JOHN THE BAPTIST,

MORE THAN A PROPHET

By HERB EVANS, Ltt.D.

167 PATTIES PLACE

PORTERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA 16051

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and MORE THAN A PROPHET. -- Matt. 11:9

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT [the New Covenant], whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. -- Mal. 3:1

The BEGINNING of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ, the SON OF GOD; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my MESSENGER [of the COVENANT] before thy face, which shall PREPARE THE WAY before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the REMISSION OF SINS. -- Mark 1:1-4

And from the days of John the Baptist UNTIL NOW [John the dispensational dividing line] the kingdom of heaven [note John began the then present Kingdom of Heaven message] suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force [then present]. For all the prophets and the LAW prophesied UNTIL JOHN. -- Matt. 11:12,13

The LAW and the prophets were UNTIL JOHN: SINCE THAT TIME the kingdom of God is preached [note John begins the preaching of the existing kingdom of God], and EVERY MAN presseth into it [because it existed]. -- Luke 16:16

It would be nice if all the hyper-disps, ultra-disps, and over-disps, who claim to rightly divide the word, would begin to use actual dispensational statements from the scriptures, rather than their well placed hints, innuendo, and inferences.

We are dispensationalists and understand the scriptures to give their own dispensational dividing line, in regard to the BEGINNING of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of the whims and doctrinal innuendo of more fanciful brethren. John the Baptist is the dispensational dividing line.

The law and the prophets were until John, so was John a prophet? Well, Jesus said that he was MORE THAN A PROPHET. John the Baptist was the messenger of the COVENANT, the NEW covenant if you please. The covenant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the SON OF GOD.

 Oh, yes, there is a transitional period involved, and yes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Temple existed side by side for a while, and yes, it all must culminate with the death of the testator on the cross for the transgressions UNDER the FIRST TESTAMENT. Also, the temple veil must be rent and the blood presented in the Holiest all in due time.

Since John came as God's messenger to prepare the way of Christ, the kingdom of God is preached, which most dispensationalists, whether moderate or ultra, believe was primarily a spiritual kingdom (in you and among you) that would culminate in a physical kingdom.

Although it is not confined to only the spiritual kingdom, it may also be used in the sense of the millennial kingdom (Luke 13:28). Likewise, the kingdom of heaven, which is sometimes used in the physical sense of the millennial kingdom but may also be used in the spiritual sense of then suffering violence.

 For all practical purposes, the KOG rule of God and KOH rule of God are synonymous, the main difference being that the parabolic KOH/KOG in mystery form is one of profession that may include both saved subjects and the unsaved false professor (take that word in the educational sense also) subjects to that rule of God. So, what was John's mission and/or purpose as more than a prophet?

John Prepared The Way Of The

Lord, Saviour And King

And thou, child, shalt be called the PROPHET OF THE HIGHEST [CHRIST]: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to PREPARE HIS WAYS . . . -- Luke 1:76

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an HORN [KING] OF SALVATION for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. -- Luke 1:68-75

John clearly was to pave the way for the Horn or King of salvation. This salvation and deliverance was to be from the enemies of Israel. However, it must not be forgotten that John was to also pave the way for the mercy of the new covenant. John was the messenger of the King as well as the Saviour, Jesus Christ, who would remit their sins because of John giving them the knowledge of salvation.

John Gave knowledge Of

Salvation And Remisson Of Sins

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; To give KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION unto his people by the REMISSION OF THEIR SINS . . .

-- Luke 1:76,77

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And ALL FLESH shall see the SALVATION of God.-- Luke 3:4-6

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel [by John], PREACHING PEACE by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) THAT WORD, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which JOHN PREACHED. -- Acts 10:36, 37

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a SAVIOUR, Jesus: WHEN JOHN HAD FIRST PREACHED before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and WHOSOEVER among you feareth God, to you is the WORD of THIS SALVATION sent. -- Acts 13:23-26

 . . .Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots GO INTO the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you IN THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots BELIEVED him [John]: and ye, when ye had seen it, REPENTED NOT afterward, THAT YE MIGHT BELEVE him. -- Matt. 21:31-32

 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, SAYING unto the people, that they should BELIEVE ON HIM [Christ] which should come after him [John], that is, on Christ Jesus. -- Acts 19:4

The other salvation that John prepared the way for was the salvation that comes with the remission of sins. Along with John's message of the King was his message of the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. This message did not change with the preaching of Acts 10 and 13. It is the same message but updated in details in accordance with progressive revelation.

It was a message that even publicans and harlots could relate to even as John came and preached in THE WAY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS belief on Jesus Christ. Even publicans and harlots and even some Gentiles entered this kingdom of God by belief on Jesus Christ. As many as did receive HIM received the power to become the sons of God BEFORE the cross of Calvary.

John Witnessed And Prepared A People For The Lord

The same [John] came for a witness, to bear WITNESS OF THE LIGHT, that ALL MEN through him might believe. -- John 1:7

 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 TH LORD . . . -- Luke 1:17

 . . . two disciples heard him [John] speak, and they FOLLOWED Jesus. -- John 1:37

And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many BELIEVED ON HIM there. -- John 10:41,42

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom [John], which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. -- John 3:29

John the Baptist was not only to turn hearts and get folks to believe on Christ, but he was also sent to prepare this people to follow Jesus Christ. He was not only the forerunner of Christ but also the forerunner of the church in embryo, portrayed as the bride, implying that John was not in the Bride but was the O.T. friend of the N.T. Bridegroom, Jesus Christ.

John Introduces Christ Who Is Manifest To Israel By Baptism

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which TAKETH AWAY THE SIN of the WORLD. -- John 1:29

 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be MADE MANIFEST to Israel, THEREFORE am I come baptizing with water [not to get you saved through water] -- John 1:31

 Then said Paul, John verily BAPTIZED with the baptism of repentance, SAYING unto the people, THAT THEY SHOULD BELEVE ON HIM which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. -- Acts 19:4

John the Baptist's message also included the Lamb of God that was to take away the sin of the WORLD. John's purpose was that ALL FLESH should see the SALVATION of God. Yet his initial purpose, to the Jew FIRST, was to manifest Christ to Israel by his water baptism.

Although Israel did not comprehend the death, burial, and Christ in John's water baptism, it was there. Still, all they neeeded to know is that somehow the Lamb of God would take away the sins of the world and was somehow connected to John's water baptism.

John Introduced The Son Of

God And The Holy Spirit

And John bare record, saying, I saw the SPIRIT descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. -- John 1:32

And I saw, and bare record that this is the SON OF GOD. -- John 1:3

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 . . . -- Matt. 3:11

John proclaimed Jesus Christ as THE son of God and connected Him with the Holy Spirit and the Father, speaking audibly from heaven, the TRIUNE GOD was present , when John baptized Jesus, who portrayed His own death, burial, and resurrection.

John Proclaimed Grace And

Truth By Jesus Christ

And of his [Jesus] fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but GRACE and truth came by Jesus Christ. -- John 1:16, 17

The question that ultra-disps need to answer is, when did GRACE and TRUTH come by Jesus Christ. Would it be too much to ask that they acknowledge the dispensational setting of the scripture here. The law was by Moses until John. The dispensational dividing line here is between Moses' law and the advent of John and Jesus Christ. John claims grace and fulness received by Jesus Christ.

John Proclaimed Everlasting

Life Through The Son

He that BELIEVETH on the Son HATH everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. -- John 3:36

John tells us that a man can receive nothing except it be given from heaven (John 3:27). John the Baptist preached eternal life as a present reality to Israel, by believing on the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Was it a lie? Should Israel have ignored that preaching as something to another dispensation. The Book of John is despised by many hyper-disps and inter-denoms due to the believe passages. Why not be a Bible Baptist dispensationalist?