Quick Rehashing of the Previous Parts to this Series

 

This is “John’s Baptism: A Baptism of Repentance.” It is part 4 of our True Biblical Baptism Series. If you’ve not already either read or listened to the previous 3 installments in this series, I humbly invite you to do so. I will put the links to those installments in the transcript to this post for your convenience.

 

In parts one through three of this series, we expounded upon the Hebrew-Torah-instructed practice of water immersion, invariably referred to by many in our Faith Community as the “mikveh.” We found that the term “mikveh” is actually a Hebrew term that describes a body of living water. The more accurate Hebrew term for one’s immersion in a mikveh (aka a body of living water) is “t’vilah.” T’vilah quite simply WAS the complete bodily immersion of a Hebrew worshiper “for the purpose of removing ritual impurity” (On the Origins of Tevilah — Ritual Immersion by Prof. Yonatan Adler).

 

Now, in all transparency, in several places, Torah speaks of the “washing” of one’s hands, feet, articles of clothing, and other articles and elements for purification purposes. Washings in the vast majority of those mentioned cases did NOT involve the Hebrew being fully immersed in a mikveh. The Hebrew term used for such purification acts is “rachatz.” One may engage in an act of “rachatz” without immersing themselves in a mikveh. However, there were situations where the Hebrew who engages in “rachatz” is also engaging in “t’vilah” or a full-bodily immersion in a mikveh. Depending on the context in which rachatz is used in Torah, that act of washing may very well include a full bodily immersion in a mikveh.

 

But getting back to the term “t’vilah,” we find it is a reference to a bodily immersion or body part such as a priest’s finger into a body of water (Leviticus 14:51; 4:6; 2 Kings 5:14; The Wisdom of Ben Sira 34:30; the Book of Judith 12:7; Qumran Text 4QToharot A [4Q274] 2i 4-6; Josephus AJ 3:263). Although rachatz is used to describe Bathsheba’s bathing on the roof of her home, the context is clearly indicative of her engaging in a total body immersion for purification purposes (2 Sam 11:2-4).

 

Now, we transition from the immersion of Hebrews for ritual purification (i.e. the cleansing of one from their physical impurities and infirmities so that they may worship at either the Tabernacle or Temple) to the immersion of Yochanan ben Zechariah (aka John the son of Zachariah) in the Transjordan region. And in our examination of John’s water immersion, we want to distinguish the purpose of his immersion; the possible origin of his immersion; the difference between his immersion and the immersion of Yeshua and His disciples, if there is in fact any such distinction; and the difference between his immersion and the immersion of believers after Yeshua’s resurrection and ascension to heaven.

Baptism Versus Water Immersion Versus Mikveh

 

Before we go any further into our discussion for today, I want to clarify why we will not make use of the terms baptism or baptize.

 

Although I have chosen to use the term baptism in the title of this post and in previous installments to this series, we will not be using the term in general discussion. I used the term baptism in the titles to this series to not confuse those who may not be familiar with the terms mikveh or water immersion.

 

The term baptism carries with it several detractors that come from Catholicism’s bastardization of the biblical, sacred act of water immersion or t’vilah or mikveh.

 

Our English term “baptism” or “baptize” is derived from the Koine Greek term “baptidzo.” Although the term seems to have originated with John’s water immersions in the Jordan River, it departed from its sacred biblical origins sometime between the two and three hundreds A.D. It was during this period that the pagan elements of the Universal Church began to take hold and overrun the Nazarene Israelite, Messianic, Netsari faith that was once delivered to the first century saints. Water immersion of non-Jewish believers in Yeshua Messiah became intermixed with certain “catechetical instructions…exorcisms, the laying on of hands, and the recitation of creeds” (History of Baptism — Wikipedia). Over time, instead of immersing a believer’s body in living water, the Church Triumphant altered the practice to that of sprinkling water upon a convert, and denominationalism resorted to dunking her converts backwards in a body of water. All of which is contrary to the meaning, purpose, and righteous act of t’vilah. So, apart from the title, we will not be referring to water immersion in this and future discussions as baptism or to be baptized.

 

John’s Water Immersion

 

Our source text for this discussion is found in Matthew chapter 3. And The Scriptures ISR rendering reads:

 

And in those days Yoḥanan the Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Yehuḏah,

²and saying, “Repent, for the reign of the heavens has come near!”

³For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Yeshayahu, saying, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of יהוה, make His paths straight.’ ” ^{Yesh. 40:3}

⁴And Yoḥanan had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather girdle around his waist. And his food was locusts and wild honey.

⁵Then Yerushalayim, and all Yehuḏah, and all the country around the Yarděn went out to him,

⁶and they were immersed by him in the Yarděn, confessing their sins.

⁷And seeing many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his immersion, he said to them, “Brood of adders! Who has warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁸“Bear, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance,

⁹and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Aḇraham as father.’ For I say to you that Elohim is able to raise up children to Aḇraham from these stones.

¹⁰“And the axe is already laid to the root of the trees. Every tree, then, which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹“I indeed immerse you in water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to bear. He shall immerse you in the Set-apart Spirit and fire.

¹²“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He shall thoroughly cleanse His threshing-floor, and gather His wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff He shall burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹³Then יהושׁע came from Galil to Yoḥanan at the Yarděn to be immersed by him.

¹⁴But Yoḥanan was hindering Him, saying, “I need to be immersed by You, and You come to me?”

¹⁵But יהושׁע answering, said to him, “Permit it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.

¹⁶And having been immersed, יהושׁע went up immediately from the water, and see, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of Elohim descending like a dove and coming upon Him,

¹⁷and see, a voice out of the heavens, saying, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight.” Scriptures^[1]

 

Indeed, there is a lot that we could unpack here that would no doubt take us more time than we have allotted for this discussion. But for the sake of this discussion, we’ll focus on those distinctions that I previously mentioned.

 

This is the first mention of baptism or water immersion in the Brit Hadashah/New Testament.

John’s water immersion (not the Torah-based T’vilah in a mikveh for ritual purification purposes) was initiated by Yochanan the Immerser so that Yahoshua might be revealed to Yisra’el (John 1:31). And those who he immersed in the Jordan were orthodox Jews heeding his call to repentance in anticipation of the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Yochanan received the instruction to water immersion from Yah’s Ruach HaQodesh/Holy Spirit:

 

And I (I being Yochanan) knew Him (Him being Yeshua) not: But He (He being Yehovah) that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, ‘Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Ruach HaQodesh (John 1:33).

 

Water immersion was not invented by John. Nor was the water immersion that John and Yeshua’s disciples (turned apostles) engaged in one and the same with the Hebrew-Torah Mikveh or T’vilah previously mentioned.

 

 

Historical Influences Likely Affecting John’s Water Immersion

 

Although John was led to water immerse Israel for repentance and remittance of sins in anticipation of the imminent arrival of the Kingdom — i.e. Yeshua’s earthly ministry — certain bible historians and thinkers have provided us with a possible real life inspiration for his Spirit-led water immersions in the Transjordan region.

 

Jewish historians and archaeologists tell of a Jewish sub-sect of Essenes (the supposed residents of Qumran and of the Dead Sea Scroll fame) that they refer to as Hemerobaptists who are believed to have engaged in a form of ritual water immersion. It would seem that this Essenic sub-sect engaged in daily water immersion before each morning’s prayers. These daily immersions were performed for ritual purity purposes such that the one who underwent the daily ritual became eligible to pronounce/declare the Name of Yah with a clean body/soul (Wikipedia-Hemerobaptists).

 

According to Jewishencyclopedia.com, the Hebrew meaning of Hemerobaptists is “morning bathers.” Let us not overlook the fact that the Essenes were Jews who parted company with their fellow Jerusalem brethren over the perceived (and to some extent, substantiated) corruption of the overall Temple operational and worship systems.

 

As a community, the Essenes can be traced back to the 2nd c. BCE, continuing on to the end of the 1st century CE (https://www.britannica.com/topic/essene). Although not mentioned in the bible, first century Jewish commentators such as Josephus, Philo of Alexandria, and Pliny the Elder all make mention of this Jewish sect in their various writings.

 

Scholars have framed the Essenes as an extreme offshoot of Pharisaism. They were zealous for Torah and meticulously kept all aspects of Torah within their limited abilities to do so (being separated from the Jerusalem Temple complex). Unlike their Pharisaic brethren, the Essenes shunned Temple worship and operations and lived ascetic lives that included “manual labour in seclusion” (ibid.).

 

There are some extra-biblical sources that place Yochanan as a member of the Essene community. The Clementine Homilies stipulate that both John and Yeshua were Hemerobaptists (2:23). If in fact Yochanan the Immerser was a devoted member of the Essene sub-sect of the Qumran-Essene community, it is definitely conceivable that Yah’s Ruach moved him to incorporate the water-immersion ritual as the central act of faith to prepare a disciple for receiving Mashiyach and His Kingdom.

 

Eventually, Roman Christianity forced Messianic Judaism underground. And through the writings and edicts of the Church Triumphant, seven Jewish sects became outlawed, with the Hemerobaptists being one of them (Eusebius, “Hist.” Iv. 22).

 

Yochanan’s water immersion was the culminating, commemorative act of obedience that each of his disciples took upon their repentance/teshuvah (Mat. 3:1-2; Mar. 1:1-4).

 

Luke’s Gospel account records that it was while Yochanan ben Zechariah dwelt in the wilderness that “the Word of Yah came to him.” This led to him migrating to the Jordan countryside. And it was around the Jordan countryside that he preached a water immersion of repentance for the remission of one’s sins (3:2b-3). And it would seem that it was at this time that ritual water immersion in living water took on a different meaning and purpose from that of the Torah-based and Essene t’vilahs. Instead of disciples being water immersed for purposes of being made ritually pure or clean, so as to make one eligible to worship at the Temple, water immersion became a commemorative act of Yochanan’s disciples’ repentance and teshuvah to the Hebrew Faith, and preparatory in his disciples receiving the coming Messiah and His Kingdom.

 

John’s Call to Repentance and Teshuvah

 

In Matthew 3.1, “Yochanan came preaching…” Preaching in the Greek is “keusso,” the equivalent in the Hebrew being “qara,” is “to call” or “to summon” (Hegg, p. 74). Turns out also that John did much of his calling out in the Transjordan region of Judea. Recall from Torah — specifically as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy — that it was this region of the Transjordan (i.e. east of the Jordan River) where our ancient cousins staged and prepared to “crossover” and take possession of the Promised Land (i.e. Canaan). John’s call for his Jewish brethren to repentance and sanctification from the Transjordan parallels their forefathers’ time of renewal and preparation to take possession of their destiny. Here, John’s brethren were being called to prepare to receive the ultimate promised land — the Malchut Elohim. The second-generation Exodus Hebrews, through the righteous instructions of Torah that were rendered unto them by Moses, were to prepare them to receive the Promised Land. John’s call to repentance was paired with a “qara” to be water immersed for remission of their sins.

 

John’s water immersion was for purposes of certifying Israel’s sins being remitted. The immersion served to certify Israel’s teshuvah.

 

Verse 2 of our source text speaks of (1) a return to the obedience of the original Hebrew Faith and repentance of Israel’s individual and national sins. And (2) the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven or the Malchut Elohim.

 

The Hebrew term “teshuvah” denotes the act of returning to Yehovah’s Way of Life for His chosen people. It requires Yah’s chosen ones to return to Yah’s ways and to repent of their violations/transgressions of Yah’s holy Torah.

 

According to Torah teacher Nehemia Gordon (of Nehemiahswall.com), the primary function of the Old Covenant/Testament prophets is to tell the people to repent. And if the people do not repent, then the judgment and wrath laden foretelling function of the prophet comes into play.

 

Jewish historian Josephus accurately understood that John’s water immersion did not cleanse one from their sins, but rather, baptism was an outward manifestation of something that had already been accomplished through repentance.

 

John was not baptizing people as the vehicle to convert them to Judaism. Nor was he baptizing folks for purposes of converting them to Christianity. But rather, the purpose was to cleanse the disciples’ bodies as an outward manifestation of what had already taken place in their souls.

 

Repentance means that one ceases doing what they once did that was contrary to Yah’s way of life.

 

The NLT and ESV both corroborate this notion that before the disciple would be immersed in the living water of the mikveh (pool or body of water), they would have (1) repented of their sins and (2) teshuvah—turned back to or turned to Yah and His ways. And thus, John’s water immersion followed behind these inward acts. It served as a seal or emblem or sign that the disciple had in fact repented and engaged in true teshuvah.

 

Consequently, considering that Yochanan and Yahoshua were both preaching and teaching repentance and forgiveness of sins and teshuvah, their dual messages were uniquely fashioned to the Jewish nation, as opposed to the Gentile or Goyim. Their call was for their kinsmen to prepare the way for the coming Kingdom of Yah and the Messianic Age by first and foremost, repenting, turning from sin to righteousness or teshuvah. Thus, the Gospel texts mention folks from all walks of first-century Jewish life, including scribes and pharisees, heeding their calls to repentance and teshuvah.

 

Yochanan’s message also mentions a unique baptism that Yahoshua-the Messiah—would cause His disciples to partake in: an immersion in the Holy Spirit. Yahoshua’s Spirit immersion would take Yochanan’s Baptism to its greatest potential by not only symbolizing spiritual renewal and change in the disciple of Yahoshua, but more so, actually affecting the needed spiritual renewal and change within the disciple through the agency and power and workings of the Ruach HaKodesh. The Spirit would give the disciples the “I want to obey heart” and write Yah’s Torah on the fleshly tables of their hearts (Jer 31.33; Heb 8:10).

 

Thus, Yahoshua did not immerse anyone during His earthly ministry (John 3:22, 26; 4:2). Yahoshua’s immersion would be that of the Ruach Kodesh and of fire. And so it seems reasonable to conclude that Yochanan’s water immersion was preparation (of sorts) for the coming Messianic—Kingdom Age, while Yahoshua’s Ruach HaKodesh immersion would serve as the capstone to a called-out-chosen one’s transition to the Kingdom and its Way of Life here on earth as it is in heaven.

 

Yochanan’s and Yeshua’s water immersion, according to Dr. Michael Heiser, initiated a renewed Exodus out of Babylon (aka the Kingdom of Darkness) with the ultimate destination being the Kingdom of God. Along with repentance and teshuvah, their water immersion served as the “precursor to reviving the Kingdom of God in the Land of Promise…As Moses led Israel through the watery chaos and the unholy ground of other gods, so Yahoshua ‘the prophet like Moses’ (Act 3.22; 7.37), first came through the waters (i.e. His water immersion under John) before launching the kingdom” (Heiser, M., “The Unseen Realm,” p. 276).

 

John’s Water Immersion Link to Torah-Based T’vilah

 

As it relates to the Gospel water immersion of John, when we talk about ritual impurity or uncleanness, we’re really talking about a negative spiritual state of being, although the causal element of the uncleanness was generally physical in nature (i.e. bodily discharges; skin diseases; post-menstruation and child birthing, such). Nevertheless, that spiritual state of being was inextricably linked to the state of the immersed one’s heart. It had nothing to do with one’s hygiene or physical cleanness. But rather, it had to do with ridding oneself of the filth of sin that led the one to the spiritually impure state of being. This act of ridding one’s self of the sin that besets them (Heb 12.1) must be initiated from their heart. This one must obtain and adhere to the counsel of sin consciousness when they transition into the Beatitudinal disciple who comes to recognize which side their spiritual bread is buttered (Mat 5.3-12). This one learns to resist the tugs and leanings of their flesh. They consent to “dying to self” (Rom 8.13; 1 Cor 15.31).

 

Now, the cleansing waters of the mikveh in and of itself hold no magical or physical cleansing properties regarding sin. What the water does is that it served as Yah’s sanctioned medium by which He would validate the ritual purity that had to originate in the Israelite’s heart, mind, and soul. The act of t’vilah then is a simple act of obedience that fulfills the righteousness that Abba Yah has established as necessary for certain physical conditions.

 

When one follows-up their repentance and determination to walk in strict righteousness and holiness, the determination of which originates with the Holy Spirit that is at work on the true Israelite’s heart, the simple, obedient act of being immersed in a mikveh  crosses the physical-spiritual barrier, and Yah then effects or imputes the needed cleaning (Eze 36.25; Jer 17.13).

 

The heart-immersion connection was a well-understood concept among certain so-called Jewish sages (cf. Yoma 8.9) and the Qumran Community (1Q55:1-2, 13-14; 3:3-8).

 

Now, John’s water immersion took the original concept of water immersion for ritual purity purposes to a whole other level. The water immersion of John required the Kingdom aspiring Jew to teshuvah — repent — in anticipation of the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God.

 

The water immersion that followed the teshuvah of the Kingdom aspiring Jew attending John’s water immersion services , not only served as the medium to manifest John’s call to teshuvah, it served as the initiation rite into the Kingdom family (aka the “yachad”), through the work of the Holy Spirit upon the soul of the Israelite. It’s that physical-spiritual handshake that originally existed in the Torah-based ritual t’vilah (Hegg,Tim; Commentary on Matthew; p. 81).

 

Closing Remarks

 

So, in closing, the key concepts to keep in mind as it relates to John’s water immersion are as follows:

 

1. It was a physical act of obedience whereby the first century Jew of Johns Day repented of their transgressions of Torah and returned to Yehovah’s way of life.

 

2. Without a change of heart, mind, and soul on the part of John’s would be disciples, his water immersion meant absolutely nothing.

 

3. John’s water immersion was an act of obedience on the part of responding Israelis — both biological Jews and proselytes — to the imminent arrival of the Kingdom of God.

 

In part five of our series, we will examine Messianic-Netsari Water immersion, that came after John the immerser, and Yeshua’s ascension to Heaven. We will find that Messianic-Netsari Water immersion was different than John’s water immersion of Repentance, not to mention the added dimension of Yeshua’s promised immersion with the Holy Spirit.

 

^[1] , 3rd edition. (Northriding: Institute for Scripture Research, 2009), Mt 3:1–17.