Could an ancient manuscript have prophecies for today? It's easy to think in these modern times that history is irrelevant, especially ancient history. After all, we're living in a mind-blowing time of technological wonder. From space-bound telescopes that give us a glimpse into the universe, to the powerful machines we carry in our hands unlocking a window to people and places all over the world. Our time is truly unique. So, do old books still matter today? The answer is yes.
Frankly, the past becomes more relevant to our day, because some of these dusty old books tell us about our day, and the future. The book of Malachi is one such book. It's found in the Old Testament, of the Bible. This portion of the Bible is also known as the Hebrew Scriptures. It was written about 400 years before Jesus Christ, and yet has a message for us today. What could that message be? On this program, we'll explore the answer.
And I'll also be offering you a free publication Do You Believe the True Gospel? So, get ready, as we go deep into the past, and unlock "Malachi's Prophetic Message for Today." ♪ Welcome to Tomorrow's World, where we bring an understanding of today's world, through the prophecies of the Bible. The prophet Malachi lived and prophesied sometime in the latter part of the 5th century BC. His message was to the Jewish people, who had been resettled in the land of Judah after the Babylonian captivity.
Malachi gave strong medicine to his generation. They had become lax in keeping God's law, their priests were corrupt and unfair in their judgments, and divorce was ripping that society apart. Some were even wondering whether it mattered if they served God or not. As we consider the challenges in the modern western world, it's fascinating and perhaps a little sobering to look at the warnings that Malachi gave his generation.
The warnings are written in the style of a dialogue between God and His people. Let's read a few of the passages, to catch a glimpse of what God was saying to that generation. We might just find there's a message for ours. We'll start in Malachi 2:7... The priest at that time was the one who taught them God's laws and led in public worship. And yet the priests had become so corrupt that people could not trust what they were teaching any more.
Instead of making God's ways clear and plain, they had caused the Law to become confused and muddled in the minds of the people... The law was being applied unfairly, unjustly. Do we think our age is the first to grapple with issues of injustice and unequal treatment under the law? Malachi showed that God was not pleased when judges showed favoritism instead of fairly and consistently applying God's law...
That generation was noted for its lax attitudes toward marital commitment and faithfulness. And God was not pleased. So how do you think He looks at our generation? Is He pleased that so many marriages today end in divorce? What about the conditions that lead to divorce? You know some people wrongly accuse the Bible of encouraging hate and disrespect towards women. But nothing could be further from the truth.
What we just read shows that God is very upset when women are not treated fairly and respectfully in marriage. He tells men, don't abuse, neglect or hurt your wives, in any way. God cares about women, and the Bible upholds the marriage relationship which was made for the benefit and happiness of men and women. Notice, there's more... There were some in that day who were turning God's law upside down. They were trying to make it look like what God calls good is actually bad.
And what God calls bad, well, that's actually good for you. And then they were trying to say that God is somehow behind this upside down approach. Do we see any glimpse of that today, in our society? In our day today, some people push immoral behavior and actually say that God supports it. So this is really nothing new. The prophet Malachi warned against this approach in his generation about 2,400 years ago.
And he was telling his people they were in danger of unraveling as a society if they didn't take a different course. What about us today? Is our world getting better, or worse? Is real love and care for others growing and spreading and increasing, or becoming more rare? There's a warning for our generation. And this prophecy in Malachi puts a bold spotlight on it. You may think, "this is Old Testament, so it doesn't apply to me. After all, I'm a New Testament Christian." Well keep watching.
Because in the next segment I'm going to show you just how relevant this book is to New Testament Christians. But before that, let me pause to offer you our free publication, Do You Believe the True Gospel? The New Testament Gospel message has a surprising connection to the book of Malachi. When the prophet Malachi conveyed God's message to His people he was actually creating a bridge to the New Testament era.
His work is actually a precursor to the New Testament age and the preaching of the Gospel. And there is a message for us today. You need to find out. Just order the booklet, Do You Believe the True Gospel? and we'll send it to you, totally free. So call, write or order online today. For today's free offer call... Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective. Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... Welcome back.
In the first part of our program, we introduced the ancient prophet Malachi. He prophesied in the middle of the 5th century BC, and was the last prophet until the age of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Malachi witnessed to a corrupt generation, with strong warnings to repent. Frankly, there are strong parallels for our day. But some will say, "This is Old Testament, what does this have to do with me?" Well let's read on, and we'll find out.
In the last segment we read about some of the spiritual conditions of the people in Malachi's day. That was in chapter 2. Notice what Malachi records in chapter 3... What is this talking about? Who is the messenger who is preparing the way? Well, let's go to Mark 1 to find out... This is the beginning of the book of Mark, in your New Testament. Mark is describing how John the Baptist was the messenger preparing the way for the ministry of Jesus Christ.
But in explaining that, he was directly quoting from Malachi. In other words, Malachi prophesied about the Gospel. Specifically, Malachi prophesied about John the Baptist being the one who would prepare the way for Jesus Christ, the Messiah. So, was this book of Malachi only for the Jews living back in the 400s BC? I think we're seeing it had a scope far beyond his time, and his generation. His preaching and his writings reached way out into the future, hundreds of years.
And they pointed to the very work of John the Baptist and the Messiah. Let us continue in Malachi, Malachi 3:1... Okay, stop again, one more time, and note something else. Who is speaking? It's Jesus Himself. He uses the pronoun "Me." The pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was speaking in this prophecy. He was the One Who was speaking through Malachi, and inspiring Him in what to tell His generation.
Think about that for a second, and ask yourself again, does this book have anything to do with New Testament Christians? Absolutely, because the One who was inspiring it's words, was Jesus Christ Himself. That alone should cause us to want to open our eyes and see it says. What did He say next? Back to Malachi... Who is the Lord whom we seek? Well, of course, it's Jesus Christ. Malachi prophesied that He would come suddenly.
And He did burst onto the scene in 1st century Judea, when He suddenly came to His temple, overturned the tables and threw out the money changers. John the Baptist would announce His coming and he would prepare the way. And then Jesus Christ would come and preach the message. But let's notice something else here. What message did Jesus come to preach? Again, we might say, "well, the gospel message, of course." That's right. But there's another detail we don't want to miss.
Let's read it again, Malachi 3:1... So, not only is Jesus Lord, not only is He the Messiah, our Savior, He also was the Messenger of the covenant. But what does that mean? Well let's think about this for a moment. What is a messenger? A messenger is someone who has been given the task of relaying a communication. We might think of an olden times when hand-written messages would be relayed by a trusted official or king to another.
A messenger was one who carried that important communication on behalf of someone else. But in this passage, Who is Jesus the messenger for? Well let us look at an excerpt from Dr. Meredith, in the booklet Do You Believe the True Gospel? He says this on page 5: This is an important point to remember. The message of the Gospel is from the Father.
You see, some seem to have the mistaken idea that God the Father is the stern old God of the Old Testament, and Jesus Christ is the loving, kind God of the New Testament who came to do away with the Old. Have you had that impression? Is that your opinion now? And can you see that nothing could be further from the truth?
In fact, reading this book of Malachi is showing us that the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ was speaking through this Old Testament prophet, and speaking of bringing a message from the Father. He and the Father are of one mind, in perfect harmony. They're in total agreement. So, what was the message from the Father? Going on, from Dr. Meredith in Do You Believe the True Gospel: You see, too many people have come to the mistaken conclusion that the gospel is just about believing in Jesus.
Yes, believing in Jesus is the starting point. We must believe that He is God, and that He is our Savior. We must accept His love and sacrifice for our sins, to be saved. But was the gospel message only about the Person of Christ and His sacrifice? Or is there more? When Jesus began to preach the gospel, what did He talk about? We can read about it again in Mark chapter 1: The gospel message is from the Father, and is the good news about His coming Kingdom.
It's about Jesus Christ coming to earth to end the misery and the heartache and the suffering this world is going through. What is the Kingdom of God? You'll find out, in our free publication, Do You Believe the True Gospel? It will show you when Christ said He's going to bring a kingdom to this earth, He means a real kingdom. Dr. Meredith goes into great detail to explain that a kingdom has a king, subjects, laws, and territory, and that kingdom has never yet been set up on earth.
It is coming, and Christ will bring it, and that's a part of the Good News that Christ brought. Your free booklet will explain all of this, and much more. It is totally free-just call, click or write today. This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. Call now. Or go to...
Thusfar in today's program, we've opened the book of Malachi, to see that he preached to a generation that was corrupt and in need of a spiritual renewal. We can see parallels for our day. We also saw that in the book of Malachi, the Word who became Christ, prophesied of the coming of John the Baptist. And we also saw that the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ prophesied of His own coming. We also saw that Jesus brought a message.
That message would be a message from the Father, about the good news of a coming Kingdom. But there's more. Let's pick it up where we left off. After reading of John the Baptist being the messenger of the Messiah, and Jesus Himself being the messenger of the Father, we read of something else. We are introduced to the idea that Jesus will not just have a first coming, but a second coming... A refiner's fire? A purifier of silver? This could not be referring to His first coming.
When Jesus Christ first came to this earth, He allowed Himself to be arrested and beaten and finally crucified. But this passage tells us of a very different time. It speaks of Jesus' second coming, which will come in a time of great distress on earth. It speaks of a time when people will be purified and tested through great suffering. We read of that same time, referred to as the Great Tribulation, in Matthew 24 verse 21...
Why would Malachi be writing a warning about something that happens many centuries after his generation is dead and gone? Why would he write a warning to the end-time generation, living just before Christ's return? Does the prophet Malachi have a message for our generation today? Absolutely. He's speaking of our day today. Are we in the last days? Are we living in a time of great corruption, and injustice and inequity?
Are we seeing moral values plummeting, and the state of marriage and family at an all-time low in western societies. We see people trying to convince us that bad behavior is actually righteous and good. We are living in the days prophesied by Malachi. Let's go back to Malachi chapter 3 verse 5... This is the returning Jesus Christ speaking. He's saying our sins will bring judgment on ourselves. What sins is He talking about? Adultery. Lying. Stealing from and exploiting the poor.
Mistreating foreigners. This is a message to the end-time generation. When you think about it, it is a message for a godless generation that has thrown off all restraint. Are you beginning to see that in your world today? If so, think how applicable this message is for today. Let's go one step further. Malachi 3 verse 13... Would you say we are living in a time when this is the attitude of many people in our western societies?
That the moral fabric upon which our civilization was built--an understanding of a real God and His inspired Word--is crumbling beneath us? More and more people are saying, "Biblical Christianity?" "Why would we need that?" "A God who is revealed in the Bible? Oh, that's just old, dusty writings of men." Think about it. These words of Malachi are spot on, for our generation today. Let me show you one more thing. The prophet Malachi closed his book with a powerful, resounding message.
And again, remember, this passage was the last warning and challenge of the entire Old Testament. We read in Malachi again... This is another message for the generation of the last days, who are living in the time just before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. Isn't it striking that the prophet gives a warning to the generation alive in the end times, but refers to the law of Moses? He says, "Remember the Law of Moses."
But isn't the Law of Moses, the 10 commandments, the Sabbath day, aren't those all done away? Not at all. God's law still stands, and it still has deep significance and meaning for New Testament Christians today. And that's why God inspired Malachi to tell our generation, "Remember the Law of Moses." It's not done away. Malachi warns our generation not to forget about it. Again, we don't have time to give an exhaustive account of the gospel message, what it really means, and why it's important.
But that's why we want to send you the free publication, Do You Believe the True Gospel? There are things in this booklet you may have never heard or read before. For example, what did Christ mean when He said His kingdom is "at hand?" Is it here on earth? Is it in the church? Is it in our hearts? Don't assume. You need to know. And don't miss this opportunity to get your own free copy of this publication. It's called Do You Believe the True Gospel? Order today. For today's free offer call...
Or go to... This clear and straight-forward resource will help you understand this vital truth-- straight from the pages of the Bible. If you're calling for the first time, you will also receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's World magazine. Ten inspiring issues discussing news, science, and modern culture will help you make sense of your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. Call now! Or go to... In today's program, we've explored the world of Malachi, a prophet of God who lived and preached in the 5th century before Christ. We've seen that he warned his generation of the sins of corruption, mistreatment of others, unfaithfulness in marriage, and immorality.
We've seen that this same prophet had a message about a messenger, John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus Christ. But we also saw that Jesus Himself was a messenger of a covenant from the Father, of forgiveness of sins, of life and peace. We saw that the true gospel is about a Kingdom that is going to be set up. But before that Kingdom is set up on this earth, we read that there will be great distress on the earth as God judges the world.
Ultimately, God's will is that this will lead all mankind to having an opportunity to enter a covenant relationship with Him. Let's read the end of the prophecy, in Malachi 4 verse 5... The question for us is, will there be a change of heart in us? Will our hearts be turned to serving and loving others as ourselves. And especially, will our hearts be turned to our Father in Heaven, and His Son, Jesus Christ? Will we show ourselves faithful to them? Going back to Malachi 3...
The "sons of Jacob" are just the modern descendants of the patriarch Israel. If we understand who modern Israel is today--and frankly many of us are living in the end-time nations of Israel--we should be grateful for God's patience and longsuffering, and we should cry out for His help and mercy as we see these things coming. Will God help those who fear Him? Will He be a refuge to those who serve and obey Him sincerely and faithfully? Let's read Malachi 3 and verse 16...
The book of Malachi prophesies deliverance, comfort, and safety for those who don't succumb to the godless attitudes of these last days. It's our hope and prayer that you will seek God, and that you will obey Him and love Him, with all your heart. Thanks for watching. And don't forget to order your free literature offered today on this program. And keep watching for more Tomorrow's World episodes.
As Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Wallace Smith and I explain the Good News of Tomorrow's World, and the comfort and hope it can bring you, and your family, and all humanity. See you next time. For today's free offer call... Or go to... Call today and join millions around the world who are turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times. ♪ The preceding program is produced by the Living Church of God.