John the Baptist – His name is John

Prophets of old, Isaiah and Malachi both spoke of his coming. For 400 years there had been silence, between the Old and New Testaments, and then John came to prepare the way of the Lord

Malachi ends with these powerful words closing both the book and Old Testament with the hope of what was still to come, “See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers…” (Malachi 4:5-6).

Many years before then, Isaiah had spoken these words about John, who, like himself, would also be a prophet preaching repentance, encouraging people to live for God alone. “A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3).