COULD THE TURIN BE REAL?
Could the Turin shroud be the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ? Does it provide concrete proof
that Christ rose from the dead? Does the Bible shed any light on the mystery surrounding the
controversial shroud? Just what are the facts?
Webster defines a shroud as a “burial garment, or something that covers.” The word appears only
once in the King James 1611 Bible (Ezek. 31:3). In this verse it is not referring to a burial
garment, but rather to the shade created by the branches of a tree.
For centuries the Shroud of Turin has been the subject of much debate and no little controversy.
In recent months it has received immense, worldwide publicity. The publicity stems from
permission granted by the Roman Catholic Church allowing prominent scientists to experiment
with the Shroud in an attempt to determine if it is a cunningly devised forgery or an actual burial
garment with a human likeness appearing on it.
The Shroud itself is a piece of cloth 14 feet 3 inches by 3 feet 7 inches.
It is known to have been in the Royal Chapel of the Roman Catholic Turin (Italy) Cathedral since
the 14th century. The Shroud has been kept rolled up in a silver canister stored above an altar and
has been removed for public view only two or three times every century.
The Shroud shows an image of a bearded, long-haired male, who shows evidence of having been
crucified. It should be noted that the image is extremely difficult to detect with the naked eye, but
becomes surprisingly more visible in a photograph.
ARGUMENTS FOR THE SHROUD’S AUTHENTICITY
Many convincing arguments have been given in favor of the Shroud’s authenticity. Let’s briefly
consider several of the strongest, most convincing arguments which seem to indicate the Shroud
did cover the body of Christ.
Like a negative
The light and dark areas on the burial garment are reversed, like a photographic negative. If the
human likeness on the Shroud had been forged, then the question must be asked, “How did the
forger, living centuries ago, know how to reverse the shades, since he never could have seen a
photographic negative?”
Dust from the Dead Sea area
Swiss criminologist Dr. Max Frei, in his 1974 study of the cloth, found dust on its fibers. His
analysis concluded that the dust could very well have come from the Dead Sea area, providing
evidence that the Shroud could have been near Jerusalem where Christ was crucified.
Blood Stains
The image on the Shroud shows heavy blood flow around the top of the head. This has led some
to point out the cruel treatment received by Christ when they placed a crown of thorns on His
head. (Since Jesus had been politically accused of being the King of the Jews, the Romans
mockingly placed a crown of thorns on His head. Matt. 27:29.)
Facial Injuries
The man’s image shows an injury to the right eye. This, too, parallels an injury received by
Christ. We read in Luke 22:64 that “when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the
face…”
Possible Scourging
The image also shows heavy bleeding from the back, possibly from a scourging, and heavy
blood flow from the area of the wrists and feet. (These wounds correspond to similar wounds
inflicted on Christ. Consider Matt. 27:26, 35.)
Created by Immense Energy?
If the Shroud of Turin is to be accepted as genuine, then how did the image appear on the cloth?
It has been theorized that “immense energy generated at the resurrection of Christ could have
produced the markings.”
PROOF THAT THE SHROUD WAS NOT THE LORD’S
Regardless of how convincing the arguments might be in favor of the Shroud belonging to
Christ, there are some important facts which have been overlooked by most. There is clear
PROOF that the Shroud could not be that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, let’s look carefully into the pages of God’s Word and prove that the Shroud of Turin–
although possibly a genuine burial garment–could not be that of Jesus Christ.
Marred Man
The image on the Shroud shows clearly the image of a man who had been slightly marred.
However, the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ was “marred more than any man” (Isaiah 52:14).
The image seen on the Shroud certainly doesn’t look like a man who had been “marred more
than any man.”
Bones
In Psalm 22 we find a prophecy about Christ which teaches that the Messiah would have ALL of
His “bones … out of joint” (Psa. 22:14). The image found on the Shroud is certainly not that of a
man with every bone out of joint.
Wrong Wrapping
The Shroud of Turin required that the one piece garment was draped over the naked body of a
man; covering the front of the body, curving around the top of the head and then draping down
the back. But is this the manner in which the body of Christ was wrapped? According to the
biblical accounts, NO!
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all record the wrapping of Jesus’ body after His horrible death.
They all mention that Joseph, who was of Arimathaea, begged that Pilate might give him the
dead body of the Lord Jesus Christ to bury in his own tomb. The permission was granted; the
body was wrapped in a clean linen cloth and placed in a tomb. BUT WAIT! John’s record
provides some vital truth that the others were not led to include in = their accounts. Carefully
read the entire passage as written by the Apostle John.
“And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,
besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came
therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to
Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then
took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the
Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a
new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the
Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand” (John 19:38-42).
Did you notice that Jesus’ body was wrapped like a mummy, and packed with about a hundred
pounds of spices BEFORE HE WAS PLACED IN THE TOMB?
A careful reading of John 20:1-7 will reveal that Jesus’ head was wrapped separately with a cloth
called “the napkin” in verse 7.
These clear passages alone provide sufficient proof that the Shroud of Turin could not possibly
be that of Christ. We saw that the theory of how the image was made on the garment required
that the image was not made until His resurrection from the dead. That would have been three
days and three nights after His body was wound up. (John 19:40 and Matt. 12:40)
A carefully wrapped body, packed with pounds of spices and then draped with a shroud could not
have made the type of impression seen on the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud shows the image of a
naked man rather than the image of a man wound up in spice-packed cloths.
Long Hair
The Shroud shows the image of a man with long, shoulder-length hair. Regardless of the famous
painting of an artist’s conception of Jesus Christ, the Bible indicates that He did NOT have long
hair.
The Apostle Paul, who saw Jesus Christ, wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “If a man
have long hair, it is a shame unto him” (1 Cor. 11:14). See also see Ezekiel 44:20.
Some may argue that Jesus was a Nazarite and Nazarites were not permitted to cut their hair
(Judges 13:5-7 and Numbers 6); therefore, Christ had long hair. It should be quickly noted here
that Jesus was OF Nazareth, and was therefore a Nazarene. The Scriptures nowhere speak of
Jesus taking the Nazarite vow. If Jesus had taken such a vow, He certainly would have violated it
when He touched the dead body of the daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:54). This was strictly
forbidden for Nazarites in Numbers 6:6.
The individual pictured on the Shroud shows a man with long hair, proving it could not be the
image of the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
Regardless of the Bible facts presented, there will be multitudes who will still believe it is an
image of Jesus Christ. Many will believe it holds strange powers. Some will even superstitiously
worship and adore it as an icon or image. The Catholic Digest has run several ads for the
purchase of a $9.95 “faithfully rendered … reproduced, ready for framing, 11 X 14 inch” drawing
of the Shroud. A religious “club” showed a “documentary special unveiling the ‘secrets’ of the
‘mysterious’ Shroud of Turin.” Numerous articles in the newspapers and magazines have
appeared regularly about the Shroud, putting more fuel to the fire of those who insist it belonged
to Jesus.
Those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and know the truth of the Scriptures will
not be turned aside by the claims of the superstitious.
Jeane Dixon, the well known Roman Catholic psychic, believed Jesus wanted this image of
Himself preserved “as a message to our times,” and “as a guidance during the grave period of
dangers which mankind will face near the year 2000, including the danger of nuclear
holocaust.” (Note that Deuteronomy 18:10-13 forbids psychic practices such as those of Jeane
Dixon.)
Without hesitation we can state that the Lord Jesus Christ DID NOT preserve the Shroud of
Turin for a message to our times or to guide mankind from future dangers (Matt. 12:38-40).
Those who would follow this line of thinking are weak in their faith in God’s written Word and
rob God of adoration which belongs to Him alone. Those today who believe in the bodily
resurrection of the Son of God do not need any external “proof” of His rising from the dead.
Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are they that have NOT SEEN, and yet have believed” (John
20:29).
The believer’s guide for the future must be the Word of God and not some decaying cloth used to
fill the coffers of a religious organization. Psalm 119:105 says the Word of God is the believer’s
lamp and light, while 2 Peter 2:3 warns of those who “through covetousness shall … with feigned
words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their
damnation slumbereth not.”
The Shroud of Turin is a modern day “serpent of brass” which deserves the same fate as the one
which the Israelites worshiped.
“He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in
pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did
burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan [made of brass]” (2 Kings 18:4).
Friend, do not allow yourself to be taken in by the strange, superstitious fables devised by Satan.
Put your faith and trust only in the unchanging Word of God and in the Saviour Jesus Christ.
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psa. 118:8).
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
and these are the Signs of the Times….
