689. The reason why John's baptising prepared the way was that by this means, as shown above, people were introduced into the coming church of the Lord, and brought into the company of those in heaven who were awaiting and longing for the Messiah. They were thus protected by angels to prevent devils breaking out of hell and destroying them. This is why it says in Malachi, 'Who will endure the day of his coming' and 'so that Jehovah may not come and strike the land with a curse' (Malachi 4:6). Likewise in Isaiah:

Look, the cruel day of Jehovah is coming, a day of wrath and an explosion of anger. I shall make the heaven tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place on the day of the explosion of His anger, Isaiah 13:6, 9, 13, 22; 22:5, 12.

Also in Jeremiah that day is called a day of laying waste, of revenge and ruin (Jeremiah 4:9; 7:32; 46:10, 21; 47:4; 49:8, 26). In Ezekiel it is called a day of wrath, of cloud and thick darkness (Ezekiel 13:5; 30:2-3, 9; 34:11-12; 38:14, 16, 18-19). Equally in Amos (Amos 5:13, 18, 20; 8:3, 9, 13); in Joel, the great and terrible day of Jehovah, and who will endure it? (Joel 2:1-2, 11; 3:2, 4). In Zephaniah:

On that day there will be a shout. The great day of Jehovah is at hand, the day of the explosion of His anger is that day, the day of anguish and affliction, the day of laying waste and devastation. On the day of the explosion of Jehovah's anger the whole earth will be consumed, and He will bring about an ending with all the inhabitants of the earth, Zephaniah 1:7-18.

There are other passages too.

[2] From these it is plain that if the way had not been prepared by baptism for Jehovah to come down into the world, the effect of which in the heavens was to shut off the hells and to protect the Jews from total extinction, [all there would have been struck with a curse and would have perished] ¹ . Jehovah also says to Moses:

In a single moment, if I were to go up in your midst, I should consume the people, Exodus 33:5.

The truth of this is clearly to be seen from John's words to the crowds who came out to be baptised by him:

You brood of vipers, who has warned you to run away from the wrath to come? Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7.

For John also teaching about Christ and His coming when he baptised, see Luke 3:16; John 1:25-26, 31-33; 3:26. These passages make it plain how John prepared the way.

Poznámky pod čarou:

7364. Those in their communities who begin to think what is wrong, and then go on to will it, are banished from their community and left alone on their own. As a consequence they lead a very wretched existence outside society, living among rocks or whatever; for their communities are no longer interested in them. Some such communities do try in various ways to compel those people to come to their senses; but when this proves to be all to no avail they sever their connection with them. In doing this they are taking precautions to prevent the desire to exercise control and the desire for gain from creeping in, that is, to prevent any who are moved by a desire to exercise control from setting themselves up over the community they are in, and after that over many other communities, and to prevent any moved by a desire for gain from seizing others' possessions from them. Everyone there lives satisfied with what he has, and everyone lives satisfied with the respect in which he is held for being righteous and showing love towards the neighbour. This delightful and peaceful state of mind would be destroyed if those who think what is bad and will it were not cast out, and if judicious and firm steps were not taken to counteract in their earliest beginnings self-love and love of the world with whomever they exist. For these loves are what have been responsible for the conversion of communities into empires and kingdoms, within which there are few people who do not wish to exercise control and possess everything belonging to others. Few are they who do what is just and fair from a desire for what is just and fair, fewer still those who do what is good from charity, and what is true from faith. Those things are done instead from fear of the law, damnation, loss of life, loss of gain and position, and loss of reputation on account of these last.