© 2014
Fellowship at Cross Creek
The Story of Sin…
Part XI: A Voice Arises in the Wilderness
By Joseph M. Cross
2/7/14
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways…to give people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 1:76-77).
In addition to prophesying Judah’s national forgiveness and salvation (as explained in “The Story of Sin: Parts IX and X), a late first century B.C.E Jewish priest named Zacharias was prophesying that his new-born son, John (who would later come to be known as John the Baptist) was in some manner, a fulfillment of the last words of the Old Covenant or Testament, found in Malachi 4:5-6 and spoken over four hundred years earlier:
“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Malachi 4:5-6.
Zacharias, inspired by God, was now prophesying that his son, John the Baptist, was indeed Malachi’s prophetic and “figurative” Elijah.
I say Malachi’s figurative “Elijah” because when some Jewish priests and Levites were sent to John later as he was preaching and baptizing at the River Jordan and asked him if was Elijah, he answered that he was NOT…meaning I am NOT THE Elijah, the 9th century Old Testament prophet (John 1:21), and John wasn’t.
But what John was– 1) according to his father’s prophecy (Luke 1:76-77), 2) according to Jesus (Yah Saves) himself and 3) the gospel writers–was the fulfillment of Isaiah and Malachi’s ancient OT prophesies (Matt 3:1ff; Mark 1:1ff; Luke 3:1ff; Matt. 11:2ff; 17:9ff). John was the prophet Isaiah’s “…voice calling out, ‘Clear the way for the Lord….'” John was also the prophet Malachi’s “messenger” (Mal. 3:1) or figurative “Elijah” who would clear the way before the great and terrible Day of the Lord, turning fathers’ hearts towards their children and vice versa (Mal. 4:5-6). In essence, within his prophecy, Malachi was employing Elijah, not just in a literal sense, according to Jesus–Matt. 17:10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things”–but also in a figurative sense–Matt. 17:12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
Thus, one LIKE the prophet Elijah–who had bravely, prophetically and singlehandedly stood up against Queen Jezebel’s prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel eight centuries before (1 Kings 18ff)–would arise and– in much the same manner as the previous Elijah–prophesy, calling the nation to repentance in preparation for the Lord’s coming and the manifestation of his glorious power (which is exactly what took place during Christ’s coming, including his miracles, teaching and resurrection).
Now, as one might string a strand of pearls, let’s string together all the Old and New Testament prophesies concerning Isaiah’s voice and Malachi’s Elijah or messenger, along with their NT fulfillments. First the prophesies:
1) Written by Isaiah over seven hundred years before John, and over a century before Judah’s eventual prophesied demise…
“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.
“Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the Lord’s hand
Double for all her sins.”
A voice is calling,
‘Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God…'” (Isaiah 40:1-3).
2) Written by the prophet Malachi some three centuries after Isaiah’s prophecy and 400 plus years before Zacharias’ prophecy…
“’Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)
3) “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” (Malachi 4:5-6).
4) And now four centuries after Malachi’s prophecy at the birth of John the Baptist by his father Zacharias…)
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins…” (Luke 1:76-77).
So four prophesies spread over seven centuries by three different prophets–one by Isaiah, two by Malachi and one by John’s father Zacharias—now sets the stage for the fulfillment of John the Baptist’s prophetic mission or role in preparing the nation or people for the LORD’s appearing, forgiveness and deliverance.
In fact, Luke ends his first chapter with these words…
And the child (John the Baptist) continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel (Luke 1:80).
And now, some thirty years after John’s birth, Mark begins his gospel of Jesus with this description of John’s prophetic ministry…
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah (and Malachi) the prophet(s):
“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
who will prepare Your way;
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.’”
Note how Mark ties Malachi’s prophetic words…
“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You who will prepare Your way”
with Isaiah’s…
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight’”
under the collective heading of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Then the very next words that Mark writes are that John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness… No doubt Mark intends to tie the two OT prophesies (Isaiah’s voice and Malachi’s messenger) to their NT fulfillment in the person of John the Baptist.
Matthew does something very similar, only he says directly that John’s voice is voice that Isaiah describes as crying in the wilderness.
Matt. 3:1 “Now in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying,
2 ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
‘3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight!’”
Like Matthew, Luke only includes Isaiah’s prophecy, but like Mark, the connection is highly inferred:
Luke 3:1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,
2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins;
4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.
5 ‘Every ravine will be filled,
And every mountain and hill will be brought low;
The crooked will become straight,
And the rough roads smooth;
6 And all flesh will see the salvation of God.’”
Then, later on, Jesus himself will confirm John’s connection to Malachi’s second prophesy concerning the coming of a metaphorical Elijah before the terrible Day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5-6)…
Matt. 11:7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
8 But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces!
9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet.
10 This is the one about whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.
13 For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.
15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
And then, after having witnessed Jesus with both Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew writes…
Matt. 17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;
12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
So beyond a shadow of doubt, at least as far as Jesus, John’s father, Zacharias, and the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke, are concerned, John the Baptist is Malachi’s figurative Elijah who comes before the Lord to prepare the way of the Lord…or to prepare the people of God’s hearts to see, witness, grasp, embrace, experience, know and therefore, in the end, believe, trust, worship and obey Yahweh God…just as the children of Israel had trusted Moses’ command to sacrifice, roast and eat a spotless lamb, while at the same time applying its blood to their doorposts on the night that the Passover angel passed over their homes, taking from every family who had not applied the lamb’s blood to their doorposts their firstborn of both man and beast—and in this case, all the many thousands of firstborn children and beasts of Egypt—thus causing the Egyptians to cry out with one voice to their mighty Pharaoh to immediately release these people, or this nation, which had become such a dreadful, deadly curse to them (Ex. 12:33).
So in some sense, an Elijah–NOT the literal 9th century prophet Elijah who did not die, but instead ascended into heaven (1 Kings 17-2 Kings 2)–and whom the disciples witnessed speaking with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17) and who will return before the great and terrible Day of the Lord in order to turn the hearts of fathers’ back to children and vice versa (Mal. 4:5-6)–but an Elijah in a metaphorical sense had arisen to prepare the people’s hearts to receive their LORD and his deliverance. Of course, as will we soon find out, whereas many in Jesus’ day saw only one Elijah and two Messiahs—a Messiah who suffered and died, but NOT for an atonement of sin, and another Messiah, triumphant over his enemies (Eschatology; Jewish Encyclopedia; 1906)—the truth is… there WERE to be two Elijahs and only one Messiah. One figurative Elijah, John the Baptist, who would precede the Messiah’s first coming to suffer as atonement for man’s sins, and another Elijah, the real Elijah perhaps, to prepare the way for the Return or Second Coming of this same Messiah, who, after having overcome death and ascending into heaven, is now seated at the right hand of God the Father and is awaiting his Father’s permission to return and claim his rightful throne (Matt. 24:29; Acts 1:9-11; 2:32-33; Rev. 19:1ff).
Next Time…So how would this figurative Elijah begin to burn a trail through the vast wilderness of Mankind’s blind and decaying imperfection so that God’s people might truly see, witness, receive and experience the God of heaven and his glorious salvation from sin?
your servant,
jc
