Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

MALACHI - CHAPTER 4

THE DAY OF THE LORD

Verse 1:

A Day Of Retribution

Verse 1 announces and affirms that there shall come a day of judgment vengeance against all who have lived and died in wickedness against God, 2 Peter 3:7; Matthew 24:29-31; Isaiah 2:10-22; Revelation 19:11-21; All that take pride in their wickedness shall be burned, as stubble in an oven, or brought to ashes. See also Obadiah 1:18; Matthew 3:12; Matthew 13:41; Amos 2:9. They shall have thereafter neither root nor branches of strength in the millennial era, in eternity, Psalms 9:17; Hebrews 9:27-28; Matthew 6:30; Matthew 25:31-45.

The Second Coming Glory Of Christ

Verses 2-4:

Verse 2 assures that unto those who feared or reverenced the name of the Lord, as in Malachi 3:16, who confessed Him among blasphemers and abusers of His name, Isaiah 25:8; Isaiah 66:5; Matthew 10:32, the Sun of righteousness (the Christ, anointed one) would arise and go forth, as from a prison, with healing in His wings, in His swift appearance, Psalms 139:9; Matthew 13:43; In that day Israel is promised that she shall grow up, increase, or be prospered as the calf of the stall, that well fed, leaps and jumps in joy when let out of the stall. Such joy is to the believer, and to the church in particular, in the millennial era, 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:8; Isaiah 61:10.

Verse 3 pledges that the righteous, faithful shall tread down, rule over the wicked, the heathen and unbelievers in that day, as stubble under their feet. No longer will the wicked make laws to enforce upon the righteous. Things will then be reversed, 2 Samuel 22:43; Psalms 47:3; Psalms 49:14; Micah 7:10; Zechariah 10:5; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 19:14-15.

Verse 4 calls upon the remnant of Judah and Israel, returned from Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem and Palestine, to remember the law of Moses His servant, which was given for them and their posterity from Horeb, together with statutes and judgments, Exodus 19:20; Deuteronomy 4:10; Psalms 19:9. They were to remember his laws, to obey them in "reverential trust", and hatred of evil. For no further was given for 400 years, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. This "law and the prophets," as a rule of civil and religious guide, was to have been strictly observed until the coming of Christ, Matthew 11:13; and till His forerunner had prepared a people for the Lord, Luke 1:17; Galatians 3:19; Galatians 3:24-25; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17. The "statutes" were to regulate the religious ceremonies, while the "judgments" were regulations of law principles in civil matters.

Elijah The Prophet’s Coming Before The Messiah

Verses 5, 6:

His Two Fold Coming

Verse 5 promises that the Lord would send Elijah, prince of the prophets, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord’s coming in fiery judgment to the earth, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10. In two senses He was to send Elijah, in his official position, the Spirit of Him in prophecy: 1) First, as represented in John the Baptist, which our Lord acknowledged at His first coming; John the Baptist was Elijah in the spirit, Luke 1:16-17; But not the literal Elijah, Matthew 11:14; John 1:21; Though John the Baptist wore the costume of Elijah, he knew that he did not fulfill all that was spoken of in this prophecy. As Moses represented the Law, v. 4, so Elijah represents the spirit of true prophets. Peter affirms after Pentecost that Elijah was yet to come to restore or for the restitution of all things, Acts 3:21; Acts 2) Second, Elijah also represents the spirit of the two witnesses of prophecy, the church and Israel, that shall witness for 42 months in Jerusalem, before the revelation of the anti-christ, or the man of sin, Revelation 11:1-6. Though Jesus affirms that Elijah had come already, Matthew 17:10-13. He also spoke of his future coming "to restore all things", evidently through the spirit of the redeemed Jews who shall make morning and evening oblations and sacrifices during the first half of the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy, during which time 144,000 Jews will be saved; Daniel 9:26-27; Revelation 7:4-8; Revelation 11:1-6; Revelation 12:7-14; This event is also alluded to 2 Thessalonians 3:3-10. All this is yet to come before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, Joel 2:31.

Verse 6 prophesies that he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart or affections of the children to their fathers. Luke 1:16-17; Acts 21:20. This alludes primarily to the second coming of Christ; for His first coming was to set the hearts of the family member against family member, Matthew 10:34-36; Micah 7:6; John 9:18. Should they not be turned He would smite the earth with a curse, rather than restore it to the father, Acts 3:21; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:10. When Israel returns in repentance to accept the Lord she shall be grafted in again, Romans 11:20-21. While the apostate, heathen of the earth shall be smitten; Those who of Israel receive Him at the preaching of the spirit of Elijah will have a glorious place in the restoration and restitution of all things, Zechariah 12:10-14. Let each who reads this give heed to the more sure word of prophecy, 2 Peter 1:19. For His word is true from the beginning, Psalms 119:160. The failure of Israel was ended with a curse warning in the last verse and word of the Old Testament. And our Lord’s sermon on the mount is punctuated with "blessings," or promised prosperity, to those who heard and obeyed Him, Matthew 5:2-12.