The Source of the Sayings that John the Baptist is the Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness, and an Angel or a Messenger, and Elijah the Prophet

Chapter III

The Sources of the Gospels and the Way of Writing Them

Section IV

The Texts that were attributed directly to the Old Testament in the Gospels

In this section we will examine the texts of the Old Testament that were attributed directly to it, and the Gospels authors said that they have not been fulfilled, and achieved only in Jesus and his time and his generation, to find out what is the truth and the reality of them, and if the Gospels authors have told the truth or not.

5 - The Source of the Saying that John the Baptist is the Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

Matthew 3:3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight’."

Mark 1:2 As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."

Mark 1:3 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight’."

Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

Luke 3:2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luke 3:3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

Luke 3:4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.

Luke 3:5 Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;

Luke 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God’."

John 1:22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"

John 1:23 He said: "I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,"‘ as the prophet Isaiah said."

These are four texts written in the four Gospels that say that John the Baptist is the voice of one crying in the wilderness who was mentioned by Isaiah, and said that the task of the voice of one crying in the wilderness is preparation the way of the Lord and makes His paths straight, which is a reference to John the Baptist, who supposed to be the one who will prepare the way for Jesus and makes his paths straight, as the Gospels say, but what is written in the Gospels about John the Baptist does not indicate to this for many things.

The first is that Jesus was baptized by John, while John was not baptized by Jesus.

Mark 1:9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

The second is that John remained has doubts in the task of Jesus until his last days, forcing him to send two of his disciples when he was in prison for asking him if he is the Christ or not! As in the following texts:

Matthew 11:2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

Matthew 11:3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

Luke 7:18 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.

Luke 7:19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

Luke 7:20 When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another’?"

Luke 7:21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

Luke 7:22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Luke 7:23 "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

The third is that the disciples of John remained separate from Jesus and his disciples in acts of worship, even that the disciples of Jesus have asked him to teach them to pray as John taught his disciples, as in the following texts:

Luke 11:1 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."

Matthew 9:14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"

Mark 2:18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"

Luke 5:33 Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"

Therefore, when and where has John prepared the way for Jesus and made his paths straight if he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness?!

Here, I'd like to review the text of the book of Isaiah to find out if it indicates to John the Baptist or not, which is as follows:

Isaiah 40:1 "Comfort, yes, comfort My people!" Says your God.

Isaiah 40:2 "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’S hand Double for all her sins."

In these paragraphs the Lord says speak comfort to his people and Jerusalem, and declares that her warfare is ended, and her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins, and then says:

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth;

These are the paragraphs that cited by the Gospels authors and said that it was indicating to John the Baptist. So is it true that he has prepared the ways for Jesus, and every valley became exalted, and every mountain and hill were brought low, and the crooked places became straight and the rough places became smooth for Jesus, or that he, i.e., Jesus, lived all his life afraid of the Jews, and he has spent a lot of days in the wilderness so as not to be killed by the Jews?! As in the following texts:

Mark 1:43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,

Mark 1:44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."

Mark 1:45 However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

John 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

John 6:15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

And was John crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of Jesus and made his paths straight, or he, in his last days, has sent his disciples to ask him if he is the Coming One, or look for another, as is written in the previous texts?

All this shows us that the text was not talking about John or Jesus, and then we read the following paragraph:

Isaiah 40:5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

This paragraph says that the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together shall see it, for the Lord has spoken, and here we find that there are two issues must be discussed.

The first is the state of Incarnation or Anthropomorphism which the Gospels authors and the churches believe in, that says that Jesus is one of the incarnations of the Lord the Creator, and this is a mistake, and even is greater than a mistake, because the glory of the Lord, and seeing it by people, does not mean seeing the Lord the Creator of the heavens and the earth directly, or that He has embodied in some of His creatures, but means that people see the glory of the Lord and his greatness through what He does in the universe, whether in the nature or in the human life, as was the case when Moses and the children of Israel crossed into the sea, and Pharaoh and his soldiers were drowned, as in the following text:

Exodus 14:17 "And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Exodus 14:18 "Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."

As well as, the people have seen the glory of the Lord through the miracles of Moses and other prophets. This is the glory of the Lord which had been seen by all mankind.

Moreover seeing the Lord directly is not possible, because no one sees the glory of the LORD and remains alive as the Old Testament says, (Exodus 33:20).

The second issue is if we agreed with the Gospels authors and the churches that it indicates to Jesus, so did Jesus reveal his glory; he who had commanded his disciples not to declare that he is the Christ?! As in the following texts:

Matthew 16:20 Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Mark 8:27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"

Mark 8:28 So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."

Mark 8:29 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."

Mark 8:30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.

Or did Jesus declare His glory when he met with Pilate or Herod during his trial, he who did not respond to any question, even he did not respond to the question of what is the truth when Pilate asked him about it? As in the following texts:

Matthew 27:14 But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.

Mark 15:5 But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Luke 23:9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.

John 18:38 Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all.

John 19:9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, "Where are You from?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

Isaiah 40:6 The voice said, "Cry out!" And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

Isaiah 40:7 The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; Surely the people are grass.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever."

These paragraphs talk about the lack of faith among the people, but say that the word of God stands forever, and I have shown that the word of the Lord the Creator stands forever in the first chapter, but the churches know well that they have violated the word of their god, i.e., Jesus, when he said he was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, they turned to preach among the Gentiles, and many others, which contrasts with the word of Jesus, so why the words of Jesus do not stand forever if the text was talking about John the Baptist and Jesus?

Matthew 15:23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."

Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.

Matthew 10:6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Isaiah 40:9 O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

Isaiah 40:10 Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.

Isaiah 40:11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.

These paragraphs, if anyone says it refers to Jesus, he must tell us when and where was Jesus reigned, with knowing that he refused to be king, as in the following text:

John 6:15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Moreover, he said that his kingdom is not of this world as in the following text:

John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

Furthermore, he refused to divide the inheritance between two brothers, and said "Man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over you?" as in the following text:

Luke 12:13 Then one from the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

Luke 12:14 But He said to him, "Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?"

In addition, he was paying the taxes to Caesar and calls the Jews to pay, by saying "give to Caesar what is Caesar's", as in the following texts:

Matthew 17:27 "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you."

Matthew 22:21 They said to Him, "Caesar’s." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s."

As well as where are the rewards of Jesus that were given to the disciples, while the Gospels say that some women were helping to support them out of their means, as in the following text:

Luke 8:1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,

Luke 8:2 and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities — Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 

Luke 8:3 and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

Isaiah 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?

Isaiah 40:13 Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has taught Him?

Isaiah 40:14 With whom did He take counsel, and who instructed Him, And taught Him in the path of justice? Who taught Him knowledge, And showed Him the way of understanding?

The good people of the followers of the churches should pay attention to these questions, and rethinking in them, and compare them with the characteristics of Jesus to find out what is the truth of what they believe in, and how the churches have violated the Old Testament.

Isaiah 40:15 Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, And are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, He lifts up the isles as a very little thing.

Isaiah 40:16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, Nor its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering.

Isaiah 40:17 All nations before Him are as nothing, And they are counted by Him less than nothing and worthless.

Isaiah 40:18 To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to Him?

This is the most significant question in the human life, therefore, to whom then do you liken God? Or what likeness do you compare to Him?

Is the LORD like any one of his creatures, whether was born of a woman only, or of a man and a woman?

Is the Lord like the one who has settled in the womb of a woman for nine months, and was suckling milk for growing? And drinks and eats and sleeps, and feels thirsty and hungry, and feels tired, and was beaten and whipped, and was crying out, and in the end died?!

Matthew 1:25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Luke 2:6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

John 4:6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

John 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."

Luke 24:42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.

Luke 24:43 And He took it and ate in their presence.

Mark 4:38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"

Matthew 26:67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and others struck Him with the palms of their hands,

Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Thus to whom then do you liken the LORD the Creator? Or what likeness do you compare to Him?!

Isaiah 40:19 The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.

Isaiah 40:20 Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

Isaiah 40:21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?

Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth, that the LORD is not like any creature?

Or have you wanted to compare Jesus and his father to the LORD, who said that he is a man and he who has seen him has seen his father, as in the following texts:

John 8:39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.

John 8:40 "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

John 14:9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 12:45 "And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.

Isaiah 40:25 "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One.

Says the LORD the Holy One to whom then will you liken Him, or to whom shall He be equal?!

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

To whom then do you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal? Says the LORD the Holy One, lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things.

The rest of the texts talk about the Lord and his ability which does not fail in creating anything.

Isaiah 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, And speak, O Israel: "My way is hidden from the LORD, And my just claim is passed over by my God"?

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

From this careful reading of some events of the story of John the Baptist in the Gospels, and reading the text of Isaiah, we find that the Gospels authors did not write this text according to the real seeing or hearing, but according to their way of writing, which is the quoting from the texts of the Old Testament and reformulating them in their accounts to bestow a state of holiness and credibility and reliability on the Gospels, and this appears clearly in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark as we have read where he attributed it to the book of Isaiah, while he quoted from Malachi and Isaiah at the same time, not from Isaiah alone, which forced some scribes to correct this error later, as shown in the previous chapter, so we conclude that our law "do not accept the lying and false" applies to the Saying that John the Baptist is the Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness.

6 - The Source of the Saying that John the Baptist is an Angel or a Messenger

Matthew 11:10 "For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You’.

Mark 1:2 As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You."

Mark 1:3 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight’."

Luke 7:27 "This is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You’.

Luke 7:28 "For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

In these texts Matthew, Mark and Luke wrote that the one who is intended in the text of Malachi is John the Baptist, which means that John the Baptist is a messenger before Jesus' face, who he will prepare his way before him, and here we have several notes on this issue.

The first is that in the most of the manuscripts have been written an angel, not a messenger, So if we say that the texts talk about an angel this will cause a problem, because Luke has written that John the Baptist is a man, and born of a man and a woman according to the promise from the Lord, because his mother was barren, and his parents were both well along in years, and the birth of John was as a prelude of the birth of Jesus, as in the following text:

Luke 1:36 "Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing will be impossible."

The second is if we agreed with the other manuscripts that say that the texts talk about a messenger, this also will cause a problem because John was not a messenger for Jesus, as is shown previously.

The third is that the text of Mark has a textual problem, because it is written in the oldest manuscripts "as it is written in Isaiah", not as it is written in the prophets, as shown previously.

Despite all this, we should read the text which the authors of the three Gospels had cited to say that John the Baptist is a messenger, or an angel, to find out if it was a prophecy about John or not, which is mentioned in the book of Malachi, chapter III, which is as follows:

Malachi 3:1 "Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.

This is the paragraph which has been quoted by the Gospels authors, and it says that the LORD will send His messenger to prepare the way before Him, but the Gospels authors said it was talking about Jesus and John the Baptist. Now let's agree with them; yet does the rest of the text talk about them?!

The following paragraphs say that the LORD will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger (or the Angel) of the covenant, in whom the Jews delight, nevertheless, the Gospels authors did not write any story about Jesus, and how he came suddenly to the temple with John the Baptist, if the text was talking about John! But they told us that John has lived in the wilderness until he was arrested, and then beheaded and was presented on a plate to a dancer woman, and did not tell us that he was with Jesus, or met him except during the baptism, and that the Jews have delight when they saw them in the temple, but they wrote that when Jesus comes to the temple was not openly, but in secret, because he was afraid of the Jews, even he was at his last visit to the temple not safe to stay there during night, for this he stayed outside Jerusalem with his disciples, as in the following texts:

Luke 21:37 And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.

John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

John 7:10 But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

John 11:53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

John 11:54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

Malachi 3:2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap.

As for this paragraph, it is certainly does not talk about Jesus nor John the Baptist, because John the Baptist was killed before the coming of Jesus to Jerusalem, and when Jesus came to Jerusalem, his coming was not difficult for Jews, and was not like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap, because they tried hard to kill him and have succeeded to do so after several days of his coming as the Gospels say!

Malachi 3:3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.

This paragraph confirms that the text was not talking about John the Baptist and Jesus, because the Gospels authors did not say that Jesus has purified and refined the sons of Levi, but wrote that the sons of Levi are the ones who sought to crucify Jesus and kill him!

Malachi 3:4 "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As in former years.

Malachi 3:5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien — Because they do not fear Me," Says the LORD of hosts.

The first verse says that the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, which was rejected by the churches because they state that there is no longer the offerings and sacrifices after the crucifixion of Jesus, and that he is the only acceptable sacrifice to God, and here I will not talk about this doctrine, but certainly this verse was not talking about the time of Jesus.

The second verse talks about the judgment of the LORD among the people, while Jesus did not claim such as this task for himself in one day throughout his life, because he has refused to condemn the woman who was caught in adultery, (John 8:1-11), and refused to divide the inheritance between two brothers, (Luke 12: 13-14), as well as refused to be king over the Jews, (John 6:15).

From all of the above, we conclude that Malachi was not talking or prophesying about John the Baptist, but the Gospels authors, as is their way or method or approach, have used the texts of the Old Testament to compose their accounts to bestow a state of holiness and credibility and reliability on the Gospels regardless of the real meaning of the texts or even if they contradict with what they have written in their Gospels, which indicates that our law "do not accept the lying and false" applies to these texts.

Note: the following post is in Section V in the book, but because it's related with previous posts I liked to post them together

12 - The Source of the Saying of Jesus that John the Baptist is Elijah

In the previous section we have read that the Gospels authors describe John the Baptist as an angel, or a messenger, and the voice of one crying in the wilderness, and how they quoted the texts of the Old Testament to prove it, and here we will read another description, which is that John the Baptist is Elijah the prophet! As in the following texts:

Matthew 11:2 And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples

Matthew 11:3 and said to Him, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

Matthew 11:4 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:

Matthew 11:5 "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Matthew 11:6 "And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

Matthew 11:7 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

Matthew 11:8 "But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.

Matthew 11:9 "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.

Matthew 11:10 "For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You’.

Matthew 11:11 "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:14 "And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.

Matthew 11:15 "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 17:10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

Matthew 17:11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.

Matthew 17:12 "But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands."

Matthew 17:13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Mark 9:11 And they asked Him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

Mark 9:12 Then He answered and told them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

Mark 9:13 "But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him."

In these texts, Matthew and Mark wrote on the lips of Jesus that John the Baptist is Elijah, and this description is unacceptable more than the previous ones, because we may find some excuse to describe him as an angel, or a messenger, or the voice of one crying, which appeared that they are untrue as shown previously, but describing him as a man who was born before hundreds of years; I think that there will be no one can believe or imagine this description!

I wonder, if someone said to Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, that the fetus who in her womb is in fact a man who was born before hundreds of years what will her reaction be?!

However, what is the opinion of John the Baptist himself of this description, does he say that he is Elijah?!

Let's read the following text:

John 1:19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

John 1:20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

John 1:21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

John 1:22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"

John 1:23 He said: "I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the Lord,"‘ as the prophet Isaiah said."

In this text John writes in his Gospel that John the Baptist said to the Jews that he is not Elijah!

So, whom should we believe; Matthew and Mark, who have written on the lips of Jesus that John the Baptist is Elijah, or John the gospel author who has written on the lips of John the Baptist himself that he is not Elijah?!

The choosing of any of these sayings will prove that there are many contradictions among the stories and paragraphs of the Gospels that cannot be reconciled between them, which indicates that the writing of the Gospels was away from the revelation and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the quoting from the Old Testament texts is an attempt by the Gospels authors to say that they are from the same source to bestow a state of holiness and reliability and credibility on the Gospels as is their method and approach of writing the Gospels, as is shown in this book.

It is almost certainly that the reason for saying about John that he is Elijah because of reading Matthew and Mark what is written in the book of Malachi chapter IV, which is as follows:

Malachi 4:1 "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch.

Malachi 4:2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

Malachi 4:3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 4:4 "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

Malachi 4:6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."

This is the text that make Matthew and Mark to write this error, because of the lack of understanding the exact meaning of it, or ignorance of the history of the story of Elijah, and seeking to write their Gospels through the Old Testament texts as is their method of writing the Gospels to serve what they believe in!

But if we read this text carefully, away of the foolish and the stupid of arguments and interpretations, will see that it was talking about sending Elijah the prophet at the first time, especially, the calling to remember the Law of Moses, His servant, which He commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments, which have not been committed to by the churches, as shown previously, and this thing will be appeared clearly in the following text:

1Kings 18:36 And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

1Kings 18:37 "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."

In this text we read that Elijah said "Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again", which indicates that the text or the prophecy of Malachi took place before hundreds of years of the birth of Jesus, not as Matthew and Mark said that it has been fulfilled in Jesus' time, and refers to John the Baptist!

This way of interpretation of the Old Testament texts and writing them in the narratives of Gospels is the main reason for all the contradictions and discrepancies and differences, which we read in the Gospels; and this will be more clear if we read what Luke wrote about John the Baptist and his relationship with Elijah, as in the following text:

Luke 1:13 But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

Luke 1:14 "And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

Luke 1:15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

Luke 1:16 "And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

Luke 1:17 "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

Luke 1:18 And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."

As we read that Luke has written that John the Baptist will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and turn the hearts of the fathers to the children to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, and these words are the same words of Malachi, but Luke wrote it as a prophecy of the angel about John the Baptist, and did not say that John is Elijah, but he said "He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah"!

This unfulfilled prophecy with John the Baptist, as shown previously, indicates that the former saying is not a revelation or inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but was quoted from the Old Testament. However, what is the source of the Luke's story, which is that John the Baptist will go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah?

Let's read the following text:

2Kings 2:15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.

In this text we read that the spirit of Elijah has rested on Elisha, for this when Luke read this text thought that the spirit of Elijah is its own, ignoring that the spirit which was with the prophets of the children of Israel was separated from them, as shown in the first chapter, for this he wrote that John will go before Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah, which appeared to us as have already explained that John did not go before Jesus in the spirit of Elijah nor in his own spirit!

All of this indicates that the Gospels authors did not write these stories and sayings by any kind of revelation or inspiration, because the revelation and the inspiration do not contradict with each other, nor contain false stories.
From all of the above, shows to us that the Gospels writers did not write these texts through any kind of revelation or inspiration, because the revelation or the inspiration does not commit such these errors and contradictions, but they wrote them through their way and method and approach of writing, which is the quoting the texts from the Old Testament and reformulating them in their accounts to bestow a state of holiness and credibility and reliability on the Gospels, which means that the law "do not accept the lying and false" applies to all of them.