Malachi

The Message and Prophecy of Malachi

Malachi was the last of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. As with all holy men, he had a message from God to the people. His message was strong and condemning, but it was followed by the prophecy of hope and redemption. The name Malachi means "my messenger". This has significant meaning as his book ends the Old Testament and his vision of the coming Messiah ushered in the hope-filled New Testament.

Details about Malachi and his teachings are vague, shrouded by the passage of history. Based on historical research and Jewish tradition, Malachi was a member of the Great Synagogue and died at a young age. The timing for his words are between 450-425 B.C.. This time period was filled with a people that had forgotten the struggle and suffering of the Babylonian Captivity. Enough years had passed for those freed by God, to forget His mercy and to become disconnected with their Lord and weak in their actions. Malachi was sent to admonish them for their forgetfulness and ingratitude, which resulted in corruption, neglect of the temple, disrespect of God, and a multitude of personal sins.

Malachi's message from God was a wake up call to His people. The years of plenty and comfort had weakened their relationship with God. Malachi shines a light on the corruption of the priests through their failure to honor the temple and to properly educate their followers. The people had lost touch with the laws of God and increasingly sinned against Him by failing to worship the Lord through sacrifice and tithing. He also reminded the people of the sanctity of marriage and God's hatred of divorce. Malachi warned them that this sinful behavior led to the Captivity. Although his message is filled with condemnation, hope is a strong thread in the prophecy of Malachi.

The prophetical words of Malachi are perfectly placed in the Bible. He ends the Old Testament and opens the door of the New Testament's message of forgiveness and hope often spoken of by the prophets. This message was of the coming Messiah, the one that comes with the power of the Lord to reward the righteous and condemn the sinful. Malachi, like the others, speaks of the coming of God's messenger and His power to sit in judgment. But Malachi also speaks of one that will come before the Messiah, another prophet called Elijah. This man will prepare the way for the work of the One. This prophecy, like others, gives hope, but also calls to the people to return to God, for those that do not will not survive the coming of the Messiah.

Malachi was sent to Jerusalem when the passion to serve God was very low. As a messenger of God, his words were meant to wake up His people to their lazy worship and sinful actions. As with any judgment, the purpose is not simply to punish, but to correct. God uses Malachi's words to give His people an opportunity to realize their mistakes, repent, and return to a strong relationship with their Lord. Most importantly, Malachi's prophecy shares that with the coming of the Messiah, the repentant will find great joy and the sinful will find great suffering. God, through Malachi, offers His children yet another chance to reconnect with Him and all He offers.