Malachi

Merry Christmas! Class will resume on January 5, 2022. We will study the Come Follow Me schedule.

READING

Matthew 1; Luke 1

ZECHIRIAH

The answer to your query is found in the first chapter of the writings of the prophet Zachariah. There he explains that his prophecy and visions were focused on the reestablishment of the city of Jerusalem in his own time (520-518 BCE). This was near the end of the first exile, that is after the destruction of the first Temple (586 BCE), and at the end of their exile in Babylon.

A bit of history: Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of Babylon, conquered Judea/Israel - similar in sentiment and brutality to the terrorist Vladimir Putin in our time; Jerusalem was sacked, the usual and customary horrors were meted out to women and children, the Temple was reduced to rubble, and the surviving wealthy and intellectual population was carried off to Babylon, leaving behind peasants and rabble. In short order, the Babylonians got their comeuppance when the Persians overran them, and were amicable to the Jewish exiles. Persian monarchs were seriously concerned about the welfare of the land of Israel, because without the Jewish people in situ, the untended land had become nearly completely desert wilderness, gangs were roaming the land and – most importantly – the new Persian landlords could not collect taxes from the myriad caravans which traversed that narrow span of land with spices and silks from the Far East, nor from merchant ships that docked at the ports. So they dispatched many of the Jews back to Israel, with funding and protective cavalry, to rebuild the cities. As incentive they encouraged the reestablishment of Jerusalem as the capital and the rebuilding of the Temple (ushering in the second 500-year kingdom in what became known as the Second Temple Times). Zachariah was livid that the returning people weren't taking their job of reestablishing Jerusalem as the capital and rebuilding the Temple with the same urgent zeal that he felt. It was in that social/historical/political setting that he raged against the slackers, promising that all was going to be ok if they threw themselves with full vigor into "G-d's" work; G-d would look favorably on them and the Kingdom would flourish.

This was in the few years around 520 before the common era (BCE). He had neither concern nor concept of things to occur over 500 years later: he was a politically astute man with a current, urgent mission from G-d.

EZRA

A famous priest and scribe who brought back part of the exiles from captivity (Ezra 7–10; Neh. 8; 12). The object of his mission was “to teach  in Israel statutes and judgments.” In 458 B.C. he obtained from Artaxerxes an important edict (Ezra 7:12–26) allowing him to take to Jerusalem any Jewish exiles who cared to go, along with offerings for the temple with which he was entrusted, and giving to the Jews various rights and privileges.

Religious values in the book of Ezra are found in the teaching that (1) the  promises of the Lord through His prophets shall all be fulfilled (Ezra 1:1; see also Jer. 25:13; 29:10; D&C 1:37–38; 5:20); (2) discipline and patience are born of disappointment, as one expectation after another was frustrated; (3) there is eternal significance in everyday life; (4) preparation is needed for the rule of Messiah, the law being the schoolmaster to bring men to Christ. 

Bible Dictionary

NEHEMIAH

 “A Jew (either a Levite or of the tribe of Judah) who held the important office of “cupbearer” at the court of Artaxerxes, from whom he obtained a royal commission authorizing him to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah (which is a continuation of Ezra, the two being regarded by the Jews as forming one book) contains an account of the progress and difficulties of the work and its final completion.”

Bible Dictionary

WHO WILL ABIDE THE DAY OF THE COMING OF THE LORD

“Malachi’s revelation drew a stark contrast between those who are humble and receptive to the Lord’s will and those who are not. Some speak against God, find no value in doing his will, and even question his justice. But those who revere the Lord can rejoice that their righteousness is recorded in God’s ‘book of remembrance.’ Their reward is sure, ‘They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels.’ The relevance of this section of Malachi to Jesus’ audience seems clear. Those who did not trust the prophetic announcements of his coming—and thus did not prepare—were cut off. Yet those who were faithful enjoyed the Savior’s presence, even then. Later Jesus rejoiced that they would not be lost.” (3 Nephi 27:30-31)

Kent P. Jackson, Studies in Scripture, Volume 8

MALACHI QUOTED

“I restore you unto your fathers and your fathers unto you”

“That bestowal language changes the way I read Malachi 4, 5 and 6 as this is what God wants to give me. God wants to bestow upon me a heart that turns to my fathers. That word restore is important because it suggests that my heart was there once. I once had my heart turned unto the fathers.”

“to return the hearts of the fathers to the children and restore the tribes of Jacob.”

“From this author we have a completely different understanding that branches out. This is not just a lineal line of these turning of hearts. But there is also this idea of restoring the tribes of Jacob, the gathering of scattered Israel. We know how important that phrase is when it comes to the resorted gospel. And especially in our day with President Nelson where there is nothing more important happening in the earth today than the gathering of scattered Israel. We have this text within a temple context talking about restoring the tribes.”

Josh Matson, The Scriptures Are Real Podcast

NAMES OF THE SAVIOR INCLUDED IN MALACHI

SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS 

RULER

REFINER 

MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT 

JUDGE OF ISRAEL

Haggai and Zechariah

 “Joshua the High Priest and the Council of the Gods in the Book of Zechariah: A Post-exilic Jew in King Yahweh’s Court”

Roger D. Cook

The trial proceeds as Satan, standing to the right of Joshua as his accuser, claims that Joshua is guilty of misdeeds. God, however, exonerates Joshua from all guilt and condemns Satan: “And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, 0 Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” (3:2). The imagery of a brand being plucked from a fire could be interpreted in several different ways. It could refer to a great test that Joshua has passed, or it could mean the effectiveness of a red-hot fire for accomplishing work in the ancient world. Joshua, in the second interpretation, would be compared to a glowing brand drawn from the center of a fire. Intense heat, such as that found in the glowing coals of a fire, could be applied to some work such as the smelting of ore. Regardless of the reason, Joshua’s righteousness and ability to faithfully serve in his priestly office is vindicated. Instead of being in the most uncomfortable spot in the celestial world, Joshua now finds himself commended for his righteous stewardship.

Fair Conference 1999

https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference/august-1999/joshua-the-high-priest-and-the-council-of-the-gods-in-the-book-of-zechariah-a-post-exilic-jew-in-king-yahwehs-court

“. . . . it is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.

. . . . to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.”

President Russell M. Nelson

“The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation”

October 2021

“It is significant that the Savior chose to appear to the people at the temple. It is His house. It is filled with His power. Let us never lose sight of what the Lord is doing for us now. He is making His temples more accessible. He is accelerating the pace at which we are building temples. He is increasing our ability to help gather Israel. He is also making it easier for each of us to become spiritually refined. I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can. . . .My dear brothers and sisters, may you focus on the temple in ways you never have before. I bless you to grow closer to God and Jesus Christ every day. I love you. May God be with you until we meet again, I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

President Russell M. Nelson

“Focus on the Temple”

October 2022

Sperry Symposium 2017

https://rsc.byu.edu/prophets-prophecies-old-testament/old-wine-new-bottles

Old Wine in New Bottles

Exploring the Use of the Old Testament in the Doctrine and Covenants

Nicholas J. Frederick

Significantly, while the two passages from Zechariah have been combined to form one (inverted) allusion in D&C 45:48–52, the two Zechariah passages actually originate in two separate prophecies. The first one, Zechariah 14:4, is an eschatological prophecy of a time in the future where Yahweh will descend from heaven and stand as a warrior upon the Mount of Olives. The result of his arrival will be the cataclysmic splitting of the mount in half, creating a valley of refuge for Israel. This eschatological arrival of Yahweh “stresses Yahweh’s power over history and the peoples of the world. He will fight against the nations. The nations are undifferentiated here. The Mount of Olives will split and a valley will be formed across it from east to west so that the rest of the people in Jerusalem can find refuge and a way of escape.”[31]

The second prophecy, Zechariah 13:6, is also likely eschatological but is a difficult passage to contextualize. The chapter begins with a general denunciation of false prophets and shifts to a farmer who explicitly claims, “I am no prophet,” apparently seeking to distance himself from the group of false prophets condemned in the previous verses. The farmer is then asked about wounds that he has received, wounds that could identify him as a prophet, since self-flagellation and cutting were often signs of non-Israelite prophets.[32] The farmer responds that he “was wounded in the house of my friends,” claiming that his wounds were received in a setting other than a prophetic setting.[33] The point of Zechariah’s prophecy seems to be that at some future time, false prophets will be sought out and condemned, driven to offer alternative explanations for their prophetic marks.[34]

One of these prophecies from Zechariah seems to refer to the future coming of Yahweh, and one seems to refer to a future rejection of false prophets. In D&C 45, these two verses are skillfully appropriated and woven together into a description of the eschatological appearance of Jesus to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem. The Book of Mormon teaches that the era of the Gentiles will end when the Gentiles have heard the restored message of the gospel but then “shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations” (3 Nephi 16:10). At this point, the fulness of the gospel will be taken away from the Gentiles, “and then will I remember my covenant which I have made unto my people, O house of Israel, and I will bring my gospel unto them” (3 Nephi 16:11). D&C 45 describes how Jesus’s appearance on the Mount of Olives and his revelation that he, the crucified Jesus, is the long-awaited Messiah, the warrior of Zechariah 14, will be a major step in the commencement of the gathering of the Jewish nation. What D&C 45 does is expand upon Zechariah 13:6 and 14:4 by maintaining the language but drastically shifting the context so that Zechariah’s words have a new application and meaning.[35]

Eight Visions Explained

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/old-testament-seminary-student-study-guide/the-book-of-zechariah/zechariah-1-6-eight-visions-of-zechariah?lang=eng

A vision of horses (see Zechariah 1:7–17), which teaches about the merciful way the Lord will deal with Jerusalem

A vision of four horns and four carpenters (see Zechariah 1:18–21), which is about the powers (horns) that scattered Judah and what will happen to these powers

A vision of the man with a measuring line (a surveyor; see Zechariah 2), which testifies of the Lord’s protective power over His people

A vision of the high priest (see Zechariah 3), which symbolizes how Judah can overcome Satan and be cleansed through the power of Jesus Christ (“the Branch” in v. 8)

A vision of a lamp stand and olive trees (see Zechariah 4), which symbolizes how the Lord would give power to His people by His Holy Spirit

A vision of a flying scroll (see Zechariah 5:1–4), which taught that those who were dishonest in the land were condemned

A vision of a woman in a basket (see Zechariah 5:5–11), which testifies that wickedness would be removed from the people

A vision of four chariots (see Zechariah 6:1–8), which symbolizes spreading the Lord’s power over the whole earth

Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah

 READING FOR DECEMBER 8

Haggi; Zechariah 1-3; 7-14

Jonah—Date: 793-753 BC Audience: Northern kingdom of Israel with a proclamation delivered to the city of Nineveh (capital of Assyria) Theme: Jehovah uses Jonah’s actions and words to communicate the fact that his compassion extends beyond Israel.

Micah—Date: 700-650 BC (contemporary to Isaiah) Audience: Israel and Judah, especially the oppressive land-grabbers who supported Israel’s corrupt political and religious leaders Theme: God would judge Israel for covenant breaking by sending them into exile, yet he would restore a remnant of his people.

Nahum—Date: shortly before 612 BC Audience: Judah Theme: God will judge Nineveh for its endless cruelty

Habakuk—Date: 605-580 BC (contemporary to Lehi) Audience: The people of Judah struggling to comprehend the ways of God Theme: In the midst of the evil that exists within both Judah and their enemies, Habakkuk’s strength and joy are found in God alone

Zephaniah—Date: 640-609 BC Audience: Judah Theme: Announcement of the coming day of the Lord, when God will judge and humble the nations including Judah, but will yet be merciful to His people by fully restoring them

JONAH AND HABAKKUK

Read the following with these questions in mind:

1. How are these prophets similar? Different?
2. How do they misjudge Jehovah at points in their lives?
3. What do we learn about Jehovah from these two accounts?
4. How do these messages translate into our lives and current situations?

Jonah 1:1-3; 3:4-5; 3:10, 4:1-10 Habakkuk 1:1-6; 1:12-13; 2:1; 3:16-19

GRACE AND JUSTICE

“According to the logic of original sin, the purpose of the law is punishment. The law’s purpose is to judge what is deserved. The law is a divine mechanism for judging who deserves to suffer or not and to what degree. The point of the law is accusation.”

“The logic of grace, on the other hand, takes the purpose of the law to be love. The law’s purpose is still to judge, but now judge what is needed. The law is a divine mechanism for judging what is needed to relieve suffering and liberate sinners. The point of the law is grace.”

“The contrast between these two logics is sharp. For sin reasons backwards about whether someone’s suffering is deserved, grace reasons forwards as to how best to respond to that suffering. Where sin understands God’s law as a tool of condemnation, grace understand God’s law as a discipline of compassion. Where sin uses the law to command suffering, graces uses the law to command succoring. Sin begins from the original assumption of guilt and concludes that suffering is deserved. Grace begins from the original reality of suffering and concludes that redemption is needed. Sin uses God’s law to ask what is deserved; grace uses God’s law to ask what is needed.”

“Being a sinner harms others and ourselves. The consequences are real and natural. Those things that follow sin are not a moral obligation required by justice. God is not invested in making sure that we suffer. The law requires that we receive whatever good is needed in order to stop harming ourself and others. What we need may be difficult and painful. That difficult process is God giving us what we need to become good.”

Adam Miller, Faith Matters Podcast, 130

NAHUM

“Though the Lord is said to be good and slow to anger in the first chapter, only unrestrained violence and destruction is shown to Nineveh with no call to repentance or chance at redemption. For many Christians, this doesn’t line up with their New Testament view of deity.

Nahum is a perfect illustration of how prophetic literature is in a large part a reflection of emotion. This will help people cope with the reality of the violence of the book of Nahum. These are not the exact words of God. These are the prophet’s words expressing a revelation he has received by unknown means. We don’t know in what form Nahum received this revelation. We only get how he is expressing it. His expression is going to be colored by his emotions and the general emotion of the people. The brutality of Assyria surpassed that of what any other nation had done or seen up to this point. It was unspeakable. And the prophetic literature is an outlet for the extreme fear and oppression that had been laid upon the people. And it reflects the brutality of Assyria back onto them. Even though the revelation may have been an objective view of the eminent future, a tone of celebration and revenge was added in the delivery of the oracle. The point being that a lot of prophetic literature in the Bible are the words of God combined with the feelings of people.”

Truman Cowans, Maxwell Institute Podcast