A Voice Crying in the Wilderness
Israel Ablaze — Part 1
What is the importance and significance of the ministry of John the Baptist? The ministry of John the Baptist is mentioned at the beginning of each of the Gospel accounts (Matthew 3:1–13, Mark 1:1–8, Luke 1:5–17, 3:1–6, John 1:6, 19–28). Why do the Gospel accounts begin by telling us about John the Baptist and his testimony? How is this linked with Yeshua’s Gospel testimony? Who was John the Baptist, and what was his message? There are three major things associated with John the Baptist.
He has an Elijah ministry and message (Luke 1:17)
He is of the Priestly line of Abijah (Luke 1:5, 3:2, 1 Chronicles 24:10) from the tribe of Levi
He grew up in the wilderness of Judea (Luke 1:80), being associated with the Qumran community via Isaiah 40:3 (1QS 8:12–14, 9:19–20), as he testified in John 1:23.
The Elijah Ministry and Message
John the Baptist had an Elijah ministry and message (Luke 1:17). What is the significance of this? Yeshua was asked a question by his disciples about whether it was a correct doctrine that the Elijah ministry and message will precede the coming of the Messiah of Israel. In Matthew 17:10–13, it is written:
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias [Elijah] must first come? And Yeshua answered and said unto them, Elias [Elijah] truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias [Elijah] is come already … Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
In His answer, Yeshua explained several things about the Elijah ministry and message. First, Yeshua affirmed that the Elijah message precedes the coming of the Messiah. Secondly, John the Baptist has an Elijah ministry and message. Thirdly, there is a future Elijah ministry of restoration which will precede His second coming.
The Elijah Ministry and Message in the Hebrew Scriptures
In Malachi 3:1, it was prophesied that “my messenger” (Elijah) will “prepare the way” (Isaiah 40:3) for the “Lord whom you seek who will come suddenly to his temple” (the Messiah), as it is written:
Behold, I will send my messenger [Elijah] and he shall prepare the way before me: (Isaiah 40:3) and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple [the coming of Messiah] …
In Luke 7:24, 27, Yeshua affirmed that Malachi 3:1 is talking about John the Baptist, as it is written:
And when the messengers of John were departed, he [Yeshua] began to speak unto the people concerning John… This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare the way before you.
So, the prophecy of the ministry of “my messenger” in Malachi 3:1 is linked with Isaiah 40:3. John the Baptist testified that his ministry is linked with Isaiah 40:3. In John 1:19 and 23, it is written:
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you? … He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah].
The Elijah ministry and message, which precedes the coming of the Messiah of Israel, is also mentioned in Malachi 4:4–6, as it is written:
Remember ye the law of Moses my servant … Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet … And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers …
In prophesying about the ministry of John the Baptist in Luke 1:17, Malachi 4:4–6 is linked with Isaiah 40:3. In Luke 1:13, 16–17, it is written:
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias … And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God [the Elijah ministry reveals the Messiah of Israel]. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah], to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children [Malachi 4:6] and the disobedient [those that don’t follow Torah] to the wisdom of the just [the Torah]; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. [Isaiah 40:3]
The Elijah Ministry and Message Is Linked with the Qumran Community
The Elijah ministry and message is linked with Malachi 3:1, 4:4–6, and Isaiah 40:3. In the Rule of the Community (1QS) from the Dead Sea Scrolls, it explains how the Qumran community began, based upon Isaiah 40:3. In the Rule of the Community (1QS 8:12–14), it is written:
When such men as these come to be in Israel, conforming to these doctrines, they shall separate from the session of perverse men [the corrupted Temple system] to go to the wilderness, there to prepare the way of truth, as it is written, ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’ [Isaiah 40:3].
From these things, we can see how the Elijah ministry and message of John the Baptist is linked with Isaiah 40:3 and the Qumran community. Therefore, the fulfillment of the prophesied Elijah ministry and message from the prophets is linked with the Qumran community. As a result, John the Baptist grew up in the “wilderness of Judea” (Luke 1:80). This is where the Qumran community was located near the Dead Sea. In John 1:28, we are told that John the Baptist was immersing at a place called Bethabara. In John 1:28 it is written:
These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Bethabara is located near the Qumran community, as can be seen from this map of Israel.
Bethabara (ΒΕΘΑΒΑΡΑ)
Madaba Mosaic map reproduction, Paul Palmer, architect in Jerusalem Guthe, Friedrich Wilhelm Leopold Hermann (* 10.5.1849 Westerlinde (Braunschweig), † 11.8.1936 Leipzig)
1954 reproduction by Survey of Israel
Atlas of the Bible Lands (emphasis added)
Hammond World Atlas Corporation; 1984.
The Corrupted Priests vs the Clean Priests
In the book of Malachi, there is a contrast between the corrupt priests (Malachi 2:1, 8) and the “clean” priests (Malachi 3:3). The “clean” priests of Malachi 3:3 are associated with the prophecy about the Elijah ministry and message of Malachi 3:1. Regarding the corrupt priests, in Malachi 2:1 and 8, it is written:
And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you … But you are departed out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
Regarding the prophecy of the “clean” priests, in Malachi 3:3, it is written:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify [make clean] the sons of Levi … that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
The Corrupted Priests vs the Clean Priests in the First Century
In the days of John the Baptist and Yeshua, the corrupt priests were associated with the Temple system, the Pharisees, and the Sanhedrin (Matthew 21:23, 32, 43, 45; John 11:47, 53). John the Baptist was a “clean” priest whom Yeshua recognized (Matthew 3:13–15). John the Baptist (a clean priest) declared that Yeshua is the “Lamb of God” sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. In John 1:29, it is written:
The next day John seeing Yeshua coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
In the days of John the Baptist and Yeshua, the “clean” priests were the Zadok priests, who were the teachers of Torah in the Qumran community. In the Dead Sea Scrolls (1QS 5:7–9) it says:
Every initiate into the party of the Yahad [Qumran community] is to enter the covenant … He shall take upon himself a binding oath to return to the Law of Moses … to all that has been revealed from it to the Sons of Zadok—priests and preservers of the Covenant …
The “clean” priests believed that Yeshua is the Messiah. In Acts 6:7, it is written:
And the word of God increased … and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
A Bitter Torah Religious Dispute Among the Jewish People
In the days of John the Baptist and Yeshua, there was a bitter religious dispute among the Jewish people. It had been going on since the 2nd century BC. Originally, it was a dispute over authority, centered on the office of the high priesthood and the Temple in Jerusalem. It included a dispute over the proper interpretation of the Torah. Later, in the first century, it evolved into a dispute about whether Yeshua is the Messiah.
On one side were the Zadok priests of the Qumran community, with which John the Baptist was associated. On the other side were the chief priests, elders, Sadducees, Pharisees, and Sanhedrin of the corrupt Temple system. The corrupt Temple system kept the festivals according to a Babylonian calendar. This is mixed worship of the God of Israel. It is the same sin committed by the Northern Kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam. The Zadok priests of the Qumran community followed a priestly calendar, originally given to Enoch by the Angel Uriel (1 Enoch 74:2). It was followed when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, under the leadership of Moses, as can be seen from the Torah Narrative in Exodus 16 (see August 2024, Yavoh magazine).
Yeshua Takes Sides in the Jewish Religious Torah Dispute
When Yeshua affirmed the Elijah ministry of John the Baptist to His disciples (Matthew 17:10–13), he was taking sides in this Torah-Jewish religious dispute. When Yeshua got immersed by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13–15), Yeshua was affirming the priestly calling of John the Baptist. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and other teachers of Torah rejected the ministry of John the Baptist and refused to be immersed of him (Luke 7:30). The corrupted chief priests and elders of the Temple system, along with the Sanhedrin, viewed themselves as Torah authorities over the Jewish people. For this reason, the leaders of the corrupt Temple system questioned the authority of Yeshua to teach the Torah to the Jewish people. In Matthew 21:23, it is written:
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority?
In response to them, Yeshua took sides in the religious dispute by affirming the ministry of John the Baptist. In Matthew 21:24–25, it is written:
And Yeshua answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? …
Yeshua also declared to the corrupt priests that they would be removed from their office. In Matthew 21:32, 43, and 45, it is written:
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and you believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and you, when you had seen it, repented not afterward, that you might believe him … Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, (that is your authority) and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof … And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.”
When Yeshua affirmed the ministry of John the Baptist, and thus his association with the Qumran community based upon Isaiah 40:3, and rejected the authority of the chief priests, elders, and Pharisees (who constituted the Sanhedrin along with the Sadducees), Yeshua was taking sides in this Torah-Jewish religious dispute. For this reason, the corrupt priests of the Temple system later sought to kill Yeshua (John 11:47, 53).
Yeshua Shows Knowledge of John’s Connection to the Qumran
In Matthew 11:2–5, John the Baptist sent two disciples to ask Yeshua a question. In His reply, Yeshua made a statement showing that He knew how the Qumran community interpreted the work of Messiah from Isaiah 61. In Matthew 11:2–5, it is written:
Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Messiah, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Are you he that should come, or do we look for another? Yeshua answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which you do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
What was the basis of this question by John the Baptist? The Qumran community believed that there would be a priestly Messiah from the line of Aaron and a kingly Messiah from the line of David (1QS 9:11). Were these two Messiahs or one Messiah? In the genealogy of Yeshua, we can see that Yeshua descends from King David on His father’s side (Romans 1:3) and from the line of Aaron on His mother’s side, given that Mary is related to Elizabeth (Luke 1:34–36), whose husband Zacharias is descended from the line of Aaron (Luke 1:5). So, Yeshua is the one Messiah descended from the line of David and Aaron.
In Yeshua’s response to the question by John the Baptist in Matthew 11:5, Yeshua was linking Psalm 146:7–8 with Isaiah 61:1 but added a unique interpretation found in the Dead Sea Scrolls that the Messiah would raise the dead. Therefore, Yeshua made a statement showing that He knew how the Qumran community interpreted the work of the Messiah from Psalm 146:7–8 and Isaiah 61:1. In 4Q521: Frags. 2 + 4 Col. 2:5–12, it says:
For the Lord attends to the pious and calls the righteous by name … setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind, raising up those who are bowed down [Psalm 146:7–8] … For He shall heal the critically wounded, He shall revive the dead, He shall send good news to the afflicted [Isaiah 61:1].
This is another clue that John the Baptist is linked with the Qumran community.
Another Example How John the Baptist Is Linked to the Qumran Community
Let’s examine another example of how John the Baptist is linked with the Qumran community. In Mark 1:6, it is written:
And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey
In the Damascus Document 12:14b-15a, it describes how locusts are to be eaten. It says:
And all the locusts, according to their kind, shall be put into fire or into water while they are still alive as this is the regulation for their species.
Why Was He Named John/Yochanon?
John the Baptist was given his name (John is Yochanon in Hebrew) by heaven. It was decreed by an angel of the Lord. In Luke 1:13 it is written:
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
John’s father, Zacharias, was unable to speak until John was born and named. In Luke 1:18–20, it is written:
And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel … And, behold, you shall be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed …
So why was it so important that he be given this name, John/Yochanon, that his name was decreed from heaven? The last faithful Zadok priest before the Greek corruption of the priesthood started was named Onias III. Onias is a Greek name. The Hebrew equivalent is Choniyahu, or Yochanon, which means ‘grace of God.’ Onias III was the son of Simon II. In Sirach 50:1, it refers to Onias. Most translations say, ‘Simon son of Onias.’ However, at the website: bible.usccb.org/bible/sirach/50 , it is translated as, ‘Simon son of Jochanon.’ It has a footnote that reads:
Son of Jochanan: Simeon II, in whose time as high priest (219–196 B.C.) great works were accomplished for the benefit of public worship and welfare (vv. 1–4) …
So, Onias in Greek means John or “Yochanon" in Hebrew. Heaven wanted the Elijah personality in the first century to be named John/Yochanon to link him to the last faithful Zadok priest (Onias III) before the high priesthood office got corrupted from Greek influence. As a result, the continuity of the faithful Zadok priesthood would be done by name. Yeshua recognized John the Baptist as the true, legitimate, rightful priest in Israel by being immersed of him.
The Elijah Message Linked to the “Arava”
In Isaiah 40:3, it is written:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert [H6160] a highway for our God.
The Hebrew word [H6160] translated as “desert” is ‘Arava.’ The Arava is a geographical location in Israel. It is the desert valley that extends from the Dead Sea to Eilat. It includes the Qumran. When the high priesthood office and the Temple system in Jerusalem became corrupted through the influence of the Greek Seleucids to the north of Israel, the faithful priests from the ‘sons of Zadok’ got spiritual direction from Isaiah 40:3 regarding their situation and established a community in the “Arava” known as the Qumran. It is in the Qumran caves that the Dead Sea Scrolls were initially found in 1947.
The restoration and a spiritual return to the “Arava” in the end of days is so important that an entire chapter in Isaiah is devoted to it. It is Isaiah 35. Great blessings are promised from the God of Israel for those who embrace the message revealed in the “Arava.” In Isaiah 35:1, it is written:
The wilderness and the solitary place [H6723] shall be glad for them; and the desert (Arava) shall rejoice [H1523], and blossom [H6524] as the rose. It shall blossom [H6524] abundantly [H6524] and rejoice [H1523] even with joy [H1525] and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency [H1926] of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency [H1926] of our God.
These two verses are so powerful in the Hebrew. In describing the “Arava,” there are several concepts associated with it. They are:
Suddenly springing forth like a shoot bursting forth. It is the Hebrew word “parah.” The Strong’s number is H6524. It is translated as “blossom.” In Hebrew, the word is repeated in Isaiah 35:2 and is thus translated as “blossom abundantly.” So, this word, “parah,” is used three times in these two verses. When something is repeated in Hebrew, you are to give it very special consideration. The Dead Sea Scrolls were “suddenly” found, and their significance “sprang forth.”
Joy, singing, and rejoicing. These are concepts associated with the end of the exile of the House of Jacob. The Hebrew word translated as “rejoice” is the Strong’s number, H1523, and is the Hebrew word “gil.” The word translated as “joy” is the feminine form of “gil.” Therefore, this word is used three times in these two verses also. When something is repeated in Hebrew, you are to give it very special consideration.
Excellency. It is the Hebrew word “chadar.” It is the Strong’s number H1926. The Hebrew word “chadar” is also translated as “majesty and honor.” This word is repeated twice in Isaiah 35:2. When something is repeated in Hebrew, you are to give it very special consideration.
Before the “Arava” suddenly springs forth and there is joy, singing, and rejoicing regarding it, wherein it ends up receiving great honor and majesty, it is regarded as a dry, barren, or solitary place. The word for “solitary place” is the Strong’s number H6723 and is the Hebrew word “Tziyah.” It is related to the Hebrew word “Tzion/Zion.” The Hebrew word “Tziyah” is sometimes translated as “dry place, drought or barren.”
For nearly 2,000 years, the Dead Sea Scrolls had a spiritual status of being “lost or unknown,” corresponding to the concept of being a “dry place or barren.” In other words, while the Dead Sea Scrolls were still undiscovered in the ground, the information contained in the Dead Sea Scrolls had no value or importance to anybody. The Hebrew word, “Tzion/Zion” is a term associated with the end of the exile. The end of the exile is associated with the concept of the “glory of the Lord” being revealed and with it “joy, singing, dancing, and rejoicing” (concepts related to the end of the exile of the House of Jacob).
The springing forth of the “Arava” and the joy, singing, dancing, and rejoicing associated with it are because it is related to the coming of the Messiah, the end of the exile of the House of Jacob, and the coming of the Messianic Kingdom. In Isaiah 35:4, it is written:
…your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
This verse speaks of the coming of the Messiah to “save” Israel (end their exile) and His judgment upon the nations as “his vengeance.”
In Isaiah 35:10, it is written:
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
This verse speaks of the end of the exile of the House of Jacob. It is linked with Jeremiah 31:7 and 11 and Revelation 7:17. Therefore, the “Arava” is not only associated with the Elijah message of Isaiah 40:3, but it is also associated with the joy of the end of the exile, the coming of King Messiah, and the Messianic Era. Ultimately, the “Arava” will be given the highest praise, honor, and majesty from the God of Israel. So, the “Arava” is linked with the establishment of Tzion/Zion. In the Kingdom of God, Tzion/Zion is a concept related to the spiritual culmination of a spiritual journey. It has a dual application of the end of the exile of the house of Jacob and Yeshua bringing His Bride to full spiritual maturity.
So, what is this praise, honor, and majesty that is being given to the “Arava?” It is receiving and embracing the Elijah message of restoration, which is associated with the “Arava.” It is receiving the message that comes forth from the “Arava,” or the Qumran community, or the Dead Sea Scrolls, which includes the restoration of the Zadok priesthood, the priestly calendar, and embracing the Jewish roots of our faith in Yeshua (which is the Qumran Community).
It was this Jewish sect in Qumran from which the “Elijah” of the first century—John the Baptist—came. They were the first believers (Acts 2) in Yeshua as the Messiah after His resurrection from the dead. They were called the “Way” and the “Nazarenes” in the book of Acts (Acts 9:2, 22:4, 24:5, 14). It was from the Qumran community, where there were many “priests who were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). The Qumran community established the first believing congregation in Jerusalem under the leadership of James, the brother of Yeshua (Acts 11:22, 15:4, 6, 13, 19). As a result, they gave us the foundation of our faith in Yeshua as Messiah. It was the Qumran-affiliated communities who attended the “Feast of Shavuot” in Acts 2. The Shavuot/Pentecost in Acts 2 was not being celebrated according to the keeping of Shavuot/Pentecost, as taught by the Pharisees or Sadducees based upon a Babylonian calendar.
Embracing the message and the people and the story of Qumran is part of the Elijah message of the “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21) prior to the 2nd coming of Yeshua. Embracing the people and message of the Qumran community, who brought us our Jewish roots in Messiah, is restoring the Tabernacle of David, which has fallen (Amos 9:11, Acts 15:16). When we embrace not only the Elijah message of the first coming (Isaiah 40:3) but also the Elijah message of the second coming (Isaiah 40:3 = Isaiah 35), we are promised the spiritual blessings of honor and majesty from the God of Israel, as stated in Isaiah 35:2. It is a message received by Zion/Jerusalem (Isaiah 40:2), which is also a title for the Bride of Yeshua (Isaiah 62:1, 5). The message of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the “Arava” is the last major preparation of the Bride of Yeshua for her wedding day with Him. Yeshua embraced the ministry and message of John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:3) at His first coming, and Yeshua’s Bride will embrace the Elijah ministry and message at His second coming. The “preparing of the way” (the coming of the Messiah) for His Bride comes forth from the “Arava” (Isaiah 40:3).
There are several other aspects to the Elijah ministry and message. They include the following:
Repentance (Matthew 3:1–2, Mark 1:4, Acts 19:4)Return to Torah (Malachi 4:4–5, Luke 1:17)
Restoration (Matthew 17:10–11)
Proclaiming the end of the exile to the house of Jacob (Isaiah 40:1, 3, 10–11; Jeremiah 31:10–11, 17)
There is a Jewish Midrash that teaches that Elijah will announce the end of the exile to the House of Jacob. It states the following:
Everywhere in the Bible the name of Jacob is spelled in Hebrew without the letter Vav except for in five places. Everywhere in the Bible the name of Elijah is spelled in Hebrew with the letter Vav except for in five places. Why? To teach you that Elijah will come and redeem the seed of Jacob. Jacob took the Hebrew letter Vav from the name of Elijah as a pledge that Elijah would come and announce the end of the exile to his children.
Midrash Haser w ‘Yater, pp. 16, 42 and Rashi ad Leviticus 26:42
So, do you hear the “voice crying in the wilderness?” Do you receive its message? If you do, it will prepare you for the second coming of Yeshua, wherein He is coming for, and to dwell with, His Bride. Initially, Yeshua will dwell with His Bride in His Messianic Kingdom on the earth, and after that, for all eternity in the New Jerusalem. May we all be given ears to hear the “voice crying in the wilderness!” ■
Article written by Eddie Chumney.
Eddie Chumney is the founder of Hebraic Heritage Ministries International.
* Scripture references from the KJV
Footnotes
[1] United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Wisdom of Ben Sira. (Ben Sira), a sage who lived in Jerusalem, was thoroughly imbued with love for the wisdom tradition, and also for the law, priesthood, Temple, and divine worship. As a wise and experienced observer of life he addressed himself to his contemporaries with the motive of helping them to maintain religious faith and integrity through study of the books sacred to the Jewish tradition. Written in Hebrew in the early years of the second century B.C., the book was finished by ca. 175. Ben Sira was known to Christians in translations, of which the Greek rendering was the most important. Though not included in the Jewish Bible after the first century A.D., nor, therefore accepted by Protestants, the Wisdom of Ben Sira has been recognized by the Catholic Church as inspired and canonical.
