Malachi 4:1
Verse
Context
The Day of the LORD
1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
Sermons
David WilkersonDavid Wilkerson
Chuck Smith
Carter Conlon
Conrad Murrell
John PiperSummary
Commentary
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
John Gill Bible Commentary
For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,.... Not the day of judgment, as Kimchi and other interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, think; but the day of Christ's coming in his kingdom and power, to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, which burned like an oven, both figuratively and literally; when the wrath of God, which is compared to fire, came upon that people to the uttermost; and when their city and temple were burnt about their ears, and they were surrounded with fire, as if they had been in a burning oven: and this being so terrible, as can hardly be conceived and expressed, the word "behold" is prefixed to it, not only to excite attention, but horror and terror at so dreadful a calamity; which though future, when the prophet wrote, was certain: and all the proud; yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; the proud Pharisees, that boasted of their own righteousness, trusted in themselves, and despised others; all workers of iniquity, in private or in public; all rejecters of Christ, contemners of his Gospel and ordinances, and persecutors of his people; as well as such who were guilty of the most flagitious crimes, as sedition, robbery, murder, &c. of which there were notorious instances during the siege of Jerusalem; these were all like stubble before devouring fire, weak and easily destroyed: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts: which is repeated, to show the certainty of it, and to apply it to the persons before described: that it shall leave them neither root nor branch: which signifies an entire and complete destruction; the city and temple so utterly destroyed, that not one stone shall be left on another; both magistrates and subjects shall perish, priests and people, so that there shall be no form of government, civil nor ecclesiastical; tribes and families lost, they and their posterity: and so the Targum, "which shall not leave them son and nephew:'' and, indeed, the numbers cut off were so many, and the destruction so general, that it may be wondered at that any remained: it is a proverbial expression, setting forth the greatness of the calamity; see Mat 3:10.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
The great and terrible day of the Lord is here prophesied of. This, like the pillar of cloud and fire, shall have a dark side turned towards the Egyptians that fight against God, and a bright side towards the faithful Israelites that follow him: The day cometh, that is, the Lord cometh, the day of the Lord; and it has reference both to the first and to the second coming of Jesus Christ; the day of both was fixed, and should answer the character here given of it. I. In both Christ is a consuming fire to those that rebel against him. The day of his coming shall burn as an oven; it shall be a day of wrath, of fiery indignation. This was foretold concerning the Messiah, Psa 21:9, Thy hand shall find out all thy enemies, and shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of thy anger. It will be a day of terror and destruction like the burning of a city, or rather of a wood, the trees whereof are withered and dried, for to that the allusion seems to be, as Isa 10:17, Isa 10:18, The light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and it shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field. Now observe here, 1. Who shall be fuel to this fire - all the proud in heart, whose words have been stout against God, and their necks stiff and unapt to yield to the yoke of his commandments (all those that in the pride of their countenances will not seek after God, nor submit to the grace and government of Jesus Christ - all that proudly say they will not have Christ to reign over them), and all those that do wickedly in their affections and conversations, that wilfully persist in sin, in contempt of and contradiction to the law of God; they are such as do wickedly against the covenant, as another prophet had lately expressed it, Dan 11:32. God, that has perfect knowledge of every one's character, knows who are the proud, and of every one's actions, knows who they are that do wickedly; and they shall be as stubble to this fire; they shall be consumed by it, easily consumed, utterly consumed, and it is wholly owing to themselves that they shall be so, for they make themselves stubble, that is, combustible matter, to this fire. If they were not stubble, it would not burn them; for the fire will be to every man according as he and his works are found; if they be wood, hay, and stubble, they will be consumed; but if they be gold, solver, and precious stones, they will abide the fire and be purified by it, Co1 3:13-15. Those that by their unbelief oppose Christ thereby set themselves as briers and thorns before a devouring fire, Isa 27:4, Isa 27:5. 2. What shall be the force and what the fruit of this fire: The day that cometh shall burn them up, shall both terrify and ruin them, and shall leave them neither root nor branch, neither son nor nephew (so the Chaldee paraphrase): neither they nor their posterity shall be spared; they shall be wholly extirpated and cut off. Who knows the power of God's anger? The proud and those that do wickedly will not fear it, but they shall be made to feel it. Where are those now that called the proud happy, when thus they are made completely miserable, when there remains no branch of their happiness to be enjoyed for the present, nor any root of it out of which it might again spring up? Now this was fulfilled, (1.) When Christ, in his doctrine, spoke terror and condemnation to the proud Pharisees and the other Jews that did wickedly, when he sent that fire on the earth which burnt up the chaff of the traditions of the elders and the corrupt glosses they had put upon the law of God. (2.) When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the nation of the Jews, as a nation, quite blotted out from under heaven, and neither root nor branch left them. This seems to be principally intended here; our Saviour says that those should be the days of vengeance, when all the things that were written to that purport should be fulfilled, Luk 21:22. Then the unbelieving Jews were as stubble to the devouring fire of God's judgments, which gathered together to them as the eagles to the carcase. (3.) It is certainly applicable, and is to be applied, to the day of judgment, to the particular judgment at death (some of the Jewish doctors refer it the punishment that seizes on the souls of the wicked immediately after they go out of the body), but especially to the general judgment, at the end of time, when Christ shall be revealed in flaming fire, to execute judgment on the proud, and all that do wickedly. The whole world shall then burn as an oven, and all the children of this world, that set their hearts upon it and choose their portion in it, shall take their ruin with it, and the fire then kindled shall never be quenched. II. In both Christ is a rejoicing light to those who serve him faithfully, to those who fear his name and give him the glory due to it (Mal 4:2), who stand in awe of that name of his which the wicked profane and trample upon. Here are mercy and comfort kept in store for all those who fear the Lord and think on his name. Observe, 1. Whence this mercy and comfort shall flow to them: To you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings. The day that comes, as it will be a stormy day to the wicked, a day in which God will rain upon them fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest, as he did on Sodom (Psa 11:6), a day of clouds and thick darkness (Amo 5:18, Amo 5:20), so it will be a fair and bright day to those who fear God, and reviving as the rising sun is to the earth; and particular notice is taken of the rising of the sun upon Zoar when that was mercifully distinguished from the cities of the plain, which the fire consumed; see Gen 19:23. So to those that fear God is comfort spoken. When the hearts of others fail for fear let them lift up their heads for joy, for their redemption draws nigh, Luk 21:28. But by the Sun of righteousness here we are certainly to understand Jesus Christ, who would undertake to secure the believing remnant, in the day of the general destruction of the Jews, from falling with the rest, and to comfort them in that day of distress and perplexity with his consolations; he directed those that were in Judea to flee to the mountains (Mat 24:16), and they did so, and were all safe and easy in Pella. But it is to be applied more generally, (1.) To the coming of Christ in the flesh to seek and save those that were lost; then the Sun of righteousness arose upon this dark world. Christ is the light of the world, the true light, the great light that makes day and rules the day (Joh 8:12), as the sun. He is the light of men (Joh 1:4), is to men's souls as the sun is to the visible world, which without the sun would be a dungeon; so would mankind be darkness itself without the light of the glory of God shining in the face of Christ. Christ is the Sun that has light in himself, and is the fountain of light (Psa 19:4-6); he is the Sun of righteousness, for he is himself a righteous Saviour. Righteousness is both the light and the heat of this Sun; the word of his righteousness is so; it guides, instructs, and quickens; so is the everlasting righteousness he has brought in. He is made of God to us righteousness; he is the Lord our righteousness, and therefore is fitly called the Sun of righteousness. Through him we are justified and sanctified, and so are brought to see light. This Sun of righteousness, in the fulness of time, arose upon the world, and with him light came into the world (Joh 3:19), a great light, Mat 4:16. In him the day-spring from on high visited us, to give light to those that sit in darkness, Luk 1:78, Luk 1:79. Righteousness sometimes signifies mercy or benignity, and it was in Christ that the tender mercy of our God visited us. (2.) It is applicable to the graces and comforts of the Holy Spirit, brought into the souls of men. Grotius understands it of Christ's giving the Spirit to those that are his, to shine in their hearts, and to be a comforter to them, a sun and a shield. Those that are possessed and governed by a holy fear of God and a dread of his majesty shall have his love also shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost; and then the sun may be said to arise there, and to bring both a delightful day and a fruitful spring along with it. (3.) Christ's second coming will be a glorious and welcome sun-rising to all that fear his name; it will be that morning of the resurrection in which the upright shall have dominion, Psa 49:14. That day which to the wicked will burn as an oven will to the righteous be bright as the morning; and it is what they wait for, more than those that wait for the morning. 2. What this mercy and comfort shall bring to them: He shall arise with healing under his wings, or in his rays or beams, which are as the wings of the sun. Christ came, as the sun, to bring not only light to a dark world, but health to a diseased distempered world. The Jews (says Dr. Pocock) have a proverbial saying, As the sun riseth, infirmities decrease; the flowers which drooped and languished all night revive in the morning. Christ came into the world to be the great physician, yea, and the great medicine too, both the balm in Gilead and the physician there. When he was upon earth, he went about as the sun in his circuit, doing this good; he healed all manner of sicknesses and diseases among the people; he healed by wholesale, as the sun does. He shall arise with healing in his skirts; so some read it, and they apply it to the story of the woman's touching the hem of his garment, and being thereby made whole, and his finding that virtue went out of him, Mar 5:28-30. But his healing bodily diseases was a specimen of his great design in coming into the world to heal the diseases of men's souls, and to put them into a good state of health, that they may serve and enjoy both God and themselves. 3. What good effect it shall have upon them. (1.) It shall make them vigorous in themselves: "You shall go forth, as those that are healed go abroad and return to their business." The souls shall go forth out of their bodies at death, and the bodies out of their graves at the resurrection, as prisoners out of their dungeons, and both to see the light and be set at liberty. "You shall go forth as plants out of the earth, when in the spring the sun returns." Some make it to mean the going forth of the Christians from Jerusalem, and the escape they thereby made from its destruction. And thus the souls on whom the Sun of righteousness arises go forth out of the world, go forth out of Babylon, as those that are made free indeed. "You shall likewise grow up; being restored to health and liberty, you shall increase in knowledge, and grace, and spiritual strength." The souls on which the Sun of righteousness arises are growing up towards the perfect man; those that by the grace of God are made wise and good are by the same grace made wiser and better; and their path, like that of the rising sun, shines more and more to the perfect day, Pro 4:18. Their growth is compared to that of the calves of the stall, which is a quick, strong, and useful growth. "You shall grow up, not as the flower of the field, which is slender, and weak, and of little use, and withers soon after it has grown up, but as the calves of the stall," that, as one of the rabbin expounds it, grow great in flesh and fatness, with which both God's altars and men's tables are replenished; so the growth of the saints, on whom the Sun of righteousness arises, honours both God and man. Some read it, instead of You shall grow up, You shall move yourselves, or leap for joy, shall be as frolicsome as calves of the stall, when they are let loose in the open field; it denotes the joy of the saints, who rejoice in Christ Jesus; they shall even leap for joy; they are always caused to triumph. (2.) It shall make them victorious over their enemies (Mal 4:3): You shall tread down the wicked. Time was when the wicked trod them down, said to their souls, Bow down, that we may go over; but the day will come when they shall tread down the wicked. The wicked, being made Christ's footstool, are made theirs also (Psa 110:1), and come and worship before the feet of the church, Rev 3:9. The elder shall serve the younger. When believers by faith overcome the world, when they suppress their own corrupt appetites and passions, when the God of peace bruises Satan under their feet, then they tread down the wicked. When it came to the turn of the Christians to triumph over the Jews that had insulted over them, then this promise was fulfilled: They shall be ashes under the soles of your feet; they shall not only be trodden down, but trodden to dirt. When the day that comes shall have burnt them up, they shall trample upon them as ashes. When the righteous shall rise to everlasting life, the wicked shall rise to everlasting contempt; and, though they shall not triumph over them, they shall triumph in that God whose justice is glorified in their destruction. The saints in glory are said to have power given them over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron, Rev 2:26, Rev 2:27. This you shall do, in the day that I shall do this. Note, The saints' triumphs are all owing to God's victories; it is not they that do this, but God that does it for them, that says, Come set your feet on the necks of these kings. Some read it, "In the day that I make, or shall make, the great day that I shall make remarkable, of which you will say with joy, This is the day which the Lord has made." The day of the destruction of Jerusalem is called the great and notable day of the Lord (Act 2:20), and our Saviour in foretelling that destruction made use of such expressions as, like these, might be applied likewise to the end of the world and the last judgment; for it was such a terrible revelation of the wrath of God from heaven, and caused such a scene of horror upon this earth, that it might fitly serve for a type of that glorious transaction which will be an outlet to the days of time and an inlet to the days of eternity. By the accomplishment of these prophecies in the ruin of the Jewish nation, we should have our faith confirmed in the assurances Christ has given us concerning the dissolution of all things. Surely I come quickly; so says Christ, the Lord of hosts, to whom all power in heaven and earth is committed.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
4:1-3 This message shifts away from the disputation format, directly warning the people that repentance is the only proper response to the Lord’s message because God’s judgment is inescapable.
Malachi 4:1
The Day of the LORD
1“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of Hosts. “Not a root or branch will be left to them.”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
A Cry Against the Wicked Youth of America
By David Wilkerson9.9K1:17:00Wicked YouthGEN 18:20PRO 1:24ISA 7:2JON 3:4MAL 4:11JN 5:19In this sermon, the preacher talks about a man, a Hebrew, who is running through the streets proclaiming that there are only 40 days left before everyone will die because of their wickedness. The king and the court take this message seriously, realizing that God will not allow them to continue in their wickedness. The preacher highlights the current state of society, with young people dying from suicide, violence, and drug overdoses, blaming it on the influence of cheating and unloving parents, broken families, and corrupt churches. The preacher emphasizes that the street preacher was not preaching about the love of God or offering a beautiful plan for life, but rather warning of impending judgment. The sermon concludes by stating that God's judgment is a result of the people's corruption and sin, just as it was in the case of Israel.
Christless Pentecost - Part 2
By David Wilkerson8.7K18:03PentecostMAL 4:1In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for repentance and holiness in the church. He predicts a revival among young people and the downfall of drug abuse, alcoholism, and divorce in America when Jesus returns. The preacher also mentions a division between the wicked and the righteous, with God giving a sign of his power. He shares personal experiences of being refined by God and urges the congregation to prepare for the Holy Spirit's convicting work. The preacher expresses his belief that God will not abandon the younger generation to the influence of the devil, but will tear down the strongholds of evil.
(Saved Through the Fire) 01 - the Path of True Salvation
By Milton Green2.7K1:25:45MAL 3:1MAL 3:16MAL 4:1GAL 5:16EPH 2:2EPH 4:22In this sermon, the speaker begins by referencing Malachi 3:1, which speaks of the coming of John the Baptist as a messenger to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding and preparing for the coming of the Lord. They then turn to John 15, discussing the commandment to love the Lord with all our heart and our neighbors as ourselves. The speaker explains that it is impossible for us to fulfill this commandment on our own, but Jesus came to perfect this love in us through his grace, word, and spirit. The sermon concludes with the encouragement to have a deep and passionate love for the Lord, similar to the way we would feel in a romantic relationship, and to allow him to have all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
(Through the Bible) Malachi
By Chuck Smith2.0K1:30:14NEH 13:10MAL 3:10MAL 3:13MAL 3:17MAL 4:1MAL 4:5In this sermon, the preacher discusses the concept of giving and receiving in accordance with a divine spiritual law. He compares it to the natural laws that govern our universe, such as gravity, which we may not fully understand but still abide by. The preacher emphasizes that giving to God is a spiritual law, and the more we give, the more we will receive from Him. He challenges the listeners to prove God by giving and experiencing the blessings that overflow.
When Judgment Returns to Righteousness
By Carter Conlon1.8K52:12JudgmentMAL 3:15MAL 4:1MAT 6:33In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of cultivating a living relationship with Christ in order to navigate the challenges of the coming days. He warns that spiritual deception will become rampant in the world, but those who truly belong to Christ will not be deceived. The preacher also highlights the need for a compassionate heart towards the struggles of society as evidence of a genuine relationship with God. He references Malachi 4:1-3, which speaks of a day of judgment for the proud and wicked, but promises healing and joy for those who fear God's name and return to a right relationship with Him. The preacher contrasts this with the actions of religious leaders who oppress the vulnerable and neglect the true heart of God.
Peculiarities of John the Baptist
By Conrad Murrell67124:45John The BaptistMAL 4:1In this sermon, the preacher discusses the prophecy from Malachi chapter 4 about the coming day of judgment. He emphasizes that the proud and wicked will be burned up, leaving no trace, while those who fear God's name will be blessed with the Son of righteousness who brings healing. The preacher then highlights the darkness and apostasy that prevailed in Israel and Judah for 400 years before the arrival of Christ, the light. He explains that Christ appeared as an ordinary man, without any indication of his divine glory, as described in Isaiah 53. The sermon concludes by referencing the Gospel of John chapter 1, which declares that the Word, who is God, was in the beginning and brought light and life to humanity, even though the darkness did not comprehend it.
Where Is the Promise of His Appearing?
By John Piper63726:34Second ComingMAL 4:1MAT 6:332PE 1:192PE 3:12PE 3:8In this sermon, the speaker reflects on the concept of time and how it relates to our experiences of joy and beauty. He suggests that when our lives are filled with these positive experiences, time seems to fly by. The speaker then draws a parallel to God's experience of time, suggesting that He is constantly engaged in the work of redemption and heaven, never bored or impatient. The sermon then shifts to the theme of God's promises and their power to help us overcome temptation and walk in righteousness. The speaker emphasizes the importance of holding onto these promises and trusting in them. Additionally, the denial of the second coming is addressed, with the speaker pointing to examples from the Bible, such as Noah and the flood, to argue that God has brought judgment in the past and may do so again if wickedness becomes intolerable. The sermon concludes by highlighting the influence of desires on our theology and the need to align our desires with God's will.
Apostolic Foundations - Part 4
By Art Katz50259:58ApostolicJOL 2:11ZEP 1:14ZEP 3:17MAL 4:11TH 3:121TH 5:21TH 5:23In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the urgency and imminence of the day of the Lord. He quotes from the book of Joel, describing the signs and wonders that will accompany the Lord's coming. The speaker challenges the common message of God having a plan for one's life and instead emphasizes the need for repentance in light of the kingdom of heaven being at hand. He also discusses the encounter of the apostle Paul with the philosophers on Mars Hill, highlighting the clash between ultimate truth and the spirit of the world. The speaker concludes by urging believers to align their lifestyle with their professed beliefs and to live in anticipation of the imminent return of Christ.
The Mark of the Godly
By Carter Conlon41337:46UnityEXO 20:1MAL 3:6MAL 4:1MAL 4:5MAT 6:33LUK 1:17ACT 9:20In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of unity and compassion within the body of Christ. He encourages believers to come together with one heart and one voice, fighting against division that weakens the church. The speaker also highlights the power of speech and how it can impact both older believers and young people who have been wounded or pushed aside. He uses the example of Mark, who despite being let down, chose to trust again and went on to write one of the four gospels in the Bible. The sermon concludes with a reminder of the values of the early church, including selflessness and a deep concern for the glory of God and the souls of men. The speaker also references the book of Malachi, emphasizing the importance of recognizing when our ways and speech do not align with God's and seeking His instruction and correction.
The Strength in a Father's Heart
By Carter Conlon35238:03Christian LifeEXO 20:1MAL 4:1MAT 6:33JHN 1:23In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of a father's voice in bringing hope and life to seemingly hopeless situations. He refers to a story in the Bible where Jesus speaks into a situation of death and commands a young man to arise. The preacher also highlights the importance of fathers turning their hearts towards their children and vice versa, as a remedy to the godlessness and sin that threatens to destroy societies. The sermon concludes with a reminder to not forget the word of God, as it is the source of strength and guidance in the face of fear and challenges.
Listen to the Wailing of the Soul
By Zhiming Yuan0ISA 1:18MAL 4:1MAT 16:26JHN 8:12JAS 1:15Zhiming Yuan delivers a powerful sermon addressing the spiritual struggles and moral decline in China, comparing past generations who sought truth and God's love to the current generation lost in materialism and selfish desires. He warns against the dangers of pursuing wealth and prosperity at the expense of one's soul, emphasizing the importance of repentance, seeking God, and nurturing a conscience. Yuan highlights the decline of moral values in both China and the Western world, urging the audience to learn from history and turn back to God before it's too late.
Expectations for 2012
By Allan Halton0JOB 38:12PSA 97:8MAL 4:11TH 5:20HEB 12:27Allan Halton addresses the skepticism surrounding annual prophecies, emphasizing the importance of discerning true prophetic words by testing and holding onto only what is good. He predicts great shakings in the coming year, both in the world and the church, as a sign of God's judgment and promise of an unshakable Kingdom. Halton reminds the audience of God's righteousness and impending judgment on evil, offering a message of salvation for those who fear the Lord amidst the impending shakings and darkness in the world.
The Day of Jehovah
By Arno Clemens Gaebelein0NUM 24:17DEU 32:411SA 2:10PSA 2:12ISA 2:12MAL 4:11TH 5:22TH 1:72PE 3:10Arno Clemens Gaebelein preaches about the consistent prophecy throughout the Bible regarding the future day of Jehovah, a day of wrath, judgment, and the manifestation of God's glory. The Old Testament prophets, including Moses, David, Balaam, Isaiah, and others, foretold this day with details of blessings for the earth and its inhabitants. The Psalms, divided into five books, also contain prophetic elements pointing to this future day. The New Testament, through John the Baptist, Jesus, Paul, and Peter, affirms the reality of this day of the Lord, emphasizing the visible manifestation of God's glory, judgment on the nations, and the establishment of His righteous rule.
Behold, the Day Cometh
By G. Campbell Morgan0Judgment and MercyPreparation for Christ's ReturnMAL 4:1G. Campbell Morgan emphasizes the prophetic message of Malachi, which warns of a coming day of judgment that will burn the wicked like stubble while offering healing to those who fear the Lord. He explains that the final word of the Old Testament is not a curse but a warning of love, urging repentance and a return to God. Morgan highlights the significance of Elijah's coming to prepare hearts for the Lord, linking it to the arrival of John the Baptist. He stresses the dual nature of the coming day: it will bring destruction to the proud and healing to the faithful. Ultimately, he calls for a personal response to the imminent return of Christ, urging believers to live in readiness and holiness.
July 25. 1678. the Flaming Tabernacle.
By Jane Lead0PSA 27:5ISA 57:15MAL 4:12PE 3:10REV 21:1Jane Lead preaches about the future dwelling place of God's Holy Ones within the Body of the Sun, where a sure, quiet, and peaceable habitation awaits. This place holds all-healing power for the humble and contrite, but the rebellious and disdainful will be kept at a distance from this burning sphere in the heart of the Sun. God has set this apart as a consuming element for all that is not of a new creation from His substantial ground.
Two Exhortations to Theodore After His Fall - Part 1
By St. John Chrysostom0ISA 13:9ISA 34:4ISA 35:10DAN 7:9MAL 3:2MAL 4:1MAT 24:29MAT 25:34John Chrysostom preaches about the importance of repentance and the eternal consequences of our choices. He emphasizes the severity of exclusion from the glory of the other world as a punishment worse than hell itself. Chrysostom vividly describes the awe-inspiring scenes of the final judgment, the joy of being in the company of Christ, and the eternal blessings awaiting those who have lived a righteous life. He urges listeners to repent, turn away from sin, and strive for the incorruptible glory of the kingdom of Heaven.
A Cry Against Wicked Youth!
By David Wilkerson0RepentanceJudgmentPRO 1:24ISA 40:30JER 16:10JON 1:2MAL 3:5MAL 4:1MAT 12:41ACT 2:401JN 5:19REV 18:23David Wilkerson delivers a powerful sermon titled 'A Cry Against Wicked Youth!' where he draws parallels between the wickedness of Nineveh and the moral decline of modern youth. He emphasizes God's urgent call for repentance, warning that judgment is imminent unless there is a widespread turning back to Him. Wilkerson highlights the alarming state of youth today, plagued by violence, substance abuse, and a loss of faith, and he challenges the complacency of society and the church in addressing these issues. He calls for a prophetic voice to rise up, much like Jonah, to proclaim the truth of God's impending judgment and the need for genuine repentance. Ultimately, he stresses that the greatest sin is unbelief, which leads to corruption and separation from God.
The Reformed Church
By J.H. Newman0ISA 41:10HAG 1:4HAG 2:5MAL 1:6MAL 2:1MAL 3:8MAL 4:1J.H. Newman preaches on the parallels between the state of the Jews after the captivity and the current state of Christians, emphasizing the decline in zeal, unity, and obedience in the Church. He draws comparisons between the Jewish polity after restoration and the secularization of the Christian Church, highlighting the challenges of the union of Church and State. Newman reflects on prophetic passages from the Prophets after the Captivity, applying them to the present times to shed light on the Church's struggles and trials. He concludes with texts offering hope to true Christians, reminding them of God's enduring presence and the promise of greater glory for the Church despite the current state of unbelief.
- John Gill
- Matthew Henry
- Tyndale
John Gill Bible Commentary
For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,.... Not the day of judgment, as Kimchi and other interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, think; but the day of Christ's coming in his kingdom and power, to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, which burned like an oven, both figuratively and literally; when the wrath of God, which is compared to fire, came upon that people to the uttermost; and when their city and temple were burnt about their ears, and they were surrounded with fire, as if they had been in a burning oven: and this being so terrible, as can hardly be conceived and expressed, the word "behold" is prefixed to it, not only to excite attention, but horror and terror at so dreadful a calamity; which though future, when the prophet wrote, was certain: and all the proud; yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; the proud Pharisees, that boasted of their own righteousness, trusted in themselves, and despised others; all workers of iniquity, in private or in public; all rejecters of Christ, contemners of his Gospel and ordinances, and persecutors of his people; as well as such who were guilty of the most flagitious crimes, as sedition, robbery, murder, &c. of which there were notorious instances during the siege of Jerusalem; these were all like stubble before devouring fire, weak and easily destroyed: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts: which is repeated, to show the certainty of it, and to apply it to the persons before described: that it shall leave them neither root nor branch: which signifies an entire and complete destruction; the city and temple so utterly destroyed, that not one stone shall be left on another; both magistrates and subjects shall perish, priests and people, so that there shall be no form of government, civil nor ecclesiastical; tribes and families lost, they and their posterity: and so the Targum, "which shall not leave them son and nephew:'' and, indeed, the numbers cut off were so many, and the destruction so general, that it may be wondered at that any remained: it is a proverbial expression, setting forth the greatness of the calamity; see Mat 3:10.
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
The great and terrible day of the Lord is here prophesied of. This, like the pillar of cloud and fire, shall have a dark side turned towards the Egyptians that fight against God, and a bright side towards the faithful Israelites that follow him: The day cometh, that is, the Lord cometh, the day of the Lord; and it has reference both to the first and to the second coming of Jesus Christ; the day of both was fixed, and should answer the character here given of it. I. In both Christ is a consuming fire to those that rebel against him. The day of his coming shall burn as an oven; it shall be a day of wrath, of fiery indignation. This was foretold concerning the Messiah, Psa 21:9, Thy hand shall find out all thy enemies, and shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of thy anger. It will be a day of terror and destruction like the burning of a city, or rather of a wood, the trees whereof are withered and dried, for to that the allusion seems to be, as Isa 10:17, Isa 10:18, The light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and it shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field. Now observe here, 1. Who shall be fuel to this fire - all the proud in heart, whose words have been stout against God, and their necks stiff and unapt to yield to the yoke of his commandments (all those that in the pride of their countenances will not seek after God, nor submit to the grace and government of Jesus Christ - all that proudly say they will not have Christ to reign over them), and all those that do wickedly in their affections and conversations, that wilfully persist in sin, in contempt of and contradiction to the law of God; they are such as do wickedly against the covenant, as another prophet had lately expressed it, Dan 11:32. God, that has perfect knowledge of every one's character, knows who are the proud, and of every one's actions, knows who they are that do wickedly; and they shall be as stubble to this fire; they shall be consumed by it, easily consumed, utterly consumed, and it is wholly owing to themselves that they shall be so, for they make themselves stubble, that is, combustible matter, to this fire. If they were not stubble, it would not burn them; for the fire will be to every man according as he and his works are found; if they be wood, hay, and stubble, they will be consumed; but if they be gold, solver, and precious stones, they will abide the fire and be purified by it, Co1 3:13-15. Those that by their unbelief oppose Christ thereby set themselves as briers and thorns before a devouring fire, Isa 27:4, Isa 27:5. 2. What shall be the force and what the fruit of this fire: The day that cometh shall burn them up, shall both terrify and ruin them, and shall leave them neither root nor branch, neither son nor nephew (so the Chaldee paraphrase): neither they nor their posterity shall be spared; they shall be wholly extirpated and cut off. Who knows the power of God's anger? The proud and those that do wickedly will not fear it, but they shall be made to feel it. Where are those now that called the proud happy, when thus they are made completely miserable, when there remains no branch of their happiness to be enjoyed for the present, nor any root of it out of which it might again spring up? Now this was fulfilled, (1.) When Christ, in his doctrine, spoke terror and condemnation to the proud Pharisees and the other Jews that did wickedly, when he sent that fire on the earth which burnt up the chaff of the traditions of the elders and the corrupt glosses they had put upon the law of God. (2.) When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, and the nation of the Jews, as a nation, quite blotted out from under heaven, and neither root nor branch left them. This seems to be principally intended here; our Saviour says that those should be the days of vengeance, when all the things that were written to that purport should be fulfilled, Luk 21:22. Then the unbelieving Jews were as stubble to the devouring fire of God's judgments, which gathered together to them as the eagles to the carcase. (3.) It is certainly applicable, and is to be applied, to the day of judgment, to the particular judgment at death (some of the Jewish doctors refer it the punishment that seizes on the souls of the wicked immediately after they go out of the body), but especially to the general judgment, at the end of time, when Christ shall be revealed in flaming fire, to execute judgment on the proud, and all that do wickedly. The whole world shall then burn as an oven, and all the children of this world, that set their hearts upon it and choose their portion in it, shall take their ruin with it, and the fire then kindled shall never be quenched. II. In both Christ is a rejoicing light to those who serve him faithfully, to those who fear his name and give him the glory due to it (Mal 4:2), who stand in awe of that name of his which the wicked profane and trample upon. Here are mercy and comfort kept in store for all those who fear the Lord and think on his name. Observe, 1. Whence this mercy and comfort shall flow to them: To you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings. The day that comes, as it will be a stormy day to the wicked, a day in which God will rain upon them fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest, as he did on Sodom (Psa 11:6), a day of clouds and thick darkness (Amo 5:18, Amo 5:20), so it will be a fair and bright day to those who fear God, and reviving as the rising sun is to the earth; and particular notice is taken of the rising of the sun upon Zoar when that was mercifully distinguished from the cities of the plain, which the fire consumed; see Gen 19:23. So to those that fear God is comfort spoken. When the hearts of others fail for fear let them lift up their heads for joy, for their redemption draws nigh, Luk 21:28. But by the Sun of righteousness here we are certainly to understand Jesus Christ, who would undertake to secure the believing remnant, in the day of the general destruction of the Jews, from falling with the rest, and to comfort them in that day of distress and perplexity with his consolations; he directed those that were in Judea to flee to the mountains (Mat 24:16), and they did so, and were all safe and easy in Pella. But it is to be applied more generally, (1.) To the coming of Christ in the flesh to seek and save those that were lost; then the Sun of righteousness arose upon this dark world. Christ is the light of the world, the true light, the great light that makes day and rules the day (Joh 8:12), as the sun. He is the light of men (Joh 1:4), is to men's souls as the sun is to the visible world, which without the sun would be a dungeon; so would mankind be darkness itself without the light of the glory of God shining in the face of Christ. Christ is the Sun that has light in himself, and is the fountain of light (Psa 19:4-6); he is the Sun of righteousness, for he is himself a righteous Saviour. Righteousness is both the light and the heat of this Sun; the word of his righteousness is so; it guides, instructs, and quickens; so is the everlasting righteousness he has brought in. He is made of God to us righteousness; he is the Lord our righteousness, and therefore is fitly called the Sun of righteousness. Through him we are justified and sanctified, and so are brought to see light. This Sun of righteousness, in the fulness of time, arose upon the world, and with him light came into the world (Joh 3:19), a great light, Mat 4:16. In him the day-spring from on high visited us, to give light to those that sit in darkness, Luk 1:78, Luk 1:79. Righteousness sometimes signifies mercy or benignity, and it was in Christ that the tender mercy of our God visited us. (2.) It is applicable to the graces and comforts of the Holy Spirit, brought into the souls of men. Grotius understands it of Christ's giving the Spirit to those that are his, to shine in their hearts, and to be a comforter to them, a sun and a shield. Those that are possessed and governed by a holy fear of God and a dread of his majesty shall have his love also shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost; and then the sun may be said to arise there, and to bring both a delightful day and a fruitful spring along with it. (3.) Christ's second coming will be a glorious and welcome sun-rising to all that fear his name; it will be that morning of the resurrection in which the upright shall have dominion, Psa 49:14. That day which to the wicked will burn as an oven will to the righteous be bright as the morning; and it is what they wait for, more than those that wait for the morning. 2. What this mercy and comfort shall bring to them: He shall arise with healing under his wings, or in his rays or beams, which are as the wings of the sun. Christ came, as the sun, to bring not only light to a dark world, but health to a diseased distempered world. The Jews (says Dr. Pocock) have a proverbial saying, As the sun riseth, infirmities decrease; the flowers which drooped and languished all night revive in the morning. Christ came into the world to be the great physician, yea, and the great medicine too, both the balm in Gilead and the physician there. When he was upon earth, he went about as the sun in his circuit, doing this good; he healed all manner of sicknesses and diseases among the people; he healed by wholesale, as the sun does. He shall arise with healing in his skirts; so some read it, and they apply it to the story of the woman's touching the hem of his garment, and being thereby made whole, and his finding that virtue went out of him, Mar 5:28-30. But his healing bodily diseases was a specimen of his great design in coming into the world to heal the diseases of men's souls, and to put them into a good state of health, that they may serve and enjoy both God and themselves. 3. What good effect it shall have upon them. (1.) It shall make them vigorous in themselves: "You shall go forth, as those that are healed go abroad and return to their business." The souls shall go forth out of their bodies at death, and the bodies out of their graves at the resurrection, as prisoners out of their dungeons, and both to see the light and be set at liberty. "You shall go forth as plants out of the earth, when in the spring the sun returns." Some make it to mean the going forth of the Christians from Jerusalem, and the escape they thereby made from its destruction. And thus the souls on whom the Sun of righteousness arises go forth out of the world, go forth out of Babylon, as those that are made free indeed. "You shall likewise grow up; being restored to health and liberty, you shall increase in knowledge, and grace, and spiritual strength." The souls on which the Sun of righteousness arises are growing up towards the perfect man; those that by the grace of God are made wise and good are by the same grace made wiser and better; and their path, like that of the rising sun, shines more and more to the perfect day, Pro 4:18. Their growth is compared to that of the calves of the stall, which is a quick, strong, and useful growth. "You shall grow up, not as the flower of the field, which is slender, and weak, and of little use, and withers soon after it has grown up, but as the calves of the stall," that, as one of the rabbin expounds it, grow great in flesh and fatness, with which both God's altars and men's tables are replenished; so the growth of the saints, on whom the Sun of righteousness arises, honours both God and man. Some read it, instead of You shall grow up, You shall move yourselves, or leap for joy, shall be as frolicsome as calves of the stall, when they are let loose in the open field; it denotes the joy of the saints, who rejoice in Christ Jesus; they shall even leap for joy; they are always caused to triumph. (2.) It shall make them victorious over their enemies (Mal 4:3): You shall tread down the wicked. Time was when the wicked trod them down, said to their souls, Bow down, that we may go over; but the day will come when they shall tread down the wicked. The wicked, being made Christ's footstool, are made theirs also (Psa 110:1), and come and worship before the feet of the church, Rev 3:9. The elder shall serve the younger. When believers by faith overcome the world, when they suppress their own corrupt appetites and passions, when the God of peace bruises Satan under their feet, then they tread down the wicked. When it came to the turn of the Christians to triumph over the Jews that had insulted over them, then this promise was fulfilled: They shall be ashes under the soles of your feet; they shall not only be trodden down, but trodden to dirt. When the day that comes shall have burnt them up, they shall trample upon them as ashes. When the righteous shall rise to everlasting life, the wicked shall rise to everlasting contempt; and, though they shall not triumph over them, they shall triumph in that God whose justice is glorified in their destruction. The saints in glory are said to have power given them over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron, Rev 2:26, Rev 2:27. This you shall do, in the day that I shall do this. Note, The saints' triumphs are all owing to God's victories; it is not they that do this, but God that does it for them, that says, Come set your feet on the necks of these kings. Some read it, "In the day that I make, or shall make, the great day that I shall make remarkable, of which you will say with joy, This is the day which the Lord has made." The day of the destruction of Jerusalem is called the great and notable day of the Lord (Act 2:20), and our Saviour in foretelling that destruction made use of such expressions as, like these, might be applied likewise to the end of the world and the last judgment; for it was such a terrible revelation of the wrath of God from heaven, and caused such a scene of horror upon this earth, that it might fitly serve for a type of that glorious transaction which will be an outlet to the days of time and an inlet to the days of eternity. By the accomplishment of these prophecies in the ruin of the Jewish nation, we should have our faith confirmed in the assurances Christ has given us concerning the dissolution of all things. Surely I come quickly; so says Christ, the Lord of hosts, to whom all power in heaven and earth is committed.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
4:1-3 This message shifts away from the disputation format, directly warning the people that repentance is the only proper response to the Lord’s message because God’s judgment is inescapable.