9. The burden of their message was to be: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." They also received power from their Master to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: and were admonished, since they had received freely, to give as freely to others. Jesus told them they were going as sheep among wolves; that they would be brought before governors and kings for his sake; that they would be delivered up to councils, and scourged in the synagogues; that they would be hated of all men for his sake; but they were also given the comforting assurance that they who would endure to the end should be saved.[31] These apostles went forth through the towns of Judea preaching the gospel and healing the sick. 10. Seventies Called.--The harvest being great and the laborers few, Jesus called seventies into the ministry to aid the twelve apostles. He sent them two and two before him into every city and place where he himself expected to go. The commission, powers and instructions which the seventies received were nearly the same as those given to the twelve apostles.[32] These seventies went forth as the apostles had done and returning from their labor bore record that the power of God was with them in their ministry and that the very devils were subject to them in the name of Jesus.[33] 11. The Order of Events.--It would be difficult if not impossible to relate even the chief events in the life of Messiah in the order in which they occurred, since no little confusion exists in respect to the succession of events in the narratives of the New Testament. (See note 5, end of section.) Nor is it necessary to our purpose to dwell in detail or in sequence {47} upon those matters. It is sufficient for us to know that after the events we have already noted Messiah's mission was more boldly declared. He proclaimed himself to be the Son of God; the Messiah of which the scriptures had borne record;[34] he taught men that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son to redeem it, that whosoever would believe in him might have everlasting life.[35] In addition to this great doctrine we have seen that he taught repentance; he likewise taught that men must be born (baptized) of the water and of the Spirit before they could enter into the kingdom of God;[36] he made and baptized more disciples than John;[37] he also taught the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and announced himself as possessing the keys and powers thereof.[38] 12. The Divinity of Messiah's Mission.--Jesus sustained the divinity of his mission by pointing to the conformity of the facts connected with his career with the predictions of the scriptures;[39] by the testimony which John the Baptist bore;[40] by the works which he did--his wonderful miracles wherein the power of God was made manifest;[41] and lastly, and best of all, the testimony of the Father himself which was promised unto all those who would do his (the Father's) will.[42] NOTES.