When was malachi the prophet

The wicked prosper. The righteous suffer. God responds with a narrative about people that remain faithful. God will make them jewels, people of great value. Again, the faithful will endure. What will they need to endure? The conclusion of Malachi 4 begins with a description of a terrible day of judgment that is coming. However, this judgment will not be terrible for the faithful. The faithful will not be afraid. Rather, they will have joy at seeing God setting everything right.

How will people remain faithful? Remember the Law, read the scriptures, Malachi relays from God. A new Elijah and Moses will come and restore what was lost. The last statement is an amazing promise of reconciliation. He will turn the hearts of the children to their fathers and the fathers to the children. We know the rest of the story. We know that God fulfilled His promise. He sent a messenger, a new Elijah, and a new Moses. The Jews were very aware of this promise.

Luke shares that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Malachi Luke Jesus also expressly states that, if the Jews can handle it, John the Baptist was Elijah Matthew Jesus used several quotes from Deuteronomy and is the second Moses that Malachi prophesies about. Moses also spoke about another one like himself, another prophet that will bring a second covenant Deuteronomy There are other examples throughout the letters of the New Testament, but the early Christians wholeheartedly believed that Jesus was that second, better Moses, the bringer of the New Covenant.

Therefore, we first need to understand Malachi to get a fuller vision of what God has done through Christ and the Holy Spirit , the fulfillment of prophecy that tells us God will do what He says. One passage from Malachi is fascinating to me, and it connects to most Christians today.

Malachi prophesies how all nations will know Him. In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering. Beyond understanding Malachi in its original context as explained above, and how the prophecy was fulfilled in John the Baptist, Christ, and the New Covenant and non-Jews like me!

Is God good? Why do the wicked prosper? Not to mention our own lack of commitment and the selfishness that creeps into our lives. We also live in a culture that accuses God of similar things. What value is there in following God?

If God allows injustice, is he not therefore unjust? Malachi gives us a framework for how to approach these common issues both in our own lives and in our discussions with others. We can have a conversation with God.

Ask God questions. He can handle it. God also initiates conversation with us by asking us questions. This challenges, corrects, and leads to greater intimacy. So God pointed the finger back at them, and through Malachi, God told the people where they had fallen short of their covenant with Him. If they hoped to see changes, they needed to take responsibility for their own actions and serve God faithfully according to the promise their fathers had made to God on Mount Sinai all those years before.

Each time, Israel would fail again, prompting the cycle to begin again. Do you struggle to follow God consistently? View Chuck Swindoll's chart of Malachi , which divides the book into major sections and highlights themes and key verses. Who wrote the book? Where are we? Why is Malachi so important? What's the big idea? How do I apply this? The Jews consider him the last prophet of the Tanakh. Historians and scholars could not figure out with certainty if Malachi were a priest or just a common man that God had chosen to warn the new Jewish community about their sins.

Unique Circular Format — see more in less space. Limited Time Offer! Find out more now! He spoke to the Jewish community that had returned to the land of Judah to rebuild the temple under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah.

There are some scholars who believe that he had to have been a part of the prophets, priests or scribes that were led by Ezra. After the Israelites had been finally able to return home, they managed to rebuild the temple and to resettle Jerusalem.

At first there was great joy and enthusiasm when they first arrived home but they soon became discouraged. The people were glad to be back in their homeland once again, but they wanted to be free from Persian rule and to have a great kingdom like they did in the days of kings David and Solomon. As a result, they started to sin again.