John the Baptist knew about "the
BRANCH" who the Jews refer to as Messiah ben Joseph. Two thousand years ago
the Jews, who were living in the Holy Land, referred to him (MbJ) simply as "that
prophet" who was to come in the "end of days."John 1:21
(KJV) And they (the priests and Levites from Jerusalem) asked him (John the
Baptist), What then? Art thou Elias (Elijah)? And he saith, I am not. Art thou
that prophet? And he answered, No. John the Baptist may have known that he
had the spirit of Elijah on him but he knew he was not Elijah in the flesh who
shall come again at the "end of days" as it was prophesied. And he knew
that that was the "Elias" who they were asking about. Now as Christians
we have always read this passage as meaning that John (the Baptist) was denying
he was Elijah the prophet that shall come in the last days. But that is not what
is being said here. The "learned men" from Jerusalem knew that in the
"end of days" there would come three individuals who were anointed and
sent out by God. 1. Elijah - They have looked for him at every Passover for
nearly three thousand years. 2. That Prophet - Someone other than and separate
from Elijah. 3. Messiah - This to stand for Messiah ben David (i.e. Jesus)
Now "Elias" (Elijah) we know and "Messiah" we know which leaves
some one hidden so well in scripture that here he is referred to as only "that
prophet". These men sent from Jerusalem were not satisfied with asking
John just once. They knew that there was only three men who had Heavenly authority
to streigthen out the mess men had made of serving the Lord. If John was not one
of theses men then what power (authority) did he have to begin to straighten things
out. They were no doubt worried about their tithes and offerings not coming in.
John 1:25 (KJV) And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest
thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? Since
they couldn't find a prophecy referring to him as John the Baptist they were there
as representatives of the Temple structure to call him into account. They thought
that they knew prophecy which they proved at this time that they did not know,
because John the Baptist was fulfilling the prophecy: Matthew 3:3 (KJV)
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John knew who he was so he informed them: John 1:23 (KJV) He said,
I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,
as said the prophet Esaias. At another time men who thought they knew
the prophecies tried to make Jesus into "that prophet" instead of who
he really was, the Messiah. It happened after the feeding of the five thousand
with the loaves and the fishes: John 6:14 (KJV) Then those men, when
they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said this is of a truth that prophet
that should come into the world. This is a case in which they were trying
to make Jesus less than who he really was, "that prophet" being less
than "Messiah". Then when Jesus realized this mob was going to try to
force him to fulfill a prophecy (of reestablishing of the throne of David back
in Jerusalem) decided to leave, he knew he was not the one to do this and it was
not the time to fulfill that prophecy. John 6:15 (KJV) When Jesus therefore
perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed
again into a mountain himself alone.
Another place that speaks
of "that prophet" and we have been trained to read it to mean Jesus
is: Acts 3:22-23 (KJV) For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet
shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him
shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23And it shall come
to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed
from among the people. We have been taught that in 70 AD this destruction
of the people that would not listen to Jesus was destroyed in fulfillment of Moses
words. It is true in 70 AD a lot of Jews were destroyed by the Romans. But look
around you there are a lot of Jews in the world today. So either the Deuteronomy
Ch. 18 prophecy was not fulfilled at that time or theirs been a lot of busy Jews
since then. This "destruction" from "among the people" was
not to take place until the "end of days" during the time of "the
BRANCH" (Messiah ben Joseph/"that prophet") when he: "
Ascends the Temple mount to end World War 3 " When he confronts the Antichrist
as the "man from the tribe of Ephraim"Although it was said
in Josephus that in 70AD the Romans killed so many Jews that that they were wearied
with killing and put the rest (which was most) on the world slave market.
Why must Messiah ben Joseph appear before the return of Messiah ben
David? The "BRANCH" has several things that only he must do:
" Gather all the tribes out of all the nations. " Return the two
great houses (House of Judah, House of Israel) to the Holy Land. " End
World War 3 from the Temple Mount. " Be the "Prince of the Congregation"
that receives the New Covenant from the Lord in the Valley of Jezreel (Jeremiah
50:5, Ezekiel 16:60, Isaiah 59:21, 61:8 " Israel was divorced (Hosea
1:5) the House of Israel must be brought back to the Valley of Jezreel (the place
they were divorced from the Lord) to be rejoined with Him (Hosea 1:10). "
Build Ezekiel's Temple (the Third Temple) Jesus cannot build it when He comes
because antichrist defiles it, how can antichrist defile it wile Jesus is standing
their? " He expands the borders of the Nation to reach from the Euphrates
River to the Nile River. Messiah ben David kingdom covers the whole world.
" Egypt and Assyria serve the Lord God during the Kingdom of Messiah ben
Joseph (Isaiah 19:25). " Messiah ben Joseph is beheaded at the hands
of antichrist before the arrival (second) of Messiah ben David (Daniel 11:22 (KJV)
And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him,
and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant) Jesus is not broken
on his return by antichrist.
This article
shall change from time to time!
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