Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD
Luke 1:17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, 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 the Lord.
Malachi says Elijah himself, Luke says John has the spirit of and power of Elijah.
John 1:21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
John denies that he's Elijah.
Matt 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
11:14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
John is prophet Elijah only if they accept the prophets and the law.
Matt 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
The disciples do not see John the Baptist, they see Elijah.
Matt 17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
John was the wilderness voice of Isaiah 40:3 , yet he was rejected and killed. With the spirit of Elijah, John had come announcing the "Kingdom of Heaven", but they wouldn't accept the prophets and the law. The way had not been prepared. Jesus was doomed also to be rejected and killed. He was not the Jewish Messiah.
the virgin
Young maiden; but Isaiah wasn't talking abut Jesus anyhow.
Just out of curiosity, who was David speaking of in Psalm 110, verse 1?
John was not rejected and killed. Many Jews followed him and were baptized by him. John was murdered by Herod Antipas, that fox, as Jesus called him. Many Jews were followers of John and Jesus, and the people laid psalms before His feet as He rode into Jerusalem, signifying their acceptance of Him.. The High Priest and the Pharisees were the ones who would not accept Jesus, for then their sweet little corrupt system would come down. It came down anyway.