Did the lineage of Jesus continue with another prophet?
Each year, Christians commemorate Easter with a curious tradition – the hunt for a hidden treasure: The Easter Egg.
The egg is an ancient symbol of new life. In modern culture, the term is used to describe something which is hidden and unexpected but, once discovered, it offers a new understanding of things.
Jesus was a man of mystery – and he ignited a flame, which set the world on fire. He spoke, and yet the people did not truly listen. He worked miracles, and yet the people did not truly see. He walked amongst us, and yet the people did not truly know him.
We have been on a hunt for the hidden treasures in the life of Jesus Christ; a quest to know him, understand his words and uncover the stolen secrets of his past,
Now, in this article, we are on the trail that leads to the hidden pope. All will be revealed; no stone will be left unturned as we uncover the long-lost truth about the life and lineage of Jesus Christ.
Where is the True Pope?
In Part 1 of this series, we took a look at the words of Jesus, who called on his believers to be as one flock, united under one shepherd. In other words, one faith is under the guidance of one leader: A man chosen by God.
We discovered that this belief is one of many unexpected similarities between Catholicism and Shia Islam. Both religions have the very same goal, that is, to follow the true successor of Jesus Christ.
But this leads to an interesting conclusion – that successor is not the Catholic Pope. So the question is – if the man who sits upon the throne of Saint Peter is an imposter, where is the true Pope? And how do we find him?
In Part 2, we set out to find answers…Our first clue came in the form of a pattern. The prophets and messengers throughout time, according to the scriptures, are a chain of men bound by holy blood. Fathers and sons. Successors, one after the other. But what about Jesus Christ?
Is he a broken link in the chain? Or is there more to the story? According to one of the most captivating novels of this century, there is. One of the most popular and the age-old Arthurian legend of the Holy Grail was encoded with a secret message.
The Grail, according to the story, was not a cup or a chalice in the literal meaning of the word. The chalice was the womb which carried a holy child, the physical heir and son of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.
We set out on a quest to uncover the truth about the Holy Grail, and the secret bloodline of Jesus. Along the way, we discovered an alternative version of Christianity. One which the Roman Catholic Church tried its hardest to bury. This version of Christianity was unearthed in 1945, in Egypt, near the caves of Nag Hammadi. These infamous scriptures are known as the Nag Hammadi Scriptures or the “Lost Gospels”. Within these Gospels, we find out very quickly why the Roman Catholic Church wanted to erase these writings from the pages of history.
The Spirit
A bombshell about Jesus lies in the pages of a secret gospel. But before we dive into the unknown, we must first take a look at a familiar subject: The disciples of Christ. The twelve disciples are the eyes, through which we view Jesus. After all, the teachings, which they left behind, gave us the gospels of the New Testament.
The men who walked with Jesus Christ laid the very foundation of Christianity, as we know it today. But just how solid was that foundation?
Jesus had his secrets. Secrets, which not everyone could handle. He once said:
“I disclose my mysteries to those who are worthy of my mysteries.”
– The Gospel of Thomas, Saying 62
You might assume that the disciples, the men who shaped the Christian church, were worthy… but you would be wrong. Only one person was privy to the secret knowledge of Jesus, and it wasn’t one of the 12 men, but a woman – Mary Magdalene.
In the Gospel of Mary, Simon Peter asks Mary to reveal the secrets, which Jesus confided in her, exclusively, saying:
“Sister, we know the saviour loved you more than any other woman. Tell us what the saviour told you, his words as you remember them. Only you know them, but we do not because we never heard them.”
– The Gospel of Mary
Why were the disciples left out? Although they had a perfect teacher, the disciples often failed to understand Jesus correctly. For example, after Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people, with just 7 loaves of bread, he and the disciples got into a boat, and Jesus warned them:
“Be Careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
– Holy Bible: Mark 8:15
The disciples took his words literally.
“They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
– Holy Bible: Mark 8:16
Jesus chastised them for not knowing the deeper meaning of his words.
But he left them in their confusion, simply asking:
“Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?”
– Holy Bible: Mark 8:17-18
Even Simon Peter, supposedly “the rock” upon which the church was built, didn’t understand his master. Jesus once asked the disciples,
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
– Holy Bible: Mark 8:29
Peter had the right word — Messiah or Christ — but he had the wrong idea of what a Messiah would do. When Jesus mentioned suffering and death, Peter talked back to his teacher.
But Jesus rebuked him sharply saying:
“Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
– Holy Bible: Mark 8:33
Here we have a verse in the Bible that so many often overlook. It is important to understand the character of the disciples because they shaped Christianity as we know it today. And none of the disciples was more influential than Simon Peter, who is regarded as the first Catholic Pope.
They say all roads lead back to Rome and, thanks to Peter’s ministry, all Christian confessions trace back to there as well. But what if it was never meant to be like that?
The Secret Book
The Secret Book of James offers a dramatically different take on the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry. This secret book just so happens to be one of the books from the Nag Hammadi Library, which the Catholic Church tried to destroy. And its story changes everything.
The year is 35 AD, 550 days after the crucifixion, the disciples were gathered feverishly writing down all that Jesus had told them, organizing his sayings into books when Jesus walked in. Yes, that’s right! Over 18 months after the crucifixion, Jesus came face to face once again, with his disciples.
Traditionally, the church has taught that Jesus appeared just 40 days after the Crucifixion. Then he departed from them never to be seen again, but here is a Christian text, stating that Jesus appeared again much later, very much alive.
The disciples asked him: “Did you depart and leave us?” Jesus said, “No, but I shall return to the place from which I came. If you want to come with me, come.” So Jesus did not “depart” and leave the earthly realm, but he was away, in another place. He was going to return back there – and he wanted his disciples to come too.
But the disciples answered and said, “If you order us, we shall come.” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven because I ordered it, but rather because you yourselves are filled.”
– The Secret Book of James
You might imagine, after running away and denying Jesus and losing Jesus, that the disciples would have jumped at this merciful opportunity to follow Jesus anywhere and to set things right. However, the disciples responded by saying, “If you order us, we shall come”?
The disciples didn’t want to follow Jesus. Instead, they wanted to forge their own path; writing books, preaching and prophesying to the people in Jesus’ name.
“Do you not want to be filled? Your hearts are drunk? Do you not want to be sober?”
– The Secret Book of James
But Peter talked back to his teacher, saying,
“Look, three times you have told us, ‘Be filled,’ but we are filled.” Peter wanted to continue on preaching. He asked Jesus: “Master, can we prophesy to those who ask us to prophesy to them? There are many who bring a request to us and look to us to hear our pronouncement.”
– The Secret Book of James
Jesus responded negatively to his request and said,
“Compare yourselves to foreigners. How are they viewed in your city? Why are you anxious to banish yourselves on your own and distance yourselves from your city? Why abandon your dwelling on your own and make it available for those who want to live in it? O you exiles and runaways, shame on you. You will be captured.”
– The Secret Book of James
He said:
“…remember me because I was with you and you did not know me.” And in parting, he told Peter and James, “Look, I shall be leaving you and go away. I do not want to stay with you any longer, just as you yourselves have not wanted this.” And left them.“
– The Secret Book of James
Rome wasn’t built in a day but it can certainly be destroyed in a day. This heartbreaking tale is like an arrow, piercing the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church. It shows that Peter was never meant to go to Rome. His mission was to walk with Jesus and to travel with Jesus wherever he was going. But where was that, exactly?
How was Jesus still alive on earth, a year and a half after he was supposedly lifted into heaven, body and soul? Where had he been all that time?
To answer those questions we need to go back to the beginning; back to the night of Jesus’ arrest.
Mysteries of the Cross
Jesus sat, alone, in the garden of Gethsemane. He knew at any moment, “A crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders” would arrive, and arrest him. (Mark 14:43)
Betrayal lingered in the air. This is not how it was supposed to end for Jesus.
Just three years earlier, Jesus had called his disciples to leave their old lives behind and follow him and his ministry began. Throughout time, the prophets and messengers prophesied and prepared the world for the appearance of a Messiah. And that saviour was none other than Jesus. That is what Simon Peter declared in the Gospel of Matthew, in a conversation, which is often cited, but its true meaning is overlooked.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 16:13-16
Think about that — “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The Jewish people during Jesus’ time, not only believed in reincarnation but the immediate transmigration of souls. Otherwise, how could this statement possibly make sense? How could Jesus bear the soul of John the Baptist, a man roughly his age, the same man who walked with Jesus, who baptised Jesus and who had only recently died? This verse is an important clue, hiding right in the New Testament of the Bible, which helps us to uncover the truth of what really happened during the events of the Crucifixion.
Jesus was the Messiah but when he appeared, the very people who claimed to be awaiting him, rejected him. Jesus wasn’t at all what the people expected. He was, by all appearances, an ordinary young man — not a scholar or a powerful official. People, back then, much like people today, expected their religious institutions would embrace the Messiah. But that’s not how it played out.
Jesus was a revolutionary, who came to flip the religious establishment on its head. He taught that the religion of God had been corrupted by scholars. His ideals posed a big threat to their power. Part of Jesus’ mission was to establish the “Kingdom of God” on earth, a sovereign state, not ruled by the high priests or the tyrant kings, but by God’s representative on earth. This is just one of the many things Jesus, as the Messiah, was meant to accomplish. And, according to the prophecies, he was also meant to die a sacrificial death.
Jesus was meant to die on the cross – at the end of his ministry – but not just yet. It had only been three years, but already the people abandoned him and Judas betrayed him. If Jesus had left the world then, his life and message would have been cut short too soon. So what did Jesus do?
He prayed to God. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus falls on his face and prays:
“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 26:39
What is the meaning of Jesus’ prayer? Many have called it a normal, human expression of a desire to avoid pain and suffering. But how could that be? Jesus was better than that. He knew he was enforced by the divine.
He said to Simon Peter:
“Don’t you know that I could call on my Father for help, and at once he would send me more than twelve armies of angels?”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 26:53
Jesus made it clear that he could only be slain by his own choice. Don’t forget that he said:
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
– Holy Bible: John 10:17-18
Far away from him were fear and hesitation. He was ready and willing to sacrifice his life. And that’s exactly what he did…but not in the way that most people understand it…
Today, the church teaches that Jesus died on the cross, but not all of the early Christians believed this to be true. Several of the gnostic gospels, the books that were banned from the Bible, clearly state that Jesus did not die on the cross. Rather, it was an illusion.
In the Revelation of Peter, Jesus states:
“He whom you saw on the tree, glad and laughing, this is the living Jesus. But this one into whose hands and feet they drive the nails is his fleshly part, which is the substitute being put to shame, the one who came into being in his likeness. But look at him and me.’ But I, when I had looked, said ‘Lord, no one is looking at you. Let us flee this place.’ But he said to me, ‘I have told you, ‘Leave the blind alone!’ And you, see how they do not know what they are saying.”
– The Revelation of Peter
The man who hung on the cross was not Jesus, but a substitute, “the one who came into being in his likeness.” While this may seem like a shocking idea, if we take a look at the different scriptures, a clear picture starts to emerge.
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it…”
– Mark 8:34-35
Similarly, Islamic tradition records:
“When Allah (SWT) wanted to raise Jesus to him he went to his companions and in the house were 12 men from the disciples. And he said to them as his hair and head was dripping with water…verily from you are those who will disbelieve in me 12 times after they believed in me. Whom of you would be willing to take my likeness and be killed in my place and be with me in my same degree?” Until the part of the hadith where a youth volunteered and he said “that’s you.”
– Tafsir Al Quran Al Azeem, Ibn Abi Hatem, p. 1110, hadith 6232
The volunteer was not one of the disciples – the 12 men who disbelieved in Jesus after they believed in him – the men to whom Jesus often said “oh ye of little faith.” But if it wasn’t one of the 12, then who could it be? The truth is, Jesus had other disciples – not physical ones but spiritual ones. And the proof of that is in the Bible.
“After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters — one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 17:1-8
Just for a moment, the disciples of Jesus caught a glimpse of the unseen. They saw Jesus in his true form of light. And they saw the other disciples of Jesus. It seemed as though Moses and Elijah were standing in front of them. They appeared so real that the disciples wanted to set up tents for them. If we know that Jesus was accompanied by the souls of Elijah and Moses, doesn’t it stand to reason that more souls of prophets also followed him? They did. And the youth who volunteered to take Jesus’ place on the cross was one of them.
Just as Jesus transfigured into pure light in front of his disciples, he also walked on water, healed the sick, and turned water into wine. The gospels are filled with stories which highlight the mystical, wondrous abilities of Jesus. The crucifixion is simply another story, in which Jesus did the seemingly impossible. You might say, on that day he performed the greatest disappearing act of all time.
In one of the gnostic gospels Jesus said:
“And I was in the mouths of lions. And the plan which they devised about me to release their Error and their senselessness – I did not succumb to them as they had planned. But I was not afflicted at all. Those who were there punished me. And I did not die in reality but in appearance, lest I be put to shame by them because these are my kinsfolk… It was another, their father, who drank the gall and the vinegar; it was not I. They struck me with the reed; it was another, Simon, who bore the cross on his shoulder. I was another upon Whom they placed the crown of thorns.
But I was rejoicing in the height over all the wealth of the archons and the offspring of their error, of their empty glory. And I was laughing at their ignorance.”
– The Second Treatise of Great Seth
Jesus said it was another one, Simon, who took his place. But who is Simon? Before we answer that question, remember his words: whoever wants to be worthy must be ready to bear and lift his cross and follow him. Throughout his entire ministry, only one man did exactly that. And his name was Simon.
Jesus was chained, beaten, and tortured as he marched to his death, bearing the cross on his back, up until the moment his body collapsed and a man miraculously appeared and reached out a helping hand.
“As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 27:32
This series of events brought Jesus’ parable to life. This moment, when Jesus fell to the ground and Simon picked up the cross is deeply meaningful. When Jesus fell to the ground, he did, in a sense, die. Because at that very moment, the switch took place. Jesus’ soul departed his body and entered another body: The body, which carried the cross.
“I visited a bodily dwelling. I cast out the one who was in it first, and I went in. And the whole multitude of the archons became troubled. And all the matter of the archons, as well as all the begotten powers of the earth, were shaken when it saw the likeness of the Image, since it was mixed. And I am the one who was in it, not resembling him who was in it first.”
– The Second Treatise of Great Seth.
Jesus suffered horrific abuse on the road to Calvary. At the hands of his captors, he was whipped, flogged, and scourged within an inch of his life. But there was one thing his enemies were not able to do — they were not able to put him to shame, by taking his life. Just as he said he would, Jesus laid down his own life and picked it up once again. And this is a story the Catholic Church did not want you to know. This version of events was nearly erased forever by the church’s actions. For centuries, Christians never even knew it existed. But we are here to deliver the glad news that Jesus did not die on the cross that day. The soul of an angel entered Jesus’ tortured body so that his soul could carry on. Jesus’s soul then moved from body to body:
“And I subjected all their powers. For as I came downward, no one saw me. For I was altering my shapes, changing from form to form. And therefore, when I was at their gates, I assumed their likeness. For I passed them by quietly, and I was viewing the places, and I was not afraid nor ashamed, for I was undefiled. And I was speaking with them, mingling with them through those who are mine, and trampling on those who are harsh to them with zeal, and quenching the flame. And I was doing all these things because of my desire to accomplish what I desired by the will of the Father above.”
– The Second Treatise of Great Seth.
Suddenly, a lot of things make sense. Like all of those mysterious sightings of Jesus after he supposedly died. According to the gospels, when Jesus made his comeback, he first appeared to Mary Magdalene but she didn’t recognise him.
“At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni! (which means “Teacher”)”
– Holy Bible: John 20:14-16
How could Mary fail to recognise her beloved teacher? Unless, he didn’t look like Jesus anymore. Mary wasn’t the only one who couldn’t spot him. He appeared several times to his disciples who also failed to identify him each time.
“Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee…
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.”When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”
None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.”
– Holy Bible: John 21:1, 4-14
This was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after the crucifixion, how could they possibly fail to recognise him? Unless his soul appeared each time in a different body.
As the story goes, Jesus stuck around for 40 days following the crucifixion. But he couldn’t stay in the same place, with the same people and repeat the same story. So after those 40 days, he slipped out of Judea and out of the pages of history. The story of Jesus Christ came to an end but it was far from over.
The Mysterious Apostle
There are a few question marks about Jesus in Islamic tradition. One is a curious hadith, which places Jesus in a land, which history doesn’t record him visiting:
“And Jesus (pbuh) spoke to his nation a speech and they did not handle it and they rebelled against him in Tikrit…”
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Allamah Al-Majlisi, Vol. 52, p. 375
Where is Tikrit? According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, Tikrit is a city in north-central Iraq. “It lies on the west bank of the Tigris River about 100 miles northwest of Baghdad.”
According to the Biblical narrative, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, just south of Jerusalem, he then grew up in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee and lived his life in the Roman province of Judea. Never, in any text, does history record Jesus having lived in or even visited Mesopotamia. Which can only mean one thing. The Jesus, which this narration refers to, was not called Jesus anymore.
It may be hard to imagine, today, in our heavily regulated world, but back in the time of Jesus, there were no passports, no computers and no checkpoints. At that time, it was easy for a man to assume a new name, travel to a new land, and live a new life. And that’s what Jesus did….
You might be wondering: What name did he use? Where did he go? And what did he teach? The answers to all of these questions are hiding in plain sight in Christian history.
It is well known that after Jesus left them, the disciples spread the good news of the saviour to the four corners of the world. They planted the seeds of the young faith but didn’t manage to convert many powerful figures or inspire mass amounts of people to believe. That is, until a mysterious man appeared, claiming to be an apostle of Jesus.
The story was recorded in Ecclesiastical History by religious historian, Eusebius of Caesarea. During the years of Jesus’ ministry, in a land called Edessa, nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, there was a King called Abgar. The King was very ill when he heard about Jesus’ miraculous ability to heal people. He wrote a letter to Jesus, requesting his help. Jesus wrote back to him, declining, saying he had things to complete where he was. But he also made a promise to the king:
“Blessed are you who hast believed in me without having seen me. For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me will not believe in me, and that they who have not seen me will believe and be saved. But in regard to what you have written me, that I should come to you, it is necessary for me to fulfill all things here for which I have been sent, and after I have fulfilled them thus to be taken up again to him that sent me. But after I have been taken up I will send to you one of my disciples, that he may heal your disease and give life to you and yours.”
– Ecclesiastical History (The History of the Church), Eusebius of Caesarea
Jesus delivered on that promise. An apostle came to the King, in Jesus’ name. When he appeared before the king, Abgar saw a spectacular vision. The apostle’s face transformed into a bright light. Immediately, the king prostrated before him. The apostle, then, placed his hands on Abgar and healed him. Historians agree that the name of this king is Abgar IX, and under his reign, Christianity became the official religion of Edessa. But who was the mysterious “Apostle of Jesus?”
Throughout time, different historians have called him by different names — including Judas, Thomas, Didymus, Thaddeus, Labbaeus and Addai. While this may sound like a highly complex collection of titles, there are several duplicates in different languages here:
with Thaddeus, Labbaeus, and Addai meaning “big heart”. And Thomas and Didymous both mean “twin.”
So the names can be simplified to just three: Judas, Thomas and Addai. The most prominent of those names was Thomas.
A 4th-century traveler to Edessa, called Madam Egeria, made no mention of Thaddeus or Addai in her accounts. She simply assumed the mysterious apostle was Thomas. Similarly, a copy of the Addai story from Kirk Magara, one of the ancient cemeteries at Edessa, dated from the 5th century, refers to “Thaddeus who is Thomas.” Thomas is mentioned in literature in the Syriac language dating back to the 1st century.
Edessa became known as the “City of Thomas” as he is heralded as the founder of Christianity in this Mesopotamian city. But he didn’t operate alone. According to legend, he had an equally elusive disciple and pupil called Saint Mari.
Who is Saint Mari? Not much is known of his biography. Although he is regarded as one of the great apostles of Syria and Persia, practically nothing is known about Mari’s early years. He just appears, suddenly, at this point in history, in Mesopotamia. All that we know about him are his association with Thomas and the route of his travels recorded in the apocryphal text, The Acts of Mar Mari.
The Acts traces Mari’s itinerary, preaching in what is now the land of Iraq — throughout Nineveh, Nisibis, and along the Euphrates river. According to The Acts, Mari founded the first Christian church near the Hellenistic city of Seleucia.
So here we have two mysterious characters — Thomas and Mari. And according to legend, they are both disciples of Jesus. But here’s where the story gets really interesting. Selucia, the same city where Mari founded the first church, is the birthplace of another important figure in this story — Jesus’ apostle, Prophet Mani. And according to Oriental Christian tradition, Mani had three disciples, who spread his call throughout the world. Two of them were called Thomas and Mari.
According to various traditions, the disciples of Jesus and the disciples of Mani even followed the same travel routes. Could these characters be one and the same?
While it seems like the logical conclusion, there is just one problem… Mani was born in the year 216, generations after Jesus. How could the two men possibly share the same contemporaries? It simply couldn’t make sense. Unless… the timeline of history wasn’t exactly accurate.
In recent years, the Roman Catholic Church has confirmed that to be the case, admitting Christ’s birth was recorded incorrectly. He was likely born years before the switch from BC to AD. Errors in the calendar caused years to be lost. And bear in mind, that they didn’t have smartphones or even personal calendars back then. They relied on historians to record history. Historians often put pen to paper hundreds of years after the events took place. And a lot of what the historians wrote down, indicates a timeline mixup.
Historians agree that King Abgar from the story was Abgar IX, who reigned from 179 to 214, but the whole precept of the story places the king in the same time as Jesus. He even wrote a letter to Jesus and received a response. Other indications of a timeline mixup can be taken from historical writings.
In the 4th century, heresy under Cyril of Jerusalem spoke out against the gnostic Gospel of Thomas, stating:
“Let none read the Gospel according to Thomas for it is the work not of the twelve apostles, but of one of Mani’s three wicked disciples.”
– Catechesis V
And yet, historians agree that Greek fragments of the Gospel of Thomas were written sometime between 40 and 140 AD. How could it be written by the disciples of Mani, if Mani wasn’t even born until 216? Cyril, as a church scholar, would have been acutely aware of such details, So it stands to reason that Mani lived much earlier than we thought.
Mani and “the Twin”
If you want to decipher the truth about these mysterious figures — Thomas, the apostle of Jesus and Mari, the apostle of Thomas — we must first take a look at some telling details from the story of Mani. For he is the key to unlocking this mystery.
Mani called himself the “Apostle of Jesus,” which indicates a deeply personal relationship; perhaps a belief that he was personally saved by Jesus. Another interesting fact about Mani was how he received divine revelation. In his writings, Mani recorded that God communicated with him through something he called his “Heavenly Twin,” or “Twin Spirit.” The key word here, is Twin, as in Thomas.
Another little secret hidden in the story of Mani is the identity of his mother. All it takes is a quick search to discover that his mother’s name is familiar. She was called Maryam or Mary.
There is no such thing as coincidence. All of these facts are scattered pieces of the truth, which have just been waiting for the right person to come along and string them together.
The truth is, when Jesus left Judea he took on a new name, a name encoded with a clue: “the twin” Didymous Judas Thomas. This name is attached to many books, including the Gospel of Thomas. Consider this fascinating opening line of this text: “These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke and Didymos Judas Thomas recorded.” Why specify that someone is living unless they are presumed to be dead?
The gospel continues:
“And he said, “Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death. Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find it, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all. ”
– The Gospel of Thomas, Saying 1-2
Why would someone be disturbed by the interpretation of these verses? Perhaps, because they change all that we thought we knew about Jesus. Take, for example, this verse, which contains an important clue about the destiny of Mary Magdalene.
When Simon Peter said: “Let Mary go away from us, for women are not worthy of life.” Some have translated Jesus’ reply to be this… “Behold I will lead her…” But his words actually meant:
“See, I will draw her so as to make her male, so that she too may become a living male spirit, like you males.”
– The Gospel of Thomas, Saying 114.
This is, perhaps, the most puzzling thing Jesus ever said about Mary Magdalene. And its meaning is twofold. Jesus once spoke about the power of marriage to transform two individuals, man and woman, into one.
“Have you not read that He Who made them in the first place made them man and woman? It says, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will live with his wife. The two will become one.’ So they are no longer two but one. Let no man divide what God has put together.”
– Holy Bible: Matthew 19:4-6
Now recall his words: “See, I will draw her”… As in, “See, I will marry her”… and two will become one. Mary will become Jesus and Jesus will become Mary. There is also a literal meaning to his words. Mary became male not just on the inside but on the outside.
Mary Magdalene, like Jesus, left Judea and assumed a new identity. Mary became Mari, the companion of Judas Thomas Addai. In public, a disciple of Jesus, but in private, she was the prophet’s wife.
Islamic tradition teaches that marriage is the tradition of God. Prophet Muhammad said:
The Messenger of Allah said: “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married, for I will boast of your great numbers before the nations. Whoever has the means, let him get married, and whoever does not, then he should fast for it will diminish his desire.”
– Sunan Ibn Majah, Book on Marriage, hadith 1846
And God said, in the Quran:
“˹This is˺ Allah’s way, already long established ˹in the past˺. And you will find no change in Allah’s way.”
– Holy Quran, Al-Fath verse 23
And, indeed, all of the prophets and messengers throughout time, have upheld this tradition. Jesus was no exception.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and had a family. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said:
“Whoever knows the father and the mother will be called the child of a whore.”
– The Gospel of Thomas, Saying 105
This is a clear prophecy of history’s mischaracterisation of his wife as a prostitute and an indication that they became parents. Just like legends preserved throughout the ages, Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a son called Mani.
And suddenly, it all makes sense. The man who appeared to King Abgar and converted an entire kingdom to Christianity was Christ himself. Mani’s teacher, his heavenly twin spirit, was none other than Jesus, in the flesh. The legend of the Holy Grail. The secrets are guarded by the Cathars, the followers of Mani. Now we know why the Roman Catholic Church wanted, so desperately to eradicate them. And to remove The Gospel of Thomas and all of the other so-called gnostic gospels from the Bible and history. It was all part of the greatest mystery and the greatest coverup of all time. An important piece of history, which was lost and then uncovered by the sands of time. A truth, which bridges the gap between the two largest religions in the world: Christianity and Islam.
Jesus to Muhammad
Roughly 600 years after Jesus, Prophet Muhammad appeared in Arabia claiming to be a successor in a long chain of men sent by God, including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
Jesus made it clear that he was not the final proof of God who would come to earth. He often mentioned a character to come, called the comforter or the spirit of truth.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”
– Holy Bible: John 16:13
But when Muhammad came along, he challenged what Christianity had become. Muhammad taught that Jesus had been misunderstood, his words had been twisted. That he was a prophet of God, not God, Almighty. But that’s not all. He also taught that Jesus did not die on the cross. It says in the Quran:
“and for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.”
– Holy Quran An-Nisa, verse 4:157
And although it slipped past everyone to this day, The Quran revealed the truth about the secret second life of Jesus in this verse:
“[And mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah gives you good tidings of a word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary – distinguished in this world and the Hereafter and among those brought near [to Allah]. He will speak to the people in the cradle and as an elder and will be of the righteous.”
– Holy Quran Ali ‘Imran, verse 45-46
How could Jesus speak to the people as an elder, if he left this world at the age of 33?
Today, this is one of the most controversial topics — the most painful difference between Christianity and Islam. But, perhaps, the time has come to reconcile that difference. The notion that Jesus didn’t die on the cross may have shocked 7th century Christians, but this idea didn’t originate with Prophet Muhammad. It dates back to the early Christians, as evidenced by the gnostic gospels. It was also taught by Jesus’ successor, Prophet Mani.
It might have appeared that the religion of Muhammad was radically different from Christianity. But as it turns out there was nothing radical about it. Much of what Muhammad taught was first implemented by his predecessors.
Five times a day, Muslims bow before God. But hundreds of years before Muhammad put these prayers in place, Mani introduced the same thing. According to historians, Mani set somewhere between four and seven obligatory prayers at specific times each day. Fascinatingly, they line up with the Islamic prayers. According to one scholar, al-Nadim, one prayer took place at midday, which is exactly the time of the “Dhur” prayer. In fact, “Dhur” means “noon”. Another prayer commenced in mid-afternoon, which corresponds to the “Asr” prayer. The next prayer was just after sunset, like “Maghrib” and the final prayer was at nightfall, the same time as the “Isha” prayer.
Mani taught that, before praying, one must perform a ritual ablution with water, comparable to ablution in Islam. The act of praying, itself, consisted of prostrating to the ground and rising again twelve times during every prayer, just as Muslims prostrate in “Sujood” during the Islamic prayer. And just as Muhammad did, Mani established a Qibla or direction of prayer. Mani introduced a month of holy fasting, much like Prophet Muhammad implemented the month of Ramadan. And Mani made almsgiving an essential sacramental rite, just as Muhammad set charity as a pillar of Islam.
The Quran contains secret stories, also found in the gnostic gospels. Like the illusion of the crucifixion. But that’s not all.
“And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour upon you and your mother: how I supported you with the holy spirit1 so you spoke to people in ˹your˺ infancy and adulthood. How I taught you writing, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. How you moulded a bird from clay—by My Will—and breathed into it and it became a ˹real˺ bird—by My Will. How you healed the blind and the lepers—by My Will. How you brought the dead to life—by My Will. How I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with clear proofs and the disbelievers among them said, “This is nothing but pure magic.”
– Holy Quran, Al-Ma’idah verse 110
This story was only recorded, elsewhere, in a Christian book: The Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
“And having made soft clay, he fashioned thereof twelve sparrows…Jesus clapped his hands together and cried out to the sparrows and said to them: Go! and the sparrows took their flight and went away chirping.”
– Infancy Gospel of Thomas 2:2, 4
Muhammad (pbuhahf) did not bring an entirely new religion. Rather, he was the torchbearer of the religion of God; the Pope of his time. How else can you explain the fact that Muhammad knew the mysteries, which Jesus taught during his later years?
Jesus came to pave the way, for what was to come, and that’s exactly what he did! Jesus taught his son, one on one. When Mani was 12 years old, Jesus revealed to him the secrets of his past. For the next 12 years, he prepared his son to be the successor of his call. And at the age of 24, Mani went forth to preach his ministry.
For four decades, Mani spread his doctrine far and wide until he was met with a cruel and unusual end, with a death mirroring the crucifixion. He was flayed alive, his skin stuffed and nailed to a cross. Mani paid the ultimate price for teaching the truth but his life fulfilled part of Jesus’ mission.
This later chapter in Jesus’ life provided a second chance for his ministry to thrive. But perhaps most importantly, the extra years allowed Jesus to preserve his true message. All along, Jesus was meant to deliver certain knowledge; In his later years, he was finally able to do so. His teachings were recorded. And Mani’s teachings were recorded. And these are the teachings, which provide the missing link between Christianity and Islam.
For hundreds of years, the truth was buried. And just a few decades ago, it was unearthed – right at this point in history, when all of the signs of the end times have appeared in the world. And it is a fulfillment of prophecy.
In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said:
“Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed. And there is nothing buried that will not be raised.”
– The Gospel of Thomas, Saying 5
Similarly, a Manichaean prophecy, written in the time of Mani, states:
“A thousand books will be preserved … they will come into the hand of the just and the faithful [the] Gospel and the Treasury of Life, the Pragmateia and the Book of Mysteries, the Book of Giants and the Epistles, the Psalms and [the] Prayers of my lord, his Icon and his Revelations, his Parables and his Mysteries … How many will be lost? How many will be destroyed? A thousand lost, another thousand recovered; for they will find them at the end. They will kiss them, and say: “O Wisdom of Greatness, O Armor of the Apostle of Light! When you were lost … where did they find you?” … And you shall find them reading them aloud, uttering the name [of each book] among them: the name of its lord .. and the name of those who gave all [for it to be written]…and the name of the scribe who wrote it… and of the one who punctuated it…”
– Homilies 23.13-25.19
These books survived so that, in the final hour, sincere truth seekers and true lovers of Jesus would be able to find and follow the legacy he left behind.
The Family Tree
Jesus’ legacy can be traced by following the family tree. It says in the Quran:
“Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of ’Imran above all people ˹of their time˺. They are descendants of one another. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
– Holy Quran Ali ‘Imran, verse 33-34
And in the interpretation of this verse, The 5th Shia imam, Muhammad al Baqir said:
“So when Muhammad had finished his prophethood and his days had been finished, God the Almighty inspired to him, ‘Oh Muhammad, verily you have finished your prophethood and your days are finished. So make the knowledge that is with you and the faith and the greater name and the inheritance of knowledge, and the relics of the knowledge of prophethood in the people of your house with Ali Ibn Abi Talib. For verily, I will never cut knowledge or faith or the greater name or the inheritance of knowledge or the relics of the knowledge of prophethood from the continuation of your offspring as I have not cut it from the households of the prophets who were between you and your father Adam.’”
– Al-Kafi, Muhammad ibn Yaqub Al-Kulaini, v.8, p.117
Since the time of Adam, a day has not passed on this earth without a vicegerent of God, walking amongst us. A guardian, a father, a pope. And these men, the popes throughout time, have always descended from a single family tree. A chain, which carried on from Jesus to his son Mani to his descendant Muhammad and on until this very day.
But how do we know who to follow today? That question is answered by the Will of Prophet Muhammad. On his deathbed, Muhammed named his successors, the 12 Imams, followed by the Mahdis:
“…Then there will be twelve Mahdis after him, so if death comes to him, let him hand it over to his son, the first of the close ones, he has three names, one like mine and my father’s and it is Abdullah (Servant of God), and Ahmad (the Praised), and the third name is Al-Mahdi (the Guided) and he is the first of the believers.”
– Al-Ghayba, Muhammad ibn Al-Hassan ‘Al-Toosi’, 3rd ed., p. 150, hadith 111
– Bihar Al-Anwar, Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi, 3rd ed., v.36, p.260-261, hadith 81 and v.53, p.147-148, hadith 6
Hidden within this statement are the identities of the successors of Jesus who are alive in this day and age. Imam AL-Mahdi, Ahmad Al-Hassan and Abdullah Hashem are all true Popes and successors of one another.
The Family of Muhammad often places hidden knowledge within their narrations, which only they can decipher. Ahmad Al-Hassan (fhip) revealed the true meaning of this sentence, which names not one man but three men, the first three Mahdis: Ahmad, Abdullah, and Mahdi. The Prophet clearly stated that one of his successors will have one name like his father’s. And his father’s name was Abdullah Hashem, the very same name as the Second Mahdi.
In one book, on one page, this one narration is the only surviving will of Prophet Muhammad. And it calls Ahmad and Abdullah by name. And, in over 1,000 years, which have passed since it was left, no one has claimed it except Ahmad Al-Hassan and Abdullah Hashem. They have come forth and claimed it together. And, again, the will is divinely protected from false claimants.
“This is a matter that can not be claimed except by its companion (owner), otherwise Allah will cut his life off (making him die).”
– Al-Kafi, Muhammad ibn Yaqub Al-Kulaini, 5th ed., v.1, p.373, hadith 5
The name Abdullah means “servant of God.” And this is his destiny. Abdullah Hashem is the true successor from the lineage of Jesus Christ. The rightful heir to the throne. And the signs are everywhere, not only in the scriptures, that the face of the papacy is on the verge of a change. Just a few years ago, HBO premiered an unusual new series, centred around a different kind of pontiff: A young, American, who calls the people back to God. And hidden within this series is an important message.
Talk about an easter egg: An American with the heart of an Egyptian. A Muslim, and a Christian. The hidden pope is hidden no more.
The Choice
They covered up the truth; tried to keep humanity divided; and told us that we were different from one another.
They tried to convince us that the God of Islam was not the God of Judaism or Christianity. That the Jesus of the Quran was somehow different from the Jesus of the Bible. But we are one. And the time has come for us to unite under one leader. One true pope. And now you are faced with a choice. To reject the blood of Christ or to believe in him. To be like the Jewish people in the time of Jesus, who followed the high priests, and clung to their tired traditions and expectations. Or to be like the followers of Jesus.
Now, you have two Popes. Who will you follow? The establishment or the resistance?
The pope who lives like a king? Or the pope who says there is no king but God?
The Spirit
The Ahmadi Religion of Peace and Light is a 501c3 non-profit organization. This is the Call of Imam Al-Mahdi, the saviour of mankind, to all the people of the world.
Imam Al-Mahdi has appeared, with his successors Imam Ahmed Al-Hassan, and Abdullah Hashem Aba Al-Sadiq (From Them is Peace).
Imam Al-Mahdi is calling the people to the true Supremacy of God.
