The Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God

The people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple. And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned to them, and remained speechless. It came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house. 

 

After those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying, Thus has the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbors and her cousins heard how the Lord had showed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. 

It came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said to her, There is none of your kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. They marveled all. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, and praised God. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised (heard) abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea. All they that heard, laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him. 

His father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost (Joel 2:28), and prophesied, saying, Bless the Lord God of Israel; for He has visited to redeem His people (Ephesians 1:7), and has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (Psalm 18:2, 132:17-18; Ezekiel 29:21); As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets (Daniel 9:24-27; Amos 9:11, 12), which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He swore to our father Abraham, That He would grant to us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His way; To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring (2Peter 1:19-21, also known as the day of Christ restored within man's heart in Philippians 1:6, 10, 2:16 and 1Corinthians 1:4-10) from on high has visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

The child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his appearing to Israel.(John 1:31)

John the Baptist begins the Proclaiming of the Kingdom

for the Hebrews and then mankind, it marks the beginning of the end of all things Israel.

Luke 3:1-18 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came to John (Numbers 12:6) the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 

He came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission (the act of sending back, or forgiveness and pardon, Matthew 26; Hebrews 9) of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways will be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

He began saying to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, “O generation of vipers (these Jewish priest's and their followers are here likened to the serpent of Genesis 3:15, and Psalm 5:9-10, 58:4-5, Isaiah 59:5, Romans 3:13), who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham for our father: for I say to you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Indeed the ax (used to mean destruction, the breaking into many pieces, to sunder) is already laid to the root of the trees: every tree therefore which brings not forth good fruit is hewn (cut) down, and cast into the fire.” (John 1:19-34)

The people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answered them, he that has two coats, let him impart to him that has none; and he that has meat, let him do likewise. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and asked him, Master, what shall we do? He answered them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And some soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? He said to them, do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. 

As the people were in expectation, and all men mused (wondering) in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ, or not; John answered, saying yo them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable.

With many other things in his exhortation preached he to the people.(parallel passages Numbers 12:6; Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-18, John 1:19-28, 29-34)