A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Isaiah 40:3-5

The second part of Isaiah’s book moves away from God’s judgement to a promise of hope. It was written to encourage the Jewish exiles in Babylon, but in the verse above, we also recognize the prophecy fulfilled by John the Baptist as he made way for the arrival of the Messiah –

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

Matthew 3:1-3

Many prophecies in the Old Testament follow the same path. Words meant to speak to the people of the day, also have a prophetic meaning for the time ahead. One thing is sure, both then and now is that God’s word doesn’t fail.

In the same chapter, Isaiah continues –

A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the LORD blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.

Isaiah 40: 6-8

The same God who inspired Isaiah to make the prophecies above, will surely fulfill all the promises He’s made even if we can’t see it in the moment. God’s word will prevail and He will keep His promises.