Malachi 04
4:1 (3:19) “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. “It will not leave even a root or branch.
The Day of the Lord is the future seven year Great Tribulation which will eventually come upon the whole earth. The messianic believers will be spared from this judgment. The unbelieving Jews and Gentiles will be burnt up. Most of the seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments of the Great Tribulation are judgments by fire.
One of the three purposes of the Great Tribulation is to destroy wickedness and wicked ones. Wicked people will be purged out of this world, so that only believers can enter into the Millennial Kingdom in a peaceful environment which is free of Christ-rejecters. There will be no more root or branch of evil entering into God’s kingdom. Those roots and branches will be completely burned as stubble.
The Millennium begins seventy-five days after the end of the Great Tribulation. It will take God seventy-five days to purge all of the evil ones out of the world.
2 But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall.
Those who respect the name of Jehovah are the messianic believers who survive the Great Tribulation. This is a direct message to this remnant who will be living during this future time period. God has already written their names in the Book of Remembrance. Those who are written in the Book of Remembrance will be protected from the fiery judgments of the Great Tribulation. God will bandage them, heal them, and bring them into His kingdom.
The “sun of vindication” is the Messiah who will protect this Jewish Remnant from the fiery judgments of the Great Tribulation. He will protect the Jewish messianic believers with “healing wings.” Healing wings is physical and spiritual salvation of these messianic Jews who are living their days in the Great Tribulation.
3 You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord who rules over all.
The Jews will trample on the Gentle armies of the Antichrist.
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey.
Malachi was the last prophet to Israel before John the Baptist. Malachi gave Israel one last call to keep the Mosaic Law until this next messenger arrives.
5 Look, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives.
John the Baptist will be the messenger before the first coming of Jesus. Elijah will be the messenger before the second coming of Jesus. Notice that Elijah will come “before” the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation begins when Israel signs a peace treaty with the Antichrist. There is no reason to spiritualize away this passage. Elijah will return before the Antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel. He will return before the Great Tribulation. This means that he cannot be one of the two witnesses.
6 He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me, so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.”
Elijah will return before the Antichrist signs the peace treaty with Israel. His purpose is to encourage the Jewish families to return to God. The only way to turn to God is to believe in His Son. The major event which has divided Jewish families throughout history is the issue of the Messiahship of Jesus. This incident causes instant division a Jewish family. Jesus pointed out this division at His first coming. Some would believe, but many would not.
Elijah will begin to lead Israel toward their national salvation. Jesus will not return until the Jews cry out, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” This is the one prerequisite of His second coming.
Notice that the Old Testament began with a blessing where everything was “very good.” Yet, the Old Testament ends with a curse. The Hebrew word for “curse” is חֵֽרֶם (chrem), meaning a divine curse which is devoted to destruction. Those who reject the Messiah, who brings healing in His wings, will be cursed with this חֵֽרֶם (chrem) curse. They will be purged out of the earth during the Great Tribulation and thrown into hell to receive a fiery judgment.
The rabbis do not like to end their teachings with a curse, so many of them repeat verse 5. However, this rabbi trick will not eliminate the curse which is upon them as well. The rabbi may attempt to euphemize this curse away, but the Day of the Lord still stands.
The Levitical priests were perverting the Mosaic Law in Malachi’s day. This perversion ultimately led to Phariseeism and Sadduceeism. Both of these groups rejected their own Messiah. It is this sin which will lead Israel into the Great Tribulation. However, the Great Tribulation will cleanse the messianic Jews like fire and prepare them to receive their Messiah and enter into the Millennial Kingdom.
After Malachi, there would be 400 silent years, when God would no longer send any prophets to Israel. The Pharisees and Sadducees will begin to add and take way from Scripture. Persia will die, but Greece and Rome will arise. John the Baptist will appear and announce the King. The Jews and Gentiles will combine their wills and crucify their King. Jesus will use this sin of the Jews and Gentiles to bring His elect into His kingdom.