What is the meaning of Malachi 4:5? Behold – “Behold,” Malachi 4:5 opens, tugging at the reader’s sleeve: “Pay attention—something vital is about to be announced.” – Scripture often uses this word to alert us to a pivotal revelation (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:29). – The command to look is not mere courtesy; it is a summons from the Lord Himself, reminding us that what follows is certain and demands a response. I will send you – The initiative belongs to God. He is not waiting for human ingenuity; He is the One who “will send.” – Throughout history the Lord has sent messengers at key moments—Moses to Pharaoh (Exodus 3:10), Isaiah to Judah (Isaiah 6:8), the apostles to the nations (John 20:21). – His personal pledge guarantees fulfillment; the faithfulness that kept every prior promise (Joshua 21:45) stands behind this one. Elijah the prophet – Elijah was a real historical figure, famous for confronting idolatry and calling Israel back to covenant faithfulness (1 Kings 17–19). – Jesus identified John the Baptist as the one who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17; Matthew 11:14), heralding Christ’s first advent. – Yet the prophecy also looks forward: Elijah himself is expected before the future Day of the LORD. Revelation 11:3–6 anticipates two end-time witnesses whose ministry echoes Elijah’s miracles. Literal Elijah, or one who comes in his unmistakable likeness, will once again stand on earth. – God names Elijah because his ministry of bold confrontation and miraculous validation will be needed in the last days’ climate of deception (1 Kings 18:21; 2 Thessalonians 2:9–11). Before the coming – The timing is clear: Elijah’s appearance precedes a climactic event. God always provides advance warning (Amos 3:7). – Just as John prepared hearts for Christ’s first coming (Isaiah 40:3; Mark 1:2–4), the future Elijah prepares a remnant for the second. – This advance notice is grace; it offers opportunity for repentance before judgment falls (2 Peter 3:9). Of the great and awesome – “Great” speaks of magnitude; “awesome” of fearful wonder. The Hebrew idea is breathtaking, even terrifying. – Joel 2:31 uses the same pairing to describe cosmic disturbances that precede the Day. Acts 2:20 cites it again, linking Pentecost to the unfolding prophetic timeline. – The phrasing warns that what is coming is both extraordinary and inescapably serious. No one will yawn through this event. Day of the LORD – Scripture consistently portrays the Day of the LORD as a definitive intervention when God judges evil and vindicates righteousness (Zephaniah 1:14–18; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10). – For unbelievers it is darkness, wrath, and irreversible loss; for believers it culminates in deliverance and kingdom blessing (Malachi 4:2; Revelation 19:11–16). – Elijah’s pre-Day ministry bridges these extremes: he calls people to repent so the Day may be a dawning of healing, not a nightfall of doom. summary Malachi 4:5 promises that God Himself will dispatch Elijah, a prophet of fearless clarity, to Israel before the future Day when the LORD decisively intervenes in human history. This forerunner came partly in John the Baptist, foreshadowing Christ’s first advent, and will come fully before the “great and awesome” Day still ahead. God’s alert—“Behold”—underscores the certainty of His plan and the urgency of repentance. |
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