“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes that Elijah will be sent "before the great and awesome day of the Lord." This phrasing suggests that Elijah's mission isn't just about preparing for a general judgment, but specifically for a day that is both magnificent and terrifying, requiring a prophet with immense authority to herald its approach.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse concludes the Old Testament by pointing forward to a future event and figure. Malachi has just urged the people to remember God's law and warned of a coming curse for disobedience, but now he offers a glimpse of hope: a messenger will arrive before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. This figure, identified as Elijah, is promised to turn hearts and prepare the way for God's intervention.
Malachi promises Elijah's return, but who is this Elijah, and how can one person fulfill such a crucial role?
Malachi 4:5 speaks of sending Elijah before the "great and awesome day of the LORD." This prophecy has a fascinating dual fulfillment:
The First Echo: John the Baptist
The Full Restoration: Elijah Yet to Come?
Malachi doesn't just promise a messenger; he warns of a momentous day. What does this day entail?
The phrase "great and awesome day of the LORD" isn't just a poetic flourish. It refers to a pivotal time of divine intervention and judgment:
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Judgment and Vindication
Preparation is Key
Understand the original words
nāḇîʾ · Hebrew Noun
A messenger chosen by God to speak His word, warn of judgment, call to repentance, and point toward the future fulfillment of His promises.
This prophecy is understood in layers: John the Baptist fulfilled it in spirit before Christ's first coming, while a future literal or symbolic return of Elijah is expected by many before the final judgment.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Malachi's Ministry and Prophecy
The prophet Malachi delivers his message, closing the Old Testament prophetic canon with a call to faithfulness and a promise of future divine intervention.
c. 5 BC - AD 28
Birth and Ministry of John the Baptist
John the Baptist is born and later begins his ministry, powerfully proclaiming repentance and announcing the imminent arrival of the Messiah.
c. AD 28
Jesus' First Coming and Ministry
Jesus begins His public ministry, fulfilling many prophecies and ushering in the age of grace, though many still await a promised restoration.
c. AD 70
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Jerusalem and the Second Temple are destroyed by Roman forces, a catastrophic event that marks a significant 'day of the Lord' for ancient Israel.
Future
Elijah's Future Return and Final Judgment
The prophecy is understood by many to indicate a future return of the prophet Elijah (or a figure like him) to herald the final 'great and terrible day of the Lord' and the ultimate judgment.
This passage directly identifies John the Baptist as the one who would go before the Lord 'in the spirit and power of Elijah,' fulfilling Malachi's prophecy of Elijah's return as a forerunner.
Matthew 11:14Jesus states that John the Baptist 'is Elijah who is to come,' confirming that John's ministry was a fulfillment of the prophecy, even if John himself initially denied being Elijah personally.
Matthew 17:10-13Here, Jesus speaks of Elijah's coming to 'restore all things,' implying a future appearance beyond John the Baptist, connecting it to His own future glory and hinting at a dual fulfillment of the prophecy.
Revelation 11:3-12This passage describes two 'witnesses' clothed in sackcloth who prophesy during a specific period, with many commentators seeing these witnesses as representing Elijah and potentially Enoch, fulfilling a role before the final 'great day of the Lord.'
clarkeMalachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet - This is meant alone of John the Baptist, as we learn from Luke 1:17 (note), in whose spirit and power he came.
barnesMalachi 4:5: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
Behold I will send (I send, as a future, proximate in the prophet's mind) you Elijah the prophet - The Archangel Gabriel interprets this for us, to include the sending of John the Immerser. For he not only says Luke 1:17 . that he shall "go before" the Lord "in the spirit and power of Elias," but describes his mission in the characteristic words of Malachi, "to turn the hearts…
The verse emphasizes that Elijah will be sent "before the great and awesome day of the Lord." This phrasing suggests that Elijah's mission isn't just about preparing for a general judgment, but specifically for a day that is both magnificent and terrifying, requiring a prophet with immense authority to herald its approach.
This verse concludes the Old Testament by pointing forward to a future event and figure. Malachi has just urged the people to remember God's law and warned of a coming curse for disobedience, but now he offers a glimpse of hope: a messenger will arrive before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. This figure, identified as Elijah, is promised to turn hearts and prepare the way for God's intervention.
This verse concludes the Old Testament by pointing forward to a future event and figure. Malachi has just urged the people to remember God's law and warned of a coming curse for disobedience, but now he offers a glimpse of hope: a messenger will arrive before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. This figure, identified as Elijah, is promised to turn hearts and prepare the way for God's intervention.
"“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes." — The verse emphasizes that Elijah will be sent "before the great and awesome day of the Lord." This phrasing suggests that Elijah's mission isn't just about preparing for a general judgment, but spe…
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Last reviewed October 2026