John 1:25-28
This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.
In the previous post, we covered John 1:19-24. Here was the conclusion:
The Pharisees sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John the Baptist if he was Elijah or a prophet. John denied being Elijah or a prophet, but instead quoted Isaiah 40:3...which alluded to him being "Elijah" and a prophet.
Today's post is a Friday post and contains important information. Consequently, this post is longer...
John 1
"25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet?"
(The Jews made converts through a ceremonial cleansing that could be called "baptism". The issue here was that John did this without an order from the religious leaders...the Pharisees and Sadducees of the Sanhedrin. The religious leaders essentially stated the only people who could ceremonially cleanse new converts was the Messiah, Elijah, or a prophet. Was John the Baptist doing something against The Law?)
"26 John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not,"
(John stated he ceremonial cleansed with water...and implied he was doing it by the Law...which meant he was the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet. John even stated that these religious leaders did not know who John the Baptist was. This was John's hint that he was the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet...)
"27 even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose."
(John the Baptist removed "the Messiah" as one of the options with this statement. John the Baptist was implying he was "Elijah" and/or a prophet. Remember from yesterday's post (John 1:19-24), John the Baptist was asked an open-ended question as to his identity. His direct answer that he initiated was to state he was not the Christ. Later, John the Baptist alluded to being "Elijah" and a prophet when he initiated an answer by quoting Isaiah 40:3. However, in between these two answers, John the Baptist was asked two close-ended (yes/no) questions: Are you Elijah? Are you a prophet? John answered "no" to both...but he did not initiate these answers...)
"28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
(John the Disciple of Christ gave the location for the events that were documented. At face value, these verses are confusing because John the Baptist stated he was NOT "Elijah" and he was NOT a prophet. Yet, only the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet could lawfully baptize new converts without the approval of the Sanhedrin. So, it looked as if John the Baptist did NOT keep The Law.)
MINI-CONCLUSION
It looked as if either:
1. John the Baptist broke The Law because he was NOT "Elijah" and/or NOT a prophet...OR...
2. John the Baptist "lied" about being "Elijah" and/or a prophet...which meant he broke The Law by lying.
First, let's resolve the issue of whether John the Baptist was "Elijah" and/or a prophet. Here were Jesus' Words from Matthew 11:
"7 And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in king's houses.
9 But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet."
(Jesus stated John the Baptist was a prophet!)
"10 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come."
(Jesus stated John the Baptist was "Elijah"!)
"15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:7-15)
So, our issue becomes option #2 from our MINI-CONCLUSION:
2. John the Baptist "lied" about being "Elijah" and/or a prophet...which meant he broke The Law by lying...unless there was another reason John the Baptist "lied"...
We have covered the following huge conclusions in a long post titled, "Prophets":
1. Prophets speak for the benefit of a group of people.
2. Prophets do NOT speak for their own benefit.
3. Prophets are determined by the Right HOW/WHY...the WHAT is NOT the key to determining if someone is a prophet or not.
CONCLUSION
John the Baptist could NOT state he was "Elijah" and a prophet even when he was asked direct close-ended questions because it would have been a Wrong HOW/WHY. John would have been speaking for his own benefit and facilitating his own purpose and progress.
KEY DOCTRINE
The Messiah and prophets can NOT facilitate their own purpose and progress.
Jesus could NOT state, "I am the Son of God".
John the Baptist could NOT state, "I am Elijah. I am a prophet."
John the Baptist essentially told the religious leaders they didn't know this key Doctrine when they directly asked him if he was the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet. Remember, John the Baptist's answers were to close-ended questions that John did NOT initiate. When John the Baptist was asked open-ended questions he initiated two responses:
1. He denied being the Christ
2. He quoted scripture alluding to being "Elijah" and a prophet.
The ONLY answer that results in Jesus NOT being wrong and John the Baptist NOT being wrong is:
"John the Baptist was "Elijah" and a prophet, however, he couldn't state this even when he was asked direct close-ended questions because that would have been violating God's Will relative to prophets (and the Messiah): they could not facilitate their own purpose and progress.
BONUS DISCUSSION
The rest of this post covers the incidents in the Bible where prophets testified about being a prophet. There was only once incident in God's Word where a prophet stated he was a prophet, but as you will see, it was NOT to facilitate his own purpose and progress because it was to a group of people who wanted to kill him if he was a prophet of God!
These first two examples were of people claiming to be prophets in order to facilitate their own purpose and progress. Notice that lying and fornication were associated with these people:
"And he said unto him, I also am a prophet as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him." (I Kings 13:18)
"But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols." (Revelation 2:20)
The closest example of a person calling himself a prophet who was actually a prophet was Elijah. However, it was stated in conjunction with establishing to the people the choice they had to make. It was done for the benefit of others:
"20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said, How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, am left a prophet of Jehovah; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.
24 And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. " (I Kings 18:20-24)
Notice, Elijah's statement would result in being killed by Ahab and the people if God didn't come to Elijah's aid. Also, Elijah stated this so that the people could make a clear choice. Elijah did this for the benefit of everyone else because Elijah alone was already following God.
This is a key point: The prophet NEVER personally benefited from being a prophet. Balaam tried to do this and he was killed by the Israelites when they destroyed Bashan. Balaam was also mentioned as an example of sin.
"15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; " (2 Peter 2:15)
"11 Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. " (Jude 1:11)
"14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication." (Revelation 2:14)
In the Bible, prophets NEVER personally benefited from their gift. For example, Elisha healed Naaman and refused to take anything. However, Elisha's helper (Gehazi) wanted to benefit:
"21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.
23 And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow." (2 Kings 5:21-27)
Daniel also refused to benefit from Belshazzar:
"16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." (Daniel 5:16-17)
Elisha said he was a prophet indirectly:
"8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." (2 Kings 5:8)
Here were examples where God was the one that testified that someone was a prophet:
"5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)
"5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them." (Ezekiel 2:5)
"33 And when this cometh to pass, (behold, it cometh,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them." (Ezekiel 33:33)
Sometimes, the prophet plainly stated he was not a prophet and credited God with everything:
"14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees:
15 and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. " (Amos 7:14-15)
Sometimes it was stated in the third person:
"1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see." (Habakkuk 1:1)
"3 Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying," (Haggai 1:3)
Zechariah prophesied about prophets saying they were not prophets:
"4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
5 but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondman from my youth. " (Zechariah 13:4-5)
The bottom-line is in the Bible: JUSTIFYING YOURSELF IS WRONG
Here are some examples:
ANTI-CHRIST
Daniel 8
"11 Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host; and it took away from him the continual burnt-offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was affrighted, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for the vision belongeth to the time of the end.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end.
20 The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 And as for that which was broken, in the place whereof four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.
25 And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in their security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." (Daniel 8:11-25)
SATAN
Isaiah 14
"13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14)
Ezekiel 28
"1 The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art man, and not God, though thou didst set thy heart as the heart of God;-
3 behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from thee;
4 by thy wisdom and by thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures;
5 by thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches;-
6 therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast set thy heart as the heart of God,
7 therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
8 They shall bring thee down to the pit; and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain, in the heart of the seas.
9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou art man, and not God, in the hand of him that woundeth thee.
10 Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah.
11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou wast in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared.
14 Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth: and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee.
16 By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 By the multitude of thine iniquities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic, thou hast profaned thy sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of thee; it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the peoples shall be astonished at thee: thou art become a terror, and thou shalt nevermore have any being." (Ezekiel 28:1-19)
JOSEPH SMITH (Mormon Founder)
Josiah Quincy spent two days in Nauvoo. He followed the Prophet Joseph around. He noted the power and influence of the Prophet as he walked among the people. It was then that Quincy said, "General Smith, it seems to me that you have too much power to be safely trusted in one man."
Joseph replied, "In your hands, or that of any other man, so much power would no doubt be dangerous. I am the only man in the world whom it would be safe to trust with it. Remember, I am a prophet."
MUHAMMED
On the newsgroup (discussion forum) soc.religion.islam somebody mentioned a saying by Muhammad:
"Kull ul-Nabîyîna Ana" (I am all the Prophets).
Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Apostle of God, to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in God and His Apostle, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in God and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided." S. 7:158
JESUS
Jesus didn't say He was the Son of God using those EXACT words because it would be exalting Himself. Most importantly, God said it:
"16 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' (Matthew 3:16-17)
"9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him:
11 And a voice came out of the heavens, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." (Mark 1:9-11)
"21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22)
Were these people calling God the Father a liar? Even Muslims have to agree with God the Father...
As we go through this year's Series, we will see the lengths Jesus went to in order to avoid stating directly (plainly) He was the Son of God...while also alluding to the fact He was the Son of God. Here were some examples of the indirect statements from Jesus:
"22 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him. " (Luke 10:22)
"61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and saith unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
63 And the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What further need have we of witnesses?
64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be worthy of death. " (Mark 14:61-62)
"28 Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28)
This was the last verse of chapter 16. Here was how chapter 17 began:
"1 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:
2 and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.
3 And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
4 And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
5 While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, save Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead." (Matthew 17:1-9)
There was a very important passage in Philippians about how Jesus didn't exalt Himself as God AS A CAUSE. Instead, His cause was to humble Himself...and He was exalted by God as an EFFECT. Paul stated Jesus COULD HAVE attained this exaltation as a CAUSE, but did not...how much more ought we to humble ourselves and let God the Father flow through us (like Jesus stated He did in John 8:28). Here's the passage:
"5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;
8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name;
10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)
This passage proved GRACE is the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life. We aren't good as a cause...as an effort. We are good as an effect of humbling ourselves and letting God work through us.
CONCLUSION: True prophets and the Son of God DO NOT exalt themselves. False prophets and false messiahs exalt themselves.
In the previous post, we covered John 1:19-24. Here was the conclusion:
The Pharisees sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John the Baptist if he was Elijah or a prophet. John denied being Elijah or a prophet, but instead quoted Isaiah 40:3...which alluded to him being "Elijah" and a prophet.
Today's post is a Friday post and contains important information. Consequently, this post is longer...
John 1
"25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, neither Elijah, neither the prophet?"
(The Jews made converts through a ceremonial cleansing that could be called "baptism". The issue here was that John did this without an order from the religious leaders...the Pharisees and Sadducees of the Sanhedrin. The religious leaders essentially stated the only people who could ceremonially cleanse new converts was the Messiah, Elijah, or a prophet. Was John the Baptist doing something against The Law?)
"26 John answered them, saying, I baptize in water: in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not,"
(John stated he ceremonial cleansed with water...and implied he was doing it by the Law...which meant he was the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet. John even stated that these religious leaders did not know who John the Baptist was. This was John's hint that he was the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet...)
"27 even he that cometh after me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose."
(John the Baptist removed "the Messiah" as one of the options with this statement. John the Baptist was implying he was "Elijah" and/or a prophet. Remember from yesterday's post (John 1:19-24), John the Baptist was asked an open-ended question as to his identity. His direct answer that he initiated was to state he was not the Christ. Later, John the Baptist alluded to being "Elijah" and a prophet when he initiated an answer by quoting Isaiah 40:3. However, in between these two answers, John the Baptist was asked two close-ended (yes/no) questions: Are you Elijah? Are you a prophet? John answered "no" to both...but he did not initiate these answers...)
"28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing."
(John the Disciple of Christ gave the location for the events that were documented. At face value, these verses are confusing because John the Baptist stated he was NOT "Elijah" and he was NOT a prophet. Yet, only the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet could lawfully baptize new converts without the approval of the Sanhedrin. So, it looked as if John the Baptist did NOT keep The Law.)
MINI-CONCLUSION
It looked as if either:
1. John the Baptist broke The Law because he was NOT "Elijah" and/or NOT a prophet...OR...
2. John the Baptist "lied" about being "Elijah" and/or a prophet...which meant he broke The Law by lying.
First, let's resolve the issue of whether John the Baptist was "Elijah" and/or a prophet. Here were Jesus' Words from Matthew 11:
"7 And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind?
8 But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft raiment are in king's houses.
9 But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet."
(Jesus stated John the Baptist was a prophet!)
"10 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and men of violence take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah, that is to come."
(Jesus stated John the Baptist was "Elijah"!)
"15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matthew 11:7-15)
So, our issue becomes option #2 from our MINI-CONCLUSION:
2. John the Baptist "lied" about being "Elijah" and/or a prophet...which meant he broke The Law by lying...unless there was another reason John the Baptist "lied"...
We have covered the following huge conclusions in a long post titled, "Prophets":
1. Prophets speak for the benefit of a group of people.
2. Prophets do NOT speak for their own benefit.
3. Prophets are determined by the Right HOW/WHY...the WHAT is NOT the key to determining if someone is a prophet or not.
CONCLUSION
John the Baptist could NOT state he was "Elijah" and a prophet even when he was asked direct close-ended questions because it would have been a Wrong HOW/WHY. John would have been speaking for his own benefit and facilitating his own purpose and progress.
KEY DOCTRINE
The Messiah and prophets can NOT facilitate their own purpose and progress.
Jesus could NOT state, "I am the Son of God".
John the Baptist could NOT state, "I am Elijah. I am a prophet."
John the Baptist essentially told the religious leaders they didn't know this key Doctrine when they directly asked him if he was the Messiah, "Elijah", and/or a prophet. Remember, John the Baptist's answers were to close-ended questions that John did NOT initiate. When John the Baptist was asked open-ended questions he initiated two responses:
1. He denied being the Christ
2. He quoted scripture alluding to being "Elijah" and a prophet.
The ONLY answer that results in Jesus NOT being wrong and John the Baptist NOT being wrong is:
"John the Baptist was "Elijah" and a prophet, however, he couldn't state this even when he was asked direct close-ended questions because that would have been violating God's Will relative to prophets (and the Messiah): they could not facilitate their own purpose and progress.
BONUS DISCUSSION
The rest of this post covers the incidents in the Bible where prophets testified about being a prophet. There was only once incident in God's Word where a prophet stated he was a prophet, but as you will see, it was NOT to facilitate his own purpose and progress because it was to a group of people who wanted to kill him if he was a prophet of God!
These first two examples were of people claiming to be prophets in order to facilitate their own purpose and progress. Notice that lying and fornication were associated with these people:
"And he said unto him, I also am a prophet as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him." (I Kings 13:18)
"But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols." (Revelation 2:20)
The closest example of a person calling himself a prophet who was actually a prophet was Elijah. However, it was stated in conjunction with establishing to the people the choice they had to make. It was done for the benefit of others:
"20 So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto mount Carmel.
21 And Elijah came near unto all the people, and said, How long go ye limping between the two sides? if Jehovah be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.
22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, am left a prophet of Jehovah; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.
23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under.
24 And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. " (I Kings 18:20-24)
Notice, Elijah's statement would result in being killed by Ahab and the people if God didn't come to Elijah's aid. Also, Elijah stated this so that the people could make a clear choice. Elijah did this for the benefit of everyone else because Elijah alone was already following God.
This is a key point: The prophet NEVER personally benefited from being a prophet. Balaam tried to do this and he was killed by the Israelites when they destroyed Bashan. Balaam was also mentioned as an example of sin.
"15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; " (2 Peter 2:15)
"11 Woe unto them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. " (Jude 1:11)
"14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication." (Revelation 2:14)
In the Bible, prophets NEVER personally benefited from their gift. For example, Elisha healed Naaman and refused to take anything. However, Elisha's helper (Gehazi) wanted to benefit:
"21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw one running after him, he alighted from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there are come to me from the hill-country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets; give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of raiment.
23 And Naaman said, Be pleased to take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of raiment, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
24 And when he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.
25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
26 And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and men-servants and maid-servants?
27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow." (2 Kings 5:21-27)
Daniel also refused to benefit from Belshazzar:
"16 But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation." (Daniel 5:16-17)
Elisha said he was a prophet indirectly:
"8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel." (2 Kings 5:8)
Here were examples where God was the one that testified that someone was a prophet:
"5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)
"5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them." (Ezekiel 2:5)
"33 And when this cometh to pass, (behold, it cometh,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them." (Ezekiel 33:33)
Sometimes, the prophet plainly stated he was not a prophet and credited God with everything:
"14 Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was a herdsman, and a dresser of sycomore-trees:
15 and Jehovah took me from following the flock, and Jehovah said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. " (Amos 7:14-15)
Sometimes it was stated in the third person:
"1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see." (Habakkuk 1:1)
"3 Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet, saying," (Haggai 1:3)
Zechariah prophesied about prophets saying they were not prophets:
"4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he prophesieth; neither shall they wear a hairy mantle to deceive:
5 but he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the ground; for I have been made a bondman from my youth. " (Zechariah 13:4-5)
The bottom-line is in the Bible: JUSTIFYING YOURSELF IS WRONG
Here are some examples:
ANTI-CHRIST
Daniel 8
"11 Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host; and it took away from him the continual burnt-offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.
12 And the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered.
13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
15 And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
16 And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.
17 So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was affrighted, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man; for the vision belongeth to the time of the end.
18 Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me, and set me upright.
19 And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation; for it belongeth to the appointed time of the end.
20 The ram which thou sawest, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia.
21 And the rough he-goat is the king of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.
22 And as for that which was broken, in the place whereof four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not with his power.
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy people.
25 And through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in their security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." (Daniel 8:11-25)
SATAN
Isaiah 14
"13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14)
Ezekiel 28
"1 The word of Jehovah came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art man, and not God, though thou didst set thy heart as the heart of God;-
3 behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from thee;
4 by thy wisdom and by thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures;
5 by thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches;-
6 therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast set thy heart as the heart of God,
7 therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.
8 They shall bring thee down to the pit; and thou shalt die the death of them that are slain, in the heart of the seas.
9 Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but thou art man, and not God, in the hand of him that woundeth thee.
10 Thou shalt die the death of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah.
11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
12 Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.
13 Thou wast in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared.
14 Thou wast the anointed cherub that covereth: and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till unrighteousness was found in thee.
16 By the abundance of thy traffic they filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore have I cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17 Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I have cast thee to the ground; I have laid thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
18 By the multitude of thine iniquities, in the unrighteousness of thy traffic, thou hast profaned thy sanctuaries; therefore have I brought forth a fire from the midst of thee; it hath devoured thee, and I have turned thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.
19 All they that know thee among the peoples shall be astonished at thee: thou art become a terror, and thou shalt nevermore have any being." (Ezekiel 28:1-19)
JOSEPH SMITH (Mormon Founder)
Josiah Quincy spent two days in Nauvoo. He followed the Prophet Joseph around. He noted the power and influence of the Prophet as he walked among the people. It was then that Quincy said, "General Smith, it seems to me that you have too much power to be safely trusted in one man."
Joseph replied, "In your hands, or that of any other man, so much power would no doubt be dangerous. I am the only man in the world whom it would be safe to trust with it. Remember, I am a prophet."
MUHAMMED
On the newsgroup (discussion forum) soc.religion.islam somebody mentioned a saying by Muhammad:
"Kull ul-Nabîyîna Ana" (I am all the Prophets).
Say: "O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Apostle of God, to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in God and His Apostle, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in God and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided." S. 7:158
JESUS
Jesus didn't say He was the Son of God using those EXACT words because it would be exalting Himself. Most importantly, God said it:
"16 And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;
17 and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' (Matthew 3:16-17)
"9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in the Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent asunder, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him:
11 And a voice came out of the heavens, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." (Mark 1:9-11)
"21 Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22)
Were these people calling God the Father a liar? Even Muslims have to agree with God the Father...
As we go through this year's Series, we will see the lengths Jesus went to in order to avoid stating directly (plainly) He was the Son of God...while also alluding to the fact He was the Son of God. Here were some examples of the indirect statements from Jesus:
"22 All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him. " (Luke 10:22)
"61 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and saith unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
62 And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.
63 And the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What further need have we of witnesses?
64 Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be worthy of death. " (Mark 14:61-62)
"28 Verily I say unto you, there are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28)
This was the last verse of chapter 16. Here was how chapter 17 began:
"1 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:
2 and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.
3 And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
4 And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
5 While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, save Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead." (Matthew 17:1-9)
There was a very important passage in Philippians about how Jesus didn't exalt Himself as God AS A CAUSE. Instead, His cause was to humble Himself...and He was exalted by God as an EFFECT. Paul stated Jesus COULD HAVE attained this exaltation as a CAUSE, but did not...how much more ought we to humble ourselves and let God the Father flow through us (like Jesus stated He did in John 8:28). Here's the passage:
"5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;
8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name;
10 that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)
This passage proved GRACE is the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life. We aren't good as a cause...as an effort. We are good as an effect of humbling ourselves and letting God work through us.
CONCLUSION: True prophets and the Son of God DO NOT exalt themselves. False prophets and false messiahs exalt themselves.
posted by jg lenhart at 12:03 AM
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