I slept only to rise up and open my eyes to see the desert wilderness of Judea, it seems untrue, but my dream was real. The blinding light has penetrated my only cover, the rolled blanket I took from my grandmother since travelling to Israel. We were just young children then, talking about going somewhere and doing things with no profoundities but some absurd foolish heads jesting about their future. I heard of the Messiah who will come again and judge the world in truth and righteousness but it has been my prayer to be caught up in the heavens like the apostle John to see and feel and relive those days that brought up the revelation of the Christ among His people.

The meetings of John the Baptist drew vast crowds coming from Jerusalem, Judea and the surrounding towns of Jordan

It couldn’t have been much better than today to find out that Jesus has indeed come. I heard from the running crowds about the Messiah who is preaching at the river Jordan. Finally, I can see Him face to face; finally I can have my questions answered, or so I thought I could find audience with the King of Kings. There was great commotion not just among the motley crowds that I see…so far as the eye could truly see they are going to hear and meet the one baptizing in the river Jordan.

The prophet

“There was not one like this since the last great prophet died,” said a young mother with her child. They were all wearing apparels that look like long gowns and head scarves as a protection from the heat of the sun that continues to beat us down. Unlike in the Philippines, the heat seems to be greater but at the same time the air does not occlude our view of

the man wearing camel skinned garb. He was of different spirit. His eyes was fiery, his countenance filled with undeniable purpose and composure that could only be seen in the faces of soldiers sent in the battle fronts. People thronged him. Crowds of the poor, the needy and the rich were altogether looking at the man who was apparently filled with such fire power and anointing that he could attract a mob.

I found a crowd walking to a fro crying, “the Messiah has come, the Messiah has come.”

Then I asked where the droves of people were going, and they replied that they are going to see the Messiah baptizing in the river Jordan. Ever since the promised seed was spoken about, the Lord’s people have always heard of a great prophet who will arise among His people and rule them with justice and righteousness.

As I continued to draw nearer and hear the prophet, his voice was clear, loud as a trumpet and filled with fiery indignation for the rulers of his people. Some wondered if this is the beginning of the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, with this man as the harbinger of that Prophet who would come for His people.

As I drew closer, I could see that crowds almost covered all the space in the horizon, indeed “all the country of Judea and all of Jerusalem is going out to him.” Some children were carried on the neck of their fathers gleefully scanning the Baptist who is now flocked and covered by the crowd. I took my seat near an old woman, listened to the fiery preacher who doesn’t wear any special suit but “had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist.” The woman near me has just told us that he is like the prophets of old, “his food was locusts and wild honey.”

Apparently most preachers today would hardly eat such menu in their daily diet. Some would prefer barbecued chicken, ham, cheese, spaghetti, rice and other specialties. Not that these are forbidden for the servants of the Lord, but the Baptist has taken his life as a literal sacrifice. Before his preaching career begun, the prophecy of Zacharias his father became his consuming passion, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God,  with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:74-79).

Light from heaven

Few men have literally changed the course of history as much as these who stood by the prophetic declarations earlier spoken about. When John spoke about the coming Messiah whose shoe latchet he is not worthy to untie, it was like waves of power struck us all, we were overwhelmed by the words he spoke. It was indeed as if we have heard the voice of the Lord Himself. No messenger has been anointed like this before, it was like fire billowed from the furnace of heaven but it was a cleansing fire blowing upon the people. Elijah could have called for fire from heaven to devour wicked schemers but this man has fire from heaven not to kill but to show “the morning light from heaven (that) is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace” (Luke 1:78-79 NLT).

I felt that even though the land was thickly enveloped by darkness and the rulers and governors were steep in corruption, I knew that just by John’s preaching all of darkness must flee before this great light. Who can stand before this messenger of the Lord? It was like a fiery furnace from heaven have just been delivered at the very gates of Israel. I remembered the Scriptures, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go,  and all that I command you, you shall speak. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah 1:5-8). I kept my ears on the seemingly dazzling words that were coming from the Baptist. He seems rough, a rock hewn out from the cave, an armored ship unpainted yet brazenly strong. He could singlehandedly kill a goliath by the strength that was emanating from his countenance. Bold, unafraid and fiery, he could only be that person and some preachers I have seen carried the same demeanor that he has.

Messenger of power

If we can only have ten such men, this world will indeed start burning like never before; a fever pitched high, such group of men could truly set fire the stump, the clay and the stubble and revival that would never end will come and sweep the earth. I wondered about the gracious words that were falling from his lips. It seems that every word he uttered is like water that our thirsty soul had long thirsted after.

My heart was pounded with his hammering blows, word for word the Baptist did not stop or waited for the droves of people still coming to hear him; It seems all of heaven has invested their power and energy in this single messenger. Though the words could be as simple as “repent and be baptized,” the Baptist seems to get the same reply, “what then shall we do?” roared by the thousands.

I thought of the pathetic preachings of those who grew up among the institutional churches, how they pride about their traditions and show their learnings by their titles and Italian suits. How unanointed, I gasped. The air by now is filled with dust, as many more tried to join the multitude. I could not imagine that the heat of sun beating upon us now could be this hot and yet it also seems the words from the preacher refreshed us all like water to our soul. Indeed this is how the Word of the God operates when it comes “….the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness,  ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. ‘Every ravine will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be brought low; The crooked will become straight, and the rough roads smooth; And all flesh will see the salvation of God’” (Luke 3:2-6).

Though the sun was high already and the scorching heat is beating upon us no one seems to want to go. I heard the old woman beside me, “the people are thirsty for more.” “They want more because John is a prophet of the Lord.” Even the rich and the Pharisees are here to listen to every word he was teaching the people. They wore long gown with their Phylacteries to show their learning but the people were tired already of their long sounding sermons that seem brass before heaven. I do not know how long we have been there listening to every word that the Baptist was saying to the hordes of people. His rough looks seem to coincide with every word he used to denounce the Pharisees, “brood of vipers” he said.

I thought someone might laugh out loud and censure the corrupt priests and leaders of the people but I was wrong. None seems to pay attention to the Pharisees that day as the eyes of everyone were fixed to that man in the center to his words that seem like honey to all of us. And who will? The living words coming from his mouth had pierced our soul and bewitched us so that no one bothers even to check his neighbor if he were a Pharisee or Priest.