The
Book of Malachi
The book of Malachi (Gods messenger), is the last book of the old testament. Written between 440 - 400 BC, He tells the people to turn back to God and points them to the future coming of the promised Messiah, who will be preceded by an appropriate forerunner. The time is now to get their act in order before they are laid low in judgment. Then God will fall silent for the next 400 years and not be heard again until the days of John the Baptist and the Messiah.
Malachi 1
1The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. This word burden is "massa" Strong's H5375 meaning tribute, chiefly a doom, or carry away prophecy given to Israel through the prophet Malachi. Why? Malachi to Matthew was a period of 400 years that God did not talk to the people because the filth was so bad. (Zechariah 9:1).2I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob. I have always loved you says the Lord, but you act surprised and say really? How have you loved us? (Never question the Lord). I showed My love for you by loving your ancestor Jacob. (Genesis 25:23, 27:27-30, Romans 9:10-13). God loved Jacob and hated Esau. Why because Esau gave up his heritage or birth right. Because of this the Israelites were favored by God more than Esau and the Edomites.
3And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. I rejected Esau and devastated his hill country (inheritance), turning it into a desert for Jackals. (Obadiah, 1:10, 1:18 1:19-21).
4Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. Esau's descendants the Edomites will try to rebuild what has been shattered by the Lord, but Heaven's armies will demolish them again. Their country will be know as the land of wickedness and the people will be known as the people whom the Lord is forever angry. (Ezekiel 25:14, 35:9).
5And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. The Lord's greatness reaches beyond borders. (Ezekiel 38:16), Gog and Magog referred to: (Ezekiel 38:15, 39:3-9, Revelation 20:7-8), prophecy of the end times. In short, the battle Gog and Magog is war in the latter days (Last days), when a confederacy of nations attack Israel, which has been restored in the last days. These nations, which attack Israel in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, include nations, which are Muslim and have a clear animosity to Israel. Along with these Muslims nations, a northern kingdom, called Gog and Magog, which many identify, as the land Russia, will ally itself with Muslim nations, to oppose Israel in the last days.
6A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? A son honors his father and a servant respects his master but where is the respect that I deserve the Lord says. You priests despise My name and say we have not done this. (A bunch of hypocrites). False teachings and traditions of men are taught in many churches and the people love it. (Jeremiah 5:30-31). They will be rejected by God because they lack knowledge. (Hosea 4:6).
7Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. Offer polluted bread at communion and say how have we done this. Taking communion as they judge others for taking communion, "saying that they are not worthy." It's going on in churches today. (I Corinthians 11:27-32), never let any man judge you on taking communion.
8And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. You offer sickly gifts to the Lord (saying they are not evil), and expect Him to accept them.
9And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. God is not a respecter of persons. (Romans 2:11, I Peter 1:17).
10Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. I don't want your burnt offerings, I want your love. (Hosea 6:6).
11For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. My name is honored among the gentiles. (Romans 15:16).
12But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. By your actions you dishonor My name. You say it is alright to defile the Lord's table. Pollute the table of the Lord with lies and traditions of men.
13Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. You say it is to hard to serve the Lord and turn your noses at My commandments. You act as the hypocrites do when they fast and pray. (Matthew 6:1-2, 6:5, 6:16).
14But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. Cursed be the one who gives defective and false sacrifices to the Lord. This should bring to our attention when Christ entered the temple and turned over the moneychangers table for selling mite infested doves for sacrifice. (Matthew 21:12), also when the poor widow gave all she had to the collection when the others you were wealthy held back. (Mark 12:41-44).
Malachi 2
1And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. A message to all the priests and teachers of the Word. (Hosea 5:1).2If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart. Make up your minds to honor My name and teach truth or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will even curse the blessings you receive. "This curse on blessings is their prosperity." (No matter how much they make by ripping off the people, it won't last).
3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it. I will punish you and your descendants for teaching a bunch of crap. False teachings and traditions of men. (Luke 14:35), What they are teaching is worthless.
4And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. You will know this warning was sent by Me and My covenant with Levi can continue. (Ezekiel 44:9-16).
5My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name. The purpose of My covenant with Levi was to bring peace and they revered Me. (Ezekiel 34:25).
6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity. Levi passed on the truth and the instructions from God to the people. He did not lie and cheat, but rather lived a good and righteous life, and turned many to the truth and away from sin. (Acts 26:18).
7For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. This was the main duty of the priests and teachers, to preserve the knowledge of the Lord. (This is more important that their ceremonial duties).
8But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts. You priests have left God's paths and your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. (Romans 2:19-24). You have corrupted the covenant I made with Levi. (Nehemiah 13:29), They have defiled the priesthood. (Jeremiah 23:11-15).
9Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law. You will be despised and humiliated in the eyes of the people because you have not obeyed Me and showed favoritism in My instructions. Not only show favoritism towards certain people, but to themselves.
10Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? We are all children of the same God, so why do we betray each other? This should bring out attention to what Christ told us about the end times when we are delivered up before the false Christ. (Matthew 10:210), Who is death? (Hebrews 2:14). Christ died to destroy death, which is the devil. Your own friends and family may deliver you up to Satan in the synagogues. Why? Because they think he is Christ, but he is really the antichrist.
11Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. They have been unfaithful in the house of the Lord by marrying women who worship to idols. Worshipping to idols themselves. (II Corinthians 6:14-18), separate yourselves from those who worship to idols and follow false teachings. "You are suppose to be the temple and the home of the living God."
12The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts. Follow these false worshippers and you will be cut off from the Lord. "It's like the blind leading the blind." (Matthew 15:14), Do not receive the beast mark. (II Timothy 3:13, Revelation 19:20).
13And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. You cover the Lord's altar with your tears and groaning because He does not pay attention to your offerings. Again, God does not want your burnt offerings, "He wants your love and dedication." (Hosea 6:6).
14Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. The Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife made when you were young, but you have been unfaithful to her, just as you have been unfaithful to the Lord.
15And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. The Lord has made you one with your wife as you are to be one with the Lord. Remain loyal to your wife, just as you should remain loyal to the Lord. (This goes both ways).
16For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. God does not like divorce, but it is not the unpardonable sin. (Matthew 19:3-9), God is a divorcee Himself, when He divorced Israel as a nation. (Jeremiah 3:8).
17Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? You say that all that do evil are good in the Lord's eyes, but yet you rejected those who did good and called them evil. (Matthew 11:18-19).
Malachi 3
1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. I will send you a messenger and he will prepare the way for the Lord. (Mark 1:2-3), Speaking of John the Baptist that would prepare the way of the Lord. (Matthew 11:10-11, Luke 1:76, 7:26-28, John 1:6-7, Isaiah 40:3-5). His message was to repent and be baptized. (Matthew 3:1-3, Luke 1:16-17), The One whom ye delight in is Jesus Christ. (Psalm 110:1, Isaiah 7:14).2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap. Who will be able to endure when He comes, speaking of the "day of the Lord" in the end times. (Amos 5:18-20, Revelation 1:6-7, Revelation 6:17), not the first advent when He came as a babe, but the second advent in the day of wrath when He comes as "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."
3And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Jesus Christ will be the refiner and purify. "Judgment begins at the house of God." (I Peter 4:17). Again, judgment begins at the pulpit. "A warning to all the priests, preachers and teachers of the Word."
4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years. When our Heavenly Father has sent His messenger "His only begotten Son," and He is accepted. (Isaiah 56:7, Zechariah 8:3).
5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. Judgment time! (Psalm 50:3-6, 98:9, Hebrews 10:30-31, James 5:8-9). Lets take a look at some that will be judged in the end times. The "sorcerers" Strong's Concordance H3784 "kashaph" those who practice magic or witchcraft. The "adulterers" Strong's H5003 "naaph" to commit adultery. (Leviticus 20:10, Hebrews 13:4). The "false swearers" Strong's H8267 "sheqer" H7650 "shaba" those who are deceitful and lie or bear false witness or swear falsely. (Deuteronomy 5:20, Zachariah 5:3-4, Jeremiah 7:9). Those who "oppress" Strong's H6231 "ashaq" those who deceive, defraud, and wrong people. "The scam artist." (I Thessalonians 4:6).
6For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. I will not change. What our Heavenly Father says and does is set in stone. (Isaiah 44:6, Jeremiah 32:27), He never changes. (Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 22:13).
7Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? They never listened to what the Heavenly Father has said. But, they think they have never gone astray. (Isaiah 65:2, Romans 10:3, 10:21). It goes on today with ignorant people who never listen to God's Word, but rather listen to false doctrines and traditions of men.
8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Always trying to get over of what is God's. Also, always trying to get over on the system. (Matthew 22:21). Always pay your taxes and stay legal. This protects your right to serve God.
9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Under a curse because the whole nation has been cheating Me.
10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Give to the Lord and He will bless you. However, this does not only apply to monetary gifts. Spiritually speaking we need to lay up our treasures in the "Kingdom of God." But seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33). The King and His Dominion. Take action and seek the truth of His Word and make Him first in your life, and He will take care of you.
11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. This should bring our attention to the end time prophecy of Joel and the locust army. That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten. (Joel 1:4), There are four Hebrew words here (gazam = gnawer, yelek = devourer, arbeh = swarmer, and hasil = consumer), respectively rendered the palmer-worm, canker worm, locust, and caterpillar, denote four different species of locust, or the four stages of the destroying agencies. (Revelation 9:3-7).
12And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. All the nations will call them blessed. (Isaiah 61:9, 62:4).
13Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? You have said terrible things about Me says the Lord, and you act as you have done nothing. (Isaiah 37:23).
14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? What is the use of serving God and obeying His commandments, or to show we are sorry for our sins. (Tempting God).
15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. We call the arrogant blessed and those who do evil get rich, and even those who dare God to punish them never suffer. (Again, tempting God here).
16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. The Lord listened to the ones who had reverence for the Him. Then the book of remembrance was written before them that honored His name. Their names were written in the "Book of Life." (Revelation 20:12), those who stand for Christ in the end times.
17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. They will be My people. On judgment day in the end times they will be God's special treasure and He will spare them. (Matthew 25:34, Revelation 20:12-15).
18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. At this time of judgment we will all see the difference between the righteous and the wicked. Between those who serve God and those who do not. (Daniel 12:1-3, Matthew 25:46).
Malachi 4
1For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. Judgment day is coming and the wicked will be burned up like straw. (Matthew 3:12, II Thessalonians 1:8, II Peter 3:7). Remember that God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29), He will warm the hearts of His children, and destroy those who follow Satan.2But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. Here the word "Sun" is feminine as in Genesis 15:17 and Jeremiah 15:9 and is connected with "righteousness." The Sun of Righteousness here represents the Messiah. "The Light of the world." (Isaiah 60:1-3, 60:19-20, Luke 2:32, John 8:12).
3And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. The Lord's day when the "lawless ones" will be done away with. (Genesis 3:15, Job 40:12, Psalm 91:13, Isaiah 63:3-6, Revelation 11:15, 14:20).
4Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. The laws of the ten commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:7, Romans 3:31, 13:1-10). The ceremonial and sacrificial laws were done away with after the crucifixion because Christ became our Passover and Sacrificial lamb, but the laws of the ten commandments still stand.
5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. Elijah the prophet. If Israel had received the Messiah, John the Baptist would have been reckoned as Elijah. (Matthew 17:10-13, Mark 9:11-13).
6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. John the Baptist came in the "Spirit and power of Elias" (Elijah), to turn the hearts of the "fathers" to the children. (Luke 1:16-17, 1:76). Notice that the word "fathers" is plural. There are two fathers in the end times. The false Christ (anti-Christ), and the true Christ (Jesus Christ). (Mark 13:14-26), who will you follow?
Keep The Faith,Barton