I love Malachi!

[farouk]

25 minutes ago, Ps37 said:

Thank you for that!

@Ps37 In the case of other angels, their role is not to draw attention to themselves; but re. the Lord Jesus, He said of the Holy Spirit: "He shall glorify Me' (John 16.14).

When reading Malachi at the end of the OT, there is a strong sense of events still to come, with regard to the faithful remnant.

[farouk]

Hi @Mr. M ; saw your Malachi quote just now on the other thread; FYI.........did you see the recent comments on this thread I started?

[Mr. M]

1 hour ago, farouk said:

When reading Malachi at the end of the OT, there is a strong sense of events still to come, with regard to the faithful remnant.

Many do not believe that Elijah is to come before the great and terrible day of the Lord, thinking that John the Baptist already fulfilled the prophecy.

Matthew 17:

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, 

Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?

11 Jesus answered and said to them,

Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 

12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already,

and they did not know him but did to him

whatever they wished.

Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.

13 Then the disciples understood that

He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

This requires comprehension; "if you can receive".

Matthew 11:

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 

14 And if you are willing to receive it, 

he is Elijah who is to come. 

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Luke 1:17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

The matter is actually quite simple. The scribes and Pharisees would have had reason to reject Jesus as Christ without Elijah appearing first. This was provided by the appearance of John, who came in "the spirit and power of Elijah". Of course, he could not literally be Elijah, for we are given a birth narrative of John to dispel such notions. As many Jewish sages wrote in their commentaries "we will have to wait for the Tishbite to come". And he will, before "the great and terrible day".

[farouk]

36 minutes ago, Mr. M said:

Many do not believe that Elijah is to come before the great and terrible day of the Lord, thinking that John the Baptist already fulfilled the prophecy.

Matthew 17:

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, 

Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?

11 Jesus answered and said to them,

Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 

12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already,

and they did not know him but did to him

whatever they wished.

Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.

13 Then the disciples understood that

He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

This requires comprehension; "if you can receive".

Matthew 11:

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 

14 And if you are willing to receive it, 

he is Elijah who is to come. 

15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Luke 1:17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

The matter is actually quite simple. The scribes and Pharisees would have had reason to reject Jesus as Christ without Elijah appearing first. This was provided by the appearance of John, who came in "the spirit and power of Elijah". Of course, he could not literally be Elijah, for we are given a birth narrative of John to dispel such notions. As many Jewish sages wrote in their commentaries "we will have to wait for the Tishbite to come". And he will, before "the great and terrible day".

Elijah appeared with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration; and Romans 3 indeed speaks of the righteousness of God without the law being 'witnessed by the law and by the prophets' - which Moses and Elijah represent.

[Anne2]

2 hours ago, farouk said:

Elijah appeared with Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration; and Romans 3 indeed speaks of the righteousness of God without the law being 'witnessed by the law and by the prophets' - which Moses and Elijah represent.

John came in the Spirit of Elijah. Being Elijah himself was not an issue. IMO

Mt 11:13  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Edited May 26, 2023 by Anne2

[farouk]

FYI, @JasperWalls11 FYI.........another thread I started.............

(Seems also like @Anne2 has studied Malachi quite a bit...........)

[Anne2]

11 hours ago, farouk said:

FYI, @JasperWalls11 FYI.........another thread I started.............

(Seems also like @Anne2 has studied Malachi quite a bit...........)

I think one's views of Malachi as with other prophetic books depends on a person's eschatology. I view these as an amillenialist. Those which would not hold that view would understand it differently, I assume.

Edited May 29, 2023 by Anne2

[farouk]

1 minute ago, Anne2 said:

I think one's views of Malichi as with other prophetic books depends on a person's eschatology. I view these as an amillenialist. Those which would not hold that view would understand it differently, I assume.

Thanks, @Anne2 I think the character of the pilgrim remnant in the OT (e.g., Malachi 3.16) is very similar to that of the gathered local church as seen in the NT: not the same entity (I would be dispensational in my outlook) but rather similar in character.

[Anne2]

1 minute ago, farouk said:

Thanks, @Anne2 I think the character of the pilgrim remnant in the OT (e.g., Malachi 3.16) is very similar to that of the gathered local church as seen in the NT: not the same entity (I would be dispensational in my outlook) but rather similar in character.

Just curious, hoping not to derail this thread however, if it would just say so

. What means the Pilgrim remnant in O.T.? To better understand your views here.

[farouk]

1 minute ago, Anne2 said:

Just curious, hoping not to derail this thread however, if it would just say so

. What means the Pilgrim remnant in O.T.? To better understand your views here.

@Anne2 Was referring just now to - for example - Malachi 3.16:

"Then 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."

This describes the situation of many God fearing Israelites in the OT, even as the majority of those who prefessed to be of Israel had departed from the ways of God.

In the church era, the situation of gathered believers with a pilgrim character (contrasting with professing Christendom) is a theme taken up by E H. Broadbent in The Pilgrim Church and by L. Verduin in The Reformers and Their Stepchildren.