Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →God promises to send a messenger to prepare His way, after whom the Lord Himself, the messenger of the covenant, will suddenly come to His temple.
What Does Malachi 3:1 Mean?
To the cynics asking 'Where is the God of judgment?' God answers: He is coming. First He will send 'my messenger' to prepare the way, and then 'the LORD, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.' This coming One is also called 'the messenger of the covenant,' the One who brings and embodies God's promise. The arrival they long for, though they hardly grasp what it means, is certain.
This is one of the great forward-looking promises of Scripture. The New Testament identifies the preparing messenger with John the Baptist, who readied hearts for the Lord's appearing, and the coming Lord with Jesus Christ, who entered the temple and fulfilled the covenant. Here, plainly, God pledges that He will not stay distant; He will come to His own house and to His own people. For all who wait and wonder whether God will act, this verse answers with quiet certainty: 'Behold, he shall come.' The longing of the ages would be met in the appearing of the Lord Himself.
In the Original Language
mal'akh ha-berit (מַלְאַךְ הַבְּרִית), 'messenger of the covenant' -- the One who comes bearing and embodying God's covenant promise to His people.