"Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the (Messiah) Anointed One, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks (7+62=69): it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troubled times. After (7+) the sixty-two weeks (69 weeks) the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end of it shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined. He shall (keep) the covenant (in force) firm with many for one week (69-70th week 29 to 36AD) : and in the midst of the week (+3 1/2 years  33AD) he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease". Dan 9:25-27 (WEB).

13.
Sixty nine weeks = 483 days converted to years = 483 years  (Ezekiel 4:6  Numbers 14:34).     The word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem went out in 455 BC (Nehemiah 2:1).  Calculating 483 years from 455 the Christ should appear in 29AD (further information on this prophecy).   These prophecies were why so many Jews in 29AD were expecting the Messiah and prepared to listen to John and get baptised in readiness, considering he was possibly the prophesied one like Elijah preparing things before the Messiah arrived (Malachi 4:5).  Further prophetic information on this Elijah preparation work is found in Isaiah.

"The voice of one who cries,  in the wilderness prepare you the way of Yahweh (Yhwh); make level in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be (raised level) exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven (ground) shall be made level, and the rough places a plain: and the glory of Yahweh (Yhwh) shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it."  Isa 40 3-5 (WEB).

14.
Many were anticipating the coming of a Messiah King, mostly under the wrong assumption that when he arrived, he would place the Jewish nation as the world number one, and free it from the power of the then controlling Roman world power.

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 CONFIRMATION OF JOHN'S WORK

15.
The first  public confirmation of  the fulfilment of these prophecies came in  spring of the year 2 BC,  when John the Baptist was 8 days old.
His father Zechariah, under power from God, prophesied- 

"What then will this child be?" The hand of the Lord (Yhwh) was with him. His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, For he has visited and worked (deliverance) redemption for his people; To show mercy towards our fathers, To remember his holy (exclusive) covenant, The oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father, And you, child, (John) will be called a prophet of the Most High, For you will go before the face of the Lord (Yhwh) to make ready his (course) ... To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins".  Luke 1:66-77 (WEB).

16.
Preparations were now well underway.  Six months later, in the year 2BC, when Jesus was just 40 days old, God confirmed this saving by release of sins through Simeon and a female prophet, Anna.

"Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's (Yhwh's) Christ (anointed). He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law, then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,  "Now let you your servant depart, Lord, According to your word, in peace; For my eyes have seen your (means of saving) salvation,  Which you have prepared before the face of all peoples; A light for revelation to the (nations) Gentiles, The (praise) glory of your people Israel." Luke 2:25-32 (WEB).  
 
"There was one Anna, a prophetess, ... (she was of a great age, ... and she (was) ... a widow, about eighty-four years old), who didn't depart from the temple, worshipping with fastings and petitions night and day. ... at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem."  Luke 2:36-38 (WEB).

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THE HERALD ARRIVES

17.
Thirty years later, in the autumn of 28AD,  John was in the wilderness, having been kept separate from the main Jewish religious system, and began to get ready for his all important, preparation work.  God's herald was to prepare the stage and many of the cast.  He had been directed to separate himself from any of the various religious divisions that the Jews had separated into, Sadducees, Pharisees etc.  Under direction from God, he lived in the deserts until the time came for him to address Israel, "The child grew, and grew strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel." Luke 1:80 (WEB)  Living in the desert with few comforts, clothed in camel's hair, eating locusts and wild honey, he separated himself from any contamination with the corrupt Jewish religious system and its traditions, living a solitary life.

"Now John himself had clothing made of camel's hair, and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey." Matthew 3:4 (WEB).

"As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord. (Yhwh) Make his paths straight." Luke 3:4 (WEB).

18.
When John reached the age of 30, God directed him to deliver a witness to Israel.  For six months from April 29AD, he carried out a baptism, exclusively to the covenanted Jewish people, to repent and get ready.  Saying:

"I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord, (Yhwh)' as Isaiah the prophet said." John 1:23 (WEB).

"Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" Matthew 3:2 (WEB).

19.
Those Jews who listened and turned around, John primed into a group, alert to the important fast approaching events. The time was arriving, when the long awaited Messiah of Yhwh was to appear.  From the various divisions of the Jewish religion, John formed a prepared responsive group, steering them towards the coming anointed one of God.  He was given six months to turn many Jewish covenanted peoples' attention back to these important issues, in the same manner that Elijah had prepared people for Yhwh.

  "He will turn many of the (Sons) ... of Israel to the Lord (Yhwh), their God. He will go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the heart of the Father to (His Sons) ...,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." Luke 1:16-17 (WEB).

   July 3 BC          January 2 BC      April 2 BC   October 2 BC    SJB Scroll April 29 AD           October 29 AD
      |                   |                |            |           April 2026    |                       | 
      |     6 months      |    3 months    |  6 months  |                  |      |       6 months        |
       |___________________|_______________|____________|__________________|______|______________________|__
      |                   |                |            |                          |                      |  
      |<---------------- 1 year 3 months ------------->|                         |                      |
      |                   |                |            |                          |                      | 
      |<---------------------------------------------- 30 years 9 months ------->|<-----  6 months ---->|
      |                   |                |            |                          |                       |
  John conceived  Jesus conceived     John Born      Jesus Born           John 30 years old      Jesus 30 years old   
  announced as     announced as      announced to   announced as          starts preparation      Baptised by John
   Messenger'    King of a Kingdom   do advanced    Anointed,                work baptising        Anointed By God,
  like Elijah    would fall & rise   preparation    God's means              those prepared      God confirms him as
                John receives power   on saving      of saving            warns axe is in place    his approved son.
                    from Jesus        from sin        from sin             to cut down Jewish    
                 John at 6 months in                                        religious system
               womb leapt at meeting
             with Mary, power transferred                                   

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PREPARATION WORK CARRIED OUT BY JOHN

20.

1. Comes from the 'Wilderness'.

Luke 1:80 "The child grew, and grew strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel." (WEB)

John 1:23  said: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'(Yhwh) as Isaiah the prophet said." (WEB).

2. Announces God is turning His attention back toward his people.

L1:68 "Blessed be the Lord, (Yhwh) the God of Israel, For he has visited and (turned his attention perfoming deliverance) ... for  his people" (WEB).

3. He identifies the more important one who baptises in Holy Spirit.

L1:69  "And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David" (WEB)

L3:16 "John answered them all, "I indeed baptize you with water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the ... sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire" (WEB)

 John 1:33  "I didn't (know who)  but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, 'On whoever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit." (WEB)

4. He laid the preparations for God's future plans.

L1:76."You,...will be called a prophet of the Most High, For you will go before the face of the Lord (Yhwh) to make ready his ways" (WEB)

5. Gave knowledge of a new concept the 'Cancelling of sin by Ransom'.

L1:77 "To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins" (WEB)

6. Announced new enlightenment, understanding & directions.

L1:78 "Because of the tender mercy [compassion] of our God, Whereby the dawn  from on high will visit us" (WEB).

Luke 1:79 "to bring light to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, to direct our feet in the way of peace.” (WEB).

7. He warned the Jewish religious divisions of their impending end.

L3:8-9 Luke 3:8-9 "don't begin to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father;' for I tell you that God is able to raise up (Sons) children to Abraham from these stones!  Even now the ax also lies at the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doesn't bring forth good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire." (WEB).

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JOHN'S 'ELIJAH' ACTIVITY

21.
John informed his followers that a far more important person than himself, with greater rank and power, would be following him and who would baptise with fire and spirit, separating people for selection by God.  Yhwh instructed John to offer responsive Jews something that, up until then, had not been done before, a water baptism. A symbolic token act by an individual with a repentant attitude toward their previous transgressions of the Mosaic Law and failing to live up to its conditions by a public demonstration. Preparing them by lifting their heads and turning their hearts back to an appreciation of God, in readiness to see His coming means for saving them from these death dealing sins.  The 2,000 year old Abraham contract was about to mature with national benefits.  God directed John to offer this baptism as a first step.

22.
Six months later, Jesus reached the age of 30, his appointment on the world stage had arrived.  Confirmed directly by God verbally at his unique baptism in October of the year 29, 

(Mark 1;10 ) "Immediately coming up from the water, (Luke 3:21) Jesus ... having been baptized, and praying, the sky was opened, (Matthew 3:16) He (John) saw (Luke 3:22) the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky, saying "You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased."  (WEB).

23.
After baptising Jesus, John handed over some of his specially 'prepared' disciples to him, identifying Jesus as the great sacrificial Passover lamb that would remove Adamic sin and its death dealing effects from the world of mankind  

"On the next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 (WEB).

24.
Approximately eight months after this, in the summer of 30AD, John was imprisoned by Herod.  By this time, his advertising and preparation work had been completed.  The 500 year old prophecy of Malachi 3:1 had been fulfilled.

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, (Yhwh) whom you seek, ... and the messenger of the covenant, (Jesus) ... behold, he comes!" says Yahweh" (WEB).

25.
While John was in prison Jesus confirmed the importance of John's assignment.  He stated that John's work, up until then, was the most important that had ever been done by anybody on God's behalf.  No one had served God in a more important capacity than John the Baptist, including men who were friends of God, such as Noah, Abraham and Moses; so important was John's assignment.  Nevertheless, Jesus pointed out John would not be one of those specially selected for Kingdom rulership, they would all hold higher rank than John,  


"Most assuredly I tell you, among those who are born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he." Matthew 11:11 (WEB).

26.
Jesus understood, according to God's script, that John the Baptist would be dead before the new Kingdom contract would be opened on Passover of the year 33.  This took the opportunity out of John's time frame.  Otherwise, John would certainly have been one of the first in line for inclusion.

27.
It is likely that John was aware that he would not be part of the "Bride" group of Kingdom selected ones.  He referred to himself as being a friend of the bridegroom when he said -"


"He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full".(John 3:29 (WEB).

When John heard about the things Jesus was saying and doing, he enjoyed a great deal of pleasure and felt completely happy about it.

28.
Herod beheaded John around March 32 after his being in prison for almost 2 years. Later in the summer of 32AD  Jesus disciples asked him: "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

"Jesus answered them, "Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things (future tense),but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn't recognize him (past tense), but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so will the Son of Man also suffer by them." Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer. Mat 17:11-13 (WEB).


Comparison scripture  of  Matthew 17: 12-13 :-
“(Jesus) answered, “On the one hand, Eliyahu is coming and will restore all things; (future tense) 12 on the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already, and people did not recognize him (past tense)” Mat 17:12-13  (CJB).



A FUTURE JOHN THE BAPTIST WORK

29.
In 2BC, Jesus, while in the womb, passed power to John in readiness for his special assignment; this created a leaping reaction in John, while in Elizabeth’s womb.  Two thousand years later in 1999, a power generated leap in understanding the Kingdom's timetable took place according to the prophetic pattern.  By 1999, the first understanding that both the Abraham and Kingdom contracts each last 2,000 years and run consecutively had been understood.  That the second Kingdom contract that commenced in 33 ends after 2000 years in 2033, when all Kingdom recruiting will have had to have been completed.  This along with new announcements, were posted on the world Internet.  Lights were beginning to be turned on in dark places, ref Second John Baptist.  
 

30.
At this present time the John the Baptist activity also takes place in a quarantined “wilderness” like situation, separated from the religions of Christendom.  We can expect the modern ‘John the Baptist’ to, again carry out a preparation and baptism work on behalf of God from April 2026.  This will involve collecting and preparing followers, priming them for Kingdom selection, not this time from covenanted Judaism, but from the Christian covenant claiming religions.  Misleading understandings caused by false teachings will be straightened out, obstacles caused by religious traditions will be removed. From April 2026 information on God’s developing plans and the unexpected date for the start of Jesus Second Presence in October 2029 will be targeted at individuals in Christian religions, smooth the approach to the Messiah's second association activity.  Good news from God about the Kingdom's timetable will be publicised  with announcements that "the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand ”  Matthew 3:2 (WEB).

31.
These prepared ones, will require a change in past erroneous attitudes and actions, building a positive attitude toward starting a new life, one leading to permanent forgiveness of sin and non ending life.  Some will have their minds opened by the power of the spirit rain falling.  It is impossible through man’s independent ability to fully understand this ‘new wine’ of  Kingdom concepts, it can only be fully comprehended by God’s power opening the mind, as was the case 2,000 years earlier "Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures." Luke 24:45 (WEB). During the period April to October 2029,  selected ones, with minds opened by the force of God's spirit, will understand the conditions in agreeing to the Kingdom contract, its to the death.  They will undergo the baptism of Christ into his death.

Ref.  KINGDOM OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHRISTIANS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS

32.
John fulfilled the Elijah preparation work that God arranged in the first century.   Jesus prophesied there would be another Elijah work to come in the future, at Matthew 17:10-12.  This Second John the Baptist will again,  prepare  individuals and announce the unexpected date of October 2029 for the Second Presence of Jesus in connection with the Kingdom contract, many today will be prepared will you be one of them?

Ref.  REVEALING THE SONS OF GOD