GOD’S LAST WORDS

Malachi 4 gives us God’s final words to Israel in the Old Testament, after they had returned home from their exile. Then He would remain silent for 400 years until they heard “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’” (MATTHEW 3:3).

The last verses of Malachi are a strange mix of threat and promise, or so it sounds to us. But the point was that the next thing to happen in God’s story was . . . Jesus! God Himself was about to step onto the stage of human history. “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple” (MALACHI 3:1). John the Baptist was this “Elijah” like messenger (4:5), preparing the way for Jesus.

The question for the people of Israel was, in effect: Are you ready? That would determine if Jesus’ coming was a threat or a promise.

God’s final prophetic words to us in the New Testament do the same thing: “[Jesus] who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon’” (REVELATION 22:20). God’s last words to Israel and Jesus’ last words in the Bible give us hope—if we trust Him. That’s what makes us ready to meet Him face to face.