TEXT: MATTHEW 3: 1- 12 1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier that I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (KJV)

Today I would like to deliver a message entitled “LOCUSTS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.” We would like to see about locusts in relation to John the Baptist.

As we have learned several times before, locusts are used for the disasters to assault the God’s people in the end time. They will give damage on wheat and wine, that is, the Word and the Holy Spirit. We know the Christians of the New Testament will receive harm through these destructive people, the locusts. Well, the Bible says some interesting thing concerning locusts.

It is written on Matthew 3: 4, “his meat was locusts and wild honey.” As long as we see Joel and Revelation, these people of locusts will confuse God’s people and lead them into the false teachings in the end time. So they look to have no enemy, but there may appear here their natural enemy.

For, John eats locusts. As the natural enemy mongoose appears to snake of a deadly poison, the Bible tells that the people who do not fear the people of locusts and to a surprise eat them will appear in the end time. This gives us great pleasure and shows the truth of the Lord.

It may take matters out of sequence, but John the Baptist is “Elias, which was for to come,” and is the type of the people who are prophesied to appear in the end time as below.

MALACHI 4: 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. (KJV)

Well, with these in mind, let’s look at the text.

1 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea.”

John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness of Judea. What does the wilderness represent? It is supposed the wilderness means the place of not city. The Lord also suffered out of the city.

City represents a church, and the Lord was principally not accepted by His people. And he was crucified outside of the city. John also preached in the wilderness, that is, out of the city. He is the type of the anointed people who will not be accepted by the orthodox people in the Church in the end time.

2 “And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The meaning to repent is to turn around. He warned the God’s people to turn around. Do pay attention to that he did not go to the Gentiles or barbarians to warn them to repent. He warned the God’s people who had the Bible, the scribes and synagogues that they should turn around because if they proceeded their ways they would be judged. Likewise, there will appear the anointed people who warn the God’s people that they should turn around because if they proceed their ways they would be judged in the end time. It would determine our fate of the end time whether we hear them rightly in modesty to turn around to the right way or not.

3 “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

It suggests this way is crooked, “make his paths straight.” Surely the way of the present day is crooked.

But, this would not last endlessly, and the restoration will start in the end time.

4 “And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.”

The food of John was “locusts and wild honey.” So, John, who has the same name of the disciple whom the Lord loved the most, is the very type of the disciples who will bring down the enemies symbolized as locusts in the end time. Then, what does wild honey mean?

When we refer to above passages, it seems the word honey has relation to the Word. So, John who eats honey may be the type of the disciple who eats the Word well, meaning to read the Word well. Yes, as our battle in the end time has relation to the Word, we should know we should read the Bible thoroughly otherwise we cannot work as His disciples.

5 “Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.”

Many people were baptized of John with water. Water baptism is clearly the type of that of water of life, the Holy Spirit. So, people will be baptized with the Holy Spirit by the workers symbolized as John the Baptist in the end time. They are the revivalists.

7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

Whom do the Pharisees and Sadducees correspond to at the present day? They were in a position to teach the people. So, they may correspond to teachers and pastors who are now in a position to teach people and believers.

And John called them, “Generation of vipers.” Therefore, pastors in this age may also be possibly called generation of vipers. Vipers correspond to the serpent that distorted the Word and deceived Eve. Aren’t the pastors and teachers generation of vipers who say such as, “It should not be interpreted spiritually,” concerning the parable that the Lord so clearly said, and recommend literal interpretation instead that the Bible never says? Because they have utterly forsaken the words concerning the parables, the words for the end time now become trap and pitfall before them.

8 “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance.”

It will become a key before the judgment of the end time whether we bring fruits fit for the Holy Spirit or not.

9 “And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.”

John said that only the fact that they are the descendants Abraham is not necessarily to be able to save themselves in the end time. The very fruit is the point. So, we know that if we think that we will be saved only because we who are the spiritual descendants of Abraham are so named Christians it would be wrong. The Lord will reward according to the works.

10 “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

We are vine and olive tree. And if we do not bring forth good fruit, we will be entangled into the fire, that is, revival of devils.

11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier that I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.”

The water baptism of John is the type of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire.

12 “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Both wheat and chaff refer to Christians. They look like similar, but the consequence is different like heaven and earth. Wheat grows out of the seed of the wheat. So, the word wheat is the metaphor to represent the aspect of Christians who eat the Word and grow. But though both of them grow out of the same seed of wheat, one becomes the wheat gathered into the garner and another becomes the chaff burnt up with unquenchable fire.

Likewise, though both of them receive and read the same Word, there will be some people who do the Word and bear fruit, and others who do not do the Word and say distorted things so that they will be judged instead. It is written, “He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” We understand here that this is also written about the judgment with fire, that is, devils.

Let us do the will of the Lord in the end time.

End.