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Brother Tim · Sun Sep 28, 2008 , 02:39 PM

A question for the brethren:
In what period of time did or does this prophecy get fulfilled?

Quote:Malachi 3:1-4 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. 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.

I don't know of a time in the past where this could be applied, so it must be future. Is it symbolic of pure worship ("spirit and truth") ? Or is it millennial? If so, are the Levites reinstated to a position of intermediaries between God and man?

Brother Tim · Wed Oct 01, 2008 , 09:42 AM

I received a PM from one of our estranged brethren titled "Since no one will answer you..."

I appreciate the answer and am posting it here for review by others:

Quote:This is the Dispensationalist response I would say that it is millennial. Ezekiel speaks of the Millennial temple in depth in chpts 40-43. Isa. 66:21 speaks of Gentiles added to the priestly order in the MK. Now the controversy...why reinstate sacrifices? Answer, for the same reason they were instated in the beginning - to represent the sacrifice of Christ. It is not about salvation but a memorial. It is like the Church ordinance of communion - a memorial. If you study in depth the Millennial temple, you will actually see quite a large number of differences between the Levitical system of the OT and the MK system. If you want specifics, I can give them to you.

While the first question, "Is it millennial?" was answered in the affirmative, the second question still remains. Do the Levites become intermediaries again during the millennium?

This brother asked and answered a question as well. What he failed to do was look at the words carefully. Remember that EVERY WORD is given by God. (of course, if one uses an MV, interpretation may be flawed from the start Smile

)

The word "sacrifice" does not appear in this passage. "Offering" does. While the more general term, "offering", includes sacrifices, the word "sacrifice" applies to the shedding of blood, whereas "offering" can include gifts brought which were inanimate.

If this passage is millennial, and if "offering' is used in the more restricted sense that it applies only to non-living things, then the "offerings" brought during this period are not memorial in purpose, but rather, as recognition and appreciation of God's authority and His goodness. I cannot see the reinstatement of blood sacrifices in any setting. The analogy of the LORD's Supper has too many holes in it.

My second question still remains...

**George** · Wed Oct 01, 2008 , 02:14 PM

Brother the reason I did not answer is this is quite truthfully way beyond me. It would take me hours of study to try to answer and I would not even begin to know where to start. However I shall sit back and watch the responses in the hopes of learning something.

In Christ,
George

Davo · Thu Oct 02, 2008 , 08:07 PM

I have always understood this to refer to John the Baptist, however I can see difficulties in that.

Brother Tim · Fri Oct 03, 2008 , 01:33 PM

Davo, that's a new one for me. How do those who believe this explain it?

Davo · Fri Oct 03, 2008 , 04:22 PM

Brother Tim Wrote:Davo, that's a new one for me. How do those who believe this explain it?

I don't know.

***Jim*** · Sat Oct 11, 2008 , 06:22 PM

Yes, this does in fact refer to John the Baptist.

I believe the reference to "he shall prepare the way before me:" confirms this. I am not sure if this prophetical claim was fulfilled in anyone else. So that part was fulfilled.

Quote: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

Simply refers to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Quote:But who may abide the day of his coming?

This refers to The Second Coming of Christ, not to be confused with the rapture.

Quote: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.

I believe this to refer to the finality of the seed of Jacob as referenced to glory in Heaven with the Lord, during the time of Jacob's trouble (Great Tribulation), and at the end of the 70th week, when their eyes are opened to the truth of the Messiah, and also are martyred for their belief in Christ during that time. their purification by fire may well in fact be their martyrdom by the anti-christ during the 70th week. Their offering of rightesousness is themselves, as under the new covenant of Christ being justified, it is as acceptable to Christ as Yom Kippur was to Jehovah in the Judaic Covenant times.

These are just my thoughts,

Love in Christ,

Jim