Christ testifies about John the Baptist to crowds and his disciples. He asks three rhetorical questions about what people went to see John for: a reed shaken by the wind, a man in soft clothes, or a prophet. Christ says John is more than a prophet and fulfills the prophecy of preparing the way for the Lord. He says among men, no one is greater than John, but the least in God's kingdom is greater. Christ testifies that John was like Elijah to turn people to God in preparation for Christ.

1. Christ's testimony concerning John
Matthew 11:7-19
Mark (no reference)
Luke 7:24-30
John (no reference)
Matt 11
7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning
John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the
wind?
Luke 7:24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he
began to speak unto the people concerningJohn, What went ye out
into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Matt 11
8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold,
they that wear soft clothingare in kings' houses.
Luke 7:25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft
raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeouslyapparelled, and live
delicately, are in kings' courts.
Matt 11
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and
more than a prophet.
Luke 7:26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say
unto you, and much more than a prophet.
The people do not offer any answer to Jesus when he questions them. He
asks three questions:
 A reed shaken with the wind?
Mark 6:18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have
thy brother's wife.
Luke 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what
shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse
any falsely; and be content with your wages.

2.  A man clothed in soft raiment?
Matt 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?
behold, they that wear soft clothingare in kings' houses.
Mark 1:6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a
skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall
prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in
sackcloth.
 A prophet?
Matt 11:9; Luke 7:26 …Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a
prophet.
Christ's tells how John is more than a
prophet
Matt 11
10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before
thy face, which shall prepare thy way beforethee.
Luke 7:27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom
ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Matt 11
11 VerilyI say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath
not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstandinghe that is least in
the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

3. Luke 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is
least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Among them that are born of women…
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God.
1Pet 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Matt 11
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
13 For all the prophets Isa40:3; Mal3:1
and the law prophesieduntil John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
12…the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violenttake it by
force. Works:
Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the
kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.
Luke 3:12-14 12 Then came also publicansto be baptized, and said unto
him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed
you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we
do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any
falsely; and be content with your wages.
Matt 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, andye
believedhim not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye,
when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

4. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias…
John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I
am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Matt 17:10-12 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the
scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answeredand said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and
restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not,
but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son
of man suffer of them.
Moses and Elijah are both associated with the coming of the Lord to
reign:
Mal 3:1-2 1 Behold, I will send my messenger Singular
, and he shall prepare
the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenlycome to
his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers'soap:
Mal 4:1-5 1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and
all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day
that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave
them neither root nor branch.
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with
healingin his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the
stall.
3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the
soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto
him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

5. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the
great and dreadful day of the LORD:
John was a picture of Elijah
Luke 1:14-17 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall
rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither
wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filledwith the Holy Ghost, even from
his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn
the hearts of the fathers to the children, andthe disobedient to the wisdom
of the just; to make ready a people preparedfor the Lord.
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city,
which spirituallyis calledSodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was
crucified.
If Israel had accepted Jesus, John would have been the fulfilment for
Elijah of Mal 3&4.
Acts 7 would have been the raptureof believing Jews.
The Tribulation wouldhave started.
The conversion of Gentiles would have taken place in the millennium
through Israel with Christon earth.
The “Church-Age” would not have happened.
The Renewed offer of the kingdom:
Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what
they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

6. Acts 2:1-5 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenlythere came a sound from heaven as of a rushingmighty
wind, and it filledall the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appearedunto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat
upon each of them.
4 And they were all filledwith the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwellingat Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven.
Joel is quoted to show the Jews what would take place before Messiah
came to reign on David’s throne:
Acts 2:15-16 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but
the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out
my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughtersshall
prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall
see visions:
Acts 2:29-30 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the
patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with
us unto this day.
30 Therefore beinga prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an
oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, accordingto the flesh, he would
raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Acts 2:23 Him, being deliveredby the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have
crucifiedandslain:
Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raisedup, whereof we all are
witnesses.

7. Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will
judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath
ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he
hath raisedhim from the dead.
Acts 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying,
Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
If the Sanhedrin had officially repented and accepted Christ:
They would have goneout to Gehenna and fulfilled Deut 21:1-9
Deut 21:1-9 1 If one be found slain in the landwhich the LORD thy God
giveth thee to possess it, lyingin the field, and it be not known who hath
slain him:
2 Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure
unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
3 And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the
elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wroughtwith,
and which hath not drawn in the yoke;
4 And the elders of that city shall bringdown the heifer unto a rough
valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck
there in the valley:
5 And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy
God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the
LORD; and by their word shall every controversyand every stroke be tried:
6 And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash
their hands over the heifer that is beheadedin the valley:
7 And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood,
neither have our eyes seen it.
8 Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed,
and lay not innocentblood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the
blood shall be forgiven them.
9 So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocentblood from among you,
when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

8. Then without a “Church-Age”the Trib. Would have started;precededby a
rapture:
Song 2:10-13 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love,
my fair one, and come away.
11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is
come, and the voice of the turtle is heardin our land;
13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender
grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Isa 26:19-21 19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body
shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the
dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.
20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors
about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation
be overpast.
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants
of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and
shall no more cover her slain.
A TribulationRapture for the Remnant would have beenthe “Remnant” of Joel
2:32
Ps 50:1-10 1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and calledthe
earth from the risingof the sun unto the going down thereof.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before
him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may
judge his people.

9. 5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant
with me by sacrifice.
6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself.
Selah.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against
thee: I am God, even thy God.
8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have
been continuallybefore me.
9 I will take no bullockout of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.
10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand
hills.
Joel 2:31-32 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into
blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the
LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalemshall be
deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnantwhom the LORD
shall call.
Rev 12:14-17 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great
eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is
nourishedfor a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the
serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman,
that he might cause her to be carriedawayof the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and
swallowedup the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with
the remnantof her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and
have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Matt 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto
him privately, saying, Tell us, 1
when shall these things be? and 2
what shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of 3
the end of the world?

10. Matt 24:14-20 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in
all the world for a witness unto all 1
nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see 2
the abomination of desolation, spoken
of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him
understand:)
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out
of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day:
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other.
Zeph 3:13 The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies;
neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed
and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.
Zech 8:6 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of
the remnantof this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in
mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.
Zech 8:12 For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit,
and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their
dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these
things.
Amos 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the
gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the
remnant of Joseph.

11. Heb 9:28 So Christwas once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto
them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation.
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as
calves of the stall.