Elijah to prepare the way for the messiah ~ Cross refence of Mark 1:1-3 to Isaiah 40:1

Mark is chronologically the first gospel but for some weird reason the Greek text has canonized it as the second gospel. It was written around 70 CE which would be 35-40 years after Jesus was killed.

All the 4 gospels have this event documented and I believe it was important for the writers to use prophecies in Malachi and Isaiah to say that Jesus is the promised messiah that Israel is waiting for.  

He starts his gospel with John the dipper preaching in the wilderness. John preaches that the end of days is near and that people should repent so their sins are forgiven. He also has a key message that someone greater then him will come after him and he will baptize the people with the holy spirit.

Mark quotes Isaiah 40:1 & Malachi 3:1 as the cross reference to say that John the dipper will come before Jesus comes. Let us see how these two prophecies are yet to be fulfilled and I pray to G-d that if his will be, it should happen in our days.

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All Greek Text references are from NIV and Tanakh references are from Chabad.

This post is not intended to offend anyone's faith but for those people who are Seeking the truth of THE ONE TRUE G-D of the universe to who we owe all our love, gratitude & devotion.

My encouragement to you is that you read the whole chapter of Tanakh that the Greek text quotes so you get the context and understand what G-d actually said.

G-d Bless and Seek THE Truth.

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”[c] 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”[d]

Malachi 3:1 Behold I send My angel, and he will clear a way before Me. And suddenly, the Lord Whom you seek will come to His Temple. And behold! The angel of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. 2 Now who can abide the day of his coming, and who will stand when he appears, for it is like fire that refines and like fullers' soap. 3 And he shall sit refining and purifying silver, and he shall purify the children of Levi. And he shall purge them as gold and as silver, and they shall be offering up an offering to the Lord with righteousness.

Isaiah 40:1 "Console, console My people," says your God. 2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her, for she has become full [from] her host, for her iniquity has been appeased, for she has taken from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. 3 A voice calls, "In the desert, clear the way of the Lord, straighten out in the wilderness, a highway for our God." 4 Every valley shall be raised, and every mountain and hill shall be lowered, and the crooked terrain shall become a plain and the close mountains a champaign. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see that the mouth of the Lord spoke.

Let us review Malachi 3 and Isaiah 40 in context and see if these prophets actually prophesied about John the dipper is elijah and he would be the forerunner of Jesus.

Malachi 3

• In Malachi 3:1 G-d is saying that he will come to his temple in Jerusalem suddenly and the angel that the people desire will also come.
• What has G-d coming have to do with Jesus? Are the Christians saying that Jesus = god? But by trinity definition are they not different persons?
• If you read verse 3 it is very clear that this angel will purify the Levites so they will be fit for making sacrifices to G-d in the temple again.
• Did John purify the Levites? The priests during Jesus’s time were corrupt to the core. So how can this be talking about John the dipper?
• If you read Malachi 3:4 is says that the offerings in the temple will be acceptable to G-d as they were in the days of old. We know that Jesus had to drive out the traders from the temple courts for making a business out of the offerings and the priests had their own business going on with regard to the sacrifices. How can Mark say that Malachi 3 is fulfilled in John the dipper and Jesus?

Isaiah 40

• When John was asked if he was Elijah he says he is not. Only Jesus insisted that John was Elijah.
• Isaiah 40 - Isaiah 66 are a set of passages that are about consolation, redemption & comfort for Israel which are very different from the first 39 chapters where Isaiah very sternly calls out all the evil that Judah and Jerusalem have been doing.
• This is such a beautiful chapter where G-d shares his plan to redeem and restore Israel. Isaiah says that G-d's glory will come to Jerusalem and all flesh will see and acknowledge it.
• If you read Isaiah 40:2 G-d is telling that Israel's iniquity has been appeased and that she has been punished double than what she deserved.
• During John's time the Romans ruled over Israel and there were persecutions for sure, but after Jesus came, for 2000 years Israel has received more than what they deserved for not following G-d at the level that G-d expects from them.
• If you read Isaiah 40:11 it talks about how G-d will gather his people like a Shepard gathers his lambs. After jesus came Israel was scattered to the four corners of the world.
• If you see all the persecution that Israel has taken for the last 2000 years, I think Isaiah 40 is near fulfillment [Israel has taken double of what it deserved] and I pray that G-d's glory be revealed in our time.
• Read the below verses and see if these have anything to do with John making the way for Jesus.

Isaiah 40:1 "Console, console My people," says your God. 2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her, for she has become full [from] her host, for her iniquity has been appeased, for she has taken from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins.

Isaiah 40:9 Upon a lofty mountain ascend, O herald of Zion, raise your voice with strength, O herald of Jerusalem; raise [your voice], fear not; say to the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

Isaiah 40:10 Behold the Lord God shall come with a strong [hand], and His arm rules for Him; behold His reward is with Him, and His recompense is before Him. 11 Like a shepherd [who] tends his flock, with his arm he gathers lambs, and in his bosom he carries [them], the nursing ones he leads.