St. John the Baptist: The TRUE High Priest of Israel | Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem

Feb 13, 2025

Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem, a Norbertine Canon and author, shares fascinating insights about St. John the Baptist, whom he argues was the true high priest of Israel, contrasting him with Caiaphas and Annas. They discuss John's unique vocation, his connection to Old Testament figures, and his pivotal role in salvation history. Walshe also explores themes of martyrdom, marriage sanctity, and the significance of John's baptism, reinterpreting it as a profound act of transfer between sin and redemption.

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ANECDOTE

John Was Formed Directly By God

Fr. Sebastian rejects a simple Essene-origin theory for John, arguing John was directly formed by God and lived as a unique, Spirit-formed one-off.
He emphasizes John's lifelong vocation as shaped by divine calling rather than cultural imitation.

INSIGHT

Zechariah's Temple Duty Foreshadows John

Early church fathers (Ambrose, Chrysostom) and later tradition read Zechariah's lot and incense duty as signs he performed high-priest functions.
That link prepares readers to see John as legitimately inheriting the high priest role for the new covenant.

INSIGHT

Luke Hints At A Corrupt High Priesthood

Luke subtly signals corruption in the priesthood by naming both Caiaphas and Annas as high priests and by showing Zechariah performing high-priest rituals.
Early Christian fathers read Zechariah's Temple role as divine approval that John's family is the true priestly line.

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Conor sits down with Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem to explore the life, mission, and ministry of St. John the Baptist. Most importantly, they unpack the historical evidence proving that St. John the Baptist was the one and only true high priest of Israel, and that Caiaphas and Annas were impostors.

Together, Conor and Fr. Walshe examine biblical parallels, typology, prophecy, and fulfillment, considering how these different elements reveal themselves in the lives of St. John and Jesus Christ. They discuss Saint John’s biographical background, the history of the high priesthood, Old and New Testament parallels, the meaning of the words "prophet" and "prophecy", St. John’s connection to Old Testament prophets, his martyrdom for defending marriage, and speculations about his sinless birth.

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ABOUT FR. SEBASTIAN WALSHE, O.PRAEM

Fr. Sebastian Walshe is a Norbertine Canon of the Abbey of St. Michael in the Diocese of Orange, California, where he is a professor of philosophy for the seminary program. After completing his studies at Thomas Aquinas College in California, he continued his studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., where he received a license in Philosophy. Later, he attended the Pontifical University of St. Thomas at Rome (the Angelicum), where he received a Masters in Sacred Theology and a Doctorate in Philosophy. His thesis was entitled: “The Primacy of the Common Good as the Root of Personal Dignity in the Doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas.” From 2003-2005, Fr. Sebastian was also a visiting professor in the Philosophy Department at the Angelicum.

GET THE BOOK

St. John the Baptist: Priest, Prophet, and Martyr -https://bit.ly/4hTikWY

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Coming Up
(1:26) Opening Prayer, Saint Michael’s Abbey and the Norbertines
(5:30) How the Biography of St. John the Baptist Came to Be
(7:40) The Norbertines' Devotion to St. John the Baptist and Mission
(11:46) Dead Sea Scrolls, Essenes, and the Parents of John the Baptist
(16:00) Was St. John the Baptist Born Without Original Sin?
(17:42) Zechariah the Real High Priest: Tradition, History, and Lineage of the High Priest
(29:30) The Annunciation Parallels Between Zechariah and Mary
(35:35) St. John’s Special Consecration to the Lord
(39:22) Understanding the Baptism of Jesus Through Old Testament Typology
(48:48) Prophecy Is Fulfilled in Unexpected Ways
(50:57) The Significance of the Name Elizabeth
(52:07) All Scriptures Are Seeds: Keep Unpacking Scripture
(55:52) The Connection Between the “Voice” and the “Word”
(59:18) The Significance of Elijah the Prophet and the Priesthood of Melchizedek
(1:06:50) The Return of Elijah and Enoch
(1:10:47) Priests as Angels
(1:15:43) Friend of the Bridegroom
(1:18:14) What Is the Baptism of St. John and What Does It Do?
(1:20:00) How the Apostles Baptize
(1:26:21) John the Baptist as Prophet, the Meaning Prophecy and Descent into Hell
(1:34:06) St. John: Martyr for Marriage

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