Isaiah 40:3 - Preceded by a Messenger

 In order to better understand Isaiah 40:3, let's look at it in context with the prior two verses, Isaiah 40:1-2, which is the beginning of Deutero-Isaiah, the book that speaks of the end of the Babylonian exile for the Jerusalemites who had been living there as dominated workers for about 48-54 years, depending how one wants to count.

1. "'Take great comfort, My people', says your God.

2. 'Speak to Jerusalem's heart and call to her, saying, 'Your full term of service is done, because your sinfulness [that was the cause] has been wiped clean, for she has/will received from YHVH's hand a double amount for all of her sins."

A few notes about this. 

First, the doubling of the term for "be y'all comforted", I chose to use "Take great comfort" because of a doubling. It is interesting that "doubling" will be part of this theme. 

Next, when the speaker says "Jerusalem", he means the Jerusalemites, since one speaks to a people, not real estate. And the place where the Jerusalemites were residing was in Babylon, which will be referred to later, rising in threats in chapter 47.

"Your full term of service is done" refers to the Jerusalemites being forced workers as a result of a national sinfulness. And for having suffered fully enough, their servitude to the Babylonians is over.

The last bit can be read in two ways, depending on who "she" is. If it's Jerusalem, then she will receive a doubling of reward for having endured the pains of exile and servitude. If it's Babylon, then she will receive a double portion for her part, having too much pleasure in inflicting pain and suffering. Either interpretation is fine.

So now that we see that the chapter begins with YHVH saying that the time is up, let's look at verse 3:

3. A voice calls out in the wilderness, "Clear a way for YHVH, straighten in the wilderness a path for our God"

 And this is the verse that Christians compare it to, where John is using a language reminiscent of the eve of the High Holidays, when men will often immerse themselves, repent, and prepare:

Matthew 3:1-2 - "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying 'Repent, ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Granted, there's no call for repentance in Isaiah 40:1-3. In fact, it indicates that there's no need for repentance because the debt has been fully paid. Also, it is not saying that the "kingdom of heaven is at hand", but "The Jerusalemites will be returning home".

Well, they both do have the word "wilderness", but that's certainly not the focus here.

And then Matthew 3:3 goes on to claim about John "For this is he spoken of by the prophet Isaiah..."

Perhaps as a metaphor, or symbolically, but, not, it wasn't speaking about John the Baptist. 

And on cannot fulfill a metaphor.

So, no, John telling Jews in Judea to repent because of an end times narrative is not fulfilling a verse that tells exiled Judeans that God will bring them home.

Style: "Forced narrative, non-comparable, Jesus didn't fulfill"

Here's the meme: