“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:5, 6.
Malachi, which means “my messenger,” prophesied that God would send His messenger to prepare the way for Christ’s coming. This prophecy was fulfilled at Christ’s first coming, but it will be fulfilled again before His second coming, just as most Old Testament classical prophecies which have a typological connection with the end-time world judgment.1
In fact, based on the context of Malachi 3, we can also see a fulfillment of this prophecy in the great Advent movement that preached the first angel’s message and proclaimed the “midnight cry” in 1844.2 The first fulfillment was seen in the life and ministry of John the Baptist, who was called to live “in holiness and righteousness before Him…to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by remission of their sins…to give light to them that sit in darkness….” Luke 1:75–79. Just as John the Baptist fulfilled his calling, just as the Advent believers in 1843–1844 accepted and proclaimed the midnight cry, we have a message to live and proclaim today.
“In this age, just prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven, God calls for men who will prepare a people to stand in the great day of the Lord. Just such a work as that which John did, is to be carried on in these last days. The Lord is giving messages to His people, through the instruments He has chosen, and He would have all heed the admonitions and warnings He sends. The message preceding the public ministry of Christ was, Repent, publicans and sinners; repent, Pharisees and Sadducees; ‘for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Our message is not to be one of peace and safety. As a people who believe in Christ’s soon appearing, we have a definite message to bear,—‘Prepare to meet thy God.’”3
Oh, may we arise to fulfill our call!
1. H.K. LaRondelle, How to Understand the End-Time Prophecies of the Bible, p. 7.
2. Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, Chapter 22: “Prophecies Fulfilled.”
3. Ellen G. White, SDA Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, p. 1184.