Shabbat Shalom everyone! Let's open our Bibles to the book of Malachi. We are now, today, in the second and third chapter of the book of Malachi. So today, we'll turn to Malachi chapter 2. We'll begin to read with verse 17. And then we're going to go into chapter 3 and read from verses 1 to verse 6. Only seven verses for this ministry meeting today. Malachi chapter 2, verse 17. And I am reading. Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, "Wherein have we wearied him?" When ye say, "Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them." Or, "Where is the God of judgment?" Chapter 3 and verse 1.

"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me." "And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in." "And he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." "But who may abide the day of his coming?" "And who shall stand when he appeareth?" "For he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." "And he shall sit as a refiner and purify of silver." "And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto

the Lord as in the days of old, and as in former years." "And I will come near to you to judgment." "And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless." "That turn aside the stranger from his right." "And fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts." "For I am the Lord." "I change not." "Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." "Ki ani Adonai lo shaniti." "That's what the Lord is saying to the people of Israel in the days of Malachi, some 450 years before the Messiah was presented." "Before Israel." "Before

Israel." "Before Israel." "For Israel." "So, beloved brothers and sisters," "We are in the book of Malachi." "So, beloved brothers and sisters." "We are in the book of Malachi." "Malachi." "Malachi." "Malachi," "as I mentioned many times," "was the people of Jacob." "The people of Jacob are not consumed." "Ki ani Adonai lo shaniti." "That's what the Lord is saying to the people of Israel in the days of Malachi." "Some 450 years before the Messiah was presented before Israel." "So, beloved brothers and sisters," "we are in the book of Malachi." "Malachi," "as I mentioned many times," "was the prophet," "the last prophet in our people's history," "before the Messiah finally came." "So, we are in the book of

Malachi." "Malachi," "as I mentioned many times," "Malachi finally came." "And presented himself as the Lamb of God," "which takes away the sin of this world." "So, Malachi," "that is Malachi," "is presenting the final message to Israel." "From the time that he presented his message," "about 450 BC," "until the time that Yeshua the Messiah introduced himself to Israel, the nation," "through the proclamation of John, Yohanan, the baptizer," "who said," "behold the Lamb of God," "which taketh away the sin of this world," "Malachi," "gave the final message." "The spiritual state of Israel was rather poor." "The Jewish people who lived in the land of Israel," "were continued on through their religious activity." "The temple was situated there."

"The people of Israel were continuing on with the sacrificial system." "Everything was fine, but their hearts were so far from the Lord," "that they really did not do what the Lord had wanted them to do." "You remember in chapter 1 verses 2 to 5," "God said to them already," "I love you, Israel." "Jacob have I loved." "And Israel said," "How is it that you loved us?" "Then later on, God said to them," "Where is my honor?" "In chapter 1 verses 6 to chapter 2 verse 9." "A father have an honor." "A master have a servant." "Where is my honor?" "Where is my respect?" "He said to Israel," "And Israel said," "How is it that we

didn't honor you?" "Then in chapter 2 of Malachi verses 10 to verse 16," "which we have already covered," "God said to Israel," "You have profaned the covenant that you have made with me." "The Levites had the Levitical covenant." "Then if you remember there was the marriage situation which had been broken." "The Jewish people in those days have taken their wives from the Gentile world who didn't believe in the true and living God." "Then they actually divorced their wives of their youth." "And God was challenging them." "If you remember," "He said to them in chapter 2 and verse 16," "The Lord, the God of Israel," "He says that he hateth putting away." "The Hebrew word for

putting away is shalach." "Shalach" comes to the English, "the thought of divorce." "God hates divorce because it breaks home," "it breaks relationship," "it breaks, gives pain to the people of God." "And God wants that his people will enjoy themselves and live for him." "And the divorces and the marriage with the unbelievers cause so much havoc among the people of Israel in those days," "in the days of Malachi." "And so you will notice that God is saying, I love you," "I'm expecting honor for you," "and I want you to have fidelity to live your life as a godly nation." "But look what was going on in those days of Malachi." "We always make a comparison to

the present day of the assembly age in which we find out that the conditions are rather similar in so many ways." "In the last days of the church age in which we live in, the same type of condition." "There's all sorts of things.

Religion without reality, the form of godliness without the power thereof." "And it is a very similar condition that applies to us today in the last days of which we live in today." "Soon Yeshua is going to come. He's going to take us to be with him in glory." "And then he will reward us for anything that we have done for his own glory." "We have honored him here on earth.

He will reward his own people." "So now, beloved brothers and sisters, we are moving from chapter 2, verses 10 to 16, where Israel's condition was rather poor." "Not only the priesthood, but the people, the nation." "Now in these verses that we are going to deal with, in chapter 2 and verse 17 to chapter 3, verse 6, "You will see what the people of Israel is saying to the Lord and the response of God towards the people of Israel." "He is now telling them that he will eventually going to have to discipline the nation until he will eventually restore Israel back to himself." "He is not saying to the Lord." "He is not saying to the

Lord, but it is in the scripture, it is in the Bible, it is in the word of God." "And as we are moving systematically from book to book, chapter to chapter, verse to verse, "We are reading those verses for the benefit of each and every one of us who are believers in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah." "So notice now, chapter 2, verse 17 really should be part of chapter 3." "Because verse 17, somehow the break there was not properly placed, because it really should be part of chapter 3." "The Lord, chapter 2, verse 17, notice what Israel, now Judah, have accused the Lord of being a God who never judge, a God who will delay

his judgment." "He is not going to come and do what he says that he will do." "So notice Malachi is now speaking in verse 17." "And he said to Israel, by the word of the Lord, ye have wearied Jehovah." "Ye have wearied the Lord," he is saying to the people of Israel.

"Look at the way you have behaved and conducted yourselves." "You have wearied the Lord." "Constantly giving the Lord a hard time." "You have wearied the Lord." "Now, the Lord is not being wearied." "He is a holy and a righteous God." "No one can change the program and the plan of God." "But the behavior of God's people, according to Malachi, chapter 2 and verse 17." "They have wearied the Lord." "Malachi is saying to the people of Israel." "So notice what he continues.

Yet ye say, you wearied the Lord, and yet you say, wherein have we wearied him?" "You caused trouble to the Lord." "You dishonored the Lord." "You defiled the things of the Lord." "And then you ask, how we have done so?" "So Malachi is giving them the twofold ways in which Israel have wearied the Lord." "Here in this verse 17." "You notice that?" "They said," "Not as he said," "Yet ye say," "Wherein we have wearied the Lord?" "When you say," "Number one," "Everyone that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord." "And he actually delights in the people that are doing evil." "That's the first thing that they were saying." "Everything, you know, God

does not deal with anyone." "Everybody can do as he wants." "Even the one who does evil." "God really actually is good in the sight of the Lord." "And he's actually delighting in them." "Therefore we can continue to do evil." "Secondly," "Malachi said to them," "Or here's the second thing that they were saying." "Where is the God of judgment?" "The God of justice?" "There was no judgment from God." "Oh, God is not going to deal with us." "We are going to continue on in our own way." "Where is that God of judgment?" "The God of justice?" "In other words, God doesn't deal with his own people." "He allowed them to carry on in their own way."

"And that's what they were challenging God." "And they really were saying to him," "You know, really, he delight in those that do evil." "He actually doesn't deal with them." "And God is not the God of judgment." "He's not judging people who do evil." "Everything is carrying on and can be continuing on." "He's not dealing with those who have gone astray and have done evil." "It reminds us exactly what the Apostle Peter said in his letter," "when he wrote to the early believers some years ago," "in 2 Peter 3:3 to verse 4 said," "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers," "walking after their own lusts," "and saying, 'Where is the promise

of his coming?'" "For since the fathers fell asleep," "the fathers died," "all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." "In other words, where is the one that had made promise to come and to deal with this world?" "Where is he?" "Everything continues as it always was." "You see, the people of Judah said the very same thing." "The people of God, not the world, not the unregenerated world, not the nations of the Goyim," "but the people of Judah, the people of Israel," "they said everyone that is doing evil is good in the sight of the Lord." "And actually the Lord delighted in those that do evil." "And where is the God of

justice?" "The God of judgment." "He's not here.

He doesn't do what he said that he will do." "And so in saying this, beloved brothers and sisters," "Chapter 2, Malachi 2:17," "God wanted to respond to Israel, to respond to Judah and to show them," "Listen, I will deal with sin." "I will respond in my time to the condition that prevailed in your days." "It's like today in which we live in today, in the world, you see what is going on in the world." "And you might say, really, where is God?" "How come he allows terrorism to such an extent?" "How come he allowed immorality to that extent?" "How come he allowed wars and conflict?" "How come he allowed holocausts to happen?" "How come God

allowed those things to happen?" "Where is the God of judgment?" "Will he ever judge men?" "Will he ever deal with that which is evil?" "Or does he delight in those that do evil?" "They have said to Malachi, the people of Judah, the people of Israel." "So in this last verse of chapter 2, they challenged the Lord." "They actually accused the Lord of being the God who does not deal just," "or does not deal proper with humanity or with the people of Israel." "So now, in chapter 3, Malachi 3:1," "to verse 6, Malachi speaks to the people of Judah and he shows to them that the Lord will eventually," "will respond to his people's accusation and

eventually he will come in justice, in judgment, in his own time." "And so if you notice that in the next six verses, it is extremely interesting because it's like sandwiched those verses between the accusation of the people of Judah against the Lord as if there is no God who does judgment." "And between at the end that God shows them that he does not change and even though he allows things to happen in due time, he will judge and he will discipline even his own people in his own time." "So it's very interesting because the first verse here of chapter 3 is extremely interesting because in chapter 3 and verse 1, listen to this verse, it

is an extremely interesting verse.

"Because it says that behold, I," "God is now speaking to Israel," "I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me." "And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in." "Behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts." Now just pause with me for a moment. This verse is filled with information that you and I kind of glance over when we just read it the way we just read it right now. You notice that first of all, the Lord using the word "behold," "hine." You saying that I am a God that is not going to judge?

You ask the question, "Where is the God who is doing justice and judging eventually?" I want to tell you, and he is speaking to the people of Judah, to remind you that this is the final message for Israel. This is the final passage in the Tanakh, as we know it, the Old Testament. Malachi is the final prophet. Israel did not receive any message from anyone for 450 years until the Messiah came. And when the Messiah Yeshua came, Israel did not accept him. So as far as Israel is concerned, there is right now nearly 2500 years where Israel is still waiting for a messenger to come. Of course we, as believers in Yeshua the Messiah, know that the messenger from the Lord did already come, and that he already presented the truth of God and the Messiah himself when he presented Yeshua the Messiah at his first coming.

So as far as our people Israel is concerned, since 450 BC, up till today, nearly 2500 years passed by, and Israel the nation is still waiting for some message from the Lord to restore them back to themselves. But in these verses, Malachi helps them to see that there will be someone that is going to come, and that he will be the one that they are waiting for, and they eventually, of course, did not acknowledge that he was the one that came from God. Now, verse 1 gives us twice the word messenger. You notice that? Behold, I will send my messenger. This is in the first part of verse 1.

And then at the end it says, He shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant. Now, just bear with me, please. A messenger simply means in the Hebrew word Malach. In Hebrew, Malach means angel on the one hand. An angel is called Malach. But a messenger also is someone that is sent by God for a purpose. Now, to remind you that the name of the prophet that is preaching to the Jewish people in those days, his name is Malachi, messenger. The second one that we already have talked about in chapter 2 and verse 7, the people who are the priests of Israel, they are also called the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

So, twice we have already read of the word Malachi. Chapter 1, verse 1, the word of Malachi, he was the prophet. Chapter 2 and verse 7, the priest who is a Malachi is the messenger of the Lord who is called to go with a message for the people of Israel. But now in chapter 3 and verse 1, we have additional two times in which the word messenger is mentioned in the book of Malachi. The first messenger is in verse 1a, and the second messenger is in verse 1 at the end, b. Those are two separate messenger or Malachim or Malach Adonai, prophet Malachi is presenting before us. Now notice how beautiful, because I've been fascinated with this verse of Malachi chapter 3 and verse 1.

It says, God is now the one who speaks. You see, in chapter 2 and verse 17, it was Malachi who spoke and he said, you are wearing the Lord. Now in chapter 3 and verse 1, the Lord himself is speaking. And he's saying to Israel, and he's saying to Israel, behold, you complain about me not being the God of judgment, the God of justice. Behold, I will send my messenger and he shall prepare the way before me. Notice God is speaking. And he says, I will send my messenger and that messenger that I will send, he will prepare the way before me. That is God. Now that messenger is very clearly presented in the New Testament, as none else but Yohanan, John the baptizer.

John the baptizer, Yohanan Hamadbil, was the one who was sent by God. And he was the one that prepared the way for God's appearance before the people of Israel. Now for one minute, please, turn with me to the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 40, Isaiah spoke about the same messenger that Malachi is speaking about right now, 450 years before Yeshua the Messiah came. Isaiah in chapter 40 spoke about the coming messenger as about 750 BC, 300 years earlier, while Malachi is speaking about the very same messenger 300 years later, about 300 years later. And look what Isaiah said in chapter 40 in verse 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in a desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. Verse 5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. See, Isaiah is just like Malachi. The only difference between Isaiah, who spoke to the people of Judah, and Malachi, who spoke to the people of Judah, is about 300 years in between them. 750 BC, 450 BC. Something like that. Both of them were men of God. Both of them were Nevi'im, prophets of Israel. Both of them presented the Lord's servant, the Lord's messenger who is going to come.

Both of them spoke about Yohanan Hamadbil, John the baptizer. I will send my messenger, my Malachi, and he shall prepare the way before me, God is saying to the people of Judah. Send someone. And that someone that will come, he will prepare the way before me, God is saying to the people of Judah. Now we read from Isaiah chapter 40, verses 3, 4, and 5. But you will notice that every one of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, every one of the four Gospels in the New Covenant, and the New Testament, present the very same person, John the baptizer, as the one that is recorded both in Isaiah 40, and in Malachi chapter 3.

He was the one that will introduce the Messiah that was going to come to deal with the nation, to deal with the nations of the world, and to come to provide redemption for mankind. And so in chapter 3 of the Gospel of Matthew, we read, listen to this, beloved brothers and sisters. Verse 1 said, "In those days came John the baptizer, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying," and we just read Isaiah chapter 40, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, where ye the way of the Lord make his path straight." You see, Isaiah, like Malachi, was promising that God one day is going to send the Messiah, but before the Messiah is going to come, he's going to send someone to introduce him to prepare the way of Jehovah, the way of the Lord.

And so in this third chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew is writing about John, Yohanan Hamatbil in Hebrew, John the baptizer, who came giving a thundering message to the people of Judah. Again, I'm reminding you that 400, 450 years passed by since Malachi is speaking. Now come John the baptizer, and he's presenting the Messiah, and he says, "Listen, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight." And notice what he told them in these very same verses, a little bit further down. He said to them, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.

He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire, fan in his hand. He will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." See, John Yohanan came to introduce the Mashiach, Yeshua, at his first coming. And he was preparing the way for Yeshua, the Messiah, to appear himself before the nation of Israel. Will Israel accept him? Will Israel embrace the Mashiach, the Messiah, Yeshua as their own Savior and Lord and the Promised One of Israel? The messenger came by the name of Hanan Amadbil. I didn't read in the remaining Gospels, in Mark 1:1-3, Luke 3:2-5, John 1:15-22-23, All the four Gospels present the person of Yeshua, of the messenger who will introduce Yeshua the Messiah, of whom we read in Isaiah 40:3-5 and in Malachi 3:1a.

"Behold, I will send my messenger, my Malach, and he shall prepare the way before me." God is speaking. This is amazing. Now what happened, beloved brothers and sisters, in the very same verse 1, there is a little change now from the fact that God is speaking about himself as divine person, we are all of a sudden introduced to a second messenger. And you can see that the second messenger is called here in verse 1, the messenger of the covenant, Malach Habrit, you will notice now that it changes to a person who is now not so much as emphasizing his divine nature, but emphasizing his humanity. In other words, you can really see that we learn from this passage of the fact that God was going to present himself to the people of Israel in a person of the Messiah, of his son.

How is he going to do that? Well, notice that in chapter 3, verse 1b, because it says immediately, "And the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, he shall come, sayeth Jehovah of hosts, the Lord of hosts." In other words, God first of all saying about himself that he will send a messenger who will come to prepare the way before God. But now that divine person, namely God himself, Jehovah himself, is now presenting himself as the messenger of the covenant who will come in, who will come in, you might say, in human form.

That's why he's calling himself here with the word Lord, capital L, small O-R-D, the Hebrew word is Ha'adon, the master. He's now presenting himself in his humanity and he's going to be the one who's going to suddenly come, as it says here in verse 3b. And where he's going to come to? He's suddenly going to come to his temple and he's calling himself the messenger of the covenant. In Hebrew it's called Malach Habrit. This is the messenger of the new covenant. When God have promised to Israel that he will make a new covenant, Brit Hadashah with the people of Israel, in order for him to do so, how can he make a new covenant in contrast to the covenant that he made with Israel through when he brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, brought them to Mount Sinai, gave them the law.

And any nation would have broken the law because sin, the law become like a meal for us to show us, I fail in every requirement from the Lord I have failed. So God have introduced the new covenant, Jeremiah 31 and verse 31. And the new covenant could only be accomplished where God himself would come down to this earth the person of the Messiah and present himself as the messenger of the covenant. And you know very well what we read in Scripture. For example, Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14, Isaiah said, "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel, God with us." Isaiah chapter 9 and verse 6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the Father of eternity, and the Prince of Peace." "Sar Shalom." Well, you see what we learned, beloved brothers and sisters, that God promised that he's going to come in a future day, and he's going to come and to be called the messenger of the covenant.

And how he's going to establish this new covenant? God had to enter humanity in the person of God the Son. That's why John once said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Then verse 14, "And the Word became flesh, and he dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." God had to enter humanity. All have sinned, Israel have sinned, the world have sinned, all come short of the glory of God. How can God provide a way of redemption for mankind? How can sin will be dealt with?

So he's going to send the messenger, Yohanan Amatbil, and that messenger, Yohanan Amatbil, will prepare the way of the Lord, and when the Messiah, God the Son will come, he is called the Adon, and he will suddenly come to his temple, and he's called the messenger of the covenant. Malach Habrit. It is fascinating. You know, if you don't realize this, men by nature do not realize that, that if sin is going to be dealt with, if God is going to deal with the judgment that the world deserves, he must do something in order to provide a way of escape to those who will trust in him.

So he had to enter humanity. He came through the virgin Miriam. He was born in the city of Bethlehem. He lived the perfect life in the land of Israel. He introduced himself to our own people some 2,000 years ago, where he introduced himself right there and then, as it says here, he will come suddenly to his temple. Now turn with me for a moment to John chapter 2. In John chapter 2, we see how the Lord came into his temple at his first coming. You notice that we don't hear so much in verse 1 of any judgment as yet, because at the first coming of the Messiah, he didn't come to judge as yet, but he came to take judgment upon himself.

So he will deal with the question of sin and will provide a way of redemption for mankind. That's why in John chapter 2, we read about the first coming of Yeshua the Messiah, who suddenly came to his temple in John chapter 2. And notice some of the verses I'm going to read here in John chapter 2. It says there in verse 13, John 2, 13, "And the Jewish Passover was at hand, and Yeshua went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and changes of money sitting. And when he had made scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple and the sheep and the oxen, and he poured out the changes of money and overthrew the tables." And notice what he said in verse 16, "And he said unto them that sold doves, take these things, hence make not my father's house a house of merchandise." Notice, "My father's house." Malachi chapter 3 and verse 1, "He will suddenly come to his temple." Now, which temple it was?

Now, to remind you, that at the time of Malachi, when Malachi was speaking, it was rebuilt. It was rebuilt by Zerubavel. It was beautified by Ezra. That the walls around Jerusalem were built by Nehemiah. And that very same temple remained until the time where Yeshua the Messiah came. Except that when he came, Herod had enlarged the very same second temple. So, he would come suddenly unto his temple, even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight." In other words, Israel were waiting for the Messiah, but they didn't know that he was the Messiah, blinded by their own self-will, blinded by their own Pharisaic teachings, did not acknowledge that he was the Messiah.

But he was coming to the very same temple which was built by Zerubavel and continued on, but enlarged by Herod. By the time Yeshua came in Matthew and John, by that time, it's about 30 A.D. He suddenly went into the temple and he said to them in John chapter 2, "How come that what you are doing, you are making the house of my father becoming a den of thieves?" John chapter 2 and verse 16, "Take these things, hence make not my father's house the house of merchandise." In other words, brothers and sisters, you know what happened? Is that since 400-450 B.C. up till about 30 A.D., the religious activity continued and yet they didn't recognize that he was the Messiah.

And if you notice, most of the conflict that Yeshua had at his first coming was not with the ordinary Israeli or Jewish or Hebrew, but it was with the religious leaders. The Pharisees, the Kohanim, the priests, the Levites, the Levim, the Tzdukim, the Prushim. In other words, things continue on but God promises, "Listen, he will come, my messenger, the messenger of the covenant will come." He will suddenly come into his own temple. You are waiting for the Messiah, you delight in the coming of the Messiah but you don't realize that he was the Messiah and then it says in verse 1 at the end, "Behold, he shall come," saith the Lord of hosts.

And surely enough, beloved brothers and sisters, he came. In the fullness of time, Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4, sent forth his son, made of a woman, namely Miriam, made under the law, he was part of, he was a Jewish man among our own people, Israel, he was part of the nation of Israel, he came, surely came in the fullness of time. But, he did not come to judge as yet because he came to pay for the penalty of sin. He came to die as a substitute. He came to fulfill all which was promised by the Lord, by God, that the Messiah will come, he will be the supreme sacrifice who will die for the unjust in order to bring us to God.

That's why in verse 1 of chapter 3 of the prophet Malachi, you don't find any judgment as yet because it speaks about the first coming of the Mashiach, the Messiah. And he came and he died. Oh, he surely died. All we like sheep have gone astray, Isaiah said. We have turned everyone to his own way, but the Lord laid upon him the enemies of us all. Oh, he came. And he died. And he was penalized for the sins of Israel and the sins of all the world. And after he died, he was buried. And he rose. And he went back to heaven. And now for the last 2,000 years about, Yeshua, the Mashiach, is at God's right hand, waiting for the day when he's going to come again at his second coming.

But beloved, the second coming, he's not going to come anymore as a lamb, but he's going to come as the lion of the tribe of Judah to execute judgment upon a world that rejected him and that did not accept his sacrificial work for them when he died for them on the tree. And so, it is so interesting, the first verse of Malachi chapter 3 is filled with information. Now, as you read the verses here, Malachi chapter 3, verses 1, and then you flow down to verse 2, 3, and 4, you do not see quite clearly that there is two comings here of the Mashiach. First coming and second coming. You do not see it because when you read the text, it flows very nicely and it seems like he's talking about the same timing.

But while verse 1 speaks about the first coming of the Messiah, from verse 2 to verse 6, it speaks about the second coming of the Messiah. Now, let me show you something and I hope you will bear with me. Go to the prophet Zechariah. one book back. Zechariah. This is extremely interesting and I think it helps us to understand the word of God better. In Zechariah chapter 9, I want you to notice that what we read there in those verses, Zechariah chapter 9, verses 9 and 10. I want you to notice that verses 9 and 10 speaks about two comings of the Messiah and it flows one after another and unless you understand the scripture, you will never be able to grasp it.

It says, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Yerushalayim! Behold, thy king cometh unto thee, he is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a cold, the fall of an ass. This is the first coming of the Mashiach, who came riding on a donkey, presenting himself before people of Israel, coming, presenting salvation, coming in humility, lowly, and riding upon a donkey. This is Zechariah chapter 9 in verse 9. But then immediately, if you read the next verse, you find out that his noun does not speak about the first coming in humility, but in the next verse he speaks about his second coming in judgment.

Notice verse 10. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Yerushalayim, and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he, this is the same one, the king of verse 9, now he, the same king, he shall speak peace unto the heathen, and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. When do we see the dominion of the Lord from sea to sea? Where do we have Shalom here in this world? Where do we have the Gentiles, the nations of the world have accepting him? When do you have Jerusalem and Israel is finally accepting him?

We don't have it today. It's already 2,000 years passed by. Oh yeah, but we look back in Zechariah 9:9, he once came and he rode upon a donkey, he humbled himself, he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, he died, he was buried, he rose again, and the last 2,000 years we are still waiting for Zechariah 9:10 to be fulfilled. In the meanwhile, the assembly is born. Jew and Gentiles are united in Messiah, and the Gospel is being preached all over the nations of the world, including the people from Bhutan, who accepted the Messiah. Jewish and Gentiles who have accepted the Messiah become part of this company that is called in Scripture Ekklesia.

But he's going to come again? Go back to Isaiah for a moment. I want to show you one more verse just to clarify and then we're going to move along. in chapter 9. Look at this. Very interesting. It helps in understanding the Scripture better. Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6, Isaiah 9:6, "Unto us a child is born, and to us a son is given." Now, if you look at this verse, and you look at the history, we know that the child was born by the name of Yeshua in Bethlehem about 2,000 years ago. And you know that this child is actually the son of God as a son he was given as a child he was born.

But then immediately in verse 6b, it says, "And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, of the increase of his government, and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forevermore the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Well, where did it ever happen as yet? We are still waiting for Yeshua the Messiah to sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom? He is still rejected today, beloved brothers and sisters.

So you see what we really learn? Zechariah 9, verses 9 and 10, first coming, second coming. Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7, first coming, second coming. Malachi chapter 3, verses 1, first coming, and now in verses 2 to verse 6 is the second coming of the Messiah. So back to Malachi chapter 3, and from verse 2 to verse 5, the messenger of the covenant here, notice how interesting, the messenger of the covenant right now is going to come again and he will judge the world, he will refine the nation of Israel and eventually will restore Israel back to himself. that's what Malachi is teaching in this third chapter. So now quickly, in verse 2, God is asking, who may abide and who shall stand at the time where the messenger of the covenant will come the second time?

Notice that? It says in verse 2, but who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like a fuller's soap. In verse 2, God is saying, declaring, who is going to be able to stand? Who is able to abide in the day in the day when the messenger of the covenant, Malach Habrit, will come now not at his first coming, but at his second coming? Who is going to be able to stand? Who is going to be able to abide? You know the word here to abide comes from the Hebrew word mechalkel. Who can figure out how things will develop at the time when he is going to come?

Who is going to be able to stand before God during the time where the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, will come at his second coming? Because he is no longer going to come as this humble man who suffered and died on a Roman cross. No. He is going to come as a judge. And he is going to judge the world in righteousness. He is going to be, you notice it says here in verse 2, he is like a refiner's fire. You know, in Hebrew it says Ke'esh Metzaref. In other words, someone who wanted to purify the gold, he will place the gold underneath a fire and a fire will purify the gold.

All the chaff, all that which is not real will be destroyed. That's what he is really saying in verse 2. Who may abide and who will stand the time where the messenger of the covenant will come at his second coming. And you see, brothers and sisters, look what is going to happen. God will purify this world and the question that people of Judah ask, where is the God who is judging? Where is he? The world says, where is the promise of his coming? He is not going to come. He is delayed his coming. He is only talking and he doesn't do, he doesn't have any action.

doesn't it remind us of the day of Noah when men mocked at God, mocked at Noah, saw Noah building an ark and laughed at him. But beloved brothers and sisters, when the flood came, they were running to the mountains and to the hills, trying to find a place to escape. and they couldn't find a place to escape. Because the only place escape is found in the ark. In the ark that Noah built in obedience to God. And the ark is a picture of the Mashiach, the Messiah, a place of safety, a place of protection, a place of assurance of salvation. And they were knocking on the door, Noah, let us in, let us in.

but it was too late. And the judgment of God came during the days of the flood where only eight souls remained alive. I don't know if you have seen some of the videos about the tsunamis that happened in certain islands just a few years ago. Believe me, the pride of men disappeared when God comes in judgment. And all those who say, where is the promise of his coming? Where is the God of judgment? God says, I will show you that day. I can assure you that I as a holy and a righteous God who sent the Messiah, the messenger of the covenant in the first coming, who died for you, for your redemption, I will send him again.

But this time he's no longer going to come to die for sin. He's coming to judge. Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? Abraham asked Jehovah the Lord when he stood before the Lord. God will do right. And so in verse 2, beloved brothers and sisters, really he's speaking about the tribulation period. where God is going to come in judgment upon this world that rejected him. In Daniel chapter 12 and verse 1, Daniel said, listen, Michael, he said, "And at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time." God is going to bring a terrible time.

It's called Jacob's trouble. Sarat Yaakov in the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 30 and verse 7. This is what he's speaking about. Where the Messiah at his second coming this messenger of the covenant will come and he will be like a refining fire. A fire of God's judgment upon the face of this earth. Terrible just to think about these events that are going to happen here in this world. In Matthew chapter 24, Yeshua said in verse 21, "For then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no ever shall be." Verse 22, "And except those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Matthew 24 verses 21 and 22.

This is what he's speaking about. So the people of Judah said, "Where is the God of judgment?" And God is saying, "I will bring the judgment. I will come to discipline you and the whole world who rejected me but before I'm going to come in judgment I'm going to send the messenger of my covenant of the new covenant that he will accomplish redemption. He will pay the price for sin. If you only trust in him and accept him he will forgive your sin but at his second coming he's going to come to a refined fire." And notice the second thing like a fuller soap. It's like a strong soap that bleached clothes.

He will make things pure. The world will learn righteousness when the Messiah will come at his second coming. In the next verse, beloved brothers and sisters, I didn't read so many verses that we can read that we can read in Revelation 8 verses 7, 8, 9 and 10 how the judgment will come upon the face of this world during the tribulation. In Sephaniah chapter 1 verses 12 to 18 it's going to be a horrible day in this world when Yeshua the Messiah is going to come at his second coming as the judge of all the earth. In 2 Peter chapter 3 God reserved this world into an everlasting fire, a time of judgment when he is going to come.

Then will the world seek to ask this question "Where is the God of judgment?" And if they didn't turn to the Lord they will experience the judgment of God as a refining fire and a strong soap that bleached clothes to that extent that he will purify this world from the sin that came into this world. Now notice that in the next verse in verse 3 that messenger of the covenant Yeshua the Messiah what is he going to do? He will purify the sons of Levi Levi you see the Levites the Levim the priest was supposed to serve him. But what do they do according to this chapter 2 instead of offering sacrifices that are honoring to the Lord they offered all that which is dishonoring unto the Lord and they violated the covenant that God made with the tribe of Levi.

Levi they offered all that which was lame all that which was sick the blind but God wanted them to offer sacrifices that are pleasing to him. So in verse 3 of Malachi chapter 3 he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi and he will purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Heaven finished with Israel because he is planning at the second coming to refine the sons of Levi and to restore them into a relationship with him that they will now offer to the Lord offering in righteousness. This is why God have promised the coming of the Mashiach in his first coming to deal with sin in his second coming to judge but it is always in view of restoration of his own people.

So the tribe he will purify the sons of Levi. In the previous chapter we read what Levi have done. O ye priests he says to them you remember what he said to them hear ye the word of the Lord he said to them and he was accusing them in breaking my covenant covenant with Levi sayeth the Lord of all. My covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name. But look what happened. The Levites have turned away against the Lord but in the future the Levites will be restored and the tribe of Levi will be used by the Lord.

But not only the tribe of Levi. of Levi. Notice in verse 4 Judah, Jerusalem the rest of the Jewish community eventually will be refined. Verse 4 says Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old as in the former years. Now when Judah when the people of Judah the people of Jerusalem will come with an offering to the Lord it will be pleasing to the Lord. He will accept it. Not like the way it is now in the day of Malachi but in the future day at the second coming of the Messiah after at the end of the tribulation Israel will realize that Yeshua is the Messiah and not only the Levites but also the tribe of Judah and the rest of the nation including the city of Jerusalem will be pleasant unto the Lord.

Aravah Le Adonai as it says here in verse 4. And you notice in verse 5 the messenger of the covenant will come notice to this world he going to come to judge swiftly. That's where verse 5 said I will come near to you to judgment and I will be a swift witness against and who he is going to go against. number one the sorcerers in verse 5. Number two the adulterers in verse 5b. Number three against the false swearers. Number four against the oppressors. These are the four groups of people that the messenger of the covenant will deal with. The sorcerers, the adulterers, the false swearers and the oppressors.

All those who rejected God and followed Satan's way here in this world. The sorcerers are those who teach false teaching. In Hebrew we call it mechashefim. The adulterers are those who live a life that immoral. we call it noafim. The false swearers are those who swear who are liars. We call it nishbaei sheker. And the oppressors those that are oschkim in Hebrew. Those that are oppressing the women, the children, the innocent one. They're the one that are in need. Those who oppress them. Those are the evildoers here in this world that the second coming will deal with them as well. Those four groups that I mentioned here in chapter 3 and verse 5.

Notice that he said those who oppress the hireling in his wages. They don't give them a fair wage. Those who oppress the widows. They don't treat the widows right. Those who oppress the fatherless. Those that have no fathers. To take care of them. And those that turn aside the stranger from his right way. They will turn aside the stranger who need to come in. and learn of God's word. They will turn him aside and lead him astray. He says they are the ones that I'm going to deal with at the second coming. And you asking me where is God who is a God of judgment?

You will see. God is saying to Israel through the prophet Malachi. And finally brothers and sisters in verse 6 it's a beautiful verse. verse 6 the Lord says I am Jehovah. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. Here is what we call the election of the nation of Israel. God has chosen Israel to be his people. God is not going to change. I change not. I didn't change. I don't change. I don't change. He says. I didn't change. You changed. I don't change. In Hebrews 13:8 we read Yeshua HaMashiach the same yesterday today and forever. He never changed. He is the same. He is holy.

And He is gracious. He is love. And if He will change then Jacob will be consumed. Because of all the sins. That they have committed. That we have committed. If God will change. If the Lord Jesus the Messiah will change. Where would you and I be? He will change His opinion about you. His plan for you. And for me. Where would we be? So here is an eschewing. Beautiful verse. I am the Lord. I change not. And because I change not. Israel. Jacob. Because this ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. People try to consume Jacob from generation to generation. There is always a man that is rising to say I will destroy the people of Israel.

Whether Hitler. Or whether Haman. Or whether Pharaoh. Or whether Herod. Or whether anyone in all the history of Israel. Men rose to seek to consume the sons of Jacob. And God says I am the Lord. I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. God has a plan for his people of Israel. He will punish his own people. But eventually he will restore Israel back to himself. Romans teach us that all Israel one day in a future day at the end of the tribulation Romans 11:25 and 26 All Israel eventually will come to acknowledge Yeshua the Messiah and those who will remain at the end of the tribulation will be a nation that will be saved and will enter into the messianic kingdom to bring a blessing to the world to be a light to the world in a messianic kingdom.

I change not. God says. Therefore ye sons of Jacob change not. No. Thank God for the promises of God for you and I today. Jesus the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever and he changes not in a relationship to you and I as believers today. And that's why our salvation is secure. That's why we belong to him for time and for eternity. We need to be you might say in fellowship with him to enjoy him. but he will discipline us when he needed when we are going astray but he changed not. He is the same. Yesterday, today and forever so he wants us to have healthy, spiritual with him so we can enjoy him until he is going to come to take us to be with him at home.

Can we say amen to that?