Malachi was the most hidden among the prophets, because aside from his name, there is no record of his status or genealogy. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah do not once mention his name. According to his own writing, Malachi might be a prophet at the time of Nehemiah. During that time, first, the holy temple had been rebuilt and the offering of sacrifices had been restored (Mal. 1:6-10); second, the zeal of the priests had gradually grown cold in the service of God (compare Mal. 1:6 with Neh. 13:4); third, the people had neglected to bring their tithes to the storehouse (compare Mal. 3:8 with Neh. 13:10-12); fourth, the people had married heathen wives (compare Mal. 2:11 with Neh. 13:23-25); and fifth, the initial fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 3:1-5 probably refers to Malachi and Nehemiah initially. Verses 1 and 2 say, “Behold, I will send Malachi [meaning “my messenger” and typifying John the Baptist and Elijah], and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple...But who may abide the day of his coming?” Malachi spoke for God during Nehemiah’s absence from Jerusalem, thus paving the way for the work of rearrangement to be carried out upon his return. When Nehemiah came back, he unexpectedly cast all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber of God’s house and thus cleansed the temple. His action fulfilled the word quoted above. Malachi might also be the last prophet during the rebuilding of the holy temple and the holy city.
Malachi rebuked and admonished the people of Israel for their evils after the rebuilding of the holy temple and the holy city. He rebuked the priests for despising the name of God and for offering polluted bread upon the altar (Mal. 1:6-14), thus departing out of the way (2:1-9). He also rebuked the people for dealing treacherously against their brothers (2:10); for marrying heathen wives, even dealing treacherously against the wives of their youth (2:11-17); for robbing God in tithes and offerings (3:7-11); and for speaking against God (3:13-15).
Malachi 4:5-6 contains the prophecy concerning the coming of Elijah the prophet: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” This refers to one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12 who, before the restoration of Israel, that is, three and a half years before the Lord’s coming back to the earth, will prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, testifying for God (Matt. 17:11). This prophecy also refers to the coming of John the Baptist at the beginning of the New Testament to prepare the hearts of the people for the Lord Jesus (Luke 1:16-17; Matt. 17:12-13).
Malachi 4:2 is a prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” In His second coming the Lord will no longer come in a lowly manner as He did in His first coming. Rather, He will be as the rising sun, and the world will behold His glory; moreover, He will heal the remnant of the people of Israel.
After the people of Israel returned to the holy land from the land of captivity, they did not have kings but had only the governor of Judah who was appointed by the king of Persia to rule over them. First there was Zerubbabel, a descendent of the royal house of David, assisted by Joshua as the high priest, for the rebuilding of God’s temple; later there was Nehemiah, joined by Ezra the scribe as the priest, for the restoration of the holy city Jerusalem. During the time of Zerubbabel and Joshua, there were the prophets Haggai and Zechariah who fulfilled the prophetic duties by speaking for God and encouraging the people to finish the rebuilding of God’s temple. During the time of Nehemiah and Ezra the scribe, there was Malachi the prophet speaking for God and instructing the people. Zechariah, in his speaking for God, spoke concerning the importance of Christ in relation to the recovery of God’s building, and he also prophesied concerning the two comings of Christ. Malachi, in his speaking for God, prophesied concerning the coming of John the Baptist and Elijah, and he also spoke of the second coming of Christ in glory.