Overview of the Book of Malachi

Malachi’s Name, Date, and Theme of Formalism Rebuked

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the final book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi. Malachi's name means my messenger, so it's debated whether this is actually his name or he's just God's messenger and we don't know his name.

Most people believe, most evangelicals believe though, his name is Malachi. Either way, he wrote in the 5th century BC, and the theme of his writing is formalism rebuked, formalism rebuked. So Malachi wrote to correct kind of the lax religious and social behavior of the Israelites, in particular the priests.

Judah’s Return, Temple Worship, and the Charge of Robbing God

Not long after the Jews returned from Babylon and reinstituted their worship in the temple, their commitment to the Lord once again began to wane. We read in chapter 2, verses 1 and 2,. So chapter 3, the Lord accuses the nation of Judah of robbing him.

He says, in verse 8,. So this is a very serious message from the prophet, and it's also a fitting message. It's fitting that the book of Malachi ends the Old Testament scripture since it leaves the Jews with this responsibility to watch for the coming messenger, and that messenger, of course, was John the Baptist.

The Forerunner of Christ and the Coming of Elijah

Chapter 3, verse 1 speaks of John the Baptist, who would come as the forerunner of Christ. So some 400 years later, at his first advent, that was John the Baptist's ministry followed by Jesus, and then chapter 4 speaks of the coming of Elijah, who Malachi says will come during the tribulation in the end times before Christ's second advent.

Malachi’s Closing Words and the End of Old Testament Revelation

The book ends with these words,. This is the end of God's Old Testament revelation.