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Please turn with me in your Bibles 
to the prophet Malachi. Take up the last section of Malachi, 
specifically chapter four, verses one to six. God willing, in a 
few weeks, we'll return to our exposition of the gospel of Matthew 
in our morning service. I did want to finish up the Prophet 
Malachi, though, and I moved it from this evening to this 
morning because the subject matter is most crucial. Probably one 
of the things that affects mankind in a whole host of ways is a 
lack of future orientation, not really being concerned about 
what is going to happen in the future. And even if we are future 
oriented in terms of bank accounts or in terms of college plans 
or work or that sort of thing, Very few are future oriented 
or perhaps I shouldn't say very few, but at least it would appear 
very few have a lack of future orientation with reference to 
the eternal state. So if you are here this morning, 
you have not given any thought or consideration as to where 
you will go when you die. I hope that the prophet Malachi 
today will shed some light on this particular issue and cause 
you to take notice of what the scripture says concerning the 
great day of God Almighty. I'll just pick up reading in 
Malachi chapter 3 at verse 13, and we'll read to the end of 
chapter 4. Your words have been harsh against 
me, says the Lord. Yet you say, what have we spoken 
against you? You have said it is useless to 
serve God. What profit is it that we have 
kept his ordinance and that we have walked as mourners before 
the Lord of hosts? So now we call the proud bless 
for those who do wickedness are raised up. They even tempt God 
and go free. Then those who feared the Lord 
spoke to one another and the Lord listened and heard them. 
So a book of remembrance was written before him for those 
who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. They shall be mine, 
says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make them my special 
treasure. And I will spare them as a man 
spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall again discern 
between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves 
God and one who does not serve him. For behold, the day is coming. burning like an oven. And all 
the proud, yes, all who do wickedly, will be stubble. And the day 
which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts. That 
will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear 
my name, the Son of Righteousness shall rise with healing in his 
wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, 
for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet. On the 
day that I do this, says the Lord of hosts, remember the law 
of Moses, my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with 
the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah 
the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day 
of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to 
the children. and the hearts of the children to their fathers, 
lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. Amen. Well, let 
us pray. Our Father, we come to consider 
serious things, and we pray for the ministry of your Holy Spirit 
now. We pray that he would guide us and lead us and instruct us, 
and that, Father, we would see set before our eyes a picture 
of the coming day of God's judgment. We know, Father, that history 
has a purpose. History is moving forward to 
a specific end. We know that Jesus will come 
again in glory to judge the living and the dead. He will take the 
sheep to be with him in heaven forever. He will cast the goats 
into hell forever. We pray that this morning we 
would take heed to these thoughts, that God, you would help us as 
we approach these things. Give us grace to see. Give us 
hearts to receive and cause us to be affected by your holy word. We ask that you would forgive 
us now for all of our sins and our transgression. We pray that 
you would wash us and purify us and cleanse us. We pray for 
any and all who have come here that do not know the Lord Jesus 
Christ, the Savior. We ask that you would send forth 
your spirit, that you would open the hearts, that you would cause 
them to be brought forth by your word of truth, cause them to 
believe on the Lord Jesus and to know the joy of being found 
in him. not having a righteousness of 
their own, which is from the law, but having that righteousness 
which is from you through faith. God bless your word as it goes 
forth today. May it be sent forth conquering 
and to conquer. May it run swiftly and be glorified. And may you be well pleased to 
save a great multitude from every tribe and tongue and people and 
nation who we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, 
as we have worked our way through the prophet Malachi, we have 
seen that many of the things that Malachi was dealing with 
are the sorts of things that we deal with today in the church 
in the 21st century. Remember that he was a 5th century 
B.C. prophet. He was post-exilic after 
the Babylon captivity. The people of Israel returned 
to their land, Judah specifically, about 50,000 returnees. And initially 
they laid the foundation for the temple, but because of pressure 
in the land, they put the building program on hold. But then under 
the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, they began to rebuild the temple. And then after about a hundred 
years, they had already fallen back into the same sorts of sin 
that characterized them prior to the exile. Malachi was a contemporary 
of Nehemiah and Ezra. You remember those two men were 
religious reformers. Ezra was a priest, a scribe, 
skilled in the law of the Lord. Nehemiah was a governor. And 
so Malachi prophesied about the same time, more specifically 
with Nehemiah. And here he highlights the coming 
day of judgment. Now, we need to be mindful that 
when we read the Old Testament, when we see that phrase, the 
day of the Lord, it doesn't always necessarily mean the second physical 
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The day of the Lord for the prophet 
Joel was when God would send judgment upon the nation via 
a locust plague. The day of the Lord, with reference 
to other various historical events in Israel's history, was when 
God would send judgment upon the peoples through historical 
means. So we need to make sure that 
we understand that, that the day of the Lord here spoken of 
isn't necessarily the second physical coming of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. We'll get to what it is in just 
a moment. But I do want a quote from Pastor 
John MacArthur. He says, the day of the Lord 
does not always refer to an eschatological event. That means an end time 
event. He says, on occasion, it has 
a near historical fulfillment. Now, to be sure, these historical 
days of the Lord typify and demonstrate and teach us something about 
what it will be like when Jesus comes again in glory to judge 
the living and the dead. So when we look at this passage 
in the prophet Malachi, when we study chapter four, I believe 
that he is prophesying concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ. But what we find in that particular 
judgment is a type, is a demonstration, is a picture of what it will 
be like when Jesus comes again to judge the living and the dead. 
I just want us all to be exegetically responsible and to understand 
that what the prophet is speaking of here deals with the first 
coming of the Lord Jesus. John Calvin says the greater 
part I think that the prophet speaks of the last coming of 
Christ, which seems not to me probable. He says it seems then 
to me more probable that the prophet speaks here of the renovation 
of the church. He refers, I think, to the first 
coming of Christ. All of the indicators here would 
seem to highlight this reality, this sending of Elijah the prophet. It was John the Baptist. He prepared 
for the great day of the Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ. The specific 
judgment that is in view here, I think consistently with what 
we find in verse 6, lest I come and strike the earth. Or we might 
say the land with a curse. I think the prophet is speaking 
about that destruction of Jerusalem that would take place about 500 
years from the time that he wrote. It took place in A.D. 70. I commend 
to you Dr. John Gill's exposition of this 
passage. I think that he is a responsible 
handler of the word and he applies it to that particular event. 
Having said all of that, I don't want you to tune out. I want 
you to pay attention. I think it was of Edwards that 
it was said, he preached with one eye on heaven, on the glory 
of heaven, and with one eye on the terrors of hell. I think 
it's important for us to keep in mind the reality that what 
we see in this present world isn't it. We will all die, that 
we will all stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, or some may 
be alive at his return. There will be a judgment, there 
will be a giving an account to the Lord of glory of deeds done 
in the body, whether good or evil. So it takes or it should 
impress upon us the necessity to pay attention to what the 
prophet here describes in terms of the great day of God. So I 
just want to break this section up into two large considerations. First, the coming of the great 
day of God, verses one to three. And then the preparation necessary 
for that great day in verses four to six. So you see, this 
is the last book of the Old Testament, not just by way of placement 
in our canon, but he was the last writing prophet. And so 
when he tells them to remember the law of Moses, he is speaking 
on the verge of about a 400 year period of revelatory silence. And so he is preparing the people 
to go into that silent period prior to the coming of the Lord 
Jesus in his incarnation. So, let's look at the coming 
of the great day of God, verses 1 to 3. There's two primary observations 
we need to make. First, the destiny of the wicked, 
and secondly, the destiny of the righteous. Notice in verse 
1 of chapter 4, For behold, he says, the day is coming, burning 
like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will 
be stubble. And the day which is coming shall 
burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts. that will leave them neither 
root nor branch. First thing we ought to observe 
with reference to the destiny of the wicked is that on that 
day of judgment, whether it be a temporal judgment or whether 
it be the last judgment, it will be a day of discernment. Remember, 
that was a problem in Malachi's day. You look back at chapter 
3, verses 13 to 15. People were saying that it's 
useless to serve the Lord God. If God doesn't bless me, help 
me, and prosper me, then I'm not going to serve Him. They 
also said it's unprofitable to serve God. We do all these things, 
Lord, we bring our sacrifice, we give our money, and yet you 
haven't prospered us financially. It is unprofitable to serve the 
Lord. And then they say that it's unfair to serve the Lord. 
Notice in verse 15. So now we call the proud blessed. 
For those who do wickedness are raised up. They even tempt God 
and go free. The wicked in Malachi's day were 
looking at Life around them is saying the wicked prosper and 
the righteous get judged, or the righteous have difficulty. 
Where is this sovereign God? Where is this providence? Where 
is this holy, wise, and powerful governance of the universe by 
way of a moral sovereign? And then in verse 18 at the end 
of chapter 3, it says, Then you shall again discern between the 
righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who 
does not serve Him. When will you discern such things? On the day of judgment. You see, 
we cannot judge things based on the physical eye. We live 
in a sin-cursed world. Godly people have trials. ungodly people oftentimes prosper. The righteous believer is not 
to conclude, therefore, God is not active. No, the righteous 
believer is to conclude that our sovereign God, it is providence, 
has everything under control. That though the wicked prosper, 
at least apparently now, and that though the righteous have 
difficulty, at least apparently now, there is a day coming, a 
day of discernment. Then you shall again discern 
between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves 
God and one who does not serve Him. There is a day that is coming 
that will make clear the professions of faith. You meet a lot of people 
in your life, don't you, that say they're Christians. You might 
scratch your head at least secretly and say, wait a minute, they 
say they're a Christian, but they don't believe the gospel. 
They don't let their conduct be worthy of the gospel. How 
could it possibly be the case that they think everything is 
okay with that? Well, rest assured there is a 
day coming. Rest assured when the wicked 
will be shown for what they are. Rest assured that those who stand 
before Jesus and say, Lord, Lord, didn't we do all these things 
in your name? Jesus will say, depart from me, 
for I never knew you. The Christian believer ought 
to rest content in the government of his God, is what I think I'm 
trying to get across to you. You may not have everything figured 
out. You may be troubled and perplexed. You may have believed the gospel 
and said, wait a minute, my life not only didn't get better, but 
in some ways it got temporarily worse. You remember that instance 
in Pilgrim's Progress? Christian goes to the cross and 
what happens? His burden is gone. Can we say 
that he lived a burden-free and a carefree life from then on? 
Did he sing and dance and skip his way into the celestial city? Is that really what Bunyan conveys 
in that wonderful allegory? No. He lost the burden of sin 
at the cross, but he gained the yoke of discipleship. He had 
hardship. He had trials. He had difficulty. And such is the case with the 
righteous today. The temptation of the tendency 
is to take the tack of the wicked and say it is useless to serve 
God, it is unprofitable to serve God, and it may appear to be 
unfair to serve God. Don't do that, brethren. There 
is a day coming when God will right every wrong, when God will 
vindicate His holy church, when God will display His glory and 
His majesty. And that's something the saint 
of Christ ought to take to heart. Remember Psalm 46, Luther's psalm. What we find there is that there 
is perplexity, there is trouble, there is trial, there is difficulty. God never lies to us. He doesn't 
say discipleship means the absence of trial. He says just the opposite. In fact, Jesus in the upper room 
made this statement. He said, in this world, you will 
have tribulation. It's almost as if he is saying 
that I don't think you signed up for the life of rose petals 
that you might have thought says in this world, you will have 
tribulation. That's the reality from the master's 
lips. But he says, be of good cheer. 
I've overcome the world. Same thing in Psalm 46. The mountains 
crumble. Though the nations war, what's 
the counsel given to us by God through the psalmist? Be still 
and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Christian believes that. 
You've ever noticed the pattern in the book of Revelation? Revelation 
chapters 2 and 3. What do we find? We find the 
church tried. We find the church perplexed. 
We find the church with difficulties and hardships and death and martyrdom, 
persecution and all manner of that sort of thing. Jesus comes 
by the spirit and tells them he urges them to overcome. But 
then it's an interesting juxtaposition. We move from chapter two and 
three to the throne room of God, most high chapters four and five. What's John telling us? What's 
John communicating to us? He is saying, Church, though 
you are militant and tried and batched and perplexed on the 
earth, there is a God in heaven. There is the Lamb enthroned on 
high. And He has everything under control. 
He blesses His people. He urges them on. He encourages 
them. And He has promised that when 
they, by His grace, overcome, He will grant them access to 
the tree of life. Never forget this. Never forget 
the reality. There is a day coming when you 
shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between 
one who serves God and one who does not serve him. You may think 
you're faking people here. You might be an adult. You might 
be a child. You might be a young person. 
You might have told your parents. You might have told your spouse. 
You might have told your best friend that I believe the gospel. You may be trying to fake it. 
You may be trying to do enough to keep the heat off your back. 
You're doing enough just so people don't begin to ask and probe 
and seek to discern the reality of that profession of faith. 
You might be getting away with faking it, but realize you will 
not get away in the world to come. It's a terrifying reality. People play games. If you haven't 
noticed this yet, people profess to be Christian. They're really 
not. I know it seems odd, seems zany and wacky and crazy, but 
sometimes people make a profession of faith. Why they do it, that's 
up to them and God. But the fact is they do it. If some of you children are towing 
the line or professing faith or doing what you're supposed 
to do because you think it's going to keep the heat off your 
back, realize there is a day coming and your profession will 
be demonstrated. The best idea is to truly believe 
the gospel right now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved because there is a day coming. But notice 
what the prophet goes on to describe with reference to the destiny 
of the wicked. You need to pay attention to 
this. It's a day of punishment. You know, a lot of times people 
say, well, it doesn't seem fair that God would punish people 
for their sins. Why doesn't that seem fair? What is not fair about a judge 
handing down a stiff sentence to a child molester? Oh, we're 
happy about that, aren't we? We quite rejoice in that, don't 
we? We quite delight in the fact that when we're out and about 
in our public dealings and we see some kid lip off to his mother 
and she swats him, there's that surge of delight. because we 
hate the kid, but because we love justice. We may not articulate 
it quite like that, but that is the resonance in our heart. 
Why is it in any particular sphere, it is righteous with men to punish 
evildoers, and yet when it comes to the moral governor of the 
universe, we scratch our heads and we begin to call into question 
the fairness of God Most High? It is a day of punishment that 
every sinner outside of Jesus Christ most desperately deserves. Every sinner in Jesus Christ 
desperately deserves it as well, but they're hidden in that refuge 
that is the Lord Jesus. It is a day of punishment. Behold, 
the day is coming, burning like an oven. The language, apocalyptic, 
judgment, curse language, associated with the book of Deuteronomy, 
replicated in Isaiah the prophet, the book of Obadiah, the book 
of Zephaniah. We see it in 2 Thessalonians 
chapter 1, when Jesus comes in flaming fire. The idea of fire 
here means punishment. You need to understand that when 
you go to hell, it's not remedial in nature. You know what remedial 
means? We send somebody to jail to try 
to fix them so that they can function properly in society. 
Hell is not that way. Get it out of your head. Do you 
think that hell is temporary or for a time so you can learn 
your lesson and then enter into heaven? You need to understand 
the doctrine. The idea of everlasting punishment 
is retribution. It is punishment, righteousness, 
justice and judgment inflicted upon those who violate the law 
of a thrice holy God. He wouldn't be righteous or just 
if he didn't judge sinners. This is the way the prophet describes 
it. Listen to this. The New Testament 
echoes this language when it comes to the second coming of 
the Lord Jesus. Behold, the day is coming, burning 
like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will 
be stubble. And the day which is coming shall 
burn them up, says the Lord of hosts. Notice the targets of 
destruction here. Describes every man, every woman, 
every boy, and every girl. The proud, those who do wickedly. Isn't that us? Isn't that you? Are you the most humble person 
on the face of the earth? Have you ever done wickedness? 
We've all sinned against God. We've all violated those ten 
words. Many have probably violated all 
ten this morning. Notice the targets of destruction. It describes everybody. And then 
Malachi includes this language to highlight the reality that 
it is a comprehensive event. Notice that we'll leave them 
neither root nor branch. The judgment of God is precise. The judgment of God is accurate. 
Modern warfare has demonstrated technology and its usefulness, 
that's a questionable word, its usefulness in dealing in warfare. I mean, men flying in planes 
can push a button and with pinpoint accuracy drop a payload on the 
enemy. That's amazing. Absolutely amazing. Sinners sometimes think, though, 
that God doesn't operate with such technology. Sinners sometimes 
begin to think, well, you know, on that day of judgment, I haven't 
lived for God. I didn't go to church. I didn't 
read my Bible. I didn't pray. But, you know, 
He is merciful. I heard that in church one time. He is gracious. 
I heard that in church one time. Perhaps I'll just slither by. 
Perhaps while He's dealing with somebody else, I'll just sort 
of finagle my way in. No, God's destruction, God's 
targeting system Far out does any military that is in this 
world. It's the proud. It's those who 
do wickedly. You say, well, you've already 
said this is everybody. Yeah, but there are some by the grace 
of God who run to that righteous tower, which is Jesus Christ, 
and find refuge there. That's my encouragement. That's 
my invitation as we work our way through this passage. If 
you find yourself outside of God's holy will, if you find 
yourself under the judgment and wrath of God, then flee to Christ. Go to him. Praise God, we don't 
have a church where you have to wait for 25 minutes to come 
forward, or where you have to sign a card, or I tell everybody 
to bow your head and close your eyes. You can believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ right now. The righteous run to Him and 
find refuge by His grace and for His glory. But if you're 
not in Christ, you're proud and you do wickedly. You say, that's 
offensive, Pastor Butler. I don't like to hear that on 
a Sunday morning. It's too bad. It's what the Bible says. All 
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Every single 
one of us. What's the prophet say? All we 
like sheep have gone astray. Every single one. Nobody's standing 
in this church saying, well, I'm better than you or they're 
better than you. We're all wretched, we're all undone, we're all sinful, 
we're all helpless, vile, wicked, proud, and evildoers. Not for the grace of God, there 
is no salvation. You know, in this church, we 
hold to what's called Reformed theology. We believe that God 
predestines. We believe that God elects. We 
believe that it's the will of the Lord that reigns supreme 
in the matter of salvation. Sometimes people say, that doesn't 
sound fair. Let me tell you something. Apart 
from the predestinating grace of God, every man is in hell. If it wasn't for predestination 
and sovereign election, every single one of us has Proud, wicked 
doers would be justly recompensed in the lake of fire. God in His 
grace, God in His mercy, God in His kindness chose us in Him 
before the foundation of the world. The emphasis or the encouragement 
to you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a very 
terrifying passage of Scripture. All the proud, yes, all who do 
wickedly will be stubble. The day which is coming shall 
burn them up, says the Lord of Hosts. I want us to consider 
Revelation 6, which, interestingly enough, I think John is writing 
about the very same event that Malachi is writing about. Revelation 
chapter 6, verses 12 to 17. I want you to want you to enter 
in for just a moment. I want you to try and get your 
mind wrapped around the fact that this is a comprehensive 
judgment. God's technology outshines any 
smart bomb technology any military on the earth possesses. The Lord 
knows the proud. The Lord knows those who do wickedly. Notice in Revelation chapter 
6 at verse 12, I looked when he opened the sixth seal and 
behold there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth 
of hair and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven 
fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is 
shaken by a mighty wind." You say, well, you've already said 
this refers to the destruction of Jerusalem. Yes, this is judgment 
language. Go back to the prophet Isaiah. 
You'll see this language used in the destruction of Babylon. It's cosmic language. It's earth-shattering 
language. It's earth-ending language. It's 
referring to this judgment, this great day of God Almighty. The 
stars of heaven, verse 13, fell to the earth as a fig tree drops 
its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky 
receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain 
and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, 
the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, 
every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and 
in the rocks of the mountains." You see what happens there, children? 
Pay attention. Look at what the text says. They're 
hiding. That makes sense, doesn't it? 
We can't fault them for that. I mean, if you walked outside 
today and you saw the sky open up and a meteor start to fall, 
what is your natural inclination? Not to try and catch the meteor. 
You're probably going to dive under that piano. You're going 
to try and hide. See, the desire to hide isn't 
the problem. The problem is, where will you 
hide? You see, these men, in the face 
of great adversity and great trial, begin to run to the mountains 
to try and find a crevice, to try and find a cliff wherein 
they can hide and shield themselves from the coming wrath. I suggest 
that if God opened heaven today and dropped hell on earth in 
terms of judgment, everybody here outside of Jesus Christ 
would run and hide. They would try to find a refuge. May I encourage you to run and 
hide right now, to find your refuge in Christ? You see, that 
piano isn't going to stay the wrath of God. These rocks and 
these hills and these mountains aren't going to stay the wrath 
of God. Let's look at what it goes on 
to say. It says, they hid themselves, the end of verse 15, in the caves 
and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and 
the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits 
on the throne and from the wrath, notice this language, the wrath 
of the lamb. The next time you see a lamb, 
Do a little word association. Does wrath pop up in your mind? 
No, when you see a lamb, you think gentle, you think wool, 
you think cuddly, you think soft, you think pillowy. Notice what 
these men are saying. Hide us from the wrath of the 
lamb. They understand all too well. It is the Lamb who orchestrates 
these historical events to bring judgment to bear upon apostate 
Jerusalem. They say, hide us from the wrath 
of the Lamb. Keep us from that great day of 
dread. Keep us from His judgment. Keep us from what is coming our 
way. The great day of His wrath has 
come and who is able to stand? You can stand in Christ. That's the point. That's the 
emphasis. That's what I want you to get. 
Malachi prophesies that this coming judgment is going to be 
a punishment, a day of punishment for the wicked. He describes 
the wicked as the proud, as those who engage in wickedness, those 
who do wickedly. Those men are going to seek refuge 
from the mountains and the rocks and the hills, and they're going 
to even beg the mountains to fall on them. Think about that. Do you hear what the text is 
saying? We'd rather take our chances 
with Mount Sham falling on us. We would rather take our chances 
with Mount Everest falling on us. We would rather take our 
chances with a glacier just exploding onto us. We would rather take 
our chances with that than with the wrath of the Lamb. Because, 
you see, He is the One behind the mountains. He is the One 
behind He is the one engaged in sovereign providence, in executing 
the just judgment of God most high. Take this lesson this morning. Don't continue in your persistent 
sin. Don't leave your continuing in 
your pride or in your wicked doing. You might say, well, I'm 
not proud, at least outwardly. I don't go around saying I'm 
the best there is. Well, what's your heart like 
before the holy God of heaven and earth who searches those 
things? Hide today. Seek refuge, seek help, seek 
comfort, seek protection only in the Lord Jesus Christ. So 
on this great day that Malachi described, he says there is the 
destiny of the wicked, but then he goes on to the destiny of 
the righteous in verses two and three. Notice there's only two 
places here. There's not a third position. 
There's not a place where you can just sort of hang out. You 
meet sometimes. You meet people sometimes. You 
say, where are you at? Are you with Christ or against Him? Well, 
you know, I'm just considering His claims. I'm just considering 
the Bible. I'm just looking at my parents' life, whatever it 
may be. There's no third place. He says in Matthew 12, 30, He 
who is not with me is against me. Do you understand that? You 
may currently, right now, not be a bad person in terms of this 
world. You may not go out and kill people. 
You may not go out and smoke crack. You may not look at internet 
pornography. You may not do all those things. 
And yet, the under, the terrible wrath of God, just like all those 
other wicked people. Owen's so right. We try to convince 
men of particular sin when they're nothing but sin. There's only two places. There's 
only two destinies. You're either in Him or you're 
out of Him. It's already described what happens to those out of 
him. Notice in verses two and three, but to you who fear my 
name, it's like we saw back in verse 17 of chapter three, they 
shall be on cyber 16. Then those who feared the Lord 
spoke to one another. The Lord listens, the Lord hears. 
So a book of remembrance was written before him for those 
who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. They covenant together 
to serve him in the midst of an apparently apostate generation. Those who fear the Lord band 
together to serve the Lord God most high. So what we're doing 
or what we're seeing here is this clear demarcation between 
the wicked and the righteous, and they are described as those 
who fear my name. It was grace that taught my heart 
to fear. This is what Newton wrote. It's what the prophet Jeremiah 
records. God saying what the new covenant 
will look like. He says, I will put the fear 
of me in their hearts. It's grace that teaches the heart 
to fear. It's grace that brings man into 
right relationship to the Lord God through the promise, in this 
instance, of Jesus Christ. Through the fulfillment that 
we have on this side of the cross in Jesus Christ. That's a beautiful 
description. But to you who fear my name, 
notice he says, the son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his 
wings and you shall go out and grow fat like skull fed calves. This is a day of healing for 
the believer. Oh, yes, we're whole and we're 
healed and we're spiritually sound now, to be sure. But look 
at the language that he uses. On this day of judgment, When 
the punishment comes, that fiery heat comes upon the proud, upon 
those who do wickedly, the sun of righteousness will shine upon 
the righteous. And it's going to be like that 
pen door being opened up and those fat calves running, delighting, 
joyful. Isn't that what these fat calves 
do? Praise God, we live in Chilliwack. We get to see this. I never saw 
this in Long Beach, California. It wasn't until I was sitting 
on Armstrong Street, looking across at the neighbor's farm, 
that I saw young calves running happily in the sun. They don't 
say, oh, it's sunny out. We need air conditioning. My 
gosh. They get out of the pen and they're 
happy. It's a time of rejoicing, a time 
of healing. They soak in the rays. They've 
been in a pen. They have been fattened up. They're 
healthy. They're vibrant. They're strong. 
They're entering in to what is theirs forever. You see, when 
the sun of righteousness comes, it will be a day of burning for 
the ungodly. But it's a day of joy, a day 
of bliss, a day of rejoicing for the righteous. Do you ever 
stop and consider that, Christian? You know, we look at a text like 
this and we start to think about unsaved people, and I think we 
should. Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 
5, he says, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade 
men. We ought to be moved in our hearts 
as we consider the lot of the wicked. We ought to be moved 
to evangelistic earnestness. We ought to be prayerful. We 
ought to be faithful witnesses. But we ought not to forget what 
is ours in Jesus. Today coming when the pen's going 
to open, the sun of righteousness will shine and it will be world 
without end. Amen. It'll be joy, it'll be 
bliss, it'll be vindication, it'll be delight in the presence 
of God. You see, in Revelation 6, verses 
12 to 19, when all those men are described and they're saying 
to the mountains and the hills, fall on us and hide us from the 
wrath of the Lamb, the righteous are saying, take me, Jesus, take 
me home. Bring me into your presence. 
And to use an Edwardsism, heaven is a world of love. That's our 
destination. That's our final stop. What we 
encounter in this world in terms of the church militant will be 
reversed. We'll enjoy the church triumphant. 
We'll be able to sing with reality when we've been there 10,000 
years bright, shining as the sun. We've no less days to sing 
God's praise than when we first begun. Why do you think we're 
shining bright as the sun? Because the Son of Righteousness 
is there, beaming on us. We're reflecting the glory of 
our Savior. We're reflecting the glory of 
the Lamb. We're reflecting the glory of 
the One who died on the cross for us and rose again. You see 
what is in store for you as a child of God. Do you ever get happy 
at that thought? Do you ever look at Malachi 4 
and say, God have mercy upon my unsaved relatives, my unsaved 
family? Verse 1 is a terrible picture 
of the judgment of God to come. Lord, thank you for 2 and 3. 
Thank you that the sun of righteousness is going to shine on me. Thank 
you that I'm going to pass from death into life. Thank you that 
I'm going to reign forever with Christ Jesus, the Lord. He uses 
the language of vindication, the language of victory in verse 
3. You shall trample the wicked. I don't believe he means that 
we as God's people are going to trample the wicked. Pastor 
Porter just read Acts chapter 9, didn't he? What do we learn 
from Acts chapter 9? At least one lesson. When Jesus 
addresses Saul, what does he say to him? I am Jesus whom you 
are persecuting. What does that indicate? It indicates 
that the persecutions that are the churches are Christ's. Conversely, the victory that 
is Christ's is ours. Verse 3 is played out in Revelation 
19, that fourfold Alleluia. when they say salvation is of 
the Lord. The language here is typical. The victory of Christ is the 
victory of His people. You shall trample the wicked, 
for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet. Notice, 
on the day that I do this, says Yahweh of hosts. You didn't do 
this. Wasn't your trampling, your trampling 
the ashes. That means the judgment has already 
occurred. Douglas Stewart says, what the 
righteous will tread on is the ashes of the already dead wicked, 
not live persons who are to be killed by trampling. We see something 
of this in Psalm 149, verses 5 to 9 as well. Christ's victories 
are the victories of the church. We are seated with him in the 
heavenly places, according to Ephesians 2. What does that mean? Well, at least it means there 
is legal union. There is legal attachment. What 
he wins, we win. What he judges, we judge. That's 
the emphasis of the passage. So the day of judgment is coming, 
according to the prophet Malachi. The day of judgment cannot be 
stopped, according to the prophet Malachi. The Day of Judgment 
is comprehensive in its scope, according to the prophet Malachi. 
There are two groups. There are those who are described 
as the proud, the ones who do wickedly. Call them the unbelievers. They have not believed the gospel 
of Jesus Christ. Then there are those described 
as those who fear me. They are the ones who took the 
promise of God, the promise of Genesis 3.15, the promise of 
Genesis 22, the promise of Deuteronomy 18, the promise of the Psalter, 
and they believe by the grace of God. And they move from that 
place of pride and wicked doing into that place of fearing the 
Lord. Two categories of men. Two categories of persons on 
that great day of judgment. And so now the prophet says, 
you need to prepare. Makes sense, right? I said there's 
a comet that's coming. And I don't have some clue that 
there is a comet coming. Just trying to use some sort 
of tragedy that we can sink our minds into. Don't go from here 
saying, Pastor Butler prophesied there's a comet coming. There 
is not. I don't know anything like that. But if you knew that 
calamity was coming, you would prepare, wouldn't you? Preparation 
is looked upon favorably in the scriptures. Solomon says there 
are some exceedingly small folk, but they're very wise. The first 
group that he refers to in the book of Proverbs is the ant. 
What does the ant do? The ant busies itself gathering 
up food for the winter. The ant doesn't have the predatory 
skills of the lion. The ant can't just go kill and 
eat. The ant doesn't get a little rumbling in its tummy and say, 
I'm going to go destroy a gazelle because I want to mow. No, the 
ant needs to be wise and judicious and prepared. Right? That's verses 4 to 6. He's already stated the great 
day of God is coming. You would be fools not to pay 
attention. You would be worse than fools 
to say, well, that's the way it goes. You'd be fools to turn 
off a sermon on the judgment of God. You would be fools to 
go out and live as if there is no judgment to come. You would 
be fools to neglect careful preparation. And this is what Malachi highlights 
in Malachi 4, 4-6. Two primary categories. The first, you need to remember 
the law of Moses. You need to remember the Sinai 
covenant people of Judah. Probably two reasons why he tells 
them that. As I already mentioned, there's 
going to be about a 400 year period of silence. You're not 
going to get a prophet coming on the heels of Malachi until 
Elijah the prophet comes in the person of John the Baptist. So 
you've got about a 400 year period. You need to remember the Sinai 
covenant. You need to remember the law. You need to study the 
scriptures. It's the best way to prepare 
for that coming day of judgment. That's that thing that's in your 
lap. You should become very familiar with it. You should read its 
pages. You should meditate upon its 
precepts. You should search out its promises. 
You should believe on its center, which is Jesus Christ. You shouldn't 
treat lightly the scriptures of both the Old and the New Testaments. 
If entering into a period of 400 years after having announced 
the great day of God Most High coming in judgment, the prophet 
says, remember the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded 
him in Horeb. Remember, that's Deuteronomy's 
use, Deuteronomy's way to describe Sinai. Sinai, Horeb, same thing. Malachi's got Deuteronomy on 
the brain. Malachi is prosecuting the truth of Moses. Remember 
the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb 
for all Israel with the statutes and judgments. What should we 
do in light of the coming of the great day of God's judgment? 
Read your Bible. Come to Bible study. Make sure 
you're in church. You know, I could fully appreciate 
not wanting to come to church if we paraded puppets and ponies 
in the front. But if there is a hopeful attempt, 
an accurate attempt, feeble, imperfect and weak as it may 
be, to accurately expound the word of truth according to the 
prophet Malachi, you should be here. You really should. I'm not saying that because it 
bothers me when the pews are empty. The pastor who knows what's 
best for your soul, it's the word of God. Please don't forget 
that. You don't need the latest conference. 
You don't need the latest book by the guru. You don't need the 
celebrity preacher. You need the scripture. That's what he says. Oh, you're 
just taking liberties. Remember the law of Moses. My 
servant, which I spoke in Orin." How are the people in Berea described? They were more noble-minded than 
those in Thessalonica. Why? Because they examined daily 
the Scriptures to see if what Paul was saying was true. That's 
just Paul. We don't need to bring our Bibles 
to church. It's just Paul. We don't need to check his accuracy. 
Paul didn't have a problem with that. Paul didn't get offended 
when he heard. Paul didn't say, wait a minute, I'm 
Paul, you better take what I have to say. No, get your nose in 
the book. Your health, your strength, your 
vitality, your growth in the long run is tied up with this 
book. I'd like to say something. Well, 
it's magic and you need it. You know, it's really quite simple. I think we make it a lot more 
difficult than we need to. Well, there's got to be a secret 
key. There is. And it's got the ring and it's 
got 66 keys. Genesis to Revelation. Start 
using them. That's the issue. We need more. We need what God has given. I could die this week. I'm traveling. 
My wife's going to go, oh no, man, don't wish that on us. Now 
comets and now plane wrecks and all that. The last thing you 
remember that I ever say to you is read your Bible. I can go 
to meet my maker in peace that I've done my job. What'd you learn after 15 years 
of being in that church? Well, he told us to read our 
Bible. Praise God. That's great. Great tombstone. 
He told us to read the Bible. Great. That's a great thing, 
man. I'd be thrilled with that. Rather 
than good British, right? You ever think about what it's 
going to say on your tombstone? No, not that. He told us to read 
the Bible. That's what Malachi's doing. Read your Bible. Remember the 
law of Moses, which I spoke at Horeb. You say, well, he's speaking 
about the law. What do we do with the law? Well, 
I don't think there's anything fundamentally different with 
the law in the Old Covenant and the law in the New Covenant. 
What's law do? First of all, it restrains people. Beautiful. The law can't change 
the heart, but it can restrain the heartless. It has a civil 
use that serves as a perimeter to keep the people under check. 
The law also functions as a pedagogue, as a child tutor, as a teacher. 
When these prophets came and they prosecuted the law, what 
was the hope for it intent? It was that the people would 
be tricked to the heart, that the law would do its job, that 
it would smash them, that it would humble them, that it would 
crumble them, and they would look to God through the promise 
of Messiah, and they would receive mercy. You see, that's a function 
of God's holy law, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. You read your Bible so that when 
you are found out, you repent and God forgives. It's a beautiful 
thing. But then the law also serves 
to instruct the righteous. How are we supposed to live for 
these 400 years? Do what God says. Do what the 
law says. Don't have other gods before 
him. Don't make idols. Don't blaspheme his name. Don't break 
his Sabbath days. Don't dishonor authority. Don't 
murder. Don't commit adultery. Don't 
steal. Don't lie and don't covet. There's another thing. I wonder what God wants from 
me. It's pretty clear. It's crystal clear. I wonder 
at times if that question is just subterfuge or cover or camouflage. I'm trying to figure out the 
will of the Lord for my life. Just do what He says. Remember the law of Moses, My 
servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel with 
the statutes and the judgments. Preparation. Read your Bible. He doesn't mention prayer, but 
we can couple prayer with Bible reading. You know what happens 
if you just read your Bible and you don't pray? You get really 
weird. Don't do that. You get full of 
pride. You get full of arrogance. Nobody 
wants to be around you. You're obnoxious. So make sure 
that when you study the scriptures, you do it prayerfully. I think 
it's assumed. We go to the author who gave 
us the book and we say, Lord, help me understand the book and 
help me to put the book into practice. Of course, we prayerfully 
study. Of course, we prayerfully remember 
the law of Moses, my servant. Notice, secondly, we are to look 
for the kingdom. Verses 5 and 6. Behold, I will 
send you Elijah the prophet. We already looked at this in 
Malachi chapter 3, verse 1. Who is Elijah the prophet? We could go to the New Testament. 
We're running out of time. It is John the Baptist. He was 
the forerunner. He was the one who announced 
the kingdom. He says, repent, for the kingdom 
of God is at hand. He made straight the way of the 
Lord. He announced the coming of Jesus 
Christ. So what Malachi is saying is, 
remember the law and look to the kingdom. Look to the Messiah. Look to the Christ. Because in 
Malachi 3.1, it is this Elijah that announces the messenger 
of the covenant. In other words, the people of 
God are awaiting people. The people of God are anxious 
in a right way people. Titus chapter 2 tells us that 
as the people of God, we are looking for the glorious hope 
and the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Jude, he tells us how we are 
to build ourselves up in our most holy faith. He says we're 
to read the Bible, we're to pray, and we're to be looking unto 
the mercy of the Lord Jesus. I think he means the second coming 
of Christ, when he comes to bless his people and encourage them. 
So you see in Malachi chapter 4, what he is saying is remember 
the law, study your scriptures, And look to the kingdom, look 
to the promise, look to the future, look to what God has in store 
for you. Again, Douglas Stewart says this. 
He says, Moses and Elijah were remembered here. You got to think 
for a moment, please. That sort of sounds like you 
haven't been thinking, I want to encourage you. You've been 
thinking, praise God. I want to be a negative Nelly. Just 
stay with me for a moment. Moses and Elijah were remembered 
as the two key figures in faithfulness to God's Word. And it is no accident 
that they are both mentioned here. Is it? Remember the law 
of Moses. Behold, I send Elijah the prophet. Remember that instance that's 
going to happen, oh say, 400 plus years later, when Jesus 
takes Peter, James, and John and they go up onto the Mount 
of Transfiguration. And Jesus, as it were, peels 
back the flesh and shines forth in His glory and in His majesty 
and in His excellence and in His beauty. What two men are 
there? Moses and Elijah. It's that that triggers the disciples 
to say, why does the prophet Malachi say that John the Baptist 
or say that Elijah comes first? Jesus says, He did come first. John came. John was the forerunner. John preached. So you know what 
Jesus is saying to them? The messenger of the covenant 
of Malachi 3.1. The one whom the father sent 
to redeem his people from their sins. He is telling his disciples, 
I am he. Jesu missed it when He peels 
back His flesh. Not literally, kids. He doesn't 
open up the flesh. But what we find there is that 
He's transfigured before their eyes and He shines brightly and 
beautifully and gloriously. I think what we're supposed to 
get there is a taste of the age to come demonstrated through 
the power and the majesty of Christ. Jesu missed that, disciples. I am Malachi's servant or messenger 
of the covenant who has come to save His people from their 
sins. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the 
coming of the great dreadful day of Yahweh. Jesus is Yahweh. Cannot mistake it. He will turn 
the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of 
the children to their fathers. lest I come and strike the earth 
with a curse. Yes, in the domestic sphere, 
true piety is fleshed out. Yes, in the domestic sphere, 
true piety is demonstrated. The way fathers relate to their 
children, the way children relate to their fathers. But a comparison 
with Luke 1, 16 and 17, a comparison with the comprehensive nature 
of the judgment of the wicked indicates that this language 
of fathers and children means everyone. John's purpose is to 
call Israel to repentance and faith. John's purpose is to come 
and to preach the gospel of the kingdom and in so doing set forth 
that promise of Messiah so that they repent and return and be 
saved. Gil describes it this way, and 
the heart of the children to their fathers or with their fathers. That is, both fathers and children. 
The meaning is that John the Baptist should be an instrument 
of converting many of the Jews, both fathers and children, and 
bringing them to the knowledge and faith of the true Messiah. And then he underscores, again, 
to bring this back to a place of great sobriety, a place of 
great seriousness, How does the Old Testament end? A word of 
curse. A word of threatening. A word with the purpose of rousing 
men to take seriously the claims of God Most High and His Messiah. Lest I come and strike the earth 
or the land with a curse. Again, John Gill describes it 
beautifully, shows that it finds fulfillment in A.D. 70, because 
that is precisely what happens. That is precisely what happens. 
Remember that they impose a self-maledictory oath upon themselves. They say, 
let His blood be upon us and our children in Luke 27. Well, God vindicates or God brings 
to pass that judgment. But as we've seen, as we've noticed, 
This, fulfilled in A.D. 70, is a type, is a picture, 
a bit of a snapshot, if you will, of what the judgment to come 
in the future looks like. And that's what we need to end 
on. The next big event, eschatologically speaking, I know I differ from 
other men, the next big event is Jesus coming in glory to judge 
the living and the dead. Not going to pull up a chart 
and say this is why Barack Obama is the Antichrist. Got a number 
on the back of his head or anything like that. The next big event. And this is where a lot of people 
and maybe some of you get really sidetracked. You get caught up 
in last day's madness. Where is the Antichrist? Who 
is the beast? What is the 666? Am I going to 
get it on my arm? Am I going to get it? You know 
what you need to think about? Jesus is coming again to judge 
you. That's all the eschatology you 
need to know right now. That's it. The next big event 
is set forth by the Apostle Paul preaching at Mars Hill in the 
book of Acts. He says, because he has appointed 
a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by 
the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance to all 
by raising him from the dead. Paul elsewhere writes, we must 
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one 
may receive the things done in the body according to what he 
has done, whether good or bad. Please don't get End Times books 
to try to figure out who the Antichrist is. Take up and read 
the Bible to make sure you're counted with those who fear the 
Lord. That's what matters. So what 
if it's Henry Kissinger? How does that substantially affect 
you before the thrice holy God of heaven and earth? How? It's a trick. It's a ploy. It's deception. 
Get people searching the Scriptures for everything but the cross. You need the cross so that no 
matter what happens, no matter what goes on, when Jesus comes 
in glory to judge the living and the dead, you will be found 
safely in Him. That's the eschatology that you 
need to imbibe. You need to prepare. T.V. Moore in his helpful commentary. 
says the best motive to present duty is to be drawn from future 
destiny. Let me just re-read that. The 
best motive to present duty is to be drawn from future destiny. Eschatology does matter. What 
we view about there affects how we live now. So ask yourselves 
this most important question as we come to a conclusion. to suffer the destiny of the 
wicked, or am I among those who fear the Lord? That's it. That's what I want you to ponder. That's what I want you to think 
about. That's what I want you to take from this. Where will 
you stand on that day? If, for a moment, you can say, 
I'm with the wicked, then go to Christ. Flee to Jesus. believe on him. That's the good 
news of his message. He lived, he died, he rose again 
so that all those who look to him in faith will have everlasting 
life. Go to the Redeemer and find your 
comfort and safety in him. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
you for this prophet. We thank you for the many lessons 
that we have learned in this book. And we just pray now that 
you would go with us. I pray that each and every one 
here would consider this most important question of where we 
will go when we die, where we will go on that day of judgment. 
Father, if anyone here can conclude that they are numbered among 
the wicked. May you grant them grace and faith and repentance 
to close with Jesus Christ. Do that work, Lord God, which 
is impossible with men, but is possible with you. May you speak 
by your word and by your spirit to the hearts here, and we pray 
that you would save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through 
Jesus Christ the Lord. And for your people here, God, 
help us to be students of Holy Scripture. Help us to live in 
light of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. to remember the 
law and to look for this messenger of the covenant and we pray in 
his most blessed name.