Malachi 4

“For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch.

^·          The phrase is used also in Amos 2:9 by the farmer Amos to mean the whole thing.

^·          Romans 11 talks about how the branches were broken off the Jewish nation, in fulfillment of this.

^·          John the Baptist preached this very thing, that the ax was at the root, the oven was kindled and God was coming in judgment, that the day had arrived as foretold. John brought the message of Malachi.

^·          This is the indication that he is the fulfillment of this prophecy, because that’s the message he brought. The other indication is that Elijah did come in person, and

² But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

·         The stall fed calves go out and jump for joy at being free. Grow fat means free from danger, want, and misery. It is a good promise.

·         The healing is seen in the NT at the end of Revelation where the leaves of the tree are a balm for the nations.

·         The healing is from Christ, the light is from Christ (He is the light of the world). He bore in His body on the tree the suffering, by His wounds you have been healed.

³ You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,” Says the Lord of hosts.

·         Ashes were used to keep paths clear of weeds and growth, so that they could be better tread on.

⁴ “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.

·         They were called to remember the day they stood on the mountain and failed. If they were looking for the law then they would be looking for Christ.

·         This is also going to remind them of Moses promising that God would send the prophet.

⁵ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

·         The Jews look to the future where the man himself will come back, so they set an empty place at Passover for Elijah, which is the same thing many dispensationalists believe.

·         Jesus identified this as being fulfilled in John the Baptist in Matt 11:14. The angel also in Luke 1:17 says as much.

·         The OT always speaks of these great judgments and terrible events, but in the NT we don’t see them, because the mystery is revealed, God poured His judgment out on Christ.
This is why the law and prophets were until John (matt 11:13)

⁶ And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

·         Cursed are all children who do not obey their parents. They were to be put to death.

·         This is probably not to be understood as ‘families will be restored’ because Jesus said that He came to not bring peace but a sword.

·         See Luke 1:16 where it talks to Israel as a child, turning their hearts to God.

·         This is spoken of as being fulfilled by John.

·         The last word in the Old Testament is ‘curse.’ It has in mind the destruction promised by it.