A few years ago, Revelation of the Magi was first translated into English. I’ve wanted to blog about it for a time, but now seems appropriate. According to ABC News,
An ancient text called the “Revelation of the Magi,” has been rediscovered and tells a very different version of the Three Wise Men’s journey to Bethlehem.
“It ends up being the most complex, richest, most strange, the strangest story of the Wise Men to come out of Christian antiquity,” said Brent Landau, an expert in ancient Biblical languages and literature. “Until now, it had never been translated into English.”
…
Landau said. “So who the Magi are in this text is, they are descendants of Adam and Eve’s third son, Seth. They live in this far eastern land. The text calls the land ‘Shir’ and from other ancient texts, it seems like the place it had in mind is the land of China.”
…
In the “Revelation of the Magi,” Landau said, the Star of Bethlehem not only led the Wise Men, but actually became the Christ child.
“The cave is filled with light,” Landau said, describing the transcribed text. “They’re kind of hesitant about this, but eventually the star…its light concentrates and reveals the small luminous human being…a star child, if you will…it’s Christ.”
What is most interesting about this gospel is a claim that Christ is the center of all religions.
“Christ tells them, ‘This is one of many occasions on which I have appeared to the peoples of the world,’” Landau said. “So this text may even be saying that there are no non-Christian religions because Christ is the revelation behind everything.”
What popped into my head was a similar idea in the Book of Mormon where Christ claims to have visited the isles of the sea in 2 Nephi 10:21-22.
21Â But great are the promises of the Lord unto them who are upon the aisles of the sea; wherefore as it says isles, there must needs be more than this, and they are inhabited also by our brethren.
22Â For behold, the Lord God has aled away from time to time from the house of Israel, according to his will and pleasure. And now behold, the Lord remembereth all them who have been broken off, wherefore he remembereth us also.
I also thought of Moroni 7:21
12Â Wherefore, all things which are agood cometh of God;
What do you think of this universalist message?
