Malachi 4:5-6
“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)
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This prophecy points to a coming Elijah not just in spirit and power, like John the Baptist, but in person. This isn't just about preparing for Christ's first coming, but for the ultimate, "great and dreadful day of the Lord," suggesting a more direct and climactic intervention before the final judgment.
This verse concludes the Old Testament with a promise that a messenger, identified as Elijah, will come before the ultimate "great and dreadful day of the LORD." This anticipates a pivotal figure who will prepare people for God's final judgment and intervention, a role understood by many to have been partially fulfilled by John the Baptist and looking towards a future, fuller realization.
Malachi speaks of Elijah. But was it one person, or a spirit? This verse hints at something profound about God's plan.
The prophecy of Elijah's return in Malachi 4:5 has been understood in a layered way, pointing to both of Jesus' comings.
The First Coming's Herald
Most clearly, this prophecy finds its initial fulfillment in John the Baptist. He came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), preparing the way for Jesus' first advent. He boldly called people to repentance, just as Elijah did.
The Second Coming's Witness
However, the prophecy also points to a future fulfillment. Many scholars and the early church believed Elijah himself, or a figure in his literal person, would return before Jesus' second coming. This figure would be a powerful witness during a time of great tribulation and likely face opposition, possibly even martyrdom, before the final judgment.
This dual fulfillment shows God's consistent plan to prepare His people, first for His arrival in grace, and then for His return in glory.
Why Elijah? What made him the chosen prophet to herald such monumental events?
Elijah was no ordinary prophet; he was a figure of immense zeal and divine authority.
A Voice in the Wilderness
Elijah confronted kings like Ahab and Jezebel, calling out rampant idolatry and injustice. His ministry was marked by bold pronouncements and dramatic displays of God's power, such as the contest on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18).
Preparing Hearts for God
The core of Elijah's message, and thus the message of his spiritual successor, was repentance and a return to true worship of the Lord. This is why Malachi connects Elijah's coming to the command to 'remember the law of Moses' (Malachi 4:4) and the turning of hearts.
His role as a herald signifies that God's powerful, reformational message always precedes His great interventions.
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
This prophecy bridges the Old and New Testaments, pointing to John the Baptist as a fulfillment of Elijah's role before Christ's first coming, while also hinting at a future, literal return of Elijah before Christ's second coming and the final judgment.
c. 830 BC
Elijah Taken to Heaven
The prophet Elijah is miraculously taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, a unique event in biblical history.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Malachi Delivers His Prophecy
The prophet Malachi delivers his final prophecies, concluding the Old Testament and promising the coming of Elijah.
c. 4 BC - AD 30/33
Ministry of John the Baptist
John the Baptist appears, preaching repentance in the 'spirit and power of Elijah' before Jesus' first coming.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' First Coming and Ministry
Jesus Christ begins His earthly ministry, fulfilling many prophecies and ushering in the New Covenant.
c. AD 64-70
Jesus' disciples ask about Elijah, and Jesus affirms that Elijah will indeed come again, pointing to a future fulfillment beyond John the Baptist.
Luke 1:17The angel Gabriel explicitly states John the Baptist will go before the Lord 'in the spirit and power of Elijah,' connecting John's ministry to this prophecy.
Revelation 11:3This passage speaks of two witnesses empowered to prophesy for 1,260 days, with many early church fathers and commentators identifying one of them as Elijah, awaiting a future return.
Matthew 11:14Jesus identifies John the Baptist as 'Elijah who is to come,' indicating a spiritual and ministerial fulfillment of the prophecy in John's life and work.
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 prophecy points to a coming Elijah not just in spirit and power, like John the Baptist, but in person. This isn't just about preparing for Christ's first coming, but for the ultimate, "great and dreadful day of the Lord," suggesting a more direct and climactic intervention before the final judgment.
This verse concludes the Old Testament with a promise that a messenger, identified as Elijah, will come before the ultimate "great and dreadful day of the LORD." This anticipates a pivotal figure who will prepare people for God's final judgment and intervention, a role understood by many to have been partially fulfilled by John the Baptist and looking towards a future, fuller realization.
This verse concludes the Old Testament with a promise that a messenger, identified as Elijah, will come before the ultimate "great and dreadful day of the LORD." This anticipates a pivotal figure who will prepare people for God's final judgment and intervention, a role understood by many to have been partially fulfilled by John the Baptist and looking towards a future, fuller realization.
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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.
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Jerusalem and the Second Temple are destroyed by the Romans, a catastrophic event for the Jewish people.
Future
Second Coming of Christ
Believers anticipate Christ's return in glory to judge the living and the dead, a 'great and dreadful day.'
"“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 prophecy points to a coming Elijah not just in spirit and power, like John the Baptist, but in person. This isn't just about preparing for Christ's first coming, but for the ultimate, "great…
