John the Baptist
Who
and where is John the Baptist?
Compiled by me Paul John Mhozya.
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
e-mail pmhozyaj@hotmail.com
In compiling this document I have taken into consideration the fact that the Holly Bible is actually an Historic account of events that have transpired since creation. Two main features abound everywhere in this account:
The Spiritual
Side
The events in the biblical historic accounts are neither accidental nor unforseen1. All of them are in God's plans on His creation. GOD has at all times Told of what is to come. This He has done by sending to the People Seers, Prophets and Woe criers to whom God speaks and commands to warn and tell the people of God's wishes and what must come to them. These plans have invariably been called revelations.
[Not unforseen because GOD has always Spoken to His People of the future events that are to come onto them]1.
The physical or
Wordly
Biblical accounts also comprise of witness accounts of the happenings that occurred in the real life of a certain People. Two types of such events are known here:
(i) Those events associated with the revelations that were sent to the people concerned.
For example I have read the following sequence as an account of GOD's Revelations to the People of Israel and the actual events that followed exactly what God said about those people.
It is very difficult to tell why such things should happen to those people
(ii) Those events that are obviously the acts of God and cannot be caused by limited human power.
For example the following is an event that is obviously beyond human capabilities.
A careful bible reader will find that all Biblical accounts like these concur with are in consumation of revealations earlier sent to the people concerned.
John the Baptist and Elij’ah
I have based my analysis of the subject of the coming back of John the Baptist on the concurrence between the Biblical revelations and the actual events that have been reported. The first promise to send a messanger before Jesus Christ appears to have come at the same time GOD promised the birth of Immanuel. For at that time it was written:
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And God said, Get ye a large flat piece of wood and on it write with a human pen, To Mah'er-shal'al-hash-baz2, and I will get myself faithful witnesses, Uria the Priest and Zacharias the son of Zebedekias to write prophesies. And the Woman Prophet will bear a male Child and God commanded me to call him Maher-shalal-hash-baz...Esaias 8:1-3
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[According to the Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001. Maher-shalal-hash-baz means "the spoil speeds, the prey hastens". Whereas, the WebBible encyclopedia gives the meaning of the name as " plunder speedeth; spoil hasteth"]2
In truth this prophecy was fulfilled at the time of the birth of John the Baptist Baptist for it is written:
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And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote saying, His name is John. And they marveled all...Luke 1:62-63.
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This is a coincidence that makes the apocalypse3 in Isaiah 8:1-3 directly connected to the conception of John the Baptist. For the mother was Prophetess Elizabeth married to the Priest Zachariah. And the name Maher-shalal-hash baz (the spoil speeds, the prey hastens)(plunder speedeth; spoil hasteth) is the synonym to the message intended to those to whom John was sent, for as earlier noted Israel was not to survive GOD's rath.
[Throughout the Biblical accounts, Priests Kings and Prophets have always been refered to directly when in marriage. No secret marriages have been implied anywhere. Nowhere in the bible is it even hinted that Isaiah wa married. Moreover, a prophetess is Woman prophet not by her marriage to a prophet. Now here is a coincidence that makes the apocalypse in Isaiah 8:1-3 directly connected to the conception of John the Baptist. For the mother was Prophetess Elizabeth married to a Priest Zacharia. And the name Maher-shalal-hash baz is the synonym to the message intended to those to whom John was sent.]3
And that Zacharias bore witness to the conception and birth of John the Baptist is written:
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And there appeared unto him an Angel of the LORD standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
But the Angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son and thou shalt call his name John...... Luke 1:11-14.
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A more direct promise of sending of the messanger Who was to come before the coming of Jesus Christ came at the time of Malachi when it was told and written:
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Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me ; and the LORD, who ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts....Malachi 3:1
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As to the confirmation that this messanger is John the Baptist we find that at Malachi's time it was further told and written:
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Behod, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse..........Malachi 4:5-6.
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This promise was confirmed at the conception of John the Baptist when the Angel Gabriel told Zachariah:
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But the Angel said unto him, Fear not, Zachariah: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son and thou shalt call his name John...... Luke 1:11-14.
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And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Eli'jah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the LORD....Luke 1:17.
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After his death John the Baptist in the spirit of Elijah appeared to Jesus Christ, Peter, James and John for it is written:
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And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James and John his brother, and bringeth them up unto an high mountain apart. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him........... Mathew 17:1-3.
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and where, in answer to a question by his disciples, Jesus Christ said:
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And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elijah is come already and they knew him not, but have done him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. ........Mathew 17:11-12.
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The death of John the Baptist
The blood of John the Baptist was spilled in the dirtiest and most treacherous and unacceptable of the entire criminal ways before God. Children are believed to be innocent before God for most are not knowledgeable of the evil secrets that plug the hearts of adults. The blame of John the Baptist’s blood was thrown at the innocence of a child by the conspiracy of adults; as Mathew tell us about the proceedings:
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For Herod himself had laid hold on John, and bound him and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake , his brother Philip’s wife ( for he had married her).
For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger.
And the king was sorry; nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at the meat, he commanded it to be given her.
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel; and she brought it to her mother........Mathew 14:3-11, Mark 6:17-28.
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Woe unto those who conspired to chop off John the Baptist’s head. And Believe me, Jesus our LORD rose from the Dead and to HIS Throne in heaven. But do you think John the Baptist perished into eternity.
The return of John the Baptist
It is not possible to speak of the return of John the Baptist without reviewing the Revelations that were before him.
There are events that happened before Jesus Christ was taken onto his Father [Rev 1:13-15] [Rev 4:2-3] in the spirit and those after he was taken onto his father to become one [Rev 12:5].
Before the latter, Jesus was given power and charge over the fate of all that would become of the World and its people. God had sealed this fate and Jesus Christ was the power to break the seals; for it is written:
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And I saw in the right hand of HIM that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals ...................Rev 5:1.
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And I beheld and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain.4, having seven Horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And he came and took the book out of the right hand of HIM that sat upon the throne ................Rev 5:6-7.
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[Every one of us accepts this as being a vision referring to our LORD Jesus Christ. Now you will later note a similar referrence that says: And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed; which is a referrence to John the Baptist.]4
Our Lord Jesus Christ as Son of man had truly Risen into the Spirit of God [Rev 1:10-18] and had gone to his Father in heaven [Rev: 4:1-11]. Jesus Christ was empowered by God the father to take Charge of all events of the world that had been SEALED by God. It is our Lord Jesus Christ who broke the Seals [Rev 5:1-7].
Now what went loose at the breaking of these Seals is much of what our minds can sit down and try to understand. One thing that we need to understand is that the seals had sealed ("locked") the fate of the World and its people. We as humans can only list some of the events in History corresponding to the Spiritual signs that appeared in the Revelation to Saint John the Apostle of Jesus Christ.
When the Lamb opened the first seal there appeared a sign that John tells in his revelations:
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And I saw the Lamb open one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
And I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.....................Rev 6:1-2.
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Now this is where we need to look back to see if this was really an event of our time or has yet to come. A spiritual White Charger with a crowned Rider must, by all intentions be a sign of a Nation with a Crown and the Blessings of GOD that goes out to conquer. And we are now 2002 years after the resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ and should happen to understand that this first Seal unleashed a Kingdom of Humans that went out to conquer. The United Kingdom did many things that mean the conquering of nearly the whole world. There also is the general white colonization of the world continents that are reflected under this sign.
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And when he opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.........................Rev 6:3-4.
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The second seal unleashed a red Horse and red signifies blood. And all the characteristics of the Rider point to global war, so it should not be surprising to say that the World wars, first and the second, came under the second seal that Our Lord Jesus Christ had to break.
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And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black Horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine....Rev 6:5-6.
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There are events that most probably are connected to this revelation. The United Nations was formed after the global conflagration and came as a meet for all nations to reconcile. All evils at heart had to be buried and enemies had to sit next to each other and accept and learn to live a new life of tolerance and truthfulness. There was GLOBAL peace and trade boomed amongst Nations. After the UN there was also liberation struggles and the sub sequent decolonization of black Africa. The sign sends the advent power and self-rule to the African continents.
The fourth seal unleashes a pale Horse whose Rider has no single particular specialty. Many hazards that come under this revelation reflect a normal human life in society with natural upheavals that occur from place to place and from time to time. There is both man made and natural disaster, disease and wild beasts. However all the forces are beyond human control.
Here one should note that the most obvious events have a global impact and records exist. For those events that are localized there is needed the experiences of those who witnessed or heard of them before one can fit them into the Revelations. But stay assured that the Revelations are true and we only need to hear of the related events to prove them. Occurrences like the discovery of and use the atom Bomb can not have passed unprophesied.
There is no prophecy that speaks of the coming of another son of God, so truly the appearance of the Woman travailing in pain to be delivered was a Sign in Heaven and not earthbound. The Woman pained to be delivered is an ominous sign that a new faith, begot of the Son of God Jesus, is imminent. It is at this time that Jesus Christ was joined in spirit to his Father to become ONE for it is written:
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And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all Nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was CAUGHT UP UNTO GOD, and to his throne..................Rev 12:5.
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This new faith had the symbol of the moon and stars, signifying peace and love, for it is written:
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And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars; And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.......................Rev 12:1-2.
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But there still was an injustice that threatened the righteousness of HIM who was just. The Blood of John the Baptist was crying for GOD's justice. It rose up in the spirit of the Red dragon, as it is written:
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And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads [Rev 12:3]
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and the strength of the spirit threatened all the diserving of the power of truth and justice for it is written:
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And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth; and the dragon stood before the woman which was to ready to be delivered , for to devour her child as soon as it was born.........................Rev 12:4.
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So justice was given to John the Baptist, the CRIME was thrown to the earth as it is written:
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And there was war in Heaven; Michael and his Angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out , that old Serpent, called the Devil, and satan, which decieveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast with him ..............Rev 12:7-9.
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And complete Salvation and strength were restored to the Kingdom of God and the power to His Christ for the Crime of John the Baptist’s blood had been cast to earth and to its perpetrators. And the brethen in heaven who the blood was accusing before God were cleansed of the blame; for it says:
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And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethen is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.....................Rev 12:10.
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NB. Every blood spilled on earth has a spiritual incarnation
in heaven, good or bad. Bollod spilled in sacrifices were recieved as cleansing
to those who offered it in prayer. The red dragon which is the spiritual
incarnation of John the Baptist’ blood is just like any other spiritual
incarnations of blood spilled on earth. But it was such an evil spirit that
represented a most devious conspiracy hatched by man against John using the
innocence of a child.
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And when the dragon saw that he was cast onto the earth, he persecuted the woman which had brought forth the man child..................Rev 12:13.
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So the new faith that was begot of the Son of God was sent to a world that had slain a Messiah of GOD,
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And the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent...........Rev 12:14.
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Is John the Baptist in Islam?
It is to everyones knowledge that the faith that is earthly and is using the symbols of the moon and the star is the Islamic faith.With the notion of "beasts" that we have from above, we find that it is written:
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And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power his seat and his authority..................13:2.
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And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed5; and all the world wondered after the beast...................13:3.
[Just like we accept that reference to the "Lamb that was slain" is an obvoius reference to our Lord Jesus Christ, this reference "one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed" is a reference to John the Baptist.]5
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so the beast to whom the red dragon relinquished power is in fact the Spiritual incarnation of John the Baptist for he is the Prophet whose head was inflicted with the fatal wound.
Then came a human incarnation of John the Baptist that went to the people for it is written:
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And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as the dragon.
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed........Rev 13:11-12.
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Now according to the revealations by Saint John the Apostle, this second beast has the number 666, and that actually this last beast is a man (a false Prophet....Rev16:13)
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Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is thenumber of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six...........Rev 13:18.
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Muhammad the Prophet of Islam was born in the 6th century after Christ. This accounts for the sixhundred, both in the Anno Domino count and the Anno Hegira count. According to many Muslim Historians Muhammad was born in 570 AD which corresponds to –35 years AH.. But there are lapses in this time count for one even boldly puts the date at 20th April 571. The Muslim calendar starts when Muhammad flew from Mecca to Medina in (September) 622 AD when he was 52 (AD) years old. This corresponds to the year 0 AH, and at this time Muhammad was then 53.62 (AH). Even though this is the year when the Muslim calendar began, the Calendar was introduced in 1938 so all time count was done backwards into history. And according to the Muslim Calendar, length of the year Anno Hegira (AH) is 11 days shorter than the Anno Domino (AD) calendar year. The computation from AD to AH can be done using the formula
AH=AD+((AD-622)/32)-622
An alternative formula can also be used to convert simple year numbers as in
AH=AD+AD/32
Now, Muhammad passed away in 634 at the age of 64 years, all in Gregorian years (AD). But using the last formula we see that he lived for
AH=64+64/32
= 66
in Islamic years (AH).
Therefore Muhammad lived for 66 years (AH), which accounts for the three score and six.
So Muhammad came in the power of John the Baptist as is written:
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And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed ................Rev 13:11-12.
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Like Moses, Muhammad was also given (popular Muslim belief) the Ten Commandments of God for the Holy Koran has the same commandments as the old testament.All this is in fulfillment of the teachings of our LORD Jesus Christ that none of us shall be redeemed unless we follow God’s Commandments; for it was written:
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And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
And he said unto him, Why callest me good? There is none good but one, that is God: but if you thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments..................Mathew 19:16-17.
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The faith in the
desert
The muslim rejection of our LORD JESUS CHRIST as the SON of GOD is legendry. To them HE is Issa son of Mariam. From here we find that the most obvious ANTI-CHRIST roots being exhibited.
The present Islamic faith therefore is in the Desert or Jungle (Revelations 12:6) because it rejects its HOST our LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON of GOD who was joined to the FATHER (in the spirit) at the inception of the faith.
JESUS CHRIST the SON was joined (in the spirit) to the FATHER to become one, and from this oneness was sent the HOLY SPIRIT so that whoever receives him shall know the secret of GOD.
The present Muslims do not know the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT. They get their blessings in the FATHER through a boon of the love of the FATHER to his Prophet John the Baptist who is “the Called in Love” and for that reason the Muslims were sent him in the name “the Honored” i.e. Muhammad.