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Malachi
Revisions: (10/6/2010 elaborated on Malachi 2:15)
Possible prophesies for Israel’s day, the first century, our day and
the future:
Malachi 1
Malachi 1:6 “ ‘ A son, for his part, honors the father; and a servant, his grand
master. So if I am a father, where is the honor to me? And if I am a grand
master, where is the fear of me?’ Jehovah of armies has said to YOU, O priests
who are despising my name. “ ‘And YOU have said: “In what way have we despised
your name?” ‘ (vs.7) “ ‘[By] presenting upon my altar polluted bread.’
Malachi 1:14-2: “And cursed is the one acting cunningly when there exists in his
drove a male animal, and he is making a vow and sacrificing a ruined one to
Jehovah. For I am a great King,” Jehovah of armies has said, “and my name will
be fear-inspiring among the nations.” (2:1-2)”And now this commandment is to
YOU, O priests. If YOU will not listen, and if YOU will not lay [it] to heart to
give glory to my name,” Jehovah of armies has said, “I shall also certainly send
upon YOU the curse, and I will curse YOUR blessings. Yes, I have even cursed the
[blessing], because YOU are not laying [it] to heart.”
Notice the qualities of a true priest and could typify Jesus and /or Moses
and could be referring to the messenger of the covenant mentioned in Malachi 3:1:
Malachi 2
Malachi 2:5-7 “As for my covenant, it proved to be with him, [one] of life and of
peace, and I kept giving them to him, with fear. And he continued fearing me;
yes, because of my name he himself was struck with terror. The very law of truth
proved to be in his mouth, and there was no unrighteousness to be found on his
lips. In peace and in uprightness he walked with me, and many were those whom he
turned back from error. For the lips of a priest are the ones that should keep
knowledge, and [the] law is what people should seek from his mouth; for he is
the messenger of Jehovah of armies.”
Malachi 2:8-9 “But YOU men – YOU have turned aside from the way. YOU have caused
many to stumble in the law. YOU have ruined the covenant of Levi, Jehovah of
Armies has said. “And I also, for my part, shall certainly make YOU to be
despised and low to all the people, according as YOU were not keeping my ways,
but were showing partiality in the law.”
The first charge against false priests:
Malachi 2:10b-12a “Why is it that we deal treacherously with one another, in
profaning the covenant of our forefathers? Judah has dealt treacherously, and a
detestable thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has
profaned the holiness of Jehovah, which He has loved, and he has taken
possession of the daughter of a foreign god as a bride. Jehovah will cut off
each one that does it” – Basically by taking “possession of the daughter of a
foreign god as a bride” a priest is taking on a covenant not from Jehovah. Thus,
a priest in this instance would not be giving honor to his covenant arrangement
with Jehovah or those under him by arrangement of the covenant. However, Jehovah
requires exclusive devotion.
The second charge against false priests:
Malachi 2:13-17 "And this is the second thing that YOU people do, [this resulting
in] covering with tears the altar of Jehovah, with weeping and sighing, so that
there is no more a turning toward the gift offering or a taking of pleasure [in
anything] from YOUR hand. And YOU have said, 'On what account?' On this account,
that Jehovah himself has borne witness between you and the wife of your youth,
and with whom you yourself have dealt treacherously, although she is your
partner and the wife of your covenant. And there was one who did not do [it], as
he had what was remaining of [the] spirit. And what was that one seeking? The
seed of God. And YOU people must guard yourselves respecting YOUR spirit, and
with the wife of your youth may no one deal treacherously. For he has hated a
divorcing," Jehovah the God of Israel has said; "and the one who with violence
has covered over his garment," Jehovah of armies has said. "And YOU must guard
yourselves respecting YOUR spirit, and YOU must not deal treacherously. (vs.17)
"YOU people have made Jehovah weary by your words, and YOU have said, 'In what
way have we made [him] weary?' By YOUR saying, 'Everyone that is doing bad is
good in the eyes of Jehovah, and in such ones he himself has taken delight'; or,
'Where is the God of justice?' "- This tells us of the importance to KNOW
Jehovah so we can cleanse any false teachings that we may feel are approved by
him. See Isaiah 62:4,5 and 54:6 to help understand the symbolic wife-like covenant.
Malachi 2:15 see Isaiah 4:1
Malachi 2:15 (according to the ROTHERHAM EMPHASIZED BIBLE;
"Now was it not ||One|| [who] made [you] who had ||the residue
of the spirit||? What then of that one? He was seeking a
godly seed. Therefore should ye take heed to your spirit, and <with
the wife of thy youth> do not thou deal treacherously.") This seems to be a
difficult passage to translate but the idea is sound. Jehovah desires any
marriage to be sacred in which all involved are serving him properly which
would include the husbands treating their wives properly in Jehovah's eyes.
According to the arrangement (presented here in reverse order to help
understanding) of Hebrew words in The NIV Interlinear Hebrew-English Old
Testament (Kohlenberger): "indeed spirit
to-him and-why? the-one
seeking offspring-of God
so-you-guard-yourself partner-of-you
and-wife-of covenant-of-you"
Other messages to priests:
Malachi 3
Malachi 3:6,7 "For I am Jehovah; I have not changed. and YOU are the sons of
Jacob; YOU have not come to YOUR finish. From the days of your forefathers YOU
have turned aside from my regulations and have not kept [them]. Return to me,
and I will return to YOU," Jehovah of armies has said.
After turning around: Malachi 3:12 "And all the nations will have to pronounce
YOU happy, for YOU yourselves will become a land of delight," Jehovah of armies
has said.
The arrival of "Elijah" (the messenger), Jesus, and the messenger of
the covenant (Moses or heavenly priestly class - This priestly class
may be made of "one half " of the "two witnesses" mentioned at
Revelation 11:2,3).
Compare Malachi 3:1 with Malachi 4:5,6: Malachi 3:1 "Look! I am sending my messenger,
and he must clear up a way before me. And suddenly there will come to his temple
the [true] Lord, whom YOU people are seeking, and the messenger of the covenant
in whom YOU are delighting. Look! He will certainly come," Jehovah of armies has
said. // Malachi 4:5,6 "Look! I am sending to YOU people Elijah the prophet before
the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah. And he must turn the
heart of fathers back toward sons, and the heart of sons back toward fathers; in
order that I may not come and actually strike the earth with a devoting [of it]
to destruction." // It is evident that this "Elijah" is the same as "the
messenger" in 3:1. // The "messenger of the covenant" appears to be the same one
mentioned in 4:4 "Remember, YOU people, the law of Moses my servant with which I
commanded him in Horeb concerning all Israel, even regulations and judicial
decisions." // Compare Revelation 22:6,7
It is interesting that Jesus, "Moses", and "Elijah" appeared in the
transfiguration mentioned in Matthew17:1-9. See Elijah.
Malachi 3:2-4: "But who will be putting up with the day of his coming, and
who will be the one standing when he appears? For he will be like the fire
of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen. And he must sit as a refiner
and cleanser of silver and must cleanse the sons of Levi; and he must
clarify them like gold and like silver, and they will certainly become to
Jehovah people presenting a gift offering in righteousness. And the gift
offering of Judah and of Jerusalem will actually be gratifying to Jehovah,
as in the days of long ago and as in the years of antiquity." // It appears
that this cleansing work is done by Jesus and when they are presented to
Jehovah, Jehovah forgives them of their error (deducted by tying in other
scriptures). This work is after the "straightening" work done by "Elijah".
John the Baptist declared in Luke 3:16,17: "John gave the answer, saying to
all: "I, for my part, baptize YOU with water; but the one stronger
then I am coming, the lace of whose sandals I am not fit to untie. He will
baptize YOU people with holy spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in his
hand to clean up his threshing floor completely and to gather the wheat into
his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with fire that cannot be put
out." // This "chaff" is also in Jehovah's organization today. This
separating work (also the time of "sealing" in
Revelation 7:3 and the 1,260
"sackcloth" days mentioned in Revelation 11:3) seems to take place for our day
during the 1,290 days mentioned in Daniel 12:11. The burning of the chaff
happens when Jesus arrives in power. He will start with his people and then
will go to the nations.
Malachi 3:16 "At that time those in fear of Jehovah spoke with one another,
each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and
listening. And a book of remembrance began to be written up before him for
those in fear of Jehovah and for those thinking upon his name."
Malachi 4
Malachi 4:1,2 "For, look! the day is coming that is burning like the furnace,
and all the presumptuous ones and all those doing wickedness must become as
stubble. And the day that is coming will certainly devour them," Jehovah of
armies has said, "so that it will not leave to them either root or bough.
And to YOU who are in fear of my name the sun of righteousness will
certainly shine forth, with healing in its wings..."
Malachi 4:5,6 Malachi prophesied, for our day, that "before the coming of
the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah" some actions were so important
that if they were not accomplished, Jehovah would "strike the earth with a
devoting [of it] to destruction." // Compare
Exodus 32:11-14; Ezekiel
18:30,31; Elijah
Malachi 4:6 see Elijah link
Malachi 4:6a "And he must turn the heart of fathers back toward sons, and the
heart of sons back toward fathers;" // See Isaiah 1:4; 59:20;
Jeremiah 23:11,12; Daniel 11:35 - This is a straightening work. And
notice the phrase "he must".
Malachi 4:6b "in order that I may not come and actually strike the earth
with a devoting [of it] to destruction." // This reminds me of the account
of Sodom and Gomorrah at
Genesis 18:23-33 where Abraham humbly "pleaded"
with Jehovah not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and got Jehovah to say in
verse 32b "I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the ten." (Talking
about not ruining Sodom and Gomorrah if Jehovah found 10 righteous ones
there) Well, we know what happened. And the current situation of "all of"
Jehovah's people offering "polluted bread" (apostasy) by including false
teachings as part of his word (although most are unaware of this) certainly
does not make them legally righteous in his eyes. (Isaiah
1:9; 9:16,17 and
Jeremiah 17:13) Jehovah has grounds for a spiritual divorcing.
The New American Bible (Saint Joseph Edition) translates Malachi
3:23,24 (same as Malachi 4:6 in many translations); "Lo, I
will send you Elijah, the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great
and terrible day, To turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the
hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the land with
doom."
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