URANTIA BOGEN
Del IV. Jesu Liv og Lære
Kapitel 135
Johannes Døberen
Johannes Døberen
Sektioner
- Introduktion
- § JOhannes bliver naziræer
- § 2. Zakarias død
- § 3. En hyrdes liv
- § 4. Elisabeths død
- § 5. Guds rige
- § 6. Johannes begynder at forkynde
- § 7. Johannes vandrer nordover
- § 8. Mødet mellen jesus og johannes
- § 9. Fyrre dage med forkyndelse
- § 10. Johannes vandrer sydover
- § 11. Johannes i fængsel
- § 12. Johannes døberens død
Paper 135
John the Baptist
John the Baptist
Sections
- Introduction
- § 1. John Becomes a Nazarite
- § 2. The Death of Zacharias
- § 3. The Life of a Shepherd
- § 4. The Death of Elizabeth
- § 5. The Kingdom of God
- § 6. John Begins to Preach
- § 7. John Journeys North
- § 8. Meeting of Jesus and John
- § 9. Forty Days of Preaching
- § 10. John Journeys South
- § 11. John in Prison
- § 12. Death of John the Baptist
JOHANNES Døberen blev født 25. marts 7 f.Kr. i overensstemmelse med løftet som Gabriel havde givet Elisabet i juni det foregående år. I fem måneder holdt Elisabet Gabriels besøg hemmelig, og da hun fortalte om det til sin mand, Zakarias, blev han meget bekymret og troede ikke helt på hendes historie, indtil han havde haft en usædvanlig drøm omkring seks uger før Johannes fødsel. Med undtagelse af Gabriels besøg hos Elisabet og Zakarias drøm var der ikke noget usædvanligt eller overnaturlig i forbindelse med Johannes Døberens fødsel.
135:0.1 (1496.1)
JOHN the Baptist was born March 25, 7 B.C., in accordance with the promise that Gabriel made to Elizabeth in June of the previous year. For five months Elizabeth kept secret Gabriel’s visitation; and when she told her husband, Zacharias, he was greatly troubled and fully believed her narrative only after he had an unusual dream about six weeks before the birth of John. Excepting the visit of Gabriel to Elizabeth and the dream of Zacharias, there was nothing unusual or supernatural connected with the birth of John the Baptist.
Efter deres tilbagevenden fra Nazaret begyndte Johannes forældre systematisk at undervise drengen. Der var ingen synagogeskole i den lille landsby, men da Zakarias var en præst, var han ganske godt uddannet, og Elisabet havde også fået en langt bedre uddannelse end kvinder i gennemsnit i Judæa. Hun var også af præsteslægt, da hun nedstammede fra "Aarons døtre." Da Johannes var deres eneste barn, anvendte de en masse tid på hans mentale og åndelige uddannelse. Zakarias havde kun korte perioder af tjeneste i templet i Jerusalem, så han viet meget af sin tid til at undervise sin søn.
135:0.4 (1496.4)
After their return from Nazareth John’s parents began the systematic education of the lad. There was no synagogue school in this little village; however, as he was a priest, Zacharias was fairly well educated, and Elizabeth was far better educated than the average Judean woman; she was also of the priesthood, being a descendant of the “daughters of Aaron.” Since John was an only child, they spent a great deal of time on his mental and spiritual training. Zacharias had only short periods of service at the temple in Jerusalem so that he devoted much of his time to teaching his son.
Johannes havde ingen skole, hvorfra han kunne blive uddannet i en alder af fjorten, men hans forældre havde valgt dette bestemte år, som bedst egnet til ham for at fuldføre den officielle nasiræer løfte. Derfor tog Zakarias og Elisabet deres søn til Engedi, nær ved Det Døde Hav. Det var nasiræer broderskabets sydlige hovedkvarter, hvor drengen blev behørigt og højtideligt optaget til livslangt medlem af denne orden. Efter disse ceremonier, og efter at Johannes havde givet løfterne om at afholde sig fra alle berusende drikke, for at lade håret vokse, og til at afstå fra at røre de døde, fortsatte familien til Jerusalem, hvor Johannes foran templet gav offer, som det var krævet af dem, der afgav nasiræer løftet.
135:1.1 (1496.6)
John had no school from which to graduate at the age of fourteen, but his parents had selected this as the appropriate year for him to take the formal Nazarite vow. Accordingly, Zacharias and Elizabeth took their son to Engedi, down by the Dead Sea. This was the southern headquarters of the Nazarite brotherhood, and there the lad was duly and solemnly inducted into this order for life. After these ceremonies and the making of the vows to abstain from all intoxicating drinks, to let the hair grow, and to refrain from touching the dead, the family proceeded to Jerusalem, where, before the temple, John completed the making of the offerings which were required of those taking Nazarite vows.
Johannes gav samme løfte for livet som hans berømte forgængere, Samson og profeten Samuel, havde givet. Den som var nasiræer for livet blev betragtet som en helgen og hellig personlighed. Jøderne så på en nasiræer med næsten samme respekt og ærbødighed som på en ypperstepræst, hvilket ikke var så mærkeligt, da de som var nasiræer for livet var de eneste, undtagen ypperstepræsterne, som nogensinde fik lov til at komme ind i det allerhelligste i templet.
135:1.2 (1496.7)
John took the same life vows that had been administered to his illustrious predecessors, Samson and the prophet Samuel. A life Nazarite was looked upon as a sanctified and holy personality. The Jews regarded a Nazarite with almost the respect and veneration accorded the high priest, and this was not strange since Nazarites of lifelong consecration were the only persons, except high priests, who were ever permitted to enter the holy of holies in the temple.
Da Johannes var seksten, blev han, efter at have læst om Elias, dybt imponeret over Karmelbjergets profet og besluttede at anlægge dennes måde at klæde sig. Fra den dag fremad bar Johannes altid en behåret beklædningsstykke med et læderbælte. Som sekstenårig, var han over hundrede og firs centimeter høj og næsten fuldvoksen. Med sin flagrende hår og hans særegne tøjstil repræsenterede denne unge vitterlig et malerisk syn. Hans forældre forventede sig store ting af deres eneste søn, et barn af løfte og en nasiræer for livet.
135:1.4 (1497.2)
When sixteen years old, John, as a result of reading about Elijah, became greatly impressed with the prophet of Mount Carmel and decided to adopt his style of dress. From that day on John always wore a hairy garment with a leather girdle. At sixteen he was more than six feet tall and almost full grown. With his flowing hair and peculiar mode of dress he was indeed a picturesque youth. And his parents expected great things of this their only son, a child of promise and a Nazarite for life.
Efter at Zakarias havde været syg i flere måneder, døde han i juli, år 12 e.Kr. da Johannes lige havde passeret sit attende år. Det var en tid med stor forlegenhed for Johannes, siden nasiræer løftet forbød kontakt med de døde, selv inden for deres egen familie. Selvom Johannes havde forsøgt at følge de restriktioner, som løftet pålagde ham angående besmittelse fra de døde, tvivlede han på, at han helt havde fulgt nasiræer bekendtgørelsens krav. Derfor gik han efter sin fars begravelse til Jerusalem og gjorde de ofre, der var påkrævet for hans renselse i nasiræernes hjørne af kvindernes tempelplads.
135:2.1 (1497.3)
After an illness of several months Zacharias died in July, A.D. 12, when John was just past eighteen years of age. This was a time of great embarrassment to John since the Nazarite vow forbade contact with the dead, even in one’s own family. Although John had endeavored to comply with the restrictions of his vow regarding contamination by the dead, he doubted that he had been wholly obedient to the requirements of the Nazarite order; therefore, after his father’s burial he went to Jerusalem, where, in the Nazarite corner of the women’s court, he offered the sacrifices required for his cleansing.
I september dette år foretog Elisabet og Johannes, en rejse til Nazaret for at besøge Maria og Jesus. Johannes havde næsten besluttet at komme videre med sit livsværk, men han blev formanet, ikke kun af Jesu ord, men også af hans eksempel, til at vende hjem, tage sig af sin mor, og afvente "ankomsten af Faderens time". Efter at have sagt farvel til Jesus og Maria, da det behagelige besøg var ovre, mødte Johannes ikke Jesus igen indtil det tidspunkt, hvor han døbte ham i Jordanfloden.
135:2.2 (1497.4)
In September of this year Elizabeth and John made a journey to Nazareth to visit Mary and Jesus. John had just about made up his mind to launch out in his lifework, but he was admonished, not only by Jesus’ words but also by his example, to return home, take care of his mother, and await the “coming of the Father’s hour.” After bidding Jesus and Mary good-bye at the end of this enjoyable visit, John did not again see Jesus until the event of his baptism in the Jordan.
Johannes og Elisabet vendte tilbage til deres hjem og begyndte at lægge planer for fremtiden. Da Johannes nægtede at acceptere den præste godtgørelse han var berettiget til at modtage fra tempelfonden, havde de efter to år så godt som mistet deres hjem. Derfor besluttede de at gå sydover med fårebesætningen og som følge heraf flyttede de til Hebron, den sommer, da Johannes var tyve år. I den såkaldte "Judæa ørken" passede Johannes sine får langs en bæk, der var en biflod til en større flod, som strømmede ind i Døde Hav ved Engedi. Engedi kolonien omfattede ikke kun nasiræerne der havde helliget sig selv for livet eller for en bestemt tid, men også en lang række andre asketiske hyrder, der samledes i disse distrikter med deres flokke og socialiserede med nasiræernes broderskab. De ernærede sig ved at opdrætte får og af de gaver, velhavende jøder gav til ordenen.
135:2.3 (1497.5)
John and Elizabeth returned to their home and began to lay plans for the future. Since John refused to accept the priest’s allowance due him from the temple funds, by the end of two years they had all but lost their home; so they decided to go south with the sheep herd. Accordingly, the summer that John was twenty years of age witnessed their removal to Hebron. In the so-called “wilderness of Judea” John tended his sheep along a brook that was tributary to a larger stream which entered the Dead Sea at Engedi. The Engedi colony included not only Nazarites of lifelong and time-period consecration but numerous other ascetic herdsmen who congregated in this region with their herds and fraternized with the Nazarite brotherhood. They supported themselves by sheep raising and from gifts which wealthy Jews made to the order.
Som tiden gik, vendte Johannes sjældnere tilbage til Hebron, mens han oftere besøgte Engedi. Han var så helt anderledes end størstedelen af nasiræerne, at han fandt det meget svært fuldt ud broderligt at omgås med broderskabet. Men han var meget glad for Abner, den anerkendte leder og organisator af Engedi kolonien.
135:2.4 (1497.6)
As time passed, John returned less often to Hebron, while he made more frequent visits to Engedi. He was so entirely different from the majority of the Nazarites that he found it very difficult fully to fraternize with the brotherhood. But he was very fond of Abner, the acknowledged leader and head of the Engedi colony.
Langs dalen af denne lille bæk byggede Johannes af opstablede sten ikke mindre end et dusin sten skure og folde for natten, hvor han kunne se og beskytte sine fåre- og gedeflokke. Johannes liv som hyrde gav ham en hel del tid til eftertanke. Han talte meget med Ezda, en forældreløs dreng i Bet-Sur, som han i en vis forstand, havde adopteret og som tog sig af besætningerne, når han foretog rejser til Hebron for at se sin mor og sælge får, samt når han gik ned til Sabbatgudstjenesterne i Engedi. Johannes og drengen levede meget enkelt og ernærede sig af fårekød, gedemælk, vild honning, og de spiselige græshopper, der var i nabolaget. Denne deres almindelige kost blev suppleret med forsyninger, bragt lejlighedsvis fra Hebron og Engedi.
135:3.1 (1497.7)
Along the valley of this little brook John built no less than a dozen stone shelters and night corrals, consisting of piled-up stones, wherein he could watch over and safeguard his herds of sheep and goats. John’s life as a shepherd afforded him a great deal of time for thought. He talked much with Ezda, an orphan lad of Beth-zur, whom he had in a way adopted, and who cared for the herds when he made trips to Hebron to see his mother and to sell sheep, as well as when he went down to Engedi for Sabbath services. John and the lad lived very simply, subsisting on mutton, goat’s milk, wild honey, and the edible locusts of that region. This, their regular diet, was supplemented by provisions brought from Hebron and Engedi from time to time.
Elisabet holdt Johannes orienteret om begivenhederne i Palæstina og andre steder i verden, og Johannes blev mere og mere overbevist om, at tiden hurtigt nærmede hvor den gamle orden ville blive afsluttet, og at han ville blive forløberen, der proklamerede ankomsten af en ny tidsalder "himmelriget". Denne robuste hyrde havde en særlig forkærlighed for profeten Daniels skrifter. Han læste en tusind gange Davids beskrivelse af det store billede, som Zakarias havde fortalt ham repræsenterede historien af de store verdens riger, først Babylon, så Persien, Grækenland, og til sidst Roms historie. Johannes indså, at Rom allerede dengang bestod af folkeslag og racer med så mange forskellige sprog, at det aldrig kunne blive et stærkt forenet og fast konsolideret imperium. Han mente, at Rom allerede selv var opdelt i Syrien, Egypten, Palæstina, og andre provinser. Siden læste han videre: "I disse kongers dage skal himlens Gud oprette et rige som aldrig vil blive ødelagt. Og dette rige må ikke overlades til andre mennesker, men skal knuse og tilintetgøre alle andre riger, og det skal stå for evigt." "Og der blev givet ham herredømme og ære og et kongerige, for at alle folkeslag, nationer og sprog bør tjene ham. Hans herredømme er et evigt herredømme, som ikke forgår, og hans rige vil aldrig blive ødelagt." "Og riget og herredømmet og storheden af riget under himmelen, skal gives til de mennesker, som består af den Højestes hellige; og hans rige er et evigt rige, og alle magter skal tjene og lyde ham."
135:3.2 (1498.1)
Elizabeth kept John posted about Palestinian and world affairs, and his conviction grew deeper and deeper that the time was fast approaching when the old order was to end; that he was to become the herald of the approach of a new age, “the kingdom of heaven.” This rugged shepherd was very partial to the writings of the Prophet Daniel. He read a thousand times Daniel’s description of the great image, which Zacharias had told him represented the history of the great kingdoms of the world, beginning with Babylon, then Persia, Greece, and finally Rome. John perceived that already was Rome composed of such polyglot peoples and races that it could never become a strongly cemented and firmly consolidated empire. He believed that Rome was even then divided, as Syria, Egypt, Palestine, and other provinces; and then he further read “in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. And this kingdom shall not be left to other people but shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” “And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom never shall be destroyed.” “And the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
Johannes kunne aldrig helt overvinde den forvirring, der er opstået fra, hvad han havde hørt fra sine forældre om Jesus og det, han læste i de steder i skrifterne. I Daniels bog, læste han: "Jeg så i visioner om natten, og se, en som Menneskesønnen kom med himlens skyer, og der blev givet ham herredømme, ære og et kongerige." Men disse ord af profeten harmoniserede ikke med, hvad hans forældre havde lært ham. Heller ikke svarede hans samtaler med Jesus, da han besøgte ham i en alder af atten, disse erklæringer i skrifterne. På trods af denne forvirring forsikrede hans mor ham konstant, når han følte sig forvirret, at hans fætter, Jesus af Nazaret, var den sande Messias, at han var kommet for at sidde på Davids trone, og at han (Johannes) ville blive forløberen som gik foran ham og hans vigtigste støtte.
135:3.3 (1498.2)
John was never able completely to rise above the confusion produced by what he had heard from his parents concerning Jesus and by these passages which he read in the Scriptures. In Daniel he read: “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom.” But these words of the prophet did not harmonize with what his parents had taught him. Neither did his talk with Jesus, at the time of his visit when he was eighteen years old, correspond with these statements of the Scriptures. Notwithstanding this confusion, throughout all of his perplexity his mother assured him that his distant cousin, Jesus of Nazareth, was the true Messiah, that he had come to sit on the throne of David, and that he (John) was to become his advance herald and chief support.
Af alt, hvad Johannes hørte om det syndige gøren og laden og ondskab i Rom og den uansvarlige, og moralske åndsforladthed af riget, af alt, hvad han vidste om de onde gerninger, som Herodes Antipas og landshøvdingene for Judæa havde gjort sig skyldig i, fik han det indtryk, at slutningen af tidsalder var nært forestående. Det forekom dette robuste og ædle barn af naturen, at verden var moden til slutningen af den menneskelige æra og begyndelsen på en ny og guddommelig tidsalder - Himmelriget. I Johannes hjerte voksede følelsen af, at han var den sidste af de gamle profeter og den første af de nye. Han skælvede virkelig af den voksende impuls til at gå ud og forkynde for alle mennesker: Omvend jer! Set tingene rigtigt med Gud! Gør jer klar til det sidste; Forbered jer på ankomsten af den nye og evige orden for jorden - himmelriget.”
135:3.4 (1498.3)
From all John heard of the vice and wickedness of Rome and the dissoluteness and moral barrenness of the empire, from what he knew of the evil doings of Herod Antipas and the governors of Judea, he was minded to believe that the end of the age was impending. It seemed to this rugged and noble child of nature that the world was ripe for the end of the age of man and the dawn of the new and divine age—the kingdom of heaven. The feeling grew in John’s heart that he was to be the last of the old prophets and the first of the new. And he fairly vibrated with the mounting impulse to go forth and proclaim to all men: “Repent! Get right with God! Get ready for the end; prepare yourselves for the appearance of the new and eternal order of earth affairs, the kingdom of heaven.”
Den 17. august, år 22 e.Kr. da Johannes var otte og tyve år gik hans mor pludselig bort. Elisabets venner, som kendte til de begrænsninger, der gælder for nasiræerne om kontakt med de døde, selv inden for deres egen familie, gjort alle ordninger for begravelsen af Elisabet, før de sendte efter Johannes. Da han fik nyheden om sin mors død, gav han Ezra besked om at drive hans besætninger til Engedi og startede selv mod Hebron.
135:4.1 (1499.1)
On August 17, A.D. 22, when John was twenty-eight years of age, his mother suddenly passed away. Elizabeth’s friends, knowing of the Nazarite restrictions regarding contact with the dead, even in one’s own family, made all arrangements for the burial of Elizabeth before sending for John. When he received word of the death of his mother, he directed Ezda to drive his herds to Engedi and started for Hebron.
Da han vendte tilbage fra sin mors begravelse til Engedi skænkede han sine flokke til broderskabet og trak sig et stykke tid tilbage fra omverdenen, mens han fastede og bad. Johannes kendte kun til de gamle metoder at nærme sig guddommeligheden. Han kendte kun til protokollerne fra sådanne som Elias, Samuel, og Daniel. Elias var hans ideal af en profet. Elias var den første af Israels lærere som blev betragtet som profet, og Johannes troede virkelig, at han ville være den sidste af denne lange og strålende række af budbringere fra himlen.
135:4.2 (1499.2)
On returning to Engedi from his mother’s funeral, he presented his flocks to the brotherhood and for a season detached himself from the outside world while he fasted and prayed. John knew only of the old methods of approach to divinity; he knew only of the records of such as Elijah, Samuel, and Daniel. Elijah was his ideal of a prophet. Elijah was the first of the teachers of Israel to be regarded as a prophet, and John truly believed that he was to be the last of this long and illustrious line of the messengers of heaven.
I to og et halvt år boede Johannes i Engedi, og han overtalte de fleste af broderskabet, om at ”tidsalderens ende var forestående"; at "Himmelriget var ved at fremkomme." Al hans tidlige undervisning var baseret på den nuværende jødiske idé og koncept om Messias som den lovede befrier af det jødiske folk fra deres ikke-jødiske herskers herredømme.
135:4.3 (1499.3)
For two and a half years John lived at Engedi, and he persuaded most of the brotherhood that “the end of the age was at hand”; that “the kingdom of heaven was about to appear.” And all his early teaching was based upon the current Jewish idea and concept of the Messiah as the promised deliverer of the Jewish nation from the domination of their gentile rulers.
I hele denne periode læste Johannes meget i de hellige skrifter, som han fandt i nasiræernes hjem i Engedi. Han var især imponeret af Esajas og Malakias, de sidste profeter frem til den tid. Han læste igen og igen de sidste fem kapitler af Esajas, og han troede disse profetier. Så læste han ofte af Malakias: "Se, jeg sender profeten Elias til jer, inden Herrens store og frygtelige dag. Han skal vende fædrenes hjerter til deres børn og børnenes hjerter til deres fædre, så at jeg ikke skal komme og slå landet med forbandelse." Det var kun dette løfte af Malakias om, at Elias ville vende tilbage som holdt ham tilbage fra at gå ud og prædike om det kommende rige og formane sine jødiske medborgere til at flygte fra den kommende vrede. Johannes var klar til at forkynde budskabet om det kommende rige, men hans forventning om Elias holdt ham tilbage i over to år. Han vidste, at han ikke var Elias. Hvad mente Malakias? Skulle profetierne forstås bogstaveligt eller symbolsk? Hvordan skulle han kende sandheden? Han vovede til sidst at tro, at siden den første af profeterne hed Elias, så ville den sidste også være kendt af samme navn. Ikke desto mindre nærede han tvivl, tilstrækkelig tvivl til at forhindre ham fra at kalder sig selv Elias.
135:4.4 (1499.4)
Throughout this period John read much in the sacred writings which he found at the Engedi home of the Nazarites. He was especially impressed by Isaiah and by Malachi, the last of the prophets up to that time. He read and reread the last five chapters of Isaiah, and he believed these prophecies. Then he would read in Malachi: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers toward the children and the hearts of the children toward their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” And it was only this promise of Malachi that Elijah would return that deterred John from going forth to preach about the coming kingdom and to exhort his fellow Jews to flee from the wrath to come. John was ripe for the proclamation of the message of the coming kingdom, but this expectation of the coming of Elijah held him back for more than two years. He knew he was not Elijah. What did Malachi mean? Was the prophecy literal or figurative? How could he know the truth? He finally dared to think that, since the first of the prophets was called Elijah, so the last should be known, eventually, by the same name. Nevertheless, he had doubts, doubts sufficient to prevent his ever calling himself Elijah.
Det var indflydelsen af Elias, der fik Johannes til at bringe i anvendelse hans metoder til direkte og ligeud at angribe hans samtidiges synder og laster. Han forsøgte at klæde sig som Elias, og han forsøgte at tale ligesom Elias. I hvert ydre aspekt var han ligesom den tidligere profet. Han var netop sådan en gæv og malerisk barn af naturen, netop sådan en frygtløs og modig retfærdighedens forkynder. Johannes var ikke analfabet - han var godt bekendt med de jødiske hellige skrifter - men han var næppe kultiveret. Han var en klar tænker, en kraftfuld taler og en lidenskabelig fordømmer. Han var næppe et eksempel for sin alder, men han var en veltalende irettesættelse.
135:4.5 (1499.5)
It was the influence of Elijah that caused John to adopt his methods of direct and blunt assault upon the sins and vices of his contemporaries. He sought to dress like Elijah, and he endeavored to talk like Elijah; in every outward aspect he was like the olden prophet. He was just such a stalwart and picturesque child of nature, just such a fearless and daring preacher of righteousness. John was not illiterate, he did well know the Jewish sacred writings, but he was hardly cultured. He was a clear thinker, a powerful speaker, and a fiery denunciator. He was hardly an example to his age, but he was an eloquent rebuke.
For at forstå Johannes budskab bør man tage hensyn til status af det jødiske folk på det tidspunkt, han fremtrådte på scenen for handling. For næsten hundrede år havde hele Israel været i et dilemma; de kunne ikke forklare, hvorfor de konstant levede underkuet af de hedenske herskere. Havde Moses ikke lært dem at retfærdighed altid blev belønnet med velstand og magt? Var de ikke Guds udvalgte folk? Hvorfor var Davids trone øde og tom? I lyset af Moses doktriner og profeternes forskrifter fandt jøderne det svært at forklare deres nationale fortvivlelse som havde varet så længe.
135:5.1 (1500.1)
In order to understand John’s message, account should be taken of the status of the Jewish people at the time he appeared upon the stage of action. For almost one hundred years all Israel had been in a quandary; they were at a loss to explain their continuous subjugation to gentile overlords. Had not Moses taught that righteousness was always rewarded with prosperity and power? Were they not God’s chosen people? Why was the throne of David desolate and vacant? In the light of the Mosaic doctrines and the precepts of the prophets the Jews found it difficult to explain their long-continued national desolation.
Omkring hundrede år før Jesus og Johannes tid opstod en ny skole af religiøse lærere i Palæstina, apokalyptikerne. Disse nye lærere udviklede et trossystem, der redegjorde for at jødernes lidelser og ydmygelse var, fordi de betalte straffen for nationens synd. De gik tilbage til de velkendte årsager, der blev anført for at forklare det babylonske fangenskab og andre af oldtiden fangenskab. Men ifølge apokalyptikernes lærdomme skulle Israel tage mod til sig, deres dage med lidelse var næsten forbi, tugtelse af Guds udvalgte folk var næsten færdig, Guds tålmodighed med de ikke-jødiske udlændinge var ved at slutte. Slutningen af det romerske herredømme var den samme som den endelige afslutning af tidsalderen, i en vis forstand, verdens ende. Disse nye lærere lænede sig tungt opad Daniels profetier, og, de lærte følgelig, at skabelsen var ved at passere ind i sin afsluttende fase: verdens riger ville blive Guds rige. For den tids jødiske sind var det netop, hvad der menes med udtrykket - himmelriget, et udtryk, som både Johannes og Jesus konsekvent brugte i deres forkyndelse. For jøderne i Palæstina havde udtrykket "himmelriget" kun én betydning: - en absolut retfærdig stat. hvor Gud (Messias) herskede over jordens nationer med fuldendt magt, ligesom han regerede i himlen."Din vilje ske på jorden som i himlen."
135:5.2 (1500.2)
About one hundred years before the days of Jesus and John a new school of religious teachers arose in Palestine, the apocalyptists. These new teachers evolved a system of belief that accounted for the sufferings and humiliation of the Jews on the ground that they were paying the penalty for the nation’s sins. They fell back onto the well-known reasons assigned to explain the Babylonian and other captivities of former times. But, so taught the apocalyptists, Israel should take heart; the days of their affliction were almost over; the discipline of God’s chosen people was about finished; God’s patience with the gentile foreigners was about exhausted. The end of Roman rule was synonymous with the end of the age and, in a certain sense, with the end of the world. These new teachers leaned heavily on the predictions of Daniel, and they consistently taught that creation was about to pass into its final stage; the kingdoms of this world were about to become the kingdom of God. To the Jewish mind of that day this was the meaning of that phrase—the kingdom of heaven—which runs throughout the teachings of both John and Jesus. To the Jews of Palestine the phrase “kingdom of heaven” had but one meaning: an absolutely righteous state in which God (the Messiah) would rule the nations of earth in perfection of power just as he ruled in heaven—“Your will be done on earth as in heaven.”
Under Johannes dage, spurgte alle jøder forventningsfuldt: "Hvor hurtigt vil riget komme?" Der var en generel fornemmelse af, at afslutningen af de ikke-jødiske nationers imperium nærmede sig. Der var overalt blandt jøderne et levende håb og en ivrig forventning om, at fuldbyrdelsen af det, de for tidsaldre havde ønsket ville indtræffe i deres generations livstid.
135:5.3 (1500.3)
In the days of John all Jews were expectantly asking, “How soon will the kingdom come?” There was a general feeling that the end of the rule of the gentile nations was drawing near. There was present throughout all Jewry a lively hope and a keen expectation that the consummation of the desire of the ages would occur during the lifetime of that generation.
Selvom der blandt jøderne var store forskelle, når det kom til at estimere det kommende riges natur, havde de alle sammen troen på, at hændelsen var under opsejling, nær forestående, selv at den stod foran døren. Mange, der læste Det Gamle Testamente kiggede bogstaveligt forventningsfuldt til en ny konge over Palæstina, mod en genoprettet jødisk nation, der var blevet befriet fra sine fjender, og regeret af kong Davids efterfølger, Messias, som snart ville blive anerkendt som den retmæssige og retfærdige hersker over hele verden. En anden, men mindre gruppe af gudfrygtige jøder havde en meget anderledes syn på dette Guds rige. De lærte at det kommende rige ikke var af denne verden, at verden nærmede sig sin ende, og at "en ny himmel og en ny jord" ville føre til etableringen af Guds rige, at dette rige ville være et herredømme for evigt, at synden ville få en ende og at borgerne i det nye rige ville blive udødelige i deres nydelse af denne endeløse lyksalighed.
135:5.4 (1500.4)
While the Jews differed greatly in their estimates of the nature of the coming kingdom, they were alike in their belief that the event was impending, near at hand, even at the door. Many who read the Old Testament literally looked expectantly for a new king in Palestine, for a regenerated Jewish nation delivered from its enemies and presided over by the successor of King David, the Messiah who would quickly be acknowledged as the rightful and righteous ruler of all the world. Another, though smaller, group of devout Jews held a vastly different view of this kingdom of God. They taught that the coming kingdom was not of this world, that the world was approaching its certain end, and that “a new heaven and a new earth” were to usher in the establishment of the kingdom of God; that this kingdom was to be an everlasting dominion, that sin was to be ended, and that the citizens of the new kingdom were to become immortal in their enjoyment of this endless bliss.
Alle var enige om, at nogle drastiske oprensninger eller rensende disciplin nødvendigvis ville gå forud for etableringen af det nye rige på jorden. De bogstavtro lærte, at en verdensomspændende krig ville opstå som ødelagde alle ikke-troende, mens de troende ville komme videre til en verdensomspændende og evig sejr. Spiritualisterne lærte at riget ville begynde med Guds store dom, som ville forvise de uretfærdige til deres velfortjente straf og endelige ødelæggelse, mens det udvalgte folks troende hellige ville blive ophøjet til ærens og magtens høje sæder sammen med Menneskesønnen som i Guds navn ville herske over de frelste nationer. Sidstnævnte gruppe mente selv, at mange fromme ikke-troende kunne blive optaget til fællesskabet i det nye rige.
135:5.5 (1500.5)
All were agreed that some drastic purging or purifying discipline would of necessity precede the establishment of the new kingdom on earth. The literalists taught that a world-wide war would ensue which would destroy all unbelievers, while the faithful would sweep on to universal and eternal victory. The spiritists taught that the kingdom would be ushered in by the great judgment of God which would relegate the unrighteous to their well-deserved judgment of punishment and final destruction, at the same time elevating the believing saints of the chosen people to high seats of honor and authority with the Son of Man, who would rule over the redeemed nations in God’s name. And this latter group even believed that many devout gentiles might be admitted to the fellowship of the new kingdom.
Nogle af jøderne holdt til den opfattelse, at Gud eventuelt kunne etablere dette nye kongerige ved direkte og guddommelig indgriben, men langt de fleste troede, at han ville indsætte en formidler, Messias, som sin repræsentant. Dette var den eneste mulige betydning som ordet Messias kunne have for de jøder, der tilhørte samme generation som Johannes og Jesus. Messias kunne umuligt henvise til en, der blot lærte Guds vilje eller proklamerede nødvendigheden af retskaffen levevis. Om alle sådanne hellige personer brugte jøderne titlen profet. Messias ville være mere end en profet; Messias ville indføre etableringen af det nye rige, Guds rige. Ingen, der undlod at gøre dette kunne være Messias i traditionel jødisk forstand.
135:5.6 (1501.1)
Some of the Jews held to the opinion that God might possibly establish this new kingdom by direct and divine intervention, but the vast majority believed that he would interpose some representative intermediary, the Messiah. And that was the only possible meaning the term Messiah could have had in the minds of the Jews of the generation of John and Jesus. Messiah could not possibly refer to one who merely taught God’s will or proclaimed the necessity for righteous living. To all such holy persons the Jews gave the title of prophet. The Messiah was to be more than a prophet; the Messiah was to bring in the establishment of the new kingdom, the kingdom of God. No one who failed to do this could be the Messiah in the traditional Jewish sense.
Hvem ville denne Messias være? Igen var de jødiske lærere af forskellig mening. De ældre klyngede sig til den lære, at han ville være en søn af David. De nyere lærte at eftersom riget var et himmelsk rige, kunne den nye hersker også tænkes at være en guddommelig personlighed, en der længe havde siddet ved Guds højre hånd i himlen. Selvom det kan synes mærkeligt, at de, der på denne måde opfattede det nye riges hersker, ikke så ham som en menneskelig Messias, ikke blot som et menneske, men som "Menneskesønnen" - en Guds søn - en himmelsk prins, som længe havde været holdt i beredskab til således at overtage herredømmet af jorden, der var gjort ny. Sådan var den religiøse baggrund i den jødiske verden, da Johannes gik ud og proklamerede: "Omvend jer, for Himmelriget er nær!"
135:5.7 (1500.7)
Who would this Messiah be? Again the Jewish teachers differed. The older ones clung to the doctrine of the son of David. The newer taught that, since the new kingdom was a heavenly kingdom, the new ruler might also be a divine personality, one who had long sat at God’s right hand in heaven. And strange as it may appear, those who thus conceived of the ruler of the new kingdom looked upon him not as a human Messiah, not as a mere man, but as “the Son of Man”—a Son of God—a heavenly Prince, long held in waiting thus to assume the rulership of the earth made new. Such was the religious background of the Jewish world when John went forth proclaiming: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Det ses således, at Johannes proklamation om det kommende rige havde ikke mindre end et halvt dusin forskellige betydninger for dem, der lyttede til hans lidenskabelige prædiken. Men uanset den betydning, de knyttede til de udtryk, Johannes brugte, var hver af disse grupper, der ventede på et jødisk kongerige fascineret af proklamationen af denne oprigtige, entusiastiske, rå og klar prædikant af retfærdighed og omvendelse, der så alvorligt formanede sine tilhørere at "flygte fra den kommende vrede.”
135:5.8 (1500.8)
It becomes apparent, therefore, that John’s announcement of the coming kingdom had not less than half a dozen different meanings in the minds of those who listened to his impassioned preaching. But no matter what significance they attached to the phrases which John employed, each of these various groups of Jewish-kingdom expectants was intrigued by the proclamations of this sincere, enthusiastic, rough-and-ready preacher of righteousness and repentance, who so solemnly exhorted his hearers to “flee from the wrath to come.”
Tidligt i marts år 25 e.Kr. rejste Johannes langs den vestlige bred af det Døde Hav og op langs Jordanfloden over til Jeriko på den modsatte bred, til det urgamle vadested, hvor Josua og israelitterne gik over, da de først kom ind i det forjættede land. Derefter gik han over til den anden side, og etablerede sig i nærheden af indgangen til vadestedet og begyndte at prædike for de mennesker, der passerede forbi i hver retning over floden. Dette var den mest anvendte af alle grænseovergange over Jordanfloden.
135:6.1 (1501.4)
Early in the month of March, A.D. 25, John journeyed around the western coast of the Dead Sea and up the river Jordan to opposite Jericho, the ancient ford over which Joshua and the children of Israel passed when they first entered the promised land; and crossing over to the other side of the river, he established himself near the entrance to the ford and began to preach to the people who passed by on their way back and forth across the river. This was the most frequented of all the Jordan crossings.
Det var indlysende for alle, som hørte Johannes, at han var mere end en prædikant. Langt de fleste af dem, der lyttede til denne mærkelige mand, der var kommet op fra ørkenen i Judæa gik derfra i troen, at de havde hørt stemmen af en profet. Det var ikke underligt, at et sådant fænomen dybt rørte disse trætte og forventningsfulde jøders sjæle. Aldrig tidligere i hele den jødiske historie havde Abrahams fromme børn, længtes efter "Israels trøst" eller mere glødende forventet "genoprettelsen af riget." Aldrig tidligere under jødernes historie kunne Johannes budskab om at "Himmelriget er nær" har vakt sådan en dyb og universel appel, som på netop dette tidspunkt, hvor han så mystisk var dukket op på bredden af dette sydlige overgangssted af Jordanfloden.
135:6.2 (1501.5)
It was apparent to all who heard John that he was more than a preacher. The great majority of those who listened to this strange man who had come up from the Judean wilderness went away believing that they had heard the voice of a prophet. No wonder the souls of these weary and expectant Jews were deeply stirred by such a phenomenon. Never in all Jewish history had the devout children of Abraham so longed for the “consolation of Israel” or more ardently anticipated “the restoration of the kingdom.” Never in all Jewish history could John’s message, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” have made such a deep and universal appeal as at the very time he so mysteriously appeared on the bank of this southern crossing of the Jordan.
Han kom fra kredsen af hyrder, ligesom Amos. Han klædte sig på samme måde som oldtidens Elias, og han tordnede frem sine anmodninger og udøste sine advarsler i "Elias ånd og styrke." Det er ikke overraskende, at denne mærkelige prædikant opnået en så stor opsigt i hele Palæstina når de rejsende folk sprede nyheden om hans prædiken ved Jordanfloden.
135:6.3 (1502.1)
He came from the herdsmen, like Amos. He was dressed like Elijah of old, and he thundered his admonitions and poured forth his warnings in the “spirit and power of Elijah.” It is not surprising that this strange preacher created a mighty stir throughout all Palestine as the travelers carried abroad the news of his preaching along the Jordan.
Desuden var der endnu et nyt element i denne nasiræer prædikants arbejde: Hver og en, der troede ham, døbte han i Jordan "til syndernes forladelse". Selvom dåben ikke var en ny ceremoni blandt jøderne, havde de aldrig set den anvendt som Johannes nu gjorde brug af den. Det havde længe været skik på denne måde at døbe de ikke-jødiske proselytter til medlemmer af den ydre tempelgårds samfund, men aldrig før var jøderne selv blevet bedt om at underkaste sig til dåben som et udtryk for anger. Kun femten måneder gik fra det tidspunkt, hvor Johannes begyndte at prædike og døbe, indtil han blev arresteret og fængslet på foranledning af Herodes Antipas, men i løbet af denne korte tid, døbte han betydeligt mere end et hundrede tusinde angrende.
135:6.4 (1502.2)
There was still another and a new feature about the work of this Nazarite preacher: He baptized every one of his believers in the Jordan “for the remission of sins.” Although baptism was not a new ceremony among the Jews, they had never seen it employed as John now made use of it. It had long been the practice thus to baptize the gentile proselytes into the fellowship of the outer court of the temple, but never had the Jews themselves been asked to submit to the baptism of repentance. Only fifteen months intervened between the time John began to preach and baptize and his arrest and imprisonment at the instigation of Herod Antipas, but in this short time he baptized considerably over one hundred thousand penitents.
I maj dette år, mens han stadig dvælet ved Betania vadestedet sendte præsterne og levitterne en delegation ud for at spørge Johannes om han påstod at være Messias, og med hvis tilladelse han prædikede. Johannes svarede disse spørgere ved at sige: "Gå hen og fortæl jeres mestre, at I har hørt "røsten af en, der råber i ørkenen," som profeten talte, da han sagde: "Forbered Herrens vej, gør hovedvejen lige til vor Gud. Hver dal skal opfyldes, og hvert bjerg og høj skal gøres lav; det ujævne terræn skal bliver almindelig, mens de ujævne steder skal blive en jævn dal; og alt kød skal se Guds frelse.'"
135:6.6 (1502.4)
In May of this year, while he still lingered at Bethany ford, the priests and Levites sent a delegation out to inquire of John whether he claimed to be the Messiah, and by whose authority he preached. John answered these questioners by saying: “Go tell your masters that you have heard ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness,’ as spoken by the prophet, saying, ‘make ready the way of the Lord, make straight a highway for our God. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the uneven ground shall become a plain, while the rough places shall become a smooth valley; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
Johannes var en heroisk men taktløs prædikant. En dag, da han prædikede og døbte på den vestlige bred af Jordanfloden, kom en gruppe farisæere og en række saddukæerne frem og præsenterede sig selv for dåb. Før Johannes bragte dem ned til vandet, talte han til dem som en gruppe og sagde: "Hvem advarede eder at fly, som hugorme undslipper ilden, fra den kommende vrede? Jeg vil døbe jer, men jeg opfordrer jer til at bære frugten som er værdig af oprigtig anger, hvis I ønsker at blive tilgivet for jeres synder. Og fortæl mig ikke, at I har Abraham til fader. Jeg siger jer, at Gud er i stand til af disse tolv sten her foran jer, til at oprejse værdige børn til Abraham. Og allerede nu er øksen lagt til roden af træerne. Hvert træ, som ikke bærer god frugt vil blive skåret ned og kastet i ilden." (De tolv sten, som han henviste til var de berømte mindesten, som Josua havde lade rejse til mindesmærke af de "tolv stammer" der gik over netop på dette sted, da de først kom til det forjættede land.)
135:6.7 (1502.5)
John was a heroic but tactless preacher. One day when he was preaching and baptizing on the west bank of the Jordan, a group of Pharisees and a number of Sadducees came forward and presented themselves for baptism. Before leading them down into the water, John, addressing them as a group said: “Who warned you to flee, as vipers before the fire, from the wrath to come? I will baptize you, but I warn you to bring forth fruit worthy of sincere repentance if you would receive the remission of your sins. Tell me not that Abraham is your father. I declare that God is able of these twelve stones here before you to raise up worthy children for Abraham. And even now is the ax laid to the very roots of the trees. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is destined to be cut down and cast into the fire.” (The twelve stones to which he referred were the reputed memorial stones set up by Joshua to commemorate the crossing of the “twelve tribes” at this very point when they first entered the promised land.)
Johannes gav lektioner til sine disciple, hvor han instruerede dem om detaljerne i deres nye liv og forsøgte at besvare deres mange spørgsmål. Han rådede lærerne til at undervise i lovens ånd såvel som i dens bogstav. Han opfordrede de rige til at give mad til de fattige. Til skatteopkræverne sagde han: "Du skal ikke drive mere ind end hvad der er fastsat." Til soldaterne sagde han: "Gør ingen vold og præcis ikke noget uretfærdigt, være tilfreds med din løn." Til alle, gav han rådet: "Forbered jer på tidsalderens ende - himmelriget er kommet nær.”
135:6.8 (1502.6)
John conducted classes for his disciples, in the course of which he instructed them in the details of their new life and endeavored to answer their many questions. He counseled the teachers to instruct in the spirit as well as the letter of the law. He instructed the rich to feed the poor; to the tax gatherers he said: “Extort no more than that which is assigned you.” To the soldiers he said: “Do no violence and exact nothing wrongfully—be content with your wages.” While he counseled all: “Make ready for the end of the age—the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Johannes havde stadig forvirrede idéer om det kommende rige og dets konge. Jo længere han forkyndte desto mere forvirret blev han, men aldrig mindskede denne intellektuelle usikkerhed om karakteren af det kommende rige i den mindste grad hans overbevisning om, at rigets fremtrædende sikkert var nært forestående. I tankerne kunne Johannes være forvirret, men aldrig i ånden. Han havde ingen tvivl om, at riget ville komme, men han var langt fra sikker på, om Jesus ville være hersker af dette rige eller ej. Så længe Johannes holdt sig til tanken om at genetablere Davids trone forekom hans forældres lære om Jesus, født i Davids by, den længe ventede befrier, at være konsekvens. Men i de øjeblikke, hvor han lænede sig mere mod læren om et åndeligt rige, og den verdslige ende af jordens tidsalder, var han yderst usikker om Jesus rolle i disse begivenheder. Nogle gange stillede han spørgsmålstegn ved alt, men ikke for længe. Han ønskede virkelig, han havde talt alt dette igennem med sin fætter, men det var mod deres udtrykkelige aftale.
135:7.1 (1503.1)
John still had confused ideas about the coming kingdom and its king. The longer he preached the more confused he became, but never did this intellectual uncertainty concerning the nature of the coming kingdom in the least lessen his conviction of the certainty of the kingdom’s immediate appearance. In mind John might be confused, but in spirit never. He was in no doubt about the coming kingdom, but he was far from certain as to whether or not Jesus was to be the ruler of that kingdom. As long as John held to the idea of the restoration of the throne of David, the teachings of his parents that Jesus, born in the City of David, was to be the long-expected deliverer, seemed consistent; but at those times when he leaned more toward the doctrine of a spiritual kingdom and the end of the temporal age on earth, he was sorely in doubt as to the part Jesus would play in such events. Sometimes he questioned everything, but not for long. He really wished he might talk it all over with his cousin, but that was contrary to their expressed agreement.
Da Johannes vandrede nordover, tænkte han meget på Jesus. Han standsede ved mere end et dusin steder under sin rejse op langs Jordanfloden. Det var ved Adam, at han først henviste til "en anden, der vil komme efter mig" som svar på det direkte spørgsmål, som hans disciple spurgte ham: "Er du Messias?” Han fortsatte og sagde: "Efter mig kommer en, der er større end jeg, hvis sandal rem jeg ikke engang er værdig til at bøje mig ned og snøre. Jeg døber jer med vand, men han skal døbe jer med Helligånden. Og han har kasteskovlen i hånden til grundigt at rense det tærskede korn; han vil samle hveden i sin lade, men avnerne vil han brænde i dommedagens ild."
135:7.2 (1503.2)
As John journeyed north, he thought much about Jesus. He paused at more than a dozen places as he traveled up the Jordan. It was at Adam that he first made reference to “another one who is to come after me” in answer to the direct question which his disciples asked him, “Are you the Messiah?” And he went on to say: “There will come after me one who is greater than I, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And his shovel is in his hand thoroughly to cleanse his threshing floor; he will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff will he burn up with the judgment fire.”
Da Johannes svarede på sine disciples spørgsmål, udvidede han hele tiden sin lære og tilføjede fra dag til dag lidt mere, der var nyttigt og betryggende i forhold til hans tidlige og kryptiske budskab: "Omvend jer og blive døbt." Ved denne tid ankom folkeskarer fra Galilæa og Dekapolis. Snesevis af alvorlige troende boede med deres beundrede lærer dag efter dag.
135:7.3 (1503.3)
In response to the questions of his disciples John continued to expand his teachings, from day to day adding more that was helpful and comforting compared with his early and cryptic message: “Repent and be baptized.” By this time throngs were arriving from Galilee and the Decapolis. Scores of earnest believers lingered with their adored teacher day after day.
I december år 25 e.Kr. da Johannes nåede i nærheden af Pella på vej op langs Jordanfloden havde hans berømmelse spredt sig over hele Palæstina, og hans arbejde var blevet det vigtigste samtaleemne i alle byerne omkring Genesaret. Jesus havde udtalt sig fordelsagtigt om Johannes budskab, og dette havde fået mange fra Kapernaum til at slutte sig til Johannes kult for omvendelse og dåb. Zebedæus fiskersønner Jakob og Johannes var gået ned i december, kort efter at Johannes havde installeret sin prædiken position nær Pella, og tilbudt dåb. De besøgte Johannes en gang om ugen og bragte tilbage til Jesus friske første hånd rapporter om evangelistens arbejde.
135:8.1 (1503.4)
By December of A.D. 25, when John reached the neighborhood of Pella in his journey up the Jordan, his fame had extended throughout all Palestine, and his work had become the chief topic of conversation in all the towns about the lake of Galilee. Jesus had spoken favorably of John’s message, and this had caused many from Capernaum to join John’s cult of repentance and baptism. James and John the fishermen sons of Zebedee had gone down in December, soon after John took up his preaching position near Pella, and had offered themselves for baptism. They went to see John once a week and brought back to Jesus fresh, firsthand reports of the evangelist’s work.
Jesu brødre James og Jude havde talt om at gå ned til Johannes for at blive døbt. Nu da Jude var kommet over til Kapernaum for sabbatgudstjenesten besluttede både han og James, efter at have lyttet til Jesu foredrag i synagogen, at rådføre sig med ham om deres planer. Det skete lørdag aften, den 12. januar år 26 e.Kr. og Jesus bad dem om at udskyde diskussionen indtil næste dag, hvor han ville give dem sit svar. Han sov meget lidt om natten og var i tæt kontakt med Faderen i himlen. Han havde aftalt at spise frokost ved middagstid med sine brødre og derefter rådgive dem om den dåb, som Johannes gav. Den søndag morgen arbejdede Jesus som sædvanlig på bådeværftet. James og Jude var ankommet med frokost og ventede på ham i tømmerlagret, da det endnu ikke var tid til middagspausen, og de vidste, at Jesus var meget punktlige, når det kom til det.
135:8.2 (1503.5)
Jesus’ brothers James and Jude had talked about going down to John for baptism; and now that Jude had come over to Capernaum for the Sabbath services, both he and James, after listening to Jesus’ discourse in the synagogue, decided to take counsel with him concerning their plans. This was on Saturday night, January 12, A.D. 26. Jesus requested that they postpone the discussion until the following day, when he would give them his answer. He slept very little that night, being in close communion with the Father in heaven. He had arranged to have noontime lunch with his brothers and to advise them concerning baptism by John. That Sunday morning Jesus was working as usual in the boatshop. James and Jude had arrived with the lunch and were waiting in the lumber room for him, as it was not yet time for the midday recess, and they knew that Jesus was very regular about such matters.
Kort før middagspausen lagde Jesus sit værktøj fra sig, fjernede sit arbejds forklæde, og meddelte, de tre arbejdere, der var i rummet med ham: ”Min time er kommet." Han gik ud til sine brødre James og Jude, og sagde igen: "Min time er kommet - lad os gå til Johannes," og de begav sig straks på vej til Pella og spiste deres frokost undervejrs. Dette skete søndag, den 13. januar. De tilbragte natten i Jordandalen og ankom den næste dag ved middagstid til det sted, hvor Johannes døbte.
135:8.3 (1504.1)
Just before the noon rest, Jesus laid down his tools, removed his work apron, and merely announced to the three workmen in the room with him, “My hour has come.” He went out to his brothers James and Jude, repeating, “My hour has come—let us go to John.” And they started immediately for Pella, eating their lunch as they journeyed. This was on Sunday, January 13. They tarried for the night in the Jordan valley and arrived on the scene of John’s baptizing about noon of the next day.
Johannes var lige begyndt at døbe dagens kandidater. Snesevis af angrende stod i kø og ventede på deres tur, da Jesus og hans to brødre tog deres plads i køen af alvorlige mænd og kvinder, der var blevet troende i Johannes forkyndelse om det kommende rige. Johannes havde forhørt sig om Jesus af Zebedæus sønner. Han havde fået at vide, hvad Jesus havde sagt om hans forkyndelse, og han forventede dag for dag at se Jesus træde frem på stedet, men han havde ikke forventet at byde ham velkommen i rækken af dåbskandidaterne.
135:8.4 (1504.2)
John had just begun baptizing the candidates for the day. Scores of repentants were standing in line awaiting their turn when Jesus and his two brothers took up their positions in this line of earnest men and women who had become believers in John’s preaching of the coming kingdom. John had been inquiring about Jesus of Zebedee’s sons. He had heard of Jesus’ remarks concerning his preaching, and he was day by day expecting to see him arrive on the scene, but he had not expected to greet him in the line of baptismal candidates.
Da Johannes var optaget af detaljerne med så hurtigt at døbe et så stort antal af konvertitter, kiggede han ikke op og fik øje på Jesus, før Menneskesønnen stod lige foran ham. Da Johannes genkendte Jesus afbrød han ceremonierne for et øjeblik, mens han hilste sin kødelige fætter og spurgte: "Men hvorfor kommer du ned i vandet for at hilse på mig?" Jesus svarede: "For at underkaste mig din dåb." Johannes svarede: "men det er jeg som behøver at blive døbt af dig. Hvorfor kommer du til mig?" Jesu hviskede til Johannes: "Hav tålmodighed med mig nu, for det tilkommer os at sætte dette eksempel for mine brødre stående her hos mig, og at folk kan vide, at min time er kommet."
135:8.5 (1504.3)
Being engrossed with the details of rapidly baptizing such a large number of converts, John did not look up to see Jesus until the Son of Man stood in his immediate presence. When John recognized Jesus, the ceremonies were halted for a moment while he greeted his cousin in the flesh and asked, “But why do you come down into the water to greet me?” And Jesus answered, “To be subject to your baptism.” John replied: “But I have need to be baptized by you. Why do you come to me?” And Jesus whispered to John: “Bear with me now, for it becomes us to set this example for my brothers standing here with me, and that the people may know that my hour has come.”
Der var en tone af endelighed og autoritet i Jesu stemme. Johannes skælvede med følelser da han gjorde sig klar til at døbe Jesus af Nazaret ved middagstid mandag den 14. januar år 26 e.Kr. i Jordanfloden. Så døbte Johannes Jesus og hans to brødre James og Jude. Da Johannes havde døbt disse tre, sendte han de andre væk for resten af dagen og meddelte, at han ville genoptage dåben ved middagstid den næste dag. Da folk var ved at gå bort, hørte de fire mænd, som stadig stod i vandet, en mærkelig lyd, og snart dukkede en vision et øjeblik op direkte over Jesu hoved, og de hørte en stemme sige: "Dette er min elskede søn, i ham har jeg fundet velbehag." En stor forandring kom over Jesu ansigt, og da han kom op fra vandet, forlod han dem i stilhed og gik hen mod bakkerne mod øst. Ingen mennesker så Jesus igen i fyrre dage.
135:8.6 (1504.4)
There was a tone of finality and authority in Jesus’ voice. John was atremble with emotion as he made ready to baptize Jesus of Nazareth in the Jordan at noon on Monday, January 14, A.D. 26. Thus did John baptize Jesus and his two brothers James and Jude. And when John had baptized these three, he dismissed the others for the day, announcing that he would resume baptisms at noon the next day. As the people were departing, the four men still standing in the water heard a strange sound, and presently there appeared for a moment an apparition immediately over the head of Jesus, and they heard a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” A great change came over the countenance of Jesus, and coming up out of the water in silence he took leave of them, going toward the hills to the east. And no man saw Jesus again for forty days.
Johannes fulgte Jesus tilstrækkeligt langt nok til at fortælle ham historien om Gabriels besøg hos sin mor, før nogen af dem var født, som han så ofte havde hørt fra sin mors læber. Han lod Jesus fortsætte på sin vej, efter at han havde sagt: "Nu ved jeg med sikkerhed, at du er Befrieren.” Men Jesus sagde ikke noget.
135:8.7 (1504.5)
John followed Jesus a sufficient distance to tell him the story of Gabriel’s visit to his mother ere either had been born, as he had heard it so many times from his mother’s lips. He allowed Jesus to continue on his way after he had said, “Now I know of a certainty that you are the Deliverer.” But Jesus made no reply.
Da Johannes vendte tilbage til sine disciple (han havde nu omkring femogtyve til tredive der vandrede med ham hele tiden), fandt han dem samlet i en seriøs diskussion om, hvad der lige var sket i forbindelse med Jesu dåb. De var endnu mere forbavset da Johannes nu åbenbarede for dem historien om Gabriels besøg hos Maria før Jesus blev født, og også, at Jesus ikke sagde et eneste ord til ham, efter at han havde fortalt det til Jesus. Der var ingen regn den aften, og denne gruppe af tredive folk eller flere talte til langt ind i den stjerneklare nat. De spekulerede på, hvor Jesus var gået, og hvornår de ville se ham igen.
135:9.1 (1505.1)
When John returned to his disciples (he now had some twenty-five or thirty who abode with him constantly), he found them in earnest conference, discussing what had just happened in connection with Jesus’ baptism. They were all the more astonished when John now made known to them the story of the Gabriel visitation to Mary before Jesus was born, and also that Jesus spoke no word to him even after he had told him about this. There was no rain that evening, and this group of thirty or more talked long into the starlit night. They wondered where Jesus had gone, and when they would see him again.
Efter denne dags oplevelser kom der nye og sikre toner af forkyndelse i Johannes proklamationer om det kommende rige og den forventede Messias. Det var en anspændt tid, disse fyrre dages ventetid, venten på at Jesus kom tilbage. Men Johannes fortsatte med at forkynde med stor kraft, og hans disciple begyndte på dette tidspunkt at prædike for de enorme skarer, der samledes omkring Johannes i Jordanfloden.
135:9.2 (1505.2)
After the experience of this day the preaching of John took on new and certain notes of proclamation concerning the coming kingdom and the expected Messiah. It was a tense time, these forty days of tarrying, waiting for the return of Jesus. But John continued to preach with great power, and his disciples began at about this time to preach to the overflowing throngs which gathered around John at the Jordan.
I løbet af disse fyrre dages ventetid, spredte der sig mange rygter ud over de omkringliggende landområder og endda til Tiberias og Jerusalem. Tusinder af mennesker kom for at se den nye attraktion - som efter sigende var Messias - i Johannes lejr, men de så ingen tegn på Jesus. Da Johannes disciple hævdede, at den fremmede Guds mand var gået op i bjergene, tvivlede mange på hele historien.
135:9.3 (1505.3)
In the course of these forty days of waiting, many rumors spread about the countryside and even to Tiberias and Jerusalem. Thousands came over to see the new attraction in John’s camp, the reputed Messiah, but Jesus was not to be seen. When the disciples of John asserted that the strange man of God had gone to the hills, many doubted the entire story.
Omkring tre uger efter at Jesus havde forladt dem dukkede en ny deputation fra præsterne og farisæerne i Jerusalem op på stedet i Pella. De spurgte Johannes direkte, om han var Elias eller profeten, som Moses havde lovet, og da Johannes sagde: "Nej, det er jeg ikke," vovede de sig til spørgsmålet: "Er du Messias?" Johannes svarede: "Nej, det er jeg ikke." så sagde disse mænd fra Jerusalem: "Hvis du ikke er Elias, ikke er profeten og ikke er Messias, hvorfor døber du da folket og afstedkommer alt dette postyr?" Johannes svarede: "Det ville være bedre, hvis de, der har hørt mig og modtaget dåben af mig ville sige, hvem jeg er, men jeg siger jer, at mens jeg døber med vand, har der været blandt os, en der vil vende tilbage for at døbe jer med Helligånden."
135:9.4 (1505.4)
About three weeks after Jesus had left them, there arrived on the scene at Pella a new deputation from the priests and Pharisees at Jerusalem. They asked John directly if he was Elijah or the prophet that Moses promised; and when John said, “I am not,” they made bold to ask, “Are you the Messiah?” and John answered, “I am not.” Then said these men from Jerusalem: “If you are not Elijah, nor the prophet, nor the Messiah, then why do you baptize the people and create all this stir?” And John replied: “It should be for those who have heard me and received my baptism to say who I am, but I declare to you that, while I baptize with water, there has been among us one who will return to baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Disse fyrre dage var en vanskelig periode for Johannes og hans disciple. Hvad ville Johannes forhold til Jesus være? Hundrede af spørgsmål kom op til diskussion. Politisk og egoistisk forfremmelse af fordele begyndte at dukke op. Intense diskussioner opstod omkring de forskellige idéer og koncepter om Messias. Ville han blive en militær leder og en konge som David? Skulle han slå de romerske hære som Josua havde slået kanaanæerne? Eller ville han komme til at etablere et åndeligt rige? Johannes var ligesom mindretallet nærmest til den opfattelse, at Jesus var kommet for at etablere Himmelriget, selv om han i sit sind ikke var helt klar over, hvad denne mission med at etablere himmelriget vil omfatte.
135:9.5 (1505.5)
These forty days were a difficult period for John and his disciples. What was to be the relation of John to Jesus? A hundred questions came up for discussion. Politics and selfish preferment began to make their appearance. Intense discussions grew up around the various ideas and concepts of the Messiah. Would he become a military leader and a Davidic king? Would he smite the Roman armies as Joshua had the Canaanites? Or would he come to establish a spiritual kingdom? John rather decided, with the minority, that Jesus had come to establish the kingdom of heaven, although he was not altogether clear in his own mind as to just what was to be embraced within this mission of the establishment of the kingdom of heaven.
Det var tidligt på sabbatmorgen den 23. februar, hvor de havde samlet sig omkring Johannes, mens de spiste deres morgenmåltid, kiggede mod nord og så Jesus komme hen imod dem. Da han kom nærmere, stod Johannes op på en stor sten løftede melodiøst stemmen og sagde: "Se, Guds søn, verdens befriere! Det var om ham, jeg sagde: Efter mig kommer en, der har forrang over mig, fordi han var før mig. "Derfor kom jeg ud af ørkenen for at prædike omvendelse og døbe med vand, proklamerede, at Himmelriget er nær. Og nu kommer den, der vil døbe jer med Helligånden. Og jeg så den guddommelige ånd sænke sig ned over denne mand, og jeg hørte Guds stemme erklære, 'Dette er min elskede søn, i ham har jeg fundet velbehag."
135:9.7 (1505.7)
It was early on the morning of Sabbath, February 23, that the company of John, engaged in eating their morning meal, looked up toward the north and beheld Jesus coming to them. As he approached them, John stood upon a large rock and, lifting up his sonorous voice, said: “Behold the Son of God, the deliverer of the world! This is he of whom I have said, ‘After me there will come one who is preferred before me because he was before me.’ For this cause came I out of the wilderness to preach repentance and to baptize with water, proclaiming that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And now comes one who shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And I beheld the divine spirit descending upon this man, and I heard the voice of God declare, ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’”
Tidligt næste morgen sagde han farvel til Johannes og hans disciple og vendte tilbage til Galilæa. Han gav dem ingen løfte om, hvornår de igen ville se ham. Til Johannes, som spurgte om hans egen forkyndelse og mission sagde Jesus kun: "Min Fader vil vejlede dig nu og i fremtiden, ligesom han har gjort i fortiden." Disse to store mænd skiltes samme morgen på strandbredden ved Jordanfloden, for aldrig igen at mødes i kødelig figur.
135:9.9 (1506.2)
Early in the morning of the next day he took leave of John and his disciples, going back to Galilee. He gave them no word as to when they would again see him. To John’s inquiries about his own preaching and mission Jesus only said, “My Father will guide you now and in the future as he has in the past.” And these two great men separated that morning on the banks of the Jordan, never again to greet each other in the flesh.
Da Jesus var gået mod nord til Galilæa, følte Johannes sig tvunget til at vende tilbage mod syd, hvorfra han var kommet. Derfor søndag morgen den 3. marts påbegyndte Johannes og resten af hans disciple deres vandring mod syd. Omkring en fjerdedel af Johannes umiddelbare tilhængere havde i mellemtiden begivet sig til Galilæa i søgen efter Jesus. Der var en forvirret sorg i Johannes. Han prædikede aldrig som han havde gjort før han døbte Jesus. På en eller anden måde følte han, at ansvaret for det kommende rige ikke længere hvilede på hans skuldre. Han følte, at hans arbejde næsten var afsluttet; han var fortvivlet og ensom. Men han prædikede, døbte, og vandrede sydover.
135:10.1 (1506.3)
Since Jesus had gone north into Galilee, John felt led to retrace his steps southward. Accordingly, on Sunday morning, March 3, John and the remainder of his disciples began their journey south. About one quarter of John’s immediate followers had meantime departed for Galilee in quest of Jesus. There was a sadness of confusion about John. He never again preached as he had before baptizing Jesus. He somehow felt that the responsibility of the coming kingdom was no longer on his shoulders. He felt that his work was almost finished; he was disconsolate and lonely. But he preached, baptized, and journeyed on southward.
Johannes opholdt sig i flere uger i nærheden af landsbyen Adam, og det var her, at han gjorde sit mindeværdige angreb på Herodes Antipas for ulovligt at havde taget en anden mands kone. I juni dette år (26 e.Kr.) var Johannes tilbage ved Jordanflodens vadested i Betania, hvor han havde begyndt sin prædiken om det kommende rige mere end et år tidligere. I ugerne efter at han havde døbt Jesus ændrede Johannes prædiken sig gradvist ind i en proklamation af nåde for de almindelige mennesker, mens han med fornyet heftighed fordømte de korrupte politiske og religiøse ledere.
135:10.2 (1506.4)
Near the village of Adam, John tarried for several weeks, and it was here that he made the memorable attack upon Herod Antipas for unlawfully taking the wife of another man. By June of this year (A.D. 26) John was back at the Bethany ford of the Jordan, where he had begun his preaching of the coming kingdom more than a year previously. In the weeks following the baptism of Jesus the character of John’s preaching gradually changed into a proclamation of mercy for the common people, while he denounced with renewed vehemence the corrupt political and religious rulers.
Herodes Antipas, på hvis område Johannes havde holdt sine prædikener begyndte at bekymre sig, for at Johannes og hans disciple skulle starte et oprør. Herodes var også fornærmet over Johannes offentlige kritik af hans indre anliggender. På baggrund af alt dette, besluttede Herodes at sætte Johannes i fængsel. Derfor anholdte Herodes agenter Johannes tidligt om morgenen den 12. juni, før folkemængderne kom for at høre ham prædike, og at se ham døbe. Som ugerne gik, og han ikke blev frigivet spredtes hans disciple over hele Palæstina, mange af dem gik til Galilæa for at slutte sig til Jesu tilhængere.
135:10.3 (1506.5)
Herod Antipas, in whose territory John had been preaching, became alarmed lest he and his disciples should start a rebellion. Herod also resented John’s public criticisms of his domestic affairs. In view of all this, Herod decided to put John in prison. Accordingly, very early in the morning of June 12, before the multitude arrived to hear the preaching and witness the baptizing, the agents of Herod placed John under arrest. As weeks passed and he was not released, his disciples scattered over all Palestine, many of them going into Galilee to join the followers of Jesus.
Johannes tid i fængsel var en ensom og noget af en bitter oplevelse for ham. Kun få af hans tilhængere fik lov til at besøge ham. Han længtes efter at se Jesus, men måtte nøjes med at høre om hans arbejde gennem de af hans tilhængere, som var blevet tilhængere af Menneskesønnen. Han var ofte fristet til at tvivle på Jesus og hans guddommelige mission. Hvis Jesus var Messias, hvorfor gjorde han ikke noget for at befri ham fra dette uudholdelige fængsel? For over halvandet år sygnede denne hærdede mand, som tilhørte Guds natur, hen i dette elendige fængsel. Denne oplevelse var en stor test på hans tro og loyalitet over for Jesus. Faktisk var hele denne oplevelse en stor test selv for hans tro på Gud. Mange gange var han fristet til at tvivle selv ægtheden af hans egen mission og erfaring.
135:11.1 (1506.6)
John had a lonely and somewhat bitter experience in prison. Few of his followers were permitted to see him. He longed to see Jesus but had to be content with hearing of his work through those of his followers who had become believers in the Son of Man. He was often tempted to doubt Jesus and his divine mission. If Jesus were the Messiah, why did he do nothing to deliver him from this unbearable imprisonment? For more than a year and a half this rugged man of God’s outdoors languished in that despicable prison. And this experience was a great test of his faith in, and loyalty to, Jesus. Indeed, this whole experience was a great test of John’s faith even in God. Many times was he tempted to doubt even the genuineness of his own mission and experience.
Efter at Johannes havde været i fængsel flere måneder, kom en gruppe af hans disciple til ham, og efter af de havde fortalt om Jesu offentlige tjeneste, sagde de: "Så du ser, lærer, at den, som var hos dig ved det øverste løb af Jordanfloden, for ham går det godt, og han modtager alle, der kommer til ham. Han sidder til og med til bords med toldere og syndere. Du vidnede modigt om ham, og dog gør han intet for at få dig frigivet." Men Johannes svarede sine venner: "Denne mand kan ikke gøre noget, medmindre det blev givet til ham af hans Fader i himlen. I husker, at jeg sagde, "Jeg er ikke Messias, men jeg er den, der er blevet udsendt for at forberede vejen for ham. Og det gjorde jeg. Brudgommen er den, der har bruden, men brudgommens ven, som står tæt på og hører ham glæder sig meget over brudgommens røst. Den glæde er nu blevet min helt og holdent. Han skal blive større, og jeg må blive mindre. Jeg kommer fra denne verden, og jeg har fortalt min besked. Jesus af Nazaret kommer ned på jorden fra himlen og er over os alle. Menneskesønnen nedstammer fra Gud, og Guds ord, vil han forkynde for jer. For Faderen i himlen giver ikke ånden ved foranstaltning til sin egen søn. Faderen elsker sin søn og vil snart sætte alting i denne Søns hænder. Den, der tror på Sønnen, har evigt liv. Og disse Ord, som jeg taler, er sande og bestående."
135:11.2 (1507.1)
After he had been in prison several months, a group of his disciples came to him and, after reporting concerning the public activities of Jesus, said: “So you see, Teacher, that he who was with you at the upper Jordan prospers and receives all who come to him. He even feasts with publicans and sinners. You bore courageous witness to him, and yet he does nothing to effect your deliverance.” But John answered his friends: “This man can do nothing unless it has been given him by his Father in heaven. You well remember that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I am one sent on before to prepare the way for him.’ And that I did. He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands near by and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is fulfilled. He must increase but I must decrease. I am of this earth and have declared my message. Jesus of Nazareth comes down to the earth from heaven and is above us all. The Son of Man has descended from God, and the words of God he will declare to you. For the Father in heaven gives not the spirit by measure to his own Son. The Father loves his Son and will presently put all things in the hands of this Son. He who believes in the Son has eternal life. And these words which I speak are true and abiding.”
Disse disciple var forbløffet over Johannes erklæring, så meget, at de forlod ham uden et ord. Johannes var også meget ophidset, fordi han indså, at han havde sagt en profeti. Aldrig mere tvivlede han helt på Jesu tjeneste og guddommelighed. Men det var en svær skuffelse for Johannes, at Jesus ikke sendte nogen ord til ham, at han ikke kom for at møde ham, og at han ikke brugte noget af sin store magt til at befri ham fra fængslet. Men Jesus vidste om alt dette. Han havde en stor kærlighed til Johannes, men nu, da han var helt klar over sin guddommelige natur og godt klar over de store ting, der blev udarbejdet for Johannes, når han havde forladt denne verden, og han vidste også, at Johannes arbejde på jorden var afsluttet, tvang han sig selv til ikke at blande sig i den naturlige udvikling af den store prædikant og profet karriere.
135:11.3 (1507.2)
These disciples were amazed at John’s pronouncement, so much so that they departed in silence. John was also much agitated, for he perceived that he had uttered a prophecy. Never again did he wholly doubt the mission and divinity of Jesus. But it was a sore disappointment to John that Jesus sent him no word, that he came not to see him, and that he exercised none of his great power to deliver him from prison. But Jesus knew all about this. He had great love for John, but being now cognizant of his divine nature and knowing fully the great things in preparation for John when he departed from this world and also knowing that John’s work on earth was finished, he constrained himself not to interfere in the natural outworking of the great preacher-prophet’s career.
Denne lange uvished i fængslet var menneskeligt uudholdelig. Kun få dage før sin død sendte Johannes igen betroede budbringere til Jesus for at spørge, "Er mit arbejde færdig? Hvorfor sygne jeg hen i fængsel? Er du virkelig Messias, eller skal vi vente på en anden?" Da de to disciple fremførte denne besked til Jesus siger Menneskesønnen:" Gå tilbage til Johannes og fortælle ham, at jeg ikke har glemt ham, men at han må lide selv dette for mig, for det forekommer os at opfylde al retfærdighed. Fortæl Johannes hvad du har set og hørt - at de fattige får glædens budskab forkyndt - og endelig fortæl den elskede forløber af min jordiske mission, han skal blive rigt velsignet i den kommende tidsalder forbi han på intet tidspunkt tvivlede og snublede over mig." Dette var de sidste ord Johannes modtog fra Jesus. Budskabet trøstede ham meget, og gjorde meget for at styrke hans tro og forberede ham for hans kødelige livs tragisk ende, der fandt sted kort tid efter denne mindeværdige begivenhed.
135:11.4 (1507.3)
This long suspense in prison was humanly unbearable. Just a few days before his death John again sent trusted messengers to Jesus, inquiring: “Is my work done? Why do I languish in prison? Are you truly the Messiah, or shall we look for another?” And when these two disciples gave this message to Jesus, the Son of Man replied: “Go back to John and tell him that I have not forgotten but to suffer me also this, for it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness. Tell John what you have seen and heard—that the poor have good tidings preached to them—and, finally, tell the beloved herald of my earth mission that he shall be abundantly blessed in the age to come if he finds no occasion to doubt and stumble over me.” And this was the last word John received from Jesus. This message greatly comforted him and did much to stabilize his faith and prepare him for the tragic end of his life in the flesh which followed so soon upon the heels of this memorable occasion.
Da Johannes arbejdede i det sydlige Perea da han blev arresteret, blev han straks taget til fængslet i fæstningen Machaerus, hvor han blev indespærret, indtil hans henrettelse. Herodes regerede over Perea samt Galilæa, og på dette tidspunkt holdt han bopæl i Perea både i Julias og i Machaerus. I Galilæa var den officielle residens blevet flyttet fra Sepphoris til den nye hovedstad Tiberias.
135:12.1 (1508.1)
As John was working in southern Perea when arrested, he was taken immediately to the prison of the fortress of Machaerus, where he was incarcerated until his execution. Herod ruled over Perea as well as Galilee, and he maintained residence at this time at both Julias and Machaerus in Perea. In Galilee the official residence had been moved from Sepphoris to the new capital at Tiberias.
Herodes turde ikke frigive Johannes, af frygt for, at denne kunne anstifte oprør. Han turde ikke lade ham dræbe af frygt for folkemasserne i hovedstaden kunne gøre oprør, for tusinder af Pereas borgere troede, at Johannes var en hellig mand, en profet. Derfor holdt Herodes nasiræer prædikanten i fængsel, da han ikke vidste, hvad han ellers skulle gøre med ham. Flere gange havde Johannes været stillet for Herodes, men aldrig gik han med på aftalen om enten at forlade Herodes område eller afstår fra alle offentlige aktiviteter, hvis han blev løsladt. Den nye agitation, vedrørende Jesus af Nazaret, der konstant voksede, mindede Herodes om, at det ikke var det rigtige tidspunkt at frigive Johannes. Derudover var Johannes også et offer for Herodias, Herodes ulovlige kones, voldelige og brændende had.
135:12.2 (1508.2)
Herod feared to release John lest he instigate rebellion. He feared to put him to death lest the multitude riot in the capital, for thousands of Pereans believed that John was a holy man, a prophet. Therefore Herod kept the Nazarite preacher in prison, not knowing what else to do with him. Several times John had been before Herod, but never would he agree either to leave the domains of Herod or to refrain from all public activities if he were released. And this new agitation concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was steadily increasing, admonished Herod that it was no time to turn John loose. Besides, John was also a victim of the intense and bitter hatred of Herodias, Herod’s unlawful wife.
135:12.4 (1508.4)
Since much building was still going on at Tiberias, Herod spent considerable time at his Perean residences, and he was partial to the fortress of Machaerus. It was a matter of several years before all the public buildings and the official residence at Tiberias were fully completed.
For at fejre sin fødselsdag arrangerede Herodes en stor fest for sine vigtigste officerer og andre højtstående administratorer af Galilæa og Perea på slottet i Machaerus. Da det ikke var lykkes Herodias at få Johannes henrettet ved en direkte appel til Herodes, påtog hun sig nu opgaven ved hjælp af en snedig plan for at få Johannes dræbt.
135:12.5 (1508.5)
In celebration of his birthday Herod made a great feast in the Machaerian palace for his chief officers and other men high in the councils of the government of Galilee and Perea. Since Herodias had failed to bring about John’s death by direct appeal to Herod, she now set herself to the task of having John put to death by cunning planning.
I løbet af aftenens festligheder og underholdning førte Herodias sin datter frem som dansede for selskabets deltagere. Herodes var meget glad for den unge piges optræden, kaldte hende frem foran sig og sagde: "Du er sød. Jeg er meget tilfreds med dig. Spørg mig på denne min fødselsdag for hvad du ønsker, og du skal modtage det, indtil halvdelen af mit rige." Herodes gjorde alt dette, mens han var stærkt påvirket af de mange bæger af vin han drak. Den unge dame trak sig til side og spurgte sin mor, hvad hun skal spørge Herodes. Herodias sagde: "Gå til Herodes og bed om Johannes Døberens hoved." Den unge kvinde gik tilbage til banket bordet, sagde til Herodes: "Jeg beder dig straks give mig Johannes Døberens hoved på et fad."
135:12.6 (1508.6)
In the course of the evening’s festivities and entertainment, Herodias presented her daughter to dance before the banqueters. Herod was very much pleased with the damsel’s performance and, calling her before him, said: “You are charming. I am much pleased with you. Ask me on this my birthday for whatever you desire, and I will give it to you, even to the half of my kingdom.” And Herod did all this while well under the influence of his many wines. The young lady drew aside and inquired of her mother what she should ask of Herod. Herodias said, “Go to Herod and ask for the head of John the Baptist.” And the young woman, returning to the banquet table, said to Herod, “I request that you forthwith give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
Herodes var fyldt med frygt og sorg, men på grund af sin ed og på grund af alle dem, der sad til bords med ham, ville han ikke afvise anmodningen. Herodes Antipas sendte en soldat, befalede ham at bringe Johannes hoved. Så blev Johannes den nat halshugget i fængslet, og soldaten kom med profetens hoved på et fad og rakte det til den unge kvinde i festsalens fjerneste ende. Den unge pige gav fadet til sin mor. Da Johannes disciple hørte om dette, kom de til fængslet for at få Johannes krop, og efter at de havde lagt det i en grav, gik de og underrettede Jesus.
135:12.7 (1508.7)
Herod was filled with fear and sorrow, but because of his oath and because of all those who sat at meat with him, he would not deny the request. And Herod Antipas sent a soldier, commanding him to bring the head of John. So was John that night beheaded in the prison, the soldier bringing the head of the prophet on a platter and presenting it to the young woman at the rear of the banquet hall. And the damsel gave the platter to her mother. When John’s disciples heard of this, they came to the prison for the body of John, and after laying it in a tomb, they went and told Jesus.