Matthew 3:1–17 John the Baptist Prepares the Way

[Study Aired March 10, 2025]

Introduction

Today’s study is about John the Baptist and His ministry. It also highlights the baptism of Jesus by John in the river Jordan. The name John means Jehovah is gracious. In the Bible, gracious means to be kind, compassionate, and merciful. It can also mean to be generous, or to give goodness to others out of love. 

2Ki 13:23  And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet. 

Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 
Psa 145:9  The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Num 6:25  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 

The ministry of John therefore shows us the Lord’s compassion and His great mercy towards us, His elect, first, and then to the whole of the human race.

Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 
Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 
Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 
Luk 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 

The author of the Book of Matthew did not go into the details of how John the Baptist came from the wilderness to start preaching the word of the Lord about repentance. However, the Book of Luke goes into details of how He was born and what His ministry represents. This additional information is needed for us to understand what the ministry of John represents. 

Luk 1:5  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.
Luk 1:6  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
Luk 1:7  And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.
Luk 1:8  And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 
Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 
Luk 1:10  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. 
Luk 1:11  And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 
Luk 1:12  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 
Luk 1:13  But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. 
Luk 1:14  And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 
Luk 1:15  For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. 
Luk 1:16  And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 
Luk 1:17  And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 

What we can glean from this narrative by Luke is that John the Baptist’s ministry would attract many children of Israel as they repent and turn to the Lord. In Luke 1:17, we are told that he shall go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. When Elijah came on the scene, he proclaimed a drought over the land of Israel, and as a result there was no rain in the land for a period of three years. After that he pronounced abundance of rain over the land of Israel.   

1Ki 17:1  And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 

1Ki 17:7  And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. 

1Ki 18:1  And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.
1Ki 18:2  And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria. 

The ministry of John came at the time when the word of the Lord was rare in the land of Judaea. His message of Christ was the beginning of the abundance of rain in Judaea. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of the tender mercies of the Lord and the raising up of the horn of salvation for us, His elect. As a result, we no longer grope in darkness, but our feet are guided into the way of peace.

Luk 1:67  And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 
Luk 1:68  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 
Luk 1:69  And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 
Luk 1:70  As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 
Luk 1:71  That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 
Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 
Luk 1:73  The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 
Luk 1:74  That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 
Luk 1:75  In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 
Luk 1:76  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 
Luk 1:77  To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 
Luk 1:78  Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 
Luk 1:79  To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

As Jesus said, the ministry of John the Baptist marks the end of the law as he comes to prepare the way through repentance, facilitating Christ’s coming into our lives. 

Mat 11:12  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 
Mat 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 
Mat 11:14  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 
Mat 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

John the Baptist: Appearance on the Scene

Mat 3:1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, 
Mat 3:2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
Mat 3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 

John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judaea is to show us that the ministry of John is relevant to us at the time of our lives when we were in the world without hope as we were conforming to the standards of this world. We were therefore deprived of the word of the Lord which is the significance of the wilderness from which John came with his message. 

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

John the Baptist’s ministry therefore represents all those who came to us with the need to repent of our sins as a precondition for the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives for our salvation. As indicated in the introduction session, our repentance is the beginning of the mercy promised to our fathers.

Luk 1:72  To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 

In verse 2, we are informed that the reason that we have to repent is because the kingdom of Heaven is here with us. This kingdom of Heaven is the same as the kingdom of God. The question is, “What is the kingdom of Heaven?” It is the rule or reign of our Lord Jesus Christ as king in our lives and later the world at large. Thus, currently, the kingdom of Heaven is unseen as it is within the Lord’s elect that Jesus is exercising His kingship in our lives. 

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. 
Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 
Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. 
Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 

In the fullness of time, the kingdom of Heaven shall be known outwardly as it encompasses the whole world as the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

The kingdom of Heaven is therefore Christ coming to us with His judgment to cleanse us of all unrighteousness as He sits in the throne of our hearts and minds directing our affairs. John the Baptist therefore saying that we must repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand is to let us know that before we can experience Christ in our lives, we must first repent of our sins. We cannot repent of our sins if we do not know our sins. The main purpose of the Law of Moses is to let us know our sins so that we can repent. Knowing our sins and coming to repent of our sins is the whole essence of the ministry of John. John’s ministry therefore hinges on the Law of Moses, which is what the physical churches of this world, or Jerusalem which is in bondage with her children, practice. 

Rom 3:20  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (ESV)

John’s ministry was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah as shown in verse 3, which states that there is a voice of one crying in the wilderness that we should prepare the way of the Lord and make His paths straight. From verse 2, we can see that preparing the way of the Lord and making His paths straight means repenting from our sins. That is what paves the way for the Lord to come into our lives with His judgment to establish His kingdom within us.  

Act 3:19  Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 
Act 3:20  that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 
Act 3:21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

These verses show us that repentance is the necessary requirement for the Lord to come to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to restore all things in our lives. “Whom heaven must receive” in Acts 3:21 refers to Christ coming to establish His throne in the hearts and minds of His elect first, before the restoration of all things.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:   

Mat 3:4  And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. 

The description of John the Baptist’s garment together with the food that He ate shows us the kind of ministry that John was involved in. John was clothed in Camel’s hair. As we can see from the word of the Lord, garments represent righteousness. The Lord’s elect are clothed with a fine linen garment which represents the righteousness of the saints which is the righteousness of Christ imputed on us as we believe. 

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

Any other garment signifies our own righteousness which blocks out the righteousness of Christ just as the sackcloth of hair darkens the sun which symbolizes Christ. 

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 

John clothed in Camel’s hair therefore represents the self-righteousness which comes from the law of Moses which blocks out the righteousness of Christ. That is why Jesus, in making reference to John the Baptist, said that the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John. This is because the least in the kingdom of God bears the righteousness of Christ. John being the greatest among the prophets is to emphasize the fact that John saw Christ and preached Him even though He operated under the Law. 

Mat 11:11  Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Rom 10:5  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  

Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

John’s food of locusts and wild honey also shows us that John was not given to understand the strong meat of the word of the Lord which causes us to grow in Him. In other words, he understood the rudimentary gospel of Christ or the milk of the word of Christ. The fact that he ate wild honey is to suggest that it was the Lord and not man who gave him the understanding of Christ’s coming.

Lev 20:24  But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people. 

Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

John had a leather belt which suggests that he was given the truth of the rudimentary gospel of repentance. This distinguishes him from the false apostles of Babylon who propagate false doctrines.

Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 

Mat 3:5  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 
Mat 3:6  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. 

As indicated earlier, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied concerning the ministry of John that it would attract a great following from Jerusalem and all of Judaea. In other words, John’s message of repentance to prepare for Christ’s coming into our lives with its attendant baptism is very attractive to our brothers and sisters in Babylon, who consider salvation as repentance from our sins and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior. However, many do not understand the ministry of John in the sense that he was only emphasizing repentance as the beginning of the process of knowing Christ and not an end in itself, as we shall see later. 

Repentance only paves the way for the coming of Jesus Christ with His judgment to come into our lives. Christ coming to us with His judgment is the message of the cross which many are not ready to accept. It is only the Lord’s elect who are granted to accept this. This is what Paul had to say: 

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 
1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 
1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The physical Jews look for signs, and we, the gentiles (Greeks), look for wisdom. Our message of the Lord’s judgment of our flesh to make us His sons is therefore a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the gentiles. However, to the Lord’s elect, this is the wisdom of God.    

Mat 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 
Mat 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 
Mat 3:9  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

Here in these verses, John was warning the Pharisees and Sadducees that it is not enough to repent from our sins. We must go further to bring forth fruits that commensurate with our repentance. As we are aware, the Pharisees and the Sadducees represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who think that by repenting, they can escape the wrath of God to come. Bringing forth fruits in accordance with repentance is attained through the unleashing of the wrath of God through His judgment of our old man or flesh. This is not acceptable to our brothers and sisters in Babylon who think they have fled from the Lord’s wrath already. The truth of the Lord’s words is that all humanity are recipients of the Lord’s wrath. Some in this life and others in an age to come. 

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

John also warned the Pharisees and Sadducees that they should not consider that since Abraham was their father, they are destined for the Lord’s salvation. This is because the Lord is able to raise stones to become children of Abraham. Here John was hinting of the Lord raising up the gentiles to become part of the commonwealth of Israel. 

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

Mat 3:10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 
Mat 3:11  I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 
Mat 3:12  Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. 

In these verses, John is revealing to us the judgment of the Lord when He comes to us, following repentance, to make us learn righteousness.

Everything within us that does not glorify the Lord in our lives is destroyed by the fire of His words. As John declared, our sins are like chaff which must be burnt with the fire of God’s word, causing us to be gathered as wheat into the Lord’s barn. 

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. 
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.   

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

In verse 11, John stated that the Lord is the one who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Just as the Lord sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to the disciples to strengthen them, He is doing the same to us as we are given the Holy spirit to guide us into all truth. Baptizing us with fire entails going through the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh, resulting in us learning righteousness.  

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

The Baptism of Jesus

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 
Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 
Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. 

Spiritually, baptism signifies the dying of self in Christ and walking in the newness of the life of Christ. It therefore means death and resurrection. Jesus coming from Galilee to be baptized by John is therefore portraying how Christ will come and die for our sins and be raised up by God to serve as the source of salvation for the elect first and later the rest of the world. Jesus submitting to John’s baptism was therefore to complete all righteousness. Our dying to the flesh and walking in the newness of life is therefore what completes the righteousness of Christ in us.   

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Mat 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 
Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

It is instructive to note that it was through the baptism of Jesus that the heavens opened to him as He saw the spirit of God descending upon him like a dove and resting on him. As He is, so are we in this world. As we continue to die to the flesh and walk in the newness of life, our heavens will continue to be opened as the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. That is when we are assured within our hearts and minds that we are the beloved of our Lord Jesus in whom He is well pleased. We are indeed blessed of the Lord to be given eyes to see and ears to hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  

The question that comes to mind is that “Should we physically be baptized just like Jesus?” The answer is definitely, no. This is because it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh profits nothing. In other words, physical baptism profits nothing. It is spiritual baptism that counts, that is, dying spiritually and being raised to life in Christ. No wonder Jesus never baptized anybody. We, the Lord’s elect, are the ones who are worshiping the Lord in truth and in spirit.

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.   

May His Name be praised for counting us worthy to open our eyes to see and ears to hear!! Amen!!   

Hello,

Would you have knowledge of whether there is any information on record of what happened to Elizabeth and Zacharias after John’s circumcision while he was growing up?

Luke states how John grew then went into the desert…But what did he do while growing?

Also what ever happened to his parents?

Appreciate any information or direction…Thank you,

S___

Hi S____,

Thank you for your question concerning John and his parents.

We are told that John’s father, Zacharias, was a priest who ministered at the temple in Jerusalem, so we know that much about what John’s father Zacharias did. There is absolutely no reason given in scripture to assume that Zacharias did not continue his priestly duties.

Luk 1:5  There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

Luk 1:8  And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course, 
Luk 1:9  According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Here is all we are told about the life of John:

Luk 1:80  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel. 

Here is Matthew’s account of John:

Mat 3:3  For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mat 3:4  And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
Mat 3:5  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
Mat 3:6  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Here is what Mark tells us about John:

Mar 1:2  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 
Mar 1:3  The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
Mar 1:4  John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Mar 1:5  And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
Mar 1:6  And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
Mar 1:7  And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
Mar 1:8  I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

And finally, we have the apostle John’s account of John the baptist:

Joh 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Joh 1:7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Joh 1:8  He [John] was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

This is all we are told about what John did before he ‘showed himself to Israel’:

Luk 1:80  And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Many people also wonder what Christ did as a child. The only thing we know about His life before his ministry began at “about 30 years of age” is that at 12 years of age He stayed behind in the temple after His parents left to go back home.

The Bible gives the briefest sketch as a history book, simply because history is not its main objective. Its main objective is to tell us what God is doing with mankind and to introduce mankind to God and His son Jesus Christ, through the faith of Jesus Christ within us:

Pro 16:4  The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Pro 16:5  Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Pro 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

Ecc 1:13 I applied my heart to inquiring and exploring by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: it is an experience of evil Elohim has given to the sons of humanity to humble them by it. (CLV)

Ecc 12:13  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Dan 4:17  This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

This is what the word of God is all about, and any history of the lives of anyone in scripture is solely for the purpose of teaching us that God is sovereign, that He has made us in a marred condition right from “the hand of the Potter”, and that He is in the process of humbling every man who has ever lived and bringing “all in Adam” back to him “after the counsel of His own will”.

I will close this e-mail with one more verse of scripture which we strive to obey as we answer every question that comes before us on iswasandwillbe.com. Here is that verse of scripture:

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.

There is nothing wrong with wondering about these things. I wonder about matters like this myself. But I never quote extra Biblical sources like the so-called ‘church fathers’ concerning Biblical doctrine,because of this admonition “not to go beyond the things which are written” in the scriptures themselves.

I hope this helps you to see why I have only given you “what is written” in answer to your question.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike

Rev 1:9, Part 1 – John is our Companion in Tribulation

[Updated September 1, 2023]

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Introduction

In this verse we will see that the apostle John symbolizes our brother in Christ who is a “companion in tribulation.” We will see in this study that there are many symbols in this prophecy of just who our “companions in tribulation” are and who has “the testimony of Jesus Christ.” We will also learn that the people who persecute God’s prophets and apostles, and His elect down through the years, have always been “they of His own household.”

Mat 10:36  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

As always we will be reminded that we are to keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book and the words written therein:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein:for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

This ninth verse of this first chapter is part of “what is written therein”, and it is part of “the sayings of the prophecy of this book, [and] the time is [certainly] at hand” for us all to “keep what is written therein.”

This is a “signified” book:

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Who does John symbolize?

Is it God’s intention that we read, “[John is] also our brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, and was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ” just as an historical fact, or is it God’s intention that you and I keep these words in our own lives? As with every word of “the sayings of the prophecy of this book”, when we find out who is the principle involved, we will see that “in Christ” we are the principle of this book, and every word is for us individually. What we are about to see is that “our brother in tribulation” is all who are truly in Christ. We are about to see that those who are “in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” are all those truly in Christ and who have Christ in them.  We will learn that the apostle John is as much a symbol in this book as are any other of the signs and symbols of this “revelation of Jesus Christ.” We will see that this “revelation of Jesus Christ” is the revelation of Jesus Christ within all who “keep those things which are written therein.” The apostle John, as we will see, is symbolic of and “signifies” God’s elect who “keep the sayings of this book.” Look at these confirming verses:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

In other words, ‘The kingdom is already here in those who are in that kingdom.’ How else can Christ possibly say “for the time is at hand… Behold, I come quickly… This generation will not pass till all these things shall be fulfilled?” All these statements we have just covered when we were studying verse 4:

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

When we studied verse 4 we demonstrated that “the kingdom of God is within you” and “this generation” is always referring to the time of the reading of these “words which are written therein”, words which “are, were, and will be” words which will never pass away.

Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

John tells us who he symbolizes when he tells us that he is ‘the servant of Jesus Christ, who bares record of the word of God and that he has the testimony of Jesus Christ.’ As we are about to see, these are all qualities which signify God’s elect.

What generation is “this generation,” and what are “the last days?”

If “all these things” are not inward and if “this generation” is not referring to the generation reading “this book”, then Christ lied to His disciples because the generation He lived in has passed, and He has not yet appeared to rule over the kingdoms of this world. Of course Christ did not lie, and the apostles did experience “all these things” as John explains here in Revelation 1:3 and 22:7 and as Peter explains to us in the book of Acts:

Act 2:16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Act 2:17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Act 2:18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Act 2:19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Act 2:20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

Here is Peter, an apostle of Christ, telling us that the events surrounding the day of Pentecost are the fulfillment of Joel 2:

Joe 2:30  And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
Joe 2:31  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Joe 2:32  And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

I remember as if it were just yesterday, telling another brother, “There were no heavenly signs on the day of Pentecost!” Much of the orthodox Christian world wonders why Peter made such a statement and most of the commentaries attempt to explain this as the beginning of “the last days” which will culminate with these “wonders in the heavens and in the earth.” They all take note that these signs were not fulfilled on the day of Pentecost, and many commentators attempt to apply these words to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Here are a typical few of the commentaries on these verses:

“Much of the difficulty of interpreting these verses consists in affixing the proper meaning to the expression “ that great and notable day of the Lord.” If it be limited to the day of Pentecost, it is certain that no such events occurred at that time.” (Barnes)

“Act 2:19  I will show wonders – It is likely that both the prophet and the apostle refer to the calamities that fell upon the Jews at the destruction of Jerusalem, and the fearful signs and portents that preceded those calamities.” (Clark)

“The destruction of Jerusalem, which was about forty years after Christ’s death, is here called that great and notable day of the Lord, because it put a final period to the Mosaic economy; the Levitical priesthood and the ceremonial law were thereby for ever abolished and done away.” (Henry)

 “This may refer either to the appearance of angels, and of an extraordinary star at the birth of Christ; or rather to comets and blazing stars, and particularly to that comet which, in the form of a flaming sword, hung over Jerusalem, and the forms of armies in the heavens engaged together, which were seen before, and portended the destruction of that city:” [In 70 A. D.] (Gill).

The sun being darkened is used throughout the Old Testament signifying God’s judgments upon ancient Israel:

Isa 24:23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

Jer 15:5 For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?
Jer 15:6 Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

Jer 15:9 She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.

Eze 32:7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
Eze 32:8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.

The sun being darkened signifies us being brought to our wits’ end as the Lord lovingly drags us to Himself. The sun being darkened and the moon being turned to blood are His wonderful works to the children of men:

Psa 107:18 Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
Psa 107:19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psa 107:21 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psa 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.
Psa 107:23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;
Psa 107:24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.
Psa 107:25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.
Psa 107:27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
Psa 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.
Psa 107:29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.
Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psa 107:31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

All of that is “the goodness of God [which] leads [us] to repentance”:

Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

What and where is heaven?

Barnes says “it is certain that no such events occurred at that time,” and the other three, without coming out and saying so, agree with Barnes by placing the fulfillment of these verses 37 to 40 years later at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D. We will not go into all of the many scriptures on this subject at this point, but what these commentators and all historical, orthodox, Christian doctrines are lacking is the realization that both ‘heaven’ and “the kingdom of God” are within God’s elect at this time. This is not idle speculation, but it is spiritual understanding which the natural man cannot receive:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Read What and Where Is Heaven? on iswasandwillbe.com to see where the scriptures place heaven. As that paper demonstrates, God “dwells in heaven.” He “dwells in His people” who are being cleansed and purged of sin in their lives day by day. So we are told:

Job 15:15  Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

1Ki 8:30  And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.

God’s dwelling place is in heaven. Where is that “dwelling place?”

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

So both God and His kingdom are “in heaven…within you” His people, and when the apostle Peter quotes the prophet Joel and tells us “This is what was spoken of by Joel” and “I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come” Peter did not say, “40 years hence, this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel will come to pass.” Peter knew that Christ has said this “generation shall not pass away till all these things shall be fulfilled.” A generation is not forty years later. Christ Himself taught “The kingdom of God is at hand…it is within you.” Not one orthodox commentator is aware of these plain Biblical truths which reveal that the prophecy of Joel is, was, and will continue to be fulfilled within the hearts and minds and in the inward heavens and the inward earthen vessels of God’s elect:

2Co 4:6  For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

“This treasure…the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” is not billions of miles away. It is “within you” if you are in Christ and He is within you.

So who does the apostle John “signify” and symbolize? He tells us who he symbolizes. The apostle John symbolizes “your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” Where is that kingdom? It “is within you” (Luk 17:21), and that is why you and I are instructed to “keep the words that are written therein.”

John symbolizes our elect brothers, in every generation, who have “the testimony of [the true] Jesus.”

How important is it to be patient in the kingdom of God within you at this particular time? Here is just how important “the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” is at this time:

Luk 21:16  And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Luk 21:17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.
Luk 21:18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

The unknown, “is, was, and will be” character of the Word of God

Christ said, “They will cause some of you to be put to death… but there shall not an hair of your head perish.” He also tells us, “There is none righteous, no not one…God is not mocked, what a man sows he will reap… we are all by nature children of wrath even as others,” and then in the same breath, says we are called to be “saved from the wrath to come.” That is the character of God’s ‘is, was, and will be word. We are all wretched, miserable and naked sinners before we are dragged to Christ. That is the character of God’s word which while “revealing the invisible things of God, even his godhead, by the things that are made” yet teaches only by understanding those “things that are made” as spiritual types of spiritual realities.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

“Not an hair of our heads shall perish” simply because we will be given life through death.

Joh 12:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb_2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

He saves us from the fiery furnace through that fiery furnace; from the lion’s den, through the lion’s den; from the flood, through the flood, from death “through death;” and He saves us from the wrath to come by going through wrath first.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled

It should be obvious that all these apparently contradictory situations are primarily spiritual statements which will always produce an outward manifestation. If you really are dying daily to the flesh, then you will automatically find that you simply do not fit into the affairs of this age. This predicament requires “the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ” and “in your patience possess ye your souls.”

Who exiled John to Patmos?

Knowing these things, we must come to realize where this places us regarding our closest “brothers, kinfolks and friends.” We were just told in Luke 21 who was responsible for sending John, the symbol of God’s elect, to the isle that is called Patmos:

Luk 21:16  (a) And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends…

Who killed Abel? It was his own brother! Who persecuted the son of the free woman? It was his own brother! Who sold Joseph into slavery? It was His own brothers! Who killed Christ? It was you and me, His own brothers! Who then is responsible for the exile of the man who was apparently the last remaining of Christ’s twelve original apostles? Was it the Romans? Was it the Jews, or was it John’s own spiritual brothers in Christ, “coming behind in no gift… yet carnal?” (1Co 1:7, 1Co 3:1-4). It was, no doubt, the very people to whom John had been ministering.

Conclusion

Today’s study has been a preparation for the revelations we will cover in the next study. We have begun to see that the apostle John is as much a sign as any other word in this book of signs and symbols. We have begun to see that the apostle John is typical of all “our brothers and our companions in tribulation” in Christ who have the testimony of the true Jesus Christ.

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

In order to follow through with understanding who John symbolizes, it was necessary to be reminded of  what the scriptures mean by the phrase “this generation” and what is meant by the phrase “the last days” and what the scriptures mean by the word “heaven.” Not understanding these phrases and words keeps the words of this prophecy from being understood as these symbols are all meant to be understood.

We have also only begun to understand who it was that exiled John, a type of you and me, to the Isle of Patmos, which is just another way of saying that “the bodies of God’s witnesses lie dead in the streets of that great city.”

Next study we will discover much more of the depth of where understanding these symbols leads us. What we will learn is that these things must all take place within us and that we must “live by and keep, every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” It is a wonderful, beautiful revelation which brings forth a glorious spiritual life at the expense of all the things of the flesh.