Malachi

Malachi Chapter 4

Malachi is the last book in most versions of bibles and it ends in a similar way to the book of Revelation warning us that all evil, pride, wickedness shall be burnt up. 

• Malachi 4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 

Peter also describes these events:

• 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
• 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
• 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

We see here that Peter also warns us of the day of judgment that is coming upon the earth. This sounds like a nuclear holocaust but it may be that God Himself will send this judgment and not man. The day of the Lord does not refer to the rapture or any deliverance for the faithful but usually refers to judgment.

Jesus came to cleanse us from sin so that we can avoid this judgment and be among those that escape these things. We see that Peter confirms this by saying, "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness. 

After we come to Christ Jesus, we are to seek to be like God in character and become in His image spiritually. We have been given the Holy Spirit to enable us to overcome the flesh and walk in the spirit. God is actually within us. Peter is confirming the words in Hebrew 12 that admonishes us to follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 

This is serious, it must never be taken lightly. Jesus paid a big price for our sins. It is not intended for us to return to them permanently and expect to be saved. 

• Malachi  4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. 

To those that fear His name are the ones to be saved. If we fear His name, we will escape all that comes to pass and stand before the Son of man.  Fearing His name means to fear His authority, power and having respect to His commandments.

He will come to us and gather us to Him if we contend for the faith, fear His name and keep His word. 

This Sun of righteousness is none other than Jesus Christ. He will usher in a kingdom of peace and everlasting righteousness. All sickness will be healed, all sorrow, crying and mourning will end, and faithful believers will have everlasting life. 

• Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 

So many good scriptures in both Old and New Testament show confirm the word. Here is the promise given to the church at Philadelphia which kept His word and did not deny His name. (His authority and power).

• Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 
• 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 

There is an escape to the faithful in Christ Jesus. Escape from eternal hell and the wrath of God poured out on the earth. Like Noah was saved from the flood because He believed and trusted God, he escaped judgment.

• Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 

Watch and pray always. I never hear this taught as much as I used to.

• Revelation 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 
• 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. 

This is serious business. We must continue to warn, exhort, reprove, rebuke and be faithful in this until the Lord returns. 

We see everlasting comfort for those that have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus and judgment for those that ignore this good way. 

The bible contains the words of different witnesses. They are written by different people from different times but the message is the same. That message is that all have sinned and broken the law of God. The penalty for sin is death both physically and eternally. Eternal death means that the soul spends eternity apart from God and in hell. 

All of us were on our way to hell because of sin. Jesus Came to reverse that curse, pay the price for sin so that our faith in Him will cause us to be cleansed from sin and to receive the Holy Spirit. To receive this new and living way, one must be willing to forsake the sin after we are forgiven of sin. 

• Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 
• 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 
• 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 
• 22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 
• 23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 

That prophet is Jesus. He is our last chance for eternal salvation. To ignore Jesus is to hate your own soul. The prophecy of the prophet spoken of by Moses is in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.

• Malachi 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. 
• 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 
• 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 
• 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. 

John the Baptist came before the 1st coming of Jesus in the spirit and power of Elijah. Either Elijah himself or another in the spirit and power of Elijah will proceed the Second coming of Jesus Christ. According to scripture, there will be two of them. Notice how they all warn of danger to come. They are all prophets of doom and gloom. We may not want to hear these prophets but the message is the same; except we repent we will all perish. 

• Revelation 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 
• 4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 

The book of Zechariah tells of the two olive trees.

• Zechariah 4:11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof? 
• 12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? 
• 13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. 
• 14 Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth. 

See how the things in the New Testament speak of the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament. Both testaments compliment each other. They confirm the same truth. Isaiah 53 foretells of the suffering Messiah and other chapters in Isaiah foretell of the 2nd coming of the Messiah when Jesus reigns as king. 

John the Baptist preached repentance and prepared the way for them to hear Jesus Christ when He came. 

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

Jesus preached repentance

• Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

Repentance and faith in Jesus' power to forgive sins and vital for salvation.

• Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

The danger of leaving our first love.

• Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 

The cure for all things is repentance.

• Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 

Peter preached repentance 

• Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
• 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

Paul Preached repentance

• Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 
• 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 
• 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 
• 25 Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 
• 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 
• 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 
• 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 
• 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 
• 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 
• 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

God ordained and planned the way of salvation. We must come and trust in Jesus to cleanse us from sin and give us the Holy Spirit. God has so many good things for us. We can learn of these things by studying the written word, repenting of sin and seeking to receive all God has for us without holding back. We rob ourselves of so much because of unbelief. DC