The Coming Day of Judgment

(John 1:6-13)

1Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, he shall come, said the LORD of hosts. 2But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 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 to the LORD an offering in righteousness. 4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

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, said the LORD of hosts.

Robbing God

6For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7Even from the days of your fathers you are gone away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, said the LORD of hosts. But you said, Wherein shall we return?

8Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed you? In tithes and offerings. 9You are cursed with a curse: for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, said 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. 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, said the LORD of hosts. 12And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightsome land, said the LORD of hosts.

13Your words have been stout against me, said the LORD. Yet you say, What have we spoken so much against you? 14You 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? 15And now we call the proud happy; yes, they that work wickedness are set up; yes, they that tempt God are even delivered.

The Book of Remembrance

16Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD listened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought on his name. 17And they shall be mine, said the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him. 18Then shall you return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that serves him not.