Old Testament
Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, addresses a spiritually cold, post-exilic people who doubt God's love and offer him their leftovers. God's opening word grounds everything: 'I have loved you.' From that love he rebukes their blemished worship and broken faith, and calls them to honor him fully — even inviting them to bring the whole tithe and 'test me.' But the book's enduring power is its forward look. God promises to send his messenger to 'prepare the way before me,' and 'the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple' — fulfilled in John the Baptist heralding Jesus. For those who fear his name, 'the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in its wings.' And the Old Testament closes by foretelling Elijah's coming before the great day of the LORD. Then four centuries of silence — until the messenger appears, and the Lord comes to his temple. The Old Testament ends with its hand pointing forward to Christ.
Open Malachi in the Atlas →Work through Malachi in the Atlas — passage by passage. Read the text, test your understanding, discover its themes, and watch how it connects across Scripture.