This verse promises Elijah's return not just as a past figure, but as a future messenger before a monumental "day of the LORD." While John the Baptist fulfilled a similar role in spirit and power for Jesus' first coming, this prophecy seems to point to a personal appearance of Elijah before the final judgment, emphasizing God's intent to bring about ultimate restoration and clarity before His ultimate reckoning.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears at the very end of the Old Testament, serving as a final promise after pronouncements of judgment. It follows the instruction to remember the Law and looks forward to a prophetic figure who will come before a momentous, awe-inspiring day. This future messenger is explicitly linked to the prophet Elijah, signaling a pivotal moment for Israel before God's ultimate intervention.
Malachi foretells a messenger, but who is he, and when does he appear? This prophecy seems to point to more than one figure.
A Tale of Two Messengers
Malachi 4:5 speaks of Elijah being sent "before the great and awesome day of the LORD." This prophecy has a fascinating dual fulfillment:
The First Arrival: John the Baptist
The Second Arrival: A Future Elijah
Ask a follow-up
Malachi uses strong language for the 'day of the LORD.' What exactly does this refer to, and why is it described with such weight?
More Than Just Judgment
The phrase "the great and awesome day of the LORD" in Malachi 4:5 isn't just about a single future event. It encompasses significant moments of divine intervention and judgment:
A Shadow of Judgment
The Ultimate Day
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.
leb · Hebrew Noun
The central organ of human life, representing the seat of the intellect, will, emotions, and moral character. In Scripture, it is the place where God interacts with human beings and where true conversion or reconciliation must take place.
ab · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, this term often refers to the head of a family or clan, or a spiritual ancestor. Here, it denotes the restoration of familial relationships and the generational transmission of covenant faith.
ben · Hebrew Noun
Refers to offspring or descendants; in this context, it highlights the reconciliation between generations as a sign of spiritual health and preparation for the coming of the Lord.
cherem · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew term 'cherem' refers to something devoted to God, often involving total destruction in the context of judgment or holy war. It signifies a setting apart for destruction because something or someone is incompatible with God's holiness or has completely rejected His covenant.
This prophecy looks forward to both the first coming of Christ, heralded by John the Baptist in the spirit of Elijah, and a future second coming, which some traditions believe Elijah will personally announce.
c. 430 BC— this verse
Malachi's Ministry
The prophet Malachi delivers his final prophecies, closing the Old Testament canon and looking forward to future divine interventions.
c. 400 BC - 1 BC
The Silent Centuries
A period of roughly 400 years with no prophetic voice recorded in Scripture, during which Jewish expectation for a Messiah grew.
c. 5 BC
Birth of John the Baptist
John, destined to be a forerunner, is born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, fulfilling promises made by the angel Gabriel.
c. AD 27-28
John the Baptist's Ministry Begins
John the Baptist emerges in the wilderness, preaching repentance and baptizing, fulfilling the role of Elijah in spirit and power.
c. AD 27-28
Jesus' First Coming
Jesus begins his public ministry, initiating the 'great and awesome day of the LORD' in a salvific, rather than purely judgmental, sense.
Future
Second Coming of Christ
Christ is expected to return in glory for final judgment, a future event many believe Elijah will herald in person.
Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come, fulfilling Malachi's prophecy in spirit and power, though not in person.
Matthew 17:10-13Jesus speaks of Elijah's future return to restore all things, suggesting a fulfillment beyond John the Baptist, likely tied to His second coming.
Luke 1:17The angel Gabriel announces John the Baptist will go before the Lord 'in the spirit and power of Elijah,' directly linking him to Malachi's prophecy.
Revelation 11:3-6This passage describes two witnesses who prophesy during a future tribulation period, and many traditions identify them as Elijah and Enoch, aligning with Malachi's prophecy of Elijah's appearance before a great day.
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…
This verse promises Elijah's return not just as a past figure, but as a future messenger before a monumental "day of the LORD." While John the Baptist fulfilled a similar role in spirit and power for Jesus' first coming, this prophecy seems to point to a personal appearance of Elijah before the final judgment, emphasizing God's intent to bring about ultimate restoration and clarity before His ultimate reckoning.
This verse appears at the very end of the Old Testament, serving as a final promise after pronouncements of judgment. It follows the instruction to remember the Law and looks forward to a prophetic figure who will come before a momentous, awe-inspiring day. This future messenger is explicitly linked to the prophet Elijah, signaling a pivotal moment for Israel before God's ultimate intervention.
This verse appears at the very end of the Old Testament, serving as a final promise after pronouncements of judgment. It follows the instruction to remember the Law and looks forward to a prophetic figure who will come before a momentous, awe-inspiring day. This future messenger is explicitly linked to the prophet Elijah, signaling a pivotal moment for Israel before God's ultimate intervention.
"“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a de…" — This verse promises Elijah's return not just as a past figure, but as a future messenger before a monumental "day of the LORD." While John the Baptist fulfilled a similar role in spirit and power for…
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Last reviewed October 2026
