Malachi 4: the Day of the Lord, the Torah and Elijah
Romans 9: 4,5 For they are Israelites, and to them belong God’s adoption [as a nation] and the glorious Presence (Shekinah). With them were the special covenants made, to them was the Law given. To them [the temple] worship was revealed and [God’s own] promises announced. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and as far as His natural descent was concerned, from them is the Christ, Who is exalted and supreme over all, God, blessed forever! Amen
Earliest Passover in 114 Years - Shavuot/Pentecost on 15 May 2013
(previous letter - 20 February 2013)
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/feb2013/denish220.htm
In my previous letter I highlighted the (very) unusually early Easter (25/26 March) in 2013 and the consequence that Shavuot / Day of Pentecost will fall on 15 May 2013 - transition from Israel’s Independence Day (14 May) to its first day as a new nation. It is a real struggle at present to keep up with the unfolding revelation of God’s purposes, the many signs and converging timelines. So I just wish to highlight the following dates in 2013 (note that double dates reflect Jewish holidays - starting the previous evening - the 2nd day is the main date)
· 25/26 March - Passover
· 14/15 April - Jewish celebration of In Independence Day (5 Iyar)
· 14/15 May - Shavuot/ day of Pentecost
· 16/17 July - Day of the Lord may start near this date (1 day after 9 Av)
Malachi 4 and the Day of the Lord - His Vengeance!
Malachi 4:1 (Amplified): For behold, the day comes that shall burn like an oven, and all the proud and arrogant, yes, and all that do wickedly and are lawless, shall be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
As we know, Malachi 4 is the last chapter in the Old Testament and clearly the Holy Spirit has arranged this to be so. Verse 1 in Malachi 4 provides an overview, and speaks strongly of a day, the Day of the Lord, when the proud, wicked and lawless will be punished. When Jesus, at the start of His ministry, opened to Isaiah 61 he stopped reading after to proclaim the acceptable Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord speaks of the next part: the day of vengeance of our God! Malachi 4 speaks of this Day of the Lord as a day of vengeance.
Malachi 4: 2,3: But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy. 3 And you shall tread down the lawless and wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, says the Lord of hosts.
It is hard to grasp the fullness and scope of this promise, or to picture how the Lord will bring this to pass. However, one key timing of this, I believe, is the Psalm 83/Isaiah 17 war when the Lord, through Israel, will triumph over those countries that (immediately) surround Israel. Subsequently, there will be an even greater victory, through God Himself, as described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 (the next cluster of countries - further removed, albeit still surrounding Israel). Then the final victory against the Antichrist and all the nations, as described in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 8:
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.
Malachi 4 (2, 3) promise an incredible victory for the faithful of the Lord, for His remnant Church that diligently prays for the peace of Jerusalem, and maintains its strong intercessory support for Israel in the midst of much opposition, including from within the broader body of Christ. The promise is that the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings - the Resurrection Life of Christ will cause us to be victorious!
The Torah/Mosaic Law
Malachi 4:4 (Earnestly) remember the law of Moses, My servant, the statutes and the ordinances which I commanded him on [Mount] Horeb/Sinai [to give] to all Israel.
We then come to verses 4 and 5 in Malachi 4 and the link to Shavuot/Day of Pentecost. Perhaps the least looked at, yet very important verse, is verse 4. This quite strongly commands the reader to remember the law of Moses - the Torah given to Moses, and the very focus of Shavuot! Similarly, the story of (t)Ruth is that of the Gentile who willingly and wholly converted to Judaism.
This will be the challenge for the Church in coming months and years - the Tetrads are a heavenly witness to the battle/war for Israel! We know that Jesus Christ is our Messiah, yet recognise the Jewish foundations of our faith and the coming fulfilment of God’s promises for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people! Sadly, even with the outpouring of the Spirit many will accept dominion or kingdom theology (that the Church has replaced Israel!), and be deceived by the spirit of Antichrist.
Coming of Elijah
Malachi 4:5: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.
Matthew 17:10-12 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.
2 Kings 2:13: He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
Unravelling what the coming of Elijah really means is not easy, but very important for us to discern now as we approach another and special Passover. In the celebration of the Passover Feast there is a cup for Elijah. A quote from a book titled the Feasts of the Lord (Howard and Rosenthal) may be helpful:
· Elijah’s Cup: is the extra cup of wine poured in the hope that the prophet Elijah might come and announce the arrival of the Messiah. Rabbinic tradition holds that the Messiah will come during Passover, the season of redemption, to bring about the final redemption from dispersion. However, according to Malachi 4:5 Elijah must appear first.
In John 1:21 John the Baptist states quite clearly that he is not Elijah. Jesus’ comments in Matthew 17 are not crystal clear on this issue, but along with other similar references appear to suggest that neither John the Baptist nor Himself (the Son of Man) were accepted by the Jews and, consequently, were not Elijah. In one sense both John the Baptist and Jesus Himself came in the Spirit and Power of Elijah. I am currently reading a book by Paul Hinnebusch titled Jesus, the New Elijah. Nevertheless good exegesis of the relevant Scriptures shows that the Elijah of Malachi 4:5 is still to come. I have put my thoughts on this in a previous letter titled the Coming of Elijah and the Pre-tribulation Rapture (link below).
http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/march2012/denish319.htm
How will this happen? This remains somewhat of a mystery, but is best approached by looking at the falling of Elijah’s mantle in 2 Kings 2:13. The prophetic anointing of Elijah, that rested on Elisha, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ (in his role as a Prophet) will fall on another individual, releasing him and an Elijah company into a strong prophetic ministry, with signs following. This could be a Prophet already functioning as a Prophet, to be released in far greater measure, or even someone currently in relative obscurity (we know very little of Elijah’s background, except that he was a Tishbite).
When will this happen? Malachi 4:5 promises that he will be sent before the (great and terrible) Day of the Lord comes. That is, the mantle may fall on this individual before the Day of the Lord, even though his ministry occurs mainly during the Day of the Lord. My view of the Day of the Lord starting in mid 2013 leaves very little time for this sending of Elijah, and just one Passover!
Malachi 4: Interesting/Exciting Times Just Ahead - These are the Days of Elijah!
We are poised on the edge of the unfurling of the end-times, like a giant (surfing) wave where we will see the fulfilment in Jesus’2nd coming of all the true prophets have spoken of: the days of Elijah, Elisha, Ezekiel, Joel, Daniel and the list goes on!! Malachi speaks of the Day of the Lord as the Lord’s triumph over the wicked! Joel prophesies of an outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh, including the Church and Israel.
Jesus says that Elijah will restore all things! Elijah will incorporate the Torah/Mosaic law given to Moses on Horeb/Sinai and also teach the giving of (sanctity of) the Land to Israel in an Eternal Covenant to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel. The last verse in Malachi 4 speaks of RECONCILIATION OF HEARTS.
Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn and reconcile the hearts of the [estranged] fathers to the [ungodly] children, and the hearts of the [rebellious] children to [the piety of] their fathers [a reconciliation produced by repentance of the ungodly], lest I come and smite the land with a curse and a ban of utter destruction.
I have included two inspirational links below: the first to Judy Jacobs rendition of the Days of Elijah and the second to the winner of the Big Wave surfing contest - a portrayal of the coming wave of the fulfilment of the Prophets, including Jesus the greatest Prophet of all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUIa674GGCo
http://www.watoday.com.au/environment/riding-a-12metre-monster-20130214-2efs9.html
Denis
Maranatha!