Minor prophets
The book of Malachi
The last Old Testament prophet calls a lax people back to the LORD and promises a messenger before the great day.
Malachi speaks to a people whose worship had gone cold, and closes the Old Testament with the promise of Elijah’s coming before the day of the LORD (Malachi 4:5), which the New Testament sees in John the Baptist.
Kinds of writing
- Prophecy 100%
Key verses
My messenger will prepare the way. “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says Yahweh of Armies.
Malachi 3:1 (World English Bible)
People
Places
On the timeline
Malachi, the last Old Testament prophetJohn the Baptist begins preaching
The New Testament quotes or alludes to Malachi 5 times (counted in the site’s Old in the New).
Dating notes
This timeline dates the book to 416 BC, in the time of Nehemiah’s second term; some give 450–430 BC. The span is an estimate; Scripture doesn’t say when the book was written.