The prophet Malachi spoke of a messenger that would come before the day of the Lord, saying “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1). This verse prompts the question – who is this promised messenger that would prepare the way before the Lord?
There are a few key things we can understand about this messenger from the text:
- He is sent by God – “I send my messenger”
- His role is to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord
- He will come before the day of the Lord
- He is distinct from the Lord, who will come to His temple suddenly
- He is associated with or is “the messenger of the covenant”
Putting these clues together, Bible scholars have looked at this prophecy in a few different ways:
John the Baptist as the Messenger
Many connect Malachi’s prophecy to John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus’ ministry. John called people to repentance in anticipation of the Messiah’s coming and baptized Jesus at the start of His ministry. In the Gospels, John is associated with the prophecy from Isaiah 40 about a messenger preparing the way (Matt 3:3, Mark 1:2, Luke 3:4, John 1:23). John himself denied that he was the Christ, but said he was sent before Him (John 1:20-23). Jesus also identified John as the messenger prophesied by Malachi (Matt 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27). So the New Testament writers present John the Baptist as the first phase of Malachi’s prophecy being fulfilled.
Jesus as the Messenger
While John fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy in an initial sense, preparing people for Jesus’ ministry, some also see Jesus Himself as the complete fulfillment of the promised messenger. Whereas John prepared the way for Jesus’ first coming, Jesus was also the messenger of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Luke 22:20). His second coming will be the final fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy, when He comes suddenly to His temple to reign as Lord. So Jesus fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy not just at His first coming, but also in an ongoing sense throughout history until His return.
A Latter Day Elijah as the Messenger
Some have speculated that Malachi’s prophecy will be fulfilled by an end-times forerunner like Elijah, who will prepare the way for Christ’s second coming. This is based on Malachi 4:5, where the prophet writes “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Interpreting the messenger of Malachi 3:1 as a latter-day Elijah figure is controversial, with debate about whether this prophecy was already fulfilled by John the Baptist, who ministered in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Those who hold to a still-future Elijah see him preaching repentance to prepare for Christ’s return, but not all are agreed on this interpretation.
The Divine Messiah Interpretation
Another view is that the messenger is a divine messianic figure, based on the phrase “messenger of the covenant.” In Malachi 3:1, the messenger is identified as both a messenger preparing the way and as “the Lord whom you seek.” This has led some to conclude it refers to the Messiah Himself coming, in His divinity, to purify the temple and the people. In this view, the messenger is more than a prophet, he is the divine Son of God who brings the new covenant. However, others counter that the Hebrew does not necessitate this translation, and that reading a divine figure into the text is unwarranted.
Examining the biblical evidence, there are good reasons to conclude that Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy:
- John the Baptist fulfilled an initial phase of the prophecy, but pointed away from himself to the Christ.
- Jesus claimed John was the prophesied messenger preparing His way (Matt 11:10).
- As the mediator of the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah, Jesus fulfilled the role of “messenger of the covenant.”
- The prophecy anticipates the Lord’s coming to His temple. Jesus purified the temple at the start of His ministry, claiming authority over it as the Son of God (Matt 21:12-13).
- The messenger prepares the way for the coming of the Lord, which Jesus ultimately fulfills in His second coming in glory.
So while John the Baptist was a messenger preparing the way for Christ’s ministry, Jesus is the complete fulfillment of the prophesied messenger as He brings the new covenant and will return in glory. The emphasis is not on identifying a single individual, but on Jesus as the culmination of God’s redemptive plan in sending a messenger to redeem His people. With His second coming still future, the prophecy has an ongoing fulfillment that anticipates the consummation of Christ’s kingdom.
In the interest of thoroughly examining the candidate messengers, here is some further discussion on both John the Baptist and the possibility of a latter-day Elijah figure:
The Case for John the Baptist
There is compelling biblical evidence that John the Baptist fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy, at least in an initial sense. John himself quoted Isaiah 40:3 and identified himself as the prophesied messenger who prepared the way for Christ (John 1:23). The Gospel writers specifically connect John the Baptist to Malachi’s prophecy (Matt 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27). Similarities between John and Elijah’s ministries have also been noted, as John called the nation to repentance in preparation for the Messiah and Jesus said John came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). So John fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy by readying the people for Jesus’ ministry and declaring the Messiah’s arrival.
However, John denied that he was the Christ, pointing others to Jesus instead (John 1:20-23). This indicates that while John prepared the initial way for Jesus, the prophecy finds its primary fulfillment and culmination in Christ Himself. So John fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy in a preliminary sense, but Jesus is the ultimate messenger and redeemer in view.
The Case for an End-Times Elijah
Based on Malachi 4:5 mentioning Elijah coming “before the great and awesome day of the Lord,” some see a still-future fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy by an end-times Elijah figure. Two primary arguments are made for this view:
1) Malachi 3:1 and 4:5 are separate prophecies about two different messengers. In this view, John fulfilled Malachi 3:1 but 4:5 refers to an eschatological Elijah still to come.
2) John only partially fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy as the forerunner of Christ’s first advent. But the language of the Lord’s coming to His temple (Mal. 3:1) and the great day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5) requires a second fulfillment in the end times before Christ’s return.
However, there are difficulties with these arguments. First, thematically Malachi links the two prophecies, making it likely they refer to the same messenger. Second, Mark 1:2 and 9:11-13 connect Malachi 3:1 and 4:5 to John the Baptist. Third, Revelation 11 identifies the two witnesses in a way that suggests Moses and Elijah’s ministries are summed up in Christ’s witnesses throughout church history, rather than seeing literal reappearances. So the end-times Elijah view, while held by some, does not seem to have the strongest biblical support.
Conclusion
In summary, while John fulfilled Malachi’s prophecy in an initial sense, Jesus Christ is the complete fulfillment of the promised messenger. He is the messenger of the new covenant, the Lord who has come and will come again to His temple, and the one who fully accomplishes God’s work of redemption. The emphasis should not be on identifying a single individual, but rather on how Jesus Christ is central to the prophecy as the culmination of God’s saving plan for mankind. As the ultimate fulfillment, Jesus will consummate Malachi’s prophecy when He returns to establish God’s kingdom in glory.
