life, the prophets also spoke about His baptism in
the Jordan River. The Holy Scriptures foretold
the following:
Baptism would bestow forgiveness:
And he brought me out by the way of the northern gate, and he led me round by the way outside to the gate of the court that looks eastward;
and, behold, water came down from the right side,
as the coming forth of a man; and there was a measuring line in his hand, and he measured a thousand cubits with the measure.
And he went into the water, the water of for
giveness(Eze. 47:2-3).
Christ would sanctify the waters:
And he said to me:
This is the water that goes forth to Galilee that lies eastward, and it is gone down to Arabia, and has reached as far as to the sea to the outlet of the water; and it shall sanctify the waters.
And it shall come to pass, that every animal of
living and moving creatures, all on which the river shall come, shall live:
and there shall be there very many fish; for this water shall go thither, and it shall sanctify, and everything on which the river shall come shall live
(Eze. 47:8-9).
Christ would come out from the Jordan with glory:
Behold, he shall come up as a lion from Jordan (Jer. 27:44).
The Jordan would turn back when it saw Christ:
The sea beheld and fled, Jordan turned back. The mountains leaped like rams, and the hills like lambs of flocks. Why did you flee, O sea? And why did you turn back, O Jordan?
Why did you leap like rams, O mountains, and like lambs of flocks, O hills? From the face of the Lord the earth was shaken, from the presence of the God of Jacob (Ps. 113:2-7).
The waters saw Thee, O God. The waters saw Thee and became afraid; the abysses were troubled ... In the sea are Thy ways, and Thy paths in many waters; and Thy footsteps shall not be known
(Ps. 76:17-20).
Christ would crush the head of the devil in the water:
Thou didst establish the sea by Thy might. Thou didst break the heads of the dragons in the water. Thou didst crush the head of the dragons, Thou gavest him as food to the Ethiopian peoples
(Ps. 73:13-14).
The voice of God would bear witness as Christ is baptized:
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory hath thundered, the Lord is upon the many waters (Ps. 28:3).
The desert of Jordan would spring forth water of life:
Be glad, thou thirsty desert: let the wilderness exult, and flower as the lily.
And the desert places of Jordan shall blossom and rejoice; the glory of Libanus has been given to it, and the honor of Carmel; and my people shall see the glory of the Lord, and the majesty of God ...
for water has burst forth in the desert, and a channel of water in a thirsty land.
And the dry land shall become pools, and a fountain of water shall be poured into the thirsty land; there shall there be a joy of birds, ready habitations and marshes.
There shall be there a pure way, and it shall be called a holy way; and there shall not pass by there any unclean person, neither shall there be there an unclean way; but the dispersed shall walk on i
t, and they shall not go as tray ... but the redeemed and gathered on the Lord's behalf, shall walk in it, and shall return, and come to Zion with joy, and everlasting joy shall be over their head; for on their head shall be praise and exultation, and joy shall take possession of them:sorrow and pain, and groaning have fled away (Isa. 35:1-10).
St. John the Forerunner would appear before Christ:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God.
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and all the crooked ways shall become straight, and the rough places plains.
And the glory of the Lord shall appear, and all
flesh shall see the salvation of God: for the Lord has spoken it(Isa. 40:3-5).
Behold, I send forth my messenger, and he shall survey the way before Me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the angel of the covenant, whom ye take pleasure in. Behold, he is coming, saith the Lord Almighty (Mal. 3:1).
And, behold, I will send to you Elias the Thesbite, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes, who shall turn again the heart of the
father to the son, and the heart of a man to his
neighbor, lest I come and smite the earth grievously (Mal. 4:5-6).
http://www.stnektariosmonastery.org/
