This rite became especially popular during the Second Temple period in hindsight of the Syrian general Naaman being instructed by the prophet Elisha to cleanse himself from leprosy in the Jordan river ( 2 Kings 5 ). Thus , it would have been no surprise to a first century Jew in seeing a Levite like John performing such a ritual in the same Jordan River despite the questioning of his authority from the Sanhedrin . Although the roots of mikveh ( baptism ) derive from a Levitical ceremony , its meaning is profoundly significant .
This is especially relevant when it comes to the Jewish people ( Rom . 1:16 ). The very first commandment God gave Israel as a corporate nation , even prior to the giving of the Torah , was to sacrifice a lamb for every household and cover their doorposts and lintels of their homes with its blood so that they would be saved from the death angel ( Exod . 12:3 ).
The wider message here is that when Israel receives the true Lamb provided by God Himself , His plan of salvation will come to fruition , and we will see a worldwide Exodus – The Kingdom of God in its fullness .
In addition to overseeing the sacrifices , the Levites were also in charge of the ceremonial washings known as Mikvah . In short , the ritual involved ceremonially cleansing the people from impurity with running water . ( Lev . 11:36 ).
Though baptism itself does not save us , it is nonetheless an open and public declaration stating that we have transitioned from the Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of God . This was foreshadowed by the Israelites crossing over the Red Sea leaving Egypt behind . Moreover , Yeshua instructed us to carry on the great commission and pave the way for His return by going into all the world and making disciples . We do this by teaching them His commandments and baptizing them in the name of the Father , the Son , and the Holy Spirit . ( Matt . 28:19-20 )
THE SPIRIT OF ELIJAH
Throughout biblical history , we often see that when the Levitical priesthood became corrupt , and the Lord would transition a Levite to function in the office of the prophet in order to warn the nation of Israel of impending judgement .
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