The Jews expected that, when the temple was built, God would return in manifest glory. They believed that he would come to them in favour and would also bring judgement upon the evil doers on the earth. This, however, did not happen and the people were disappointed. In their discouragement they were starting to let themselves go. Malachi responds, on behalf of God, by assuring them that the Lord that they are seeking will indeed come to his temple. When he comes, however, his judgement will begin, not with the nations, but with them. God was telling them that they had better use the present time of waiting to get themselves ready for his coming. 475 years later the Lord did indeed return to his temple. Jesus Christ entered the temple courts around 30AD and, as predicted here by Malachi, he began his judgement there (see Matthew 21:12ff). Up to that point he never struck out at one Roman even though the Jews longed for him to judge them. His act of judgement was unleashed in the temple, and it was declared against his own people. This was not to condemn them, of course, but to turn them around. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come and bring God’s judgement upon the foreign invaders in the land, but instead Jesus took up a whip and struck out at them. Before you feel indignant about the terrible things that others do, allow yourself some time for self-examination. We should be slow to call down judgement lest judgement begins with us.
Are you feeling indignant about something that someone else has done?
Read Malachi 3:1-5
