Malaquias 4
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Malaquias 4
Morris - The "Sun of righteousness" is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ returning to His world in its darkest night. He is "the light of the world" (John 8:12), both physically ("upholding all things by the word of His power"--Hebrews 1:3) and spiritually ("the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ"--2 Corinthians 4:6). High King of Heaven, my victory won, May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O ruler of all. Steven
Malaquias 4
Morris has another interpretation: Elijah was taken into heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11) and is apparently one… of God's two witnesses in the first half of the seven-year tribulation period of the end-times (Revelation 11:3,4). Although many have assumed this prophecy was fulfilled by John the Baptist, John himself said he was not Elijah and had not come for that purpose (Jn 1:21). The Lord Jesus said that "Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things" (Mt 17:11). John did indeed come "in the spirit and power of Elijah," (Luke 1:17), but he was not Elijah himself. Elijah must yet return to complete his unfinished prophetic ministry just "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD," which is still future (see Mt 17:10-13; Rev 11:3,4). Even when Jesus called John ”the Elijah who was to come,“ He conditioned that designation with the phrase, ”if you are willing to accept it“ (Mt 11:14). A solution to the problem seems to be offered in Mt 17. After Elijah appeared with Christ in His transfiguration, the disciples asked about Elijah’s future coming. Jesus, speaking apparently after John’s death (cf. Mt 14:1-2), affirmed that ”Elijah comes and will restore all things“ (Matt. 17:11). This future expectation indicates that Malachi 4:5-6 was not fulfilled in the ministry of John (nor in Elijah's appearance at Mt of Transfiguration). Israel did not accept John the Baptist as the Elijah-like restorer of all things, so another Elijah-like forerunner is yet to come before the day of the Lord. Eugene Merrill addresses the question of Elijah… In what sense should one understand the coming of Elijah? The answers to this question are varied. The OT record reveals that he did not die but was translated bodily into heaven (2 Kings 2:11). His coming thus could be more easily explained and made possible without the impediment of death. His very ascension perhaps was for the purpose of his later eschatological appearance as forerunner of the coming of YHWH. Jewish tradition from earliest times viewed it in this way, as even the NT suggests. When the Jewish masses learned of the ministry of John the Baptist in the wilderness, they went out to him and inquired as to his identity. Was he the Messiah, they wondered, or Elijah, or the prophet, that is, the prophet of Deuteronomy 18? To each of these his answer was no. But the very question reflects anticipation of a coming Elijah. Jesus, in an apparent contradiction of John’s own testimony, clearly identified John as Elijah (Matt. 11:14), but in a highly nuanced way. John’s inquisitors had wondered if he was not actually Elijah in the flesh returned to earth. This he was not, as he made clear in his reply. But he was, however, an Elijah figure, one who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is why Jesus qualified His assessment of the Elijah-John identification by saying, “If you are willing to receive him, this is Elijah who is to come.” That is, John stands in fulfillment of the promise of Malachi concerning the coming of Elijah but only in the sense that he announced the coming of Christ, just as the messenger would come to announce the coming of Adon (Mal. 3:1). Jesus touched on this point again in the transfiguration narrative (Matt. 17:1–13; cf. Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36). When Jesus appeared on the mountain in glory, He was accompanied by Moses and Elijah, the same two figures mentioned by Malachi. In later discussion with His disciples about His resurrection, they reminded Him that before the messianic manifestation could come to pass Elijah must first appear. Jesus agreed that Elijah must restore all things, but then announced that Elijah had already come, only to be rejected. They then understood that Jesus once more was connecting Elijah with John the Baptist. As argued previously, however, in connection with Mal. 3:1, the messenger of the covenant there and John the Baptist are one and the same. Jesus established this linkage (Matt. 11:10–11) and went on to make the further linkage between John and Elijah in the same passage (Matt. 11:14). But Mal. 3:1–6, as we saw, has eschatological as well as messianic overtones. This suggests that the messenger (and thus also Elijah) has an eschatological identification and role as well. There is still a sense, then, in which Elijah is yet to come. This is put beyond question by Mal. 3:23 (EB Mal 4:5), which locates Elijah’s coming in the setting of “the great and terrible day of YHWH,” a description freighted with eschatological language. It is likely, then, that the historical Elijah is not in view but instead an antitype Elijah who, like John, will announce the coming of YHWH in a day yet future. But the fact that he may not be the historical Elijah cannot mitigate against the literalness of the figure himself any more than it could against the literalness of the historical John the Baptistt. Why Elijah is mentioned and not someone else may have to do with his place as a prophet non pareil. Moses appears in Mal. 3:21 (EB 4:4) in connection with the Law; Elijah appears in the next verse, perhaps in connection with the prophets. Thus the whole canon of Malachi’s day is represented, attesting univocally to the certainty of YHWH’s coming salvation. This sublime act of final redemption is confirmed by the word of two witnesses (Deut. 19:15), just as its anticipatory revelation in the Transfiguration of our Lord was accompanied by the same two witnesses, Moses and Elijah (Matt. 17:3) (Ed Comment: Which leads one to ponder the identification of the Two Witnesses in Rev 11:3-13!). The great and terrible day of YHWH is a certainty, as both law and prophecy declare. But it will be a day of salvation for those of Israel, who, by the message of grace preached by Elijah, are thereby made capable of adhering to the covenant of Moses to which YHWH likewise elected them by grace. (Malachi Commentary recommended) The great and terrible Day of the Lord - Great in the sense that it will be remarkable in magnitude, degree, and effectiveness. Terrible in the sense of exciting extreme alarm or intense fear for those outside of Christ! Other synonyms that come to mind include frightful, that which strikes terror, formidable, very serious, extreme, unpleasant, etc. The first allusion in Scripture to the Day of the Lord is found in Exodus… But go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you; nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.” (Ex 32:34) Warren