The Coming Messenger
He told them to write down what the Father had given to Malachi, which he would now share with them. After it was written, he explained it to them. This is what he told them, quoting what the Father said to Malachi: “I’m sending my messenger ahead to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you’re looking for will suddenly arrive at his temple—the messenger of the covenant you’ve been longing to see. He’s coming,” says the Lord of hosts.
“But who can handle the day he arrives? Who will be able to stand when he appears? He’ll be like a refiner’s fire, like the harsh soap that scrubs things clean. He’ll sit down like someone refining and purifying silver. He’ll purify the priests, the sons of Levi, purging them the way you purge gold and silver. Then they’ll be able to bring offerings to the Lord that are truly right. The offerings from Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord again, like they did in the old days, in years long past.
The Day of Judgment
I’ll come close to you for judgment. I’ll be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, and liars. Against those who cheat workers out of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, who push away strangers, and who don’t fear me,“ says the Lord of hosts. I am the Lord—I don’t change. That’s why you descendants of Jacob haven’t been wiped out.
Robbing God
Ever since your ancestors’ time, you’ve turned away from my commands and haven’t kept them. Come back to me, and I’ll come back to you,“ says the Lord of hosts. But you say, “How are we supposed to come back? “Would anyone rob God? Yet you’ve been robbing me.” But you say, “How have we robbed you?” “In tithes and offerings. You’re under a curse because you’ve robbed me—this whole nation has.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there’s food in my house. Test me on this,“ says the Lord of hosts. “See if I won’t open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing you won’t have room for it all. I’ll stop the devourer from destroying your crops. Your vines won’t drop their fruit early in the fields,“ says the Lord of hosts. All nations will call you blessed, because you’ll be a wonderful land,“ says the Lord of hosts.
Harsh Words and Faithful Hearts
“Your words have been harsh against me,” says the Lord. Yet you say, “What have we said against you? You’ve said, ‘It’s pointless to serve God. What do we gain by keeping his commands and walking around depressed before the Lord of hosts?’ Now we think the proud are the happy ones. People who do evil get ahead. Those who test God get away with it.’”
Then those who feared the Lord talked often with each other. The Lord listened and heard them. A book of remembrance was written in his presence—a record of those who feared the Lord and thought about his name. “They’ll be mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day when I gather my treasured ones. I’ll spare them the way a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you’ll see clearly the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between someone who serves God and someone who doesn’t.“