Who was Malachi in the Bible?

Malachi was the final Old Testament prophet who wrote the Book of Malachi. The name Malachi means “my messenger” or “my angel”. Malachi likely wrote his prophetic book between 450-400 BC after the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon. Malachi was concerned with religious complacency and neglect among the priests and people. His prophecies center around the failure of Israel to fulfill their covenant relationship with God after their return from exile.

Here is an overview of key information about the prophet Malachi and the Book of Malachi in the Bible:

Authorship

The Book of Malachi explicitly identifies Malachi as the author in Malachi 1:1. While little is known about him, it is clear he was a real prophet and not simply an unknown author using “Malachi” as a pen name. The Hebrew name Malachi means “my messenger”. This meaning has led some scholars to suggest Malachi was not the prophet’s actual name but rather a title. However, there is no definitive evidence for this. Malachi is one of the few prophets in the Old Testament where we know the author’s name.

Extrabiblical Jewish tradition suggests that Malachi was a member of the “Great Synagogue”, a council of prophets started by Ezra after the end of the Babylonian exile. According to tradition, this group of prophets wrote some of the later Old Testament books. However, there is no solid evidence that Malachi was part of this group.

Malachi’s use of Hebrew indicates he was likely a native Israelite prophet rather than a prophet who grew up in exile in Babylon. The Book of Malachi shows he was familiar with Persian customs and government practices in Judah at the time. This suggests Malachi prophesied sometime during the century after the rebuilding of the Temple in 515 BC.

Date

There is no definitive date given for the Book of Malachi. However, most scholars believe the book was likely written between 450-400 BC. Here are some of the reasons for this later date in Israel’s history:

• Malachi refers to the “governor” of Judah indicating Persia’s rule over the area (Malachi 1:8). Persia conquered the Babylonian empire in 539 BC.
• The Temple has already been rebuilt suggesting a date after 515 BC (Malachi 1:6-10).
• Malachi rebukes men for divorcing and remarrying Jewish women (Malachi 2:10-16). Intermarriage with foreign women was a prominent issue during Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s ministries around 450-425 BC (Ezra 10, Nehemiah 13:23-27).
• The sins addressed in Malachi parallel those confronted by Nehemiah in Nehemiah 13 during his second period as governor around 430 BC.

For these reasons, most scholars believe Malachi prophesied in Jerusalem during the middle of the 5th century BC after Nehemiah and Ezra’s reforms between 450-400 BC.

Setting & Historical Context

The Book of Malachi addresses a time about one hundred years after the end of the Babylonian exile. Cyrus king of Persia had allowed the Jewish people to return to Judah and rebuild the Temple under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. While the Temple was rebuilt by 515 BC, Jerusalem still laid largely in ruins at this time.

Initially there was great excitement and expectation among those who returned from Babylon to rebuild the Temple. However, that initial enthusiasm had waned by Malachi’s day. After being back in the land for almost a century, the difficult realities of reestablishing themselves had set in. The struggles and opposition they faced had led to discouragement and spiritual apathy.

The priests had become lax and negligent in administering the sacrifices (Malachi 1:6-14). The people were bringing defective offerings and keeping the best for themselves (Malachi 1:6-14). Many Jewish men were divorcing their wives and marrying women who worshiped foreign gods (Malachi 2:10-16). The people were failing to tithe their offerings leading to insufficient food in the Temple storehouse (Malachi 3:8-10). They were serving God halfheartedly while questioning why following God seemed meaningless (Malachi 2:17).

Malachi wrote to awaken the people from their religious apathy. He called on the priests and the people to wholeheartedly recommit themselves to God. Malachi emphasized that while God loves Israel, He still demands honor and obedience. Malachi proclaimed that God would purify and restore the nation and the priests before sending the Messiah and the day of judgment.

Overview & Purpose

The Book of Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament in the Christian Bible. In the Hebrew Bible it is one of the twelve minor prophets and is the final book of the Prophets section. The Book of Malachi consists of a series of disputes between God and His people. Malachi acts as God’s prosecutor making His case against Israel.

Malachi highlights how the people have been unfaithful in their covenant with God as Lord. God, through Malachi, directly confronts the people and priests on specific sins. God lovingly corrects them by calling them away from wrong attitudes and actions back into right relationship with Him.

The book can be divided into six disputations between God and Israel:

1. God affirms His love for Israel (Malachi 1:2-5)
2. God rebukes the priests for offering defective sacrifices (Malachi 1:6-2:9)
3. God rebukes unfaithfulness and divorce among the people (Malachi 2:10-16)
4. God accuses the people of doubting His justice (Malachi 2:17-3:6)
5. God demands Israel return to Him with their offerings and tithes (Malachi 3:6-12)
6. God pronounces blessings on those who fear Him and judgment on evildoers (Malachi 3:13-4:3)

Malachi calls the nation to return to righteous living under God’s laws. He promises that God will send a forerunner and then the “messenger of the covenant”, the Messiah, to Israel. Malachi’s last words in the Old Testament speak of the coming day of the Lord and Elijah’s return before that great and dreadful day.

Key Themes

Some of the key themes in the Book of Malachi include:

• Covenant faithfulness – Malachi emphasizes Israel’s failure to remain faithful to God under their covenant. He calls them to repent and fulfill their covenant obligations.
• Honor God’s name – Malachi condemns offering defective sacrifices and keeping the best for themselves. This failed to honor God’s name and character.
• Justice – The people doubt God’s justice since the wicked seem to prosper. But Malachi declares God is sovereign and will bring all injustice to light.
• Tithing – By failing to bring their full tithes and offerings, the people were robbing God and unable to care for the Temple and priests.
• hypocrisy – Israel was going through the motions of religious rituals without sincere devotion to God. Malachi rebukes this hypocrisy.
• Promised messenger – Malachi declares God will send a messenger to prepare the way and then the coming of the Lord and Messiah.

Outline

Here is a basic outline of the Book of Malachi:

1. Introduction (1:1)
2. God’s love for Israel (1:2-5)
3. Rebuke of the priests (1:6-2:9)
4. Condemnation of marital unfaithfulness (2:10-16)
5. Justice and mercy of God (2:17-3:6)
6. Call to return with the tithe (3:7-12)
7. Final exhortation and blessing (3:13-4:6)

This outline shows how the book readily divides into disputations between God and Israel through Malachi.

Prophecies about the Messiah

In the midst of calling Israel to return to God, Malachi gives several prophecies that point ahead to the coming of the Messiah and day of the Lord:

• “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty.” (Malachi 3:1)
• “I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.” (Malachi 4:5)

These prophecies promise a forerunner who will prepare the way (John the Baptist) and then the Lord Himself (Jesus) will suddenly come to His temple. Jesus spoke of these prophecies being fulfilled in Himself and John the Baptist (Matthew 11:10, 17:12-13). The Book of Malachi concludes the Old Testament by pointing ahead to the coming of the Messiah.

Key Lessons

Here are some key lessons we can learn from the Book of Malachi:

• We must remain faithful to God under our covenant with Him and take our faith seriously.
• Religious rituals and offerings are meaningless without sincere hearts of devotion behind them.
• Bringing God our leftovers and second-best fails to honor who God is.
• Tithing and generosity towards God’s work is a way we tangibly honor God.
• God is perfectly just, and evil will not go unpunished forever.
• God loves His people and desires their wholehearted repentance and return to Him.

Further Study

The Book of Malachi offers a powerful conclusion to the Old Testament. Here are some recommendations for further study on the themes and lessons from Malachi:

• Read Malachi through fully in one sitting to understand the overall message.
• Study other Old Testament books like Nehemiah and Zechariah to compare the context and themes.
• Look deeper into accusations against the priests to appreciate why defective sacrifices were offensive.
• Research biblical covenants to see why Israel was called to covenant faithfulness.
• Cross reference verses in the New Testament that relate to Malachi’s prophecies.
• Consult Bible dictionaries and commentaries for additional insight into the Book of Malachi.

Above all, prayerfully reflect on how Malachi’s message applies within your own heart today. Let Malachi’s bold rebukes and calls to repentance pierce your heart and rekindle your devotion to the Lord.