Luke 3 1-4
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, [SUP]2 [/SUP]during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. [SUP]3 [/SUP]And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [SUP]4 [/SUP]As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
I love prophecy. This one is my favorite. Please take note it is being spoken in the present tense to Israel.
If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God,
to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
(Deu 30:10-14)
Now what is really cool is Paul through the Spirit repeats this same prophecy. But this time in respect to Gentiles. Here it is in Romans ten.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ (
his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law)
down from above
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ
(to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law)
again from the dead.)
But what saith it? The word; Christ ( his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law) again from the dead.)
is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
(Rom 10:6-8)