Malachi 03
Malachi 3:1 “I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord who rules over all.
The people asked, “Where is the God of justice? Why is He allowing sin in our community?
God’s answer was that He was going to send a third messenger to Israel. The first messenger was the Levitical priests, but the priests fell into sin and lost the respect of the people. The second messenger was Malachi, but the people refused to listen to their prophets. The third messenger would be John the Baptist.
John the Baptist will announce the Messianic King to Israel. The Messiah will come to the temple that the Jews had built. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy 400 years later at the first Passover of His public ministry. He went into the Temple and threw out the moneychangers. By so doing, He claimed ownership of the Temple. Jesus said, “This is my Father’s house.” The Temple belonged to God the Father, but since Jesus was the Son of God, He shared in that ownership. By performing this act, He cleansed the Temple. He repeated this action at the last Passover of His public ministry as well.
Jesus will be the fourth messenger of the Book of Malachi. He is the one who will fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant, the Palestinian Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.
2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.
Verse 1 predicted the events of the first coming of Jesus. Verses 2-5 predicted the events of His second coming.
When Jesus returns, the ungodly will not be able to stand up to Him. Jesus gave a glimpse of this at His first coming. When He said, “I am” all of the soldiers who came to arrest Him fell down helplessly at His feet.
A refiner’s fire burns off all of the dross to make the soft metal pure, clean, and beautiful. Launderer’s soap cleans the body of dirt and filth. When Jesus returns, He will come as a cleansing agent. He will burn off all of the dross and cleanse all of the believers with soap. He will purge evil out of the world by throwing all Christ-rejecters into the trash can. The temporary trash can is hell. The permanent trash can is the Lake of Fire.
3 He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the Lord a proper offering.
During the days of Malachi, the Levitical priests were dirty. When Christ returns, He will give the Levitical priests a bath. He will burn all of the dross off of them and refine them like silver and gold. Only righteous Levitical priests will serve in the Millennial Kingdom.
4 The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in former times and years past.
During the Millennial Kingdom, only pure sacrifices will be offered. These Millennial offerings will look back to the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.
5 “I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.
During the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will rule with a rod of iron. Sinners will be judged immediately. It is possible that the angelic world may be policemen who stop a crime immediately before it escalates.
6 “Since, I, the Lord, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished.
Israel broke their promises to God, but God never broke His promises to Israel.
7 From the days of your ancestors you have ignored my commandments and have not kept them! Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord who rules over all. “But you say, ‘How should we return?’
Israel began breaking the Mosaic Law on the exact day in which it was given to them. Israel asked, “How can we return?” God did not answer this question immediately.
8 Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and contributions!
The Hebrew word for “rob” is קָבַע (kaba), meaning to defraud. Israel was robbing and defrauding God by failing to pay their tithes.
Israel owed three tithes to Jehovah. First, every year they had to give one tenth of the first fruits to the Levites (Num. 18:21–24). Second, every year they were to pay tithes during the Feast of Tabernacles (Deut. 12:5–7, 10–19; 14:22–26). Third, every third year they were to pay one tenth for the support of the poor (Deut. 14:28–29). Also, one-tenth of what the Levites received from the people was to go to the priests (Num. 18:25–28).Therefore, the yearly average tithe for Mosaic Israel was 23%.
9 You are bound for judgment because you are robbing me—this whole nation is guilty.
According to the Mosaic Law, Israel would be cursed if they did not pay their tithe. The curse would be famine, drought, or locust plague. Since Israel would not give tithes of the fruit of their hands, then the fruit itself was taken away.
10 “Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all.
Notice that the storehouse is not the modern church. The storehouse was the chambers in the temple where the offerings were kept. The Levitical priesthood was sustained by this food in the storehouse.
A lot of preachers use these verses to make their congregation feel guilty about not tithing. However, tithing was an Old Testament Law which was declared null and void after the atonement of Christ. The New Testament believer operates under grace giving. He gives what he wants and when he wants as led by the Holy Spirit, but he does not give to obey the Mosaic Law. He gives because he loves Christ, not to keep a law which has been rendered null and void. Therefore, beware of slick modern preachers who try to trick believers into tithing.
According to Deuteronomy 6:16, God does not allow Himself to be proved or tested except in this one instance on tithing. Those who were to test Him were not the modern church members, but those living in ancient Israel under the Mosaic Law. Again, beware of slick modern preachers who use this verse to “test” God by tithing. They are either ignorant of Scripture, or deceiving their congregation for money.
11 Then I will stop the plague from ruining your crops, and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest,” says the Lord who rules over all.
When Israel begins to pay their tithes with pure offerings, God will remove the plagues which were ruining their crops.
12 “All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in a delightful land,” says the Lord who rules over all.
In the Book of Nehemiah, Gentiles were cursing the land of Israel. After Israel begins to offer pure offerings, then the Gentiles will begin to recognize that God was blessing the land of Israel.
13 “You have criticized me sharply,” says the Lord, “but you ask, ‘How have we criticized you?’
The non-remnant was speaking badly against God.
14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all?
The non-remnant was claiming that it was useless to serve God, because they kept the Law and God did not bless them.
15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!’ ”
The non-remnant claimed that the wicked prospered, but they who kept the Law did not. Why should they tithe? The wicked had already tested God and found Him powerless.
16 Then those who respected the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name.
Those who respected Jehovah were the believing remnant. They fellowshipped with each other and discussed these spiritual issues. God recorded the names of these messianic believers on one scroll and the names of those who rejected him on a different scroll.
There are at least two books in heaven. According to Psalm 56:8 and 139:16, there is the Book of Life which contains the names of everyone who has ever been born. According to Psalms 69:28, if a person dies unsaved, his name is blotted out of this book. According to Revelation 3:5, the name of the believer is not blotted out.
There is another book called the Lamb’s Book of Life. This book contains the names of those who are born again. Therefore, it is possible to be blotted out of the Book of Life (unbelievers), but never be blotted out of the Lamb’s Book of Life, (believers).
17 “They will belong to me,” says the Lord who rules over all, “in the day when I prepare my own special property. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
Those who are not blotted out of the Book of Life and those who are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life all belong to God. They are his elect. The are his peculiar people.
When the Great Tribulation arrives on this earth, then 2/3 of the Jews will be killed by the Antichrist. The 1/3 who survive are the ones whom God will spare. They are those who serve God like a son. He will bring this believing remnant into the Millennial Kingdom.
18 Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.
The Jews during the days of Malachi were falsely claiming that God was rewarding the wicked, but not the righteous. God’s answer was wait until the end of the Great Tribulation. At this time, God will send the unrighteous to hell. He will send the righteous into the Millennial Kingdom. Then, Israel’s accusations against God will be proven to be false.