John the Baptist responds to his fellow Israelites:
Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying. And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.-John 3:25-36***Levi was the 3rd son born to Jacob (Israel) and his 1st wife Leah, and Judah was Jacob and Leah's 4th born son. Jacob was the youngest fraternal twin son born to Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac was born to 100-year-old Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and 90-year-old Sarah (Sarai). Abraham and Sarah were born to Terah. Terah was the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Arphaxad. Arphaxad was born to Shem. Shem was born to Noah the ark builder. Noah was the great-grandson of Enoch. Enoch was the great-great-great-grandson of Seth. Seth was born to 130-year-old Adam and Eve. Adam was the 1st man. The Lord God created Adam. 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. The Lord God blessed them, and gave them commands, and gave Adam commands about the trees in the Garden of Eden. Eve was deceived, and Adam listened to Eve and disobeyed the command of the Lord God. Sin entered into the world through Adam, and death entered through sin. At least 1,900 years after Benjamin was born near Bethlehem to Jacob and his 2nd wife Rachel, and Rachel died, the angel Gabriel appeared to elderly Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and told him about the conception, birth and purpose of the son who would be born to Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth (Elizabeth). The angel Gabriel told Zechariah to name the child John, and said that the birth of John was going to cause rejoicing and gladness, and John would be great in the eyes of the Lord, and would be filled with the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) from birth, and would bring many Israelites back to the Lord, and prepare people for the Lord. During the 6th month that elderly Elizabeth was carrying John the Baptist in her womb, the Lord God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin. The angel Gabriel explained that Mary would give birth to a Son, and Mary was to name the Son Jesus, and Jesus, the Son of the Highest (the Most High), would be conceived of the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb. Joseph was the craftsman pledged to wed Mary. After Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb when Mary was a virgin, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph when Joseph was asleep and dreaming and told Joseph not to be afraid to receive Mary as his wife, and explained that the child in Mary's womb was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and Joseph was to name the Son Jesus, and Jesus will save the people from their sins. The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that after John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah and Elizabeth, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. Months thereafter, Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, was born in Bethlehem into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. At the Jordan River, John the Baptist baptized people with water unto repentance, and spoke of the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and proclaimed a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins, and baptized people while in the wilderness and on the other side of the Jordan River. When the Israelites sent priests and Levites to question him, John the Baptist told them that he was not the Christ, and he identified himself using the words revealed by Isaiah the prophet over 700 years earlier. 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 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, and testified that Jesus is the Son of God. 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. Before Jesus was betrayed, arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, seen by over 500 people, and returned to heaven less than 3 1/2 years after he was baptized, Jesus taught that he is from above, and that he came down from heaven to do the will of his Father, the Lord God in heaven who sent him, and that he does nothing of himself, and his teaching is not his own, and he speaks as the Father taught him, and says the words that his Father gave him, and he sees and does whatever the Father does, and the Father loves him.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, 20:1-29, 26:1-27:23, Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra 1:11, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-26
Reference Scriptures
When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.-John 4:1-3
And so it us written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.-1 Corinthians 15:45...The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.-1 Corinthians 15:47-48
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