Malachi 4:1 – “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them.
The prophet Malachi lived during a spiritually dry time for the people of Israel. They had grown apathetic and nonchalant about following God’s ways.
Their worship had become empty ritual devoid of meaning. Spiritual blindness clouded their vision.
Yet Malachi assured the people that better days were coming. The present darkness would give way to a new dawn. God’s light would pierce the gloom and usher in an age of righteousness, justice and restoration.
Arrival of the Son
Malachi spoke of this coming day being heralded by a messenger who would prepare people’s hearts. This messenger turned out to be John the Baptist, who proclaimed the imminent arrival of God’s kingdom and called people to repentance.
Not long after John, God’s own Son stepped onto the stage of human history. In Jesus, the rising Sun arrived to scatter the darkness of sin and death.
Through his life, death and resurrection, Jesus made a way for people to be reconciled to God and experience new life in relationship with their Creator.
Judgment of Evil
Malachi warned that while the coming day would bring salvation, it would also bring judgement on the wicked and unrepentant.
Jesus affirmed this, stating that his return would be accompanied by a separation of good from evil, light from darkness. Those who stubbornly clung to sin would face the fire of God’s refining judgment.
The prophets used vivid imagery to depict this purging of evil. Now, having heard the good news and seen the light, no one has any excuse to remain in darkness. The day of reckoning is coming.
Hope for the Future
For those who follow Jesus, his return is not something to dread but to eagerly anticipate. It represents the full realization of God’s purposes – justice, peace and the restoration of all things.
On that day, the darkness will be banished for good and the Son will shine in all his brilliance. What a glorious future we have to look forward to!
Until then, we live faithfully in the present, reflecting God’s light to others and pointing them to the Son.
~ Check Out ~
“One Minute with God”
