Sermons
The Coming of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord
The Coming of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord
Malachi 4:1-6
Introduction:
1. Much attention is given today to the coming of the Day of the Lord.
2. “Given the deterioration of society in recent years it can’t be much longer until the Lord comes,” many have observed.
3. “We are living in the last days,” another agrees.
4. Another asks, “Doesn’t the Bible speak of wars, and rumors of wars, earthquakes and natural disasters?”
5. “Armageddon.” “The Apocalypse.” “The last days.” “The end times.” All of these are used as synonymous designations lumped together to describe various theories about the end of the earth or at least a transition period in history.
a. For Jews it is a period involving the coming of the Messiah, a return to
Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the temple, and a reestablishment of the kingdom of
Israel.
b. For Premillennialists it means the second coming of the Messiah, an earthly
kingdom, and Jesus ruling from Jerusalem.
6. Our purpose in this lesson is NOT to unravel the complexities of these theories, discuss their pros and cons and then light on a theory of our own. Our interest is in what this text says, what it means, how it is understood by Jesus and N.T. writers and what our actions need to be considering their understanding.
Discussion:
I. What does the text say?
A. The text contrasts two aspects of “the day.”
1. The first involves the arrogant and the evil doer.
a. For them the day will be a “burning like a furnace.” They will be like chaff.
The day will set them ablaze.
b. This is the primary image in the minds of some as they think about the
day of the Lord. They imagine helicopter gunships, napalm bombs, an all-
out war of the worlds.
c. The text says, “It will leave them neither root nor branch.” In other words
the destruction will be so severe that there will be no growing back.
d. Note that it is not the earth that is so affected but the arrogant and the evil
doer.
2. But for those who fear the name of the Lord, the day will be like the rising of
the sun. There will be healing and they will go forth and skip like calves from
the stall.
a. The contrast and the descriptions are about the people. The arrogant and
the evildoer are the chaff that is burned. Those who fear the Lord are
those skipping like calves.
b. It is those who fear the Lord that will tread down the wicked. The wicked
will be ashes under their feet.
3. The contrast is clear. All the arrogant and every evil doer will be set ablaze.
Those who fear the Lord will experience life and victory.
B. What this means must be interpreted considering the Book of Malachi and
particularly, how these prophecies were interpreted by Jesus and N.T. writers.
1. Verse 5 says, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the
coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.”
2. That people of the first century were expecting Elijah is evidenced in Matt.
16:14.
3. It is further evidenced in Matt. 17. After the transfiguration the disciples
asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” (17:10-
13; cf. Mk. 9:11-13). Are they expecting the prophet Elijah to be raised from
the dead?
4. Mal. 4:5-6 is specifically referenced in Lk. 1:17 in Gabriel’s announcement
to Zacharias about the coming child to be born to him and Elizabeth. It
should be coming clearer to us who this Elijah is.
5. Jesus makes it explicit in Matt. 11:7-14. John the Baptist is Elijah. This
means that the Mal. 5:5 is not a reference to a literal resurrected Elijah, but
to John the Baptist who was like Elijah in that he called people to
repentance. Lk 7:27 Jesus quotes from Mal. 3:1 and makes John the
prophet predicted by God.
C. So, what the text says is that there is a contrast between evil doers and those
who fear the Lord. That John the Baptist marked the coming of the day of the
Lord.
II. How does all this “fit” in with Elijah and the Book of Malachi?
A. Elijah of the O.T. called people to repentance (1 Kings 18:20-46).
1. Elijah condemned Ahab, “You and your father’s house have troubled Israel,
because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and you have
followed the Baals” (1 Kings 18:18).
2. The drought and showdown on Mount Carmelwas designed to bring
judgment and repentance.
3. The rain demonstrated God’s graciousness.
4. When James 5:16-20 mentions Elijah and says the effective prayer of a
righteous man can accomplish much this is NOTprimarily about his causing
it not to rain and then to rain. The prayer of a righteous man can accomplish
repentance and confession. Look at the context.
B. The Book of Malachi called people to repentance.
1. The people were dishonoring and disrespecting the Lord (1:6ff).
2. Covenant loyalty had been abandoned.
a. Among the priests (2:1ff).
b. In the family (2:10ff).
3. There was a call to restoration founded on restoring covenant relationship
with God (2:8). God’s messenger was promised (3:1-4). They were to
remember the Law of Moses (4:4).
4. God would draw near in justice (2:17; 3:5-6). He called for repentance (3:7).
5. God further describes their disobedience (3:8ff).
6. Note the response of those who feared the Lord (3:16ff).
C. John the Baptist called people to repentance.
1. Notice the language Matthew uses to describe John’s work (3:1-12).
2. Mark’s language is similar (1:2-8).
3. Luke’s account, as already noted, specifically quotes Mal. 4:5-6 applying it to
John (1:8ff).
4. His call was a call to repentance. It was a call to covenantal faithfulness in
marriage (Mk. 6:17-18; cf. Mal. 2:13ff); in parent/child relationships (Mal.
4:6).
III. The coming of the Day of the Lord establishes the Lord’s integrity as a God of justice and corrects the misperception that God does not punish the wicked.
A. Because the Day of the Lord is delayed some reason that God ignores injustice
(Mal. 2:17; 2 Pet. 3:3ff). We have seen the call for justice throughout Psalms
(Ex. Psa. 10, 13; 94; etc.).
B. The message of Elijah, Malachi, John was that God’s justice will come.
C. This is the message of God (2 Thess. 1:6-10).
IV. The coming of the Day of the Lord establishes the Lord’s integrity as a God of grace giving life and victory to those who fear Him.
A. The message of Malachi is that Elijah will come to mend broken families (Mal.
4:6) and restore peace (shaloam) (Lk. 1:79). The word in Greek is “eir?n?.”
Cf. 1 Cor. 14:33; Eph. 2:17; 6:15).
B. God’s grace provides the environment for those who fear Him to flourish, to
have life and to have it abundantly.
1. This is the message of all Scripture (2 Cor. 5:18-21).
2. This is the message we are proclaiming.
Conclusion:
1. The day of the Lord is coming.
2. We do not know when.
3. It is a day of judgment for the arrogant and evil doers. Those who refuse to be converted and show respect for the Lord will be crushed with utter destruction (h?rem). Cf. 1 Cor. 16:22.
4. It is a day of healing and life for those who fear the Lord.
