Witnesses Required

Leviticus 19:15b – “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

All truth must be witnessed by two or more witnesses. All of Yeshua’s miracles were witnessed by two or more witnesses except his resurrection which took place inside the burial tomb whose opening was sealed by the large stone.

Miracles Seen By Two Or More Witnesses
Numerous people were witnesses to Yeshua’s miracles.

Matthew 14:17-21, Mark 6:38-43, Luke 9:13-14 – Five thousand are fed with five loaves and two fish.
Matthew 15:34-38, Mark 8:5-9, – Four thousand are fed with seven loaves.
Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43 – The crowd witnesses Yeshua give sight to a blind man.
Mark 9:17-26 – The crowd witnesses Yeshua cast out a mute spirit.
John 2:1-10 – The wedding guests and apostles witness Yeshua turn water into wine.
Acts 1:1-11 – The apostles witness Yeshua taken up into the clouds.

The Three Witnesses To Yeshua’s Resurrection
But were there any witnesses to Yeshua’s miracles. Russ Breault says yes, there were three, but none of those witnesses were human. The three witnesses are:

The Empty Tomb: Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-12 – “They have taken away Yeshua out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”
The Empty Burial Cloth: John 20:4-6 – “John and Peter ran together, and John ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; John stooped to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. Peter, however, entered the tomb and also saw the linen wrappings lying there.”
The Cover Cloth: John 20:7 – “And the cloth, that had covered Yeshua’s head, was not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”

The Empty Tomb
The empty tomb verifies fulfillment of many prophecies regarding the resurrection of the dead, and specifically the resurrection of Ha’Mashiach (the Messiah). It means salvation for all who believe, it means there was no corpse waiting to decay, it means that Yeshua died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, it means that just as Yeshua received an immortal, incorruptible body, so will we at our resurrection.

The Empty Burial Cloth
The Shroud of Turin is believe by many to be the empty burial cloth. The Shroud is a long linen cloth made of out flax and measures 14 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. It bears the faint image of a bearded, crucified man with bloodstains that match the wounds of crucifixion suffered by Yeshua of Nazareth as recorded in all four Gospel narratives. It shows:

Blood on head (from a crown of thorns?)
Abrasions and bruises on face
Over 120 scourge (whip) marks
Blood on the arms
Nail wound in the wrists
Nail wound in the feet
Legs not broken
Wound in the side
Post mortem blood flow from side wound and on the back
Legs are pulled up due to rigor mortis
Blood is from actual wounds and show evidence of gravity from a vertical position
No stains of body decomposition

The Cover Cloth
Whether or not the folded cloth [soudarion σουδάριον H4676] is called a napkin or a handkerchief, or whether or not it covered the entire head or just the face makes little difference to its significance. Two possibilities of why the cloth covering Yeshua’s face/head was folded and set aside are:

Tradition indicates that a napkin would be folded and set beside the plate if the person intended to return to the table, or crumpled if not. The folded cloth meant, “I’m coming back!”
John 11:44 describes the face covering of Lazarus, who had just been resurrected by Yeshua. If grave robbers had been the cause of the empty tomb, they would not have taken time to fold the cloth but would simply have tossed it aside. Again, the folded cloth declares “I’m coming back!”

The Receipt
When one goes to the store and purchases items, and then pays the cashier, one receives a printed receipt that lists the items and their cost The Shroud of Turin is that detailed receipt of the items Yeshua endured in order to purchase our redemption from Satan, sin, and eternal death.

Conclusions
Scripture demands two or more witnesses to establish a matter. Normally the witnesses are humans. Yahweh, however is not dependant upon human witnesses. Just as the miracles establish the fact that Yeshua is Ha’Mashiach, that he is God, that he is the truth, the way, and the life, so also do the three witnesses of the empty tomb, the empty burial cloth, and the folded cover cloth establish that he has been resurrected, he is coming back, and those who believe will also be resurrected.

Final Thought
Today we are one day closer to the return of Yeshua than we were yesterday and tomorrow we will be even one day closer. For almost two thousand years the Jews would proclaim “Next year in Jerusalem!” I now proclaim “Next Yom Teruah in the clouds!” Prophecy continues to unfold as foretold by the Hebrew prophets. Repent, Pray, Be Redeemed. Yeshua Ha’Mashiach is coming soon – get busy reaching the lost.

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