Malachi 3:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The temple constructed by Solomon for the Father is simultaneously recognized as the temple of the Saviour: ‘suddenly shall come’ to His temple ‘the Lord.’ The temple belongs to both the Father and the Son; the temple of the Son is intertwined with the temple of the Father. This is why the Saviour, when He drove the merchants from the temple with a whip fashioned from cords, proclaimed, ‘Take this from here, and do not make My Father's house a house of commerce’ (John 2:16). Concerning their remark that the Saviour possessed knowledge of the Scriptures without formal instruction, and His statement, ‘Of that day and hour no man knoweth.’

The Saviour urges and motivates His listeners towards faith in Him while affirming His previous declarations regarding John. Indeed, if all prophecies were realized before John, it naturally follows that I am the awaited one. He states that the prophets and the law foretold before John (Matt. 11:13). Consequently, the prophets would not have ceased to arrive had I not come. Thus, do not cast your expectations far away or look for another Messiah. It is evident that I am the One prophesied, both from the cessation of prophets and from the growing faith in Me, which has become so vigorous that many are eagerly embracing it. But who is doing this, you may ask? All those who approach Me with earnestness. Then the Saviour provides further evidence by saying, ‘And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, to whom it is necessary to come’ (Matthew 11:14). Consider, the Scripture states, ‘Behold, I will send unto you Elijah the prophet. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children’ (Malachi 4:5-6). Therefore, if you listen attentively, you will recognize that he is Elijah, for the Scripture says, ‘I send my angel before your face’ (Malachi 3:1; Matthew 11:10). The Saviour did not speak in vain when He said, ‘And if you will accept,’ but to reveal that He does not force them. ‘I am not compelling you,’ He affirms. With these words, He encourages them to reflect upon their own thoughts and highlights that John is indeed Elijah, and Elijah is John; they both shared the same mission, serving as forerunners. Hence, He did not merely say: this is Elijah — but rather: ‘and if you will accept, he is.’ This indicates that one should carefully examine the unfolding events. Furthermore, the Saviour continues, intending to emphasize our need for attentiveness to the statement: He is Elijah, to whom it is necessary to come, He added: ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear’ (Matthew 11:15).

“Behold,” He says, “I will send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before me.” In these words, He seems to allude to the holy forerunner, for Christ Himself never stated: “This is he of whom it is written: Behold, I send my messenger before your face to prepare your way” (Matthew 11:10; cf. Luke 7:27). The divine prophet Isaiah also indicated this, proclaiming: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3; cf. Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:3; Luke 1:3; John 1:23). When this proclamation occurred, he stated that shortly after the appointed herald began his ministry, “Suddenly the Lord whom you seek shall come to His temple, and the angel of the covenant whom you desire.” Blessed John further affirms this, addressing those who came for the baptism of repentance: “I baptize you with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know, the strap of whose sandal I am unworthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mark 1:7; cf. Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; John 1:26-27). Thus, one can comprehend how immediately after, and almost in the wake of the herald who announced Christ—who remained unknown to the dwellers of Judea—He appeared as if suddenly and unexpectedly. The Holy Baptist is referred to as an angel, not due to his nature, since he was born of a woman and shared in our humanity, but rather because he was entrusted with the mission of preaching this truth to us. Thus, the term angel serves to describe his activity, not his essence. “He shall come,” He declares, “into His temple”—either signifying that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) and dwelt in a pure body received from the Holy Virgin, or as we understand it, as a perfect man, composed of both soul and body, united in a profound and intimate manner—or He refers to the temple as a city that is sacred and dedicated to Him, manifestly Jerusalem, or as a type, the Church. His arrival was announced through manifold miracles, “preaching the Gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (Matthew 4:23), as it is written. So, “The Lord shall come, whom you seek,” speaking to those of little faith, “Where is the God of justice?” (Isaiah 30:18). He will arrive, teaching truths that transcend the law, surpassing mere shadows and images; for He will be an angel, a messenger of the covenant, previously proclaimed by the voice of God and the Father, who told the holy prophet Moses: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren, and I will place My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18). That Christ is the Angel of the New Covenant is made clear by blessed Isaiah, who spoke of Him: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), clearly referring to God the Father. Therefore, He also declared: “I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who sent me has given me a commandment: what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49). And indeed, the Savior’s words were not mere human words, but the message from God the Father through the Son, who by His very nature serves as the Herald of God’s will, as He affirmed through the words of David: “My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King” (Psalm 45:1).

He will arrive with all His angels when every nation stands before Him, and among those angels will be those so righteous that they will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. For humans are also referred to as angels. For instance, the apostle remarked of himself, You welcomed me as an angel of God (Gal. 4:14); and concerning John the Baptist, it is stated, Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way (Mal. 3:1; Matt. 11:10).

Concerning Him, the prophet Christ further states, Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to His temple, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire; behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Who can withstand the day of His coming, and who will stand when He appears? (Malachi 3:1-2). In this passage, the prophet anticipates both Christ's first and second appearances. The first is indicated by the words: And He will suddenly come to His temple, referring to His body, of which Christ stated in the Gospel: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19). The second reference is when it declares, Behold, He is coming, says the Lord of hosts. Who can endure the day of His coming, and who will stand when He appears? (Malachi 3:2).

The phrase “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’” (Mk. 1:3) is from the prophet Isaiah (Is. 40:3). The Evangelist clarifies this prophecy by stating: “There was John, who baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mk. 1:4). Although the Evangelists interpreted the prophetic words concerning John with a shared meaning, they used varying expressions. Instead of the LXX’s “Make right the ways of our God,” Mark and Luke wrote “Make His ways right,” while John said, “Make right the way of the Lord.” This demonstrates that the Apostles and Evangelists did not adhere strictly to the LXX interpreters, as those proficient in Hebrew had no need for it; they conveyed the essence of the messages without worrying about perfect literal translations. We have discussed this extensively, particularly in our work titled "On the Best Mode of Interpretation."

The statement “Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me” addresses Jesus Christ, indicating that He sent John to the Jewish wilderness to preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The subsequent phrase, “And afterwards shall come unto His temple the Lord whom ye seek, and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire,” refers to Himself in a manner characteristic of Scripture, speaking of someone else. No one doubts that this Master is the Savior, the Creator of all, and the Angel of the covenant, known as the Angel of the great council. Some interpret the words “Behold, I send My messenger, and prepare the way before My face” as spoken by the Father, attributing the following phrase about the coming Master to the Lord Savior, representing God the Father. John prepares the way for the Lord, leveling the paths in the hearts of believers, where God could not walk before due to corruption and disbelief. The term temple refers to both the church and individual believers within it: spiritual houses, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual and acceptable sacrifices to God through Christ Jesus (1 Pet. 2:5). It is stated concerning believers: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16).

The Jews view the declaration of “Behold, I send my messenger” as a reference to the prophet Elijah, believing that the words regarding the coming Master and the Angel of the covenant pertain to their anointed one, their Messiah, who they claim must come in the last days. However, it is perplexing how the unfolding of events does not lead them to recognize the truth. Indeed, as foretold by the prophet, the Lord will find His temple in ruin; perhaps they expect it to be restored before Christ’s arrival by another, but what further work will He perform after that rebuilding? Our Lord, in discussing Elijah’s role in relation to John the Baptist, states, “If you will, he is Elijah that is to come” (Matt. 11:14), and the same prophet also proclaims, “Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord cometh” (Mal. 4:5). The understanding of how John embodies the essence of Elijah is clarified by the proclamation that John will come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

And who shall stand when He appeareth?’ In reference to the second coming, Zechariah prophesied: ‘They shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him’ (Zechariah 12:10). Following this, the Prophet reveals His actions: ‘For He cometh in like a refiner's fire and like fuller’s soap.’

Commissioned by the Creator of all, how could John testify to that Light which descended from the invisible and unnamed? It was often claimed by heretics that the demiurge lacked knowledge of the supreme power above him, whereas John stood as a witness and messenger of the One who is from above. For this reason, the Lord declared him greater than any other prophet (Luke 7:26). While all other prophets proclaimed the coming of the Father's Light and yearned to witness Him whom they announced, John prophesied, beheld, pointed Him out, and inspired many to trust in Him, serving as both prophet and apostle. This signifies a greater prophetic role, for first apostles, then prophets (1 Cor. 12:26), yet they all originate from the same God.

Consequently, Paul offers a warning: "Whether any man build on this foundation of gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, every work shall be found out: for the day shall show, because it shall be revealed in the fire" (1 Cor. 3:12-13). In his letter to Titus, Paul illustrates these two comings: "For the grace of God has appeared, which is saving to all men, teaching us, that we, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, should live chastely, righteously and godly in this present age, looking forward to the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13). Notice how he acknowledges both the first coming, for which we give thanks, and the second coming, which we anticipate. Thus, the Creed we proclaim instructs us to believe: "And Him who ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father, and is coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

"Behold, I send My angel." This refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, speaking of His holy forerunner, John the Baptist, as He clarified to the Jews. John is recognized as an angel, or a messenger, because he heralded the advent of the Saviour and the establishment of God's benevolent kingdom on earth. "And he shall prepare the way before My face" signifies that John the Baptist will clear the path for the Lord's approach to humanity. This imagery derives from Eastern kings who dispatched messengers to smooth the road ahead of them. Here, "the way" refers to the moral and spiritual condition of the Jews, which needed rectification. Thus, St. John prepared the way for the Saviour by calling for repentance, admonishing, instructing, countering misconceptions, and dismantling false beliefs. "And the Lord will come to His Church suddenly," meaning that following St. John's preaching, the Lord will unexpectedly reveal Himself to the Jews, as noted by St. Cyril of Alexandria, "He shall appear in His Church, in His immaculate body, for the Word became flesh and dwelt within it as in a temple." The prophet declares, "the Lord will come," the very Lord you Jews seek, asking, "Where is the God of righteousness?" and whom you await according to the prophecies. The Lord you anticipate will reveal Himself in His Church as an Angel, a messenger of the New Covenant, as a beacon of salvation, grace, and blessings from God. "For the word of the Saviour was not of man but was imparted to us from God the Father through His Son; the words of Jesus Christ reflect the voice of His Parent." The reference to "this is coming" signifies that the arrival of the Angel of the Covenant is imminent; He is on the way, revealing Himself through laws, teachings, prophecies, proclamations, and significant occurrences.

Such titles can only rightly belong to the Messiah. It is also noteworthy that this Lord will come to His temple; this statement is applicable solely to God and the Messiah. Only the Messiah can be identified as the one whom they seek.

The Lord or the Angel of the Covenant will come unexpectedly. However, His arrival will be heralded by a Forerunner, as indicated by the Lord Almighty when addressing the Messiah: “Behold, I send My angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.” This promise clearly refers to John the Forerunner and Baptist, as recognized by both the Evangelist (Mark 1:2) and Christ Himself (Matthew 11:10; Luke 7:27-28), who identify John as the fulfillment of this prophecy. He is designated as the Angel of the Lord, a unique messenger from God. John prepared the path for Christ through his proclamation of repentance and baptism, directing the people’s attention to Christ as the Lamb of God (John 1:27).