Mal 4:1 "Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them.

We have already noted in a previous meditation that God does distinguish between people, between the righteous and the unrighteous, between the good and the evil. We have referred twice to the two parables that Jesus spoke about these things, the parable of the weeds (Mt 13:24 -30, 36-43) and the parable of the fish (Mt 13:47 -50). In the parable of the weeds at the end we read, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned .” (Mt 13:30) To make the point Jesus explains the parable: “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt 13:40-42) To doubly make the point, in the parable of the fish Jesus declares, “Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt 13:48-50)

Now I note that many Christians today are fearful of speaking about these things because they cannot see how it fits with a god of love. Surely, they reason, God wouldn't consign people to an ongoing terrible existence in fire. Well here at least there is no indication that it will be an eternal fire existence. Taken at face value Jesus words indicate a terrible destruction. Yes, it is destruction and yes it is terrible. Yes, without a doubt Jesus is painting a picture that is terrible and twice he warns that there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth”. These are words describing strong emotion and awareness of the awfulness of what is happening. In other words it is certainly not instant destruction it seems.

Malachi is using similar language and his words similarly come as a strong warning. When we put this in the context of all of Scripture we need to remind ourselves what the Lord feels about death and destruction: “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” (Ezek 18:23) and “For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” (Ezek 18:32) A similar thing is seen in the New Testament: “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9) So here is the truth: death and destruction will come to many BUT God doesn't like it!

So why does it happen like that? Because people so choose to go that way and God honours their choice. But perhaps it is even more than that. Perhaps it is that God knows that these people who have chosen to be godless and unrighteous, could never be happy in heaven and there really is no alternative. Having had a lifetime of opportunities – and I believe the Lord speaks to every single person on earth many times in their lifetime – and refused every single opportunity, does He know that there is no changing them. He designed them and planned for them to live with Him in heaven after a life on this earth, but they cannot do that if they utterly reject Him – and that's what people do who get to old age and still refuse Him.

Could Jesus not say, “Well when you die that will be it; you'll cease to exist. Somehow in God's design – is it in the fact that we are part spirit – that we will go on after death and because spirit cannot be destroyed there will be an existence without God, outside heaven that is so horrible to contemplate that the only way to picture it is in horrible terms, like a lake of fire? Malachi is warning that such a time of destruction is coming for those who refuse to heed his words. it is not what God wants, but it will happen. we may not understand the full reasoning why it will have to be this way, but at least the picture has been clearly spelled out as a warning and no one can say it is an unclear picture. Having such a picture, it is only a foolish person who disregards it!

Mal 4:2,3 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things," says the LORD Almighty.

Two meditations back we noted how the Lord distinguishes between people and then, in the previous meditation we noted the destruction of the wicked that is promised. But the wicked are only one side of the equation and on the other side are the righteous, those “who revere my name .” That sums it up well. Really it is all about how people think about and respond to God Himself. It's not to much about the quality of their lives, or the ethical standards they live by; no, it is more about how they think about God and how thoughts and attitudes have been then translated into actions. The people the Lord is now speaking to are those who have heard His word through Malachi and have responded positively to it. This is about their future.

Now what is difficult about prophetic Scripture is determining WHEN it is being fulfilled. This passage started with, “ Surely the day is coming….” (4:1) speaking of a specific time but whether that referred to a short period ahead, or after death or after the final day, is unclear and we are left wondering and anyone who tries to tie it down on a slightly fruitless task. In what follows in the remaining few verses of this little book, it almost appears as if all this will culminate in John the Baptist and the coming of Jesus, in which case all the language used so far is purely figurative and is spiritual and not physically literal. Let's see if we can see it both ways.

First of all, let's consider it literally in material terms: “All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire," says the LORD Almighty. "Not a root or a branch will be left to them.” (4:1) That would suppose a time when there is a literal physical destruction of all who are wicked. Well history has not shown such a time so it must apply to the last day when God comes. This fits with the picture in Rev 19:11 -21 which we mostly tend to interpret in material terms – yet it could be spiritual. There is a problem with seeing it as spiritual because it would mean that this would be one rare occasion when God would overcome the will of men and make them submissive to Him. There are records in Church history of God coming in times of revival when His presence is so real and so powerful that men and women fall before Him in repentance. Maybe that is how it will be. Yet Scripture seems to testify to the fact that mostly God does not force men and women to repent but yet does require them to receive the outworkings of their actions. The older generation of Israel dying in the desert after refusing to enter the Promised Land, is a classic example of that and there are many other example of God's judgment falling so people die.

So if it is literal and physical, there is coming a time when this faithful remnant will know pure joy in their release from being the underdogs in a godless nation. Thus righteousness will return to the land and bring healing to it because God will strike down all who are unrighteous and so the righteous remnant will take the land again. That, surely has to be the last day.

But suppose it is spiritual. That would fit with the coming of John the Baptist and then Jesus. John came with the word of God that brought transformation as thousands flocked to him in repentance, and went away to live new lives. Very soon Jesus came and ‘freedom' was a key thing he brought, freedom from sin, and freedom from sickness and fear. Joy abounded wherever he went and the unrighteous fell before the massive crowds who flocked to Jesus.

However we interpret it, whatever is the truth, there IS coming a time when the righteous will be the ones blessed by God in such a measure that their righteousness will be seen to rise like the sun in the morning and that will bring healing to society and evil will flee before it. That happens in revivals and it will happen at the end. May we be ready for it! Ensure you are part of the faithful remnant.

Mal 4:4 Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel .

If Christians get confused over any issue, I would say it is the issue of the Law of Moses and the position of the Law as far as we Christians are concerned in everyday life. Here in the verse above, we find the Lord calling to Israel to “Remember the law.” Remember means more than just bring to recollection; it means bring it to recollection and then follow it, do what it says.

So why did God give Israel the Law to start with? Well He gave it to them at Mount Horeb , otherwise known as Sinai, at the time when He called them into being as a nation. But they weren't just any nation, they were His nation, His special people called to receive all the goodness of His love and thus become a light to the rest of the world to reveal Him. The Law would help them do that.

So what do we find in the Law? First of all we find guidance on how to live as a community of God's people , instructions about how to hold a right attitude about God (Ex 20:3-7). Second, comes guidance on how to live as a community, relating to one another. (Ex 20:8-17). Third, we find the ordering of that society and the recognition that people will do wrong, and so what should happen in such circumstances. i.e. how to ensure justice is seen to prevail. (Ex 21-23). There is a recognition within this of the sinfulness of mankind, and the fall of human beings that needs to be taken into account. Fourth, there were rules for establishing a meeting place with God (Ex 25-27) and then a priesthood to administer it (Ex 28-29). This was to establish a procedural basis for the way Israel as a whole would worship the Lord. Fifth, there were extensive instructions for bringing offerings and sacrifices to the Tabernacle as expressions of their love for God and for their penitence after sinning (Lev 1-7). Sixth, there were what we might summarise as dietary or health laws (Lev 11-15) designed to maintain good health among the community. These are the basic laws; there are others but they will either fit the above descriptions or are repeats of the above.

So how might we summarise the Law? Jesus summarised it for us: “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Mt 22:37-40) From the above we see the ‘loving God' parts being expressed in the first part of the Ten Commandments, the establishing of the Tabernacle and Priesthood, and the law of offerings and sacrifices. The ‘love your neighbour' part was expressed in all the rest of the laws.

So does the Law apply to us today? The Ten Commandments certainly do for they are general laws applicable to any community anywhere in the world and without them such a society becomes superstitious and turning to idolatry and the occult, and then anarchistic, harmful and destructive. The rest of the ‘society' laws were specifically for Israel as a unique but primitive agricultural society in that land in that part of history. The ‘worship' laws depended on the existence of the Tabernacle and then the Temple , and a priesthood, none of which exist now. Moreover the New Testament tells us that Jesus is the fulfilment of all of the sacrifices, so we no longer have to offer sacrifices for our sins. The law is useful however to show us that by keeping rules we simply fail again and again, and therefore we have to turn to God for some other way of being right with Him – and that, of course, is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

So do we no longer have laws that apply to us today? Change the word ‘laws' for ‘instructions' and you will find that the New Testament is full of them in the Gospel but mostly in the Epistles. There are there to act as guidelines for us. We aren't saved by keeping them, only by turning to and trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, but they are there for guidance for daily living. Some are specific and some are general: “Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. (Specific) And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.” (General) (2 Thess 3:12,13). The epistles are full of such instructions and they are things to be followed as we work out our relationship with the Lord on a daily basis. And they are there to bless us, because they come from a God of love!

Mal 4:5,6 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

And so we come to the closing words of this little book. At the beginning of chapter 3 we read, “ See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.” (Mal 3:1) It appeared a double warning, first that the Lord would send a messenger to prepare His way, and then, second, that He Himself would come. Yet again now, there is a reference to the day when the Lord comes. We've already had reference to “ the day of his coming” (Mal 3:2) and “ the day when I make up my treasured possession ,” (Mal 3:17) and “ the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace,” (Mal 4:1a) and “ that day that is coming will set them on fire,” (4:1b) and “on the day when I do these things,” (Mal 4:3) and “that great and dreadful day of the LORD.” (Mal 4:5) i.e. six times there is reference to a specific day or specific time when the Lord is coming. The Lord wants to leave us in no doubt about this: He is coming at a specific time go do something quite specific.

Now let's recap this and see again what it said would happen on that “day”. First, “he will be like a refiner's fire.” (Mal 3:2) Next, He will gather the faithful remnant and “make up my treasured possession.” (Mal 3:17) Then again, “All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble,” (Mal 4:1) but the faithful remnant “will go out and leap like calves released from the stall,” (Mal 4:2) AND they will, “trample down the wicked.” (Mal 4:3). Finally the Lord will “send you the prophet Elijah.” (Mal 4:5) Now note the order of that in table form:

Now you might initially disagree with my 6 th description that Elijah comes to bring about the other five descriptions, because two of them speak about a refining fire where evil doers are burnt up. Of course Isaiah had also spoken of a messenger who would come to prepare the way for God to come (Isa 40:3-5) which the Gospel writers picked up on (Mt 3:3, Mk 1:2,3. Lk 3:4-6) but it is very similar language of preparation as is found here.

The work of the messenger was to bring conviction of sin to bring about repentance. When James and John wanted to call down fire on some Samaritans who rejected Jesus, Jesus rebuked them. (Lk 9:54,55) He had come had come to save their souls not destroy them physically – but salvation comes when sin is rejected and repentance brings about a destruction of an unrighteous life. As the apostle Paul was later to write, “ if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone , the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17 ). Elsewhere he wrote, “We died to sin… our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Rom 6:2,6,7)

So yes, unrighteousness and evil are burned up by the fire of the word of God. As the Spirit takes the word and applies it, conviction comes and repentance follows and we die to the old life and are born again to a new life. So often, prophetic picturesque language of the Old Testament has a spiritual fulfilment in the New Testament. The purpose of the ‘Elijah figure' – John the Baptist – was to bring the word of God to bring repentance in preparation for receiving the Messiah-Son of God, and through him salvation that comes in the form of the new birth.

When Jesus was questioned, referring to John the Baptist, we find, “Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.” (Mt 17:11-13) So, yes, Jesus clearly considered John was the coming Elijah, the prophet to prepare the people. What more was said?

“ He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.” Clever language! Turning the hearts of the fathers to their children, simply means in the process of bringing conviction and repentance, the fathers or adults are brought to a place of child-like simple faith in believing in Jesus. Turning the hearts of the children to their fathers, simply means giving the children (or immature) the wisdom that is found in adults to know what is right, and that was surrendering to God in response to His word. Both phrases are about hearts being changed to be simple in reception yet wise in understanding the truth about ourselves and our need. These things both happened when John preached and prepared the way for Jesus. Yet, there is still one more piece of this puzzle to be examined in the final meditation.

Mal 4:5,6 "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse."

I suspect so much of what I said in the previous meditation went against so much of traditional (and, I believe, unsatisfactory) interpretations of these verses, and it may be wise, therefore, to recap some of the key things we said, or implied, in the previous meditation.

First of all there is our spiteful nature versus God's gracious nature. Like James and John (Lk 9:54 ) we would like to call fire down on people we don't like and specifically on evil doers. We see specific instances where God did deal violently with enemies in the Old Testament but, I would suggest, these were primitive times of limited revelation. When we come to the New Testament, with a much fuller revelation brought by the Son of God himself, we find very little of this. Yes, Ananias and Sapphira were taken to glory prematurely (Acts 5) to bring a sense of holiness to the new church, and yes, members of the church at Corinth were dying prematurely for their unholy behaviour (1 Cor 11) and yes, Herod died from worms (Acts 12;23), but these are rare instances to restore the sense of the holiness of God among His people. For the vast majority of the time God did NOT bring physical judgment and indeed Jesus spoke against such an interpretation in the case of a major catastrophe (Lk 13:14 ). Yes, Jesus did warn the people that they would perish if they did not repent, but there is no suggestion that that would be immediate rather than in eternity, which is the usual teaching.

Second, there is the question of what I have simply referred to as picturesque prophetic language, language that is very graphic. As I sought to show in the case of John the Baptist being the fulfilment of the word at the end of this little book, I believe the effect of the word of God bringing conviction and repentance can easily be seen as the fulfilment of the very graphic language that comes through the prophets. Many of the things in respect of Jesus were fulfilled literally, but actually much of the prophetic language about the Messiah was sufficiently obscure as to create at least two different schools of interpretation about the nature of the Messiah.

Third, to recap what we said about the two messengers implied in these prophecies, the fulfilment has surely got to be first John the Baptist coming to prepare the way for Jesus, but softening or convicting the hearts of the people so they repented and turned back to God. That left Jesus able to come to his people to simply explain the Father's love and then act as the Lamb of God who would earn our salvation.

Now, having cleared those things out of the way, we need to face something that we have not yet commented upon, which is the description of what was going to happen in our verses we've had before us in these last two meditations in this series. Observe: “ See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.” Elijah (John) is going to come BEFORE “the day” that has been referred to again and again, the day when God will come Himself. Note two descriptions of that day. First it is ‘great' and second, it is ‘dreadful'. Now I would like to suggest to you that the interpretation of this is incredibly simple.

First can we understand that this ‘day' is not a twenty four hour day, but a specific period in history designated by God? It was in fact a thirty three year period. First it is a ‘great' day because never before had God come to dwell on earth. This fact is, of course, the thing that many people stumble over – that Jesus was God in the flesh, but that is the clear testimony of the New Testament. Moreover that he was God who had come down from heaven where he had existed before his existence on earth (Check out Jn 6:33 ,41,51, 17:5). Never before has such a wonderful thing happened. For those who were privileged to live there in that period, they were witnesses. As Jesus said of his own ministry, “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Mt 11:5) That was indeed a great day!

But then, at the end of it, the world rejected him and hung him on a Cross and watched him die in the most horrible way possible. We see the reality of what could have happened through Jesus' own words to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane : “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Mt 26:53). One word from the Father and the earth could have been obliterated. Instead the Father stood back and watched and the plan of the Godhead, created before the world began, was taken step by ghastly step to its fulfilment – and the Son died for our sins while the hoards of hell railed against him (see prophetic Psa 22). This was indeed a ‘dreadful' day! Dreadful not because destruction fell on the earth, but dreadful because of the terrible thing humanity did to the Son of God.

Oh, yes, this was indeed a great and dreadful day (period). Ponder on the wonder of it and the awfulness of it, and give thanks to God for His mercy and grace. The word WAS fulfilled perfectly. Thank you Malachi. Amen.