Nothing is known of the writer of the book which appears last in the Old Testament save what he says in this short book. We are not even told his father\u2019s name. Some have suggested that this was not his name, but his ministry, as it means \u2018My Messenger\u2019. I think it is safe to assume that it was his name. He is thought to be a contemporary of Nehemiah as the conditions described best correspond to that time. There are several facts which would support evidence of that. For example, the corrupt priesthood, marriage to idolaters, abuse, and failure to pay tithes, all found in the book of Nehemiah. I would consider this as a prophecy relevant to all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We cannot be sure when it was written but there is no mention about rebuilding the temple though he refers to the temple and it seems in view of the content of the book that it was some time after it had been rebuilt. It had been rebuilt during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. The worship there had obviously degenerated as he talks in chapter 1:10 about shutting the doors because the offerings by the priests were unacceptable to God. It is thought that he spoke and his words were written during Nehemiah\u2019s absence between 432 and 425 BC, and almost one hundred years after Haggai and Zechariah<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The writing is firm and direct. Malachi states from the beginning and several times throughout that this is \u2018The Word of The Lord\u2019. The Lord is represented as having a conversation with his people. It is a graphic picture of the closing period of Old Testament history, showing that great reforms were necessary for the coming of the promised Messiah. It is not all dark and bleak because even though the condemnation is direct, there is light in that tremendous hope is promised. So sinful had they become, however, that God\u2019s words seemed to have little or no impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is interesting that after the words in this book, God is silent for four hundred years until John the Baptist speaks as God\u2019s prophet. John the Baptist fulfills Malachi\u2019s prophecy (3:1). John was also Elijah referred to in 4:5. (see Matthew 3:3; 11:10-14; 17:9-13 and the other Gospels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nothing is known of the writer of the book which appears last in the Old Testament save what he says in this short book. We are not even told his father\u2019s name. Some have suggested that this was not his name, but his ministry, as it means \u2018My Messenger\u2019. I think it is safe to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-malachi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n