A reader asked, âWhy was John the Baptist called a voice in the wilderness?â John was a voice in the wilderness of sin. He was devoted to his mission to serve God and lived an austere life. Before addressing Johnâs mission and his relationship with Jesus, two Old Testament passages need to be read. Isaiah, the prophet, wrote in 40:3,5, âA voice of one calling: âIn the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.ââ Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament, spoke about the future in 4:2-6, âBut for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,â says the Lord Almighty. âRemember the law of Moses. I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.â During the 400 years between the Old and New Testament, prophetic voices were silenced.