©
Provided by CBS Interactive Inc. A priest wipes the Crown of Thorns,
a relic of the passion of Christ, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,
April 14, 2017.
Today,
reply is on the keeping of sacred relics among Christian believers.
Many are presently offering their prayers in response to the massive
fire that raged on April 15, 2019 through areas of the Notre Dame
Cathedral in Paris, France. There is great concern for the
irreplaceable art treasures, stained glass windows, and sacred relics
maintained there. The first house erected on the earth as a dwelling
place for the divine presence was a tabernacle featuring panels of
cloth and boards of cedar wood. In addition to daily offerings and
sacrifices of blood being made there, sanctified objects that compare
to relics were gathered. The Ark of the Covenant was found within
the tabernacle that was a storage chest to preserve and transport
selected sacred objects commanded to be kept by divinity as
memorials. These items were to be maintained within the ark beneath
the platform where the Shekinah presence of GOD appeared (we say,
between the cherubim; the Bema Seat; the Mercy Seat; the throne of
judgment). The ark held two tables of stone displaying the covenant
law that first had been written by the finger of GOD, and later was
proclaimed by the voice of GOD to those assembled at Horeb; a pot of
the manna that fell daily and not on the Sabbath for 40 years during
the wanderings of Israel; and the almond rod of Aaron that GOD made
to bud and blossom overnight to indicate the family and tribe whose
inheritance would be the priesthood of Israel. One of the fighters
in the “Yahoo! Answers” public forum on Religion and Spirituality
who uses the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information shown) posted
the following:
Why
would Catholics store what they claim to be Jesus' crown of thorns in
a wooden building?
The
Notre Dame cathedral was built mostly of wood.
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the
covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the
golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s
rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; (Hebrews 9: 4,
King James Version, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: The Virginity of Mary (01/14/2019); Attend Chapel or
Church? (02/04/2018); The Pattern To Follow? (01/19/2018); Flesh As
Divine Vessels? (01/14/2018); Worship and the Cross (11/27/2017);
Spirit, Spirit Beings, Spirit Persons? (10/13/2015); About Praying to
Mary (08/21/2015); Ark of the Covenant? (03/17/2015)
“Anonymous”,
among the faithful, houses of worship (tabernacles, temples,
cathedrals) are to be fashioned after the pattern of things in
heaven. In the same way Christians rely on GOD for the keeping of
the physical body (often called, a house), the cleansing and keeping
of buildings and places for assembly by the people of GOD rely on
continuous operations by divinity. In addition to copper, gold and
silver, the architectural materials for the first sanctuary prepared
on the earth at the time of Moses featured the use of cedar wood.
The sacred discipline of acknowledging and preserving relics is in
harmony with maintaining observances, memorials, and sacred practices
as an inheritance for the children of GOD upon the earth. Mature
believers in divinity seek to capture and repeat the authentic
proclamations, promises, divine utterances, and testimonies they
receive as benefit and privilege from GOD, and that they are
challenged to share by unselfishly ministering to others.
While
relics are accounted as objects that have been set apart for divine
use (we say, made anointed, consecrated, holy, sanctified), and are
preserved following sacred events that may include miracles, relics
are not believed to embody life essence (i.e., breath; spirit;
word) from the makeup of GOD that appears within all the living.
Relics are not idols; yet, may be displayed using ceremonies, customs
and traditions. Only sinners who return to GOD through rebirth and
repentance will contain the inseparable aspects of divine fullness
that join mankind to divinity in ongoing relationship. Included are
faith, holiness, lovingkindness, oneness without sameness,
personhood, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Relics are lifeless
objects having no independent ability, or sovereign will that allows
communication, exchange, or their own continued existence among the
living.
Mankind’s
continued use and keeping of relics may be understood as another
demonstration of faith that the proclamations, promises, prophecies,
and eternal purposes of GOD concerning mankind’s
salvation and eternal life will be fulfilled. Value for the
Scripture record is affirmed and acknowledged, and the holy writings
are endorsed as a genuine revelation of divine authority, grace,
integrity, and righteousness. The hope (i.e., what believers are
commanded by divinity to expect) regarding their benefits, gifts, and
provisions from GOD emerges through the fresh endowment of spirit
substance each believer receives from the makeup of GOD. For
overcoming mortality, sin, and the second death, such finite
human tools as determination (we say, a made-up-mind; willpower),
carnal reason, logic, philosophy, science, technology and worldly
wisdom are secondary to godly commitment, discernment, sacred
knowledge, and holy vision. Consider again the following that
uses language from the Bible:
1.
Numbers 17: 6-10, King James Version (KJV): 6 And Moses spake unto
the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod
apiece, for each prince one, according to their fathers’
houses, even twelve rods: and the rod of Aaron was
among their rods. 7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD
in the tabernacle of witness. 8 And it came to pass, that on the
morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the
rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth
buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds. 9 And Moses brought
out all the rods from before the LORD unto all
the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
10 And the LORD said unto Moses, Bring Aaron’s
rod again before the testimony, to be kept for a token against the
rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that
they die not.
2.
2nd Corinthians 5: 1-10, KJV: 1 For we know that if our
earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a
building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed
upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being
clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this
tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be
unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of
life. 5 Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is
God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. 6
Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are
at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by
faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing
rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be
accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or
bad.
3.
1st Corinthians 3: 11-17, KJV: 11 For other foundation
can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if
any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones,
wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because
it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s
work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s
work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be
burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so
as by fire. 16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple
of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which
temple ye are.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, 4. Hebrews 9: 11-15, KJV: 11 But
Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but
by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having
obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of
bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the
unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of
the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the
transgressions that were under the first testament, they which
are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.) Even
so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according
to your faith.
AN
AFTERTHOUGHT: The acceptance of relics is very much a matter of ones
faith, rather than doctrine, liturgy, and the practice of sacraments.
Due to ignorance, incomplete knowledge of the occult, fascination
with the supernatural, and superstition among developing believers,
relics often are taken to be keepsakes or souvenirs from sacred
events and miracles; objects that allow a person to have control,
influence and power over the minds and conduct of others; items that
ensure good fortune, luck and prosperity; and even, devices said to
have magical properties. The holy writings do contain accounts that
appear to describe the workings believed possible for a relic.
Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible: 2nd
Kings 13: 20-21, King James Version (KJV): 20 And Elisha died, and
they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at
the coming in of the year. 21 And it came to pass, as they were
burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of
men;
and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man
was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood
up on his feet. Also, it is written: Acts 19: 11-12, KJV: 11 And
God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from
his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the
diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
In the church, relics are instruments of prophecy (comfort,
edification, exhortation), and are associated with healing, miracles,
and resurrection.
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THE
BLACK PHOENIX
Washington,
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