Malachi

Definition and Meaning

Malachi is the last book of the Protestant Old Testament. It belongs to the "Minor Prophets," the collective name for twelve shorter prophetic books. Korean Bibles divide it into four chapters, while the Hebrew Bible divides the same material into three. The book's name, "Malachi," means "my messenger" in Hebrew. Scholars differ on whether it is the prophet's actual name or a title.

Biblical and Historical Background

Because the text refers to sacrifices at the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem and to a Persian "governor" (Malachi 1:8), the prevailing view is that the book was written during the Persian period, after the return from the Babylonian exile. It is commonly dated to the fifth century BC, around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The book unfolds in a question-and-answer format: the people respond to God's word by asking, "Wherein…?" and then receive an answer. Its main contents are as follows:

• A rebuke of priests who offer blemished sacrifices (chapter 1)
• A warning against marriage with foreigners and against divorce (chapter 2)
• A rebuke for withholding tithes and offerings (chapter 3)
• The "day of the LORD" and the restoration of the righteous (chapter 4)

The promises to send "my messenger" (Malachi 3:1) and "Elijah the prophet" (Malachi 4:5) are applied in the New Testament to John the Baptist (Matthew 11:10; Mark 1:2). Because Malachi is followed by the Gospel of Matthew in Protestant Bibles, the roughly four hundred years between Malachi and the New Testament are often called the "intertestamental period" or the "silent years."

Practice in the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Malachi 3:10 in the Revised Korean Version, rendered in the KJV as "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse," is the verse most frequently cited in sermons on tithing and offerings. It is also often read at seasonal observances such as the early-summer Harvest Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving. Many churches and denominations teach that this verse is the basis for tithing by believers today. Some theologians and church members, however, regard it as a regulation belonging to the Old Testament temple system and question whether it should be applied directly as an obligation in the New Testament era (for details, see the tithing debate). Malachi 2:16, "he hateth putting away," is frequently cited in discussions of divorce and remarriage.