are thousands upon thousands of pieces of funerary linen going back to millennia before Christ, and another huge number of linens of Coptic Christian burials. NOT A SINGLE ONE bears an image remotely like the Shroud of Turin. 

The Shroud bears the images of a man who has had violent damage done to his body, yet whose face is filled with serenity and peace. Even the image of Jesus on the Shroud corresponds to the widely imagined one the world has composed of Jesus without any written description of his appearance. 

The Only Conclusion that Makes Sense

The Shroud is an extraordinary witness to the torture, death and resurrection.  In my opinion, the Shroud is the personal testimony of Yeshua, written through his own personal experience with his own body. I call it his "love letter." 

In my opinion the Shroud is the sign that Yeshua proclaimed he would give.  

What do you think?

Most Of Us Are Jonah

Hashem, Adonai, calls every one of us. Jonah shows us that it is hard to accept, let alone even to understand God's plans. His will be done.

The Lord wants all us to abide by Him, to be obedient and to forgive and love one another, especially those who "do not know the Word." Yet, most of us flee from serving God. Most of us worship idols and listen to our flesh. Most of us are decieved. 

Jonah is a sign and the Shroud is evidence of the love Father God has for us. 

WE ARE TREES

We Are Trees

Jonah

Underground in touch

Reaching up

Always seeking

We share needs

Warnings too

Standing together

If one falls

The others 

Take their friend up

We dress 

Always in style

With one another

Keeping the same 

Company and struggles

Enduring alike

Tall or small

Young or old

We are all

Trees

This poem was inspired by thoughts regarding String Theory (physics). I wrote another poem about trees 5 years ago that was inspired by friends moving to Florida. I was wondering whether to stay here and somehow that turned into a poem called "Like An Old Tree."

THE "GOD PARTICLE"

Higgs Boson (A.K.A. "god particle")

A physicist said their is only one important philosophical question:

"What is it like to live a finite fragile life in an infinite eternal universe?"

The actual reason for the name "the god particle" is very ironic. It may surprise you, because it is most likely NOT what you think. Higgs Boson is God Particle. But Why?

Recently I listened to a couple of interviews with physicists. I found them fascinating. They are Michael Greene and Brian Green (Not related.) They were speaking about a subject that I have heard of, but never looked into, called "String Theory." Here is a link to a purely scientific explanation of "String Theory" by Brian Greene.

Michael Greene (born May 1946) is a renowned Physics Professor in England who is a pioneer of string theory. He is emeritus professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and a Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge. He was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics from 2009 to 2015. The first "Lucasian Professor" who specialized in Physics was Isaac Newton from 1643 to 1727.

Brian Green (born February 1963) is an American physicist known for his research on string theory. He is a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and the chairman of the World Science Festival, which he co-founded in 2008.

String Theory

String theory aims to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, potentially providing a "theory of everything." It incorporates all fundamental forces—gravity, electromagnetism, strong, and weak forces—into a single framework.

String Theory is a model of particle physics that is strongly linked to "the Higgs Boson," also known as the "god particle."  

String theory and the concept of God intersect in philosophical and theological discussions, though they operate in different domains.

String Theory describes how "strings" propagate through space and interact with each other. Strings appear as particles, with their properties determined by the string's vibrational state. 

These "Stringss are also inside of us. They are "sub-atomic."

>Inside Molecules are Atoms.  

> Inside Atoms are Electrons and a Neutrons. 

> Inside Protons and Neutrons are Quarks. According to String Theory:

> Inside Quarks are Strings!

There is no hotter topic in physics than Higgs Boson ("the god particle") and the Higgs Field." Scientists have used the CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in an attempt to find the Higgs boson.  

Higgs boson: The 'God Particle' explained.

String's properties are determined by their vibrational state. Vibration is Frequency! In string theory, the concept is that different vibration frequencies of tiny strings would correspond to different particles, including light, meaning that light is essentially a specific vibrational mode of these strings; so, in a sense, you could say that the vibration frequency of a string in string theory can represent light depending on its specific vibrational pattern.

The frequency, the vibration of light corresponds to it's color.

A "Radical" Theory

If the frequency of a String inside a Quark interacts with other Strings throughout the Universe, the implications are incredible. It is fantastic to me that simple "observation" can alter "reality" or "relationship" between something in one place and something in another place a vast distance apart. I am referring to Quatum physics and principles called the "Observer Effect" and "Quantum Entanglement."

I am intrigued about "Light" for multiple reasons, most significantly because of the biblical connections between Light and Adonai. If there is every going to be a "scientific proof" of God, I believe it will largely incorporate established theories in physics and be highly related to the mathematics/physics of light.

THINK ABOUT THAT...I AM!

In the beginning...

Genesis 1:3-4 -- God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Trees and String Theory

I have "a thing" for trees. The interaction of strings in string theory and the communication of trees in a forest through fungal networks can be loosely likened as both involve intricate, interconnected systems that influence their environments:

String Interactions: Strings interact by splitting, joining, or vibrating in ways that determine particle properties and interactions. These processes are governed by the topology of their "worldsheet" and represent the fundamental building blocks of the universe.

Tree Communication: Trees communicate via underground mycorrhizal networks, sharing nutrients, water, and signals about threats like pests or drought. This "wood-wide web" fosters cooperation and resilience within ecosystems.

Both systems emphasize interconnectedness—strings at a quantum scale and trees at an ecological scale—highlighting how individual components contribute to a larger, unified structure.

Conclusion:

I don't have a "conclusion," per say. I simply have an interest in String Theory as a topic that stimulates my mind and imagination. I think String Theory may someday provide the scientific proof of God that some folks need. As for me, I see the Glory of God in the everyday things.

Epilogue:

How amazing is our planet?

Brian Cox on the multiverse and life on other planets.