Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away. Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.-Matthew 21:18-27*** In the beginning, on the 6th day, the Lord God created Adam, the 1st man. The Lord God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, and the Lord God made Adam's wife Eve, the mother of all living, after taking a part out of Adam. Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai) were descended from Adam and Eve, their son Seth, Seth's great-great-great-grandson Enoch, Enoch's great-grandson Noah the ark builder, Noah's son Shem, Shem's son Arphaxad, and Arphaxad's great-great-great-great-great-grandson Terah. The Lord God promised to give Canaan, land inhabited by idolaters, to Abraham, and to Abraham and Sarah's son Isaac, and to the youngest fraternal twin son, Jacob (Israel), born to Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and to their descendants. Over 300 years after Levi was born to Jacob and his 1st wife Leah, Rebekah's niece, Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were born into the tribe of Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, they led the Israelites away from Egyptian slavery, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur, according to the commands of the Lord God. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the priest died and was buried. Sometime thereafter, Moses the prophet spoke to the Israelites and explained the difference between true prophets of the Lord God and false prophets. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses died and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' successor, was from the tribe of Ephraim, descended from Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel, their firstborn son Joseph and his wife Asenath, and Joseph and Asenath's 2nd born son Ephraim, whom Jacob proclaimed to be his own son. Over 1,400 years after Joshua led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the Promised Land, John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and his wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that while John the Baptist was in Elizabeth's womb, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin. When John the Baptist was a newborn, Zechariah prophetically proclaimed that John would be called prophet of the Most High. Months after John the Baptist was born, Jesus was born into the tribe of Jacob and Leah's 4th born son Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ were born, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites, the treasured and chosen people of the Lord God. Jesus revealed that John the Baptist was more excellent than a prophet, and bore witness to the truth, and was the lamp burning and shining.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, 20:1-29, 27:12-23, Deuteronomy 31:1-30, 32:44-52, 34:1-12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 6:1-81, 7:20-29, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
Reference Scriptures:
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.-Mark 1:4
John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:-Luke 3:16
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.-John 1:26-27
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.-Acts 19:4
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