The Minor Prophets Part 19 (Malachi)

Intro: We have come to the last book of the OT. It has been a taxing task to learn to do an overview of a whole book and reduce it to one or two messages. But this morning we will conclude 19 messages in the minor prophets of the OT. J. Vernon McGee says Malachi brings down the curtain on the OT. The inspired books of the first covenant are finished with this book. The name Malachi means 'My Messenger'. He was Jehovah's last messenger of the OT. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT, says in verse 1 that this book is written by the Lord's angellos, or angel (read). The Greek word for angel means a messenger.

This book is written somewhere around 400 BC and it is the last inspired book of the OT. Go for a moment to the last two verses in this book (read). Here is a prophecy that at least in part was filled by John the Baptist. Between Malachi and John the Baptist, no more divinely inspired prophets were born. So we know these as the 400 silent years. God was not silent during those years, but as far as giving inspired writings, He had fallen silent.