Edom's Destruction

Yahweh's Coming Onwards

1. Yahweh will purify the Levites
2. Yahweh will be worshiped by all nations
1. Yahweh's name will be great in all the earth [Mal 1:11]
2. “In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to Yahweh’s name” [Mal 1:11]

Unacceptable Sacrifices

The priest and the people of Israel dishonor God with their unholy and unacceptable offerings and sacrifices [Mal 1:6-14]

Carried of Into Exile

Because of the sins of the priests, God causes His people to be carried off into exile.

“Because of you I will rebuke your descendants; I will spread on your faces the offal from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.” [Mal 2:3]

Yahweh's Wrath Against Edom

1. Edom will be destroyed over and over again making her rebuilding efforts futile [Mal 1:2-4]
   
2. The people of God lie under a curse--their blessings are cursed [Mal 2:2]

Yahweh and Levi

God made a covenant of life and peace with Levi and he kept it [Mal 2:5-6].

The Way Prepared Before Yahweh

“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.
Then suddenly the Adon you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says Yahweh of Hosts.
[Mal 3:1]

But who can endure the day of his coming?
Who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.
₃He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;
he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver...
[Mal 3:2-3]

But who can endure the day of his coming?
Who can stand when he appears?...
[Mal 3:2,5; 4:6]

Who is the Messenger of the Covenant?

(Please note that the only covenant in view in Malachi is the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant, the covenant on which the Levitical priesthood rests.)

From that facts that this person is

1. A messenger and
2. That he has a connection to the Old Covenant

there are two possible identifications for this person; he is either

1. Moses, the servant of Yahweh who was the mediator of the Covenant or he is
2. The Angel of Yahweh (the word translated ‘messenger’ is the very same word for ‘Angel’).

So, who of the two—Moses and the Angel of Yahweh—is God here referring to as the Messenger of the Covenant?

From the simple and natural reading of these words, “…the Messenger of the Covenant whom you desire…” is the same as “Ha Adon (i.e., the Lord) you are seeking”. Since

1. “The Lord you are seeking” is Yahweh, the God of Justice, and
2. Since he is the Messenger of the Covenant,
3. This then means that means that the Messenger of the Covenant is Yahweh.

This rules out Moses as the Messenger of the Covenant that God is speaking of because there is no way, scripturally, that Moses can be identified or equated to Yahweh.

So what about the Angel of Yahweh?

That the Angel of Yahweh is “Yahweh” is perfectly in sync with scriptures for from early on in Scriptures, the Angel of Yahweh is presented as “Yahweh” and “God”. Yahweh therefore is saying that He is coming in the person of the Angel of Yahweh. In other words, the Angel of Yahweh is coming.

Some Implications of the Conclusion

1. If Yahweh coming here is the Angel of Yahweh, then it means that the everywhere in scriptures where Yahweh’s coming is prophesied, it is in fact the Angel of Yahweh that will be coming.
2. Calling him the Angel of the Covenant means that the Angel of Yahweh was involved in the giving of the Old Covenant.
3. Knowing that Jesus is the One prophecies about the coming of Yahweh/the Lord are speaking of, this means that Jesus was the Angel of Yahweh of the Old Covenant through whom God gave the Law to Israel.

Confirmation of the Conclusion

1. Steven speaks of the Angel of Yahweh who appeared to Moses as the One through whom God gave the Law, “living words”, to Moses on Mount Sinai [Act 7:38].

Although, Steven does not refer to this angel as “the Angel of the Covenant”, we can see from this that there was an angel through whom the Law was given to Moses and Israel.

Preparing the Way for Yahweh

1. Yahweh will send a messenger ahead of him [Mal 3:1]
2. This messenger comes to prepare the way ahead of him [Mal 3:1] by bringing the people to repentance [Mal 4:5]
3. Yahweh calls the messenger Elijah [Mal 4:5]
4. This is so that His coming will not bring destruction on his land [Mal 4:5-6]

Yahweh Worshiped By All Nations

1. All nations worship Yahweh God in righteousness [Mal 3:3-4]
2. Tithes and offerings and wholly and willingly given to God's house [Mal 3:10-12]

1. Yahweh appears [Mal 3:1,2], the Sun of Righteousness rise [Mal 4:2]
2. The righteous will rise from the dead---"the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings" [Mal 4:2]
3. The righteous will rule over the wicked [Mal 4:3]