A Voice Crying in the Wilderness
The phrase “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness” originates from Isaiah 40:3 and is applied explicitly to John the Baptist in the Gospels (Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3, Luke 3:4, John 1:23). However, others in Scripture also function as voices in the wilderness—calling people to repentance, warning of judgment, or preparing the way for God’s work.
Here are biblical figures who could be considered “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness”:
1. John the Baptist – The Ultimate Fulfillment
📖 Isaiah 40:3 – “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”
📖 Matthew 3:1-3 – “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”
📖 John 1:23 – “He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.’”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Literally preached in the wilderness.
- Called people to repentance and baptized them in preparation for Christ.
- Fulfilled Isaiah 40:3 as the final prophetic forerunner of Jesus.
2. Elijah – A Voice Calling Israel to Repentance
📖 1 Kings 17:1 – “Now Elijah the Tishbite… said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’”
📖 1 Kings 18:21 – “And Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.’”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Confronted King Ahab and the prophets of Baal, calling for repentance.
- Spent time in the wilderness at the Brook Cherith (1 Kings 17:2-6) and Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8-9).
- John the Baptist is compared to Elijah because of his wilderness lifestyle (Matthew 11:14, Luke 1:17).
3. Moses – A Voice Crying in the Wilderness for Israel’s Deliverance
📖 Exodus 5:1 – “Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’”
📖 Deuteronomy 8:2 – “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you.”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Led Israel through the wilderness, preparing them for the Promised Land.
- Called Pharaoh to let God’s people go, speaking on God’s behalf.
- Israel’s entire wilderness journey was a time of prophetic calling and preparation.
4. Samuel – A Voice Calling Israel to Repentance & Kingship
📖 1 Samuel 7:3 – “And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only.’”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Cried out to Israel to repent and return to God.
- Spoke against corruption in the priesthood and anointed kings at God’s command.
- His voice prepared the way for David’s kingdom, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ’s kingdom.
5. Isaiah – A Voice Calling Out to a Hardened People
📖 Isaiah 6:8-10 – “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’ And he said, ‘Go, and say to this people: Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Proclaimed God's warnings to a stubborn and rebellious people.
- His prophecies pointed to the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 53).
- Isaiah 40:3 originates from his writings—fulfilled by John the Baptist.
6. Jeremiah – A Weeping Voice Crying for Repentance
📖 Jeremiah 7:25-26 – “From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I have persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. Yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck.”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Warned Israel of impending judgment due to sin.
- Rejected and persecuted, yet remained faithful in proclaiming God's word.
- Spoke against false prophets and false hopes of peace.
7. Ezekiel – A Prophet Crying from Exile
📖 Ezekiel 2:3-5 – “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me… Whether they hear or refuse to hear, they will know that a prophet has been among them.’”
🔹 Why he fits:
- Prophesied in Babylonian exile, calling people to repentance.
- Saw visions of the new temple and restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 40-48).
- His voice prepared exiles for God's future redemption.
8. The Two Witnesses (Future Forerunners)
📖 Revelation 11:3 – “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
🔹 Why they fit:
- They cry out in the last days, warning people of judgment.
- Their message of repentance is rejected, but they remain faithful.
- Some associate them with Moses & Elijah, continuing the prophetic call.
Summary: The Voices Crying in the Wilderness
| Figure | What They Prepared People For |
|---|---|
| John the Baptist | Prepared the way for Jesus' first coming. |
| Elijah | Called Israel back to God; expected to precede the Messiah. |
| Moses | Prepared Israel to enter the Promised Land. |
| Samuel | Prepared Israel for God’s kingship through David. |
| Isaiah | Called people to repentance, prophesied the Messiah. |
| Jeremiah | Warned of judgment, called Israel to return to God. |
| Ezekiel | Proclaimed hope & restoration from exile. |
| The Two Witnesses | Prepare people for Jesus’ second coming. |
Each of these figures served as a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing people for God’s next move in history.
Not all of these figures are explicitly in a literal wilderness, but they are all in a spiritual wilderness, where they call people to repentance and prepare the way for something greater. The wilderness has a symbolic meaning in Scripture, representing:
- A place of testing and purification
- A place of separation from the world
- A place where God speaks and calls people to Himself
- A place of preparation for something new
1. The Literal Wilderness Figures
These figures were physically in the wilderness when they acted as forerunners:
📖 John the Baptist – "John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance" (Mark 1:4).
- Lived and preached in the wilderness, fulfilling Isaiah 40:3.
- Prepared people for Jesus by calling them out of the city and into the wilderness to hear his message.
📖 Elijah – "He himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and sat down under a broom tree" (1 Kings 19:4).
- Spent time in the wilderness during famine (1 Kings 17:3-5).
- Fled to the wilderness after confronting Ahab and Jezebel (1 Kings 19).
📖 Moses – "Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur" (Exodus 15:22).
- Led Israel through the literal wilderness for 40 years.
- Received the Law on Mount Sinai in the wilderness.
📖 The Two Witnesses (Revelation 11)
- Not explicitly in the wilderness, but they prophesy in a hostile world, which acts as a spiritual wilderness.
2. The Symbolic Wilderness Figures
These figures were not always in a literal desert but functioned as voices calling people in a spiritual wilderness—a time of rebellion, exile, or divine silence.
📖 Samuel – Israel was in spiritual wilderness (moral corruption, lack of prophetic vision).
- "And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision" (1 Samuel 3:1).
- He prepared Israel for kingship through David.
📖 Isaiah – Spoke to a spiritually dry and rebellious nation.
- "For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep" (Isaiah 29:10).
- His prophecy in Isaiah 40:3 about the voice in the wilderness applies to John the Baptist but also reflects Israel’s spiritual desert.
📖 Jeremiah – Preached in a nation spiritually desolate before Babylonian exile.
- "I will make this city a horror, a thing to be hissed at. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified" (Jeremiah 19:8).
- Jeremiah was a lone prophetic voice in a land of rebellion.
📖 Ezekiel – Spoke in exile, which was a kind of wilderness.
- "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels" (Ezekiel 2:3).
- He was physically in Babylon, but spiritually in a wilderness of exile.
What Does Wilderness Symbolize?
- A Place of Testing – Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).
- A Place of Separation from the World – John the Baptist left society to preach.
- A Place Where God Speaks – Moses received the Law in the wilderness.
- A Place of Preparation – Israel was prepared in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.
- A Place of Desolation and Judgment – Exile is described as a wilderness experience (Ezekiel 20:35).
Conclusion: The Wilderness is More Than a Place
- Some prophets literally spoke in the wilderness (John the Baptist, Elijah, Moses).
- Others called people out of a spiritual wilderness (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Samuel).
- The wilderness represents times of testing, purification, and separation, where God's voice calls people to repentance and prepares them for something greater.
