19:7 “O Zachariah, we give you good news; a boy whose name shall be John (Yahya). We never created anyone like him before.”
19:8 He said, “My Lord, will I have a son despite my wife’s sterility, and despite my old age?”
19:9 He said, “Thus said your Lord: ‘It is easy for Me to do. I created you before that, and you were nothing.'”
19:10 He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three consecutive nights.”
19:11 He came out to his family, from the sanctuary, and signaled to them: “Meditate (on God) day and night.”
19:12 “O John, you shall uphold the scripture, strongly.” We endowed him with wisdom, even in his youth.
19:13 And (we endowed him with) kindness from us and purity, for he was righteous.
19:14 He honored his parents, and was never a disobedient tyrant.
19:15 Peace be upon him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he is resurrected back to life.
The Birth of John
3:38 That is when Zachariah implored his Lord: “My Lord, grant me such a good child; You are the Hearer of the prayers.” 3:39 The angels called him when he was praying in the sanctuary: “GOD gives you good news of John; a believer in the word of GOD, honorable, moral, and a righteous prophet.” 3:40 He said, “How can I have a boy, when I am so old, and my wife is sterile?” He said, “GOD does whatever He wills.” 3:41 He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three days, except through signals. Commemorate your Lord frequently; and meditate night and day.”
11:72 She said, “Woe to me, how could I bear a child at my age, and here is my husband; an old man? This is really strange!”
Examples of the prophets in their sanctuary?
Sanctuary: the most holy part of a religious building
2:125 We have rendered the shrine (the Ka’aba) a focal point for the people, and a safe sanctuary. You may use Abraham’s shrine as a prayer house. We commissioned Abraham and Ismail: “You shall purify My house for those who visit, those who live there, and those who bow and prostrate.”
3:37 Her Lord accepted her a gracious acceptance, and brought her up a gracious upbringing, under the guardianship of Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah entered her sanctuary he found provisions with her. He would ask, “Mary, where did you get this from?” She would say, “It is from GOD. GOD provides for whomever He chooses, without limits.”
3:39 The angels called him when he was praying in the sanctuary: “GOD gives you good news of John; a believer in the word of GOD, honorable, moral, and a righteous prophet.”
19:11 He came out to his family, from the sanctuary, and signaled to them: “Meditate (on God) day and night.”
27:91 I am simply commanded to worship the Lord of this town—He has made it a safe sanctuary—and He possesses all things. I am commanded to be a submitter.
38:21 Have you received news of the feuding men who sneaked into his sanctuary?
In 19:15 if John is granted peace the day he is born, dies and resurrected – how does that correspond with everyone having original sin.
5:17 Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is the Messiah, the son of Mary. Say, “Who could oppose GOD if He willed to annihilate the Messiah, son of Mary, and his mother, and everyone on earth?” To GOD belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, and everything between them. He creates whatever He wills. GOD is Omnipotent.
19:33 “And peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I get resurrected.”
Humans Insist on Their Original Sin
10:74 Then we sent after him messengers to their people, and they showed them clear proofs. But they were not to believe in what they had rejected in the past. We thus seal the hearts of the transgressors.
The Original Sin
16:61 If GOD punished the people for their transgressions, He would have annihilated every creature on earth. But He respites them for a specific, predetermined time. Once their interim ends, they cannot delay it by one hour, nor advance it.
Contrary to common belief, the “Original Sin” was not Adam’s violation of God’s law when he ate from the forbidden tree. The original sin was our failure to uphold God’s absolute authority during the Great Feud. If the human person convinces his or her jinn companion to denounce that original sin, and uphold God’s absolute authority, both creatures are redeemed to God’s eternal kingdom on the Day of Judgment. But if the jinn companion convinces the human being to uphold Satan’s idolatrous views, then both creatures are exiled forever from God’s kingdom.
To promote his point of view, Satan and his representatives advocate the idolization of such powerless creatures as Muhammad, Jesus, Mary, and the saints. Since we are here due to our polytheistic tendencies, most of us are easy prey for Satan.
Satan’s incompetence as a “god” has already been proven by the prevalence of chaos, disease, accidents, misery, and war throughout his dominion (36:66). On the other hand, the human beings who denounce Satan, uphold God’s absolute authority, and refrain from idolizing powerless and dead creatures like Jesus and Muhammad, are restored to God’s protection – they enjoy a perfect life here in this world and forever.
Because our life in this world is a series of tests designed to expose our polytheistic ideas, idol worship is the only unforgivable offense (4:48, 116). The world is divinely designed to manifest our decision to uphold either God’s absolute authority, or Satan’s idolatrous views (67:1-2). The day and the night change constantly to test our willingness to uphold God’s laws by observing the Dawn Prayer and fasting during the hottest and longest days. Only those who are totally certain about God’s absolute authority are redeemed (26:89).
All the Gospel accounts state that John the Baptist was killed before Jesus. Scholars also know that Jesus was executed while Pilate was governor and Caiaphas was High Priest. Both of their terms in office ended in 36 C.E. Thus, 36 C.E. is the latest possible date for the end of Jesus’ ministry.
However, if Jesus’ birth was between 6-4 B.C.E. and his ministry only lasted one year, he was killed between 25-27 C.E. If the Gospel of John is right and Jesus’ ministry lasted three years, then Jesus was killed between 27-29 C.E. Based on the estimates of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can estimate that John the Baptist was killed between 24-29 C.E.
John was born most likely before Jesus. If Mary had Jesus when she was ~16 years old according to Proto-Gospel of James (12:3)
Similarity between John and Jesus births
Both had unnatural births
Both parents had times where they could not speak
Both John and Jesus martyred
Both born pure
Both had righteous parents
Both same time period
Interesting that when the prophets ask for a sign they are told to do something?
3:41 He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three days, except through signals. Commemorate your Lord frequently; and meditate night and day.”
19:10 He said, “My Lord, give me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three consecutive nights.”
2:260 Abraham said, “My Lord, show me how You revive the dead.” He said, “Do you not believe?” He said, “Yes, but I wish to reassure my heart.” He said, “Take four birds, study their marks, place a piece of each bird on top of a hill, then call them to you. They will come to you in a hurry. You should know that GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.”
John was martyred according to the Bible
The account then describes how Herod’s daughter Herodias (NRSV; other translations refer to the girl as the daughter of Herodias) dances before Herod, who is pleased and offers her anything she asks for in return. When the girl asks her mother what she should request, she is told to demand the head of John the Baptist. Reluctantly, Herod orders the beheading of John, and his head is delivered to her, at her request, on a plate. John’s disciples take the body away and bury it in a tomb.(Mark 6:17–29)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zechariah_(priest)
Origen suggested that the Zechariah mentioned in Matthew 23:35 as having been killed between the temple and the altar may be the father of John the Baptist.[3] Orthodox Christian tradition recounts that, at the time of the massacre of the Innocents, when King Herod ordered the slaughter of all males under the age of two in an attempt to prevent the prophesied Messiah from coming to Israel, Zechariah refused to divulge the whereabouts of his son (who was in hiding), and he was therefore murdered by Herod’s soldiers. This is also recorded in the Infancy Gospel of James, an apocryphal work from the 2nd century.
Walk the earth … my 17-year vow of silence | John Francis