3.26.17 ~ Malachi 4:1-6, ”The Day of the Lord: Part Two.”

Bible Text: Malachi 4:1-6 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Malachi

Last week in Malachi 4:1-3 we read about a Day that is coming at the close of

the 7-year Tribulation period, a day that will “burn like a furnace and not a root or a branch will be left,” for God will bring total defeat and destruction upon all who oppose Christ.
Read Malachi 4:4-6… The people are reminded of the Law that was given to them through Moses, and they are told that Elijah will come “before that great and dreadful day of the Lord” to proclaim God’s message, that men might hear, believe, and turn to God, lest they face judgment – the eternal lake of fire.

Malachi is prophesying about the last 3.5 years of the 7-year Tribulation period, when the Antichrist will display his hatred toward God by focusing his rage on those who hold to the Word of God, believing in Christ.

Suddenly, when everything seems lost, Christ will appear in His glory Christ will have ultimate victory over the Antichrist, the False Prophet and all who oppose God.

Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” 19-20, “Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”

All the other judgments in the book of Revelation are carried out by angels, but this one is carried out by Jesus Christ Himself; He alone will bring death and destruction upon all the unbelieving who are living at that time. This is indeed the Day of the Lord!

Four times the phrase “DAY OF THE LORD” is used in the New Testament: Acts 2:20; 1Thessalonians 5:2; 2Thessalonians 2:2; 2Peter 3:10. But the New Testament writer’s understanding about the DAY OF THE LORD had to come from the Old Testament prophets’ proclamations; so, if we’re going to understand what the DAY OF THE LORD is, we have to understand what it meant to the prophet of the Old Testament who prophesied it.

The following verses are from the New American Standard Bible:

Isaiah 2:12, “For the DAY OF THE LORD of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up and it shall be brought low.”

Isaiah 13:6, “Wail, for the DAY OF THE LORD is at hand.”

Isaiah 13:9, “Behold, the DAY OF THE LORD comes cruel with both wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate.”

Joel 2:11, “The DAY OF THE LORD is great and very terrible.”
Joel 2:31, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood before the

coming of the great and terrible DAY OF THE LORD.”

Amos 5:18, “Woe to you who desire the DAY OF THE LORD, for what good is the DAY OF THE LORD to you?”

Amos 5:20, “Is not the DAY OF THE LORD darkness and not light?”

Zephaniah 1:14, “The great DAY OF THE LORD is near, it is near and hastens quickly, the noise of the DAY OF THE LORD is bitter.” 15, “That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness.”

Do you see how everything about the DAY OF THE LORD is negative. It is all about judgment, the day of God’s wrath and vengeance, bringing desolation and destruction. Six times, it is referred to as a day of doom. Four times, it is called a day of vengeance. This is the most horrible time of God’s anger being displayed.

Satan will be dethroned and put away (see Revelation 20:1-3), and Christ will take His prophesied position as King, to rule over the earth for 1000 years.

All the Gentile survivors of the Tribulation (those who believed in Christ) will enter the millennial kingdom along with all the Jews who believed in Christ.

All unbelievers will be put to death to await the Great White Throne judgment, at the end of the millennial period (see Revelation 20:7-15).

Malachi humbly, compassionately, and urgently delivered God’s message to Israel, and yet the majority of Israel turned a deaf ear to what God said.

God didn’t speak again to Israel for 400 years, and when He did break the silence, He did so with the birth of His own Son, who came to offer redemption to sinful mankind, from the holy and righteous God of Creation, by willingly taking our punishment on the cross, so that we might be saved from eternal condemnation and torment.

Footnote: The phrase DAY OF THE LORD always associates with God’s judgment coming upon the ungodly, unbelievers, and so, it must be distinguished from similar phrases like the DAY OF THE LORD JESUS (1Corinthians 5:5; 2Corinthians 1:14); the DAY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (1Corinthians 1:8); the DAY OF CHRIST JESUS (Philippians 1:6), as these phrases always have to do with the Rapture, the redemption and reward given to believers from Christ.

There is one other phrase “the day of God” (2Peter 3:12), and it refers to eternity, the preparation of which begins when the heavens and the earth are burned up and everything is laid bare by fire. That is God’s day, when everything will be made brand new, no more corruption, no more sin, nothing offensive to God will ever exist again, from that day to the ends of eternity.

So, what does all this mean to you and to me? Very simply put, do not turn a deaf ear to God; take to heart, apply to your life and obey what God commands, only then will you know true life, joy and peace for all of eternity.

What is the preeminent command of God? What is the magnum opus, the greatest thing any man, woman or child of age can do, after repenting of their sins, confessing Christ as Lord and believing in Him as Savior?

Matthew 22:36-40, “Which is the first and greatest commandment in the Law? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… The second greatest commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’”

Mark 12:29-31, “Which is the most important commandment? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength… The second most important commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.’”

Luke 10:25-28, “What must one do to inherit eternal life? ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Do this and you will have eternal life.”

Do you see what God is saying in these three above narratives expressing the same pivotal and divine truth?

The first and greatest, the most important commandment is equal to what you must do to inherit eternal life.

Meaning, you must love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, with all that you have, all that you are, all that you can be [the word “love” here is agape – it is a verb, not a noun, and it comes from God, is given by God, and is always in submission to God, i.e., agape love is to belong to God, to be committed to sacrificially serving God, obeying and honoring God’s Word, sincerely and completely].

The demonstration of God’s divine love is to love your neighbor (anyone who is in need, the greatest need being forgiveness and salvation through Christ).

God says in doing this you testify to the truth that you indeed have received forgiveness for your sins and eternal life.

Let us each commit to honor God, to find out and to do that which pleases Him, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength; and let us treat others as we ourselves want to be treated; in doing so, we have fulfilled all the Law and all the writings of the Prophets for we have drawn near to God, who has granted us forgiveness and eternal life; and so, we alone, among all the people on this earth, are able to look with anticipation to the coming Day of the Lord.

Pastor Mike <‘(((><