THE NEW-AGE CHRIST?

Recently, a contest was held by the Roman Catholic Church where artists were commissioned to paint an image of Jesus Christ, to be a sort of "Jesus poster child" for the new millennium. The image, by the artist's own admission is a politically correct rendition of what the artist thinks will issue in a new multicultural Christ.

The painting although very aesthetic for the liberal and New Age gang really has several flaws that need to be addressed. There is also some anti-Christian symbolism that also needs to be addressed.

Before I begin, I want it understood that the purpose of my doing this page is to shed light on inaccuracies. This world and its New Age have gone to great lengths to discredit Christianity and to change the religion to its accepted norms. They have revised American culture and American history and are now attempting to revise the Christian Religion, and sadly, they are doing it with the help of the Roman Catholic church and the watered down mainline Protestant Churches.

For years the description of Jesus varied by where the artist came from. Artist from Northern Europe painted Jesus with blondish hair, blue eyes and almost cream colored skin. That is mostly because those are the attributes of many Northern European people.

The Biblical description of Jesus:

He was a very plain looking man:

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." Isaiah 53:2

God has given us the genealogy of Jesus' mother and step-father and both descended back to Abraham. Needless to say that Jesus had a deep olive complexion dark hair and a beard. See the genealogies in Matthew and Luke.

His hands were probably well worn from hard work as a carpenter, which was his step-father's trade.

Because he was probably a Nazarite (a person who is set aside for God's service) he probably had long hair and a long beard because Nazarites were not allowed to cut their hair or shave.

Description of Jesus after the Resurrection:

He has wound marks on his head from the crown of thorns. Mark 15:17

He has holes in his wrists and feet from the crucifixion. John 20:26-28

He has a wound in his side from the spear. John 19:34

He has stripes across his back from the flagrum whipping. John 19:1

Jesus Looked Middle Eastern:

Jesus was Jewish. Jewish people, especially the ones that remained in the Middle East or other Arab lands all have the characteristics of their Arab cousins. Yes, they are cousins and the genealogies found in the Bible prove that point. There is no indication given in the Bible genealogies that any ancestor of Jesus begat children from other races around the world. One could argue that Solomon had relations with the Queen of Sheba, and that she was an Ethiopian, but history also records that she returned to Ethiopia.

Jesus had an olive complexion. Whether it was a light olive or dark olive is left to be seen when he returns. Seeing that many Jewish people have blue eyes, it is possible that Jesus did too, but brown is a possibility. He had dark hair as is the Middle Eastern design and a beard, possibly on the long side. As prophesied in Isaiah, he was not one that the ladies ran after because of good looks. Because he probably did carpentry work for maybe 15 or more years, his skin was probably worn by the sun, wind and rain. His hands were most likely cracked and gnarled from hard work. Because the average life expectancy was much shorter at that time, he probably had some gray in his hair and beard.

The description above is a far cry from what many people have imagined Jesus of Nazareth to look like. For many people like myself, who hail from European ancestry, Jesus was someone who had semi-blond hair, blue eyes and looked liked he stepped out of Northern European aristocracy. If you have ever seen the Cecil B. Demille remake of King of Kings, you know the look. Even looking at the famous picture of the Last Supper, Jesus looks like he lived in Northern Italy with a very European look. Sadly, the only one who looks Jewish in that painting is Judas, which proves to me that anti-Semitic roots run very deep and are very old.

For those of African descent, Jesus takes on an African look and features, much like the painting that is at the top of this document. While I have never met a person from Asia who grew up believing in Jesus, I can only imagine that Jesus for that person would take on Asian characteristics. The truth is though, no matter what our concept of what Jesus looked like, we have to remember that he is Jewish, therefore he had Jewish features.

What will Jesus look like when He returns:

As mentioned earlier, Jesus has some battle wounds that he will retain for eternity; scars from the crown of thorns, stripes on his back from his flogging, a hole in his left side from when the soldier speared him and of course the wounds in his wrists and feet from the crucifixion. These will ever be a reminder to mankind of the price that He paid for us.

In the Book of Revelation we get to see more of what the risen and glorified Christ looks like.

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

Politics and political correctness have wormed their way into Christianity once again. I watched the interview of the woman who painted the picture at the top of the document. She said that she painted the painting the way that she did because of multiculturalism. She said that western society, specifically American society is changing and that a Christ that looks African in appearance could be more identified by people of color.

Now, I agree that the picture that European and American culture has painted of Jesus is biased and could look downright racist to some. As I mentioned above, I hail from European ancestry, but since my rebirth, I haven't been able to identify with a very white Jesus. I grew up with many Jewish people and always thought that Jesus should take on Middle Eastern looks. To this day, I have not hanged a picture of Jesus on my wall because I can't find one that looks like what I think Jesus would have looked like.

I think though that what really hurts Jesus is when people use him, or their conception of His looks like to make a racial statement. Jesus never looked at color. He saw people as either Jew or Gentile, and although he came primarily to preach to the Jewish people, his ultimate goal was to die for all men and to save the ones who would accept his sacrifice, would repent and would ask him to live inside them. He never meant for his color to be a dividing line, but he did mean for his love to be a binding force.

Every Christian who is reading this should know that when they were born again they became a new creature. We became sons and daughters of Almighty God. No longer is there black, white, brown, red, yellow or any other color. We are Christians, nothing more, nothing less and we should be happy in that fact. Now, there are only two separations, those being saved and unsaved. We are supposed to be a shining example of what God is and we should be making the world jealous about our relationship with our Father. Instead, we have let Satan get into the camp and create differences in color, differences in social status and differences in attitude. It's so stupid and we fall for it every time.

So, What Symbolism Is In The Picture?:

We have already seen how the multicultural Jesus, and the European of Jesus has really only served to divide races rather than unite them, which is really stupid because Jesus was neither Black or White; he is Jewish!

What else in the picture is out of place? There are two other symbols that many people might not recognize that convey a message. The first symbol is to the left of the person in the image. It is a circle that is divided in two by a line that creates the same shape on both sides. This symbol is called Yin and Yang. The second symbol, on the right side of the person in the image is a feather. So, what do these symbols have to do with Christianity and Jesus? The answer is absolutely "nothing!"

Yin and Yang:

Yin and Yang is a symbol that is used by religions of Asia and also by the New Age movement. Yin and Yang is used to symbolize a dualism in all of the universe. Basically, it denotes good versus bad. In the human condition, it illustrates that everyone has equal parts of good and bad in them and that the two parts cancel out sin. In mathematical terms -1 + 1 equal zero. Now, you might ask why I have a hard time with this symbol being on a picture of Jesus? The answer is this. It is an occult symbol. If a person is equally good and bad then there is no need for a savior. If there is no need for a savior, then Jesus is null and void. There would be no need for his shed blood as a sacrifice for our sin if we had no sin. A symbol like that in the picture is saying that Jesus was just another enlightened person, one of many and all of equal importance. The Catholic church should be ashamed of itself for accepting such rubbish and paying good money for it.

The Feather:

So, now you're saying, "what does this guy have against feathers for goodness sake?" Feather in themselves are no concern to me. But, when they are included in a picture of a supposed Jesus, and one that has a Yin and Yang on it, I have to ask questions and do research. The New Age Movement, which is the religion that is trying to meld Christianity into it's likeness uses the feather to symbolize duality in earthly things as well as in spiritual things. Many New Age adherents really get into Native American religious customs as well as Ancient Egyptian customs.

In the ancient Egyptian religion the feather had a great deal of meaning. According to their beliefs, the feather was found in the afterlife in what is referred to the "feather test." In that test, a person's heart was weighed against the weight of a feather. If a person's heart weighed the same as the feather the person was esteemed highly in the afterlife and lived in bliss. If a person's heart weighed more than the feather, that person was cast into places that were not so pleasant. Below is a dictionary explanation:

Ma'at (G/R Mayet) - "Truth" Both the concept and the Name of Netjer associated with truth, justice, order, and "that which is right." Kemetic society hinged completely upon the furtherance of Ma'at, Who was considered to be the first emanation of Tem/Ra, and depicted as a woman with wings or alternately a woman with Her symbol, a single white ostrich feather, bound to Her head. Ma'at in antiquity was patroness of judges, magistrates and all court officials; the phrase "priest of Ma'at" in inscriptions can be understood as a euphemism for "judge." Ma'at's feather symbol is weighed against the heart of the deceased in the Hall of Judgment after death, a place which is also known as the Hall of Ma'ati, or Double Truth ("double" in Kemetic implying something more serious or intense than a "single" something, much as we use the terms "extra" or "advanced" or in the English language).

The Feather In Native American Religion:

The feather of the Eagle means a lot to Native American culture. Read below the story of the Eagle feather:

In the beginning, the Great Spirit above gave to the animals and birds wisdom and knowledge and the power to talk to men. He sent the creation to tell man that he showed himself through them. They would teach a chosen man sacred songs and dance, as well as, much ritual and lore.

The creature most loved by the Great Spirit was the eagle, for he tells the story of life. The eagle, as you know, has only two eggs; and all living things in the world are divided into two. He is man and woman, male and female and this is true with animals, birds, trees, flowers, and so on. All things have children of two kinds so that life may continue. Man has two eyes, two hands, two feet, he has body and soul, substance and shadow.

Through his eyes he sees pleasant and unpleasant scenes, through his nostrils he smells good and bad odors, with his ears he hears joyful new and words that make him sad. His mind is divided between good and evil. His right hand he may often use for evil, such as war or striking a person in anger. But his left hand which is near his heart, is always full of kindness. His right foot may lead him in the wrong path, but his left foot always leads him the right way, and so it goes; he has daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death.

In order to remember the lesson of life, look to the great eagle, the favorite bird of the Great Spirit. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, part light and part dark. This represents daylight and darkness, summer and winter, peace and war, and life and death. So that you may remember what I have told you, look; well on the eagle, for his feathers, too, tell the story of life.

Look at the feathers I wear upon my hand. The one on the right is large and perfect and is decorated; this represents man. The one on my left is small and plain, this represents woman. The eagle feather is divided into two parts, dark and white. This represents the daylight and darkness, summer and winter. For the white  tells of summer, when all is bright, and the dark represents the dark days of winter.

Again, we can see that the feather symbolizes a duality of everything on Earth, even man. We see that for every bad thing there is a good thing that will cancel it out. The darkness of night is canceled out by the light of day; war is canceled out by peace, etc., etc., etc... In like manner, according to American Native religions, there is no sin because goodness in a person will cancel it out. Again we have -1 + 1 equals zero. No sin, then no need for a redeemer.

Colors Tell A Story:

Colors always tell a story where people are concerned. When in depression people tend to wear dark colors to signify their mood. When in mourning, people tend to wear black because it signifies despair and sadness. Brides wear white to show their purity. Infants are dressed in either pink or blue to show all who view them their gender.

Colors are also used to in national symbols to display attributes. Those in advertising will tell you about the importance of colors, and how they use them to catch the eye of consumers. Yes, colors tell us a lot.

For the sake of this article, we will talk about how the colors in the picture of the New Age Christ are used to symbolize the New Age religion. A dear soul named Claudia sent me this information. She's done a great deal of study about the subject and you can go to her page to read about other New Age ideas.

Blue and Aqua Colors:

When you see blue and aqua colors together what do you think of? I immediately think about the beautiful waters that surround the islands of the Caribbean Sea. It is some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere on Earth. Unfortunately though, these colors have been adopted by the New Age as their colors. They see our present age as being the "Age of Aquarius," or "The New Age," that is supposed to usher in a new way for mankind.  They believe that right now the astrological sky's planets are positioned in such a way that tells us that the "gods," have determined that it's time to enter into the New Age period. Aquarius is the "water bearer" symbol, thus we have the significance of the New Age blue color. According to them, supposedly at this time in mankind's history, the New Age water bearer, who has stored up all knowledge throughout the ages (especially religious knowledge of all faiths) is now pouring back upon mankind. They've tried to perpetuate this through the ecumenical movement which sees all religions as a path to god and on equal footing. This takes Jesus' statements as being the only way to the Father and negates them. The sole purpose of the New Age movement is to deceive mankind that Jesus Christ was no one very special; just another manifestation of the gods and on equal footing with Buddah, Mohammed and the millions of gods associated with the eastern religions. They see true Christians as their sworn enemy.

The Color Pink:

As you have seen, the picture has a pink background. What is the first thing you think of when you see the color pink? I think of femininity. That is the purpose of the New Age painter of this picture.

The New Age god is a woman; "the goddess," and also called the "mother." That is why when they refer to god, they say, "she." This is also why homo-sexuality is so rampant in the New Age Movement.

While doing some research on Mariology, and it's recurrent rise among Catholics, I found the following script. It was found on a site that promotes worship of "the mother," and is right from their sources, not mine:

She's known by many names: Amaterasu, Inanna, Quan Yin, Diana, Isis, Cybele, Mary. She is the Great Mother, the Magna Mater. She is also Snake, Bee, Cat. She is the Virgin, the Maiden, the Queen of Heaven, the Crone. She is, has been and will always be.

History has attempted to silence her. Fear and hatred has tried to keep her away from her children. But she waited patiently, almost forgotten. Yet her voice lingered in the wind, calling, whispering. Her songs called out to us from the depth of the oceans, and her tears sparkled bright in the midnight skies. And she fought her way back. Back to her children. For the Mother always knows her own and never abandons them. And by whatever name she is called, she is still The Mother.

The worship of the Mother, apparently widespread throughout the planet, can trace (as far as we know) its roots to the Paleolithic Era (c. 35,000-8,000 B.C.) Archaeologists and students of ancient art have analyzed ancient bone and stone sculptures, all depicting the female form. Usually with exaggerated breasts and hips. This is used to symbolize fertility and prosperity.

It is also rather evident that the worship of the Mother, represented in all aspects of fecundity, was not the equal nor subordinate to the male aspect. Usually worshipped as her consort or son. In his 'Cult of the Mother -Goddess', E.O. James writes, 'From Neolithic [c. 5,000-1,5000 B.C.] times onwards, the maternal principle...personified as Mother Goddess, continued to assume the leading role in the cultus, especially in Western Asia, Crete and the Aegean where the male god was subordinate to the Goddess.'...........

Somewhere along the way, we lost track of her. History attempted to replace her. But she is irreplaceable. And now, since the great mystical awakening of the 19th century, has her voice finally been heard. From the "feminist" movement of the 1970's to women's growing awareness of their own strengths and places in the tapestry of life. The Mother moves within our consciousness, stirring and moving us toward her warm and protective embrace.

So not only do the two objects in the picture denote an occultic meaning to the picture of the New Age Christ, but the colors do too. This is no accident and is a deliberate attempt to indoctrinate unsuspecting people into a New Age one world religion.

Conclusion:

It appears that the New Age Movement (religion) has infiltrated the Roman Catholic Church. The Church, in it's Laodicean apostate form has failed, or perhaps just turned its head to the symbolism that is painted onto the canvas that it has so willingly accepted.

Catholics should be outraged at the painting and its symbols. Through its acceptance of the painting, The Roman Catholic Church has admitted that it accepts into its great list of worldly icons, two symbols that belong to eastern religions and are used by those religions to symbolize human duality, indicating no need for redemption or a savior.

It is my hope that many Catholics will think on these things and then act on the words that God gives us in Revelation 18:4-8:

Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "come out of her my people so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her."

The End