Greetings to you all greatly beloved of God in Christ Jesus. Welcome to another beautiful day in the second month of the year 2021. We are thankful to God for preserving our lives each new day and for blessing us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.
In our today’s episode 638, we shall be looking into Malachi Chapter 4 titled:
The Day Of The Lord Is Here, End Of The Road For Evil People?
Chapter 4 is like a sequel to chapter 3 regarding how the people were discouraged in serving God, claiming that it did not pay to serve God because evil people apparently were prospering and happy. These evil people did not stop there, they were even testing God’s patience with their evil deeds and it appeared they were getting away with it. Read Chapter 3:13-15.
However, there were some among those serving God, who were wiser, and they were able to see beyond the physical realm. They discovered that in God’s presence, there was a record of people who feared the Lord and were serving Him faithfully and respected Him in all they did.
The prophet said, these people have been recognised by God and God has called them His people. They would enjoy God’s mercy as a Father is merciful to his children. They were also assured that judgement awaits those evil people, who they thought were doing well.
As a matter of fact, in verse 18, the prophet says, the people of Israel will be able to see for themselves what would happen to the wicked, because the difference would be clear identifying the righteous from the wicked by the time the judgement begins.
That is why Prophet Malachi opened chapter 4 with the statement of God’s judgement coming upon the wicked just to assure and encourage those who have made up their minds to do good that it pays to serve God faithfully to the end.
Although the judgement described in Malachi chapter 4 was meant for the wicked living in Jerusalem at that time but then looking at it critically and with the lens of the Epistle, we will discover that it is a shadow of what would happen on the last day according to 2Peter 3:7
And now, by the same powerful word, the heavens and the earth are reserved for fire, being kept for judgment day, when all the ungodly will perish. The Passion Translation
Verses 1-3 gives a very sharp contrast between the effect of God’s judgement on the both the righteous and wicked.
To the wicked, the Bible says it shall be as an oven that consumes the stubble. Please, read Matthew 6:30 and then to the righteous, the saving power of God will rise on the righteous like the sun and bring healing like the sun’s rays. Read Mal 4:2 and compare it with Jere 23:6
In addition, the righteous shall be as free and happy like calves let out of the stall.
Another thing that would happen on that day is that the righteous will overcome the wicked.
I want to encourage as many people as possible reading this message, do not give up in serving God. Pay no attention to the wickedness of the people around you to the point of copying them or giving up hope. Do not try to blend with system of the world and at the end, you will be rewarded for staying faithful.
Even in your workplace or in that political office you are holding, never join people to do evil, because at the end of the day, when judgement shall come, the effect will be terrible.
Then in verse 4, the Prophet warned the people of Israel to remember the Law of Moses given to them at Mount Sinai.
Why did he warn them not to forget the Law?
Note that when this prophesy was released, Christ had not yet come in human form, and the Law was still in force. Also, after the regime of Prophet Malachi, Israel never had any prophet again because of a big silence of 400 years between Malachi and Matthew. So, there was a need for the prophet to strictly warn the people never to forget the Law to guide them until the promised Messiah would come who would be introduced through the ministry of John the Baptist.
The truth is, as believers, if we find ourselves in the midst of any major storm of life, we must not despair because the rightly divided Word of God is there to guide us through it all and to make us victorious in the end. His Word is enough for us. Amen!
Then, in verses 5-6, something remarkable would happen before the great day comes.
Prophet Elijah, who was taken away in a whirlwind in 2Kings 2:11, would come before that great day.
What would he come to do?
Malachi 4:6 has the answer – He will bring fathers and children together again; otherwise I would have to come and destroy your country.
Many people have thought this verse to mean that Elijah reincarnated as John the Baptist.
Did Elijah reincarnate? The answer is no, and I will tell you why.
Elijah was not John The Baptist in the literal sense. Rather, he simply came in the spirit and power of Elijah. Please read Luke 1:17.
Assuming John The Baptist was Elijah in literal sense, Elijah would not have appeared to Jesus again at the mount of transfiguration after John had died. Please read Matthew 17:11-12.
Another proof that John The Baptist was not Elijah reincarnated is because in John Chapter 1, John The Baptist clearly identified himself as the Messenger mentioned in Isaiah 40:3 and not as the Elijah of Malachi 3:1. As a matter of fact, John The Baptist also put a disclaimer to that in John 1:19-23.
If we read Mark 6:14-16 and compare it with Chapter 8:28, we will discover that the people and king Herod already distinguished between John The Baptist and Elijah.
Again, as far as Prophet Malachi was concerned, he was talking about John The Baptist coming in spirit and power of Elijah and not as Elijah literally.
Please read John 1:21 again.
The same thing will still happen in future as prophesied in Revelation Chapter 11 about the two witnesses. We will shed more light on that when we get to the book of revelations.
Now, let’s sum it up…
Judgement day is coming
Before the day comes, John The Baptist would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to serve as a forerunner for Christ.
Then Christ would come in the flesh under the symbol of the “Sun of righteousness.”
Then Jerusalem would be destroyed which was depicted using the symbol of a burning oven, devouring everything cast into it.
All these three major prophesies have been fulfilled 400 years after the book of Malachi.
The only one remaining is the final judgement of the whole world.
Are you ready for that?
Never forget the requirement to escape the judgement day – by becoming born again, being Christlike and becoming a new you, offering your body as a living sacrifice to God and keep on looking unto Christ the author and finisher of our faith.
To be continued… stay tuned and stay blessed.
Let’s pray:
I declare the grace to persevere to the end, God will grant everyone reading this message, in Jesus name.
Continue to enjoy your liberty in Christ as a new being, a peculiar person full of grace and shining the light of Salvation everywhere you go, in Jesus name.
No one on this platform will grow weary. You will continue to grow strong and prosperous more and more in Christ Jesus.
Victory is yours all the days of your life, in Jesus name.
Bible Readings: Acts Chapters 13 to 21 with Proverbs Chapters 11 to 12
I call you blessed now and always.
Wednesday February 17, 2021 (DDMI)
