Mal 4:5-6 | KingComments | STEP | In the previous verse Moses is presented as the legislator. In these last two verses we see Elijah. His service was to bring the people who had deviated from God’s law back to obedience to the law. In these last verses, Moses and Elijah are connected. The law and the prophets remain as long as the earth exists. We also see in Moses a look back to the origins and in Elijah a glimpse into the future, what it will be like. The assessment of the present must always take place in the light of the past or that of the future. Both men together have been of great significance to the people of God and the significance of their service remains for future generations. We meet them together on the mountain of transfiguration in the presence of the Lord Jesus ( ). This is a foretaste of the time when Christ reigns in glory and everything will be in conformity with everything they, by order of God, have presented to the people. When the Lord has come down from the mountain with His three disciples, they ask about Elijah ( ). On the mountain they have tasted something of the coming kingdom. But they also know about this verse here, in Malachi. They have understood from what the scribes say that Elijah must first come before the Messiah can be revealed. Now they have seen the Messiah in the Lord Jesus, but without seeing Elijah coming beforehand. The Lord answers that Elijah certainly comes first. In this the scribes are right, for it is in accordance with the prophecy. At the same time, He adds that Elijah will restore all things. The effect of the coming of Elijah is the restoration of all things. Also the Son of man has yet to come, that is to say in glory on earth. The Lord Jesus speaks about that coming in glory and in connection with what Malachi here ( ) speaks about, namely, the coming of Elijah. Also in Revelation 11 we have a reference to the service of Moses and Elijah in connection with the coming of the Lord Jesus to earth ( ). Before He will come in that way, it is necessary that He be presented to the people as the promised Messiah to see if the people will accept Him. He has come to His people in humiliation , to test His people. The result is that He is rejected, as God has prophesied in the prophets. Because John the baptist has come in the spirit and power of Elijah ( ), the Lord Jesus can say that Elijah has already come. But they have rejected John as His forerunner ( ; ). After this explanation, the disciples understand that in John the baptist Elijah has already come, but that the people as a whole have not listened to his message and are therefore not ready to receive the Messiah. Malachi has also spoken about the coming of John the baptist ( ). If John the baptist had been accepted with his message, he would have been Elijah. He performed his service in the spirit and power of Elijah and testified of the coming Messiah. But John is beheaded and Christ is crucified. That is why Elijah will come once again. He will come again to test the hearts in view of the coming Messiah Who then will not come in humiliation but in glory. Malachi speaks about the coming of Elijah here in . The purpose of the coming of Elijah is to work restoration between the generations to make them spiritually fit to receive the Messiah ( ). Families are ruined by the loss of parental authority. Authority is the framework within which the right relationships between parents and children are developed. The devil is busy spiritually robbing us of our children. It is because of our changed view of them that he succeeds. That is why first the hearts of the fathers have to be restored to their children. Then the hearts of the children will be restored to their fathers. This reunion is the basis of blessing. If there is no breakthrough here, this means that the LORD will have to smite the land with a curse when He comes. The Lord Jesus will indeed have to smite the land with a curse at His coming. We see how children increasingly disobey their parents ( ). More and more children do not even know who their parents are. A normal, biblical family life is disappearing more and more from society. But there will also be those who will come to repentance through the work of God’s Spirit. They will listen to the call to repentance and be restored in their family relationships. The curse does not affect them. When the Lord Jesus comes, they go with Him into the realm of peace. There, under His blessed reign, they will enjoy all the blessings a family on earth can enjoy. With these words about the service of Moses and Elijah, the prophetic testimony of the Old Testament ends. God no longer sends messengers to His people until He again speaks to them through John the baptist in the New Testament.

‏ Malachi 4:5-6

Elijah

In the previous verse Moses is presented as the legislator. In these last two verses we see Elijah. His service was to bring the people who had deviated from God’s law back to obedience to the law. In these last verses, Moses and Elijah are connected. The law and the prophets remain as long as the earth exists. We also see in Moses a look back to the origins and in Elijah a glimpse into the future, what it will be like. The assessment of the present must always take place in the light of the past or that of the future.

Both men together have been of great significance to the people of God and the significance of their service remains for future generations. We meet them together on the mountain of transfiguration in the presence of the Lord Jesus (Mt 17:3). This is a foretaste of the time when Christ reigns in glory and everything will be in conformity with everything they, by order of God, have presented to the people.

When the Lord has come down from the mountain with His three disciples, they ask about Elijah (Mt 17:9-13). On the mountain they have tasted something of the coming kingdom. But they also know about this verse here, in Malachi. They have understood from what the scribes say that Elijah must first come before the Messiah can be revealed. Now they have seen the Messiah in the Lord Jesus, but without seeing Elijah coming beforehand.

The Lord answers that Elijah certainly comes first. In this the scribes are right, for it is in accordance with the prophecy. At the same time, He adds that Elijah will restore all things. The effect of the coming of Elijah is the restoration of all things. Also the Son of man has yet to come, that is to say in glory on earth. The Lord Jesus speaks about that coming in glory and in connection with what Malachi here (Mal 4:5) speaks about, namely, the coming of Elijah. Also in Revelation 11 we have a reference to the service of Moses and Elijah in connection with the coming of the Lord Jesus to earth (Rev 11:3-6).

Before He will come in that way, it is necessary that He be presented to the people as the promised Messiah to see if the people will accept Him. He has come to His people in humiliation, to test His people. The result is that He is rejected, as God has prophesied in the prophets. Because John the baptist has come in the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk 1:17), the Lord Jesus can say that Elijah has already come. But they have rejected John as His forerunner (Isa 40:3-5; Mal 3:1).

After this explanation, the disciples understand that in John the baptist Elijah has already come, but that the people as a whole have not listened to his message and are therefore not ready to receive the Messiah. Malachi has also spoken about the coming of John the baptist (Mal 3:1). If John the baptist had been accepted with his message, he would have been Elijah. He performed his service in the spirit and power of Elijah and testified of the coming Messiah.

But John is beheaded and Christ is crucified. That is why Elijah will come once again. He will come again to test the hearts in view of the coming Messiah Who then will not come in humiliation but in glory. Malachi speaks about the coming of Elijah here in Mal 4:5-6.

The purpose of the coming of Elijah is to work restoration between the generations to make them spiritually fit to receive the Messiah (Mal 4:6). Families are ruined by the loss of parental authority. Authority is the framework within which the right relationships between parents and children are developed. The devil is busy spiritually robbing us of our children. It is because of our changed view of them that he succeeds. That is why first the hearts of the fathers have to be restored to their children. Then the hearts of the children will be restored to their fathers.

This reunion is the basis of blessing. If there is no breakthrough here, this means that the LORD will have to smite the land with a curse when He comes. The Lord Jesus will indeed have to smite the land with a curse at His coming. We see how children increasingly disobey their parents (2Tim 3:2). More and more children do not even know who their parents are. A normal, biblical family life is disappearing more and more from society.

But there will also be those who will come to repentance through the work of God’s Spirit. They will listen to the call to repentance and be restored in their family relationships. The curse does not affect them. When the Lord Jesus comes, they go with Him into the realm of peace. There, under His blessed reign, they will enjoy all the blessings a family on earth can enjoy.

With these words about the service of Moses and Elijah, the prophetic testimony of the Old Testament ends. God no longer sends messengers to His people until He again speaks to them through John the baptist in the New Testament.