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Writer's pictureKevin Van Driesten

Persevere

“Persevere”

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet…. —Malachi 4:5


Read Malachi 4

The name Elijah is mentioned once more in the final book of the Old Testament. Malachi starts Chapter 4 by announcing the coming Day of the Lord, a day with both a bright and dark side. It will be a dark day for those who continue to rely on themselves. Use-less, dry stubble, they will be consumed by the Lord’s fire. But how bright will that day be for those who fear His name; the Son will rise for them.

“The sun of righteousness arises,” Malachi says (v.2). We sympathetically remind each other that the Lord Jesus will return, but what are you expecting: darkness or light? Malachi calls his read-ers to remember the Law of Moses (v.4). But what were Mala-chi’s hearers actually waiting for? They hoped for the coming of Christ. The Jewish scribes expected Elijah to return from heaven to prepare the way for the Messiah. But Elijah was the forerunner of John the Baptist who would come in the spirit and the power of Elijah. There is a remarkable resemblance between the two prophets, Elijah and John. They wore similarly ascetic clothing and their manner of speaking was similar too; both prophets desired one thing, namely, to prepare people for the coming of the Lord. When you read verse 2 carefully again you will notice that an endless joy awaits all those who fear God’s name!


When will the Lord return?

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