Prophecy
"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: behold, he
shall come, saith the LORD of hosts." Malachi
3:1
Fulfillment
And when the messengers of John were departed,
he began to speak unto the people concerning John,
What went ye out into the wilderness for to see?
A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out
for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold,
they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately,
are in kings' courts.
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea,
I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This
is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee.
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of
women there is not a greater prophet than John the
Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of
God is greater than he.
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans,
justified God, being baptized with the baptism of
John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the
counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized
of him.
Luke 7:24-30 |
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Preceded by a messenger - Malachi
3:1
In Malachi's day the mocking inquiry of the impenitent, "Where
is the God of judgment?" met with the solemn response:
"The Lord . . . shall suddenly come to His temple, even
the Messenger of the covenant. . . . 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 fullers' soap: and He shall
sit as a refiner and purifier 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." Malachi
2:17; 3:1-4.
When the promised Messiah was about to appear, the message of
the forerunner of Christ was: Repent, publicans and sinners;
repent, Pharisees and Sadducees; "for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand." Matthew 3:2.
Today, in the spirit and power of Elias and of John the Baptist,
messengers of God's appointment are calling the attention of
a judgment-bound world to the solemn events soon to take place
in connection with the closing hours of probation and the appearance
of Christ Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords. Soon every
man is to be judged for the deeds done in the body. The hour
of God's judgment has come, and upon the members of His church
on earth rests the solemn responsibility of giving warning to
those who are standing as it were on the very brink of eternal
ruin. To every human being in the wide world who will give heed
must be made plain the principles at stake in the great controversy
being waged, principles upon which hang the destinies of all
mankind.
In these final hours of probation for the sons of men, when
the fate of every soul is so soon to be decided forever, the
Lord of heaven and earth expects His church to arouse to action
as never before. Those who have been made free in Christ through
a knowledge of precious truth, are regarded by the Lord Jesus
as His chosen ones, favored above all other people on the face
of the earth; and He is counting on them to show forth the praises
of Him who hath called them out of darkness into marvelous light.
The blessings which are so liberally bestowed are to be communicated
to others. The good news of salvation is to go to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people.
In the visions of the prophets of old the Lord of glory was
represented as bestowing special light upon His church in the
days of darkness and unbelief preceding His second coming. As
the Sun of Righteousness, He was to arise upon His church, "with
healing in His wings." Malachi 4:2. And from every true
disciple was to be diffused an influence for life, courage,
helpfulness, and true healing.
The second coming of Christ will take place in the darkest period
of this earth's history. The days of Noah and of Lot picture
the condition of the world just before the coming of the Son
of man. The Scriptures, pointing forward to this time, declare
that Satan will work with all power and "with all deceivableness
of unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10. His working
is plainly revealed by the rapidly increasing darkness, the
multitudinous errors, heresies, and delusions of these last
days. Not only is Satan leading the world captive, but his deceptions
are leavening the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The great apostasy will develop into darkness deep as midnight.
To God's people it will be a night of trial, a night of weeping,
a night of persecution for the truth's sake. But out of that
night of darkness God's light will shine.
"The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue
talketh of judgment. The law of his God is in his heart; none
of his steps shall slide." Psalm 37:30-31
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