Yochanan proclaim the Messiah has come:
(Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-9, 15-17; Yochanan 1:19-28)
3:1 In those days came Yochanan the Immerser, proclaiming in the midbar Yehudah,
3:2 And saying, Make Teshuvah: for the malkhut shamayim is offered.
3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by Ha navi Yesha'yahu, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Adonay, make his paths straight.
3:4 And the same Yochanan had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
3:5 Then went out to him Yerushalayim, and all Yehudah, and all the region round about Yarden,
3:6 And were immersed of him in Yarden, confessing their sins.
3:7 But when he saw many of the P'rushim and Tz'dukim come to his immersion, he said unto them:
"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?"
3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for teshuvah:
3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Avraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that Elohim (אלהים) is able of these stones to raise up children unto Avraham.
3:10 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 eish.
3:11 I indeed immerse you with mayim unto teshuvah: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall immerse you with the Ruach HaKodesh, and [with] eish:
3:12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable eish.
Yeshua is immersed by Yochanan:
3:13 Then cometh Yeshua (ישוע) from Galil to Yarden unto Yochanan, to be immersed of him.
3:14 But Yochanan forbad him, saying, I have need to be immersed of thee, and comest thou to me?
3:15 And Yeshua (ישוע) answering said unto him, Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all tzidakat. Then he suffered him.
3:16 And Yeshua (ישוע), when he was immersed, went up straightway out of the mayim: and, lo, the shamayim were opened unto him, and he saw the Ruach Elohim (אלהים) descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
3:17 And see a voice from shamayim, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The Meaning of the Kingdom of Heaven
The expression "Kingdom of heaven (literally of the heavens).
The kingdom of heaven is revealed in three aspects in Mattiyahu
1. As "at hand or near - the kingdom is offered
2.As fulfilled in the present age, the kingdom of heaven is presented in seven "mysteries" revealing the character of the rule of heaven over the earth between the first and second coming of Adonay
3. As fulfilled after the second coming of Moshiach, the kingdom of heaven will be realized in the future millennial kingdom as predicted by Dani'el (Dan 2:34-36, 44-45) and the covenanted to David (Dan 7:12-16)