Letters from Adina - #14b

Letter XIV. (ii) The Three Kings

The Three Kings speak with Herod

...Such, my dear father, are the letters which my cousin’ Mary receives from John, the disciple of Jesus.

For another weighty matter, it has been proven from the examination made by some of the scribes of the Temple, that He was truly born in Bethlehem, and that both His mother Mary and Joseph her husband are lineally descendants of the house of David.

Moreover, Phineas; the venerable priest, whom you know, hath borne testimony to the fact that when Jesus was an infant during the reign of the elder Herod, there came to Jerusalem three eminent princes, men of wisdom and learning.

One of’ these came from Persia; one from the Grecian province of Media; and ' one from Arabia; and brought with them gifts of gold and spices, and were attended by retinues.

These three princes reached Jerusalem the same day by three different ways, and entered by three different gates, neither knowing aught  the presence or object of the others till they met in the city before Herod’s palace.

One declared himself descended from Shem, another from Japhet, the third from Ham; and, it is said, they mysteriously typified all the races of the earth, who by them recognised and adored the Savior of men in the child Jesus.

Herod, The King hearing that these three strangers had arrived in Jerusalem, he sent to know wherefore they had honored his kingdom with a visit. “They answered,’’ says Phineas, as he related the narrative in the presence of Caiaphas, and many of the rulers and Pharisees, “that they came to do homage to the young Prince, who was born King of the Jews."

And when Herod asked what prince they spoke of, they answered, “We have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him!’ ’’

“How know you the star you have seen indicates the birth of a prince of Judea?" demanded King Herod, greatly troubled at what he heard,

“It moved towards this city," they answered, “and we have been led by a heavenly guidance to follow it, and lo!, it has led us to Jerusalem, over which, were it now night, you would see it suspended, burning with exceeding brightness; and it hath been revealed to us that it is the star of the birth of One who is to reign King of Judah!”

“Tell us, therefore, oh, king, where this august Prince is now to be found, that we may worship him!"

‘‘Hereupon,’’ says Phineas, ‘‘the king issued an edict for all the chief priests and scribes of the people to assemble in the council chamber of his palace.

He then addressed them:

“Ye to whom is given the care of the books of the law and of the prophets, whose study they are, and in whom lieth the skill to interpret the prophecies, search ye therein, and tell me truly where the Christ is to be born,

Behold here present these august and wise men, who have come from afar to do Him homage; nay, more, as they aver, to worship Him as God.

Let us, therefore, courteously give them the answer that they seek, and let us not be found more ignorant of these things than those who dwell in other lands!”

Several of the Chief Priests then rose and said -  “It is known, oh, king, to all who are Jews, and who read the Prophets, that Messias cometh of the house of David, of the town of Bethlehem; for thus it is written by the prophet." “And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not least among the princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel!’’

“This question being thus answered,’’ continued Phineas, ‘‘Herod dismissed the council,and, retiring to his own private room, secretly sent to the three princes of the East to inquire of them what time the star appeared.

And when they had named the very day and hour on which they had first seen it, he was thereby enabled to judge concerning the probable age of the infant.

He then said to them -

“You have my permission, noble strangers, to go to Bethlehem, and search for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also; for it is but meet that we should pay every possible honors to a prince of our realm, whose birth is heralded in so marvelous a manner, and to worship whom even the East sends forth her wise men.”

“They then left the presence of Herod, and, it being dark when they left the palace, they were overjoyed to behold the star which they saw in the East, going before them.

They followed it leaving Jerusalem by the Bethlehem gate, and it led them on to the town of Bethlehem, and stopped above a humble dwelling there.

When they came into the house, they saw the rays of the star resting upon the head of an infant in the arms of its mother, Mary, the wife of Joseph.

They at once acknowledged and hailed this child as Prince and King of Israel, and fell down and worshiped Him; then opening their treasures they presented unto Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts that are offered on the altar to God alone!”

When Phineas was asked by Caiaphas how he knew this fact, he answered, that he himself, urged by a desire to see the Prince they had come to worship, had followed them out of the palace of Herod, out of the gate, and even into Bethlehem, and witnessed their prostrations and offerings to the infant child of Mary.

‘‘And,’’ he added, ‘“‘if this be doubted, there are many Jews now living in Jerusalem, and a certain Hebrew captain, now stricken in years, who can testify to the slaughter, by Herod’s command, of the infants of Bethlehem; for this captain Jeremias led on the soldiers.”’

‘‘And wherefore this slaughter?’’ asked Caiaphas. ‘‘It is not on record.”’

‘‘Kings do not record their deeds of violence,’’ answered Phineas. ‘‘Herod kept it hushed up when he found that he gained nothing by it but hatred. He slew them, in order that the infant Jesus might be destroyed among them; for the three wise men, instead of returning through Jerusalem to their own country, and informing him where they had found the child, departed by another way; and when Herod found that they were gone, he became so enraged, that he sent, out a party of his household guard, under Jeremias, their captain, who now liveth to testify, ordering them to slay every child under two years of age in Bethlehem, hoping, as I have said, to kill the infant Jesus among the number.

But the child escaped, doubtless, by God's powerful protection; and His fame in His manhood this day fills the ears of all Israel.

The adoration of these three men, who were sons of Shem, Ham, and Japhet, represents the homage of the whole race of mankind that shall yet be paid to Him!”

‘‘Dost thou believe in Him, also?’’ asked Caiaphas, with angry surprise, looking sternly on Phineas.  

“I will first see, and hear Him speak; and if He appear to me to be Messias, I will gladly worship him.”

‘‘Hereupon,’’ said Rabbi. Amos, who gave me the details of the foregoing interview between Caiaphas and Phineas, ‘‘there arose a great uproar, some crying that Jesus was the Christ, and others, that Phineas should be stoned to death.’’

Thus, you see, my dear father, how the evidence increases in value and importance, proving Jesus to be the Messiah. His very cradle bears testimony to His divine character; and, surely, do His miracles now confirm the pledge given by the remarkable circumstances attending His childhood.

The captain Jeremias, now a gray-headed old soldier, having been called upon, testifies that he obeyed such an order of Herod, and that it was given within three days after the three Princes of the East quitted Jerusalem for Bethlehem.

Now, my dear father, let me sum up the evidences that go to show that Jesus is the Messiah.

First, His presentation in the Temple, when holy Simeon and Anna worshiped and prophesied of Him!

Secondly, the supernatural star which led the wise men to Bethlehem!

Thirdly, their adoration of Him in his cradle!

Fourthly, the testimony of John the Baptist!

Fifthly, the voice of God at His baptism!

Sixthly, the descent of the Holy Ghost upon Him in the form of a fiery dove!Seventhly, His miracle at Cana of Galilee!

And, lastly, the glittering coronet of miracles that now encircles His brow, shedding a light and glory upon His path which it blinds and dazzles the eye steadfastly to behold.

Tell me, dear father, is not this the Christ?

Your affectionate and loving

Adina

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The new Lady Donna Immersion in Spirituality, Academics and Citizenship @ the "I AM" School will study abridged excerpts of the Letters from Adina taken from Reverend Ingraham's original edited version of 'The Prince of the House of David', published by Cassell & Co. Ltd (1903), that reveal remarkable insights into the Living Etheric Record left by Beloved Jesus's Ministry in the Holy Land.