"Behold,I am going to sendMy messenger,and he will clearthe waybeforeMe. And the Lord,whomyou seek,will suddenlycometo His temple;and the messengerof the covenant,in whomyou delight,behold,He is coming,"saysthe LORDof hosts.
The LORDsaysto my Lord:"Sitat My righthandUntilI makeYour enemiesa footstoolfor Your feet."
"Behold,I am going to sendan angelbeforeyou to guardyou along the wayand to bringyou into the placewhichI have prepared.
"Be on your guardbeforehim and obeyhis voice;do not be rebellioustoward him, for he will not pardonyour transgression,sinceMy nameis in him.
Behold,the LordGODwill comewith might,With His armrulingfor Him. Behold,His rewardis with Him And His recompensebeforeHim.
In alltheir afflictionHe was afflicted,And the angelof His presencesavedthem; In His loveand in His mercyHe redeemedthem, And He liftedthem and carriedthem allthe daysof old.
"Thereforethe LordHimselfwill giveyou a sign:Behold,a virginwill be with childand beara son,and she will callHis nameImmanuel.
For a childwill be bornto us, a sonwill be givento us; And the governmentwill reston His shoulders;And His namewill be calledWonderfulCounselor,MightyGod,EternalFather,Princeof Peace.
Then Haggai,the messengerof the LORD,spokeby the commissionof the LORDto the peoplesaying,"'I am with you,' declaresthe LORD."
"Then you will knowthat I have sentthiscommandmentto you, that My covenantmay continuewith Levi,"saysthe LORDof hosts.
"For the lipsof a priestshould preserveknowledge,and men should seekinstructionfrom his mouth;for he is the messengerof the LORDof hosts.
"Behold,I am going to sendyou Elijahthe prophetbeforethe comingof the greatand terribledayof the LORD.
"And ifyou are willingto accept[it], John himselfis Elijahwho was to come.
"And you, child,will be calledthe prophetof the Most High;For you will goon BEFORETHE LORDTO PREPAREHIS WAYS;
And He was teachingdailyin the temple;but the chief priestsand the scribesand the leading menamong the peoplewere tryingto destroyHim,
for todayin the cityof Davidthere has been bornfor you a Savior,whois Christthe Lord.
At that verymomentshe cameup and [began] giving thanksto God,and continued to speakof Him to allthosewho were lookingfor the redemptionof Jerusalem.
Then,afterthreedaysthey foundHim in the temple,sittingin the midstof the teachers,bothlisteningto them and asking them questions.
Paulsaid,"Johnbaptizedwith the baptismof repentance,tellingthe peopleto believein Him who was comingafterhim, that is, in Jesus."
"Thisis the one who was in the congregationin the wildernesstogetherwith the angelwho was speakingto him on MountSinai,and [who was] with our fathers;and he receivedlivingoraclesto passon to you.
