Malachi Chapter 3

“Behold, I will send my messenger, etc.] These are the words of Christ, in answer to the question put in the last verse of the preceding chapter (<390217>Malachi 2:17), “Where [is] the God of judgment?” intimating that he would quickly appear, and previous to his coming send his messenger or angel; not the angel of death to destroy the wicked, as Jarchi thinks; nor an angel from heaven, as Kimchi; nor Messiah the son of Joseph; as Aben Ezra; nor the Prophet Malachi himself, as Abarbinel; but the same that is called Elijah the prophet, (<390405>Malachi 4:5) and is no other than John the Baptist, as is clear from…”

“MESSIAH'S COMING, PRECEDED BY HIS FORERUNNER, TO PUNISH THE GUILTY FOR VARIOUS SINS, AND TO REWARD THOSE WHO FEAR GOD. (Mal. 3:1-18) Behold--Calling especial attention to the momentous truths which follow. Ye unbelievingly ask, Where is the God of judgment (Mal 2:7)? "Behold," therefore, "I send," &c. Your unbelief will not prevent My keeping My covenant, and bringing to pass in due time that which ye say will never be fulfilled. I will send . . . he shall come--The Father sends the Son: the Son comes. Proving the distinctness of personality between the Father and the Son. my messenger--John the Baptist; as Mat…”

“God answers their complaints of the absence of His judgments, that they would come, but would include those also who clamored for them. For no one who knew his own sinfulness would call for the judgment of God, as being himself, chief of sinners. Augustine pictures one saying to God, “Take away the ungodly man,” and that God answers, “Which?” Behold, I send My messenger before My face, and he shall prepare My way before Me - they, then, were not prepared for His Coming, for whom they clamored. The messenger is the same whom Isaiah had foretold, whose words Malachi uses Isaiah 40:3 : “The voice of one crying in…”

“I - The Messiah. My messenger - John the Baptist. The Lord - The Messiah. Whom ye seek - Whom ye, who truly fear God, long and wait for. Suddenly come - After the coming of his fore - runner. To his temple - That which was the second temple at Jerusalem, lately built by Zerubbabel and Joshua. The messenger - The angel of the covenant, the Messiah, in whose blood the covenant between God and man was confirmed. Whom ye delight in - You Jews, among whom, few there are, who do not please themselves to think of his coming, tho' from various motives. Malachi 3:2”

“3:1 my messenger (Hebrew mal’aki): This is a wordplay on Malachi’s name. The messenger may be either an angel or a human being functioning as a divine courier. Jesus identified John the Baptist by pointing to this passage (see Matt 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27). • Malachi’s audience probably would have understood the messenger of the covenant to be a divine being (cp. Exod 23:20-23). The Christian church has understood Jesus Christ to be the messenger of the new covenant.”

“I will: Mal 2:7, Mal 4:5; Mat 11:10, Mat 11:11; Mar 1:2, Mar 1:3; Luk 1:76, Luk 7:26-28; Joh 1:6, Joh 1:7 and he: Isa 40:3-5; Mat 3:1-3, Mat 17:10-13; Luk 1:16, Luk 1:17, Luk 3:3-6; Joh 1:15-23, Joh 1:33, Joh 1:34, Joh 3:28-30; Act 13:24, Act 13:25, Act 19:4 and: Psa 110:1; Isa 7:14, Isa 9:6; Hag 2:7-9; Luk 2:11, Luk 2:21-32, Luk 2:38, Luk 2:46; Luk 7:19, Luk 7:20, Luk 19:47; Joh 2:14-16 even: Gen 48:15, Gen 48:16; Exo 23:20; Isa 63:9; Hos 12:3-5; Act 7:38 he shall come: Hag 2:7 Malachi 3:2”

“Coming of the Lord to judgment. Mal 3:1. "Behold, I send my messenger, that he may prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to His temple, and the angel of the covenant, whom ye desire; behold he comes, saith Jehovah of hosts." To the question, Where is or remains the God of judgment? the Lord Himself replies that He will suddenly come to His temple, but that before His coming He will send a messenger to prepare the way for Him. The announcement of this messenger rests upon the prophecy in Isa 40:3., as the expression וּפנּה דרך, which is borrowed from that passage, clearly shows.…”