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135:4.3 For two and a half years [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] lived at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi], and he [[persuaded]] most of the brotherhood that " the end of the age was at hand "; that " the kingdom of heaven was about to appear. " And all his early teaching was based upon the current [[Jewish]] [[idea]] and [[concept]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messianism Messiah] as the promised deliverer of the [[Jewish]] [[nation]] from the [[domination]] of their gentile rulers.

135:4.3 For two and a half years [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] lived at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi], and he [[persuaded]] most of the brotherhood that " the end of the age was at hand "; that " the kingdom of heaven was about to appear. " And all his early teaching was based upon the current [[Jewish]] [[idea]] and [[concept]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messianism Messiah] as the promised deliverer of the [[Jewish]] [[nation]] from the [[domination]] of their gentile rulers.

135:4.4 Throughout this period [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] read much in the [[sacred]] [[writings]] which he found at the Engedi [[home]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarites Nazarites]. He was especially impressed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah Isaiah] and by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malachi], the last of the [[prophets]] up to that time. He [[read]] and reread the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Isaiah#Chapter_.62 last five chapters of Isaiah], and he believed these [[prophecies]]. Then he would read in Malachi: " 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 [[hearts]] of the [[fathers]] toward the [[children]] and the hearts of the children toward their fathers, lest I come and smite the [[earth]] with a [[curse]]. "[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Malachi#Chapter_.4] And it was only this [[promise]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malach]i that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] would return that deterred [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] from going forth to preach about the coming kingdom and to exhort his fellow [[Jews]] to flee from the wrath to come. John was ripe for the [[proclamation]] of the [[message]] of the coming kingdom, but this [[expectation]] of the coming of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] held him back for more than two years. He knew he was not Elijah. What did [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malachi] mean? Was the [[prophecy]] [[literal]] or figurative? How could he know the [[truth]]? He finally [[dared]] to [[think]] that, since the first of the prophets was called Elijah, so the last should be known, [[eventually]], by the same name. Nevertheless, he had [[doubts]], doubts sufficient to prevent his ever calling himself [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah].

135:4.4 Throughout this period [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] read much in the [[sacred]] [[writings]] which he found at the Engedi [[home]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarites Nazarites]. He was especially impressed by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah Isaiah] and by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malachi], the last of the [[prophets]] up to that time. He [[read]] and reread the [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Isaiah#Chapter_.62 last five chapters of Isaiah], and he believed these [[prophecies]]. Then he would read in Malachi: " 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 [[hearts]] of the [[fathers]] toward the [[children]] and the hearts of the children toward their fathers, lest I come and smite the [[earth]] with a [[curse]]. "[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Malachi#Chapter_.4] And it was only this [[promise]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malach]i that [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] would return that deterred [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] from going forth to preach about the coming kingdom and to exhort his fellow [[Jews]] to flee from the wrath to come. John was ripe for the [[proclamation]] of the [[message]] of the coming kingdom, but this [[expectation]] of the coming of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] held him back for more than two years. He knew he was not Elijah. What did [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malachi] mean? Was the [[prophecy]] [[literal]] or figurative? How could he know the [[truth]]? He finally [[dared]] to [[think]] that, since the first of the prophets was called Elijah, so the last should be known, [[eventually]], by the same name. Nevertheless, he had [[doubts]], doubts sufficient to prevent his ever calling himself [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah].

135:4.5 It was the [[influence]] of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] that caused [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] to adopt his [[methods]] of direct and blunt [[assault]] upon the sins and [[vices]] of his contemporaries. He sought to dress like Elijah, and he endeavored to talk like Elijah; in every outward aspect he was like the olden [[prophet]]. He was just such a stalwart and picturesque child of [[nature]], just such a fearless and daring preacher of [[righteousness]]. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] was not illiterate, he did well know the [[Jewish]] [[sacred]] [[writings]], but he was hardly cultured. He was a clear [[thinker]], a powerful speaker, and a fiery denunciator. He was hardly an example to his age, but he was an [[eloquent]] rebuke.

135:4.5 It was the [[influence]] of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] that caused [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] to adopt his [[methods]] of direct and blunt [[assault]] upon the sins and [[vices]] of his contemporaries. He sought to dress like Elijah, and he endeavored to talk like Elijah; in every outward aspect he was like the olden [[prophet]]. He was just such a stalwart and picturesque child of [[nature]], just such a fearless and daring preacher of [[righteousness]]. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] was not illiterate, he did well know the [[Jewish]] [[sacred]] [[writings]], but he was hardly cultured. He was a clear [[thinker]], a powerful speaker, and a fiery denunciator. He was hardly an example to his age, but he was an [[eloquent]] rebuke.

135:4.6 At last he [[thought]] out the [[method]] of [[proclaiming]] the [[new age]], the kingdom of God; he settled that he was to become the [[herald]] of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messianism Messiah]; he swept aside all doubts and departed from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] one day in March of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_AD A.D. 25] to begin his short but [[brilliant]] [[career]] as a public preacher.

135:4.6 At last he [[thought]] out the [[method]] of [[proclaiming]] the [[new age]], the kingdom of God; he settled that he was to become the [[herald]] of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messianism Messiah]; he swept aside all doubts and departed from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] one day in March of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_AD A.D. 25] to begin his short but [[brilliant]] [[career]] as a public preacher.

<center>[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_135 Go to Paper 135]</center>

<center>[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_135 Go to Paper 135]</center>

<center>[http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Urantia_Text_-_Contents Go to Table of Contents]</center>

<center>[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=The_Urantia_Text_-_Contents Go to Table of Contents]</center>

[[Category:Paper 135 - John the Baptist]]

[[Category:Paper 135 - John the Baptist]]