From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Thursday, November 27, 1997 6:08 PM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: John the Baptizer / Immerser and Elijah
From:          "Mcentire, Michael R"
To:            "'Hebrew Roots'" <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject:       John the Baptizer 

Over the last couple of months I have heard other people repeat a 
teaching they heard which says that John the Baptist was supposed to 
be the High Priest during his lifetime.  No one has offered or been 
able to offer the source of this revelation.

I have looked through the scriptures and cannot find any basis for it, 
except that John was a descendent from the family of Aaron, which 
would qualify him as high priest.  According to the teaching the high 
priest office was very political in the days of Roman rule and was 
easily bought or given to a family with wealth and power that could 
help enforce or accept Roman rule.

A couple of scriptures used to show that when John's ministry was 
completed it was passed on to Yeshua are as follows:  Matthew 3:2, 
John comes preaching repent, then when in 4:12 Yeshua hears that John 
has been thrown into prison, and from that time (verse 17) he begin 
preaching repent.  Therefore, John's ministry was passed on to Yeshua 
and as well the high priest office.  I do not know if this is the 
basis for the speculation that John was to be high priest.
Does anyone have any information on this or would like to comment.

I would also like to know how the high priest selected?
I heard their was a fairly elaborate ceremony to anoint the high 
priest, does anyone have any information on this?

Thanks for your input

Michael McEntire, Lewisville, TX

>From Eddie:
**************

        Michael,

        I never heard the teaching that John the Baptist was supposed 
to be the high priest. However, John did come from a priestly family.
His father was named Zacharias who was of the priestly course of
Abijah (Luke 1:5, I Chronicles 24:1-10). 

        Zacharias is the Strong's Word (2197) in the Greek dictionary
and is the same as the Hebrew word (Zechariah) which is the
Strong's Word (2148). Zechariah comes from two Hebrew words:
zachar (2142) which means "to remember" and yah (3050) which means 
"the Lord". So, Zecharias (Zechariah) means "the Lord remembers".

        Elizabeth (Elisheva), the wife of Zacharias (Zechariah) is 
the Strong's Word (1665) which is the same as the Hebrew word 
(Elisheva) which is the Strong's Word (472). Elisheva comes from two 
Hebrew word: El (430) which means "God" and  Sheva (7651) which 
means  "seven, to be complete, oath".

       So, Zechariah and Elizabeth means "THE LORD REMEMBERS HIS 
OATH". 

       In Luke 1:57, 67-68, 72-73 it is written:

"Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered and she 
brought forth a son ... and his father Zacharias was filled with the 
Holy Spirit and prophesied saying, 'Blessed be the Lord God of 
Israel: for he has visited and redeemed his people ... to perform the 
mercy promised to our fathers, and TO REMEMBER his holy covenant 
THE  OATH which he swore to our father Abraham"

        It has always been a traditional Jewish teaching that Elijah
would preceed the coming of the Messiah. Since we know that
Yeshua/Jesus is Messiah, then who was the "Elijah" that preceeded 
the coming of Messiah at His first coming?

       In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), John the 
Baptist (Immerser) is personified as "Elijah". Since it was/is a very
important Jewish teaching that Elijah will preceed the coming of the
Messiah, it is very significant that the NT gives the story of the
birth and mission of John. 

            The message of Elijah is REPENTANCE.  In Malachi 4:4-6 it 
is written:

"REMEMBER ye the TORAH of Moses my servant which I commanded 
unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 
Behold I will send you ELIJAH the prophet BEFORE the coming of the 
great and dreadful day of the Lord and he shall TURN the heart of the 
fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their 
fathers lest I come and smite the earth with a curse"

            The message of Elijah (personified in John the Baptist in 
the 1st coming of Yeshua/Jesus) was:

1)  REPENTANCE to the TORAH
2)  Believing  the COVENANT OF ABRAHAM
3)  Proclaim the COMING OF THE MESSIAH. 

          This will be the SAME message from God to His people prior 
to the 2nd coming of Messiah. We believe in #3. God is in the process 
of stirring many hearts all over the world to embrace our Hebraic roots 
which includes #1. But do we also also understand #2? For a further 
study in understanding God's covenant  with Abraham, please read:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2175/bridchap13.html


             In Luke 1:13:16-17 it is written:

"But the angel said unto him: Fear not Zacharias: for thy prayer is 
heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son and you shall 
call his name John ... and many of the children of Israel shall he 
TURN (repent) to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in 
the SPIRIT AND POWER OF ELIJAH, 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"

             In Matthew 3:1-3 it is written:

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching, in the wilderness of 
Judea, and saying,  REPENT ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, the 
voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of our 
Lord, make his paths straight"

            This is a reference to (Isaiah 40:3, 6-8) as it is 
written:

"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way 
of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God ... 
the voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is 
grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the flowers of the field. 
The grass withereth the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord 
bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the 
flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever"

               So, John wore came in the "spirit and power of Elijah" 
(Luke 1:17) but he also wore the "mantle of Elijah".

               In Matthew 3:4 it is written:

"And the same John had a raiment of camel's hair, and a leather 
girdle about his loins ..."

               This is a reference to Elijah in II Kings 1:8 as it is 
written:

"And they answered him, He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of 
leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite"

               In Matthew 11:13-15 it is written:

"For all the prophets and the Torah prophesied until John, and if ye 
will receive it, THIS IS ELIJAH which was for TO COME, he that hath 
ears to hear let him hear"

             As I mentioned earlier, it has always been a traditional 
Jewish teaching the Elijah would preceed the coming of Messiah. This 
is the basis for the question of the disciples in Matthew 17:10 as it is written:

"And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that 
Elijah must first come"

             To reaffirm this teaching throughout the ages, a "search" is 
made to "look for Elijah" during the end of the Passover Seder.

             Jesus confirmed this teaching, that John was the 
"Elijah" that was prophesied but that there would also be yet another 
Elijah to come (Revelation 11:3-6).

             In Matthew 17:11-13 it is written:

"And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly SHALL FIRST COME 
and RESTORE all things (FUTURE). But I say unto you, That Elijah 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. Then 
the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist"

          So, the mission and ministry of John the Baptist (Immerser) 
is DEFINATELY associated with the prophet Elijah".

**********************************************************************

To:            heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
From:          Danny Pitts 

Shalom,

As a Baptist, I am interested in the differences between the methods
of baptism historically practiced by the Jews and those of modern
Christianity.  Apparently the one being baptized in the Mikveh was
self-immersed.  Was this the custom with everyone: women, priests,
converts?  Why did Jesus and John both go into the water if
self-immersion was about to take place?  (Acts 8:38,39) Note the tense
("Phillip immersed him").  Also on some occasions an "administrator"
would be present with the women to be sure that they went completely
under the water; and maybe pronounce the blessing.  What was the
wording of the blessings on different occasions?  

Any help and references will be appreciated.

B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach,

In the Name of Jesus the Messiah,

Dan

>From Eddie:
**************

         A member ministry of our network, "LeDaber Ministries" has 
written a very good teaching on the subject of immersion / baptism. 
The entire teaching is on the internet and located at:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2175/ledaber.html

         This should give you a solid background and understanding of 
the subject.

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