The voice of one who cries, Prepare you in the wilderness the way of Yahweh; make level in the desert a highway for our God. -- Isaiah 40:3

"Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before [in the face of] me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" says Yahweh of hosts. -- Malachi 3:1

The two prophecies above speak of John the Baptist and his work. Many, in seeing the application of John the Baptist as being the forerunner of Jesus, have thought that these scriptures offer proof that Jesus is Yahweh. This idea, however, is due, in part, to a misreading of what these scriptures are actually saying. We will consider the scriptures in the NT that apply the above two scriptures to John the Baptist and his work.

In Malachi 3, two messengers are referred to. The first is the messenger who goes before Yahweh, and then there is the other messenger, spoken of as the "messenger of the covenant. The Hebrew translated "messenger" in both instances is malak, angel. Neither of these are of the order of spirit beings that are normally referred to as "angels", but both are messengers for Yahweh. The Lord (adon) whom Israel was seeking was the Messiah, who came suddenly to his temple. He came unexpectedly to test and prove Israel as a people, and as such he came to the temple in Jerusalem, but more specifically, Jesus came to his temple, his church, which has been given to him by his God. -- Ephesians 2:20-22; John 6:37,39; 10:29.

In those days, John the Baptizer came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" For this is he who was spoken of by 222Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of Yahweh, Make his paths straight." -- Divine name supplied.

Like most quotations of the Old Testament in the New Testament, this is not a direct quote, but an indirect quote. The phrase "in the wilderness" is removed from the comand to the people and applied directly to the one who is delivering the message.

It should be clear here that the one crying in the wilderness is John the Baptizer. He, in effect, tells the people: "Make ready the way of Yahweh, Make his paths straight." The method by which John the Baptist tells the people this message is by his preaching to the people: "Repent, for the Kingdom of the Heaven is at hand!" (Matthew 3:1-3; see also Acts 20:21, which shows that repentance is toward God.) In other words, 'The Royal Majesty from heaven is at hand!' Thus the method in which the people make ready the way of Yahweh, and make his paths straight is through repentance toward Yahweh, in preparation for the one coming in Yahweh's name, the one who spoke for Yahweh, the one appointed as King by Yahweh. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Psalm 2:2,6; 45:6,7; 110:1,2; Isaiah 9:6,7; 61:1; Daniel 7:13,14; Matthew 21:9; 23:39; 28:18; Luke 24:19; John 4:25; 5:43; 8:28; 10:25; 12:49,50; Acts 2:34-36; 3:17-26; 5:30,31; Ephesians 1:22; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:2,9; 3:1,2.

Some often refer to the verse in Isaiah 40:3 as though the message to prepare the way was actually addressed to John the Baptist, rather than being the words attributed to John the Baptist which are addressed to the people. Thus some would read the prophesy as an address to John the Baptist to prepare the way of Yahweh, who they claim to be Jesus. In reality, in Isaiah, the messenger [John] directs the message to the people of Israel. (Isaiah 40:3, Malachi 3:1 -- see also Genesis 18:19; Proverbs 10:29; Jeremiah 5:4,5) The command given to prepare the way is not to one person, as John the Baptist, but the Hebrew is in the plural, not singular. Thus in Matthew 3, the "one" before foretold is John the Baptist, who is the one in the wilderness who declares a message to the people: "Prepare the way before Yahweh", which was a message to the people of repentance toward Yahweh.

Of course, Jesus is the representative of Yahweh, and John did come before Jesus, and did, by means of preaching repentance toward Yahweh, prepare the people to receive Jesus, not as Yahweh the Almighty, but the Anointed One of Yahweh the Almighty, the one whom Yahweh. sent to speak his words in his name. -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Isaiah 61:1; Luke 1:32; John 3:16,17; 17:1,3.

Thus, by telling the people to prepare the way of Yahweh by means of repentance toward Yahweh, a way was also being prepared for Jesus, the representative of Yahweh. It could be said that John, in making the way, so to speak, for Jesus, was also preparing the way for the one who sent Jesus. The Messiah was sent by Yahweh as the representative of Yahweh. Those who received him received Yahweh also, just as any who receives a true disciple of Christ, also receives Christ. -- Matthew 21:9; 23:39; Mark 9:37; Luke 2:26; 9:20,48; John 3:17; 4:34; 5:24,30,36-38; 6:29,38-44,57; 7:16,18,28,29,33; 8:16,26,29,42; 9:4; 10:36; 11:42; 12:44-49; 13:20; 17:1,3; Hebrews 1:9.

One would have to read into the verse that Jesus is Yahweh.

But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before [in the sight of] you.'

Jesus quotes indirectly from Malachi 3:1, and rewords the prophecy. Jesus is speaking to the multitudes of Jews concerning John the Baptist. In verse 9, he uses the plural "you" in address of his audience; the same is done verse 11. However, in the reference to the prophecy of Malachi he uses the singular "your" and "you". It is possible that by "your face" and "your way before you", he is referring to Israel as a whole, and as represented by the multitude whom he was addressing. If so, then Yahweh speaks of sending his messenger (John) to prepare the face and way of Israel in the sight of Israel.

Most commentators present the idea that "your way" and "your face" refers to Christ's face and Christ's way. In context, however, "your" appears to be referring to those to whom the messenger is sent to, that is, Israel. However, if applied to Yahweh, that is, the way of Yahweh, it would mean that John the Baptist was sent to preach repentance toward Yahweh to the people, as in the other verses. Nevertheless, even if applied to "Christ's way" the idea that this would mean that Jesus is Yahweh would have to be read into the verse, for the application of the scripture could be applied to Jesus as Yahweh's representative, as we will see below.

The fact that a prophecy spoken of Yahweh is fulfilled in one who is the representative of Yahweh is not a new thing. Yahweh says in Exodus 3:8: "I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey." Yahweh himself says that he himself had come down to deliver Israel, but note what is said later to Moses: "Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:10) Although Moses is used by Yahweh to fulfill the earlier statement, it is apparent that Moses is not Yahweh who sent him. Likewise, with our Lord Jesus: it should be apparent that it is Yahweh who sent Jesus to represent and speak for him, and thus that Jesus is not Yahweh who sent him. -- Deuteronomy 18:15,18; Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9,10; Luke 13:35; John 3:2,17; 5:19,43; 6:57; 7:16,28; 8:26,28,38; 10:25; 12:49,50; 14:10; 15:15; 17:8,26; Hebrews 1:1,2; Revelation 1:1.

As it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, Who will prepare your way before you. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of Yahweh! Make his paths straight!'" 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5 There went out to him all the country of Judea, and all those of Jerusalem. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. -- Divine name supplied.

Both prophecies are referred to here. Again, it is evident that Mark is making an indirect quotation and rewords the prophecies. Malachi 3:1 is quoted similarly to the same way is quoted in Matthew 11:9,10, which see above. Jesus is the representative of Yahweh, the messenger of the covenant, and also was sent by Yahweh. He is not Yahweh who sent him.

It was the through the repentance, or the transmentation, of the people that Isaiah 40:3 was being fulfilled. Verse two shows this, in that the messenger directs the message to the people of Israel, who needed to repent before Yahweh. And thereby the people, through their repentance toward God, did prepare the way of Yahweh by making themselves a prepared people before their Messiah (anointed of Yah) was made known to them. -- Acts 20:21.

Please note that it is not only John, who is the messenger to the people, but more importantly the people who prepare the way of Yahweh by means of their repentance. John's mission was pre-eminently that of a reprover and reformer, telling the people to prepare the way of Yahweh through repentance toward Yahweh symbolized through water baptism.

See Matthew 3:1-3 and Matthew 11:9,10 above.

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. He came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance to remission of sins. 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 Yahweh. Make his paths straight."

This is also another indirect quote of Isaiah 40:3. See Matthew 3:1-3 above.

For he will be great in the sight of Yahweh, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. He will turn many of the children of Israel to Yahweh, their God. He will go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, '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 Yahweh."

Here John is said to make ready a people for Yahweh. This he did by his preaching of repentance toward Yahweh.

See Matthew 3:1-3 above.

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, For you will go before the face of Yahweh to make ready his ways, To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins.

See Matthew 3:1-3 above.

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, 'Behold, I send my messenger before your face, Who will prepare your way before you.'

See Matthew 3:1-3 and Matthew 11:9,10 above.

23 He [John the Baptizer] said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of Yahweh,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

The same applies here as to the verses already discussed above.

The above examination shows that there is nothing in any of these verses that should lead us to believe that Jesus is Yahweh.

Some Related Writings - We do not necessarily agree with all conclusions presented by these authors.

"Waiting For Messiah", Zion's Watch Tower, December 1, 1911, page 443, Reprints page 4930
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r4930b.htm

"Messenger of Jehovah", Zion's Watch Tower, December 15, 1905, page 376, Reprints page 3683
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r3683.htm

"Christ's Testimony of John", Zion's Watch Tower, November 1, 1908, page 368, Reprints page 1736
http://www.agsconsulting.com/htdbnon/r1736.htm

"Preparing the Way", The Dawn - Herald of Christ's Presence, February 2002
http://www.dawnbible.com/2002/0212ib29.htm

This document was last updated January 3, 2005.

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Jesus is Not Yahweh Series