MALACHI 4 - JUDGEMENT AND BLESSING
Malachi 4
Malachi 4 is one of the most intriguing chapters in the entire Bible, because it literally brings to a close all of God’s Word in the Old Testament, and yet sets the stage for some of the wonderous things that will be seen in the New Testament. It is a perfect transition from the Old Testament to the New Testament and from law to grace, and is a beautiful example of the divine inspiration of the entire Bible.
Vs. 1 warns of the coming day of the Lord, when all sin and evil will be judged, and those who indulge in such things will be held to account. It is described as a fire that will totally destroy and eliminate sin and evil, as well as the roots and branches of them. Is. 13:6, 2 Pet. 3:10, and Rev. 11:18 all describe the same thing. This means that God will one day totally eliminate both the cause of sin and evil, and all of their fruits, and they will never return. This verse describes how all of the arrogant and the evildoers will be turned into stubble, and Rev. 22:15 describes the new creation that will come after this Judgment as being a place where all such people are excluded.
Can you imagine how different life would be to live in place without sin or sinners, and where it is impossible to sin?
Vs. 2 gives us assurance that for all those who fear God, which signifies those who are in a right relationship with Him, this coming day of the Lord will not be a day of judgment, but rather a day of great freedom. Because of Christ’s finished work on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, all those who trust in Him as their Lord and Savior are in a right relationship with God. Therefore, they will not only escape this judgment, but will also finally be set free from even the presence of sin.
Salvation sets us free from the penalty and power of sin, but the day of judgment will set us free from even its presence.
The joy that this should bring to our hearts is pictured in this verse as being like the joy of restless calves being set free from being penned up in a stall who are now free to roam wide open fields of green grass without any fear of harm. Jesus, the One who makes this all possible, is described in Vs. 2 as being the sun of righteousness who shall rise with healing in His wings. He did indeed rise from the dead, and He is fully righteous. If we want to be healed from all the ravages of sin, both the sin we have committed, and the sin done to us, we have to be under His wings as this verse says.
Vs. 3 tells us that believers will be used by God in carrying out His judgment, and we see this come to pass in Rev. 19:14-16 where a great heavenly army rides with Jesus as He treads down the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God. As this day of judgment approaches, God tells believers in Vs. 4 to remember His law, and in Vs. 5 to look for the prophet Elijah to come beforehand. God’s law cannot save us, but it reveals to us our need for a Savior. Then, Vs. 6 says that this coming prophet will turn the hearts of children to their fathers, which was also said of John the Baptist, a New Testament prophet in the type of Elijah, when he came on the scene in Luke 1:17 as a forerunner of Christ.
So, the Old Testament ends with a warning of judgment, but also with a prophecy of the blessing of salvation through the One called the sun of righteousness. No wonder then, that as Jesus, who is that One, began His earthly ministry with His first recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, in Matt. 5, He began it with a series of blessings that we call the Beatitudes. Whereas Malachi called God’s people to remember the Law, the Apostle John rejoiced to begin his New Testament message in John 1:17 by telling us that although the Law came through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
In the end, our only hope is in the grace and truth of Jesus, which He freely offers to all who will receive it.
Jesus said in Matt. 24:43 that this day spoken of by Malachi will come like a thief in the night, meaning that it will not be expected. Therefore, He told us in Matt. 24:44 to be ready. The question for all of us then, as the Old Testament ends, is “are we ready?” Faith in Jesus is the only sure way to be ready.