Could an ancient manuscript have
prophecies for today?
It's easy to think in these
modern times that history is
irrelevant, especially
ancient history.
After all, we're living in a
mind-blowing time of
technological wonder.
From space-bound telescopes that
give us a glimpse into the
universe, to the powerful
machines we carry in our hands
unlocking a window to people and
places all over the world.
Our time is truly unique.
So, do old books
still matter today?
The answer is yes.
Frankly, the past becomes more
relevant to our day, because
some of these dusty old books
tell us about our day,
and the future.
The book of Malachi
is one such book.
It's found in the Old Testament,
of the Bible.
This portion of the
Bible is also known as
the Hebrew Scriptures.
It was written about 400 years
before Jesus Christ, and yet has
a message for us today.
What could that message be?
On this program,
we'll explore the answer.
And I'll also be offering you
a free publication Do You
Believe the True Gospel?
So, get ready, as we go deep
into the past, and unlock
"Malachi's Prophetic
Message for Today."
♪
Welcome to Tomorrow's World,
where we bring an understanding
of today's world, through the
prophecies of the Bible.
The prophet Malachi lived and
prophesied sometime in the
latter part of the
5th century BC.
His message was to the Jewish
people, who had been resettled
in the land of Judah after
the Babylonian captivity.
Malachi gave strong
medicine to his generation.
They had become lax in keeping
God's law, their priests were
corrupt and unfair in their
judgments, and divorce was
ripping that society apart.
Some were even wondering
whether it mattered if they
served God or not.
As we consider the challenges in
the modern western world,
it's fascinating and perhaps
a little sobering to look
at the warnings that
Malachi gave his generation.
The warnings are written in
the style of a dialogue
between God and His people.
Let's read a few of the
passages, to catch a
glimpse of what God was saying
to that generation.
We might just find there's
a message for ours.
We'll start in Malachi 2:7...
The priest at that time was the
one who taught them God's laws
and led in public worship.
And yet the priests had
become so corrupt that people
could not trust what they
were teaching any more.
Instead of making God's
ways clear and plain,
they had caused the Law to
become confused and muddled in
the minds of the people...
The law was being applied
unfairly, unjustly.
Do we think our age is the first
to grapple with issues of
injustice and unequal
treatment under the law?
Malachi showed that God
was not pleased when judges
showed favoritism instead of
fairly and consistently
applying God's law...
That generation was noted for
its lax attitudes toward marital
commitment and faithfulness.
And God was not pleased.
So how do you think He looks
at our generation?
Is He pleased that so many
marriages today end in divorce?
What about the conditions
that lead to divorce?
You know some people
wrongly accuse the Bible of
encouraging hate and
disrespect towards women.
But nothing could be
further from the truth.
What we just read shows that God
is very upset when women
are not treated fairly
and respectfully in marriage.
He tells men, don't abuse,
neglect or hurt your wives,
in any way.
God cares about women, and the
Bible upholds the marriage
relationship which was made for
the benefit and happiness
of men and women.
Notice, there's more...
There were some in that day
who were turning God's
law upside down.
They were trying to make it
look like what God calls
good is actually bad.
And what God calls bad, well,
that's actually good for you.
And then they were
trying to say that God is
somehow behind this
upside down approach.
Do we see any glimpse of that
today, in our society?
In our day today,
some people push immoral
behavior and actually say
that God supports it.
So this is really nothing new.
The prophet Malachi warned
against this approach in
his generation about
2,400 years ago.
And he was telling his people
they were in danger of
unraveling as a society if they
didn't take a different course.
What about us today?
Is our world getting
better, or worse?
Is real love and care for
others growing and
spreading and increasing,
or becoming more rare?
There's a warning
for our generation.
And this prophecy in Malachi
puts a bold spotlight on it.
You may think,
"this is Old Testament,
so it doesn't apply to me.
After all, I'm a
New Testament Christian."
Well keep watching.
Because in the next segment I'm
going to show you just how
relevant this book is to New
Testament Christians.
But before that, let me pause to
offer you our free publication,
Do You Believe
the True Gospel?
The New Testament
Gospel message has
a surprising connection to the
book of Malachi.
When the prophet Malachi
conveyed God's message to His
people he was actually
creating a bridge to the
New Testament era.
His work is actually a precursor
to the New Testament age and the
preaching of the Gospel.
And there is a
message for us today.
You need to find out.
Just order the booklet, Do You
Believe the True Gospel?
and we'll send it to you,
totally free.
So call, write or order
online today.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward
resource will help you
understand this vital truth--
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first
time, you will also receive a
free annual subscription to
Tomorrow's World magazine.
Ten inspiring issues discussing
news, science, and modern
culture will help you make sense
of your world from
a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions
around the world who are turning
to Tomorrow's World for truth,
prophecy, and hope in these
confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
Welcome back.
In the first part of our
program, we introduced the
ancient prophet Malachi.
He prophesied in the middle of
the 5th century BC, and was the
last prophet until the
age of John the Baptist
and Jesus Christ.
Malachi witnessed to a
corrupt generation, with
strong warnings to repent.
Frankly, there are strong
parallels for our day.
But some will say, "This is Old
Testament, what does this have
to do with me?"
Well let's read on,
and we'll find out.
In the last segment we read
about some of the
spiritual conditions of the
people in Malachi's day.
That was in chapter 2.
Notice what Malachi
records in chapter 3...
What is this talking about?
Who is the messenger who is
preparing the way?
Well, let's go to Mark 1
to find out...
This is the beginning
of the book of Mark,
in your New Testament.
Mark is describing how John
the Baptist was the messenger
preparing the way for the
ministry of Jesus Christ.
But in explaining that, he was
directly quoting from Malachi.
In other words, Malachi
prophesied about the Gospel.
Specifically, Malachi prophesied
about John the Baptist being the
one who would prepare the way
for Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
So, was this book of
Malachi only for the Jews
living back in the 400s BC?
I think we're seeing it had a
scope far beyond his time,
and his generation.
His preaching and his writings
reached way out into the future,
hundreds of years.
And they pointed to the very
work of John the Baptist
and the Messiah.
Let us continue in Malachi,
Malachi 3:1...
Okay, stop again, one more time,
and note something else.
Who is speaking?
It's Jesus Himself.
He uses the pronoun "Me."
The pre-incarnate Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Savior, was
speaking in this prophecy.
He was the One Who was
speaking through Malachi,
and inspiring Him in what to
tell His generation.
Think about that for a second,
and ask yourself again, does
this book have anything to do
with New Testament Christians?
Absolutely, because the One who
was inspiring it's words, was
Jesus Christ Himself.
That alone should cause us
to want to open our eyes
and see it says.
What did He say next?
Back to Malachi...
Who is the Lord whom we seek?
Well, of course,
it's Jesus Christ.
Malachi prophesied
that He would come suddenly.
And He did burst onto the scene
in 1st century Judea, when He
suddenly came to His temple,
overturned the tables and threw
out the money changers.
John the Baptist would
announce His coming and he
would prepare the way.
And then Jesus Christ would
come and preach the message.
But let's notice
something else here.
What message did
Jesus come to preach?
Again, we might say, "well, the
gospel message, of course."
That's right.
But there's another detail we
don't want to miss.
Let's read it again,
Malachi 3:1...
So, not only is Jesus Lord, not
only is He the Messiah,
our Savior, He also was
the Messenger of the covenant.
But what does that mean?
Well let's think about
this for a moment.
What is a messenger?
A messenger is someone
who has been given the task of
relaying a communication.
We might think of an olden times
when hand-written messages would
be relayed by a trusted
official or king to another.
A messenger was one who carried
that important communication on
behalf of someone else.
But in this passage, Who is
Jesus the messenger for?
Well let us look at an
excerpt from Dr. Meredith,
in the booklet
Do You Believe the True Gospel?
He says this on page 5:
This is an important
point to remember.
The message of the Gospel
is from the Father.
You see, some seem to have the
mistaken idea that God the
Father is the stern old God of
the Old Testament, and Jesus
Christ is the loving, kind
God of the New Testament who
came to do away with the Old.
Have you had that impression?
Is that your opinion now?
And can you see that nothing
could be further from the truth?
In fact, reading this book
of Malachi is showing us that
the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ
was speaking through this
Old Testament prophet,
and speaking of bringing a
message from the Father.
He and the Father are of one
mind, in perfect harmony.
They're in total agreement.
So, what was the
message from the Father?
Going on, from Dr. Meredith in
Do You Believe the True Gospel:
You see, too many people have
come to the mistaken conclusion
that the gospel is just about
believing in Jesus.
Yes, believing in Jesus
is the starting point.
We must believe that He is God,
and that He is our Savior.
We must accept His love and
sacrifice for our sins,
to be saved.
But was the gospel message only
about the Person of Christ
and His sacrifice?
Or is there more?
When Jesus began to preach the
gospel, what did He talk about?
We can read about it again
in Mark chapter 1:
The gospel message is from the
Father, and is the good news
about His coming Kingdom.
It's about Jesus Christ coming
to earth to end the misery and
the heartache and the suffering
this world is going through.
What is the Kingdom of God?
You'll find out, in our free
publication, Do You
Believe the True Gospel?
It will show you when Christ
said He's going to bring a
kingdom to this earth,
He means a real kingdom.
Dr. Meredith goes into
great detail to explain that
a kingdom has a king, subjects,
laws, and territory,
and that kingdom has never yet
been set up on earth.
It is coming, and
Christ will bring it,
and that's a part of the Good
News that Christ brought.
Your free booklet will explain
all of this, and much more.
It is totally free-just call,
click or write today.
This clear and straight-forward
resource will help you
understand this vital truth--
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
Call now.
Or go to...
Thusfar in today's
program, we've opened the book
of Malachi, to see that he
preached to a generation that
was corrupt and in need of a
spiritual renewal.
We can see
parallels for our day.
We also saw that in the book of
Malachi, the Word who became
Christ, prophesied of the coming
of John the Baptist.
And we also saw that the
pre-incarnate Jesus Christ
prophesied of His own coming.
We also saw that Jesus
brought a message.
That message would be a message
from the Father, about the good
news of a coming Kingdom.
But there's more.
Let's pick it up
where we left off.
After reading of John the
Baptist being the messenger of
the Messiah, and Jesus
Himself being the messenger
of the Father, we read
of something else.
We are introduced to the idea
that Jesus will not just
have a first coming,
but a second coming...
A refiner's fire?
A purifier of silver?
This could not be referring
to His first coming.
When Jesus Christ first came to
this earth, He allowed Himself
to be arrested and beaten
and finally crucified.
But this passage tells us
of a very different time.
It speaks of Jesus' second
coming, which will come in a
time of great distress on earth.
It speaks of a time when people
will be purified and tested
through great suffering.
We read of that same
time, referred to as
the Great Tribulation,
in Matthew 24 verse 21...
Why would Malachi be writing a
warning about something that
happens many centuries after his
generation is dead and gone?
Why would he write a warning to
the end-time generation, living
just before Christ's return?
Does the prophet Malachi
have a message for
our generation today?
Absolutely.
He's speaking of our day today.
Are we in the last days?
Are we living in a time
of great corruption,
and injustice and inequity?
Are we seeing moral values
plummeting, and the state of
marriage and family
at an all-time low
in western societies.
We see people trying to convince
us that bad behavior is actually
righteous and good.
We are living in the days
prophesied by Malachi.
Let's go back to Malachi
chapter 3 verse 5...
This is the returning
Jesus Christ speaking.
He's saying our sins will
bring judgment on ourselves.
What sins is He talking about?
Adultery.
Lying.
Stealing from and
exploiting the poor.
Mistreating foreigners.
This is a message to the
end-time generation.
When you think about it,
it is a message for a godless
generation that has
thrown off all restraint.
Are you beginning to see
that in your world today?
If so, think how applicable
this message is for today.
Let's go one step further.
Malachi 3 verse 13...
Would you say we are living in a
time when this is the
attitude of many people in
our western societies?
That the moral fabric upon which
our civilization was built--an
understanding of a real God
and His inspired Word--is
crumbling beneath us?
More and more people are saying,
"Biblical Christianity?"
"Why would we need that?"
"A God who is revealed
in the Bible?
Oh, that's just old, dusty
writings of men."
Think about it.
These words of Malachi are spot
on, for our generation today.
Let me show you one more thing.
The prophet Malachi closed
his book with a powerful,
resounding message.
And again, remember,
this passage was the last
warning and challenge of the
entire Old Testament.
We read in Malachi again...
This is another message for the
generation of the last days,
who are living in the time
just before the great and
dreadful Day of the Lord.
Isn't it striking that the
prophet gives a warning to the
generation alive in the
end times, but refers
to the law of Moses?
He says,
"Remember the Law of Moses."
But isn't the Law of Moses,
the 10 commandments,
the Sabbath day,
aren't those all done away?
Not at all.
God's law still stands, and it
still has deep significance and
meaning for New Testament
Christians today.
And that's why God inspired
Malachi to tell our generation,
"Remember the Law of Moses."
It's not done away.
Malachi warns our generation not
to forget about it.
Again, we don't have time to
give an exhaustive account of
the gospel message,
what it really means,
and why it's important.
But that's why we want to send
you the free publication, Do You
Believe the True Gospel?
There are things in this booklet
you may have never
heard or read before.
For example, what did Christ
mean when He said His
kingdom is "at hand?"
Is it here on earth?
Is it in the church?
Is it in our hearts?
Don't assume.
You need to know.
And don't miss this opportunity
to get your own free copy of
this publication.
It's called Do You
Believe the True Gospel?
Order today.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward
resource will help you
understand this vital truth--
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first
time, you will also receive a
free annual subscription to
Tomorrow's World magazine.
Ten inspiring issues discussing
news, science, and modern
culture will help you make sense
of your world from
a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions
around the world who are turning
to Tomorrow's World for truth,
prophecy, and hope in these
confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
In today's program,
we've explored the world of
Malachi, a prophet of God who
lived and preached in the 5th
century before Christ.
We've seen that he warned his
generation of the sins of
corruption, mistreatment of
others, unfaithfulness in
marriage, and immorality.
We've seen that this same
prophet had a message about a
messenger, John the Baptist,
preparing the way
for Jesus Christ.
But we also saw that Jesus
Himself was a messenger of a
covenant from the Father,
of forgiveness of sins,
of life and peace.
We saw that the true gospel
is about a Kingdom that
is going to be set up.
But before that Kingdom is set
up on this earth,
we read that there will be great
distress on the earth as God
judges the world.
Ultimately, God's will is that
this will lead
all mankind to having an
opportunity to enter a
covenant relationship with Him.
Let's read the end
of the prophecy,
in Malachi 4 verse 5...
The question for us is,
will there be a change
of heart in us?
Will our hearts be turned to
serving and loving
others as ourselves.
And especially,
will our hearts be turned to
our Father in Heaven,
and His Son, Jesus Christ?
Will we show
ourselves faithful to them?
Going back to Malachi 3...
The "sons of Jacob" are just
the modern descendants of
the patriarch Israel.
If we understand who modern
Israel is today--and
frankly many of us are
living in the end-time nations
of Israel--we should be
grateful for God's patience and
longsuffering, and we should cry
out for His help and mercy as we
see these things coming.
Will God help
those who fear Him?
Will He be a refuge to
those who serve and obey Him
sincerely and faithfully?
Let's read Malachi 3
and verse 16...
The book of Malachi prophesies
deliverance, comfort,
and safety for those who
don't succumb to the godless
attitudes of these last days.
It's our hope and prayer that
you will seek God, and that
you will obey Him and love Him,
with all your heart.
Thanks for watching.
And don't forget to order your
free literature offered
today on this program.
And keep watching for more
Tomorrow's World episodes.
As Gerald Weston, Richard Ames,
Wallace Smith and I explain the
Good News of Tomorrow's World,
and the comfort and hope it can
bring you, and your family,
and all humanity.
See you next time.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
Call today and join millions
around the world who are turning
to Tomorrow's World for truth,
prophecy, and hope in these
confusing times.
♪
The preceding program is
produced by the
Living Church of God.