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135:4.1 On August 17, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22_AD A.D. 22], when [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] was twenty-eight years of age, his [[mother]] suddenly passed away. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth]'s [[friends]], knowing of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarite Nazarite] restrictions regarding contact with the dead, even in one's own [[family]], made all arrangements for the [[burial]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth] before sending for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John]. When he received [[word]] of the [[death]] of his [[mother]], he directed Ezda to drive his herds to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] and started for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron Hebron].

135:4.1 On August 17, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22_AD A.D. 22], when [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] was twenty-eight years of age, his [[mother]] suddenly passed away. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth]'s [[friends]], knowing of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarite Nazarite] restrictions regarding contact with the dead, even in one's own [[family]], made all arrangements for the [[burial]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_(Biblical_person) Elizabeth] before sending for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John]. When he received [[word]] of the [[death]] of his [[mother]], he directed Ezda to drive his herds to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] and started for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron Hebron].

135:4.2 On returning to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] from his [[mother]]'s [[funeral]], he presented his flocks to the brotherhood and for a [[season]] detached himself from the outside world while he [[fasted]] and [[prayed]]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] knew only of the old [[methods]] of approach to [[divinity]]; he knew only of the [[records]] of such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel Samuel], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel Daniel]. Elijah was his [[ideal]] of a [[prophet]]. Elijah was the first of the teachers of [[Israel]] to be regarded as a [[prophet]], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] truly believed that he was to be the last of this long and illustrious line of the [[messengers]] of [[heaven]].

135:4.2 On returning to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] from his [[mother]]'s [[funeral]], he presented his flocks to the brotherhood and for a [[season]] detached himself from the outside world while he [[fasted]] and [[prayed]]. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] knew only of the old [[methods]] of approach to [[divinity]]; he knew only of the [[records]] of such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel Samuel], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel Daniel]. Elijah was his [[ideal]] of a [[prophet]]. Elijah was the first of the teachers of [[Israel]] to be regarded as a [[prophet]], and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] truly believed that he was to be the last of this long and illustrious line of the [[messengers]] of [[heaven]].

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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] lived at [https://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 [https://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 [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].

135:4.4 Throughout this period [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist John] read much in the [[sacred]] [[writings]] which he found at the Engedi [[home]] of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazarites Nazarites]. He was especially impressed by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah Isaiah] and by [https://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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachi Malach]i that [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] would return that deterred [[https://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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] held him back for more than two years. He knew he was not Elijah. What did [[https://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 [[https://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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah Elijah] that caused [[https://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]]. [[https://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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messianism Messiah]; he swept aside all doubts and departed from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_Gedi Engedi] one day in March of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_AD A.D. 25] to begin his short but [[brilliant]] [[career]] as a public preacher.

<center>[https://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>