Kelly's FiveDoves question on 2/26/08 spurred me on to write this, although much of it has been on my heart for some time, waiting for me to put "pen to paper". - Shalom

Oldest Person

Did you know that the oldest person in the Bible, died before his father? This seeming contradiction is explained when one realizes that the oldest person in the Bible was Methuselah.

And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. Genesis 5:27

And then realize his father was Enoch.

And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: Genesis 5:22

Who never died but walked with God, just like Elijah.

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. II Kings 2:11

Greatest Person

Did you know that the greatest person born of women, didn't make it into the kingdom of Heaven? This seeming contradiction is told us by Jesus Christ himself, as recorded in both Matthew and Luke:

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. Matthew 11:11

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Luke 7:28

We have the testimony of Jesus which is enough by itself to prove that John did not make it into the kingdom of Heaven. That the least in the kingdom of Heaven were greater than him. Yet we also have the testimony of John the Baptist himself. First, John had testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God.

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

Then after John has been imprisoned we see that he has completely lost the faith in Jesus that he once had, as he sends two of his disciples to question Jesus whether he really was the one.

Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Matthew 11:3

He had lost his faith in Jesus. It would also be easy to figure out that somewhere before this point he must have also lost the Spirit of Elijah.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Unique

John the Baptist is unique in so many ways that we need to be very careful about basing any doctrine or belief or falsification of any doctrine or belief solely on John the Baptist. We may be misinterpreting that one aspect of his life. John the Baptist is not a special case where God's rules and laws do not apply. But without understanding the full picture of John the Baptist, it is easy to fall into false assumptions and even false doctrine.

Reincarnation

Reincarnation is the belief that people's spirits are reborn into new bodies after they die. We know that the doctrine of reincarnation is false and a lie from the Devil, for it is recorded:

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Hebrews 9:27

Yet John the Baptist is used to show biblical evidence that reincarnation is true. For Jesus himself testifies that John the Baptist was in fact Elijah/Elias.

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. Matthew 11:13-14

And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Matthew 17:10-12

So how then does this not contradict Hebrews 9:27, "it is appointed unto men once to die"? Note that Elijah, like Enoch, never died. John the Baptist had indeed the spirit of Elijah, of someone who had never died. And we also know that Elijah appeared back in his body on the mount of transfiguration with Moses and Jesus, but this was after John the Baptist had died.

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. Mark 9:4

Man Born Good

Man is born in need of redemption. Man is not born good and then sins.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalms 51:5

In fact, man is not just born, but he/she is conceived in iniquity. The sin nature is passed down through the male and the sperm to the child at conception. For while Eve was deceived, Adam sinned. And we note that since Jesus Christ lacked an earthly father who donated his sperm, he was able to be born without a sin nature. However, was He unique in this? We know that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1:20

We know that John the Baptist inside Elisabeth leaped in her womb when Elisabeth heard Mary, and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: Luke 1:41

Some spirit, definately of the Holy Spirit, apparently also of Elijah, was in John the Baptist before birth and caused Elisabeth also to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Since we know persons born of man and women are born in sin, we cannot use the fact that John the Baptist leapt inside Elisabeth's womb, to indicate that man is born good, or saved, or spirit-filled, or any such nonsense. Christians know that they do not receive the Holy Spirit until after they are saved, not before.

Born of Women

The phrase "born of women" is found exactly twice in the whole Bible. Those two verses which contain that phrase have already been shown above, but will be repeated below:

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Luke 7:28

Note that no where else is anyone described as being "born of women". But then hasn't everyone else, with the exception of Adam, Eve, and Jesus, been born of both "men" and "women"? Why use this phrase if not to leave out "born of men", especially in such a patriarchal society. John the Baptist must have been born JUST of women, just like Jesus. That would also explain why who was assumed to be his father did not name him. In fact he was speechless. Literally. His mother named him John. They questioned the name as no one on whom they supposed was the father's side was named John. Yet this makes sense when one realizes that this really wasn't his "father's" side.

And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. Luke 1:59-60

NOT SO! Gives me goosebumps and tears to my eyes. And this gem has always been in the Bible for all who have ears to hear and eyes to see. NOT SO!

And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. Luke 1:61-64

We don't need to marvel why because it now makes sense.

Greater than Jesus?

It seems heresy to suggest that John the Baptist was at anytime greater than Jesus. Yet how can John the Baptist perform the ritual of baptism on Jesus unless he is considered the greater?

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. Hebrews 7:7

Can we reconcile John the Baptist being greater at the beginning, the greatest born of women as Jesus said, if John the Baptist after baptizing Jesus, somehow decreases while Jesus increases? So Jesus ends up greater than John the Baptist. This appears to be what happens as confirmed by John the Baptist's own words:

He must increase, but I must decrease. John 3:30

Of those born JUST of women, John and Jesus, then, John could be considered the greater just because of the right of being firstborn of women. The firstborn had a double-portion, even though John recognized Jesus to be mightier than him.

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: Matthew 3:11

But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 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. Matthew 3:14-15

Sign of Cleansing

A symbol of man being born sinful is the foreskin on the male. Circumcision of the foreskin provided a physical cleansing, and was practiced before Abraham as such. But with God instituting it with Abraham, it represented the possibility of a spiritual cleaning as well. Much symbolism is present with the number 4 representing flesh and the "fore" skin. When the "fore" skin is cut away we are cleansed, symbolic of the new birth we have in Jesus Christ. It is cut away on the 8th day after birth, 8 representing new birth. Baptizing, dunking, immersing in water, were also practiced as rites of cleaning, both as physical cleaning and symbols of spiritual cleansing before John the Baptist. However, John the Baptist introduced it to the Jewish nation as something needed to cleanse them even though they had been circumcised for cleansing. A new additional symbolic act was needed to represent the cleansing that would happen when Jesus Christ would save the World and cleanse people with the Holy Spirit. As John the Baptist first said, we all have need to be baptized by Jesus.

Shalom,

Ted Porter