The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. – Malachi 1:1
Before the birth of the Lord Jesus, no prophets spoke in Israel for some four centuries; a period often referred to as the silent years. But the book of Malachi, the last book written in the Old Testament, provides an excellent bridge to the New Testament with some prophecies about the coming Saviour, and also about us. Malachi initially appealed to those in Israel to return to a proper worship of God. But he also wrote of a an exciting future for both Jews and Gentiles.
About the coming Messiah, Malachi wrote: ‘But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall’ -Malachi 4:2. And the prophet also includes in his book references to John the Baptist as the one who will introduce the Messiah when He comes.
Exciting for us is the way in which Malachi speaks of the coming blessing for the Gentiles in the dispensation of grace: ‘For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My Name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My Name, and a pure offering: for My Name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts’ -Malachi 1:11. The warmth of this message radiates from this lovely portion so appropriate for today: ‘Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His Name’ Malachi 3:16. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/9zkwGNoavNY