Lockdown Day 21: A FOLDED NAPKIN: PROPHETIC OR REDEMPTIVE?

Focusing only on the PROPHETIC can make us lose sight of the REDEMPTIVE – and never has this been more brutally exposed than through COVID-19. Whether it be Bill Gates and a new World-order, 5G causing the virus, Quantum Dot Tattoos as a vaccine or a global economic collapse preparing the way for the Illuminati – these prophesies (conspiracies) have not added any value to a Christ-consciousness of what the empty grave really means.

In John 20:7 there is an intentional reference to “the ‘napkin’, or cloth, that was wrapped around the head of Jesus, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” This led a very “romantic” interpretation often used by Western pastors when explaining why Jesus “folded” (not used in all translations) the napkin (also not used in most translations). But sadly, this theory could be as misleading as it is misguiding.

This theory is based on the Hebrew tradition of that day and is as follows: The folded ‘napkin’ had to do with the Master and Servant. The servant would wait until the master had finished eating, and would not dare touch that table, until then. If the master was done eating, he would rise from the table wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, “I’m done”. But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, the servant would not dare touch the table, because…. the folded napkin meant, “I’m coming back!”

For some Western preachers the napkin, or head-cloth, being folded separate from the linen therefore indicates that Jesus sent this message to His disciples: I am coming back! But, as nice as this sounds, it remains a nice, romantic, western, misinterpretation of the events. Here is why.

Firstly, the word “napkin” (“soudarion” in Greek) is more like a modern-day towel, like a bandanna or a “mitpachat” (head scarves) worn by Jewish women. Secondly, the word “folded” found in John 20:7 also gives readers the impression that the “soudarion” was folded like one would fold his handkerchief or a towel. This was however not the case. The evidence of the intact and not unwrapped grave clothes, both the shroud and the ” soudarion ” proves that Jesus Christ rose up, from His sleeping position, right though the wrappings, and then passed through the wall of the sepulcher in His resurrected glorified body! This was unlike Lazarus who needed to be loosed from his wrappings after He raised him from the dead (John 11:44).

Here is why the context is important. If we interpret the empty grave and wrapped headscarf as the Lord conveying a message of “I am coming back”, then our interpretation will be PROPHETIC and focus only on His return. But, if we interpret the empty grave and wrapped headscarf as the Lord conveying a message of “I am resurrected”, then our interpretation will be REDEMPTIVE, and our focus will be on His salvation.

This might seem insignificant at first but will eventually determine how we watch the news, how we interpret COVID-19, how we view tragedies and how we contextualize global events. It will prevent us from always seeking the fatalistic PROPHETIC approach, and prompt us instead to seek active REDEMPTIVE purposes.