John was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth . Elisabeth was a cousin to the virgin Mary mother of our Lord. John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born. The best way to see just why John was so special even before he was born or done anything we must look back about 400 years or so to the book of Malachi chapter 4.
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
The scripture above says the Lord will send Elijah the Prophet before he comes. Some people argue this is speaking of the last time or the judgement day, but it is actually referring to his birth and works in the flesh.
Luk 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Mar 9:11 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mar 9:12 And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
Mar 9:13 But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.
Mat 11:7 And as they departed, Yeshua began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
Mat 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
Mat 11:9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
Mat 11:10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Mat 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Mat 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
Mat 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Mat 11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
He was more than a prophet he was Elijah.
Some have disagreed that this man John was not Elias or Elijah but I tell you they deny what Yeshua has already said Mat 11:14
Mat 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Yeshua charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Mat 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
Mat 17:11 And Yeshua answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
Does anyone know why John did not drink wine or strong drink? The scriptures record that he was filled with Holy Ghost even in the womb.
Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Luk 1:16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
Luk 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Some say because it says in the spirit and power of Elias that it was not him it was someone like him. If this is so then why did God say he would send Elijah and what reason was he filled with the Holy Ghost even from the womb?
My opinion is that Elijah was taken up alive and he went to be with God for he was a very good man. so the presence of the Lord was with him. To be sure I do not think God would remove his Spiritual presence from Elijah since he had already went to be with the Lord. Therefore he came filled with the Holy Ghost!
I do not think while he was John that he knew who he was because people asked him if he was Elijah and he said no.
Joh 1:19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
Joh 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Joh 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Joh 1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
Joh 1:23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
The real question is not whether John knew who he was while he walked on earth but do we believe Yeshua.
The CEV version of the bible says it like this:
Mat 11:13 All the Books of the Prophets and the Law of Moses told what was going to happen up to the time of John.
Mat 11:14 And if you believe them, John is Elijah, the prophet you are waiting for.